CS Politics and History Book Club: August 2013

[Ibanez]

One more for today.



Russia Against Napoleon: The True Story of the Campaigns of War and Peace [Dominic Lieven, 2009]. This is one of my favorite history books...ever. Extensive primary source base; archival research in British, French, German, and Russian archives. Chocked full of detail but doesn't lose narrative. Purpose of book: deconstructing and overturning British, French, and Tolstoian myths about the Russian army and state from 1812-1814. Central thesis is that Russia won not because of French bad luck, but because of superior cavalry, logistics, and intelligence. Takes broad focus, contrasting tremendous improvements in Russian supply from 1812-1814 with abysmal performances against Ottomans in 18th century and even against French in 1805. Also devotes considerable focus on allied campaigns in Germany in 1813 and subsequent invasion of France in support of overall argument.

Sounds good. i'll add that to my list.


Oh, you should know better. Anyone that understands history past the 12th grade is a revisionist.

[Hoseinexile07]

And history before the 12th grade is mostly nationalist mythology.

[Ibanez]

And history before the 12th grade is mostly nationalist mythology.

OH SNAP! HE SAID IT!



You mean, like the Germans in the 1930s and 1940s?
But not that extreme, I know.



F'n revisionist.

[ASUMountaineer]

Cap'n Cat is an excellent speller because he went to a Catholic grade school. You musta been home-schooled.

Excellent Spellers = Total Assholes

Guilty as charged.

Thanks Cap'n for the recommendation in the first post re: Civil War! I will check that one out.

[Chizzang]

And history before the 12th grade is mostly nationalist mythology.

Apparently they stick with that theme ^ for 4 more years at The Citadel

[Ibanez]

And history before the 12th grade is mostly nationalist mythology.

Apparently they stick with that theme ^ for 4 more years at The Citadel

Not really true. Citdog is not the rule. I took some history courses at The Citadel and they were excellent. My favorite was early American religions.

[Cap'n Cat]

And history before the 12th grade is mostly nationalist mythology.

Zackly, mon ami.

[blueballs]

He should be as famous as Darwin is and Darwin should as obscure as he is. More obscure in fact.

Agreed... Because Darwin didn't discover anything
He simply pointed out what was blatantly obvious and had been observed for thousands of years prior

The only reason Darwin is famous is because of the awards named after him.

[Chizzang]

Agreed... Because Darwin didn't discover anything
He simply pointed out what was blatantly obvious and had been observed for thousands of years prior

The only reason Darwin is famous is because of the awards named after him.

No doubt...
In this country he is wildly misunderstood
He's seen as some kind of crazy British guy who tried to kill Jesus

All he did was make some rather obvious connections of completely natural phenomenon
No more / No less

[CID1990]

And history before the 12th grade is mostly nationalist mythology.

Apparently they stick with that theme ^ for 4 more years at The Citadel

Actually the history department at The Citadel would pleasantly surprise you

[Chizzang]

Apparently they stick with that theme ^ for 4 more years at The Citadel

Actually the history department at The Citadel would pleasantly surprise you

that was mostly a jab at Citdog

[Ibanez]

Apparently they stick with that theme ^ for 4 more years at The Citadel

Actually the history department at The Citadel would pleasantly surprise you

I already said that. The history dept. at The Citadel is full of extremely brilliant people.

[Cap'n Cat]

Actually the history department at The Citadel would pleasantly surprise you

I already said that. The history dept. at The Citadel is full of extremely brilliant people.

Citadel History Dept, 1998:

[Ivytalk]

Still plugging away with Castles of Steel. It's an 800-pager, and IT is a slow reader. But I'm more than halfway done. Haven't gotten to the Battle of Jutland yet.

[Cap'n Cat]

Still plugging away with Castles of Steel. It's an 800-pager, and IT is a slow reader. But I'm more than halfway done. Haven't gotten to the Battle of Jutland yet.

Whatz that one about again, IT?

[Ibanez]

Still plugging away with Castles of Steel. It's an 800-pager, and IT is a slow reader. But I'm more than halfway done. Haven't gotten to the Battle of Jutland yet.

Whatz that one about again, IT?

Based of the Jutland reference, i'd say WW1 Naval history? Something like that.

[Ivytalk]

Still plugging away with Castles of Steel. It's an 800-pager, and IT is a slow reader. But I'm more than halfway done. Haven't gotten to the Battle of Jutland yet.

Whatz that one about again, IT?

The history of naval warfare between Britain and Germany in World War I. "Dreadnoughts," battle cruisers and the emergence of submarine warfare. Truly the "mother lode" for militaristic conks like me!

[Chizzang]

Whatz that one about again, IT?

The history of naval warfare between Britain and Germany in World War I. "Dreadnoughts," battle cruisers and the emergence of submarine warfare. Truly the "mother lode" for militaristic conks like me!

Jeezus, that sounds boring
I can hardly keep my eyes open reading the two sentence description...



I'm reading:
You gatta have wa
and
Sex, drugs and Coco puffs

[Cap'n Cat]

The history of naval warfare between Britain and Germany in World War I. "Dreadnoughts," battle cruisers and the emergence of submarine warfare. Truly the "mother lode" for militaristic conks like me!

Jeezus, that sounds boring
I can hardly keep my eyes open reading the two sentence description...

For some reason, I can't get into WWI stuff......

[Ivytalk]

The history of naval warfare between Britain and Germany in World War I. "Dreadnoughts," battle cruisers and the emergence of submarine warfare. Truly the "mother lode" for militaristic conks like me!

Jeezus, that sounds boring
I can hardly keep my eyes open reading the two sentence description...



I'm reading:
You gatta have wa
and
Sex, drugs and Coco puffs

You always struck me as a Hunter Thompson type, Chizzy!

[UNI88]

Jeezus, that sounds boring
I can hardly keep my eyes open reading the two sentence description...



I'm reading:
You gatta have wa
and
Sex, drugs and Coco puffs

You always struck me as a Hunter Thompson type, Chizzy!

With some Vonnegut thrown in for good measure?

[Hoseinexile07]

Jeezus, that sounds boring
I can hardly keep my eyes open reading the two sentence description...

For some reason, I can't get into WWI stuff......

I feel the same about World War II. Obviously both were cataclysmic events of "world historical" importance. World War I is the death of the 19th century and for me, looking at the world in 1914 and then again in the early 1920s after all the treaties get hammered out astounds me. And I'm not talking about just a political map. The war tore down all sorts of 19th century paradigms: social, economic, intellectual, religious, etc.

[Ibanez]

Whatz that one about again, IT?

The history of naval warfare between Britain and Germany in World War I. "Dreadnoughts," battle cruisers and the emergence of submarine warfare. Truly the "mother lode" for militaristic conks like me!

I love it. Have you seen video of planes landing on battleships in WW1?


Sent from my iPhone

[Ibanez]

For some reason, I can't get into WWI stuff......

I feel the same about World War II. Obviously both were cataclysmic events of "world historical" importance. World War I is the death of the 19th century and for me, looking at the world in 1914 and then again in the early 1920s after all the treaties get hammered out astounds me. And I'm not talking about just a political map. The war tore down all sorts of 19th century paradigms: social, economic, intellectual, religious, etc.

I prefer Colonial America.


Sent from my iPhone

[Hoseinexile07]

I feel the same about World War II. Obviously both were cataclysmic events of "world historical" importance. World War I is the death of the 19th century and for me, looking at the world in 1914 and then again in the early 1920s after all the treaties get hammered out astounds me. And I'm not talking about just a political map. The war tore down all sorts of 19th century paradigms: social, economic, intellectual, religious, etc.

I prefer Colonial America.


Sent from my iPhone

Then you'd probably enjoy the first few chapters of For the Common Defense: A Military History of the United States of America from 1607-2012. I highly recommend the book but good luck trying to get it via Amazon. They cancelled my first and third orders for the book and sent me an older version the second time around.