My Book List

John Walkenbach caught me napping when he posted my book list so I had not written my expansion on it. So here it is now!

• Die Deutsche Diktatur (The German Dictatorship) - Karl Dietrich Bracher
  An unflinching examination of Germany's descent from a liberal republic into the Nazi dictatorship. An essential book of 20th century history and an insightful look at how a nation voluntarily placed itself under the yoke of a tyrant, and how that tyrant came to dominate the hearts and minds of millions. Should be required reading for those determined to not repeat the mistakes of history. (Does anyone else find the name “Department of Homeland Security” just a little chilling?)
  
• Dune by Frank Herbert
  A truly mystical science-fiction/fantasy piece, well written and completely engaging. Don't bother with the sequels.
  
• Lord of the Rings (trilogy) - J.R.R. Tolkien
  A magnificent effort from a man with an unexcelled understanding of the best and worst of medieval mythical society, an incredible grasp of the impact of language on the formation of cultures , and an amazing ability to create his own mythos.
  
• Naval Shiphandling - Russell Sydnor Crenshaw
  That rarest of rare beasts: a textbook so well written that it can actually be read as pleasure reading. If you can't figure out how to drive a ship after reading this, you never will. (not that most people ever need to--but you'd still enjoy this book!)
  
• Nimitz - E.B. Potter
  Often hailed as one of the best biographies of the 20th century, Potter's understanding of this self-effacing hero shines a brilliant light on the life of a man too often overshadowed by flashier leaders given to self-promotion (like Douglas McArthur). I'm lucky enough to own a copy signed by the author. Bizarrely enough, Potter co-wrote with Nimitz one of the books widely regarded by many who used it as one of the most BORING books ever written: Sea Power: A Navy History, known to many years of Midshipmen as “The Big Blue Sleeping Pill”.
  
• Starship Troopers - Robert Heinlein
  Forget the movie of the same name; it quite literally has almost nothing to do with this book, which is actually about the responsibilities of a citizen toward the society they live in. It is a deeply political book masked as action-adventure, and perhaps the best work by this brilliant although sometimes deeply flawed author.
  
• The Bible - Various authors
  Whether you are a “person of faith” or someone (like John!) who thinks it's a book of fairy tales, the fact is that this book has had a profound impact on Western society, and in many cases it is just not possible to understand the cultural context of much of Western literature without some knowledge of the Bible. A personal hero of mine, Thomas Jefferson, viewed it as a tremendous work of guidance for a just society. I think it's much more but every person must form their own belief system; I think this is a good starting point.
  
• The Chronicles of Narnia (series) - C.S. Lewis
  Lewis' good friend, J.R.R. Tolkien, thought this was too lightweight and really objected to the talking animals, but this is a hugely engaging work of fantasy that keeps you on the edge of your seat throughout. In this case, the movie adaptation of the first book is both brilliant and true to the source, demonstrating what a great ear for dialog Lewis had.
  
• The Columbia Encyclopedia, Paul Lagrasse, editor (free online)
  Yes I use (and contribute to) Wikipedia, but this is the best concise encyclopedia available. It should be the first source to use if you have to look something up. My print version is almost worn out but now it's online as well.
  
• The Oxford Book of English Verse - chosen and edited by A.T. Quiller-Couch (free online)
  People have many varying views of poetry, but this book contains most of the best poetry ever written in English, work by people who have words as their vocation. My copy has been a great comfort to me when I am really down; I just take it off my shelf and lose myself in words.
  
• The River War by Winston S. Churchill (free online)
  Yes, this is Winston Churchill who was later the Prime Minister of Great Britain; this book was written while he was a serving officer in the British army, actually participating in the campaign the book is about. It is a first-hand account of the conquest of the Sudan by an English-Egyptian force under Lord Kitchener; Churchill obtained an appointment in the 21st Lancers, against Kitchener's wishes. Churchill weaves amazing pictures with words, like the following paragraph describing sunset on the Nile:

  The banks of the Nile, except by contrast with the desert, display an abundance of barrenness. Their characteristic is monotony. Their attraction is their sadness. Yet there is one hour when all is changed. Just before the sun sets towards the western cliffs a delicious flush brightens and enlivens the landscape. It is as though some Titanic artist in an hour of inspiration were retouching the picture, painting in dark purple shadows among the rocks, strengthening the lights on the sands, gilding and beautifying everything, and making the whole scene live. The river, whose windings make it look like a lake, turns from muddy brown to silver-grey. The sky from a dull blue deepens into violet in the west. Everything under that magic touch becomes vivid and alive. And then the sun sinks altogether behind the rocks, the colors fade out of the sky, the flush off the sands, and gradually everything darkens and grows grey--like a man's cheek when he is bleeding to death. We are left sad and sorrowful in the dark, until the stars light up and remind us that there is always something beyond.

Sorry that my comments are broken; I've been wrestling with a bout of bladder cancer and just have not had time to fix it.

Posted by trygstad | Category: Personal | 09:03 AM