"To compensate a little for the treachery and weakness of my memory, so extreme that it has happened to me more than once to pick up again, as recent and unknown to me, books which I had read carefully a few years before . . . I have adopted the habit for some time now of adding at the end of each book . . . the time I finished reading it and the judgment I have derived of it as a whole, so that this may represent to me at least the sense and general idea I had conceived of the author in reading it." (Montaigne, Book II, Essay 10 (publ. 1580))

Thursday, March 24, 2016

The Riddle of the Labyrinth (Margalit Fox, 2013)

Book club selection (via Lon; session held March 20, 2016).

So this turned out to be pretty interesting.  Writings are found on Crete in 1900 - and absolutely no one can figure out how to decipher them.  No Rosetta Stone-type device emerges.  Not much to go on.  3,400 year old stuff.  How does it relate to classical Greece (which came along later)?

The finder (Arthur Evans) was a celebrated archaeologist who didn't have much linguistic experience (if that's the right term), and didn't bother to get very systematic.  But as finder, he had first shot.  And didn't go out of his way to make materials accessible to others.

The author focuses on a second researcher - an American named Alice Kober - her role appears to have been under-appreciated.  While she didn't solve the puzzle, her contributions were critical.

The solver-of-the-puzzle was a brilliant amateur - Michael Ventris.  Everyone suspected that the writings primarily were administrative stuff - lists, receipts, tax administration - but unfortunately pretty much nothing else was found.  So while it was neat to solve "Linear B", it isn't clear that all that much was gained.

Kober working in post-WWII austerity conditions as she visits England.  She creates cigarette boxes full of what amount to punch cards in an effort to find patterns.

How different it would have been to pursue this analysis with present-day communications and compute power.

Tuesday, March 08, 2016

Christendom Destroyed - Europe 1517-1648 (Mark Greengrass, 2014)

Saw a favorable review, and am trying to get a better handle on this period (some overlap with this book, for example).  But while there were endless interesting items in the book - I think the scope was overwhelming, at least for me.  Too many details, too many countries/regions, too many moving parts.

Also not sure of his premise - though I'd trust Greengrass more than me! - but he suggests that there was some sort of unified vision of Christendom prior to 1500 - and that a big change was the breakdown of that world.  I can scarcely believe that to be the case.  And certainly wouldn't think the average European (however defined) at the time viewed him/herself as part of a large, unified structure.  But whatever.

The Columbian exchange was a big deal.  New World silver was a big deal - finances Hapsburgs.  Luther's activities - part of larger trends - became a very big deal. Worldwide economy.  The amazing Dutch.  Religious conflict mixed up with all sorts of other bases of conflict.

All the religious-based scrapping going on in the 16th century . . . then things would seem to settle down . . . but then the so-awful 30 years war (ended 1648), particularly in Germany.  But this book also gave a little more perspective on what Montaigne was dealing with in France in late 16th century.

Counter-reformation; Jesuits.  Ottoman threat.  Protestant groupings become increasingly segmented.  England.

Etc.

Etc.

I'd recommend skipping this and picking up better-focused books on individual topics.