The Things They Carried (Tim O'Brien, 1990)

I believe this is a considered a novel, and properly so.   But O'Brien mixes in his own Vietnam experiences and the effect is really powerful.

I was a bit too young to grasp much of anything about the war while it was taking place - a constant topic, but we never talked with any returning veterans or did much of anything beyond following news accounts and listening to politicians blather on.  The author here permitted my imagination to kick in.

Part of the effectiveness - his Midwest roots.  The story of Norman Bowker is heartbreaking.

Recommended.

The Education of Little Tree (Forrest Carter, 1976)

Book club selection (via Zach; session held July 19, 2016).

Interesting back story - a white supremacist wrote this book recounting childhood experiences of a young orphan boy who spends a few years living with his Cherokee grandparents.  Despite this - I think it works.

The author did display an incredible amount of "local knowledge" - interesting to think that this deep local knowledge exists for any type of place occupied by humans at any time period, I don't think about this enough.

Sometimes too smug - wears out the noble Indian, bad whitey, evil businessmen themes; also the five-year-old seems unrealistically mature and capable throughout (although this is set up as a memoir, so an adult writer might so interpret things).

I did appreciate Grandpa's attitude toward politicians and guv'mint.  Wise man.

Chapters are somewhat repetitive, but as the book goes on this contributes to the effect.  Sad as they look at Sirius.  The Jewish peddler.

Also made me think about the loss of the Nations - which was more than loss of a political subdivision, it led to the loss of a particular way of life - story of John Willow - different than voluntary emigration.

Key characters die off pretty quickly at the end, and then a 8-10 year old goes wandering?

Danube - A Journey Through the Landscape, History, and Culture of Central Europe (Claudio Magris, 1986)

Continuing to try to get a better feel for MittelEuropa.  Much more obscure to me than Western Europe.  Some of my interest was prompted by this so-interesting travelogue.

But what was the author up to here?  This is a travelogue that is nothing like a travelogue, at least as I conceive the genre.  The author - an Italian professor - has all sorts of consistently interesting things on his mind - but they don't always connect well with the Danube theme.

And the Danube is a very long river - as he proceeds east - away from Germany and his areas of familiarity - Austria, Hungary, Bulgaria, Romania - he seems progressively less knowledgeable, and relies more and more on narratives about selected writers.

Endless literary and historical references.  I read enough to make sense of some, which is pleasing.  But . . . so many . . . must leave readers with questions, at least it did for me.

But I like the book, an awful lot.  Would have preferred more straight historical-narrative style information, but once I gave up on that, I just enjoyed the ride.

Some ideas:

1.  The Danube as an east-flowing, Asiatic, river.  Compare the Rhine (Germanic purity).  At the end of the Danube line:  Attila and his ilk.  This notion reinforced by the Roman experience - barbarians across the Limes.

2.  Large zones where armies from major powers constantly traverse - with endless consequences for the affected populations.  The Turk.  Magyars getting hit from every direction.

3.  German settlers and influence.  German colonists in the Banat.  Bringing some order into places that lacked it.  Interesting.

4.  Lots of discussion on Regensburg.  I still want to see this.  Passau, maybe?

5.  Hungarians compromising with Austria in 1862 (Dual Monarchy).  Obliterated by Turks in 1526 (Mohacs).

6.  The "Military Frontier" - described as a thousand kilometers - borderlands, somewhat lawless, first line of defense against the Turk.

7.  1986 Bulgaria - "Oppression, he writes in his novel-epic of Bulgaria, has the privilege of making peoples happy; for when the political arena is closed, society seeks consolation in the immediate good things of life, in wine drunk under the trees, in love, in generation.  'Enslaved peoples have their philosophy which reconciles them to life.'"

8.  He has an idea that folks living in landlocked areas are more conservative, less adventuresome, less liberal and adaptable in comparison to folks living nearer the sea.

Author is a colleague of Umberto Eco!

There's just a lot here, and I need to spend more time with it.  Many glorious passages.  Dense.  Requires slow reading.  Worthwhile.

Leningrad - Siege and Symphony - The Story of the Great City Terrorized by Stalin, Starved by Hitler, Immortalized by Shostakovich (Brian Moynahan, 2013)

This book fit very well with this excellent overview of the Leningrad siege; this discussion of Sergei and Lina Prokofiev; and this novelistic presentation on the siege and its effects on ordinary folks.

I expected the book to be more focused on Shostakovich and the process of writing his 7th ("Leningrad") Symphony, but the author also mixed in a great deal of information about pre-war terror by Stalin and the military aspects of the Leningrad situation (siege, etc.).  And in the end it all fit together pretty well, much worth reading.

The overall story arc is entirely amazing.

Stalin always distrustful of Leningrad - some of its leaders not necessarily in his camp at selection time; plus general suspicion based on the city's proximity to the West.

Shostakovich - young, talented, popular; a symphony runs afoul of the authorities for whatever reason and is branded as "formalism" - never a good thing for one's future.

But war came along, Shostakovich did have useful allies within the government, and it was recognized that he could be used for propaganda.  One example is a famous posed photo where he serves in a fire brigade atop a building.  The photo was fake, but his service was real.  Eventually he was whisked out of Leningrad to the safety of the south - too valuable an asset to risk.  Most of the 7th ("Leningrad") Symphony wasn't written in Leningrad (though Shostakovich certainly had lived the life there).

Much more detail than I'd seen about the difficulties of keeping alive performances of classical music in siege-beset Leningrad.  Performers starved to death, or were too weak to function.  Performance halls (not to mention rehearsals) were ridiculously cold.  Performing the 7th in Leningrad itself was almost asking too much - but it was a huge success.  Military authorities timed massive barrages to reduce the risk that German bombers might hit the performance venue.

Tremendous propaganda value - Shostakovich's music helped ease fears in the Allied nations that the Soviets were Asiatic brutes, or something.

The Spy Who Came In From the Cold (John LeCarre, 1963)

Book club selection (via POC, I think).

Entertaining spy novel set in Cold War years.

It is rather amazing to think that such a thing as the Berlin Wall existed.

Even more amazing to think about the lives of the folks that worked in the intelligence services of these countries.  Though one could make the case that their services had value in those days given WWII experiences and nuclear arsenals.

Folks believed in Communism in good faith in England, at least some of them did.

Leamas, Smiley, Control.  Mundt, Fiedler.  Liz.

Final scene at the Wall.

The Ariadne Objective - The Underground War to Rescue Crete from the Nazis (Wes Davis, 2013)

Author recounts resistance activities on the island of Crete.

I think the impetus for the book is the increasing stature of Patrick Leigh Fermor - a delightful author indeed, who set out on foot from Holland to Constantinople in the 1930s and maintained a journal that has been converted into delightful books.  Fermor and some other dashing Brits work with local Crete population in opposition to Nazis.  Main claim to fame is that they abducted a German general (some minor figure named Kreipe) - utilizing a fairly simple roadside ambush using pilfered German uniforms.  The notion was that this act would demoralize the Germans - but I doubt anyone really believes it had much significance.

Author rather blithely assumes that the activities of these semi-regulars was brave, useful, etc.  I'm sure it was.  But I was rather struck by the thought of the reprisals against regular Cretans - this was nasty business - the insignificant resistance stuff is difficult to weigh against civilian suffering.  I don't know how to think about this part.

But it's fun to read about Fermor; some interesting excerpts of his writing; learned a little more about Crete and the Minotaur, labyrinth ("Ariadne").

The travels across the Cretan mountains with the overweight general in tow were interesting.  Great scene when the General is looking out at a snowcapped mountain and Fermor overhears him murmuring in Latin - figures out it was an ode of Horace - Fermor naturally continues the ode in Latin.  The two got along pretty famously thereafter.  The strangeness of two quite normal folks with a completely common cultural heritage - at war - over ??

An example of his writing - he sees all the incredible wood carving in Bavarian towns (in 1933) - attributes it "long winters, early nightfall, soft wood and sharp knives".

Beware of Pity (Stefan Zweig, 1939)

I liked this book very much.  I keep hearing references to Zweig but never have read any of his works.  Wanted to learn something about this as I try to develop a better feel for eastern-central Europe.  I find that this is Zweig's only novel.

Protagonist is an Austro-Hungarian cavalry officer stationed in a rather dreary post pretty far removed from cities; he is invited to a party at the home of a rich local landowner.  Much enjoys the change of scenery; asks the host's daughter for a dance but learns she is crippled; this creates an unpleasant scene.  But he is welcomed back to the house very shortly thereafter; tries to be helpful; it turns out badly.  Actions based on pity certainly can be dangerous.

Dr. Condor is treating the invalid.  The landowner (father of the invalid) has quite a story of his own.  Protagonist enlists for WWI and becomes a hero (though that isn't a direct part of the plot line).

Interesting beginning to end, usually compelling, very much worthwhile.  (Which is particularly appreciated as I recently seem to be encountering a higher percentage of mundane books than usual . . .)

How Adam Smith Can Change Your Life (Russ Roberts, 2014)

The author here is one of the two contributors to Cafe Hayek, a primarily-econ blog that I find continually useful.

Instead of focusing on Adam Smith's by far best-known work (The Wealth of Nations), this book is built on The Theory of Moral Sentiments.

I think Smith was an incredibly astute observer - his understanding of human nature is makes the  economic principles that he articulates so solid.  This same deep understanding comes through in The Theory of Moral Sentiments (which I've not read), as explicated by the author here.

More self-help-y than I normally prefer, but Russ Roberts and Adam Smith make for a highly useful combination.

They hammer home - effectively and repeatedly - just how easy it is for each of us to fool ourselves - so difficult to see ourselves accurately.  Not a novel insight, but expressed in a useful way.

Easy read, worthwhile.

Falling Upwards - How We Took to the Air (Richard Holmes, 2013)

Kind of disappointing - the subject matter just isn't interesting enough to me to support all of the detail.  The author runs through the history of ballooning.

I was optimistic because of how interesting and useful I found this work by the same author.  Plenty of similarities in time period and subject matter.  But the earlier book covered a wider range of topics - this book didn't benefit from tighter focus.

The first balloon passengers were pretty amazed at how the world looked from overhead - that's cool because it's rather hard to imagine these days.

Early efforts to use balloons in war - including U.S. Civil War - not terribly effective.

Something I hadn't realized:  balloonists played a key role in maintaining communications between Paris and the rest of France during the German siege of 1871.  Not that it helped France a whole lot. (Victor Hugo heavily involved at this time - he returned from his "exile" once Napoleon III was out of power.)

Author wraps up with a tale of folks seeking to use a balloon to reach the North Pole.  Touching story, good finale to this era.

The Martian (Andy Weir, 2014)

First-time novel by a software engineer (now also a novelist, I guess).

A team of astronauts runs into a bunch of challenges on a Mars mission.  But they are pretty resourceful.  It's pretty interesting throughout - repeated problem-solving exercises.

Bach: Music in the Castle of Heaven (John Eliot Gardiner, 2013)

I feel a connection to Bach that is unlike whatever connection I feel to any other musician, or artist.  Quite possibly this is due to the sheer weight of cumulative exposure - my undergraduate piano teachers (and Joseph Henderson, who taught me for a semester during law school) emphasized Bach.  I've read four or five books (including this one) focused on Bach.  I listen to his works incessantly.  His B minor Mass (courtesy Phoenix Chorale) was, I believe, my single favorite concert ever.

So there's that.

This book is uniquely helpful.  The author writes beautifully and knowledgeably . . . but there is a depth here because the author also is a world-renowned musician who has directed Bach's works with pretty much unprecedented historical accuracy, precision, success.

Gardiner gave me a notion of the utter impossibility of JS Bach - the working conditions, the incredible volume of productivity, the sublime quality.  How could this be??

Gardiner gives me the idea that Bach could only have existed at that moment in that place - maybe that's true for all us, but it's true in an incredibly interesting way for Bach.  Born and bred in an old-school Lutheran style in a society still immersed in its agrarian, seasonal-cycle roots - but exposed to (and benefiting from) modernizing social developments and musical elements, including elements outside Germany.

As I've read elsewhere - the notion (foreign to us today) that someone like Bach was essentially a low-paid clerk-type figure, forced to deal with municipal flunkies, indifferent students, etc.  OK I just overstated that a bit - folks like Bach were recognized as unusual talents in their spheres - but overstated just a bit.  The towering figure of the "artist" did not yet exist.

I need to get to Leipzig, Eisenach, Thomaskirche.

It's really all too incredible. What a gift to us courtesy JS Bach, how does this happen?

The Name of the Rose (Umberto Eco, 1980)

Book club selection (via PJr/PJ).

As the years go by, I can see that I will spend more of my reading on re-reading prior books that I found useful.  While this re-read was prompted by book club, I could also have seen myself re-reading it on its own merits.

Discussion from initial read is here.

Enjoyed it more this time around.  I have a better sense of the history, partly because of books like this.  Also, the book is pretty complex - so even though I didn't recall all that many details, it ultimately was helpful to have some familiarity going in (from the prior read).

Eco's "Afterword" is quite interesting.

Guns, Germs and Steel - the Fate of Human Societies (Jared Diamond, 1999)

[Something unusual:  I was reading two books within about a month of each other; both featuring the same cover artwork (second book linked here).]

Diamond's book has gotten a lot of attention so I'm glad I worked through it.  There are lots of very interesting ideas.  But his basic premise seems a little tired - he knocks himself out explaining that different levels of what we call "progress" among different civilizations are not due to intrinsic differences among the peoples.  I'm not sure there's a big audience out there promoting that viewpoint anymore?  Would have been a hot topic decades ago.  Now he just sounds a little boring flogging the "inequality" language.  But whatever.  When he sticks to basic ideas, there is a lot to learn.

Interesting stuff:

1.  Lots of information about the locus of useful plants.  Guess what:  a civilization can make more progress if it is blessed with useful plants.

2.  Same in regard to domesticable animals.  This part is really interesting to me, I had never read much about it.  The list of domesticable animals is pretty short.  Living in proximity to these of course led to disease/immunity implications as Europeans encountered new worlds.(Germs)

3.  He reiterates something I've read elsewhere:  plants and animals travel much better along lines of latitude than they do along lines of longitude.  Seems obvious once you focus on it.  This resulted in diffusion of plants and animals (and, of course, ideas) from China to Portugal.  Much harder for movement North to South America, or north to south in Africa.  Harder than I had realized.

4.  Big game has survived in Africa but has generally been wiped out everywhere else - and pretty shortly after humans showed up in those areas.  The theory:  humans and big game evolved together in Africa.  As humans showed up elsewhere, they found big game with all the savvy of dodo birds (and same outcome).

5.  Hunter-gatherer societies - limited fertility - I hadn't thought about their need to space out children a few years - would not want to be carrying >1.  And how accumulating "stuff" was just a useless idea.

6.  Agriculture, water projects, government, religion, armies, specialization - fascinating. (Guns, Steel)

7.  Like this author, scope is a little too ambitious here - can he really know enough about all the areas and time frames he discusses?

But all in all:  valuable, recommended.

" . . . the official religions and patriotic fervor of many states make their troops willing to fight suicidally.  The latter willingness is one so strongly programmed into us citizens of modern states, by our schools and churches and governments, that we forget what a radical break it marks with previous human history."

The Brewer's Tale - A History of the World According to Beer (William Bostwick, 2014)

I enjoy beer mightily.  As POC 'n NOC know, so this book was a gift from them.

I'm pretty sure there's never been a better time to be a fan of beer.  Quality and variety are both far superior to anything I knew even 10 or 20 years ago (and, it seems, times prior to that).

The author goes through something of a beer tour across time and geography - so the book is pretty ambitious in that sense.  Starts with Babylonians and works up to contemporary.  Interesting throughout, though some of the pieces are more interesting than others.  I will keep the book handy as a reference as I run across various beer styles - useful information but too much detail to remember.

Among other topics:  the beginnings and spread of using hops; "Trappist" definition; world war devastation in Belgium (the breweries there don't have quite the continuity I would have expected); IPAs; porters; saisons; Prohibition and its beneficial effect on the largest U.S. breweries.

The author had the idea to make his own attempt at brewing various of the styles he discussed; that idea could have been dropped.

My Struggle (Book One) (Karl Ove Knausgaard, 2009)

This is the first book of a multi-book series that has created a huge buzz.  The author - Norwegian - writes in great detail about early experiences.  The focus in Book One is on his relationship with his alcoholic father.  But much more ground is covered.

I've read that the percentage of folks in Norway that have read Knausgaard's work is incredibly high, and further that his life has changed for the worse due to resentment by characters in the book who are readily identifiable in the relatively small communities about which he writes.

Lots of comparisons to Proust among the reviewers; even direct references in this Book One.

My tentative conclusion:  (1) Book One is good-not-great, clearly worthwhile however; (2) I think I will read Book Two and see how it goes; (3) depending on how Book Two works out I will either keep going, or drop the project and re-read Proust (which I will do soon in any event).

I realize it's quite early to judge - based on just one book - but so far I don't think the comparison to Proust stands up well.  Part of this may be simply that discussions of things that occurred in the 1980s or 1990s inevitably sound less interesting or exotic than discussions of things from early 20th century?

Alcohol definitely an issue for these folks.

I read that the Mein Kampf-style title for the book was chosen deliberately though I don't recall why.