The Allies Strike Back 1941-1943 (James Holland, 2017)

(613 pages.)

Second of a trilogy; first is mentioned here; third not yet available and I'm looking forward to it.

Again focusing often on supplies - this distinguishes his work from others I've read.

Emphasizes importance of the Battle of the Atlantic - something I've not really focused on much.  

Also in Mediterranean - ships and aircraft - so often the focus is on the ground battles - but support from other services were key.

German industry advanced and features wonderful workmanship.  But industries are fragmented - many automakers as compared to just a few in the U.S. This meant many types of vehicles with differing parts and maintenance requirements - a nightmare - compounded by complex (beautiful!) designs that could work well enough even if simplified for cheaper/faster manufacture.

Germany in general less mechanized than it advertised (and has been widely believed, certainly by me).  To offset vehicle shortage - stripped conquered territories of vehicles (especially France) - meaning another long list of individual models with their own parts and maintenance challenges.

Britain better-positioned for domestic food supply, manufacturing capacity - certainly in comparison to Germany - Battle of Atlantic was key to keeping things moving.

In midsection of book - I much liked how the author moved from topic to topic explaining how key elements were developing across the same compressed timeline in 1942 - gave me a better sense of this.  The scale of activity is almost incomprehensible - you can see how it took an entire-country effort.  Items in play (and this excludes extensive "War in the Pacific" activities) - working with French resistance; setting up special units for sabotage such as the Norway heavy water plant; accelerating atomic bomb efforts; home front production in US - near-miraculous advances in ship-building, largest factory (Willow Run) for B-24s; Monty takes over in north Africa and defeats Rommel; Operation Torch - three separate armadas heading to north Africa, including first US ground troops; building up bomber capabilities and hitting German cities; German forces in massive combat with Russians and bogging down as approaching Stalingrad, etc.  Incredible.

The Golden Bowl (Henry James, 1904)

525 pages.

Only made it through 357 pages.  Not planning to finish.

Four central characters (Adam Verver, his daughter Maggie, Prince Amerigo, Charlotte Stant).

Two additional characters (Mrs. Assingham and her husband) who orbit the four central characters and provide perspective on them.

Minimal roles for anyone else, at least as far as I made it.

Minimal plot line - just exploring the central relationships and how the participants perceived, felt about those.

Of course - deep development of the four characters and the relationships among them.  But they just weren't interesting enough to keep me engaged.  Part of the problem:  they are fabulously wealthy - function in a world without any financial considerations - to that extent, untethered from "normal" life.  Not recalling examples from other novels at the moment, but I've run into this before - people with limited day to day responsibilities focusing all of their energies on themselves.

Indian Embers (Lady (Rosamond Napier) Lawrence, 1949)

(397 pages)

Author is a novelist, also accomplished at sketching.  I'm marveling at her consistent detailed descriptions of landscapes and people, but it makes sense - must be part of how a person can be a good writer/artist.  Loves riding horses; she and husband see a lot in this way. Napier name - long history in England and India.  Also her husband's family (Lawrence).

Book was published in 1949, but events took place between 1914 and 1919.

I found it fascinating throughout.

Though thinking about how useful this type of book can be - written from perspective of colonial authorities - still, I think it is pretty useful. The descriptions of the various areas they lived in or visited are fascinating.  Some glimpses of how the local people lived. An idea of how Indians working for colonial authorities lived - perhaps plenty of poor treatment, but these probably were valued jobs?

I don't think too many Indians were traveling around the country and writing up their experiences - tourism among locals probably hadn't been invented for the most part at this time - so the book is useful in that way.

Immense expense of the way the colonial authorities travel - even in Belgaum, a lesser position, I think they were taking 24 bullock carts when traveling, setting up nice tents, etc.  Nice government buildings.  Presumably the locals are paying for this via some form of taxation.  But was it worse than the palace-building and similar expenses incurred by Mughals or other dynasties (but paid by taxpayers)? Hard to figure out.

They are stationed at Belgaum (now known as Belagavi) as newlyweds - first half of book - NW Karnataka.  Including lots of jungle. A son is born.

The camping episode - a long journey at p. 86ff, there was also the boat trip preceding along that portion of India's west coast - author is really perceptive and appreciative - it's a pleasure to read.  Also interesting to think about what this kind of "camping" or travel would be like - a full staff taking care of everything, a tent outfitted completely.

Second half of book starts in the Sind (Karachi, large city in modern-day Pakistan) - a big promotion for hubby, this is a major position.  Completely different setting - desert, dependent on Indus waters.

Sukkur water project is husband's single biggest goal.  Trying to tame the Indus.

10 weeks of summer 1917 spent in Baluchistan - mountains - they love it.  Another entirely different geography, author describes in wonderful detail.  Kind of like the Brits stationed in Delhi and the like always escaping to the mountains in summer.

Back to Karachi; government duties.  Trips along the Indus via a boat dedicated to hubby's job.  Author falls ill; part of recovery is returning to the Baluchistan mountains the next year (it helps).

A "strange outbreak of illness in Karachi" - "they called it influenza" - yes, the Spanish Flu of 1918 arrives and it's horrific in India.  Delays return to Karachi from Baluchistan but finally it happens.

Celebrations for Armistice Day (11/11/18) but this is a period of major unrest in India - independence expectations raised and dashed.  Delays return home for British troops stationed in the area; they are unhappy.

Armritsar is far away to the northeast but the massacre there (via General Dyer) ties to Sind governance (somehow); disturbances in Karachi; author and husband sleep with revolvers by their beds.  Gandhi a major figure already in 1919.  Husband initially criticized for the way he handled the unrest but later exonerated and returns (with author) to a major position in Bombay in 1921.  

The Prime Minister (Anthony Trollope, 1876)

(691 pages)

I don't know too much about Trollope; seems he was a prolific writer and immensely successful in his time.  Some of his novels were written as a series; this is the fifth novel in the "Palliser" series.  I've not read any of the prior, and that was fine.

I thought this was really well-written; I enjoyed and will look for more of his novels.

"Palliser" is the name of a Duke who is prevailed upon to lead a 19th century coalition government when neither the Tories nor the Whigs can form a government; thus he is the titular "Prime Minister". Coalition governments have challenges; this one seems to function smoothly enough; the Prime Minister's wife has the idea to assist by throwing lavish parties at which she entertains anyone that might seem useful.  The Prime Minister's temperament doesn't work well with this approach, and in fact isn't great for his role as Prime Minister.  But he's honest, hardworking, respected.

There is a second major story line - widower "Mr. Wharton" - aging lawyer with quite a bit of money saved up and two children, Emily and a son who is having trouble finding his way.  Emily falls hard for a guy named Fernando Lopez - who seems to have good qualifications - but old man Wharton is not a fan because Lopez never reveals his family background or financial situation; seems to be of Portuguese (if not Jewish, God forbid) extraction rather than a true English gentlemen. Once married, it turns out that Lopez badly needs Wharton money; he works hard to get it.

The Prime Minister and his wife deal with all sorts of political characters and situations.  Lopez works himself into their orbit and thinks he's getting backing for a seat in Parliament (which he thinks will help his financial situation).  Thus some overlap between the two story lines.

There is a character named Arthur Fletcher - both his family and the Wharton family always thought Emily would marry Arthur. 

A Dance to the Music of Time (Volumes 1-3) (Anthony Powell, 1951 - 1955)

(728 pages)

Powell wrote a 12-volume series between 1951 and 1975; this book includes the first three volumes (A Question of Upbringing, A Buyer's Market, The Acceptance World). 

Author is looking at English political, cultural, military life in mid-20th century.

Narrator is Nicholas Jenkins.  He has school chums or acquaintances in the early going - Kenneth Widmerpool, Charles Stringham, Peter Templer, Quiggin, Mark Members, etc.  There is an Oxford don named Sillery (manipulative).  He meets family members of the schoolmates. 

Mr. Deacon - eccentric; hangs with Gypsy Jones.  St. John Clarke (Quiggin and Members compete for him).

The characters graduate from school and begin their professional careers, relationships.

I've seen some comparisons to Proust's novel, but so far it hasn't struck me in that manner (unfortunately).  Still, I think I'll continue reading.  Hopefully things pick up.

Wild Problems - A Guide to the Decisions That Define Us (Russ Roberts, 2022)

(207 pages)

The author is or was an active blogger, and I found his thoughts consistently useful.  Now he's doing "Econtalk" - pretty much the only podcast I ever listen to. And he writes a few books. 

In this one he's talking about a framework for approaching life's biggest decisions - who to marry, whether to have children, where to live, how to live well - things that can't be solved by measurement or calculation - in part because living with the decision changes the decider in significant ways while living out the decision.  

The author would be first to admit there is no answer here. He talks about some artists, scientists and how they approached big issues. Don't chase "maximum happiness" - be open, use energy trying to figure out who you want to be. Accept uncertainty. Nothing drastically new here, but he has a very useful way of talking about it.

Some focus areas - 

-- develop the pause before reacting - because we all have that innate or visceral response on various topics - don't give in to it.

--in conversation - just wait! learn how the other person is feeling, what's top of mind for them.  maybe I get to what I thought I might want to talk about, maybe not - either is OK

--a very useful idea - contrasting being the central character v. being part of a larger ensemble.  This is often a problem - we all would love to be the star of our show.  He recommends thinking of perhaps a group of dancers where success is found by working together, subordinating individual priorities.

--contract v. covenant.  the covenant strengthens love into loyalty. don't inspect whether you're getting whatever full contractual benefit you imagined

--repeating - a lot boils down to just honing the art of "catching yourself" as you are.  so very difficult. Proust; Cather, Mann, Conrad - these are writers that I think (or at least hope) help me in this regard. 

And my heroes Calvin & Hobbes appear in the finale!!!  "It's a magical world, Hobbes, o' buddy . . . Let's go exploring!"

Endurance (Alfred Lansing, 1959)

(353 pages)

I thought I was pretty familiar with the Shackleton expedition.  But not really. For one thing, I wasn't even aware of this book - available for over 60 years - and I didn't know that so many diaries and logbooks were available.  The author relies on those sources - detailed, intimate; he's skillful at working with this.

The chairman of the board of a publicly-held company that I represented was a direct descendant of Shackleton, and it was interesting talking to him back in the day; he had traveled to Antarctica.  Neither here nor there.

I was pretty far into this book when hanging out with my dad during his last days. We talked about this in quite a bit of detail - he had great recall about aspects I hadn't known about, such as crossing the island. Like most of us, I think he was most impressed by the navigation skills - just incredible that the island was found - even more incredible when considering the description in this book of some of the details of the navigation challenges (not that I understood them very well).

General courage and good spirits through so much; perhaps author being a bit kind, but numerous time he states when folks faltered - impressive.

Building the ship; its fight against pack ice; a good follow-on to "Six Frigates."

The magnitude of the drift and life on an ice floe  in that part of the world; the complete isolation - wow.

The photos - I had no idea these survived - incredibly interesting.

The challenge for the author of writing day after day of highly similar things - yet it did not feel repetitive. Somehow.  Episodes - 

--living on icebound Endurance

--Mark Time Camp - near the boat

--Patience Camp

--a few days on a floe

--Boat trip to Elephant Island

--boat trip to South Georgia Island

--Crossing the center of the Island

--Traveling through ice back to Elephant Island

A Swim in a Pond in the Rain - In Which Four Russians Give a Master Class on Writing, Reading, and Life (George Saunders, 2021)

(408 pages)

Rote gibes in the early going directed at whatever it is that the author thinks of as "capitalism" made me unreceptive, but then I have to admit that the author does say a lot of useful things about writing.  Perhaps can't help it that he spends a lot of time in campus environment? [As the book goes on, annoying comments about climate change activism, gender/class, "my truth" as a useful concept - pretty much the entire catechism. Why are politics even invoked?  Whatever, the book remains quite useful.]

_____________

He head-on addresses in a useful way (first at page 102) something we've noticed and talked about but not really nailed down - 

--that the appreciation of an art work at its deepest level happens when there is that instant of recognition that something special, or moving, is hitting us; and we can ride that for a while depending on the nature of the art work (and what's happening in the immediate environment - distractions?)

--that instant is somewhat sharable without words - the knowing look at another contemporaneous observer - we know there is some element of sharing but cannot know the extent of the overlap of our respective appreciations.  which is fine.

--that moment will fade away every time . . . we may remember aspects of it, and we definitely will remember that it happened

--often it's followed by an attempt to verbalize or write down what was experienced (what I sometimes am trying to do in a weak way here in this blog).  sometimes we do a decent job of that, but we (I don't think it's just me but who knows) always and quickly get the feeling that our words are mostly failing to express the experience

--which is interesting in itself.  humans have developed this marvelous capacity for language, and for writing things down to speak across geography and years.  And it's super-valuable.  But - as valuable as words are - the "words cannot express" concept is real.  Everyone knows/accepts it.

--the "instant of recognition/appreciation" is the best moment - better than the subsequent point at which we try our hardest to share via words - Proust/Mann as great at trying to put that experience into words but I don't recall, or didn't pick up, how they made this point.  (Mann with music in Doctor Faustus; Proust with Elstir/painting, Bergotte/writing, Berma/acting, Vanteuil/composing)

Turgenev in "The Singers" - the reaction of the sharp-eyed innkeeper's wife (the author is telling us by this adjective that she's not sentimental or easily-swooned) - as soon as the second singer got going, she immediately "drew herself up to her full height" - eventually had to leave the room (we conclude because the performance was so striking).  Wow - a wonderful way to tell us about the quality of the music via an observer's reaction - we all know that feeling even if we can't put it into words.  Turgenev's description of other listeners also good but I thought this was the best.

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"Pattern stories" - where repeat certain elements but with variation and escalation - I often think this exact thought with the piano works that I try to learn.  Those works are relatively short, just a few minutes - I think they can be fairly compared to short stories - these piano works introduce a theme, it comes back but escalates.  Interesting.  (This was "The Darling" by Chekhov.) (Also true of larger musical works but I don't play those on piano.)

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Master and Man - a story I've loved for decades.  Author telling us how Tolstoy wrote with "facts" - I'll try to watch for this.  Then the author annoys me with early 21st century "woke" criticism (about treatment of the peasant) - I'm pretty sure that criticism won't age as well as Tolstoy's story.

the moment when the "master" decides to take action - so powerful; it creates that "instant of recognition."  The build-up pays off, immensely.

reminders of "The Death of Ivan Ilych."

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Gogol's "The Nose" - I find it worthless.  And I find worthless the author's effort to explain why it's not worthless.  (I also didn't much like "The Overcoat", but found "Dead Souls" great, so who knows.)

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The remaining stories and commentary not as striking.

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More generally - made me think why I don't read a lot of short stories - maybe because, like poetry, they often make the reader work harder?  My habit is to rather rapidly read extended novels or history - I'm steadily rewarded with interesting or perhaps even moving passages that don't so much require me to stop and think; constantly presented with something new.  I do believe this is my problem with poetry, something to work on.  Short stories less of a problem, there are quite a few that I like a great deal.

The Rise of Germany 1939-1941 - The War in the West (James Holland, 2015)

(594 pages)

This is another guy who can really write.  This is a topic we've read so much about - but new sources are available, this writer uses them, and can keep the story arcs moving along in a really interesting way.

Part 1 of a trilogy, I'm looking forward to further reading.

One source - a diary kept by the indiscreet Italian leader - it was dangerously frank and thus useful to historians led to a bad outcome for him. 

Author is really effective at weaving primary sources into the larger narrative - constant movement from macro to micro works so well.

Working through the early years of the war - author has paid a lot of attention to resource and supply issues - crucial but I don't think I've ever seen this much detail. Nazi Germany makes great territorial advances at incredible speed - lots of London bombing and shipping harassment - but at great cost of resources and without actually winning the "Battle of Britain" or the "Battle of the Atlantic".  Meaning great work remained to be done, with diminished resource base.

And specter of US resources available to Britain.

Italian ally as mostly a problem - required resources rather than reduced the need for them.

Six Frigates - the Epic History of the Founding of the U.S. Navy (Ian Toll, 2006)

(467 pages)

This was a highly interesting read, much liked.  Core premise was infant-US authorizing construction of six frigates - and taking the recommendation of some expert builder, these were larger than normal for this kind of vessel, though not as large as a ship of the line. But as hoped - they had good success against what previously were considered peer ships. A big lift for the US as it faced off with Britain (the acknowledged superpower in naval matters) in various venues.

The author is the same guy who did such a great job with the WWII Pacific theater trilogy (focused on the navy).  He makes things highly readable. 

So many interesting angles.

Partisan rancor from the get-go; concerns about the loss of freedom, loss of democracy, etc.

Decatur's rise - destroying the Philadelphia.

Looking to set up a puppet in Tripoli but backing off . . . also sounds very current.

The difficult life of sailors.

The idea that young hawks pushed the war of 1812, they did not remember the revolutionary war. This thought strikes me more and more often watching the 30 year cycles recur.

Utter lack of preparedness, getting pulled along by ridiculous war fever. 

Exact overlap with Napoleon's invasion of Russia and acceleration of Peninsular Campaign

USS Constitution - details of its escape at commencement of War of 1812 - kind of amazing that the ship still sails; that folks can walk its deck and pose alongside cannon (including college-age me)

Stories of sailing ships so interesting - weather mattered so much; but techniques also.  USS Constitution "escape" a good example - finding itself becalmed amidst overpowering British squadron - first it puts out small boats to tow, which the Brits match. Then a maneuver with super-long rope attached to anchor (they were in relatively shallower waters) - small boat puts anchor way ahead and the Constitution is more or less pulled toward the anchor.  Brits match but don't catch up; when wind rises, newly-debarnacled Constitution pulls away.

Details of combat, how commanders would issue positioning orders, deployment of sails - so many intricate things happening, absolutely fascinating

War of 1812 - my primary impression was that US got pushed around, Britain didn't pursue only because of Napoleon etc., and the peace accomplished exactly nothing - those impressions are basically correct but author emphasizes that the US did show some power and resolve that headed off getting further pushed around in its infancy - an important idea.

Remembrance of Things Past - The Guermantes Way (Marcel Proust, 1920)

(620 pages)

Continuing an enjoyable and slow-paced re-read of Proust.  This is the third volume (or section), at least in the way my copy ( the Moncrieff-Kilmartin translation) is broken up.

There are several posts already on this blog about this wonderful work.  I don't think I need to repeat what I've written before about the high value and sheer pleasure from reading this.  Four more sections to go in this re-read, looking forward to it!

In this volume/section - 

• The narrator and his family move into an apartment in a wing of the Hotel de Guermantes.  Narrator becomes infatuated with the Duchess de Guermantes.

• Narrator visits the Duchess's relative (already his friend) - Saint Loup in barracks at Doncieres, having issues with his mistress (who narrator had met in a different setting).

• Narrator's grandmother is getting progressively more ill.  These sections are particularly well done.

• Lengthy discussion of a party at Mme de Villeparisis's residence.  Lots of portrayal of society, the salons.

• Baron de Charlus - kind of weird behavior.

• Dreyfus case discussed at length.

• Albertine visits.

• Lengthy scenes of dinner with the Guermantes; Faubourg Saint-Germain matters.

Vertigo (W.G. Sebald, 1990)

(263 pages)

This is an odd book.  Saw a review that sounded interesting; enjoyed reading it; but I don't know what to make of it.  

Starts with an episode from the Napoleonic wars - the invasion into northern Italy in 1800.  One of the French soldiers has experiences there. These are reflected back on, amplified, re-examined over the years.

Makes me think of Proust - role of memory, how memory works; in-depth local history; comparisons to art works. 

Makes me think of Kafka - the foregoing with the surreal elements.

A character returns to an isolated small town home after decades away living in cities - some of this resonated with me.  The local details, the knowledge of everyone living there.

Overlapping looks at Marengo, visits between Austria and various sites in northern Italy, etc - made me think of the approach used by the authors of very-recently read books: The Alexandria Quartet, Trust.

Trust (Hernan Diaz, 2022)

(402 pages) 

Book club selection, session not held.

The book's structure is clever; and I liked the title of the first part ("Bonds").  But I just read "The Alexandria Quartet", which does a deeper dive into a similar structure.

I didn't care that much about any of the characters. 

Where did Vanner get his information for book one?  Bevel and wife both scrupulously private.   

Author is dutifully feminist, the only two strong figures are the Italian writer and Bevel's wife. 

Author has picked up a fair amount of financial terminology. But the notion that a single individual (even if a brilliant woman) can move multiple markets over multiple years is ridiculous. Also the notion that an individual can study reports overnight and make major moves the next day on a consistent basis (this was going on before brilliant wife took over).

Not to mention that this wife, without much schooling, completely masters disparate disciplines such as literature, painting, music. In addition to high finance. 

Not sure where the author lands on the usual questions about socialism and capitalism (anarchism also in this telling). but it feels standard issue. Capitalism as restricting freedom!

Why did she marry Bevel if so strong, independent - just a victim of the times? Denies him any closeness.

Book 4 - long, lucid explanations of her financial genius don't fit with the rest of Book 4 - short snippets (and why would she write these long explanations, except as a plot device)?

Anarchist father fits the type; see also Joseph Conrad's description in "The Secret Agent."

Nicholas Nickleby (Charles Dickens, 1838)

(831 pages) 

Written early in Dickens's career - shortly after Pickwick, Oliver.

Uncle Ralph Nickleby - venal, Scrooge-like

Title character's father dies of "broken heart" after wife-induced speculation ruins the family financially.

Nicholas - the title character- seems pretty prone to scuffles.

Cheeryble Bros as sort of a deus ex machina; they can fix things!

Newman Nogg - Ralph's assistant, does not share Ralph's meanness.

Schoolmaster - Squeers - keeps showing up.  Not nice.

Minor item - description of promoting a muffin company at beginning of book - pitch-perfect as to how it's still done.

Uncle Ralph Nickleby - great dialogue, lots of good lines.

Chesterton's idea about weakness of female leads (especially Kate).  Mother of Nicholas/Kate a garrulous ditz, I tended to skip passages whenever she started talking.

But overall the characters were entertaining per Dickens usual (meaning unusually good) capabilities.

Lots of characters, lots of plot threads, a lot to wrap up in the final pages.  He does it masterfully.

The Ambassadors (Henry James, 1903)

(430 pages)

Henry James novels aren't the easiest reading.  Long, complex sentences, of course.  One technique is dialogue that is ambiguous to the reader but presented as completely understood by the participants in the conversation.  I rather like being left to guess.  And I like the writing, but would say it's also nice to finish and move back into "easier" writing.

Still - I definitely will continue with more of his stuff.

I like that the characters have a lot of depth, give the reader a lot to think about, James himself doesn't give clear conclusions about them.  Strether (lead character here) - we don't really know how much his judgment was clouded, or assisted (or some of both?), by his personal history (an older, fine, gentlemen but feeling that he had "missed out" along the way) or by his reaction to Madame de Vionnet (charmed to the point of perhaps being a bit in love with her?)

And on down the line - characters with multiple motivations and interests, not always clear what's going on - like in real life!  OK Mrs. Newsome probably unidimensional, though we only know her second-hand.

The descriptions of Paris seem a bit fawning, though author backs off that (just) a bit at the end.

Protagonist:  Lambert Strether (wife died young, son 10 years later)

Maria Gostrey - Strether meets her upon arrival in Europe; immediate affinity; challenges him

Strether's old friend Waymarsh who he meets in England, they go to Paris together for Strether's meeting with Chad Newsome

Mrs. Newsome - Chad's mother - Strether is her "Ambassador" - he's sent to convince Chad to return home after several years in Paris.

Her daughter marries a Pocock - they come to Paris (more "Ambassadors!") when Strether appears to be off track

Mrs. Newsome wants Chad to marry Pocock's sister (another "Ambassador"), she also comes to Paris

Little Bilham

Chad Newsome

Madame de Vionnet and daughter Jeanne

Miss Barrace