Received
Nixonland by Rick Perlstein. I’ve been looking forward to this ever since I finished Before The Storm.
Reading
The Race Beat - About how the media, especially black media, affected the Civil Rights struggle
Crusader Nation - I currently have a fascination with the pre-WWI era, especially with regards to TR, trust-busting, and the muckrakers. One of these days I’ll get into reading about the Civil War, but I’m not there yet. Considering where I was born and the area I live in I should be more interested. But I’m not.
All the Money in the World - Rich people also fascinate me
Book Suggestion Request
So, my all time favorite historical period is WWII. I love all things about the era, and I’m looking for a book that tells the story of the entire conflict - from the rise of Hitler to the liberation of France and on to the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The closest I’ve come so far is Rise And Fall Of The Third Reich which is good, but gets way into the weeds about German diplomacy. There are a ton of books on the individual slivers of WWII - D-Day, The Pacific War, The Concentration Camps, etc. but besides books of military tactics I can’t seem to find the right narrative history. Does anyone know of one?
Weird
I checked this book out today: Don’t Blame It on Rio: The Real Deal Behind Why Men Go to Brazil for Sex. I didn’t buy it and I confess the cover photo is what first caught my eye, but I had no idea black professional men were running down to Brazil for erotic adventures. You learn something new every fricking day.
On a related note, I am going on vacation to Brazil. Just kidding. Though I would like to go some time. For the nature and stuff. Right.
Sir Martin Gilbert’s The Second World War: A Complete History is a great overview of the entire war. It’s a massive, magisterial work.
I would like to travel to South America too. I’ll join you on your Rio trip….
I mentioned it in a comment several weeks back, but what the hell. An absolutely fantastic Vietnam mystery/spy novel/thriller/history/travelogue is “Up Country” by Nelson DeMille. It’s a story that takes place in Vietnam in 1997 in which an Army cop is sent to Vietnam, undercover, to investigate a murder that took place during the Battle of Hue. As the hero travels from Saigon to Hanoi, the author discusses the history of Vietnam, the various cultures, geography, and the important battles in the wars going back to the French involvement. I highly recommend it, especially the unabridged audio book. Oh, and along the way people get shot, there fights, and sex too. Good stuff all around.
If there is a one-volume WWII that will satisfy everyone, I haven’t heard of it. And I’ve been reading pretty much every major book since I was in high school.
There are a few that are good, general histories that serve as a pretty good start, or a pretty good review.
My favorite is Keegan’s.
Regarding WWII, this is another sliver novel, so not what you are looking for, but Ordinary Heroes by Scott Turow was terrific as well, it covers a sliver of the Battle of the Bulge, and it is especially salient if you are a second or third generation Jew whose father or grandfather served in the European Theater.
Oliver-
Have enjoyed your blog for quite a while, and hope I can contribute a couple of suggestions on WW2 books. While not a single book, I have always enjoyed Winston Churchill’s six volume set from the early 50’s as a fascinating overview of the European theater. I have also been impressed by the first two volumes of Rick Atkinson’s “Liberation Trilogy” on the European Theater as well - the first two books, one on the North African campaign (Pulitzer winner, I believe), the other on the Italian struggle, are out now - the third is coming in the near future. This is about as concise of a treatment as I have seen.
As far as the Pacific campaign, an intersting approach is to read American Caesar by William Manchester, the biography of Douglas MacArthur.
Keep up the good work
marko99
“The Race Beat” is exceptional. Just an amazing read and worth the time for anyone interested in either the civil rights movement or journalism. Reading it will give you a more healthy disrespect for what currently passes as journalism.
How about the Diary of Anne Frank?
You may find it a little cheesy for a guy like you but it’s great for people like me. I think Elie Wiesel has a story about concentration camps to..I’m not sure but you can search over in google.
Thanks for the suggestions folks, I’ll report back on what I find.
Also, check out the history and political science sections of local college bookstores.