What are we reading?

[JasonPratt]

It is actually the only historical reference to Saxons in the 2nd century, before they start to appear in the historical sources from the 4th century.

However, there are good arguments that this reference appeared as a copying error (through the Greek alphabet) from Aviones, lit. Island People.

That was pretty dang interesting, too! I seem to recall Churchill (having read his historical series earlier this year) indicating that the Saxons and Angles were very much not the same people (as a language and culture), and this shone more light on that. 

[Gusington]

W8 - I'm about 2/3 of the way done with Paris: 1919 and it is one of the best books I've ever read. It is dense and long at 500 pages but every chapter holds interest for me. If anyone has any interest in the First World War or the murky era right afterward, this book is a no brainer. My only regret is that it took me about 10 years after I bought it to start reading.

[ArizonaTank]

W8 - I'm about 2/3 of the way done with Paris: 1919 and it is one of the best books I've ever read. It is dense and long at 500 pages but every chapter holds interest for me. If anyone has any interest in the First World War or the murky era right afterward, this book is a no brainer. My only regret is that it took me about 10 years after I bought it to start reading.

Had my eye on this one for a while...so your recommendation tells me I need to get moving on reading it.

[Gusington]

I can guarantee that you will enjoy it.

[W8taminute]

W8 - I'm about 2/3 of the way done with Paris: 1919 and it is one of the best books I've ever read. It is dense and long at 500 pages but every chapter holds interest for me. If anyone has any interest in the First World War or the murky era right afterward, this book is a no brainer. My only regret is that it took me about 10 years after I bought it to start reading.

Awesome!  I had a feeling you would like the book.  It's a pretty fast read because it is so well written and the content is captivating. 

[Gusington]

Unfortunately it has really kindled my interest in that 'murky era' right after the war so this one book will probably be my entry point to 100 others.

[airboy]

Unfortunately, Pyramid of Skulls is so horrifying that I can only read about 10-20 pages at a time.  Japan tries to advance, the Chinese incur millions of total casualties. 

Rinse/repeat.

It is similar to reading the history of Poland starting in 1939 or the History of the Ukraine starting with Lenin's forced starvation.

[JasonPratt]

Unfortunately it has really kindled my interest in that 'murky era' right after the war so this one book will probably be my entry point to 100 others.

Relatedly to my previous report, I found Churchill's Aftermath a lot more interesting than I was expecting. Naturally the first part of his WW2 semi-autobiography The Gathering Storm picks up and moves along where that leaves off.

[Gusington]

Currently reading 'An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Uniforms of World War I' by Jonathan North and Jeremy Black.

[Sir Slash]

That book should have it's own... thread. 

[W8taminute]

Currently reading 'An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Uniforms of World War I' by Jonathan North and Jeremy Black.

I love books about uniforms!  O0

[Gusington]

I forget if you're a WWI aficionado...if so, you'll love this.

The encyclopedia from the same publisher on uniforms of the ancient Roman world is also great.

[Toonces]

Man, I'm going to sound like a complete non-Grognard; might have to turn in my card after you see my reading list.

Over the last few months I've nearly completely gone back to physical books, and just a handful of Kindle books.  I'm trying to spend less time online in any format.

So, recently, I've completed everything written by Anthony Bourdain, including his cookbooks.  I've used some of the recipes and the family has been pleasantly surprised with some of the results!  I also read his fiction books; they were good, not great.  Good beach reading for sure, and not a heavy brain pull at all.

From Bourdain's books, he mentioned a number of books he likes and I used that as a stepping stone into some additional reading including Orwell's Down and Out in Paris and London, Zola's The Belly of Paris,  Freeling's The Kitchen Book and The Cook Book, and finally a book that Tony said is one of his favorite novels, Under the Volcano by Malcom Lowry.  Volcano was a tough read.  The introduction had spoilers so I ended up reading it after I finished the book and I realize now I should have read it first.  It was hard to get the context of the story; the introduction really helped clear things up.  Lowry's Volcano was inspired by James Joyce's Ulysses, so I bought that and that's the book I'm currently reading.  Let's be honest here: I am not enjoying Ulysses at all.  But I'm determined to see it through to the end if for no other reason than to be able to make up my own mind if it's a literary masterpiece.  It is easily the hardest book I've ever read, and I definitely see the influence on Volcano.

Prior to starting Volcano, though, I decided to go back and read some classics I've never read.  The last book I finished before I started Ulysses is Orwell's 1984.  That was a very interesting book.  Timely to read in these troubled times.  I didn't care for the back third of the story, but the first third was spectacular. 

[airboy]

^ If you like Orwell, you might consider Homage to Catalonia.  It was one of the best of the half dozen books or so I've read on the Spanish Civil War.

[Toonces]

^ Thanks for the suggestion.  The version I read has Animal Farm bundled with it, but I'll keep an eye out for the other story.

I remembered, I also read Hemmingway's The Sun Also Rises, and a book called Slaughterhouse Five, which wasn't anything like I was expecting from the title LOL.  I really enjoyed that one.

I wasn't all that impressed with Hemmingway.  There are four novels in the book; next up is A Farewell to Arms.