What are you reading?

[New England Nat]

Why do people treat his works like some trashy airport book? He is a fascinating author I find ... maybe I shouldn't admit this in public if the consensus is that he is a hack

I think it's more historians are not really super comfortable with alternate history fiction. They also tend to be very dismissive of historical re-enacting.

[maeisenb]

The issue with Turtledove (and I used to be a huge fan) is that he basically just adds magic to Byzantine history in all of those Videssos series that he did. He changes the names and combines some events, but they take place during the reigns of: Heraclius, Basil (combines the 1st and 2nd), and the Komenos (various ones).

Now Guns of the South is so ridiculous that I love that one...

[oseirus]

I think it's more historians are not really super comfortable with alternate history fiction. They also tend to be very dismissive of historical re-enacting.

The issue with Turtledove (and I used to be a huge fan) is that he basically just adds magic to Byzantine history in all of those Videssos series that he did. He changes the names and combines some events, but they take place during the reigns of: Heraclius, Basil (combines the 1st and 2nd), and the Komenos (various ones).

Now Guns of the South is so ridiculous that I love that one...

See that's the thing I'm truly torn by the fact that I recognize it is fiction and that the author readily admits it's fantasy yet as a student/acolyte of 'Serious History' I know the dangers of making exceptions for what is acceptable and what isn't acceptable. How can I in one breath support The Great War Trilogy and yet in another lambast The Last Samurai as worthless tripe?

[StrangeLight]

you could always just evaluate literature on its aesthetics merits.

[virmundi]

Speaking of military fiction, have you read of the Harry Turtledove series?

They are a secret vice of mine... the problem with Turtledove is that he *isn't* a good writer. His books are extraordinarily repetitive. Of course, they are a good enough brain opiate that I read two very long series of books by him (the one with Jake Featherston and the one with the lizards)...

[oseirus]

They are a secret vice of mine... the problem with Turtledove is that he *isn't* a good writer. His books are extraordinarily repetitive. Of course, they are a good enough brain opiate that I read two very long series of books by him (the one with Jake Featherston and the one with the lizards)...

I guess we should start our own private thread where we can share our secret shame and glee in reading this trash

[maeisenb]

I agree that he repeats himself and I think he's at his best when he does something completely crazy - so the lizard books, Guns of the south, and the Atlantis series to name a few.

I should add on my critique of his re-use of Byzantine history that he does have a PhD from UCLA in Byzantine history and translated a substantial section of a really important chronicle, so he has that going.

[oseirus]

I agree that he repeats himself and I think he's at his best when he does something completely crazy - so the lizard books, Guns of the south, and the Atlantis series to name a few. I should add on my critique of his re-use of Byzantine history that he does have a PhD from UCLA in Byzantine history and translated a substantial section of a really important chronicle, so he has that going.

in other words blame his POIs?

[Gene Parmesan]

Sterling Stuckey's Slave Culture and Carey McWilliams' The Education of Carey McWilliams. Working my way through these.

[StrangeLight]

one and a half thumbs up for the brief wondrous life of oscar wao. i could rant for three hours about all the narrative failings of that book, but it still made me bawl at least 4 times today, so.... yeah. almost.

[Simple Twist of Fate]

one and a half thumbs up for the brief wondrous life of oscar wao. i could rant for three hours about all the narrative failings of that book, but it still made me bawl at least 4 times today, so.... yeah. almost.

Agreed. It is by no means a perfect novel, but entertaining and compelling. It's not like anything else I've read (including "Drown").

[oseirus]

I know we are focused in on the written word for this thread but I have picked up a very fascinating series done by the Beeb called the Lost Kingdoms of Africa, which has done a remarkable job. The first season is currently available on youtube and I can't wait to watch season 2 when it becomes available. Anyways, if you get the chance you might want to check it out, here is a link for one of the episodes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tp6P_hBnF1s

[Safferz]

I know we are focused in on the written word for this thread but I have picked up a very fascinating series done by the Beeb called the Lost Kingdoms of Africa, which has done a remarkable job. The first season is currently available on youtube and I can't wait to watch season 2 when it becomes available. Anyways, if you get the chance you might want to check it out, here is a link for one of the episodes.

The host is the grandson of J.E Casely Hayford!

[oseirus]

The host is the grandson of J.E Casely Hayford!

Yes, he is an art historian and has done some very good work on the BBC in the past. I really want to watch the episode on the Asante for personal and selfish reasons. I wish the BBC wasn't so stingy with their documentaries broadcasting on the internet liberally.

[StrangeLight]

he also takes his shirt off in part 6 of 6. rowr.

[Safferz]

he also takes his shirt off in part 6 of 6. rowr.

Gurrrrrrl. Get in line!

[oseirus]

he also takes his shirt off in part 6 of 6. rowr.

Gurrrrrrl. Get in line!

I thought you people were historians! Guess I need to hit the gym a little bit more to get my delts and traps back to snuff ... now that I know a historian is expected to be an all-round beef cake

[shaxmaty1848]

Neighbors by Jan Tomasz Gross

Holocaust micro-study

[SapperDaddy]

Neighbors by Jan Tomasz Gross

Holocaust micro-study

Really interesting book. Also interesting in his use of oral sources.

[runaway]

Neighbors by Jan Tomasz Gross

Holocaust micro-study

I'm currently reading his new book, Złote Żniwa-- my goal is to finish before it comes out in English on May 1, but I keep picking up other things...

[CageFree]

I needed some light reading so I read "How to survive your STUPID, STUPID decision to go to grad school." Now I'm reading "He's just not that into you" for a book club.

[omahairish]

I'm currently reading his new book, Złote Żniwa-- my goal is to finish before it comes out in English on May 1, but I keep picking up other things...

Oh, that's so neat! I heard that they burned him in effigy in Poland when Neighbors came out. How's Golden Harvest treating you?

[runaway]

Oh, that's so neat! I heard that they burned him in effigy in Poland when Neighbors came out. How's Golden Harvest treating you?

It's interesting. More meaningful since a professor recently described to me his experience of seeing a similar phenomenon happening at Belzec.

[Sigaba]

Jeffery G. Barlow, From Hot War to Cold: The U.S. Navy and National Security Affairs, 1945-1955.

One of my complaints about a lot of miltiary historiography is that it's often so isolated from general history scholarship. At least I find the Society for Military History to be kind of ... I'm not sure how to put my finger on it but it's nothing like what my other professional associations are like.

I agree with your assessment. However, I think it is important to point out that this isolation is because (i) military/naval/aerospace historians have a 'built in' professional audience outside of the Ivory Tower, (ii) military histories are popular, and (iii) many military historians feel that they've 'been there / done that' when it comes to the areas of interest that drive professional academic historiography.

Make no mistake, I believe that military and naval historians badly miscalculated their responses to the "new" history and those in the 'pipeline' will continue to pay for this miscalculation for decades. However, it may well end up with the profession going full circle and the few military/naval historians who are left will say "Hey, we've been waiting for you."

There's Texas A&M, Kansas State and not a whole lot else.

There's also The Ohio State University. Congratulations, iamincontrolhere-haig!

[TMP]

Just finished Anna Karenina. It was... okay. Seems to be one of those books that people either love or hate, yet I don't have any strong feelings about it.

By the way, my birthday's coming up and I'm making a list of a few good monographs that might be useful to own someday. Do any early Americanists have thoughts?

I read Anna Karenina twice. I just LOVED it. She's such a dramatic queen! Also it's just too much fun to dream about being a Russian aristocrat... I'm a huge fan of 19th century Russian literature though I haven't read anything of that kind in 6 yearsdays

Precisely what I did for last holidays: I told my parents that I would be going book shopping at the conference and charging to their credit card a few weeks before the holidays and that's their present to me! They didn't believe me until I opened up a few presents from them and said, "Oh thank you so much for these mittens and the jacket and the books!" They looked at me and said, "Books? What books?" "Uh, I bought 4 or 5 of them at the conference... I'm sure I told you that..."

Seeing that I have to fix a certain piece in my paper, I'm catching up my historiography in German Jewish history. Really fun.