HOF
Posted 05 July 2016 - 01:03 PM
Finished this the other day.
Onto the Hamilton bio by Ron Chernow.
It's good.
About 60% done this one and I'm enjoying it so far. Not sure what I think about Hamilton yet but it's been a good read. This is the second Bio of a founding father that I've read(John Adams being the other) where Thomas Jefferson has come across as a bit of a douche.
HOF
Posted 18 July 2016 - 05:13 PM
HOF
Posted 18 July 2016 - 07:44 PM
Finished the Hamilton bio the other day. Really enjoyable read. He certainly had his faults, but pretty remarkable what he was able to accomplish after being orphaned at a young age in the West Indies. The duel was certainly fascinating, but my favourite part was probably his time as Washington's secretary of Treasury. I also found it surprising that he would flat out confess to his infidelity in order to preserve his political integrity. Still think Jefferson is a douche. I'm sure I'll read a other founding father bio just not sure who yet.
I assume you've read John Adams (McCullough) and Benjamin Franklin (Isaacson) already? Because if not those should be next.
I have Jon Meacham's Jefferson bio (The Art of Power) and Lynne Cheney's Madison bio, both of which are good. I also own Joseph Ellis' His Excellency George Washington, which is good and relatively short.
HOF
Posted 18 July 2016 - 08:44 PM
I've read the Adams bio by McCullough, but not the one on Franklin I'll have to consider that one too. I definitely want to read a Washington bio and probably a Madison at some point too.
HOF
Posted 18 July 2016 - 09:09 PM
Did not care for John Dies At the End. Very nonsensical plot and didn't particularly enjoy the world he was building. Kinda wish I wouldn't have bought that and the sequel sight unseen.
I took a detour to The Maze Runner anyway, because I found the movie surprisingly enjoyable (not The Scorch Trials). The first book so far is, as per the usual trend, markedly better than the film. Any issues of clarity or pacing that can be brought up in relation to the movie are not the case here. The darker tone for YA work is still there, which is great, and I'm quite enjoying it.
HOF
Posted 05 August 2016 - 04:16 PM
HOF
Posted 17 August 2016 - 07:08 AM
Reading The Guns of August, by Barbara Tuckman, about the lead-up to and beginning of the First World War. Generally considered a classic.
HOF
Posted 17 August 2016 - 07:14 AM
I went on a short novel-to-movie kick and read Love Story and No Country For Old Men.
The former was pretty good. The latter was very good.
I'm so happy to be working at a library again!
I read that one, it's a good read but quite the downer.
HOF
Posted 30 August 2016 - 09:55 PM
Just finished the main trilogy for The Maze Runner. Do not recommend. The first one is great, but after that the story becomes a convoluted mess. The Hunger Games is the better option for dark youth fiction.
HOF
Posted 08 September 2016 - 08:45 PM
Just read Before the Fall, by Noah Hawley (executive producer of Fargo on FX), and The Hike, by Drew Magary (Deadspin and GQ writer, and noted white male). Both novels were very good.
HOF
Posted 08 September 2016 - 09:23 PM
I've been meaning to check out one of Drew's books.
HOF
Posted 09 September 2016 - 08:38 AM
I've been meaning to check out one of Drew's books.
The Postmortal is good, too.
HOF
Posted 21 September 2016 - 09:02 AM
I assume you've read John Adams (McCullough) and Benjamin Franklin (Isaacson) already? Because if not those should be next.
I have Jon Meacham's Jefferson bio (The Art of Power) and Lynne Cheney's Madison bio, both of which are good. I also own Joseph Ellis' His Excellency George Washington, which is good and relatively short.
I've read the Adams bio by McCullough, but not the one on Franklin I'll have to consider that one too. I definitely want to read a Washington bio and probably a Madison at some point too.
Still on a colonial kick, so I ordered Chernow's bio of Washington, I'll probably start reading that one this weekend.
HOF
Posted 12 October 2016 - 11:08 AM
Halfway through the Washington Bio, enjoying it so far. Our 1st president isn't as flamboyant as someone like Hamilton, but Chernow still does a great job of telling you his story and what kind of person he is.
MVP
Posted 22 October 2016 - 01:25 PM
Kindle freebie, while it lasts...
Tally-Ho! Yankee in a Spitfire by Arthur Donahue DFC
Tally-Ho! Yankee in a Spitfire is Donahue’s vivid account of the first part of his service with the R.A.F., chronicling the years 1940-41.
Flight Lieutenant Arthur Gerald "Art" Donahue DFC (29 January 1913 – 11 September 1942) was an American fighter pilot who volunteered to fly for the British Royal Air Force in World War II. He was one of 11 American pilots who flew with RAF Fighter Command between 10 July and 31 October 1940, thereby qualifying for the Battle of Britain clasp to the 1939–45 campaign star. He was killed in action in September 1942.
https://www.amazon.c...s_156658011_f_1
Some more freebies can be found on here -
https://www.amazon.c...ding=UTF8&tf=1.
John Keegan, a renowned British military historian, has called World War II the greatest single event in the history of mankind. - Tom Brokaw, NBC special correspondent and author of "The Greatest Generation"
HOF
Posted 01 November 2016 - 07:54 AM
Finished the Washington bio. Good read, great man except for the whole slavery thing.
HOF
Posted 01 November 2016 - 05:38 PM
Finished the Washington bio. Good read, great man except for the whole slavery thing.
HOF
Posted 17 November 2016 - 08:19 AM
Amazon had a sale on Kindle edition bios recently, and I bought this (along with bios of Aaron Burr and Cleopatra). I'm looking forward to it.
I'm reading a book on Philadelphia history, and a book on the history and administration of the New Netherland colony before it became New York. I'm SO ridiculously happy to be working in a library again.
Curious to see what you think of the Burr bio. That guy comes off as a snake to me.
I Started reading Isaacon's Franklin Bio last night.
HOF
Posted 17 November 2016 - 09:21 AM
And I just started the Chernow Washington bio.
I think the next Burr bio should be written by Lin Manuel Miranda.
Fair-weather ex-diehard
Posted 17 November 2016 - 11:22 AM
Has anybody found a book that makes a compelling case that Andrew Jackson wasn't a major league asshole that we should all be embarrassed about?
"The only change is that baseball has turned Paige from a second-class citizen to a second-class immortal." - Satchel Paige
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