Pre-2008
The
Devil Drives - by Fawn Brodie
This
book introduced me to Richard F. Burton. I later read other, more detailed
biographies but this was easily the most readable and the best place
to begin if you want to find out more about Capt. Sir Richared Francis
Burton. He was was one of the best if not the best linguist throughout
history. He spoke 29 languages fluently as well as dozens of dialects.
His greatest feat was a visit to Mecca and Medina, disguised as a Muslim
pilgrim. That he was able to immerse himself wo well into the local
culture seems almost impossible yet he did it more than once in different
times and cultures. He wrote a two volume description of the trip, by
camel caravan, to the Muslim holy site at Mecca and performed all the
rituals and rites correctly. He is best known as the translator of 1001
Arabian Nights. He and John Speke discovered the source of the Nile
during a controversial expoloraton in Africa. Speke later commited suicide
largely on account of the incident. When Butron was asked why he did
the things he did he replied "The Devil Drives". The portraits
of him show a devilish looking man with deep, dark eyes.Others of his
time have commented on what it was to look into his eyes and you can
almost see this. You should read this book. 5
Alexis de Tocqueville : a life - by Hugh Brogan
Probably the best biography I've read. The author has researched
de Tocqueville's life in great depth and revealed him in vivid detail.
His parents were imprisoned during the French Revolution. Some friends
lost their lives. He is most famous for his trip to America in the early
1800's after which he wrote Democracy in America. This biography spends
a good deal of time on the journey and it's effect upon de Tocqueville.
What makes his life so interesting is not just his personality and character
but that he lived during a time when France was undergoing tremendous
change with a series of three different Bonaparts. Better than Democracy
in America was his book The Ancient Regime. He researched the book at
a time after the revolution when there were still records existing and
he was well enough known that he was granted full access to archives.
As soon as I finished this book I began reading The Ancient Regime.
It was even better than the biography. Reviewed next.
The
Ancient Regime - by Alexis de Tocqueville
I've had a fondness for French history for several years now.
I was so surprised to discover that "A Tale of Two Cities"
was about the French Revolution. It rates as an all time favorite. This
book examines the causes and some effects of the revolution and de Tocqueville
has a unique perspective (see bio above). He argues very convincingly
that it was just the "class war" between the poor and the
nobility. He argues convincinly that the "regime" could have
survived but the governments own administration helped cause the downfall.
The author could look back on a lifetime of service in the government
and in fact was a minister near the end of his career. He was a member
of the nobility but believed in democracy. I highly recommend reading
the biography above before this for maximum enjoyment. 5
Undaunted
Courage - by Stephen Ambrose
I'd looked for a good book about the Lewis and Clarke expedition
but had not found anything good over the years. This book was exactly
what I was looking for. It told the story in a very readable way, kept
me awed by these men's (and women"s) adventure, and left me wanting
to know more. I think I might try reading the "journals" of
the explorers one of these days but in the meantime this book was deeply
satisfying. I think president Jefferson must have been overwhelmed by
the accounts and artifacts they brought back from their trek to the
Pacific. When visiting Astoria, Oregon after reading this I could just
imagine the explorers hiking down through the Columbia Gorge. We walked
on the beaches there and I could just imagine them looking out over
the Pacific. This book was very entertaining and higly informative,
a good combination. 5
2008
China
Road - Journey into the Future of a Rising Power - by Bob Gifford
Bob
Gifford is a reporter for NPR and spent the last six years living in
China. He speaks excellent Mandarin and is well qualified to write about
the current state of affairs in China. This book is based on a road
trip he made across the full width of China, from the east coast to
the western border along highway 312 which he describes as the Route
66 of China. He travels mostly by bus and sometimes taxi, talking to
everyone he meets, from Communist party official, to roadside farmers,
to prostitutes, to Buddhist monks. With a population of 1.3 billiion
and a booming economy China is having a major impact on the world we
live in that will continue to grow. I found the book easy to read. It
offered some unique insights and opened my eyes to manyh changes in
recent years that I was not aware of. 4
Marco
Polo - From
Venice to Xanadi - by
Laurence Bergreen
I've always had an interest in Marco Polo and have read a few accounts
over the years. This was a definitive biography, very up to date and
well researched.Marco Polo left Venice with his father and uncle at
the age of 17, traveled the silk road to China, and spent the next 22
years in service to Kublai Khan, the Mongol warrior who ruled China
at that time. He traveled the width and breadth of China as far as Indonesia
and India reporting back to the Khan of what he found (working mostly
as a tax accessor). The story is fascinating, the man was unique and
his adventures are among the most extraordinary in history. Well written
and very readable. 4 maybe 5
The
Amatuer Gourmet - Adam D. Roberts
This
is best described as "cute", but worth reading if you like
cooking (I do). I enjoyed the authors take on cooking and family. There
is an enjoyable interview with Ruth Riechl. Only 205 pages. 2
Over
the Edge of the World. Laurence Bergreen
After
reading Marco Polo (above) I bought this and started right in. This
is a pretty good biogtaphy of Magellan and his journey around the world.
The author seems to wander aimlessly now and then but it's usually something
interesting, just doesn's seem to fit with the story. I'm always fascinated
by the inconsistences in famous characters. This guy was full of them.
These were brutal times (thing of the Spanish Inquisition) and Magellan
was a man of the times. He could be kind and rational at times but unbelievably
cruel and irratioal at others. His over-confidence and hubris cost him
his life before the fleet completed the circumnavigation. I found myself
thinking about how tough it would have been to live during those times
and especailly under those conditions. I'm amazed that more sailors
didn't dessert when they met and fraternized with the native (women).
Life aboard ship was about as bad as it gets. 4
