"This year's reading" Topic

So looking back at the year I was trying to remember how many books I got through, it looks like about 20.

Here is what I finished:

The Radical Face of the Ancient Constitution by Janelle Greenberg

The Making of England by C. Warren Hollister

Isabella and the Strange Death of Edward II by Paul Doherty

On the Medieval Origins of the Modern State by Joseph R. Strayer

Leviathan by Thomas Hobbes

Two Treatieses on Government by John Locke

Six Books of the Commonwealth by Jean Bodin

Utopia by Thomas Moore

The Commonwealth of Oceana by James Harrington

Discources on the first ten books of Titus Livy by Niccolo Machiavelli

Civil War Vol I, II, III by Shelby Foot, I'm counting this as three.

Churchill by Roy Jenkins

Thunder along the Mississipi by Jack Coombe

Blood and Thunder by Hampton Sides

A History of the Arab Peoples by Albert Hourani

A history of the Middle Ages by Brinton, Christopher and Wolf

The Jewish War by Josephus

Twelve Caesars by Suetonius

The Proud Tower by Barbara Tuchman

Three Empires on the Nile by Dominic Green

Vietnam by Stanley Karnow

I usually try to read one novel a year, which I didn't really get to this year, I guess you could count Utopia as a novel in many ways, though. I managed to get halfway through a bio of Henry II which I'm going to pick up again shortly.

You had a busy year. I can't imagine reading Josephus or Suetonius without falling asleep. I find the old texts, even with a moderately lively translation, to be very difficult at best.

I think I read maybe 4-5 sizable books all year. I read part or half of several dozen history books. It's likely due to my short attention span. I don't count the 80-100 page pamphlet-style books I read on history and art history. I think of those more as short essays.

I can't imagine reading Josephus or Suetonius without falling asleep.

Suetonius is fun reading! I think Grant has a book which basically reprises Suetonius but adds more historical background and analysis – you might want to check that out, too.

Thunder along the Mississipi by Jack Coombe
Blood and Thunder by Hampton Sides

Both good books (and in my library).

"I don't count the 80-100 page pamphlet-style books "

I guess I shouldn't count On the Medieval Origins then either.

If you fall asleep reading the ancient texts you have probably never read Thucydides. Some ancient texts can be a touch boring, but Thucydides is a page turner. I couldn't put it down, I even got yelled at at work at the time for reading it while waiting for a gel to run.

You should give it a shot. I've read it quite a few times and my copy is nearly falling apart, it is even my second copy.

Suetonius is just a scandal rag, nothing boring in there, it is sort of like reading about homicidal Britney Spears and Jude Laws.

I read that after I finished my class and wanted something light and easy.

Let me just salute you. I used to read the early texts, especially when I was working on my maasters, but I just can't do it anymore. Unless it reads like Hemingway, I just can't stay focused. I read enough difficult stuff at work. I never enjoyed Hobbes, for example.

Honestly I didn't enjoy Hobbes either. Leviathan is so full of fear that it is almost a tangible presence around the book.

Now I will return the Salute, as unless it is a short story, the only Hemmingway I've ever been able to force myself the whole way through was A Farewell To Arms, and I didn't like that. I guess I've just grown too attached to multisyllabic words. :)

That is a rather impressive list. Mine was less impressive, I just don't have the time to read that I would like. I did manage to work through several volumes, one of which was Michael Grant's 12 Ceasars. That is a good read, and not too long. It was a bargain book at Barnes and Noble.

I read more and painted less than in most years. I also leavened a lot of my reading with fiction. But I also tackled some good historical reads. This is the history I took on:

Savage Peace by Ann Hagdorn

Year of the Hangman by Glenn Williams

This Destructive War by John Pancake

The Oddessy of Homer

Medieval Warfare by Peter Reid

George Washington's War by Bruce Chadwick

Illusion of Victory by Thomas Fleming

Divided Loyalties by Richard Ketcham

1918: Year of Victories by Martin Marix Evans

Paris, 1919 by Margaret MacMillan

Anyway, an enjoyable year of reading. I can't remember when I relished the time sitting in front of the fireplace with a book quite so much.

K.

I reread about half of the Aeneid this year to see if it meant something differently. It did. But again, I kept tripping up over the language. I have become intellectually lazy when it comes to reading for pleasure. It must be just that to me, a pleasure to read.

I found the Aeneid difficult to read as well. I'm not sure why, of that the Odyssey and the Iliad the Iliad was the only one that I really enjoyed. It is one of my favourite books though. The Odyssey is good too, but not quite up there.

I read mostly fantasy, sf and horror books this year.

All of Martin's Song Of Ice & Fire.

Quite a few 40k books

A Few vampire slayer girl books & Dresden files.

Plus all of Buffy season 8(so far) in comic

I read a _lot_. This year was mostly re-reads I'm afraid – and most of that WWII. The books I first read relevant to this site:

Templars and Assassins by by Wasserman (a little light)
The Civilization of Charlemagne by Boussard
A Short History of Byzantium by Norwich
Tarawa: A Hell of a Way to Die by Wright (excellent read with maps and troop movements, etc).
The Balkans by Glenny
All three 101st Airborne histories by Koskimaki
A couple of Pirate histories(research for a freelance gig)

Good stuff for the most part. Pirate histories can be faddish, but the two I read were not (Under the Black Flag by Sietz, I forget the other). I also read an excellent work on Icelandic myth, but cannot find it or recall the name. I suspect my 20 year old gaming son may have 'accidentally' taken it to his house. ;-)

In 2008, after 14 years, I will be reading "The Cat in the Hat", and "Are You My Mommy?" – As many of you know, the WebMistress is due to deliver our fourth this month.

Don.

good list. Don, The Cat in the Hat will change your life.