"Summer Reading" Topic

I've just about finished my paper for my course now. With that nearly done I've turned my mind from reading about science related stuff and bioethics to more fun stuff.

I have four books lined up for the summer right now.

Algernon Sidney and the English Republic: 1623-1677
Algernon Sidney and the Restoration Crisis: 11677-1683

Both by Jonathan Scott. I've actually started reading the first one before and it was interesting in both a historical and historiographical sense. Sidney was a pretty remarkable man who seems to have been pretty much ignored from the mid 19th century until just recently. Given his writings and influence it is surprising that such a man wouldn't feature more prominently than Locke or Hobbes. It will be fun to learn more about him.

The other two books are two volumes of A Life of Ashley Cooper: First Early of Shaftsbury. These I've been wanting to get to for a while now but time has, as always, been lacking. These were published in 1871 so there may be a number of things that are anachronistic about their take on the man, but the information will still be more than I have in my head at present and will be a good starting point. After I've read them I'll seek out more recent works on the man.

So it looks like it will be a very republican summer for me, if I do get much chance to read. If I get through these, which seems unlikely, I'd like to read Sidney's Discourses after that.

How about you guys?

For me it will be 1809: Thunder on the Danube, by Jack Gill. And then back to ACW reading.

I waiting for Vol2 of Gill (keeps getting delayed)

I'm still grappling with "After Tamerlane" by John Darwin, but am very keen to read "Why Socrates Died: Dispelling the Myths" by Robin Waterfield.

I've got a few, but honestly, I don't read much in the way of books anymore. I'm more of a researcher and browser. I read and write for a living, and I find my patience outside of the professional life for these things to be waning.

I'm reading the following:

A Concise History of Germany
A Brief History of the Normans

(see a pattern? – concise and brief!)

I've purchased a large book on biblical wars and have a few Osprey-type books on the end table. That's pretty much it for me.

I also have a few articles I'm working on for trade publications which takes some of my free time.

Saber6: I was just notied by Amazon that the copy of Gill v2 I ordered yonks ago will be shipped by May 1; so maybe your copy will be sent soon also.

Dennis

Weird, I had my copy of Gill volume 2 last December…

I'm still trying to finish Henri Pirenne's _Economic and Social History of the Middle Ages_. I've been sick, plus my fiancee has had some health issues related to her pregnancy, so I haven't been able to finish it. Not sure what is next in the queue…

Damon.

Great battles of history for me.

Great battles of the Bible
Great battles of the Ancient world
Great Medieval battles
Great battles of the Civil War

Then, maybe some more on….Battles?

Taken at the Flood
Shenandoah 1862
Shenandoah Summer
Long, Obstinate, and Bloody
The Shack

And probably more that I won't get to. My wife is always shaking her head when I pack a whole bag full of books for a week's vacation. I usually get around to 2 of them. But a guys's got to have choices!

Boring.

That is a lot of US history in one place. Save for the last book those are all about US stuff. you should broaden your horizons a little bit. There is this great book about the British Auxiliary Legion in Spain that I read one time that you might look into.

I picked up Duffy's By Force of Arms at Cold Wars. I started it a few weeks ago and if I'm lucky I'll finish it by summer.

I'm rereading Duffy's "Frederick the Great: A Military Life" for the umpteenth time this summer, and will go through "Antietam" and "Before Antietam," too.

The rest is reading for my local pastor process through the UMC.

Just started Turnbulls latest on castles and temples. It's a compilation of four of his other books, but so far it's some interesting reading. JCB which UMC in Franklin county? My wife goes to the one in Reynoldsburg.

Just finished Gill's 1809 Vol II … masterful. Looking forward to MHP's "Apogee." About halfway through Walter Issacson's "Benjamin Franklin." And picked up "Stalin's Ghost" by Martin Cruz Smith today. Those last three should hold me through May … then … I get to buy more books!

To the Gates of Richmond. Reading.
Return to Second Manassas. Reading.
Waterloo to Mons. Glover. Reading.
Steve Jobs Bio. Reading.
Hallowed Ground. McPherson. Reading
Waiting list:
Wilderness I Rhea
Culp's Hill and Cemetary Ridge
Lord of the Rings Trilogy
Six Frigates

"The Art of Warfare in the Age of Napoleon" followed by "Campaigns of Napoleon". They've been tantalisingly sitting on my shelf for a couple of weeks, but I've been unable to read them because of exams. Once they're over, I can finally get started on the long road to learning about the Napoleonic wars.

Crisis in the Snows – Arnold.

Not sure where I'll jump to after that. Maybe start looking for something on 1814, maybe read something on 1805.

Cheers,

The Bandit

THE RULES OF THE GAME – Jutland and British Naval Command – Andrew Gordon

- Brandon

The Rules of the Game is one of the best books on the British navy I have ever read. Heavy going but worth it.

Spending my summer in Indo-China. Havning started the trip with Windrow and Roy, right now I'm hanging out with Bernard Fall. Next up will be Giap and Langlais and then, if I'm lucky, Dr Grauwin.

Every Summer I re-read The Stillness at Appomattox. I've been doing it every Summer since 1972. It seems to read quicker every year. I wonder why? :)