Good morning bookies! Stand by for news and comment.
It's hot in Memphis. This is news? It's also humid in Memphis. Duh, right? Not necessarily. People in hot climates aren't always exposed to the wet heat we get here on the banks of the Mississippi. For example, yesterday's heat index was 11 degrees higher than the actual air temperature. If was 94 degrees but felt like 106. And since your friendly neighborhood bookseller cut his backyard yesterday, he can assure you that it did, indeed, feel like every degree of 106. So if you're in a place with dry heat, enjoy. As for me, I like it this way.
*** I've gotta give props to a fellow model/World War II buff out there, and maybe throw some business his way while I'm at it, for a nice new book review on a subject that interests me greatly. The Essential Vehicle Identification Guide: Soviet Tank Units 1939-1945 by David Porter, is a companion volume to Amber's other such Guide, most notably Chris Bishop's book on German units, which I have read cover to cover. You don't usually find such well organized and insightful books on such esoteric topics, so I don't mind giving such free coverage to such a well run website.
I would also find this book useful in my newly forming ideas about a return to the modeling world, this time with tanks and armored vehicles. So read the review and let the guy know if you liked it. And let him know where you heard about it, too.
A rare but insightful review of an obscure but interesting book on Soviet tanks in WW2
*** Errol Flynn as a Nazi spy? That's right, a new biographer wants us to believe that the perennial bad-boy swashbuckler really craved Nazism and wanted to see Hitler take over America. And while I have no particular evidence to refute this seemingly outlandish claim, my natural skepticism at such wild accusations seems quite well placed here. I mean, after all, if you want to sell books, what better way than to accuse someone of being a Nazi? The linked article says that the author used de-classified CIA files in his research. Except, the CIA wasn't established until long after World War II. Does he mean that the CIA's forerunner, the OSS, kept files? Hardly seems likely, given that they were more focused on external security threats. Or were these FBI files, or did the CIA start files on Flynn after the war?
Sounds like utter twaddle to me. What's next, Flynn sword-fighting with Churchill? Flynn meeting with aliens? Of course, I haven't read the book so this is just curmudgeonly ranting, but that's what I do best.
Errol Flynn as a Nazi?
*** Of course, the Nazis weren't the only ones recruiting Western superstars as spies. The Soviets wanted in on the action, too, and they picked Ernest Hemingway. That's right, a new biography alleges that Papa was a KGB agent. And while this, too, seems a bit far-fetched, the USSR by and large received better press here in the states than Nazi Germany ever did. It would not be impossible to think that Hemingway flirted with communism, given that so many other Americans did the same thing.
Still, Flynn was a Nazi and Hemingway a commie? Good thing they were never alone in a room together.
Papa Hemingway and the Hammer and Sickle
*** Word from my sources in Hollywood is that Roman Polanski is signing off on the project to bring Robert Harris' novel Pompeii to the big screen. The early talk was $130 million to film the book, which is set before during and after the Vesuvius buried the small Roman city and gave us our best preserved site for life during the Early Empire period. Having been there, I can only say that Pompeii the city inspires awe. Pompeii, the movie, might have done the same thing. And might still. Who knows? One can only hope.
Friday, July 10, 2009
Sunday, July 5, 2009
The 4th, a day late
Happy 4th of July weekend, bookies! Stand by for news and comment.
*** The newest issue of iloveamysterynewsletter is posted, with one review by yours truly of the sequel to Child 44, titled The Secret Speech. And right here and now this author wishes to apologize to his long-suffering editor for not turning in the second review he was supposed to write. Sometimes life just has other ideas.
iloveamysternewsletter
*** So, for all you Catcher in the Rye junkies out there (you know who you are), you may breathe easy again. There will be no sequel as a US District Judge has banned Swedish writer Frederik Colting's 'commentary' 60 Years Later: Coming Through the Rye. So now you can't read it and decide if it's a cheap ripoff or an on-point commentary. Unless, of course, you buy the UK version, which has already been published.
Swede tries to cash in on Salinger's masterpiece
*** What's selling in the UK? Not much, it appears. Maybe the most encouraging part is seeing that James Patterson's sales are down by half, although it's unlikely this means that the buying public has suddenly discovered better taste in their literature. Instead, it seems that book sales overall are down and Patterson, while way down, is still leading the pack. Beats me why people spend good money for his stuff, except when I remember PT Barnum, who was more right than even he knew.
** In reading the Top 10 Chart for UK book sales for the week of June 27th, I was struck that Stephanie Meyer's vampire books hold down the first 4 spots in the Children's category...huh? Twilight, et al, are kids' books? Wow, who knew? You curl up to read your 4 year old daughter a bedtime story with vampires and sex, instead of the Berenstain Bears or Beatrix Potter. The world has really changed that much, has it?
*** Your friendly neighborhood bookseller is a lifelong baseball fan. Not only watching it, but in my late 30's I signed up to play adult baseball, and to this day have the foot pain that comes with stretched ligaments in my right foot, the result of stepping in a hole while running down a flyball in right field. What a hole was doing in a baseball outfield is a good question, and why I didn't sue the city of Bartlett, TN., for not maintaining their field properly is...but I digress.
The Cleveland Plain Dealer has a nice article on five new baseball books out this year. Nice gift ideas for the baseball fan in your life.
Five baseball gems to choose from
*** There is a deluge of Michael Jackson books coming. As always, you can expect your friendly neighborhood bookseller to read through them all and sort the wheat from the chaff.
Okay, you can't possibly believe that last sentence. Here's one you can believe: BBG will do his best to ignore them all.
*** The newest issue of iloveamysterynewsletter is posted, with one review by yours truly of the sequel to Child 44, titled The Secret Speech. And right here and now this author wishes to apologize to his long-suffering editor for not turning in the second review he was supposed to write. Sometimes life just has other ideas.
iloveamysternewsletter
*** So, for all you Catcher in the Rye junkies out there (you know who you are), you may breathe easy again. There will be no sequel as a US District Judge has banned Swedish writer Frederik Colting's 'commentary' 60 Years Later: Coming Through the Rye. So now you can't read it and decide if it's a cheap ripoff or an on-point commentary. Unless, of course, you buy the UK version, which has already been published.
Swede tries to cash in on Salinger's masterpiece
*** What's selling in the UK? Not much, it appears. Maybe the most encouraging part is seeing that James Patterson's sales are down by half, although it's unlikely this means that the buying public has suddenly discovered better taste in their literature. Instead, it seems that book sales overall are down and Patterson, while way down, is still leading the pack. Beats me why people spend good money for his stuff, except when I remember PT Barnum, who was more right than even he knew.
** In reading the Top 10 Chart for UK book sales for the week of June 27th, I was struck that Stephanie Meyer's vampire books hold down the first 4 spots in the Children's category...huh? Twilight, et al, are kids' books? Wow, who knew? You curl up to read your 4 year old daughter a bedtime story with vampires and sex, instead of the Berenstain Bears or Beatrix Potter. The world has really changed that much, has it?
*** Your friendly neighborhood bookseller is a lifelong baseball fan. Not only watching it, but in my late 30's I signed up to play adult baseball, and to this day have the foot pain that comes with stretched ligaments in my right foot, the result of stepping in a hole while running down a flyball in right field. What a hole was doing in a baseball outfield is a good question, and why I didn't sue the city of Bartlett, TN., for not maintaining their field properly is...but I digress.
The Cleveland Plain Dealer has a nice article on five new baseball books out this year. Nice gift ideas for the baseball fan in your life.
Five baseball gems to choose from
*** There is a deluge of Michael Jackson books coming. As always, you can expect your friendly neighborhood bookseller to read through them all and sort the wheat from the chaff.
Okay, you can't possibly believe that last sentence. Here's one you can believe: BBG will do his best to ignore them all.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
July 1st already?
Good morning bookies! Stand by for news and comment.
The 4th of July is coming up soon, I hope you all have something delectable to read. How else would you celebrate American Independence than by reading whatever you want?
For those following the 2009 European Adventure Tour, the next segment is coming shortly.
*** Western writer Don Coldsmith has died. I am not familiar with his work, but in reading his obituary it was obvious that here was yet another writer I wish that I had time to read. His Spanish Bit books are about the Plains Indians in the time when the Spanish have just introduced the horse and how it changed their lives. No doubt I would love them. They sound like a great gift for someone who loves westerns and history.
The Passing of Don Coldsmith
*** The horrors of the Nazi camp system seem to encompass every aspect of human existence, including prostitution. In a new book to re released in Germany in July, The Concentration Camp Bordello: Sexual Forced Labor in National Socialistic Concentration Camps, Schonigh Verlag, author Robert Sommer has collected the most comprehensive data yet made available on the women who survived the camps by serving as prostitutes for both the soldiers and the inmates. He also explores the issue of whether or not these women were 'volunteers', a claim which has made it easier to overlook this crime.
One more horror in the long list of Nazi horrors
*** And, as if to prove that new books on World War II may be expected on an almost daily basis, there is a new one on FDR's efforts to help Britain during 1941, when she fought on alone against Germany after the Fall of France. To Keep the British Isles Afloat: FDR's Men in Churchill's London 1941 by Thomas Parrish, documents the efforts of FDR's two point men, Harry Hopkins and Averill Harriman, to simultaneously encourage England and rouse the USA to the dangers of Germany.
Since I haven't read this book the one caveat that I might have is if the author plays up the danger of a German attack on mainland America. If he does, then I lose interest, because that simply was not going to happen. However, I will assume that a recognized author such as Parrish will not make such a silly mistake.
FDR's fight to help England in 1941
The 4th of July is coming up soon, I hope you all have something delectable to read. How else would you celebrate American Independence than by reading whatever you want?
For those following the 2009 European Adventure Tour, the next segment is coming shortly.
*** Western writer Don Coldsmith has died. I am not familiar with his work, but in reading his obituary it was obvious that here was yet another writer I wish that I had time to read. His Spanish Bit books are about the Plains Indians in the time when the Spanish have just introduced the horse and how it changed their lives. No doubt I would love them. They sound like a great gift for someone who loves westerns and history.
The Passing of Don Coldsmith
*** The horrors of the Nazi camp system seem to encompass every aspect of human existence, including prostitution. In a new book to re released in Germany in July, The Concentration Camp Bordello: Sexual Forced Labor in National Socialistic Concentration Camps, Schonigh Verlag, author Robert Sommer has collected the most comprehensive data yet made available on the women who survived the camps by serving as prostitutes for both the soldiers and the inmates. He also explores the issue of whether or not these women were 'volunteers', a claim which has made it easier to overlook this crime.
One more horror in the long list of Nazi horrors
*** And, as if to prove that new books on World War II may be expected on an almost daily basis, there is a new one on FDR's efforts to help Britain during 1941, when she fought on alone against Germany after the Fall of France. To Keep the British Isles Afloat: FDR's Men in Churchill's London 1941 by Thomas Parrish, documents the efforts of FDR's two point men, Harry Hopkins and Averill Harriman, to simultaneously encourage England and rouse the USA to the dangers of Germany.
Since I haven't read this book the one caveat that I might have is if the author plays up the danger of a German attack on mainland America. If he does, then I lose interest, because that simply was not going to happen. However, I will assume that a recognized author such as Parrish will not make such a silly mistake.
FDR's fight to help England in 1941
Saturday, June 27, 2009
A blazing Saturday
Good weekend bookies! Stand by for news and comment.
*** I think long-term readers of this blog know that I am major proponent of both free speech and personal responsibility. Having said that, there is a disturbing trend growing in the heartland wherein private citizens are suing booksellers who sell books to minors that they, the plaintiffs, find morally offensive. Whether or not the suit has merit, the bookseller must hire a lawyer and defend themselves in court over something that is almost guaranteed to be frivolous. Because, let's be serious here, what is offensive to some isn't offensive to others. This should be the individual parent's responsibility, to oversee what their children are reading. Let's hope this is just an aberration.
Another reason for Americans to sue each other
*** If you haven't been getting your daily dose of death and chaos lately, you might try Garth Ennis' 'Preacher' series, the latest graphic novel to finds its way into hardback. I have to admit that I haven't read these, but as a guy who gobbled up comic books like candy in his younger years, there is a lingering part of me that finds this sort of thing a guilty pleasure. Would I read them? Officially, no. Under the covers with a flashlight, oh yeah.
More gleeful mayhem
*** I think long-term readers of this blog know that I am major proponent of both free speech and personal responsibility. Having said that, there is a disturbing trend growing in the heartland wherein private citizens are suing booksellers who sell books to minors that they, the plaintiffs, find morally offensive. Whether or not the suit has merit, the bookseller must hire a lawyer and defend themselves in court over something that is almost guaranteed to be frivolous. Because, let's be serious here, what is offensive to some isn't offensive to others. This should be the individual parent's responsibility, to oversee what their children are reading. Let's hope this is just an aberration.
Another reason for Americans to sue each other
*** If you haven't been getting your daily dose of death and chaos lately, you might try Garth Ennis' 'Preacher' series, the latest graphic novel to finds its way into hardback. I have to admit that I haven't read these, but as a guy who gobbled up comic books like candy in his younger years, there is a lingering part of me that finds this sort of thing a guilty pleasure. Would I read them? Officially, no. Under the covers with a flashlight, oh yeah.
More gleeful mayhem
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Fighting through the fog
Good morning bookies! Stand by for news and comment.
I'm still feeling the effects of whatever weird sickness has overcome the household. I'm thinking it's likely a space-born virus that is the advance guard of an microbial alien assault on Planet Earth, and if I can beat it then Mankind will be saved. That seems the most likely possibility, anyway.
*** Heroes Con is a family friendly comics convention held in Charlotte, NC. Attendance this year was quite good, which surprised some folks but not me. As the economy continues to ooze like cold molasses people are looking for new and cheap entertainments for the whole family. Conventions are a good choice.
Heroes Con has heroic turnout
*** I'm sure it comes as no surprise to anyone that our government seems to have a limitless capacity for wasting time and resources on utterly meaningless ventures. However, just in case you think more government is a good thing, consider this: the FTC is now going to investigate book bloggers who are either paid/compensated/given free books to see if they violate some obscure rule or another. And, of course, this happens to be a book blog. Does this mean the government is investigating me to see if I'm being paid for doing this? I guess it's possible. And that is, of course, patently absurd. I suppose the concern is along the lines of the radio Payola scandal of the 50's, that bloggers are paid to write good reviews of books and should disclose this fact.
Okay, I guess that sort of makes sense. But in my entire time of doing this I have been sent exactly one book, unsolicited, which I haven't read yet. (But it IS in the queue) But if there are bloggers with so much power they can generate large enough numbers of sales by their recommendations, then I haven't read them. And if by bloggers they mean professional reviewers, isn't it understood that reviewers in major outlets like newspapers are paid for their work? I'm not, of course, but for those whose work is syndicated I would think that goes without saying.
Anyway, I can think of a lot better uses for our tax money than worrying about whether some blogger got a free book or not.
Big Brother will now be reading over your shoulder
*** A novel about Hemingway in the years just after World War One sold at auction for more than half a million dollars. Which is insane. Without knowing the quality of this book, and for all I know it could be fabulous, one has to wonder why Hemingway's life needs to be novelized. Indeed, his world was so incredible that it seems far-fetched, even though we know it was real.
Can a novel about Hemingway comes close to matching real life?
I'm still feeling the effects of whatever weird sickness has overcome the household. I'm thinking it's likely a space-born virus that is the advance guard of an microbial alien assault on Planet Earth, and if I can beat it then Mankind will be saved. That seems the most likely possibility, anyway.
*** Heroes Con is a family friendly comics convention held in Charlotte, NC. Attendance this year was quite good, which surprised some folks but not me. As the economy continues to ooze like cold molasses people are looking for new and cheap entertainments for the whole family. Conventions are a good choice.
Heroes Con has heroic turnout
*** I'm sure it comes as no surprise to anyone that our government seems to have a limitless capacity for wasting time and resources on utterly meaningless ventures. However, just in case you think more government is a good thing, consider this: the FTC is now going to investigate book bloggers who are either paid/compensated/given free books to see if they violate some obscure rule or another. And, of course, this happens to be a book blog. Does this mean the government is investigating me to see if I'm being paid for doing this? I guess it's possible. And that is, of course, patently absurd. I suppose the concern is along the lines of the radio Payola scandal of the 50's, that bloggers are paid to write good reviews of books and should disclose this fact.
Okay, I guess that sort of makes sense. But in my entire time of doing this I have been sent exactly one book, unsolicited, which I haven't read yet. (But it IS in the queue) But if there are bloggers with so much power they can generate large enough numbers of sales by their recommendations, then I haven't read them. And if by bloggers they mean professional reviewers, isn't it understood that reviewers in major outlets like newspapers are paid for their work? I'm not, of course, but for those whose work is syndicated I would think that goes without saying.
Anyway, I can think of a lot better uses for our tax money than worrying about whether some blogger got a free book or not.
Big Brother will now be reading over your shoulder
*** A novel about Hemingway in the years just after World War One sold at auction for more than half a million dollars. Which is insane. Without knowing the quality of this book, and for all I know it could be fabulous, one has to wonder why Hemingway's life needs to be novelized. Indeed, his world was so incredible that it seems far-fetched, even though we know it was real.
Can a novel about Hemingway comes close to matching real life?
Monday, June 22, 2009
2009 European Adventure - Part Two- Once more Into the Breech
To those who were on this trip with me and are reading this narcissistic clap-trap, any details you can add, or errors you can correct, would be very much appreciated. Just email me (or phone me if you've got the number) and I can edit any of the blogs necessary.
This was to be our 5th student tour trip to Europe. Perhaps the hardest part of tours such as this is the pre-trip planning. What to take, what to leave behind? What medicine is essential? (Imodium AD) What isn't? (Calamine lotion) How many shoes, socks, pairs of pants, protein bars? How many Euros will you need? It's all pretty hard to gauge, and yet in the end it really doesn't matter that much. Most of what you might forget is available in Europe, albeit sometimes difficult to find and almost guaranteed to be more expensive. Our fabulous and unparalledly (for those new to my blog, I frequently make up words) wonderful trip leader, Sandi, had meetings for months in advance to make sure all bases were as covered as possible.
Oh yeah, did I forget to mention that Europe is expensive in the extreme? One cup of American coffee is, on average, about 2 Euros, roughly $3, and that does NOT include refills. For caffeine addicts life can be tough. And all Europeans are caffeine addicts. They spend roughly 35% of their income on coffee.
June 8th was D-Day , when all the months of planning, meeting and fretting would come to fruition. We were flying KLM who, according to my estimates, have the smallest seats of any major airliner worldwide. But what they lack in width they make up for in lack of leg room. Your back might be killing you but you'll never know it because your knees hurt even worse.
Okay, okay, I'll stop whining. If you're 5'8" this probably isn't an issue, but I'm 6'2". Robert, one of my traveling companions, looks to be about 6'4", which is why they needed to oil him up just to squeeze him into his seat. They keep gallons of the stuff on board for that very purpose. Sometimes it leaks onto the floor and makes things slippery. I'm sure the airlines have plenty of reasons for cramming so many people into so many seats, bottom line and all that, but it can be downright uncomfortable for some of us. Of course, I knew all of this going in, so this continued whining is just that, whining. If if were all that bad I wouldn't have gone.
June 8 saw a high in Memphis in the low 90's, partly cloudy with a high sun. Morning was spent doing final packing, making sure the camcorder worked (more about that later) and all batteries were charged, heading to the post office to mail books, buying last minute things. We had to be at the airport at 4 pm for a 7:10 flight, piece of cake, right? Well, no. We were a few minutes late but that didn't matter. One of the typical experiences on such tours is standing around waiting, usually at transport facilities, in this case the airport. There were 42 of us and you can't just snap your fingers and get boarding passes and luggage tagged for that many people. In Sandi's veteran hands, however, things went smoothly and we were all checked in. Security was the usual minor inconvenience, mostly for those who had to remove shoes and belts. If you haven't tried gathering all of your stuff after it's been through the scanner while simultaneously moving away and trying to put on your shoes and belt, you should give it a whirl. There is talk of making it an Olympic sport.
By the time we made it to the gate, which for KLM in Memphis means a nice hike as far away from the terminal as possible while still remaining in the building, it wasn't too far from boarding time. Maybe a 45 minute wait. Some of us ate the delicious airport food, others read or talked. At this point we weren't really a group, just a gaggle of people who didn't know each other. I filled my water bottle from the bathroom, since water fountains appear to be a no-no at that end of Memphis International Airport.
Oh, this is a good place to mention that I was carrying a small backpack filled with books, medicines, snack foods and such, another larger backpack with wheels with a change of clothes, more meds, more food, anything I needed to live in case my checked baggage was lost, my camcorder and water bottle in a sling. If you've seen 'Band of Brothers' think of a paratrooper right before a drop into enemy territory, sans the rifle and helmet.
What to wear on a long flight is always a hard call. We were leaving hot, humid weather heading into wet, cool weather. How to dress? I wore shorts and t-shirt but packed jeans and a jacket to change into before landing, which I did. Probably should have done it sooner as there appears to be a new regulation requiring airline cabin temps not to exceed 55 degrees.
I got lucky with an exit row seat, which meant that I at least had some leg room. The guy next to me kept bouncing his knee the whole flight, what was up with that? And even with all that leg room he reclined his seat all the way back into poor Robert's lap. Had he needed to get up they probably would have need more oil he was so wedged in. Even then I don't think the guy next to me slept a wink, but he did tell me he had a 7 hour layover in Amsterdam, followed by another 10 hour flight somewhere into the nether-regions of the former USSR, so I can empathize with him a little. But only a little. Reclining seats is something I just can't stand.
I don't know if all airlines have this nifty new movie feature, but KLM does and it's great. Each passenger has their own little LCD TV with on-demand movies, music, some TV shows, games...going over I mostly read (Chasing Darkness by Robert Crais, the latest Elvis and Joe novel and as good as you would expect) but did manage to watch 'Quantum of Solace', which might not have been quite as good as 'Casino Royale' but sure was fun to watch while flying over the Atlantic.
Mrs. Billthebookguy and Daughter Billthebookguy had adjoining seats in the rear, across the aisle from each other. It was strange not sitting with them. But my strategy for getting through such long flights is just to try and distract myself as much as possible. I can't sleep on airplanes to save my life, I don't know why, I just can't.
How long was the flight? About 9.5 hours. We had a tailwind. You get fed twice on such flights, a meal and a snack, and the food isn't bad and is sometimes good. The biggest problem is dehydration, the air is very dry, so you need to drink water whenever possible. I did, being a travel veteran. The downside, of course, is that what goes in must come out. But enough about that. An hour out of Amsterdam I changed into jeans, getting ready for the cooler temperatures in western Europe. Try changing your pants in an airline bathroom. Or, better yet, don't.
This is a good spot to mention that we had not one, but two people pass out on the flight. Not sure why, one guy was stretched out in the aisle for at least an hour, the pilot made the call for assistance from any medical personnel on board, a man and woman responded and worked on him. What I heard was vasovagal syncope, not sure how accurate that is. The other one was stretched out in that little pass-through between the forward and middle cabins, near the bathrooms. Again, not sure what happened there but he appeared to be alright.
We touched down in Amsterdam mid-morning, with only an hour or so layover before our connecting flight to Paris. That seemed like enough time but Sandi knew better. Hurry, she said, let's move it. Maybe it's because we all still had our own passports and that always makes her nervous. Probably, though it's because she had been to Amsterdam before. First, there was passport control. This is where you get your passport stamped for entering Europe and can be quick or slow, depending on who you are. Daughter Billthebookguy seemed to draw more questions (and more smiles) from the passport people while BBG himself was given a gruff 'okay' and passed through. The lines weren't too bad but it all takes time. Next came security again, shoes off again, belt off, jacket off, etc. Again, it all went fairly quickly but took more time. We wound up nearly sprinting for our gate and went straight on through to board.
Smaller plane, shorter flight, about an hour. No exit row this time but it didn't really matter. The coffee was good, all the coffee in Europe is good, the sandwiches were weird (of course I ate them without asking exactly what I was eating. Some strong flavored cheese with dark rye bread, and a variant on ham and cheese) and before I knew it we were cruising over Flanders. Seeing the fields slipping away beneath the wing, I couldn't help but think that it was likely that same ground had seen wars and battles for at least the last two thousand years. Was I looking at the site of a tank clash, or maybe a skirmish between German barbarians and Roman Legionaries?
Having been to Charles De Gaulle airport before I expected chaos and disaster and got neither. We landed on time, were efficiently lead to baggage claim and didn't have to wait long for our bags to arrive. Once gathered up we went into the exit space and met up with our guide Judith. She was hugging Sandi when I walked up, and could see her scanning the group, probably how she begins to learn faces and names. Then she saw Daughter BBG and recognition dawned, her eyes widened and she said 'I know you.' (Jude had been our guide through England, Scotland and Ireland in 2004). Then she saw the Mrs. and almost laughed, waved, went and gave her a hug. Then she saw me and bolted for the door.
Okay, not really. It was gratifying to see her smile and come over and give me a hug. You make your mark on people in life and aren't always sure that's a good thing. I guess in this case it was.
So our start in Paris was a good one all round. I hadn't expected that. I expected Paris to be dirty and crowded, filled with people who are rude and don't like Americans. Boy, was I in for a surprise.
This was to be our 5th student tour trip to Europe. Perhaps the hardest part of tours such as this is the pre-trip planning. What to take, what to leave behind? What medicine is essential? (Imodium AD) What isn't? (Calamine lotion) How many shoes, socks, pairs of pants, protein bars? How many Euros will you need? It's all pretty hard to gauge, and yet in the end it really doesn't matter that much. Most of what you might forget is available in Europe, albeit sometimes difficult to find and almost guaranteed to be more expensive. Our fabulous and unparalledly (for those new to my blog, I frequently make up words) wonderful trip leader, Sandi, had meetings for months in advance to make sure all bases were as covered as possible.
Oh yeah, did I forget to mention that Europe is expensive in the extreme? One cup of American coffee is, on average, about 2 Euros, roughly $3, and that does NOT include refills. For caffeine addicts life can be tough. And all Europeans are caffeine addicts. They spend roughly 35% of their income on coffee.
June 8th was D-Day , when all the months of planning, meeting and fretting would come to fruition. We were flying KLM who, according to my estimates, have the smallest seats of any major airliner worldwide. But what they lack in width they make up for in lack of leg room. Your back might be killing you but you'll never know it because your knees hurt even worse.
Okay, okay, I'll stop whining. If you're 5'8" this probably isn't an issue, but I'm 6'2". Robert, one of my traveling companions, looks to be about 6'4", which is why they needed to oil him up just to squeeze him into his seat. They keep gallons of the stuff on board for that very purpose. Sometimes it leaks onto the floor and makes things slippery. I'm sure the airlines have plenty of reasons for cramming so many people into so many seats, bottom line and all that, but it can be downright uncomfortable for some of us. Of course, I knew all of this going in, so this continued whining is just that, whining. If if were all that bad I wouldn't have gone.
June 8 saw a high in Memphis in the low 90's, partly cloudy with a high sun. Morning was spent doing final packing, making sure the camcorder worked (more about that later) and all batteries were charged, heading to the post office to mail books, buying last minute things. We had to be at the airport at 4 pm for a 7:10 flight, piece of cake, right? Well, no. We were a few minutes late but that didn't matter. One of the typical experiences on such tours is standing around waiting, usually at transport facilities, in this case the airport. There were 42 of us and you can't just snap your fingers and get boarding passes and luggage tagged for that many people. In Sandi's veteran hands, however, things went smoothly and we were all checked in. Security was the usual minor inconvenience, mostly for those who had to remove shoes and belts. If you haven't tried gathering all of your stuff after it's been through the scanner while simultaneously moving away and trying to put on your shoes and belt, you should give it a whirl. There is talk of making it an Olympic sport.
By the time we made it to the gate, which for KLM in Memphis means a nice hike as far away from the terminal as possible while still remaining in the building, it wasn't too far from boarding time. Maybe a 45 minute wait. Some of us ate the delicious airport food, others read or talked. At this point we weren't really a group, just a gaggle of people who didn't know each other. I filled my water bottle from the bathroom, since water fountains appear to be a no-no at that end of Memphis International Airport.
Oh, this is a good place to mention that I was carrying a small backpack filled with books, medicines, snack foods and such, another larger backpack with wheels with a change of clothes, more meds, more food, anything I needed to live in case my checked baggage was lost, my camcorder and water bottle in a sling. If you've seen 'Band of Brothers' think of a paratrooper right before a drop into enemy territory, sans the rifle and helmet.
What to wear on a long flight is always a hard call. We were leaving hot, humid weather heading into wet, cool weather. How to dress? I wore shorts and t-shirt but packed jeans and a jacket to change into before landing, which I did. Probably should have done it sooner as there appears to be a new regulation requiring airline cabin temps not to exceed 55 degrees.
I got lucky with an exit row seat, which meant that I at least had some leg room. The guy next to me kept bouncing his knee the whole flight, what was up with that? And even with all that leg room he reclined his seat all the way back into poor Robert's lap. Had he needed to get up they probably would have need more oil he was so wedged in. Even then I don't think the guy next to me slept a wink, but he did tell me he had a 7 hour layover in Amsterdam, followed by another 10 hour flight somewhere into the nether-regions of the former USSR, so I can empathize with him a little. But only a little. Reclining seats is something I just can't stand.
I don't know if all airlines have this nifty new movie feature, but KLM does and it's great. Each passenger has their own little LCD TV with on-demand movies, music, some TV shows, games...going over I mostly read (Chasing Darkness by Robert Crais, the latest Elvis and Joe novel and as good as you would expect) but did manage to watch 'Quantum of Solace', which might not have been quite as good as 'Casino Royale' but sure was fun to watch while flying over the Atlantic.
Mrs. Billthebookguy and Daughter Billthebookguy had adjoining seats in the rear, across the aisle from each other. It was strange not sitting with them. But my strategy for getting through such long flights is just to try and distract myself as much as possible. I can't sleep on airplanes to save my life, I don't know why, I just can't.
How long was the flight? About 9.5 hours. We had a tailwind. You get fed twice on such flights, a meal and a snack, and the food isn't bad and is sometimes good. The biggest problem is dehydration, the air is very dry, so you need to drink water whenever possible. I did, being a travel veteran. The downside, of course, is that what goes in must come out. But enough about that. An hour out of Amsterdam I changed into jeans, getting ready for the cooler temperatures in western Europe. Try changing your pants in an airline bathroom. Or, better yet, don't.
This is a good spot to mention that we had not one, but two people pass out on the flight. Not sure why, one guy was stretched out in the aisle for at least an hour, the pilot made the call for assistance from any medical personnel on board, a man and woman responded and worked on him. What I heard was vasovagal syncope, not sure how accurate that is. The other one was stretched out in that little pass-through between the forward and middle cabins, near the bathrooms. Again, not sure what happened there but he appeared to be alright.
We touched down in Amsterdam mid-morning, with only an hour or so layover before our connecting flight to Paris. That seemed like enough time but Sandi knew better. Hurry, she said, let's move it. Maybe it's because we all still had our own passports and that always makes her nervous. Probably, though it's because she had been to Amsterdam before. First, there was passport control. This is where you get your passport stamped for entering Europe and can be quick or slow, depending on who you are. Daughter Billthebookguy seemed to draw more questions (and more smiles) from the passport people while BBG himself was given a gruff 'okay' and passed through. The lines weren't too bad but it all takes time. Next came security again, shoes off again, belt off, jacket off, etc. Again, it all went fairly quickly but took more time. We wound up nearly sprinting for our gate and went straight on through to board.
Smaller plane, shorter flight, about an hour. No exit row this time but it didn't really matter. The coffee was good, all the coffee in Europe is good, the sandwiches were weird (of course I ate them without asking exactly what I was eating. Some strong flavored cheese with dark rye bread, and a variant on ham and cheese) and before I knew it we were cruising over Flanders. Seeing the fields slipping away beneath the wing, I couldn't help but think that it was likely that same ground had seen wars and battles for at least the last two thousand years. Was I looking at the site of a tank clash, or maybe a skirmish between German barbarians and Roman Legionaries?
Having been to Charles De Gaulle airport before I expected chaos and disaster and got neither. We landed on time, were efficiently lead to baggage claim and didn't have to wait long for our bags to arrive. Once gathered up we went into the exit space and met up with our guide Judith. She was hugging Sandi when I walked up, and could see her scanning the group, probably how she begins to learn faces and names. Then she saw Daughter BBG and recognition dawned, her eyes widened and she said 'I know you.' (Jude had been our guide through England, Scotland and Ireland in 2004). Then she saw the Mrs. and almost laughed, waved, went and gave her a hug. Then she saw me and bolted for the door.
Okay, not really. It was gratifying to see her smile and come over and give me a hug. You make your mark on people in life and aren't always sure that's a good thing. I guess in this case it was.
So our start in Paris was a good one all round. I hadn't expected that. I expected Paris to be dirty and crowded, filled with people who are rude and don't like Americans. Boy, was I in for a surprise.
Hot Monday
Good morning bookies! Stand by for news and comment.
If you're looking for Part Two of the World Famous Trip Blog, especially those of you working for the foreign press, those blogs will be separate from the normal blog. I know you want to read what I thought about your country, and I know you Swiss are waiting for my comments on your police force, but I have regular readers also who expect book news.
I'm also still feeling gloppy, though not quite as gloppy as yesterday, which raised gloppiness to new heights. Yuckishness is about the same.
*** Giles MacDonogh's last book was the massively unpopular and exceedingly well researched After the Reich: The Brutal History of Allied Occupation, a long overdue examination of the wholesale slaughter of German civilians after World War Two, mostly in the East but tolerated by indifference in the West, as well as the diaspora of German families who had lived abroad for generations. It was shameful and betrayed the ideals of what we had been fighting for, even if it was somewhat understandable in the context of the times.
Now MacDonogh is back with a new book that looks at pre-war Germany in 1938, the year of decision, the year when the Allies could have stopped Hitler, maybe with war and maybe without, but stop him they could. The Wehrmacht of 1938 was not ready for war. This is one that your friendly neighborhood bookseller would like to read, given that he has actually seen the table on which the Munich agreement was signed, as well as his general interest in the period. The author is usually entertaining in style and authoritative in scope, so there is little to indicate this won't be an important and illuminating work.
1938: When real leadership could have stopped war
Okay, another WW2 review. Lest ye think otherwise, no, this is not an exclusively World War Two oriented blog. It's just working out that way right now.
*** Evans Carlson is one of the most influential military leaders the US has ever produced. Which is saying something, considering that he only commanded small numbers of troops and only fought in twice in combat. Yet his innovations are a fundamental part of today's military.
Carlson was a marine and both raised and commanded the 2nd Marine Raider Battalion. aka Carlson's Raiders. A new book gives depth to the life of this important man and his two battles, American Commando: Evans Carlson, His WWII Marine Raiders and America's First Special Forces Mission by John Wukovits. What Carlson did was form an entire battalion of guerrillas, based on the model of the Chinese Communists. Within that battalion he became one of the men, sharing their hardships, leading from the front.
At Makin Island in 1942 his leadership was, to say the least, uneven. He sort of accomplished his mission of harrying the Japanese but also left men behind to the horrors of Japanese captivity. Carlson, however, learned from his mistakes, and during the Battle of Guadalcanal his launched his battalion behind Japanese lines and devastated their efforts to retake Henderson Field. Known as The Long Patrol, that mission is the one that made him famous and is still studied today.
Carlson's Raiders
If you're looking for Part Two of the World Famous Trip Blog, especially those of you working for the foreign press, those blogs will be separate from the normal blog. I know you want to read what I thought about your country, and I know you Swiss are waiting for my comments on your police force, but I have regular readers also who expect book news.
I'm also still feeling gloppy, though not quite as gloppy as yesterday, which raised gloppiness to new heights. Yuckishness is about the same.
*** Giles MacDonogh's last book was the massively unpopular and exceedingly well researched After the Reich: The Brutal History of Allied Occupation, a long overdue examination of the wholesale slaughter of German civilians after World War Two, mostly in the East but tolerated by indifference in the West, as well as the diaspora of German families who had lived abroad for generations. It was shameful and betrayed the ideals of what we had been fighting for, even if it was somewhat understandable in the context of the times.
Now MacDonogh is back with a new book that looks at pre-war Germany in 1938, the year of decision, the year when the Allies could have stopped Hitler, maybe with war and maybe without, but stop him they could. The Wehrmacht of 1938 was not ready for war. This is one that your friendly neighborhood bookseller would like to read, given that he has actually seen the table on which the Munich agreement was signed, as well as his general interest in the period. The author is usually entertaining in style and authoritative in scope, so there is little to indicate this won't be an important and illuminating work.
1938: When real leadership could have stopped war
Okay, another WW2 review. Lest ye think otherwise, no, this is not an exclusively World War Two oriented blog. It's just working out that way right now.
*** Evans Carlson is one of the most influential military leaders the US has ever produced. Which is saying something, considering that he only commanded small numbers of troops and only fought in twice in combat. Yet his innovations are a fundamental part of today's military.
Carlson was a marine and both raised and commanded the 2nd Marine Raider Battalion. aka Carlson's Raiders. A new book gives depth to the life of this important man and his two battles, American Commando: Evans Carlson, His WWII Marine Raiders and America's First Special Forces Mission by John Wukovits. What Carlson did was form an entire battalion of guerrillas, based on the model of the Chinese Communists. Within that battalion he became one of the men, sharing their hardships, leading from the front.
At Makin Island in 1942 his leadership was, to say the least, uneven. He sort of accomplished his mission of harrying the Japanese but also left men behind to the horrors of Japanese captivity. Carlson, however, learned from his mistakes, and during the Battle of Guadalcanal his launched his battalion behind Japanese lines and devastated their efforts to retake Henderson Field. Known as The Long Patrol, that mission is the one that made him famous and is still studied today.
Carlson's Raiders
Sunday, June 21, 2009
2009 European adventure- Part One - The Setup
Hiya bookies! This is the special trip blog I've been promising you, and that so many of you have been emailing me about writing. As I start this I'm sick as a dog with some sort of gloppy virus (if I start growing a little twisty tail I'll figure it's the swine flu) that involves coughing, aching, fatiguing, and sore throating. Yuck. But don't worry, I'm wearing a mask so you can't catch anything reading my blog.
As a reminder to those of you who weren't following my every move on the virtual tour guide that I promised to update hourly, but which I couldn't because it doesn't exist, the tour went from Memphis to Paris (France, not Tennessee), Luzern, Switzerland, then to Florence (Italy! Not Alabama. Good grief people) and Rome. (Also in Italy, not one of the dozens of others).
According to at least one podometer that was on the trip, we walked a minimum of 60 miles in 8 days. We encountered weather that ranged from mid 50's and soaking rain in Paris to 95+ and blazing sun in Florence and Rome. Try packing for that range of temps!
Why so much walking? This trip is designed for high school kids at the school my kids attended. They have graduated long since, but as alumni are still eligible. Likewise, parents are too. And it doesn't hurt that our head chaperon is a close friend and married to a college fraternity brother of mine. Anyway, these school tours cannot in any way, shape or form be considered a vacation. Vacations leave you refreshed and ready for return to work. These tours are grueling endurance tests that show you far more of the countries you visit than a leisurely tour could, but leave you drained and, more often than not, sick. This was our fifth time going and I hope next year will be 6. Because while the price is high, both monetarily and physically, when it's all said and done it's more than worth it.
There is also a real sense of accomplishment when you're done. We hadn't done such a trip in three years, the last one to Germany, Austria & the Czech Republic, and your friendly neighborhood bookseller was more than a little worried that he could no longer keep up with the kiddies. In the end, although sick and exhausted, I made it just fine. I'm almost always sick afterwards so this is nothing new, but knowing I could still do it, even badly out of shape, was encouraging.
As a reminder to those of you who weren't following my every move on the virtual tour guide that I promised to update hourly, but which I couldn't because it doesn't exist, the tour went from Memphis to Paris (France, not Tennessee), Luzern, Switzerland, then to Florence (Italy! Not Alabama. Good grief people) and Rome. (Also in Italy, not one of the dozens of others).
According to at least one podometer that was on the trip, we walked a minimum of 60 miles in 8 days. We encountered weather that ranged from mid 50's and soaking rain in Paris to 95+ and blazing sun in Florence and Rome. Try packing for that range of temps!
Why so much walking? This trip is designed for high school kids at the school my kids attended. They have graduated long since, but as alumni are still eligible. Likewise, parents are too. And it doesn't hurt that our head chaperon is a close friend and married to a college fraternity brother of mine. Anyway, these school tours cannot in any way, shape or form be considered a vacation. Vacations leave you refreshed and ready for return to work. These tours are grueling endurance tests that show you far more of the countries you visit than a leisurely tour could, but leave you drained and, more often than not, sick. This was our fifth time going and I hope next year will be 6. Because while the price is high, both monetarily and physically, when it's all said and done it's more than worth it.
There is also a real sense of accomplishment when you're done. We hadn't done such a trip in three years, the last one to Germany, Austria & the Czech Republic, and your friendly neighborhood bookseller was more than a little worried that he could no longer keep up with the kiddies. In the end, although sick and exhausted, I made it just fine. I'm almost always sick afterwards so this is nothing new, but knowing I could still do it, even badly out of shape, was encouraging.
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Catching Up
Good morning bookies! Stand by for news and comment.
Your friendly neighborhood bookseller is stiff and sore and jet-lagged beyond belief, but dedicated to bringing you the best book blog possible, thus he finds himself clacking away on a hot, sunny morning in Memphis. Heat warnings are out again, 98 for a high, all is right with the world.
At least, it would be if I hadn't dragged a cold back with me from Europe. Gack.
*** West Virginia University Library has a rare book room that would make bibliophiles of any caliber envious. Donated long ago by an alumnus, the collection includes Four Shakespeare First Folios. Wowser! It's included here because, lets' face it, bookies can't get enough of reading about other people's collections.
A collection to drool over
*** Who says books are for nerds and wimps? Certainly not Captain Nathan Harlan. Many moons ago the Indiana National Guard officer bought a copy of The Federalist, aka The Federalist Papers, at a flea market, without knowing exactly what he had bought. He found out last week, however, when the exceedingly rare book netted $80,000 just before he shipped out for another tour of duty in Iraq. Heritage Galleries even waived their 20% fee for his service to the country.
Captain sells a treasure to support his family while he is away
*** Being a southerner brings with it certain conflicting feelings regarding the US Civil War (aka The Second Revolution, The War of Northern Aggression and, what I feel is the most accurate, The War For Southern Independence). On the one hand, nobody in their right mind can think of slavery as anything other than a barbaric practice, an example of Man's inhumanity to Man at its worst. On the other hand, however, many southerners inherently feel that the South had a right to govern itself if that's what it wanted. After all, there is really very little difference between the feelings of southerners who fought for independence and Americans who fought against the British in 1776. Many Southerners believe the South had the right to do what it did, and yet are glad the south lost because it ended slavery. Quite a schism for the mind.
And now Auburn University has received one of the most poignant documents of that awful war, the letter that Robert E. Lee sent to US Grant requesting terms of surrender. Holy cow! It's hard to imagine a more important document emerging from that war. And value? Cut signatures of Lee are worth thousands, so how much is a letter with unique historical content worth? At least 6 figures, I'm sure. Anyone in the Auburn area should try to see this letter once it goes on display.
Rare Lee letter acquired by Auburn
*** It's hard to imagine a more despicable person than a book vandal, but a book thief would qualify. The University of Kansas library has been afflicted with both recently. If you want to stop this from happening, let me deal with them. I can assure you that would end it.
Evil is as evil does
And now some book reviews that have piled up since I've been gone.
*** One of the enduring mysteries of world history is Why did Adolf Hitler hate Jews so much? The answer would explain much about the history of the 20th century, and yet with Hitler himself long since dead (or, at least, locked away in a UFO circling Mercury and therefore unavailable) the answer to that question will forever be a matter of conjecture. A new book, Hitler's Jewish Hatred: Cliche and Reality by Ralf-George Reuth, takes a different tack from most historians, who date Hitler's bigotry to a number of different causes, most commonly his life on the streets of Vienna before World War One. Reuth takes a different approach, claiming that it was his experiences after the war that spawned his obsessive anti-semitism. It's an interesting theory but hard for me to buy.
Now, maybe his feelings that the Jews betrayed Germany during WW1 solidified an existing hatred, that's certainly possible if not probable, but I find it hard to buy that the post-war experiences alone caused the Holocaust to form in Hitler's mind. Still, it's good to have new scholarship on this ultra-important topic.
Another answer to what caused the Holocaust
*** Speaking of atrocities committed during World War Two, one of the most brutal was the Bataan Death March. When the US forces in the Philippines surrendered to the Japanese in April of 1942, no one suspected the horrors to come. Starving and sick, the Americans and their Philippine allies were forced to march 66 miles without food or water, those who fell out were shot or stabbed, the beginning of more than 3 years of hell and torture at the hands of the Japanese. A new book on the topic, Tears in the Darkness: The Story of the Bataan Death March and Its Aftermath by Michael and Elizabeth M. Norman, brings a fresh perspective to this sometimes forgotten chapter of the war.
The brutalities of Nazi Germany have been well represented, but those of the Japanese are sometimes overlooked. They shouldn't be. In some respects the Japanese were even worse than the Nazis, not only to the civilian populations they conquered but to the foreign soldiers they captured. Stories of beheaded Americans are not uncommon.
Remembering the horrors of the Japanese
*** When America entered the Second World War, their British allies viewed American generals with nearly open contempt. They, the British, were considered the professionals, the Americans as little more than amateurs. For their part, the Americans considered the British as plodding dinosaurs. Both were right. Neither country supplied the fighting troops with the upper leadership it deserved. A good example for the British is Archibald Wavell, the commander in North Africa early in the war who could have swamped the Italians in Libya and forestalled the Germans from deploying Rommel and the Afrika Korps. Like Montgomery, however, Wavell suffered from an excess of caution and the chance was lost.
A new biography of this important general seems destined to fill a gap in the literature of the war. Wavell wasn't the worst of generals, he had his good moments, but good or bad he played an pivotal role throughout the war and deserves to be studied. By all accounts The Empire's Soldier by Adrian Fort is a pleasure to read, despite its length, and so is included here because Wavell really is a man who needs to be known.
Archibald Wavell
*** It has long been my view that among the monsters of the 20th century, it's really impossible to choose between either Stalin or Hitler as being the worst. Hitler has gotten the most press, but that's mostly because German records and memoirs have been easier to access than those from the former Soviet Union. Even those not translated into English are somewhat accessible: for example, I read enough German to make out the gist of most things, especially when a dictionary or online translator is available. Language is a barrier, but not an insurmountable one. Russian, however, doesn't even use the same alphabet, and opponents of Stalin weren't exactly eager to chronicle their opposition.
But while countless millions of Soviet citizens were killed to satisfy Stalin's rampant paranoia, there was one man that he feared that he should have feared: Leon Trotsky. Murdered in Mexico in 1940, Trotsky was a seminal figure in early Soviet history and deserves to be studied. Thus a new biography is a welcome addition to the history of the 20th century. Stalin’s Nemesis: The Exile and Murder of Leon Trotsky by Bertrand Patenaude, helps put this man's life into context as the USSR teetered on the brink of the Second World War.
A new look at the life of Leon Trotsky
*** Given the almost ultra-left wing slant on today's college campuses, it's hard to think that prior to WW2 these same schools were a haven for American Nazis, but a new book makes it clear that this was, in fact, the case. The Third Reich in the Ivory Tower: Complicity and Conflict on American Campuses by Stephen H. Norwood. We forget now about how Nazism was viewed before its excesses were known; how many people are familiar with the American Bund? Crowds packed large auditoriums were the US flag flew side by side with the Nazi flag and this was seen as a legitimate political viewpoint. Examining how our schools of higher education responded is a fascinating counter-point to the revisionism that seeks to exonerate those same schools from ever having supported fascism.
Nazi influence on American campuses before World War Two
Your friendly neighborhood bookseller is stiff and sore and jet-lagged beyond belief, but dedicated to bringing you the best book blog possible, thus he finds himself clacking away on a hot, sunny morning in Memphis. Heat warnings are out again, 98 for a high, all is right with the world.
At least, it would be if I hadn't dragged a cold back with me from Europe. Gack.
*** West Virginia University Library has a rare book room that would make bibliophiles of any caliber envious. Donated long ago by an alumnus, the collection includes Four Shakespeare First Folios. Wowser! It's included here because, lets' face it, bookies can't get enough of reading about other people's collections.
A collection to drool over
*** Who says books are for nerds and wimps? Certainly not Captain Nathan Harlan. Many moons ago the Indiana National Guard officer bought a copy of The Federalist, aka The Federalist Papers, at a flea market, without knowing exactly what he had bought. He found out last week, however, when the exceedingly rare book netted $80,000 just before he shipped out for another tour of duty in Iraq. Heritage Galleries even waived their 20% fee for his service to the country.
Captain sells a treasure to support his family while he is away
*** Being a southerner brings with it certain conflicting feelings regarding the US Civil War (aka The Second Revolution, The War of Northern Aggression and, what I feel is the most accurate, The War For Southern Independence). On the one hand, nobody in their right mind can think of slavery as anything other than a barbaric practice, an example of Man's inhumanity to Man at its worst. On the other hand, however, many southerners inherently feel that the South had a right to govern itself if that's what it wanted. After all, there is really very little difference between the feelings of southerners who fought for independence and Americans who fought against the British in 1776. Many Southerners believe the South had the right to do what it did, and yet are glad the south lost because it ended slavery. Quite a schism for the mind.
And now Auburn University has received one of the most poignant documents of that awful war, the letter that Robert E. Lee sent to US Grant requesting terms of surrender. Holy cow! It's hard to imagine a more important document emerging from that war. And value? Cut signatures of Lee are worth thousands, so how much is a letter with unique historical content worth? At least 6 figures, I'm sure. Anyone in the Auburn area should try to see this letter once it goes on display.
Rare Lee letter acquired by Auburn
*** It's hard to imagine a more despicable person than a book vandal, but a book thief would qualify. The University of Kansas library has been afflicted with both recently. If you want to stop this from happening, let me deal with them. I can assure you that would end it.
Evil is as evil does
And now some book reviews that have piled up since I've been gone.
*** One of the enduring mysteries of world history is Why did Adolf Hitler hate Jews so much? The answer would explain much about the history of the 20th century, and yet with Hitler himself long since dead (or, at least, locked away in a UFO circling Mercury and therefore unavailable) the answer to that question will forever be a matter of conjecture. A new book, Hitler's Jewish Hatred: Cliche and Reality by Ralf-George Reuth, takes a different tack from most historians, who date Hitler's bigotry to a number of different causes, most commonly his life on the streets of Vienna before World War One. Reuth takes a different approach, claiming that it was his experiences after the war that spawned his obsessive anti-semitism. It's an interesting theory but hard for me to buy.
Now, maybe his feelings that the Jews betrayed Germany during WW1 solidified an existing hatred, that's certainly possible if not probable, but I find it hard to buy that the post-war experiences alone caused the Holocaust to form in Hitler's mind. Still, it's good to have new scholarship on this ultra-important topic.
Another answer to what caused the Holocaust
*** Speaking of atrocities committed during World War Two, one of the most brutal was the Bataan Death March. When the US forces in the Philippines surrendered to the Japanese in April of 1942, no one suspected the horrors to come. Starving and sick, the Americans and their Philippine allies were forced to march 66 miles without food or water, those who fell out were shot or stabbed, the beginning of more than 3 years of hell and torture at the hands of the Japanese. A new book on the topic, Tears in the Darkness: The Story of the Bataan Death March and Its Aftermath by Michael and Elizabeth M. Norman, brings a fresh perspective to this sometimes forgotten chapter of the war.
The brutalities of Nazi Germany have been well represented, but those of the Japanese are sometimes overlooked. They shouldn't be. In some respects the Japanese were even worse than the Nazis, not only to the civilian populations they conquered but to the foreign soldiers they captured. Stories of beheaded Americans are not uncommon.
Remembering the horrors of the Japanese
*** When America entered the Second World War, their British allies viewed American generals with nearly open contempt. They, the British, were considered the professionals, the Americans as little more than amateurs. For their part, the Americans considered the British as plodding dinosaurs. Both were right. Neither country supplied the fighting troops with the upper leadership it deserved. A good example for the British is Archibald Wavell, the commander in North Africa early in the war who could have swamped the Italians in Libya and forestalled the Germans from deploying Rommel and the Afrika Korps. Like Montgomery, however, Wavell suffered from an excess of caution and the chance was lost.
A new biography of this important general seems destined to fill a gap in the literature of the war. Wavell wasn't the worst of generals, he had his good moments, but good or bad he played an pivotal role throughout the war and deserves to be studied. By all accounts The Empire's Soldier by Adrian Fort is a pleasure to read, despite its length, and so is included here because Wavell really is a man who needs to be known.
Archibald Wavell
*** It has long been my view that among the monsters of the 20th century, it's really impossible to choose between either Stalin or Hitler as being the worst. Hitler has gotten the most press, but that's mostly because German records and memoirs have been easier to access than those from the former Soviet Union. Even those not translated into English are somewhat accessible: for example, I read enough German to make out the gist of most things, especially when a dictionary or online translator is available. Language is a barrier, but not an insurmountable one. Russian, however, doesn't even use the same alphabet, and opponents of Stalin weren't exactly eager to chronicle their opposition.
But while countless millions of Soviet citizens were killed to satisfy Stalin's rampant paranoia, there was one man that he feared that he should have feared: Leon Trotsky. Murdered in Mexico in 1940, Trotsky was a seminal figure in early Soviet history and deserves to be studied. Thus a new biography is a welcome addition to the history of the 20th century. Stalin’s Nemesis: The Exile and Murder of Leon Trotsky by Bertrand Patenaude, helps put this man's life into context as the USSR teetered on the brink of the Second World War.
A new look at the life of Leon Trotsky
*** Given the almost ultra-left wing slant on today's college campuses, it's hard to think that prior to WW2 these same schools were a haven for American Nazis, but a new book makes it clear that this was, in fact, the case. The Third Reich in the Ivory Tower: Complicity and Conflict on American Campuses by Stephen H. Norwood. We forget now about how Nazism was viewed before its excesses were known; how many people are familiar with the American Bund? Crowds packed large auditoriums were the US flag flew side by side with the Nazi flag and this was seen as a legitimate political viewpoint. Examining how our schools of higher education responded is a fascinating counter-point to the revisionism that seeks to exonerate those same schools from ever having supported fascism.
Nazi influence on American campuses before World War Two
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Back on track
Yes, people, I'm just back from a grueling but thrilling 10 day trip to Europe, landing in Memphis about 5 pm yesterday after a 10 hour flight from Amsterdam. I'll give details later about what I found (and what I didn't find), including my impressions of the famous English language bookstore in Paris 'Shakespeare Books'. Right now I'm pretty much drained.
In the coming days, though, I hope to get this blog back on track. With any luck the series of disasters, near disasters and just plain bad luck over the last 8 months will abate.
This to Judith: if you're reading this, then you're in the right place. Drop a comment and let me know you found it. Oh, and by the way, it's 97 in Memphis today and so humid it feels like you're swimming. If you thought Florence was hot, try Memphis.
It's good to be home.
In the coming days, though, I hope to get this blog back on track. With any luck the series of disasters, near disasters and just plain bad luck over the last 8 months will abate.
This to Judith: if you're reading this, then you're in the right place. Drop a comment and let me know you found it. Oh, and by the way, it's 97 in Memphis today and so humid it feels like you're swimming. If you thought Florence was hot, try Memphis.
It's good to be home.
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