What book are you reading?

[G. Septimus]

I am currently reading the Flames of Rome by John Maier and The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas pere

[Sasaki Kojiro]

A strange defeat: Marc Bloch.

He fought in the trenches of the Western Front for four years. In 1919 he became Lecturer in Medieval history at Strasbourg University, after the German professors were all expelled; he was called to the Sorbonne in Paris in 1936 as professor of economic history. He is best known for his pioneering studies French Rural History and Feudal Society and his posthumously-published unfinished meditation on the writing of history, The Historian's Craft. In 1939 France declared war on Germany after its invasion and occupation of Poland. As France mobilized its troops, Marc Bloch left his position at the Sorbonne and took up his reserve status as a captain in the French Army at the age of 52. He was encouraged at the time by colleagues both in France and abroad to leave the country. He said it was his personal obligation to stand for the moral imperative. He was captured and shot by the Gestapo during the German occupation of France for his work in the French Resistance.

Strange defeat was written in 1940, it's a very interesting book. He tells of his experience and then gives his theory on why france was defeated so quickly.

[Prussian to the Iron]

Dante's Divine Comedy

Dante Alighieri

[phonicsmonkey]

All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque

And for some light entertainment in between the harrowing accounts of trench warfare, The Second World War Volume Two: Their Finest Hour, by Winston Churchill.

[Beirut]

Dante's Divine Comedy

Dante Alighieri

How are you finding the "comfort" of reading it? I've heard it is a difficult book to get through.

[Strike For The South]

Working Class War; Combat Soliders in Vietnam By: Christian G Appy

The Jungle By: Upton Sinclar

[drone]

Full Dark, No Stars - Stephen King. And I continue to like his short stories/novellas better than his full novels.

[Prussian to the Iron]

How are you finding the "comfort" of reading it? I've heard it is a difficult book to get through.

Really? I don't find it very difficult language-wise or any other way.

[GeneralHankerchief]

Napoleon's Wars: An International History by Charles Esdaile.

A slightly different perspective on things as the book looks at Napoleon from a truly European lens and how each power thought of the man at certain times. I'm only at the Peace of Amiens so far, but it's pretty good.

[a completely inoffensive name]

"Lies my Teacher Told Me" by James Loewen

[Beirut]

Really? I don't find it very difficult language-wise or any other way.

Ah, thank you. I was listening to a lecture about books and the speaker said The Divine Comedy was a difficult book. Maybe he was talking about the references in the book to people or events most don't know about.

[Mouzafphaerre]

.
<shameless self-plug>

A friend gave me as a present a special print of Inferno, probably a custom print. Each page has a blank one across, on which it's crazily annotated in manuscript. 19th century Italian vs. the printed Tuscan original. A true gem that I shall treasure all my life.
.

[Beirut]

.
<shameless self-plug>

A friend gave me as a present a special print of Inferno, probably a custom print. Each page has a blank one across, on which it's crazily annotated in manuscript. 19th century Italian vs. the printed Tuscan original. A true gem that I shall treasure all my life.
.

Nice!

Would love to see a pic of it, or you could just mail it to me.

[Mouzafphaerre]

.

Nice!

Would love to see a pic of it, or you could just mail it to me.

As soon as I re-install my scanner or convince bro to take a few shots for me.
.

[Fragony]

Ah, thank you. I was listening to a lecture about books and the speaker said The Divine Comedy was a difficult book. Maybe he was talking about the references in the book to people or events most don't know about.

It isn't really a book, it's a series of 3 poems that were released independently. No persons or events specifically, it's a social commentary in a more general way. It's also a horrible read I have no idea why people like reading that old crap.

Which brings me to 'The Hunger Game" by Suzanne Collins, courtesy of my sister, almost done with the first book 354 pages so far without a break, two more await. Same story as Battle Royale, kids who have to kill eachother, and of course there can only be one. Might sound crappy but it really isn't.

[Prussian to the Iron]

It isn't really a book, it's a series of 3 poems that were released independently. No persons or events specifically, it's a social commentary in a more general way. It's also a horrible read I have no idea why people like reading that old crap.

It's a statement on the Medieval Catholic view of Hell, Heaven and Purgatory.

[Fragony]

It's a statement on the Medieval Catholic view of Hell, Heaven and Purgatory.

Wasn't written as such, there are various levels of hell depending on the sin.

[Motep]

The Awakening - Chopin

It is very hard to like a book when you hate the protagonist and are constantly infuriated at the writing style. I get it chopin, and I made the connection, and I got my nerdy thrill out of it. Now, STOP MAKING THE CONNECTION FOR ME TWO SENTENCES LATER!!!!!

EDIT: I know she has been dead for over a hundred years now, but I hope my yells transcend time.

[Vuk]

I just got done reading Warman's new book. :)

[Xiahou]

Whoah... I thought it'd never happen....
A Dance with Dragons, book 5 of the "a Song of Ice and Fire" series gets a release date.

Should I wait for book 6 to get a release date before I read it? I'd hate to think it's going to take another six years for the following book.

[Crazed Rabbit]

Wow, book five is actually coming out. Huh.

Anyways, I'm reading "Staying Alive in Avalanche Terrain" by Bruce Tremper.

CR

[Jaguara]

I am totally stalled on Machiavelli's "The Prince". I have not picked it up in over a month. Before that I read "Crime and Punishment" by Dostoevsky...it was great, and I was amazed at how well it translated into English. I will likely go light for my next one.

What is up with Dante lately? My son came to me out of the blue and asked to borrow my copy because he wants to read it. It is not like he saw it on the shelf and got curious, because it is in storage. Is there something going on in pop-culture right now that is bringing people's attention to it?

[Prussian to the Iron]

I'm not sure, to be totally honest I don't know why I wanted to read it really. Hmm. Subliminal advertisements?

[johnhughthom]

Isn't there a game in development based on Dante?

[Jaguara]

Isn't there a game in development based on Dante?

If true, that could totally explain my son's interest.

I could not find my copy of "The Divine Comedy", but I offered him Milton's Paradise Lost...he wasn' interested. I eventually found him a link to read Inferno online (it is in the public domain).

He is not particularly interested in Religion or Spirituality, I have never heard a word from him about Poetry or the Classics. All his knowledge of history and mythology seems to be based on what he has picked up from video games . I have not yet decided if that is "better than nothing".

[drone]

Isn't there a game in development based on Dante?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dante%2...8video_game%29
Released last year.

[Passion]

With my course I do a lot of reading, and every now and again one or two pieces of literature stand out and you go back and re-read them for pleasure which is always better. One such play is 'Stuff happens' by David Hare.

It is basically a play of the build up to the Iraq War, featuring all the major players (Bush, Blair, Powell etc). Extremely interesting, shocking at times, and surprisingly funny.

[Beirut]

1915: The Death of Innocence, by Lyn Mcdonald

Good WWI book. Excellent account of gas warfare and the battle of Loos. Lots of long quotes from diaries and letters of the soldiers. Used, perfect condition hardcover edition, for $7.50. Sweet! Apparently the book is part of a series, covering 1914 to 1918. Will definetly look for the others.

Macdonald also wrote "They called it Passchendaele". It's considered one of the classic books on that battle. Have had that one on the shelf for a while already. She's a great writer; covers the facts and the people without ever being tedious.

[Motep]

I am reading old cookbooks, marking things that look good to eat.

Also: rereading the bible and Howard's End

[Beirut]

I am reading old cookbooks, marking things that look good to eat.

Also: rereading the bible and Howard's End

How old are the cookbooks?

Are you reading the Bible from start to finish or selected books?