The History Book Club discussion

It's the exception for me to read more than one book at a time so we'll see how the march goes to 50 in one year, but I like the idea of keeping track and challenging myself at the same time. Here we go ~

JANUARY
1. by Tim Weiner
Finish date: Jan 2011
Rating: A-
Review: At once riveting and disturbing, fascinating, well-written, and well worth the time to dig into it. Billed as a history of the CIA, it is clear the author has some pretty strong feelings on the topic, as do those who criticized this book. However, well worth the time to read this book and it is thoroughly researched. Beware, there is far more discussion of the CIA's failures than successes, and if you are not one for understanding how government bureaucracy can be counterproductive to their own missions then this book is not for you. The book covers the operation of the CIA from its inception after WWII up through the early stages of the war in Afghanistan. The relationship of the CIA with each Presidential administration is examined, as is the agency's relationship with military intelligence. Anyone interested in public policy, intelligence gathering, the purpose of covert operations, espionage, and spying (no matter how distasteful the thought of the government engaged in these activities may be), would all find this a worthy read. Complex subject matter with a lot of themes and information, there is a lot to dig into in this book. For those involved in hiring, workforce evaluation, efficiency, and morale, can use the many examples in this book as to why hiring and retaining people with the right skills - including cultural understanding and language skills - and proper leadership, are critical to success of anything. This was one intensely interesting book.

I also find it tricky to read multiple books at the same time. Maybe we should ask advice from those who do it all the time...

Given the extent of my to-read list, it is a skill I should seriously think about acquiring!

I do it for awhile but then I gravitate to one of them and have to finish it off picking up the other one or two books later, maybe next, maybe not. This happens when I'm really between books- I start one and realize I should be reading a different one, so I start it and then something else catches my eye - probably an audio book. So then i'll have three books going - one in paper format, one on the Kindle and one audio. I usually read about 10 books a month - more in summer due to being a teacher.

Bekah
retiring this year! :-)

Alisa you are off to a great start and have the format down.

Thanks! So many books, so little time!

I know. (smile)

January
2. by Sherri L. Smith
Finish date: Jan 29, 2011
Genre: fiction, WWII era
Rating: B/B-
Review: Fictionalized account of one young woman's entry into the WWII WASP program, with the added storyline twist of a the main character a young fair skin toned black woman who 'passes' for white to get accepted into the program. The plot isn't horribly complicated but the author writes the story in a warm and engaging way, making this a easy read. Young author, she writes simply and cleanly. I did not realize until finishing the book that women flew military missions for Russia in 1941, but it was not until 1977 the the United States passed the WASP bill, which although retroactively recognized the contributions of the domestic WASP program did not put them in the cockpit until after that time.

February
3. byAgnes Humbert
Finish date: February 12, 2011
Genre: WWII
Rating: B+
Moving story, it is the journal of a young woman working as an art historian and living in Paris in 1940 when it is occupied by the Germans. Fearing for the future of her country, and restless at the idea of doing nothing about it, she becomes involved with a small group of people who create a newsletter, Resistance, which become synonymous with the anti-war movement. The group was betrayed to the Gestapo, and her and her colleagues were arrested and sent to prison and labor camps in Germany. This book is the journal of her early days working on the newsletter, to her arrest and horrific experience in German labor camps, to her eventual release when the Nazis were defeated and she was returned to Paris in 1945. Her experiences in the German prison are horrendous, yet she survives the unyielding test to her mental and physical state in the most inhumane of conditions with her intellect and wit intact. Reading about her experiences it would be easy to reach the conclusion that anyone who experienced this would end up bitter, angry, hateful, and broken. Not this woman. To reduce to the level of hatred as held by those who hate you is to perpetuate evil. "Punish the guilty without mercy, re-educate the young....but let justice be meted out without anarchy, and above all - oh, above all - without stupidity!" Beautifully written and deftly translated.

Alisa wrote: "February
3. byAgnes Humbert
Finish date: February 12, 2011
Genre: WWII
Rating: B+
Moving story, it is the ..."
This review made me feel curious about the book. I'll see if I can get it :)

4. by Rebecca Skloot
Finish date: Feb 20, 2011
Genre: biomedical history and ethics
Rating: A+
Review: Ever had a mole removed? What happens to that tissue, exactly? Donated for medical research, perhaps, but who profits from that? Who owns the tissue once it is removed? Should the 'donor' profit from it? What would the state of medical research be like if everyone truly controlled their own tissue? And who was Henrietta Lacks and why exactly are her cells so special? Hey wait, there's a person behind those cells, who was she? And why should we care? Fabulous book, incredibly well written and researched (I am amazed it is the author's first book). The circumstances of the infamous HeLa cells and the related issues are examined with intelligence, sensitivity, and honesty. The medical detail is written in a way that is both understandable and thorough.

5. byPeter Maas
Finish date: Feb 26, 2011
Genre: submarine Naval history
Rating: B+ for the story, C for the writing, overall B-
Review: The story of this book makes it worth reading - the rescue mission of a submarine that becomes lost during a drill run off the coast of Maine in the late 1930's on the eve of WWII. Rescue technology was severely lacking before submarines were launched in those days, and much of what was used and developed as a result of the incident involving the Squalus would change the course of submarine naval history. The central figure in this book, "Swede" Momsen, was brilliant, extraordinary, nerves of steel and had the clarity of mind to seemingly know exactly what to do at the right time. Not everything he did worked right the first time but he had an uncanny ability to problem solve through things that were not successful and always move forward. Very impressive how this gentleman handled himself under pressure and his leadership capabilities. Easy to see why he was well respected.

The disappointment of this book was the writing. Some parts of the book where technical terms are used lack explanation so that unless you are familiar with submarine technology (I am not) it becomes confusing. Drawings or a glossary would have helped considerably, or perhaps better editing. The story line did not always flow well, but the book was short enough that in a few pages it picks back up.

I'm a bit conservative on my goodreads ratings, overall I give this story a 4 but the writing a 2.5, rounded it up to a 3 for the overall rating.

MARCH
6. by .Reece Hirsch
Finish date: March 19, 2011
genre: legal thriller (fiction)
Rating: B
This is a fiction genre I enjoy, the legal thriller. I enjoyed this, it kept to a good pace while keeping the detail and plot complex enough to keep the suspense level up. So many legal thrillers are based on courtroom drama, so it was a nice treat to have this based on the corporate transactions world and that made it seem less pedestrian than other legal thriller plots. Fun stuff - the Russian mob, high tech companies, San Francisco, a believable protaganist and love interests. This was a solid and entertaining read from an author who writes well and posed a well thought out story line in this novel

APRIL
7. by Jeffrey Toobin
Finish date: April 2, 2011
genre: US Supreme Court history
Rating: A-
Excellent book. Toobin puts forth a lively examination of the Court and the Justices in modern times up through the 2008 term. He brings to light the personalities of the Justices, their interpersonal relationships with each other on and off the bench and weaves in their judicial philosophy as taken from their rulings and the case decision making process. I really enjoyed the behind-the-scenes view he offers and found it insightful and sometimes outright entertaining. I particularly enjoyed his description of how the judicial nomination process unfolded under the various Presidential administrations, very interesting. I heard him speak recently and he said he is working on a sequel to this book. I'm looking forward to it - Elena Kagan was one of his study partners at Harvard!

8. by Mark Kurlansky
Finish date: April 9, 2011
genre: microhistory - food
Rating: B+
I enjoyed this lively little book about the history of cod. What could seem like an obscure topic for a history book turned out to be an entertaining and very informative narrrative about a species of fish that has sparked war, shaped international political discourse, impacted diverse cultures, markets, and the environment. The author did a good job of weaving in odd little facts within the larger discussion. Seems a bit ironic that he would lamment the near extinction of the fish while simultaneously offering up cod recipes. Well written and enjoyable.

I see so many well-put statements when I read other people's reviews. I love this one, "Seems a bit ironic that he would lamment the near extinction of the fish while simultaneously offering up cod recipes." Brings a smile.

Ha! Yeah, well, here it is dinner time and I am finishing this book suddenly but not surprisingly craving fish and chips and feeling quite guilty about it. I'll get over it. Glad you enjoyed the review.

9. by Dan Barry
Finish date: April 17, 2011
Genre: microhistory - sports
Rating: A+
Outstanding book. It is an unrivaled moment in baseball history, the longest game ever played, by an author who captured the essence of the event, the game, the place, and everyone involved in this unique moment in time. Great books transform you into the scene and involves you in such a way that makes you feel like you are there. The author adeptly weaves in the back stories of the people involved in the game - everybody including the spectators, players for both teams, their families, the bat boy, radio announcers, statisticians, et al - with the telling of the story of the game that is seamless and almost effortless in its flow. If you have ever been to a baseball game or watched a baseball game whether it is little league or major league, you know in your heart these are precisely the emotions and conversations and experiences that go on every day. Page turner start to finish. Kind of like the game itself, reading it was like being suspended in time and while I didn't want it to end it does, of course, and getting there was entirely glorious.


I won this book on a goodreads giveaway. It was the game winning grand slam on my scorecard, and now I am putting it rotation for my friends to enjoy.

thanks seems like a good read. I will gradually get to speed on what goodreads really is and does!!

it is interesting that you give medicore rating to Peter Maas as an author; I have read several of his books and they are well researched but heavy going particularly for the layman. He is not an author I would go out of my way to buy or read unless the topic really intersted me.

Richard wrote: "it is interesting that you give medicore rating to Peter Maas as an author; I have read several of his books and they are well researched but heavy going particularly for the layman. He is not an..."

The story lost it's potential to be better. Since you mentioned the author, Peter Maas, please remember to post the author link. Thanks.

Ok. sorryUnderboss: Sammy the Bull Gravano's Story of Life in the MafiaPeter Maas

Richard, you are almost there. It is book cover photo, author photo (when available) and author link. When you are in the comment box check the tab at the top and the radio button at the bottom when you are making your selctions. There is a preview button at the bottom of the comment box that you can use before you post it to make sure you have it right. Thanks.
Peter Maas

10. by Rupaul
finish date: April 26, 2011
genre: style & beauty
rating: B-
review: Yes, style advice from a drag queen, but before you sneer at the idea it's worth a minute to consider Ru's approach to the world. This is a fun little book with Ru's notes on beauty, style, and attitude. Some of the sections are oriented to her style of drag (unless you wear wigs), but then again, it's all just drag, because true beauty starts from within, and everything else is just drag. Work it!

Alisa wrote: "10. by Rupaul
finish date: April 26, 2011
genre: style & beauty
rating: B-
review: Yes, style advice from a drag ..."

Wow, what an author photo!

Bryan wrote: "Alisa wrote: "10. by Rupaul
finish date: April 26, 2011
genre: style & beauty
rating: B-
review: Yes, style advice fr..."

Ha! Yes, Ru knows how to work the camera! :)
Thought this post might shake up the HBC members a little, but it's not why I read it.

MAY
11. by Cokie Roberts
Finish date: May 29, 2011
Genre: US history late 1700s
Rating: C
Review: The book is about the lives of various women who were prominent in the lives of the founding fathers and other men of political note during the birth of the nation. The premise of the book is good but I found it difficult to read. There isn't a lot to hold the characters together, and rather than make them each distinct vignettes about a handful of women, I felt like the author tried a little too hard to tie all of these women together, regardless of how direct their relationships to each other were. It made it tough to follow. It did, however, offer a glimpse into life at the time and for some of these women it revealed quite a bit about their personalities as well as the men in their lives and how they treated women. If you have a lofty image of Ben Franklin or Alexander Hamilton, well, let's just say their treatment of women was not exactly enlightened.

This is not generally a period of history that interests me so maybe that was some of my disappointment in the book. I like the author (as an NPR journalist) but the book did not engage me as much as I was anticipating. Others interested in this period of history might like it more than I did.

Hello Alisa this is krystal I was quickly going through your books here and noticed that you said you would like the skill of reading more than one book at the time. It's not something I do very often but lets say your not finding one book very interesting move onto another one to perk your interest again. Example: It took me 9 weeks to finish by G.J. Meyer so what I did was I read books in between when I lost interest in the book I was on. But one thing to remember is Don't stop right in the middle of a chapter because you might not remember where you were on the page. and it's what I do when I have more than 2 books out from the public library if there long. I consider a long book to be more than 350 pages. Since I love YA Historical series. those are not more than 290-300pgs.

Krystal, thanks for the tip. I will be participating in the group read of by Bill Clinton later this month and will probably want to have a second book going at the same time at least for a diversion. Appreciate the advise. Thanks!

It also helped with books from school lets say the whole class was reading a book I'd have to read the class book and one of my own preference. So it helps to learn to read maybe two at a time. Lets say you have a big fat book such as the one i mentioned above read a few chapters and then go on to another book.

JUNE
12. by Craig Welch
Finish date: June 12, 2011
Genre: microhistory - food
Rating: A
I picked up this book at the encouragement of a friend and out of mild intrigue over the subject matter. I grew up in the Pacific Northwest and as kids my parents took us clamming and crabbing when we vacationed along Hood Canal and the Olympic Peninsula. We dug little steamer clams in Hood Canal, razor clams along the Pacific beach, and Dungeness crab in the Straight of Juan de Fuca. Like other types of fishing and hunting, digging clams requires a license. Wildlife agents are sometimes out and about and the last thing you want is to get busted for not having your license or getting more than your limit or harvesting the wrong size or at the wrong time of year - that could mean a hefty fine and your catch confiscated. And then what would we have for dinner? We always bought our license, took care to note where and when you could dig, harvest limits, recorded our catch, and reported it to the state at the end of the season. It's what you are supposed to do. We never went after geoduck but we sometimes bumped into people who had them, and they are sometimes displayed at the Pike Place Market so I've seen them up close. They are obscenely large, ugly, and a little mysterious. They are so big they look like they would be tough, and not taste that good. A rarity, apparently some people find them a delicacy.

So could an entire book about an oversized clam be that interesting? I have been getting into reading microhistories, and a quick read about local lore, why not. This book however turned into something completely unexpected, and after reading the first few pages I was hooked. More than a book about an ugly clam, this is a full fledged mystery about smugglers and wildlife poaching and the international commodities black market trade. I had no idea the ugly mollusk was subject of so much demand, or that there even was such a thing as geoduck poaching. Seriously? I'm always a little amazed at the plethora of sea life that lives in the Pacific Northwest waters, and I appreciate the culinary attraction of anything hauled out of these waters, but the geoduck - who knew? The author, an environmental and wildlife journalist for the Seattle Times, does a superb job of telling the story of the little known geoduck smuggling operation in Puget Sound and surrounding waters. This is much more than a story about cutting the middle man out of the food distribution market, but reads like a page-turning thriller. It's just that it's all true. Great story, thoroughly researched, lively story line. I found myself gasping out loud at some sections and not wanting to put this down. Start to finish I thoroughly enjoyed this book, fascinating story.

Appreciate your review of this book--I never would have taken a second glance at a book on clams, but now I've got it on my TBR pile!

Judy it was a fun and unexpected romp of a book. I hope you enjoy it when you get to it. Wild, eh?

AUGUST

13. by Matt Baglio
Finish date: August 7, 2011
Rating: B
Genre: religious history
Review: The training of a Catholic Priest in the rite of exorcism as told through a former API journalist living in Rome. Discussion of demonic possession and the occult sounds more like modern day fantasy to me and as a way for people to explain away evil behavior to which they are unwilling to be held accountable. The author adeptly challenges that with regard to the Catholic faith. Told through the story of Father Gary, an American priest who was selected to be trained as an exorcist, the reader is taken on a journey involving classroom education and a self-styled apprenticeship with an Italian exorcist. Father Gary bares his own doubts and poses question after question about what he is experiencing, seeing, feeling, and thinking. Exorcism is not what Hollywood would have us believe and this book did a good job of bringing the reality of exorcism and demonic possession into focus. The writing was very good and the research excellent but I was expecting more about the differences of opinion within the Catholic church surrounding this rite. Still quite interesting.

Alisa by Matt Bagliois definately going on my TBR. I loved all the Exocist movies and enjoy reading different takes in religion and this will be a change from just British,French or other Monarch stories.

Krystal wrote: "Alisa by Matt Bagliois definately going on my TBR. I loved all the Exocist movies and enjoy reading different take..."

I found it interesting and it was a fairly quick read.

14. by Alan Furst
finish date: Aug 25, 2011
rating: B/B+
genre: historical fiction, pre-WWII spy novel
Second book by this author I have read and enjoyed it a little more, a solid 3 star pushing 4 star rating. The quality of the writing is good, and I really like the imagery he conveys in this book, I felt like I could clearly imagine what these characters looked like, the clothes they wore, the scenes in the cocktail parties, the hushed whispers and the German and Polish accents, all quite clear. The plots are not horribly complex but there is enough tension and interest to keep the pages turning. If you are interested in pre-WWII Europe and spy novels this is a fun read.

SEPTEMBER
15. by Dean Koontz
finish date: Sept 17, 2011
rating: D
genre: suspense
The only thing breathless about this book was how breathlessly bad it is. It was just one big disappointment. It started off with a glimmer of promise, and a few somewhat twisted characters which Koontz is usually good at developing, but the story was so ridiculously far fetched it wasn't the least bit suspenseful. I've only read one other of his books and had high expectations for another thriller, but this was anything but.

Wow that is surprising Alisa...it will keep me from making a mistake.

It was a total bust. Makes you wonder for pop authors if at some point their publisher puts them on a schedule and forces them to produce XX number of books during a specified period of time. Otherwise why would you produce something obviously sub-par? Should have read the reviews before I bought it, but ah well. Take a chance on a mass market paperback, it happens.

At least it didn't cost an arm and a leg to buy it. It happens to me, too. I end up giving the book away to the library book sale or something.

OCTOBER
16. by Paul Allen
finish date: Oct 16, 2011
rating: B-
genre: business
Provides interesting insights into the inspiration for his current wide ranging business and philanthropic endeavors. Creative minds like this have passion and intensity, and that comes through in a few places some predicatable (sports) some surprising (brain mapping research). Techno-geeks might find the detailed discussion of early developing technology interesting, but that part didn't really float my boat.

DECEMBER
17. by Mark Twain
finish date: Dec 26, 2011
rating: C
genre: historical memoir
If you are a fan of Mark Twain, you might enjoy this autobiographical sketch of his experiences along the Mississippi River. Much of this book is comprised of vignettes told from the time of his young life as a riverboat cub and then his return trip many years later. Parts are told in his clasic wit style, but I struggled with his disjointed connections and it lacked flow in the story line. It was average overall even though there were some engaging parts to it. For a memoir my expectations were higher. For a series of short stories it would be more appealing.

18. by Billie Holidaywith William Dufty
finish date: Dec 26, 2011
rating: C+ (book)/A (CD)
genre: autobiography/music
This is a somewhat difficult book to evaluate. The story of her life is intense and ultimately tragic, yet the kernel of triumph is that she was able to emerge despite the most challenging of circumstances that would crush anyone. The book is written in Billie's own voice; great because you get the real feel of this woman, but I think her co-author could have done so much more to flesh out some of the details, which is where the book fell flat. She endured some unimaginable circumstances - raped at the age of 10 and jailed for it (!), raised in poverty by a mother who had her at 13 and bounced around between living with her mother and other relatives, drug addiction, living through the great depression and WWII, racism and Jim Crow laws, and preyed on by unscrupulous 'managers' who took advantage of her financially. What endures is the story of her amazing talent.

The bonus of this book was the tribute CD that came with it! Music she made popular performed by other artists - terrific. Deborah Cox performing Fine and Mellow is absolutely wonderful. (wish I could find it on youtube!)

the last one of the year, and it was a great one!

19. by David von Drehle
finish date: Dec 31, 2011
rating: A
genre: industrial labor tragedy
Very moving story of the Triangle Waist Factory fire on NYC's lower east side in March 1911 where 146 people, 123 of which were young women, perished in a horrific industrial fire. The author did a superb job of bring to life the people involved in the tragedy, including those who perished, stitching together the forces of immigration which resulted in so many immigrant women working in low paying jobs, the rampant corruption which allowed the palid working conditions to go unchecked, the lack of legislation which afforded working people any ounce of protection, the birth of the sweatshop, and the unlikely joining of forces of the wealthy and the poor. And let's not forget that ethnic groups were pitted against each other, but also came together when the time was needed. and how the forces of fashion can change the production floor in an instant. the dynamics of the insurance industry. the strife of the labor movement. living conditions in early industrial cities, tenement housing, the curry of political power, a broken judicial system . . . lots here to absorb. An amazing tale of a little known event brought to life by an astute and talented writer. Very moving.

Congrats, great job for the year with some interesting books.

Thanks Bentley. It's great to have this thread to track what I read during the year, and my impressions. Fun to look back on it. I like to mix it up, some good variety in here. Looking forward to keeping it up in 2012.