What are you reading now?
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Re-reading it, first read it maybe 25 years ago. Exceptional book, holds your attention for all 1250 pages.
Shirer was an American journalist assigned to Europe, lived in Paris and Berlin and Vienna. He became one of Edward R Morrow's guys.
So many casual first person references, not as the story itself, just as side notes. Two examples:
He was in Vienna during the Anschluss.
I had emerged from the subway at the Karlsplatz to find myself engulfed in a shouting, hysterical Nazi mob which was sweeping toward the Inner City. These contorted faces I had seen before, at the Nuremberg party rallies. They were yelling, “Sieg Heil! Sieg Heil! Heil Hitler! Heil Hitler! Hang Schuschnigg!
He was at Munich in September of 38, and describes Chamberlain and Hitler as their meeting ended:
The ice, however, had been broken, and as the meeting broke up at 1:30 A.M. the two men seemed, despite all that had happened, to be closer together personally than at any time since they had first met. I myself, from a vantage point twenty-five feet away in the porter’s booth, where I had set up a temporary broadcasting studio, watched them say their farewells near the door of the hotel. I was struck by their cordiality to each other. Schmidt took down the words which I could not hear: ...
And on and on. It's really gripping. You don't really notice the length, any more than you do in a series that's several seasons long. I mean, other than it takes a couple months to finish. lol
@jon-nyc said in What are you reading now?:
Re-reading it, first read it maybe 25 years ago. Exceptional book, holds your attention for all 1250 pages.
Shirer was an American journalist assigned to Europe, lived in Paris and Berlin and Vienna. He became one of Edward R Morrow's guys.
So many casual first person references, not as the story itself, just as side notes. Two examples:
He was in Vienna during the Anschluss.
I had emerged from the subway at the Karlsplatz to find myself engulfed in a shouting, hysterical Nazi mob which was sweeping toward the Inner City. These contorted faces I had seen before, at the Nuremberg party rallies. They were yelling, “Sieg Heil! Sieg Heil! Heil Hitler! Heil Hitler! Hang Schuschnigg!
He was at Munich in September of 38, and describes Chamberlain and Hitler as their meeting ended:
The ice, however, had been broken, and as the meeting broke up at 1:30 A.M. the two men seemed, despite all that had happened, to be closer together personally than at any time since they had first met. I myself, from a vantage point twenty-five feet away in the porter’s booth, where I had set up a temporary broadcasting studio, watched them say their farewells near the door of the hotel. I was struck by their cordiality to each other. Schmidt took down the words which I could not hear: ...
And on and on. It's really gripping. You don't really notice the length, any more than you do in a series that's several seasons long. I mean, other than it takes a couple months to finish. lol
I just finished finished it today. 1711 pages. Though I did put it down for about a month right before September 1st, 1939.
Fantastic book. Definitely the kind you re-read every 10-15 years.
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@jon-nyc said in What are you reading now?:
Re-reading it, first read it maybe 25 years ago. Exceptional book, holds your attention for all 1250 pages.
Shirer was an American journalist assigned to Europe, lived in Paris and Berlin and Vienna. He became one of Edward R Morrow's guys.
So many casual first person references, not as the story itself, just as side notes. Two examples:
He was in Vienna during the Anschluss.
I had emerged from the subway at the Karlsplatz to find myself engulfed in a shouting, hysterical Nazi mob which was sweeping toward the Inner City. These contorted faces I had seen before, at the Nuremberg party rallies. They were yelling, “Sieg Heil! Sieg Heil! Heil Hitler! Heil Hitler! Hang Schuschnigg!
He was at Munich in September of 38, and describes Chamberlain and Hitler as their meeting ended:
The ice, however, had been broken, and as the meeting broke up at 1:30 A.M. the two men seemed, despite all that had happened, to be closer together personally than at any time since they had first met. I myself, from a vantage point twenty-five feet away in the porter’s booth, where I had set up a temporary broadcasting studio, watched them say their farewells near the door of the hotel. I was struck by their cordiality to each other. Schmidt took down the words which I could not hear: ...
And on and on. It's really gripping. You don't really notice the length, any more than you do in a series that's several seasons long. I mean, other than it takes a couple months to finish. lol
I just finished finished it today. 1711 pages. Though I did put it down for about a month right before September 1st, 1939.
Fantastic book. Definitely the kind you re-read every 10-15 years.
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Though next I need to pick up a lighter read.
Thinking of re-reading Bonfire of the Vanities.
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@george-k said in What are you reading now?:
"OK, I've been tasked to join 6 other people on a ship to a backwater planet which might be invaded. One of them might be a spy.
But, before we arrive, each of us should tell us about his backstory."
A nice take on the Canturbury Tales.
Only about 10% into it, but it's engaging and fun.
That's one of my favorite books. Didn't care for the sequels though.
@horace said in What are you reading now?:
@george-k said in What are you reading now?:
"OK, I've been tasked to join 6 other people on a ship to a backwater planet which might be invaded. One of them might be a spy.
But, before we arrive, each of us should tell us about his backstory."
A nice take on the Canturbury Tales.
Only about 10% into it, but it's engaging and fun.
That's one of my favorite books. Didn't care for the sequels though.
I loved that book, too. The sequel I started wasn't very good.
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@george-k said in What are you reading now?:
I LOVED Bonfire of The Vanities.
Me too! I heard a discussion of it recently that talked about how relevant it all still is decades later. Made me want to read it again. I’m pretty sure I’ve read it twice already.
Only non-witches get due process.
- Cotton Mather, Salem Massachusetts, 1692
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The best full body cycling workout is when you "plank":
Link to videoDoing it downhill is one thing, but the best plankers do it uphill.
@horace said in What are you reading now?:
The best full body cycling workout is when you "plank":
Link to videoDoing it downhill is one thing, but the best plankers do it uphill.
Carbon aero wheels on a fixie? Silly.
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@george-k said in What are you reading now?:
I LOVED Bonfire of The Vanities.
Me too! I heard a discussion of it recently that talked about how relevant it all still is decades later. Made me want to read it again. I’m pretty sure I’ve read it twice already.
@jon-nyc said in What are you reading now?:
@george-k said in What are you reading now?:
I LOVED Bonfire of The Vanities.
Me too! I heard a discussion of it recently that talked about how relevant it all still is decades later. Made me want to read it again. I’m pretty sure I’ve read it twice already.
Sounds like the TNCR Book Club's choice for July is Bonfire of the Vanities.
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Project Hail Mary.
Andy WeirIf you liked The Martian you should really like this.
Loving it. Great summer vacation read.
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Project Hail Mary.
Andy WeirIf you liked The Martian you should really like this.
Loving it. Great summer vacation read.
@bachophile Thanks, Bach. I've not redd The Martian; it's been on my semi-enthused reading list . . . the Look Inside looks great for this one. Love his lively style.
20,038 ratings, 4.5 average stars.
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Finished
Kind of uneven - plot is good, detail that is interspersed is good, but I thought the lead character was particularly not credible - but it was an engaging morality play.
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Are there any dirty bits?
@doctor-phibes said in What are you reading now?:
Are there any dirty bits?
You mean, "Does it have the 'Right Stuff'?"
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@doctor-phibes said in What are you reading now?:
Are there any dirty bits?
You mean, "Does it have the 'Right Stuff'?"
@george-k said in What are you reading now?:
@doctor-phibes said in What are you reading now?:
Are there any dirty bits?
You mean, "Does it have the 'Right Stuff'?"
For Phibes, I think he's referencing the Right Stiff.
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Let me know what you think about that Ken. I respected his writing during the Iraq war years ago.
@jon-nyc I just finished it. I heard Packer discussing this book on a podcast which is why I thought about reading this book.
He divides the country into 4 major categories Smart America (the meritocracy), Just America (social justice youth), Free America (libertarian types) and Real America (traditionalists - ala Sarah Palin). He does a decent analysis of how these groups developed - goes back prior to the Civil War.
One of his major premises for why we are where we are is that the happy days of post WWII where we were the shining city on the hill with economic opportunity for all is not quite as true in the front half of the twenty-first century.
He talks about the the politicization of Covid, not pleased with what DJT did with that and goes into some detail.
He does also has some brief bios of Frances Perkins, Andrew Greeley, and A Philip Randolph.
There's a lot of territory covered. He's a leftist but with plenty of abuse of wokeness and idiocy for the Smart America group. If you like Sam Harris, this would be on the same shelf. I think this is easily as good as his last book.
