BOOKS THREAD

Nack's Pure Heart is the best story I have ever read in SI. I was eight when Secretariat was one of the biggest name in sports and my old man was at Woodbine for his last race. The winning ticket - the only one the old man never cashed - is in a frame with a picture of Big Red at mny brother's place.

Finished Allen Barra's Yogi Berra bio, terrific stuff and am now reading The Yankee Years.

In this month alone I have also read 1776 off the recommendation of so many on this thread and Delta Blues by Ted Gioia a great look at blues legends B.B. King, Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker and many others.

 

i'm in the midst of reading simon montefiore's "stalin: the court of the red tsar", and just finished michael meyer's "the last days of old beijing". the first is a stunning look at the monstrous life inside the ruling junta of russia. the second is a spotty melange about the fading civic life of beijing as the '08 olympics loom, but it gives a great sense of living in an alien place. in fact, both books do. but the stalin is a revelation.

 

While on the road this weekend I killed some time at the bookstore at the mall across the street from the hotel and picked up two books from the remainder bin:

Halberstam's The Coldest Winter and The Bin Ladens by Steve Coll.

Anybody read either of these?

 

I just finished coldest earlier in the year, and to be honest wasn't impressed. No one does a better job in gathering the facts and displaying the true heroism and faults in the war, but its a bit lenghty for my taste. But hey I am reading D-Day right now as well and not enjoying it either maybe its just me and an aversion to war books?

But reading also now Profiles in Courage by JFK, one of the best introductory chapters ever, anyone have thoughts?

 

My thought - it's actually Profiles in Courage by Ted Sorensen.

 

Just finished one of best books I've read in a while -- Ghost Soldiers by Hampton Sides.

Its about the survivors of the Bataan Death March and their subsequent rescue / escape for Japanese prison in The Philippines.

Amazing story of survival and perseverance.

 

"brief encounters with che guevara" by ben fountain. superb collection of short stories.

 

Timely too, considering many of the pieces take place in Haiti. Fountain traveled there a ton of times researching the book. I agree, it was probably the best SS collection to come out in the last two or three years.

 

For one, I have an odd fascination with the idea of a post-apocalyptic world. I just thought the scene setting was really well done, the writing quick. The internal struggle between the boy -- who still has an idealistic view of what humanity should be -- and the man -- who has a realistic view of what humanity really is at this point -- was really well done.

 

too bad the movie was a B-list effort. it should have gotten major treatment.

 

I'm through chapter five and I'm amazed at how good it is. Haven't enjoyed an autobiography this much in a very long time.

 

Just picked this up on this recommendation; thanks, AD.

Perhaps it's the Russian in me, but I've always had an interest in 20th century Russian history, especially Stalin and WW II.

My wife, the historian, thinks Russian history is boring. That's incomprehensible to me. The literature? Yes. The history and the music? Fascinating and engaging.