A fascinating study about economics during a turbulent period of European history - between the end of the Renaissance and the beginning of the modernA fascinating study about economics during a turbulent period of European history - between the end of the Renaissance and the beginning of the modern age. During this period, the entire feudal system disappeared and the period of the great autocracies and monarchies swept over most of Europe. Did you know that it was only at the end of the 17c that potatoes were introduced to Ireland? The very European addictive products of coffee, tea, and tobacco were introduced only in the 1650s and that they quickly revolutionized daily life - first for the rich who could afford them but soon for everyone as prices fell due to oversupply and other economic factors. I found the entire book fascinating if somewhat academic at points....more
A splendid masterpiece! Gibbon wraps up the monumental Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire with the end of the Empire of the East and a survey of theA splendid masterpiece! Gibbon wraps up the monumental Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire with the end of the Empire of the East and a survey of the states of the various nations that had been born at the time. It is, like the first two volumes, written with an incredible vocabulary and such perfect prose. His tone succeeds in avoiding being dry and barren, but rather rests sarcastic and humorous throughout....more
Extraordinary like Part 1, Gibbon takes us from the period following Constantine forward about 600 years to the 11th century. It is masterful writing Extraordinary like Part 1, Gibbon takes us from the period following Constantine forward about 600 years to the 11th century. It is masterful writing full of sarcasm and humor which helps one muddle through the thousands of names and dynasties. I really enjoyed his discussion of the Goths and the Huns, the Eastern Empire, and northern Africa. We see the definitive fall of Rome and the rise of the Francs. It is a long, complex story but oh so fascinating!...more
One of the monuments of the Enlightenment and one of the greatest works of history in English, Gibbon's iconic Decline and Fall is a pleasure to read One of the monuments of the Enlightenment and one of the greatest works of history in English, Gibbon's iconic Decline and Fall is a pleasure to read and a treasure chest of information. While it is true that it was written before the end of the 18th century and there have been 1000s of archeological discoveries since then, the overall story and theory still captivates and convinces the reader. One is obliged to look past Gibbon's aristocratic bent for preferring enlightened autocracy and fearing rabble democracy as well as his very English (and truly white European) bias against Africans (whether the "brutish tribes" of North Africa or the "savages" south of the Sahara) and the various Gothic tribes, while remembering that he was a product of his times and also that, despite this unfortunate bias, he still has positive things to say about the more notable personalities that emerge from these populations as they merge with his story.
The most controversial aspect in this first third of his work are chapters 16 and 17 about Christianity. Gibbon himself wavered on the question of Christianity, having converted to Catholicism and back to Anglicism in his youth. He is rather judgmental, yet in my opinion justifiable, about the impact of the christianization of the Empire following the reign of Constantine which he attributes as one of the causes for the decline and fall. Personally, I found it enlightening how the stories of martyrs were exaggerated for political and religious currency during the 10th to 13th centuries because, in fact, the persecution of Christians was not as systematic or wide-spread as some would like us to believe. In fact, the empire was incredibly accepting of different belief systems because otherwise, it could never have absorbed such a massive and diverse empire from the Black Sea to the Atlantic. There were some particularly bad emperors, but the local governors could push back and often it was bad business to kill off Christian (and Jewish) merchants. Also, recent research has proven that Nero was not present in Rome when it burnt and never played the fiddle as popular legend would like us to believe. The subsequent burning of Christians as candles was not as much a systemic oppression as a scapegoat to hide his own culpability having been absent on vacation during the crisis; it was simply easier to blame Christians (and Jews), than to admit to his own negligence. But, it was short lived and in fact there were several Christians who continued to have high positions in his government and that of his many successors.
The first part of the Decline ends more or less with several chapters about the Empire at the time of Constantine and leads into part two with the successors of Constantine and the Gothic Wars. I HIGHLY recommend reading the unabridged version despite its length because it is just such a magnificent writing style with humor, sarcasm and wonderful turns of phrase. A true masterpiece....more
This is the first of three books by Pomian about the history of museums. The second volume was published in 2021 and as of early 2022, we are still waThis is the first of three books by Pomian about the history of museums. The second volume was published in 2021 and as of early 2022, we are still waiting for vol 3. This first volume goes up to the end of the 18th C. For me, it starts out a little pretentious and offputting. He titles the second chapter Rome and China and out of about 30 pages with like 50 paragraphs, there are maybe 3 paragraphs about China and they are bereft of examples or facts. I felt that if China was only a sidebar because you don’t know all that much about it but are using as a point of comparison, then don’t title the chapter with your sidebar just to sound smarter. But, I digress.
On the whole, the book is interesting and has wonderful illustrations. It is fascinating to see how the concept of museums developed during the Renaissance from private collections of the churches and princes to the initial collections in Europe: The Uffizi in Florence, the Ambrosia Library in Milan, and the Marciana Library in Venice. ...more
This biography was a bit too obsessed with its subject in my opinion. Jackson, for all his "saving the Union" discourse, was instrumental in pushing aThis biography was a bit too obsessed with its subject in my opinion. Jackson, for all his "saving the Union" discourse, was instrumental in pushing a southern slavery agenda and destroying the American Indians that remained west of the Mississippi, and this book mentions these things in passing and not in depth. On the other hand, we get excruciating details about his personal relationships (although relatively little discussion of the Kitchen Cabinet.) I think that Meacham spent too much time in the middle of Jackson's terms as President. I wonder whether Remini's biography is a bit more well-balanced across all of Jackson's life and less gushing in admiration for this powerful but very controversial President....more
Clovis is an important mystical figure of France's distant past. This book does a good job of reconstructing what we can know about the 5th century moClovis is an important mystical figure of France's distant past. This book does a good job of reconstructing what we can know about the 5th century monarch of the Francs (France didn't exist for another few centuries in its current form) and his squabbles and wars against neighboring Burgundes (Vandals), Toulousains (Wisigoths), and Milanais (Ostrogoths). Interestingly, the definitive fall of Rome to the Goths happened during his lifetime, in a period with massive divisions in the post-Constantine west between various Christian sects. The baptism of Clovis was particularly important because it gave what would become the French people a Catholic heritage. The book is well-written with quite a lot of humor and can be recommended for those who like their history written in a less academic style....more
This is a rather old book published posthumously during WWII by Eileen Power who studied nunneries as well as the lives of common people during the MiThis is a rather old book published posthumously during WWII by Eileen Power who studied nunneries as well as the lives of common people during the Middle Ages. I really liked her writing style and found that she made the characters really come alive. Particularly, her description of Marco Polo blew me away and gave me a bad rash of wanderlust. Having read current research into the medieval period (Framing the Early Middle Ages: Europe and the Mediterranean, 400-800 having pointed me to her book), I don't think that her work has really suffered in the 80-odd years that have passed since she wrote it. Highly recommended....more
Richard Rothstein's deeply researched book about segregation in America is a timely and important read if one truly wants to sound the depths of angerRichard Rothstein's deeply researched book about segregation in America is a timely and important read if one truly wants to sound the depths of anger and despair that are at the heart of the BLM movement and the general feeling of disenfranchisement in the African-American community. The evidence he cites is at every level of government - federal, state, local - and constant since Reconstruction on into the 80s and beyond. I found it imminently readable and informative and I highly recommend this book to be read in these particular times before 3 Nov 2020.
A few scary quotes: sorry but the eReader did not give page numbers :-(
In a 1962 Saturday Evening Post article, an agent (using the pseudonym "Norris Vitchek") claimed to have arranged house burglaries in white communities to scare neighbors into believing that their communities were becoming unsafe. This sounds like the fake antifa rioters in 2020...
Several cities sued banks because of the enormous devastation that the foreclosure crisis imposed on African Americans. A case that the City of Memphis brought against Wells Fargo Bank was supported by affidavits of bank employees stating that they referred to subprime loans as "ghetto loans." Bank superiors instructed their marketing staff to target solicitation to heavily African American zip codes, because residents there were being exploited. A sales group sought out elderly African Americans, believing they were particularly susceptible to pressure to take out high-cost loans. A similar suite by the City of Baltimore presented evidence that Wells Fargo established a unit staffed exclusively by African Americans who supervisors instructed to visit black churches to market subprime loans. The bank had no similar practice of marketing such loans through white churches. Scary. And I bank with WF which makes me say WTF?
But when the builder's intent to sell both to blacks and whites became known, the Santa Clara Board of Supervisors rezoned the site from residential to industrial use. When he found a second plot, Mountain View officials told him that they would never grant the necessary approvals. He next identified a third tract of land in another town near the Ford plant; when officials discovered that the project would not be segregated, the town adopted a new zoning law increasing the minimum lot size from 6000 to 8000 square feet, making the project unfeasible for working-class buyers. After he attempted to develop a fourth site on which he had an option, the seller of the land canceled the option upon hearing that the project would be integrated. At that point, the builder gave up. ... In the ensuing years, African American residents in Milpitas continued to be confined to Sunnyhills and a relatively undesirable project, built in the 1960s between two freeways and a heavily trafficked main shipping thoroughfare. The Ford plant closed in 1974. Milpitas is no longer all white - it now has many Hispanic and Asian families - but the effects of the earlier segregation remain visible: African Americans make up only 2 percent of the population. And California is supposed to be liberal? This is so awful. And then folks wonder why Black Lives Matter is such a critical, vocal movement... In Miami, as US-1 heads down between Coral Gables and Coconut Grove, they pulled the same shenanigans by putting a horrifying project in, essentially, the middle of the highway. I never understood this until now...
Federal interstate highways buttressed segregation in cities across the country. In 1956, the Florida State Road Department routed I-95 to do what Miami's unconstitutional zoning ordinance had intended but failed to accomplish two decades earlier: clear African Americans from an area adjacent to downtown. An alternative route utilizing an abandoned railway right of way was rejected, although it would have resulted in little population removal. When the highway was eventually completed in the mid-1960s, it had reduced a community of 40000 African Americans to 8000. This explains a mystery that always bugged me growing up in Miami: why the crappy neighborhoods lined that piece of I-95 just north of downtown: the answer was explicit racism.
Henry Wallace proposed to President Roosevelt that highways routed through cities could also accomplish the "elimination of unsightly and unsanitary districts." Over the next two decades, the linkage between highway construction and removal of African Americans was a frequent theme of those who stood to profit from a federal r0ad-building program. They found that an effective way to argue a case for highway spending was to stress the capacity of road construction to make business districts and their environs white.
Same thing happened with I-35 in Austin related later in the book: "The city closed other schools and parks for African Americans outside the Eastside area that had been designated for their residence. Additional inducements for African Americans to consolidate were created by the construction on the Eastside of a new segregated library, a new park, and an improved segregated high school. Then, in 1938, the segregation of the African American population in the area was further reinforced when the planning commission chose it as the location for Rosewood Courts, the all-black public housing project that had been won for Austin by Congressman Lyndon Johnson, while he also won a companion project for whites close to downtown. Once African Americans had been pushed into the Eastside, municipal services in the neighborhood declined. Streets, for example, were more likely to be unpaved than in other parts of the city; sewers were poorly maintained and often clogged, and bus routes that served the Eastside were suspended during the summer because the same routes served the University of Texas and were not needed for students when the university was on break. Zoning rules to preserve neighborhoods' residential character were not enforced on the Eastside, leading to the establishment of industrial facilities in the area." I lived in Austin for 3 years in the 90's and always wondered why the east side of I-35 was such a stark contrast to the west side - it was just getting gentrified because of the explosion of population, but now I understand why the airport was on that side along with factories and stripclubs.
In Raleigh in the early 20th century, neighborhoods of black and white concentration were scattered across the city. They included two relatively prosperous African American neighborhoods, Idlewild and College Park, on what was then the city's northeast side. These middle-class communities of owner-occupied single-family homes no longer exist because in the 1920s the school board decided to transfer all schools for black students to the far southeastern section of the city, where planners hoped to isolate Raleigh's African Americans... A story that got repeated over and over again across the country.
It is too painful for me to retype the evidence of physical attacks on black communities: lynchings, fire-bombings, etc. that were a result of white anger at desegregation because it hits too close to home in the current dystopian trumpian environment.
This is a well-written non-fictional history of the legendary South Dakota mining down, Deadwood. It was the book that the showrunners used in creatinThis is a well-written non-fictional history of the legendary South Dakota mining down, Deadwood. It was the book that the showrunners used in creating the HBO series Deadwood starring Ian McShane and Timothy Oliphant that tried to reproduce the heady goldrush atmosphere in the late 1870s. Having watched the show (and being admittedly a fan) and having read Pete Dexter’s masterful fictional account, Deadwood, I was a tiny bit disappointed not to read more about Al Swearengen and other seedy characters. But this book came out two decades before the TV show and one decade before Dexter’s book, so I had to reset my expectations. What followed was an interesting portrait of the town from a native of the Black Hills, trying to capture the fleeting history of gunmen, whores, opportunists and the like that made Deadwood such an interesting place. There is interesting detail on the technology available at the time to separate the gold from its natural habitat and plenty of tabular data to see economic trends and so forth. One of the funnier anecdotes was the expression “false friends” for beans because “they always talk behind your back.” Recommended for those with an interest in the not so Old West as well as fans of the TV show.
As for the TV show and movie, I just rewatched everything and was blown away once again. The depiction of the town itself is stupefyingly realistic (despite a few anachronisms) and the historical characters such as Will Bill Hickok, Calamity Jane, George Hearst, etc were great. It is unfortunate that Wyatt and Morgan Erpp played such a small role at the end of Season 3, but then they were based on Montana in the 1870s before fatefully moving to Arizona Territory in around 1879. I regret that there was no way to show how Seth Bullock became close friends with Teddy Roosevelt, as that would have made for some great storytelling. The performance, of course, of Al Swearengen was over the top, Ian McShane deserving of high praise for his inimitable streams of cocksucker and cleaning of blood stains. As for historical accuracy, there really was both a Gem Theatre and a Bella Union (and, as in the movie, Seth and Sol do end up owning a large hotel), the Deadwood Pioneer was run by Merrick, EB Farnam was mayor of Deadwood for quite some time, and Seth did become a Federal Marshall. The other embellishments (Joanie, Cy, Alma, etc) made for great scenarios but had little historical basis. Overall, I would put the show (and the 2019 movie) in the highest category for TV shows up with the Sopranos, Mad Men, Six Feet Under and just under the cinematographic perfection of Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul. ...more
Goodwin's book is a concise study of the leadership skills of four presidents for whom she had previously written prize-winning biographies: Abraham LGoodwin's book is a concise study of the leadership skills of four presidents for whom she had previously written prize-winning biographies: Abraham Lincoln (Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt (The Bully Pulpit: Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, and the Golden Age of Journalism), Franklin D Roosevelt (No Ordinary Time: Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt: The Home Front in World War II), and Lyndon B Johnson (Lyndon Johnson and the American Dream). This might seem self-promotional, but in fact she does not make direct references to those books and rather plays to her strengths, knowing those lives no well. She does a great job of first describing the rise to power of each man and then focusing on one of the primary issues they had to deal with and how they demonstrated exceptional leadership: the Emancipation Proclamation, the 1902 Coal Strike, the Hundred Days, and the Civil Rights Act of 1965. It serves as a great management text giving little tidbits and practical examples along the way. She defends her choice of Johnson but demonstrating how the techniques of leadership he used for the Great Society and the Civil Rights Act were effective in that context, but how backroom dealing and a lack of transparency as well as a purely political calculation doomed his legacy on the mishandling of the Vietnam War. What I learned was that she was an aide during his administration and also helped him construct his memoir before passing away. It is a moving story because he realized what a mess he had made and how it would cast a shadow on the good things he had achieved....more
[image] This was another fantastic piece of historical writing from Goodwin (Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln. It is a sort of d[image] This was another fantastic piece of historical writing from Goodwin (Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln. It is a sort of double biography of Teddy Roosevelt and William Taft: one of the top four presidents and one who scrapes the bottom. They were great friends nearly until the end, but such different men as Goodwin describes them. I loved her writing, the many stories and sketches of the folks around them, and especially the description of the US at the turn of the 20th century when modern journalism was being born and industrialism had become an inevitable force behind American progress. It is a powerful and fascinating read....more
This was a truly extraordinary biography about this infamous (in both senses of the word depending on which side of the Mason-Dixon you are standing) This was a truly extraordinary biography about this infamous (in both senses of the word depending on which side of the Mason-Dixon you are standing) general of the Civil War. It is written in a flowing manner and does an excellent job of describing his long career, his strained relationship with his wife, the controversies he got involved in, and the people he had in his social orbit. Sherman was a complex man - a white supremacist who fought despite his dislike of blacks for holding the Union together, a brilliant general and leader who nonetheless still faced challenges and lost a handful of his battles, a man who was never comfortable moneywise, and fighter and killer of American Indians despite deploring the conditions of their reservations. The most important battles he fought are all described in gripping detail. All in all, this was an excellent biography on par with Chernow's about Grant and Goodwin's about Lincoln....more
McCullough's celebrated 1776 covers a crucial turning point in the American war of independence from the British empire. However, I felt that this booMcCullough's celebrated 1776 covers a crucial turning point in the American war of independence from the British empire. However, I felt that this book was not as fascinating as Washington's Crossing by Fischer. In Fischer's book, we get a much more detailed account of the defeat in New York, the retreat across New Jersey and the crossing and re-crossing of the Delaware which I found more gripping than the more superficial coverage by McCullough. I guess the positive point of McCullough is the broader historical perspective starting in the loss of Boston and giving a brief panorama to the end of the war just at the end. His focus is clearly on Washington and his evolution as a leader from a hesitant commander making mistakes in New York to his more determined aggressive move towards Newark. However, if this topic truly interests you, I would recommend Fischer over this one. I think that I will return to this period in a few months, probably with Ron Chernow's Washington: A Life, but it might be a while....more
Interesting book about the history of Roman poet Lucretius’ text On The Nature of Things and its rediscovery by Poggio the Florentine in the 1400s. I Interesting book about the history of Roman poet Lucretius’ text On The Nature of Things and its rediscovery by Poggio the Florentine in the 1400s. I certainly learned a lot and enjoyed the storytelling for the most part. My one issue is that despite teasing out the influence that Lucretius had on Botticelli’s most famous surviving painting Primavera (“Spring”) (he is likely to have destroyed the twin painting Estate (“Summer”) during the dark days of Savonarola’s reign of terror in Florence), Greenblatt never talks about this specifically. I did appreciate the insights into Montaigne (who I have attempted to read), Bruno and Newton. Another figure, the Greek poet Marullo was mentioned to have had a portrait made by Botticelli. Interestingly enough I found an article published just two days ago that this portrait can be yours for the low, low price of $30M (https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/02/ar...)!! A great book for those who wish to understand the origins of religious fanaticism in Christianity and several alternative narratives....more
An absolute masterpiece follow-on to the first volume, Hitler: Downfall is an unflinching account of WWII in all its gore, brutality, and horror. It iAn absolute masterpiece follow-on to the first volume, Hitler: Downfall is an unflinching account of WWII in all its gore, brutality, and horror. It is also the biography of the 20th century’s most notorious dictator. Without fanning the flames of the current political shift towards the far right, I will just say that the last chapter about Hitler’s legacy should be required reading in high schools across America and Western Europe. Adopting a fact-based assessment of the why behind the abject darkness of the Holocaust and Operation Barbarossa might make people question some of the more ignorant and opportunist revisionist garbage that populists in 2020/2021 continue to spin. If we try to ignore or rewrite the past, we will be forever inevitably bound to repeat its errors....more
Newton and the Counterfeiter is a quick but interesting read about two misconceptions that we hold about Newton: that there was no apple, and that hisNewton and the Counterfeiter is a quick but interesting read about two misconceptions that we hold about Newton: that there was no apple, and that his Principia was written early in his life - what happened later? Well, he became the Warden of the British Mint and battled successfully with a particularly wily counterfeiter which forms the center of this book. I think I need to read a different biography of Newton because this book sketches him but does not fill him in, but this particular narrative which reads like a decent detective story was still entertaining and worth reading....more
Fantastic survey of the most recent research on cave painting from the Late Paleolithic period. Having visited Lascaux II, Lascaux IV, Haut-de-Gaume, Fantastic survey of the most recent research on cave painting from the Late Paleolithic period. Having visited Lascaux II, Lascaux IV, Haut-de-Gaume, Combarelle and Rouffignac this year, I can truly say that the paintings and engravings are absolutely incredible. Mr. Rigal, the author, was a guide at Lascaux II for 13 years when he wrote this survey of all the latest theories: hunting, shamans, totems...and it is an extremely impressive study. ...more
Urbs is a fascinating study of the history of Rome from prehistorical times up to the death of Augustus. It is a LONG book, and exhaustive (occasionalUrbs is a fascinating study of the history of Rome from prehistorical times up to the death of Augustus. It is a LONG book, and exhaustive (occasionally exhausting) focusing on the city itself. I hadn't appreciated how close Rome was to the sea (although I visited Ostia Antica years ago), and how the salt marshes were actually the key to her growth and importance. As the population grew in the valleys between the seven hills and the Tiber, salt was needed to preserve food used for feeding both the animals and the population. It was also a key element of trade in the peninsula. The title Urbs comes from the word used by the Romans to name their city - the interesting thing is that it is actually a word from the middle east and not a Latin word, proving the healthy commerce in the Mediterranean basin going back to prehistoric times.
The book takes us through the myth of the founding of Rome by Romulus in 753 BC and proves that it was settled probably a century or more before that particular date. As it grew, the strategies for managing hygiene and commerce and of course raising armies for war. Because, after all, the history of Rome is the history of wars between Rome and just about everyone else. the period of kings lasted about two centuries before being replaced by the Republic which itself lasted until Augustus. I hadn't realized before reading this book how much Caesar but especially Augustus changed the city entirely, building the Ars Pacis, the Pantheon (rebuilt later by Hadrian/Trajan), but also rebuilding nearly all of the 80+ temples in the city. And, in a sense, Augustus is still with us because as the month of July is named after his predecessor Julius Gaius Caesar, August is named after Augustus. (The calendar started in March originally, so the months of September, October, November and December were the seventh ("sept"), eight ("oct"), ninth ("nove") and tenth ("dec") months of the calendar.)
I gave the book four stars because while it was readable and interesting, it dragged a little bit during the Augustus period. But, truly, it would have helped to have more maps and illustrations of the changes he describes because despite having visited Rome and the Forum at least three times, I still cannot quite picture all of the changes that he described. It is still highly recommended if you are interested in the center of one of history's greatest and most fabled empires....more
This was a fantastic book that is highly readable for fans of art and history alike. It describes the way the world was on the cusp of modernity as weThis was a fantastic book that is highly readable for fans of art and history alike. It describes the way the world was on the cusp of modernity as we moved from the Middle Ages towards the Renaissance. It is similar to other books on the subject (Panofksy comes to mind), but this one is written a bit more with a less erudite style and yet is engaging and interesting. Highly recommended....more
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