tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7896336562539866758.post6325228128119938305..comments2024-01-09T01:14:01.156-08:00Comments on Patriots and Peoples: Twilight of the BooksJames Stripeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13437334325501974461noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7896336562539866758.post-88592353200011166672008-01-11T14:05:00.000-08:002008-01-11T14:05:00.000-08:00heydave,I'm still thinking about your question. Yo...heydave,<BR/><BR/>I'm still thinking about your question. You might note from "Two Theses" along the sidebar that I'm not usually in search of apolitical histories. Indeed, I rather doubt any historians escape their own biases.<BR/><BR/>But you use the word <I>pandering</I>...<BR/><BR/>The connotations of that term certainly embrace broadly sweeping histories like Zinn, <I>A People's History</I> and Schweikart and Allen, <I>A Patriot's History</I>, as well as quite a few monographs. Nevertheless, bias sometimes drives a work more strongly, sometimes less so.<BR/><BR/>I can say that I'm currently immersed in other aspects of American history, but I anticipate that I will become immersed in the early national period (including the War of 1812) sometime later this year. Check back then, and I might have some recommendations.<BR/><BR/>In the meantime, you might check out <A HREF="http://www.warof1812.ca/1812book.htm" REL="nofollow">http://www.warof1812.ca/1812book.htm</A>James Stripeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13437334325501974461noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7896336562539866758.post-63957980910712798932008-01-09T09:31:00.000-08:002008-01-09T09:31:00.000-08:00It's important to remember that "the truth" Sebast...It's important to remember that "the truth" Sebastian spoke turned out to be false in <I>The Tempest</I>, otherwise she might have been quoting Shakespeare at me: sometimes telling the truth is mean, and she gets upset when I seem mean.<BR/><BR/>The world may be crawling with illiterates (HST called them the "New Dumb"--see today's blog entry) that vote the way they're told by FOX or CNN, but kindness avoids highlighting their capacities for reasoned judgment.James Stripeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13437334325501974461noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7896336562539866758.post-24031666399726021942008-01-09T09:13:00.000-08:002008-01-09T09:13:00.000-08:00Wait, your wife gets upset when you question wheth...Wait, your wife gets upset when you question whether non-proficient readers should be encouraged to vote, or when you quote Shakespeare?<BR/><BR/>Actual count, just this minute, of books in my queue (at bedside or on the living room ottoman): 21<BR/><BR/>Number which have actually been started: 16<BR/><BR/>Number I've previously read: 4<BR/><BR/>Number I'm within two chapters of finishing: 5<BR/><BR/>Odds that any particular unread book will wind up being finished: 1 in 6.James Briggs Stratton "Doghouse" Rileyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05378802364709433791noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7896336562539866758.post-31211788027280582652008-01-08T12:34:00.000-08:002008-01-08T12:34:00.000-08:00My 16 year old son visited me for the holidays, an...My 16 year old son visited me for the holidays, and I am so very pleased to let all know that I found him on several occasions poking though my personal library. He heartily agreed that "too many books" is no problem.<BR/><BR/>But on that subject, I'm searching for suggested reading lists that give historical info without pandering to one's political persuasion. I've got my recommended reading list for the civil war; how about the War of 1812 and the American revolution? I plodded through Borders last weekend and came away greatly discouraged with the screening method of seeing who contributed to cover art blurbs. Any suggestions?<BR/><BR/>Thanks!heydavehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15509102502417886790noreply@blogger.com