Favorite authors/historians

Next time I'm down that way, I'll definitely stop in. It sounds cool, yo' MOMA.

I hadn't realized before reading this book just how important salt was. No salt, no preservation of meat, fish and vegetables - difficult for military and the navy (merchants & kings).

One rather gruesome piece of history, was around 1640 in France, if a prisoner died in custody before the trial, the corpse was salted and still stood trial. One unfortunate, whose court date was put off for some reason for six years, was salted and fermented.

 

Daisy

If you can get down, holler, I live three blocks away from the museum. There is currently only one traffic light in town, and it is between us and them (MOMA), but there are plans to install two more traffic lights. What ever will we do?

 

Early American history, pre-Revolution through the Jefferson Presidency. Since Madison is my favorite subject, though, I'm a little interested in the period of his Presidency also. Much of the source of my interest is in understanding the Framers' original intent with the Constitution, which explains my relative lack of interest in the military side of the American Revolution. Not one particular author but a few include Bernard Bailyn, Forrest McDonald, Lance Banning, and Pauline Maier. Part of my motivation has been in discovering faulty scholarship on the part of David Barton, and what I learned 25 years ago to be the faulty premises of the John Birch Society. I expect errors and faulty premises of those with a liberal bent (though I respect those who approach their ideas historically such as Jack Rakove) but not from those with a more conservative perspective. Another motivation, as corny as it may sound, is patriotic: in loving my country, I seek to understand her history and principles.

 

Of course, anyone here in the Commonwealth is fortunate to live here.

Actually, as you are a Civil War buff, you would absolutely LOVE Virginia. I am located in Richmond, which of course is the capital. To the North is Chancellorsville, Arlington and Fredericksburg, among others (and Marcia, of course, is in Arlington!). To the South is Petersburg. To the West is Harrisonburg, Lynchburg and Appomattox, among others. To the East is Newport News (Monitor v. Merrimac) and Jamestowne Island (the built-up mounds to cover the Confederate forces are still there). The scars are in every direction.

Have you ever seen the HUGE statues along Monument Avenue?

Hope this post finds you well,

BiR

 

Yeah, Shelby Foote. History is storytelling, with footnotes. And Foote is the master.

Hugh Trevor-Roper. I got addicted to the romance of history from reading "The Rise of Christian Europe."

 

Minnesota had a large immigrant population of Scandinavians, who were not terribly enthusiastic about the Civil War. There were, apparently, a lot of slackers and draft-dodgers thereabout.

 

That was the fate of Sir Edward Packenham, brother-in-law of The Duke of Wellington, and British Commander at the Battle of New Orleans. He was fatally wounded in that Battle, and went home in a barrel of wine. (the only preservative handy)

 

Catton and Foote for the Civil War.

Michael Grant and Peter Green for Ancient Greek/Roman History.

Keegan's WWI is good, Alisair Horne's "The Price of Glory" about Verdun is good.

bunches and bunches of others!

 

I am quite a fan of Thomas Cahill. His "Hinges of History" series is quite facinating. "How the Irish Saved Civilization," "The Gifts of the Jews," are my two favorites, but "Sailing the Wine Dark Sea," and "Desires of the Everlasting Hills," trail closely behind. My interest is in the classics, as well as medieval history. Really, anything with Latin involved (though I do like Greek philosophy, but more told through the mouths of Aquinas and Augustine). Anyway, Cahill is wonderful...

Pax Christi,

Stephen

 

Recently became a fan of Victor Davis Hanson who writes a weekly column for the National Review. I'm now reading his 'Carnage and Culture: Landmark Battles in the Rise of Western Power'.

In reading his columns, I am encouraged that there is still at least one voice of common sense and sanity on a California college campus.