Hello,
I read with interest your review of Erdrich's Love Medicine, because that's rather the same view I take of another Indian-writing-about-Indians book, Reservation Blues, which is on my 14yo son's multicultural lit. book list. I'm trying to get it taken off...but what to suggest in its place?

What I'd like to read, and have him & the class read would be a book about the good things to do with being Indian -- not all the worst things! Ideally fiction, and something with humor, would be the icing on the cake.

By the way, we have some good books in common, don't we.

posted by SaintSunniva at 6:45 pm (EST) on Sep 6, 2008

Hi again,

I'm afraid that this 10 digit and 13 digit ISBN is a whole other issue. Up to January 2007 books only had a 10-digit ISBN. Since then, they have also had a 13-digit ISBN. So the same edition of a book now has 2 ISBNS. Confusing? Yep.
See this url for a brief explanation:
http://www.isbn.org/standards/home/isbn/...

When trying to decide which is the ISBN for the book you have, the other place to check is the back of the title page. This gives the publisher information and usually will distinguish between the hardback (cased) edition and the paperback edition. It is not common practice to show both the US and the UK ISBNS on the same book.

regards,
vallis-salutis

posted by vallis-salutis at 4:10 pm (EST) on Aug 28, 2008

Hi there,

You asked why many books have 2 ISBNs. In fact many books can have more than 2 such numbers. An ISBN uniquely identifies a specific edition of a book, Therefore, a hardback and paperback of the same title will have different ISBNS. If there is an American edition and an UK edition, then these too will have different ISBNs. So straightaway, one title can have 4 ISBNs. If there is a change of publisher then that will add a different ISBN etc.

The ISBN to be used when listing a book should be the one appropriate to that edition. Usually, this may be found on the back cover or dust jacket.

Hope this helps,
vallis-salutis

posted by vallis-salutis at 9:46 am (EST) on Aug 24, 2008

You ask about Dubuque on the Mississippi. The author, Fr. Wilkie, is a professor emeriti at the college where I am a librarian, Loras College in Dubuque, Iowa. He is also a generous benefactor to the library.

posted by kls36 at 6:45 pm (EST) on Aug 22, 2008

Your reviews are interesting. People don’t often note the morals of the characters now, and I think it’s a sign (as if one needed such a subtle sign) something has been lost.

Will you eventually provide "date read" for all your books?

posted by shmjay at 12:31 am (EST) on Aug 8, 2008

Thanks for the list. I was having some e-mail problems last week but think that's past.

Alan
ilan52@mac.com

posted by ALinNY458 at 5:37 pm (EST) on Aug 4, 2008

Yes, please put on your list. Thank you.

posted by ALinNY458 at 11:27 pm (EST) on Jul 14, 2008

Hi Schmerguls! Thanks for your note. Here are a few recommendations:

The Candy Bombers by Andrei Cherni... about the Berlin Airlift and development Cold War containment policy. Highly readable at several levels (human interest and geopolitics)

The Universe in the Mirror by Robert Zimmerman..... about the development of the Hubble Space Telescope

The Training Ground by Martin Dugard.... about U.S.-Mexican War and the future Civil War leaders who first saw battle then as young officers

The North River by Pete Hamill... predictable yet well written, charming story about a troubled physician in Depression era NYC.

The Power Makers by Maury Klein... history of technology and American industrialization story (have not read yet but after a quick skim seems like a great read)

What are you reading now?

posted by ALinNY458 at 10:59 am (EST) on Jul 14, 2008

Schmerguls,
I don't what they call folks like us (bibliophiles? Serial reader/reviewers?) but it's always great to come across someone with a similar passion.

> my theory being that if one spends hours reading a book one should also spend a few minutes noting what one thought of the book.

That is exactly how I feel as well. It's what motivates me when I don't know what to write in a review - I just spent 8+ hours with this author, is there nothing that I can say about it? If not than I should probably stop reading entirely.

> As of now, I have commented on every book I have read since 1989

I'm impressed by your reading quantity but also quality. Serious history books are not like reading fiction, a lot more mental energy and time.

> I have kept track of the date I finished a book since 1944

That is unusual and certainly a lot more interesting than a list of every TV show or movie watched - no one does that of course, but it shows how significant books are. Just think of all the time other people spent watching TV during those years, probably with no memory of it, while you have a list and memories to recall.

My list starts in 2005 and I hope to keep it going for the rest of my life. Thanks for putting you comments online, I've found some hidden gems and will continue to come back and browse through from time to time.

posted by Stbalbach at 10:58 am (EST) on Jul 7, 2008

Hi again - just wondering if you know that General Wesley Clark was a member of the '66 class, graduating lst in the class. His political stance is of great interest and some dissent among their classmates. Still enjoying your library.

posted by pdebolt at 10:21 pm (EST) on Jul 2, 2008

I recently saw your reference to the Long Gray Line by Rick Atkinson, the story of the class of 1966 at West Point. My husband was in that class, so we are very familiar with the classmates featured and with Rick Atkinson, who attended many of the class reunions. Do you have a West Point connection? Go Army...

posted by pdebolt at 10:21 pm (EST) on Jul 1, 2008

Hey Schmerguls, I noticed your Alistair MacLean reading and thought I'd suggest Force 10 from Navarone, a very good sequel if the idea of the tidal wave from a burst damn wiping out a whole Panzer division excites you (does me!). I also remember loving The Satan Bug, but avoid Partisans at all costs: worst novel I've ever read.

posted by BOB81 at 9:17 am (EST) on Jul 1, 2008

I did not realize initially, that when I wrote in the "review section" that this was public; I was really just writing notes to myself and now I use "private comments for my notes", but maybe I should do both. It is amazing how the commonality of agreeing strongly about one book, "Expensive People" for example, does not translate into a more universal opinion on books. I have now purchased the amazonkindle which I love and have been selecting my books from the kindle list. The last five I have enjoyed greatly: John Caldigate, The Twilight Saga, Wives and daughters. I am thinking Mary Barton is next. linda wilson

posted by lindawwilson at 1:44 am (EST) on Jun 2, 2008

Thank you very much for your interesting set of reviews. They've resulted in yet another visit to Amazon.
I also like with your 1/2 star - 1 star reviews that incidentally confirm my feeling that John Irving and Maria Doria Russell are a serious waste of shelf space.

posted by Miro at 6:27 pm (EST) on May 10, 2008

Dear Schmerguls --

Many thanks for your prompt reply. We had the opportunity this past weekend to see/hear the games between your Cubbies and the Nationals here in Washington, D.C. Notwithstanding that the Nats took two out of three, the Cubs looked solid -- might go far in this year's NL Central.

I have no idea whether "Sign" still is being published, but I remember seeing a copy at Mass when I was a kid, and I filled out a subscription form -- much to the great annoyance of my father. We took it for several years. I haven't seen it in a long time, or I'd probably subscribe to it again -- much, doubtless, to the annoyance of my wife.

I'm reading Belloc's "How The Reformation Happened." I think you might find it interesting. Belloc frankly acknowledges that his assessment of the Reformation lies outside conventional history. Indeed, he states that he writes to correct the serious miscomprehensions, which had become commonplace. Anyway, it would not surprise me to discover that Carroll Quigley was a Belloc fan. In any event, I'll let you know when I finish "The Catholic Church and History," which is more strictly apologetic (from what I can see after about 25 pp or so). I have "Characters of the Reformation" on my list to get, and I think I might well take more active steps to get it after I finish "How The Reformation Happened." My recollection of "Richelieu" is that it was dense when I read it many years ago, but I've read more widely on the subject since then, so it might be clearer to me now.

My father always swore by Chesterton, too, and I have a collection of Chesterton essays. I tried to get my younger daughter, Maeve, to read the Fr. Brown mysteries when she was in a mystery phase, but I never got far with it, although the book is on her shelf somewhere.

I've got about 40-50 more books in the past month, mostly on Irish and English history, and I still ahve a hundred or more U.S. history I have not got round to entering yet. You might be hearing more from me as I get these into LT.

Again, many thanks and best regards,

Barry Wiegand
Washington, D.C.

posted by bwiegand at 9:10 am (EST) on Apr 28, 2008

Dear Schmerguls --

Greetings from Washington, D.C. (You are not being drafted, however, or at least not for the military services). I greatly enjoy reading your monthly account of books previously read. I hope you will keep sending them to me.

Actually, I'm writing to solicit your opinion of Hilaire Belloc. Years ago, I read his biography of Richelieu, and I recall my father speaking of him well. Of late, I had seen several of his works on the Church, the Reformation, and had caught a newspaper or magazine article (in The Economist, I believe, which mentioned him favorably). Anyway, I found a couple of his books on Amazon in hard over (there very available in paperback, but I'm trying buy hard covers if I can). I had known him as vaguely as an English apologist (notwithstanding his French birth) for the Church, but I'm reading "How The Reformation Happened," and "The Catholic Church and History." Sadly, I can think of only about four persons I know, who would know him, my father, you, Romanus, and The Economist, and I can't ask The Economist, so I'll put the question to you.

It appears to me you have achieved much progress in cataloging books, being in the area of 4400. I don't recall us being that far apart, number-wise, so I'm guessing you must have been working on it a lot the past few months.

Best regards,

Barry Wiegand
Washington, D.C.

posted by bwiegand at 5:08 pm (EST) on Apr 26, 2008

I agree with you completely regarding "expensive people". I wrote almost the exact same review in my private comments, and then read yours since I was so surprised that that the average rating was 3.5 stars and I gave only one! Linda Wilson

posted by lindawwilson at 4:54 pm (EST) on Apr 24, 2008

I am impressed with your history lists. I also notice that you have a number of Jon Hassler books. I think that Grand Opening was one of his best.

posted by LamSon at 9:24 pm (EST) on Apr 13, 2008

I would also recommend the books by Keith Nolan. I have read several and found them to be very informative and general good reads. What I like about his books is that he doesn't try to deal with the entire war, just specific operations.

A few months ago I read 'An Enormous Crime'. It deals with the never ending controversy surrounding missing Vietnam War POWs. It is not a sensationalistic book, like some on this topic can be. One of the authors is former Congressman who had worked on this issue while in the House. 'An Enormous Crime' provides a lot of food for thought.

LamSon

posted by LamSon at 8:35 pm (EST) on Apr 11, 2008

There are two that I highly recommend:

A Bright Shinning Lie by Neil Sheehan and The Cat From Hue by John Laurence

Both of these books give a good sense of the frustration that was the Vietnam War.

I would also recommend watching the John Laurence interview at C-Span's BookTV website www.booktv.org

What other 'must reads' can you suggest?

LamSon

posted by LamSon at 8:21 pm (EST) on Apr 8, 2008

Hello again :)

I've only read one Maeve Binchy book, and that was Night of Rain and Stars. It's not for those who like fast-paced, "exciting" novels... but if you don't mind a slow-ish, sweet read that delves into the lives of several characters, you might enjoy it.

I chose it because it was about Greece, and I'm a sucker for all things Greek. ^_~

posted by wispywillow at 2:49 am (EST) on Mar 31, 2008

Hello :)

I just read your review of Sharpe's Trafalgar (I read it as I posted my review).

I was just amused that your thoughts on the book were so similar to my own, so I thought I would drop by and mention it.

Sorry for the out-of-the-blue, random post! ^_~

posted by wispywillow at 10:05 pm (EST) on Mar 27, 2008

S,
Thanks for the message. It should be painless to determine which 2 out of the 19 books in my library you haven't read. Just click on my profile, then "see library." I'm on a Modern Library mission, so to speak, so I enter books in LT only after I review them. Cheers,
Mike

posted by MichaelMenche at 9:28 pm (EST) on Mar 16, 2008

One further clarification of Longitude comments--I greatly oversimplified because you have to take into consideration your latitude when calculating how far west you've gone (I should have said for argument's sake that you are travelling west of London but are down at the equator doing that westerly travel--as you move toward the poles, each time zone you pass is going to be less than 1000 miles and you would have to use a chart--which they had--to figure that out more accurately). I hope I haven't muddied the waters further BUT the invention of a pocket watch that could keep very accurate time, even at sea during all kinds of bad weather, ship rolling, etc. was ONE of the most important maritime achievements in the eighteenth century and obviously I believe in understatement!!

posted by PerrinRiver at 11:41 pm (EST) on Mar 6, 2008

You wrote:
2837 Longitude: The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time, by Dava Sobel (read 15 Feb 1996) This is a slight book telling how the problem of determining longitude was solved. Unfortunately the book does not tell why an accurate clock can determine longitude. If a boat goes slow what good will an accurate clock do? I guess I am dumb. But it is sad to read a whole book--albeit a small 180-page one--and not come to understand how longitude can be determined by an accurate timekeeper. I am afraid my reading this book was a waste of time. The hero of the book is John Harrison, who eventually collected the 20,000 pound prize for figuring out how to determine longitude at sea. ( )

My response to you:
Man at the time of Harrison (and I would assume much earlier than that) knew it took the earth 24 hours to make one revolution--and also that the sun rises in the east, sets in the west) . Let's say you go slowly (or very fast--it matters not) going due west from London for 1 week or two weeks. You "shoot the sun" or basically know when high noon is--then you check your accurate watch whose time was set to London time and note that it is not reading 12 o'clock high noon. In fact, you will very quickly see how many hours different it is. Let's say for argument's sake it says 6pm (since we are going west, London will see high noon before we do). So we have gone 6 of the 24 one-hour time zones west of London. They also had a very accurate idea of the size of the earth. One time zone very roughly equals 1000 miles (the circumference around the equator is approx 24,000 miles). So, if we are six time zones away we have gone rought 6000 miles or 1/4 the way around the world--guess we must have been going pretty fast. But the number of weeks to get to that point doesn't matter. It could have taken us six months but we still have only gone 6000 miles (or 6 time zones away). Now, before this they DID have to guess how fast they were going and for how long at that speed to approximate how far west (or east if such was the case). With an "accurate time piece" they could predict much more accurately their longitude (latitude was easier--you could tell by your angle to the north star if in the northern hemisphere, a different star if you were in the southern hemishpere).
OK, has this helped at all (I teach math and chemistry at the high school level and have taught the gifted kids also).
sincerely
Bruce Dressel
near Richmond, VA

posted by PerrinRiver at 10:23 pm (EST) on Mar 6, 2008

Hello, did you receive a reply from Zosimus as to why he chose that moniker? The name "Zozimus" is well-known here in Dublin.

posted by Hohenloh at 11:37 am (EST) on Jan 31, 2008

The Freckles book is one of the Big Little Books I have in my collection, only discovered in the last year few years. I love it. Did you read a lot of the Big Little Books when you were a boy?

posted by abealy at 9:19 am (EST) on Jan 2, 2008

Well, the reviews are original with me. Before LibraryThing, I had a home book database of my library that took me many years to set up. When LT came along, I just transcribed the database info and reviews to LT. Now I do them simultaneously. But you're right, many times I would pick up a book I hadn't touched for decades, and have no clue what it was about or what I thought. So usually, I would re-read those. Now it's not an issue; I keep pretty much up-to-date with reviews.

posted by burnit99 at 6:25 pm (EST) on Dec 18, 2007

Re: The Burgess List

Only 15 :-(

posted by sloopjonb at 8:41 am (EST) on Dec 16, 2007

(Re: Bomber and Kingsley Amis)

Do you know, I don't know what Amis' other 9 books of the 20thC were. However, Anthony Burgess also listed Bomber in his Best of 20thC book list - only he had another 98:

http://www.interleaves.org/~rteeter/grt9...

posted by sloopjonb at 8:53 am (EST) on Dec 12, 2007

Well, I am not going to live forever either, but I plan on being 100, more or less genetically programmed for it. I am scarily at nearly the halfway point now.
I have the lists, but one list is enough for me. I started that 1001 to read before you die, but was overwhelmed. After the Pulitzers I think I will just be random.
My reading time is limited due to real life things like work, kids, hosting trivia at a bar, occasional standup comedy gigs, and working with local theatre (where my youngest son performs occasionally)and volunteering at the soup kitchen. Of course I always carry a book for those spare moments in the car.
Thanks for your input, hope you enjoy the holidays in what ever way you choose.

posted by mydomino1978 at 10:11 am (EST) on Dec 5, 2007

gosh, I hate to say this, but you read quite a few before I was even born.
What did you think of [The Road]? I was disappointed after all the hype.
I started reading the Pulitzers in May, although of course I had read a few already over the years. So I have read 21. Of course I have read 83 books since April, I don't read just the Pulitzers. I am reading [Independence Day] and [So Big] right now. Then I think I am going to read some brain candy through the holidays. If I survive then I can get back to the list.
Some of them aren't as easy to come by as others, so I am still trying to get a copy of Interpreter of Maladies.
I am curious. Are you reading some other list of books now or just random?

posted by mydomino1978 at 10:02 pm (EST) on Dec 4, 2007

I saw in one of your reviews that you read Pulitzers. Have you read them all? That is what I am currently working on. I need Interpreter of Maladies to finish up from 2000 forward and I need 3 more to finish up the 90's. I am kind of skipping around as I get them from a swapping site.

posted by mydomino1978 at 1:38 pm (EST) on Dec 4, 2007

Your copy had a slightly different name (it didn't include "an American adventure" in it), so it wasn't automatically attached to the other copies. I just combined them together, you now share it with 21 other members! See the book page here

posted by ablachly at 5:37 pm (EST) on Dec 3, 2007

Well I don't read anywhere near the non-fiction you do -- my poor brain needs the filtering of fiction -- but we have read alot of the same fiction and I enjoy your reviews -- they get right to the point unflinchingly (I don't always agree though -- you've trashed some of my favorite novels! ;)) Happy reading. Jen

posted by jhowell at 7:10 pm (EST) on Nov 30, 2007

There is indeed still a statue of George Frisbie Hoar in front of Worcester's City Hall. From the city's website: "It depicts George Frisbie Hoar, who served the city in the Massachusetts legislature and the U.S. Congress. A long-rime associate of General Charles Devens (the subject of another D.C. French statue at Lincoln Square), the Senator is shown seated in his senatorial chair, his jacket, books and papers casually about. Tablets on the sides of the pedestal are in storage, having been vandalized on several occasions. Look closely at the Senator's temples and you will discover the tiny holes for securing old-fashioned spectacles. They were stolen so many times, the city decided not to replace them in 1945, and the good Senator has been without them ever since. A bronze tablet commemorating the Massachusetts Republican Party (1854), which the Senator helped to found, is mounted on the bench facing Main Street."

I also found a few photos of the statue here. I had not heard of the books about him, but it seems likely that Worcester's library would have them. Thanks for the recommendation. I'll keep checking out your reviews. I've been reminded of yet more history books to read from browsing your lists.

posted by eswnr at 2:27 pm (EST) on Nov 23, 2007

Hi, I'm the other owner of "Hike Into the Sun." Bernie Fitzpatrick is a second- or third-cousin: I grew up in St. Paul, Minnesota, and my mom was part of one of the Irish families there that all tie into one another. :7)

- Will Enestvedt

posted by wenestvedt at 11:43 am (EST) on Nov 13, 2007

Hi thanks for replying. 'Little Dorrit' is next on my Dickens TBR list as well - and like you I'm not sure when that will be.

Bye JudyB

posted by judyb65 at 3:39 pm (EST) on Nov 7, 2007

Hi

I've just read your 'The Old Curiosity Shop' review which I enjoyed reading. I notice that 'Dombey and Son' is in your list of unread Dickens - I would thoroughly recommend it - it's one of my favourites.

Best wishes

JudyB

posted by judyb65 at 4:34 pm (EST) on Nov 6, 2007

Schmerguls, I do keep track of books I've read at another site. I've kept reading notebooks since I was fifteen years old (over forty years ago), so I am slowly going through them and adding all the ones that I noted as 'completed'. That list is now up to 3,000+ and I have between ten and fifteen years to go. I will guess that of the 8,500 or so books I have in my physical library (my LibraryThing list includes about a thousand videos, so subtract those from my total), I have read more than half, perhaps as much as sixty percent. Many of the others I have partially read, but I don't include those on my 'Complete List'. Also, I have read many books that I don't physically own -- they are not listed here at LT, but some of them are included at the other site.

You have a very interesting library. I will enjoy looking through it more carefully.

posted by carminowe at 6:26 pm (EST) on Sep 27, 2007

Sounds like you are just as much of a "list" reader as I am! It is nice to meet another reader who keeps track of books read. I used to list titles read every couple of months, so they were not in exact order. But I started keeping them in order a few years ago and find it a more satisfying method. I don't list the date I finished in my book notebook, but I've recently started adding the date on my LT library.

You may enjoy www.listsofbests.com. It lets you adopt existing lists or create your own lists of books (or movies, or travel destinations, etc.) and then keeps track of your reading progress. I have about 60 lists going (under the same "ggchickapee" user name), most of them reading lists, and find it very satisfying. :)

Hmmmmmmmm . . . I wonder if there is a LT group for compulsive list readers? I joined the "Prize Winners" group thinking that they would be as obsessive as me about reading prize winning books, but they seem to be mostly interested in tracking long- and short-list nominees and predicting the winners, rather than reading all the winners and discussing.

Happy reading! And listing!

posted by ggchickapee at 10:47 pm (EST) on Sep 18, 2007

Hi -- Thanks for your comment -- I tried to edit it (The Water's Lovely), but couldn't get it to work... I figured once someone clicked on the title, the author would come up. I'll try to go back later on and fix it!

posted by tls1215 at 3:40 pm (EST) on Sep 13, 2007

My review of Bugliosi's book is a little out of date. I promised I'd update as I go and I haven't. I'm through the first chapter with time-tagged history of events on the day of the shooting and the following three days, and now am into critical discussion of the evidence. It's pretty good, although I suspect Case Closed covers most of the same material.

I'm about a third of the way through it, and would have to say I recommend it. The discussion is rational, and he's not afraid to point out where conspiracy theorists are lying or stretching the truth. He's also not afraid to acknowledge that in the heat of the moment, people remember things differently, so having some inconsistent stories is expected.

It's not been nearly the slog through tedium I thought it would be. Vince can actually write pretty well.If you're not intimidated by the size, I'd give it a go.

posted by drneutron at 8:47 am (EST) on Jul 30, 2007

Dear Schmerguls --

This is a P.S. -- please do include me on your monthly list of reviews or comments, which you referred to in your latest. I should be most interested to read those. Thanks,

Barry

posted by bwiegand at 11:40 am (EST) on Jul 21, 2007

Dear Schmerguls --

Thank you for your recent comment. We late-18th century, west-of-Ireland peasants find computer technology a touch challenging, if useful for cataloging books beyond the file-card method. This morning, I resolved to reply to your latest, as I hope I now am doing, but I was baffled for a while by the methodology, which refused to take me to a place where I could write a reply. I also seemed to have lost a comment from a LibraryThinger who said he is priest who teaches at a midwestern university. Eventually -- and I stress the "eventualness" I discovered that I was not signed in. Now, I hope that I am and that this reaches you.

This being Saturday morning the 21st, all the world here is in Harry-Potter mania. My daughters are eagerly awaiting their special delivery of the newest book, which they pre-ordered -- it's supposed to be here by Federal Express courier delivery sometime before noon. Last night, they both went to some place in Silver Spring, Md., where the entire street had been kitted out as an alley from the Harry Potter series, and they waited until 12:01 a.m., so that one of their friends could buy the newest book -- this, after making her swear that she would not reveal to them what happened in the book, as she read it on the way home. I just told my younger daughter that we were going to bathe one of the dogs this afternoon, and she replied that she was doing nothing until she had read the new book -- which hasn't arrived yet -- TWICE. We went out to dinner Thursday evening, and my daughters played a Harry Potter version of 20 questions about the most obscure of characters from the first six books. Last week, we watched all the first several Harry Potter movies in preparation for the release of the newest film, which my elder went to see at a special premiere at the movie theatre in Chinatown, which began at 12:01 a.m., too. That was on a Wednesday or Thursday, I believe -- at a minute past midnight, I have trouble keeping the days straight. By Saturday evening, both of them had seen the movie at least twice, and I went with my younger daughter to see it at the old Uptown theater. You might well recall the place from your days in Washington, D.C. It remains there still on Connecticut Avenue, N.W., a block or so below Porter Street, N.W. I believe it to be the last "giant" or even full-size movie theatre left in Washington, D.C., so we try to catch the epic films there. I have a hard time getting my children to understand the importance of air-conditioning to the evolution of social mores in Washington, D.C. When I explain that once everybody went to movie theatres all the time for the air-conditioning as much, or more, as for the film -- and that this was when my father went to school here, at about the same time you did -- they look at me as if I were talking about living in caves and eating freshly killed raw Mastodon meat.

I found it most interesting that your internet name is your old cat. We had a cat that we inherited when its keeper, our next door neighbor, had to move and couldn't take the cat with him. This was a while ago, and when my elder daughter was distressed, she would sit with the cat on her lap, stroking the creature, and sucking her thumb. Sadly, after a year or so, the cat ran off and has never been seen since. My wife doesn't like cats, so I have secretly suspected her, as do my friends on the police force. But, the cat's name remains our password for nearly all of our different computer sites, so she lives on in memory. We since have got two dogs, one from the pound, and one from a breeder of Irish Blue or Kerry Blue terriers, and both are much more reliable. My wife likes dogs, fortunately for them.

Well, I hope that Iowa is surviving Harry Potter mania, or that it hasn't hit your community as severely as it has here. But, Washington has always been fond of passing mania, and it is the silly season here. Actually, I find Washington to be at its best, in many respects, during the summer, because so many of the annoying folk have left town to go on important vacations. That, I suspect, has always been the salvation of the republic, just as I imagine air-conditioning in Washington to be a source of decline in republican (small R) virtue.

Best regards,

Barry Wiegand

P.S., I noted your previous comment about the late unpleasantness in southeast Asia. My family (obviously pre-wife and children) felt much the same way, probably for much the same reasons. In keeping with previous generations' Tammany traditions, my father was a ward captain for the party in the Newark, N.J., area, all through my youth. In addition to attending semi-annual booksales, the other major yearly event of my childhood was the part primary, which New Jersey then held annually. Those were pre-computer days, of course, so we had boxes of file cards for every registered voter in the precincts and ward. I'm not ready yet for internet campaigning, I'm afraid.

posted by bwiegand at 11:39 am (EST) on Jul 21, 2007

The more unfortunate, then, that the myth seems to persist in the brains of writers who manage to get published without anyone involved in the editorial process catching the mistake.

As for the book you mention, I'm afraid that I'm unfamiliar with it. Thank you for the reference, though; I'll be checking it out.

posted by EvaRaphaela at 5:32 am (EST) on Jul 16, 2007

Dear Schmerguls --

Although it is barely noon on Saturday, all or my folk at home, wives, children, and dogs, either have gone back to bed, or remain as yet unawakened. With a bit of quiet here on the weekend, I thought to reply to your latest. By the way, I think your last was signed "Dewie." Is that you?

During the past ten days or so, I have been busy updating my catalogue on LT, and I believe I have added four more books that we have in common, as our number has increased to 156. Frankly, considering that we seem to share quite a few interests and have, somewhat at least similar backgrounds, I'm actually a little surprised we don't have more books in common. Anyway, the newest four that I've added that we share are:

(1) The Vatican and its role in world affairs
(2) America's Black Congressmen
(3) Yanks: the Epic Story of the American Army in World War I
(4) A People’s History of the Supreme Court

Except for America's Black Congressmen (and women, actually), I got the other three quite recently at the Leesburg book sale in Virginia. The Black Congressmen book I got some time ago, and although it's been sitting near the computer, I don't know why I hadn't entered before. I mark each book as I enter it, so I'll know not to do so a second time, and I thought I had entered this one, but, for some reason, I had not. Usually, I enter books pretty quickly after getting them, and then I have the bulk of my library, which I'm entering as I go along.

Today, I'm working on books I fell inadvertent heir to, when one of our parish priests retired and went back to the Old Country. He left a touch precipitously -- perhaps a dramatic decline in health, as he was quite elderly. He'd been a pastor at another church, but had taken up residence after retiring. A seminary buddy of his had been our pastor for 25+ years, and invited him to reside at the rectory -- then the new/old priest immediately had to have something like a quintuple by-pass. He recovered from that, although didn't stop smoking, and was at the parish for several years before leaving suddenly to go back to Ireland. (He was my children's favorite priest, largely, I think, because he appeared very forgetful during what now is Confession; personally, I think it was something of an act.) We've been very fortunate generally to have a traditional four-priest parish for a long time after there have been very few left elsewhere -- although, most of our priests have not been curates, but have other responsibilities with the Archdiocese, and are "in residence." (For some reason I can't fully fathom, we now seem to designate curates as "Parochial Vicars.") In any event, when Father departed, he left behind a giant library, with no plans to take it with him, and few plans for its disposition. More by misadventure than anything else, the job of getting 47 boxes of books out of the rectory fell to me. For quite some time they were in the living room and basement. I ultimately managed to sell quite a few to a used religious book store, and put most of the rest in the annual Sodality rummage sale. But, I kept a few for myself. The proceeds (except the Sodality donations) went to our local parochial school library -- I'm on the school board and my kids went there, the younger just having finished 8th grade. Fr. Sheehan appears to have had an absorbing interest in Bible History, scriptural exegesis, pre-Gregorian & early liturgical rites, and classical Roman history.

I'm now reading "Christianizing the Roman Empire," which I thought would be fascinating, but sadly is quite dense. A really interesting subject, but hard to follow the presentation. It's by Ramsay MacMullen. I'm also working my way through "The Execution of Officer Becker: The murder of a gambler, the trial of a cop, and the birth of organized crime." It's about the NYC police, Tammany Hall, and the Manhattan Democratic party, which would pretty much cover what my family were involved with in those days (with the exception of the Church, of course -- although we didn't have any priests, just Tammany Democratic politicians and police.) Happily, I haven't come across the names of any of my kin in the book yet, nor anybody who is nameless, but who could be identified as a relative.

Anyway, thanks again for keeping up the conversation. I see the Cubs are doing well. I acquired two Cub starters for my rotisserie or fantasy baseball team, who had been doing brilliantly, but have been torched since I got them. Best regards,

Barry Wiegand

posted by bwiegand at 12:28 pm (EST) on Jul 14, 2007

Hi future reviewer (and sorry for the late response :-),

You can sign up for Early Reviewers here! After that be sure to request advance copies from the list -- we will be releasing a big batch today or tomorrow -- stay tuned. More at my blog post and the Early Reviewers Group.

If you sign up for the program, you are still an Early Reviewer, whether or not you join the LT group. Hope that clears things up -- I know it's sometimes confusing, so feel free to ask more questions.

Take care,
Cliff (Tim's intern/chauffeur)

FYI: we only ship to American and Canadian mailing addresses at the moment -- logistical and legal stuff, unfortunately -- but this may change at some point.

posted by timspalding at 2:00 pm (EST) on Jul 10, 2007

Paul Gagnon! Hollaaaaaaaaaa

posted by steveisamazing at 4:39 pm (EST) on Jul 8, 2007

Dear Schmerguls --

Many apologies for the lengthy delay in responding to your most recent missive. Your comment regarding The American Catholic was extremely interesting to me, and it certainly suggests how much the Church has changed in the post-Conciliar age. Recently, I had occasion to buy at a book sale -- about which more later -- a Penguin biography of Pope John XXIII by Thomas Cahill. As you doubtless know, Cahill has written several volumes in a series he calls "The Hinges of History," which the Pope John XXIII book lists as including "How The Irish Saved Civilisation," "The Gifts Of The Jews," "Desire Of The Everlasting Hills." I believe since then, the list has expanded to include a book on the Greeks about Wine Dark Seas. The first 50 or so pages of the Pope John XXIII biography is an exposition of Papal History, which really is quite a remarkable screed. I had read some or all of the other Cahill books without fully grasping that the author had the sort of views expressed in his biography of Pope John XXIII.

As to book sales, when other normal children were celebrating Christmas, or their birthdays, my family observed the spring and fall College Women's used book sales, the first in one Newark, N.J., exurb (mine), and the other in another similar town nearby. My father practically counted the days until the sales started, and we spent most evenings and both weekend days at these sales for the two weeks they lasted. Many years later, my father still can't imagine that I wouldn't want to go to a book sale, regardless of where it is. As his life-long ambition was to see the New York Giants baseball team in spring training, when my father retired, my mother and he bought a condominium in Scottsdale, Ariz., to which he repairs each year after the Georgetown-Seton Hall basketball game in January, staying through Easter. There is a giant yearly book sale in Phoenix in early February, which my father begins mentioning to me in October to press me to commit to visiting him in Arizona for the sale's weekend. I make it about every other year -- this year, my Dad was quite perturbed because I had a conflicting engagement that weekend, my daughter's Confirmation. Notwithstanding my father's generally Traditionalist Catholic character, I had the impression that he couldn't entirely understand why I didn't skip the Confirmation -- after all, there was a huge book sale three-quarters of the way across the country.

Last fall, we had to pop up to my brother's home in Syracuse, N.Y., because there was reputedly a great book sale in Ithaca -- just 90 minutes away by car, after the plane trip to Syracuse. So, this past weekend, when the book sale was merely in Leesburg, Va., it went without saying that I would skip spending my birthday with my wife and children and pop out to Dad's house in Warrenton, Va., Friday evening, so we could be up early and drive 60 minutes by car to that book sale. (I should note that I don't drive a car, and hate riding in one for more than 10 minutes; I consider it roughly akin to a dentist using an old slow-speed drill without anaesthesia. I feel the same way about flying.)

My father's view is that all sensible folk get in line really, really early for book sales to be able to rush the door when it opens. Consequently, we have to get there well before opening to be among the opening rush lest somehow somebody get to see a book before us. Thus, in Phoenix, we arrive before 5:30 a.m. to get in at 9:00. The Leesburg book sale historically has been in a school building with limited entrance. So, although this year's sale was at a different venue, we still arrived early enough almost to beat the dawn. Imagine my shock, then, when we arrived to find that 90% of the books were strewn around in boxes out-of-doors, with no organization whatsoever, and no door to a book room to rush early, so no need to arrive hours before opening. Except, that one had to go through all boxes, rather than just going to the history section or the biography wing. But, the counterbalancing grace was that all hard-covers were a buck, and all paperbacks were 50 cents. Because nobody ever sorted the books, nobody ever priced them individually, either. After many hours of canvassing all of the tables of books, poring through dozens of self-help tomes and pulp novels, I ended up getting three boxes worth of decent history volumes. The Cahill book was one. Another that I got, which I recommend you look at, was Michael Lind's "Vietnam The Necessary War: A Reinterpretation of America's Most Disastrous Military Conflict." It's quite worth reading, regardless of your view of the Late Unpleasantness in Southeast Asia. In many respects, it's particularly timely in view of the second, current unpleasantness in the Middle East. (I note that Professor Quigley often used to expound on why modern students incorrectly use the phrase "Middle East" to refer to what he contended historically was called the "Near East." With due respect to the late professor, I think that Iraq might be far enough east to justify the phrase Middle East, despite Dr. Quigley's explanation.)

Anyway, here are two books that you might find interesting reading, both of which have serious potential for infuriating their readers. Although, I must say that while each book is likely to infuriate one type of reader, it's also likely to draw approval from another type of reader -- except that, the second book is likely to engender exactly the opposite reactions from the same two classes of readers.

I apologize again for the delay in replying. Sadly, I've been extremely busy at work and with family. I've hardly had any time to update my library here. But, I hope that will change soon.

Best regards,

Barry Wiegand

posted by bwiegand at 8:12 pm (EST) on Jul 5, 2007

Regarding the work 'Destiny' in my catalog: it isn't a book, rather, it is a jazz recording by Fred Anderson, a legendary Chicago tenor saxophonist and long-time proprietor of the Velvet Lounge.

posted by ryab at 2:40 am (EST) on Jun 24, 2007

Dear Schmerguls --

This is a second p.s.: I just noticed that you wrote the previous reply at about 6:15 a.m., EASTERN time, which I have to imagine means some even more especially unGodly hour in the morning out in Iowa. As my beloved children would say, What's Up With That? I saw that another reply was just in the 7-8:00 a.m. Eastern time. I'd really like to be half so literate at that hour as you appear to me -- so, probably would the judges before whom I appear. Also, I noticed a couple of mis-edited sentences with undeleted errant words in one or my of my previous replies. I apologize for that.

Second, until I read your reply, it never occurred to me that Carroll Quigley had his own Wikipedia entry, so I read it. I had not been aware that a book got published by him on the Anglo-American Establishment. His biographer does not seem to have known of the posthumous publication of his Weapons Systems work (in interrupted progress). I had known Dr. Quigley was a favourite of various conspiracists -- and he himself was a great afficianado of conspiracism. Quite beyond his suspicions about the Round Table groups, he was a great devotee of conspiratorial explanations for things. This always struck me as a touch at odds with his equally devoted search for grand historical analytical frameworks, but very much in keeping with his similarly devoted view that he knew things nobody else did.

Last, somewhere at the end of Tragedy and Hope, Professor Quigley has an extended disquisition on the intellectual and theological tradition of the early Catholic Church, which I always have found most convincing (and, therefore, by virtue of being so convincing, of course, I unhumbly regard it as brilliant). Appropos of the Wikipedia biography's observation that Dr. Quigley rejected Platonic dualism, this analysis of Roman Catholicism posits that the Church regularly found itself confronted with a choice between two seemingly antithetical points of theology and invariably elected to eschew a clear choice, but opted for both, e.g.: Is Christ man or God; is man saved by Grace or Works. Whatever chapter(s) of T&H has/have this analysis, they're well worth reading. These chapter(s) contain/contains many others of what I think are the best of Professor Quigley's often remarkable insights. Along with the beginning chapters through, "The Buffer Fringe," these make T&H especially stimulating. If you read the introduction though, you also get a real feel for some of the other qualities that Dr. Quigley possessed, which came through strongly in personal encounters.

Sorry again for the long P.P.S.

Best regards,

Barry Wiegand

posted by bwiegand at 10:03 pm (EST) on Jun 6, 2007

Dear Schmerguls –

I'm afraid that my late-18th century west-of-Ireland peasant qualities caused me to botch this badly. I think that I wrote the entire message below, and then somehow posted it to my own site, instead of yours. I'm trying to fix this. So, here's my mesage:

Thanks for your reply. I believe Professor Quigley’s 1300-page book is: “Tragedy and Hope: a history of the world in our time.” It essentially begins in 1914. He also had started to work on another book, which was published posthumously after a graduate student edited/finished it, “Weapons Systems and Political Stability.” I recall it to be very lengthy, too. Dr. Quigley used “Tragedy and Hope” as the text for his survey course when I took it as a sophomore. As you will see in Evolution of Civilisations,” Dr. Quigley advocated an empirical, scientific approach to historical research. As a result, he was especially keen on organizing schemes of analytical classification, which is the essence of Evolution of Civilisations. For weal or woe, what Professor Quigley deemed empirically-driven analytical paradigms often led him to conclusions greatly at odds with conventional historians. That’s the essence of Tragedy and Hope. Much of the book’s value lies in reading the first 150 pages, which summarizes Dr. Quigley’s heterodox analysis of history and civilisation before 1914, and the last 150 pages, which recounts why Dr. Quigley’s superior, unorthodox analytical schemes reveal much more important things than others have recognized. Although the book expounds on many things between its first and its last 150 total pages, a plan to read these 300 pages makes the book less daunting. My suspicion is that Dr. Quigley considered his heterodox views to be the best evidence of how much more he knew and understood about everything than anybody else. That struck me as key to his pedagogy and personality. Of course, I had him as a professor toward the end of his career, but I have always believed that reading Professor Quigley amply rewarded the effort. Very sadly, he died before he could very far along in his weapons systems book. Even what he did get down on paper showed extraordinary potential that this would have been a singular work if completed. As to Quigley’s theory about the events leading up to WWII, it’s a prototypical Quigleyesque view. It’s not actually all that different in type – if not content – than A.J.P. Taylor’s explication of the origins of WWII. I suspect that if Quigley and Taylor could have been kept together in a room without anybody getting arrested or the furniture being broken, they probably had a great deal in common. Regardless, such an encounter would have been great theatre.

The U.S. Attorney’s office in Washington, D.C., is within the U.S. Department of Justice. Unlike all of the other U.S. Attorney’s Offices in the rest of the country, we handle both “state” and federal prosecutions. The District of Columbia has no real equivalent of a state’s attorney, D.A., or county prosecutor handling crimes against state law – as distinct from a U.S. Attorney handling crimes against federal law – because it is not a state. Although there is a District of Columbia code, which is the equivalent of a state code, from roughly the District’s inception until the 1970s, both U.S. Code and D.C. Code crimes were prosecuted by a United States Attorney in the federal court in Washington, D.C. Our office was then, and still mostly now is, sui generis because we combine in one entity the “state” and federal prosecutorial that would be split between two sovereigns in Iowa or anywhere else in the U.S. (except maybe Guam or the Virgin Islands – I’m not sure). In the 1970s, Congress created a Superior Court of the District of Columbia to function as the equivalent of a “state” court and to try offenses against the D.C. Code. Nevertheless, our U.S. Attorney’s Office in Washington, D.C., still handles all of the “garden variety” thefts, murders, robberies, or burglaries, etc., that a D.A. would prosecute in Iowa (and that I imagine you probably tried during your career on the bench). Is it fair to think that the District Court on which you were a judge is a court of general jurisdiction in Iowa. These terms vary slightly from place to place: in Maryland, for example, the court of general criminal and civil jurisdiction is the Circuit Court, while the District Court is not, but I think I know of other states where these titles cover the exact opposite jurisdictional arrangements.

I do not know the persons whose names you mentioned, except that there was a Professor Weidenbruch (sp?) at Georgetown Law when I was there. I did not take his course, so I could be wrong in thinking that he taught tax. At one time I worked here with a woman who was an AUSA, who I believe was then this professor’s daughter-in-law, but I don’t think that’s the case any more.

My mother, who grew up in the north shore Chicago area, was a Cubs fan. She was also not Catholic. Although she never hid either trait, you can see that neither made much impression on the rest of us. Nevertheless, I have great respect for each view. Indeed, on our cable system in Washington, D.C., we actually get WGN these days so I watch the occasional Cub game. (I’m sure they play White Sox games, too, but even though I understand the Chicago Irish to root for the south side team, I am too anti- (and ante-) modern to acknowledge the American League – just a jumped up Triple A league to me.) I’m also in a Rotisserie baseball league, and I have had a number of cubs – including Aramis Ramirez last year and Carlos Zambrano his best year. I recall clearly the Cubs playing the Giants in about 1989, for the NL pennant, I believe – a good outcome for my father and me; not so much for my mother (or you, I’m sure). I seem to recall that the Cubs’s Triple A team is in Iowa, and I’m pretty sure that the Giants had a low-A club in Iowa for some years in the 80s or 90s (1980s or 90s, I mean). Wasn’t it Clinton? Being an easterner with no sense of geography, is that anywhere near you? My father speaks fondly and often of Carl Hubbell. If you think about both Bobby Feller’s and Carl Hubbell’s careers, they share a great deal in common, although little about their pitching was similar. Anyway, the careers were both long, but they new when to stop before they went on too long. This note proves that I don’t, but I’ll stop anyway. Best regards,

Barry Wiegand
Wiegands@netzero.net

P.S.: Are you familiar with an institution called, The Teaching Company? It's at:

https://www.teach12.com/Accounts/AcctHom...

If you write at my e-mail address above, I will indicate how you can hear a couple of the courses I have bought. I believe that what they offer is something that would interest you, if by chance you are not yet aware of the firm. I think. Sorry

posted by bwiegand at 3:01 pm (EST) on Jun 6, 2007

Dear Schmerguls --

Thanks for your reply; I personally prefer extended ones, so you need not worry that yours was long. I apologize for not replying sooner, but my father, brother, and I went to Philadelphia to see the Phils and Giants play this past weekend. (I've also been preparing for an oral argument in the D.C. Court of Appeals tomorrow morning.)

As former New York City folk (and from a Tammany family), the Wiegands remain fanatical Giants fans. My brother is a retired police officer, now working in Syracuse as a bank investigator. My father and late mother here moved to an exurb outside Washington (Warrenton, Va.) to be near their granddaughters, Ciara and Maeve. But, we still follow the Giants obsessively. Indeed, my family don't acknowledge any of this silliness about some move to San Francisco -- our official view is that the New York Giants are just on a long road trip west, and we eagerly await their return to the Polo Grounds. Really, besides my father, who said we're not Irish?

Dangerfield's deft turn of phrase makes the Strange Death of Liberal England makes one of the best works of history I've ever read. The epigrammatic characterizations -- such as his words about Brooke -- are timeless. I haven't read the book in some time, but I remember at least one example, even still, in words along the line of: if a particular individual had served his King and country half so well as he served his party, he would not have been left naked to his biographers. I also recall Dangerfield to be about the first author I read who put in proper perspective the Irish Unionist, anti-Home Rule agitation in Great Britain in the Edwardian era, and who recognized that it verged not only on mutiny, but on a challenge to the whole idea of civilian control of the military. Even most Irish Nationalist historians don't go as far as Dangerfield did in The Strange Death, nor are they so explicit in their description of what was at stake. Although The Damnable Question is excellent, I still think the Strange Death is Dangerfield's finest authorial hour.

I was ignorant of Dangerfield's biography of Chancellor Livingston, so I'm glad you mentioned it. Among other things, my library reflects a strong bent toward antiquarian legal volumes, and particularly equity and chancery practice. Thus, Dangerfield's Livingston biography is something I hope to lay hands upon straight away.

At Georgetown as an undergraduate, I took my degree at the School of Foreign Service, but I went to work for a mass transit trade newspaper here in Washington, D.C., afterward. That led to a job with a contract management firm that won a bid to create and operate bus systems throughout Saudi Arabia. I was there from the late seventies through the middle eighties, and I ended up responsible for demobilizing and repatriating the operation when the contract wound up. I was then young, single, and dramatically overpaid with huge amounts of vacation time and subsidized travel. I lived in Thailand when not in Saudi Arabia. As it happens, I long had an interest in Thai history, and wrote my senior thesis at Georgetown on an especially obscure aspect of it.

To the best of my knowledge, Dr. Jaeger no longer was teaching at Georgetown when I was an undergraduate -- unless he was at the law school. I didn't got to law school until many years after my undergraduate career, by which time Dr. Jaeger was not at the law school either (if he ever was). Two professors still at Georgetown from the time of your studies, and who had taught my father on the GI bill after WWII, were Warren Giles and Carroll Quigley. Long before I ever thought to go to Georgetown, my father used to tell me "Quigley" stories. He retired after my senior year, and only taught one course the second semester of my senior year. I am especially honored to be able to say that I got Quigley's last A, as he only gave out one in that class. Of course, the class was the History of Victorian England, so I had a leg up. I'd never have got an A in Quigley's Development of Civilisations course, which is the one my father took. (As a sophomore, I took the descendant of that class, also, and got a C+. Fortunately it was a large class, and Quigley didn't remember me when I was in his Victorian class as a senior. Actually, he didn't remember me even when I got him to autograph his out-of-print book, The Evolution of Civilisations, which he kindly sold me.)

Quigley was a fascinating man, although a bit of an egoist -- rather more than a bit, actually. But, he had good grounds for it. He was a remarkably original thinker, a rarity in historians, I believe. His book, the Evolution of Civilisations, although pedantic at times, is well worth perusing. If you can get hold of it, it will repay greatly the time spent reading it.

Fortunately for you the reader, before this gets longer, I must take a phone call from a friend who is a lawyer in California. We went to night law school together, and he was an Assistant U.S. Attorney here, too, before returning to the other coast. He also is a Giant fan, but of the wrong (San Francisco) sort. The follies of youth.

Best regards,

Barry Wiegand
Wiegands@netzero.net

posted by bwiegand at 7:30 pm (EST) on Jun 5, 2007

Re Zosimus

Dear Schmerguls,
Zosimus was one of the last pagan historians and author of Historia Nova written ca. 450 - 503AD.

Zosimus

posted by Zosimus at 3:02 pm (EST) on May 29, 2007

Dear Schmerguls --

Thanks for your fascinating reply. I hope I'm sending this reply correctly, as the computer got me here by some mysterious process I neither understand nor have seen before.

Anyway, I graduated from the Georgetown Law School in 1989, by which time it had moved to New Jersey Avenue, N.W., where it is today, except that it's several times the size it was when I went there. Back then, the law center had only one building. Now, I believe it has at least three others, each one as big or larger than the original building. I had a pretty fair gap between graduating from Georgetown's Foreign Service School in 1976 and enrolling at the law center nearly a decade later.

Wiegand, of course, generally is a German name. As far as I know, almost all of the Wiegands in America originate from southern Germany (defined to encompass the German Habsburg realms, too). It has been suggested to me, however, that our particular branch of the Wiegands, who came here as Von Wiegands, once had a name like McGuigan. The theory is that Mc and Von are similar patronymic prefixes, and Uigan and Wiegand sound similar, making allowances for accent. This could make sense if these McGuigans left Ireland during one of the Flights of the Wild Geese and settled in the Catholic lands of southern Germany. Certainly, some of my Wiegand ancestors in America emphasized their Gaelic heritage rather than a Teutonic background.

Because of my grandfather's connection to Al Smith, I grew up hearing quite a bit about him from relations who remembered him personally, and I have a great deal of what has been written about him and a lot of Smith memorabilia. My great-grandfather was a Tammany fixture, and some of his descendants followed in his Irish Catholic Democrat footsteps (or at least that's how I think of them). My father was a ward captain near Newark, N.J., when I was growing up. In any event, my great-grandfather died long before I was born, so I would never had the chance to ask him if Al Smith was part Italian. When I first started reading Smith biographies, however, one or more of the books suggested or stated that Al Smith was substantially Italian. I asked my sainted grand Aunt May about it (my great grandfather's maiden daughter). Her response was just short of flaying me alive with a dull butter knife. But, she was one of the prime proponents of the view that the Wiegands were Irish, rather than German, so I can't vouch for the accuracy of her views on the subject.

Leaving those New York City roots aside, I moved from the metropolitan NYC area to Washington, D.C., when I went to Georgetown as an undergraduate in the early 1970s. Although afterward I lived and worked overseas for some years, I eventually returned here and got a Georgetown law degree at nights. Through all that time we have lived in southeast Washington, D.C., although on the border between northeast and southeast -- literally, the other side of my street is northeast Washington. RFK stadium is due east of the Capitol building, out East Capitol Street, about 21 blocks, and we live almost halfway between the two, right by Lincoln Park. The new Washington Nationals baseball team plays there, but this is their last year, as they move in 2008 to a newly built stadium almost due south of the Capitol.

Since we moved here in 1984, my father, too, has abandoned the metropolitan NYC area of northern New Jersey, and he now lives in exurban Virginia in Warrenton. It's from him that I get my interest in books. He has an extensive library himself, and I got him a LibraryThing membership for Christmas, but he hasn't begun entering his books, yet.

Of books I have read or re-read recently, the things I've enjoyed the most seem to be ones that we share -- I'm fond of A.J.P. Taylor and George Dangerfield, in particular The Strange Death of Liberal England. On Irish history, I subscribe to a book club scheme through Kenny's book shop in Galway, and I've picked up a couple of things by J.C. Beckett and J.G. Simms of late, which were well-written and insightful. But, not many authors can match Dangerfield, Taylor, or Wedgwood for their grace of style and superior prose -- H.A.L. Fisher is in their class. I suppose. Not in this class of writing, but fascinating -- most of it anyway -- is American Catholic by Charles Morris.

I see from one of your comments above that in late January you were putting into LibraryThing the entire list of books you ever have read. I also notice you have something like 4400 books entered. How much further do you have to go? Also, where were you a District Judge?

Best regards and enjoy the Decoration Day holiday!

Barry Wiegand

P.S., sorry for the length of this reply-reply. Once I get started, I tend to go on forever.

posted by bwiegand at 2:31 pm (EST) on May 28, 2007

Dear Schmerguls --

Thank you for your post regarding the number of books only we share. I think that group is interesting, but I found even more interesting the wide-range of subjects on which we have books in common beyond just the two of us. I'm not wholly sure what either point means, but I'm glad to know that even though the weighted percentages of share books aren't high, that there's somebody else out there with many similar interests. It's particularly striking, to me, because very few of our books in common are Library of American series. Most of the persons who share a high number of books with me do so because they have nearly all of the LOA series, as I do. But the books we have in common actually are on subjects rather than being from a series.

I live in Washington, D.C., city proper about halfway between the Capitol and the old RFK ballpark. My great grandfather roomed with Al Smith in Albany, and I have a long-standing interest in Irish History, central European history, and military history (generally). I think that covers much of our common volumes. Thanks again for your comment. (I apologize for not getting back to you sooner, but I didn't look at my LibraryThing site for about a week because I was busy at home and work.)

Best regards,

BWiegand
Barry Wiegand

posted by bwiegand at 10:05 pm (EST) on May 26, 2007

Thank you for the recommendation of this collection. Like others, I've only read "The Monkey's Paw," which has been anthologized very often.

posted by gharader at 12:50 pm (EST) on May 20, 2007

Dear Schmerguls,

You have an impressive collection, and, on top of that, you have read the whole of Mann and Pastor (59 volumes in my editions). I admire you, as I never managed, well, not the whole, as I "flew" over the parts that I was not researching. With such extensive reading, there is no much left to suggest. The only thing that comes now to mind is perhaps Duchesne's "Origins of the temporal sovereignty" - it was important in its time, and it will complete the beginnings of Mann's history.

I have seen that you have an English version of Zweig's "Fouche" - I thought that it was never published in English. Could you check for me the accuracy of the bibliographical information, as I will try to find it? Thanks.

posted by Romanus at 9:14 am (EST) on May 20, 2007

As a short story, I enjoyed "Vain Oblations," but my primary interest is in classic ghost stories, and this piece, while certainly horrific, doesn't fall into that category. However, there is another story in the collection, "On the Staircase," which is definitely ghostly.

posted by gharader at 4:48 am (EST) on May 20, 2007

I found it in a used bookstore, and it looked like it had some supernatural content. As the price was reasonable, I took a chance on it. In fact, I'll take a break from a Mrs. Beeton biography that I'm in the midst of and read it now.

posted by gharader at 3:33 am (EST) on May 20, 2007

I really enjoy reading 18th and 19th century authors, both popular and obscure. I stumbled upon Louis Mulhbach (Clara Mundt), in a used bookstore in Cleveland, Kays.
I guess it was about 1968 or so. As far as I know, her books are not available in our public library system.

I moderate two mystery book groups and one 'gaslight classics' for my local libary and bookstore. I really don't have a love for modern writers, except mysteries, so I just escape to the writers of the past.
bob burke

posted by bjbookman at 12:34 pm (EST) on May 18, 2007

I am ashamed to say that 'Vain Oblations' is still in my TBR mountain.

posted by gharader at 1:51 am (EST) on May 16, 2007

Thanks for commenting on my grammar error. I really didn't think anyone was paying attention. The book suggestion was a bit much. I was simply distracted at work. It happens.

I fixed the error. Thanks

posted by MurphyJesus at 4:01 pm (EST) on May 9, 2007

Thanks for your reply to mine. I agree with you for the most part. There are exceptions. Page Smith is fantastic and he wrote a two volume book on John Adams 45 years ago. Douglas Freeman wrote a four volume book on R.E. Lee in the 1930's that was exceptional as well. All in all, the new authors are pretty good. Beschloss is enjoyable.

My favorite author is Robert Caro. The three books he has written on LBJ combined with his pulitzer prize winning book on Robert Moses are simply amazing.

In second place are so many including Remini, McCullough, Chernow, Jessup (wrote a great book on Eliju Root), Morris (except his book on Reagan), early Ambrose (his books on Ike), Martin Gilbert (Churchill books), and others.

If the life is interesting enough, I find that it is hard to mess up a biography. That being said, I can imagine that the other books on Webster that you have read do not cut it, yet his life was interesting.

In any event, your collection is great on bio's and WWII and I have gone through it carefully and orderd 10 books that looked interesting.

Thanks for the reply

posted by tedaldrich at 9:54 pm (EST) on Apr 29, 2007

Wow!!

21 years of commuting to New York City each day from Connecticut has given me the opportunity to read over 330 political and military biographies.

I see that I have some catching up to do.

If you have the time, I would like to ask one question.

I see you have a lot of older books. Do you see the quality of biographies today better, worse, or the same as say 60, 50, 40 years ago?

Great Library!!

posted by tedaldrich at 10:00 am (EST) on Apr 25, 2007

Do you have a secret for reading so many books e.g speed reading? How much time do you devote to reading each day? I have practiced law for 30 years and have to admit that sometimes when I return home it is hard to pick up a book.

posted by johnmb49 at 4:08 pm (EST) on Apr 15, 2007

I see we both read Big Trouble. That is still one of the best books I've read. It really gave me a feel for the era. I believe Lukas committed suicide shortly after the book was published.

posted by johnmb49 at 1:19 pm (EST) on Apr 7, 2007

Thanks so much. I read the Rockefeller book several years ago and really enjoyed it. By the way, I am enjoying White's bio of Coolidge. Thanks for the recommendation.

posted by johnmb49 at 1:16 pm (EST) on Apr 7, 2007

Thanks so much. I actually bought the White one so I will read that first and then maybe go on to the other. Have you read the recent biography of Alexander Hamilton? It has been recommended to me.

posted by johnmb49 at 9:22 pm (EST) on Apr 2, 2007

Thanks very much. Which would you recommend if I only want to read one.

posted by johnmb49 at 6:17 pm (EST) on Mar 18, 2007

I don't remember which book you had that lead me to believe you might hav an interest in Arizona. You are welcomte to visit our group anytime. thanks cappi

posted by cappi at 10:37 am (EST) on Mar 12, 2007

Can you recommend a biography of Calvin Coolidge?

posted by johnmb49 at 8:25 am (EST) on Mar 8, 2007

I have a record of every book I have ever read completely. I am putting the whole list in. I am only up to 1962 and have thousands yet to enter. It is fun to see when I enter a title how many others have the same title. I am now retired, after 28 years of general practice and 23 years of district court judging.

posted by Schmerguls at 5:12 am (EST) on Jan 29, 2007

You have an absolutely fascinating "biography" section. How does your personality survive? (!)

posted by keylawk at 11:03 pm (EST) on Jan 28, 2007