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THE READING LIST Reading is one of my favorite pastimes and old habits die hard. Having spent a lot of years reviewing books I just can't seem to read one without a pencil in my hand (sorry e-books are not for me) so I can mark up the text as I go along and make notes on the blank pages in the back. |
Fiction Contemporary (21st Century)
The read for January, 2012
The Increment
by David Ignatius
With all the words being tossed about the airwaves and the saber rattling that has dominated the recent political debates, it's refreshing to hear
the voice of someone who has a well deserved reputation of being truly knowledgeable on the subject of Iran.
David Ignatius, if you are not familiar with him, is considered to be one of the most experienced and respected journalist voices regarding the
Middle East in general and Persia specifically. However, he also has a couple of other "expert" badges pinned to him by not only a rather large
company based in Langley, Virginia but also its companion organization in London: he is looked upon as someone who actually understands how
the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and Secret Intelligence Service (MI 6) really work.
Now, admittedly, The Increment is a work of fiction but then, of course, it has to be. But fiction has its great advantages because it permits an
author to attribute factual based information, knowledge and actions to individuals that do not exist. It has often been said that there is more non-
fiction in novels then there is fact in autobiographies.
Yes, we all know Iran is pursuing the development of a nuclear capability and is doing its best to disguise its efforts. The Increment delves into
how the CIA and MI 6 track and disrupt Iran's effort to disguise their research and development. (Side comment: most interesting that a certain
North Korean rocket didn't quite function as designed a short while ago.) It is a fascinating read which answers a good many of the criticisms of
certain, now former, political candidates, even though the work was completed prior to the, now apparent, ill informed criticisms were made.
Ignatius has many works of fiction to his credit, some of which the CIA itself recommends to new recruits. He is a good story teller and well worth
reading on many levels.
I have always found it to be very instructive to watch him when participating as a panelist on one of the Sunday morning news programs when he
is asked about something that is happening in Iran and the interaction among neighboring countries. As he answers the questions all the other
journalist and guests become quiet and listen to his every word. Very interesting.
Fiction Eighteenth Centuray
The read for December 2011
Death Comes to Pemberley
by P. D. James
What I found most enjoyable about The Baroness James of Holland Park's latest novel, Death Comes to Pemberley, is the quality of the writing. It
is a delight to read a work of fiction that takes advantage of the capabilities of the English language in telling a story. Too often we are
confronted with writers, editors and publishers that believe there is no market for fiction writing that contains words of more than one syllable,
does not have at least one murder or scene of graphic sex and violence in each chapter and is targeted to an audience that enjoys eighteenth and
nineteenth century literature. Well, I'm delighted to report that P. D. James has given us dinosaurs of the paper bound book a sense of hope.
So you say the name "Pemberley" sounds familiar to you? It should, especially if you are a fan of Jane Austen and her Pride and Prejudice, as Ms.
James has deemed to continue on where Ms. Austen left off. Here we have all those characters you found so engrossing in the Austen novel and
the many portrayals of them presented in films and television series: Mr. Darcy, Elizabeth, the Bennets, Rev. Collins, Wickham and all the rest.
Being classified as a writer of mysteries—it seems every writer must be placed into a simplistic category for fear a potential reader/customer
might read something out of their comfort zone (but then wasn't Shakespeare a writer of mysteries or was it comedies or maybe tragedies)—
James has given us one with the strange demise of Mr. Wickham. However, it is not the death that is the central focus of the story but the
characters and their reactions to it. The story revives memories many of the players would best like to forget.
If you enjoyed reading the novels of Jane Austen you will surely enjoy Death Comers to Pemberley for P. D. James has caught the style very well.
Unfortunately if you have become addicted to the banality of Twitter and Facebook this might be a bit of a challenge for you but certainly worth a
try. Who knows, you might find that you like it and suddenly develop a strange urge to find a copy of Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre.
Fiction, Nineteenth Century
The read for November 2011
The Pickwick Papers
By Charles Dickens
Yes, February 2012 marks the 200th birthday of author Charles Dickens, however, in all honesty, I decided to read The Pickwick Papers without
being aware of this literary anniversary.
Dickens has always been one of my favorites (especially since studying and analyzing Bleak House in graduate school). In addition to reading
and re-reading his novels on an irregular basis, I continually search for motion pictures and made for television versions on Turner Classic
Movies and PBS's Masterpiece Theatre (I prefer the dramatic rather than the theatric musical versions as the latter usually misses the mark and
loses the Dickens creative element in favor of the entertainment musical additions).
The Pickwick Papers is a joy to read. Following th adventures of Samuel Pickwick, Augustus Snodgrass, Tracy Tupman and Nathaniel Winkle
has been one of the highlights of the year thus far. No serial killers, vampires, or zombies; no formula plots filled with evil government
conspiracies and heroes doing everything an unheroic manner, just people getting by day by day in the mid-nineteenth century, looking for love,
happiness and fairness within their own sphere of influence.
Here is Charles Dickens doing his best as he presents us with a somewhat Victorian Canterbury Tales. He is the master of writing with a smile
and a twinkle in his eye while the pointed stick in his hand tweaks all those in need of tweaking. It is fascinating to see him extrapolate the grass
to see the field and the twig to see the forest.
Read some Dickens and see the twentieth-first century come alive as you travel through the nineteenth.
Fiction, Fourteenth Century
The read for October 2011
The Divine Comedy
By Dante Alighieri
Couldn't resist this edition of The Divine Comedy when I came across it at Barnes & Noble last year—yes, big box book store do some good things
sometimes—this is a re-do of the original Henry Wadsworth Longfellow translation with the super Gustave Doré illustrations under the Barnes
& Noble imprint. It was a great choice in having a learned poet like Longfellow do the translation of Dante's poetic masterpiece as he does a
marvelous job of giving his translation a strong poetic feel. Only experience that could have been better would to have been able to read it in the
original Italian and marvel at the original poetic text with the proper rhyme and meter.
Haven't thought of re-reading this masterpiece since leaving college a long, long time ago but it was well worth it. References are often made to
Dante's work but actually going over the words is a treat. It's one thing to be obliged to read and study something but to do it one one's own at a
comfortable pace is the true way to appreciate it.
Somewhere in this modern society of ours we seem to have forgotten that the purpose of going to school is to obtain an education and not just a
job. The task is to broaden the mind and to open it; to make it creative; to encourage innovative thought; to learn to analyze and to question
everything around us.
Non-Fiction, Twentieth Century
he read for September 2011
The Best and the Brightest
by David Halberstam
Picked this up at a library book sale when I saw it even though it was written in 1972. I remember reading portions of the book almost forty years
ago and wondered how it would all sound in the twenty-first century, especially with our current plan for exiting Iraq. For those not familiar with
The Best and the Brightest, it is an historical chronicle and analysis of the United States' foreign policy leading up to and through the Vietnam
War.
Halberstam, an author of more than twenty books (many with war as its topic), who died in an automobile accident in 2007, was a Pulitzer Prize
winning journalist who covered the Vietnam War as a foreign correspondent beginning in 1962 and was considered one of the most respected
analysts of the reasons for United States involvement in the conflict.
In The Best and the Brightest he chronicles the basis for the cold war era foreign policy that led to the U.S. involvement in Southeast Asia by
sifting through the leavings of five previous presidential administrations to demonstrate how the finest minds in the country came to be led down
a path that now seems so obviously marked with warning signs. It surely reconfirms the historian's lament of "…those who do not learn from
history are doomed to repeat it." or words to that effect.
The arguments used to justify entering Iraq, Afghanistan and the current saber rattling over Iran are eerily identical to arguments presented in
the late 1950's with regard to Southeast Asia. And yes, it would appear the same poor decisions have been made.
The Best and the Brightest is a fascinating re-read and highly recommended for anyone who would like to learn how good intentions by the best
and brightest minds advising the country's leaders from the 1930's through the Vietnam War could so easily be led astray and it is especially
chilling to see it being repeated.
Some quotes I found interesting.
Westerners always learn the hard way. Respect for the enemy always came when it was too late.
No-one likes government interference in daily life - even Adam and Eve thought God a bit intrusive and heavy handed.
They believed in the capacity of rational men to control irrational commitments.
…the best way for civilians to harness generals was to stay out of war.
Loyalty trumps reason and intelligence.
Vietnam was an example of business methods applied to war.
Government, on both sides of the aisle, has lost the business man, as they no longer see it as a place for them and their sons and daughters to give
back to the country.
Each dead American became one more rational for more dead Americans.
Problems always develop when one tries to sense which way the wind is blowing so as not to be caught going against it.
The art of arguing with your mother-in-law: "You win the first point and move on to the next only to find out you are back at the first."
Some other thoughts:
Never underestimate the power of religious conviction. In a world dominated by "Relativism" it is a bastian of "Absolutism."
There is a difference between being brilliant and being wise.
Should elected officials defer to military leaders on matters of military policy? And if they do is that a violation of the spirit of the constitution
which clearly calls for civilian control of the military?
Fiction, Twentieth Century
The read for August 2011
Fiddler's Green
by Ernest Gann
Reading novels of favorite authors of a half century ago is a true delight. There's something about the writing and the ability to tell a story that is
difficult to find today and Fiddler's Green by Ernest Gann is no exception.
Admittedly, this novel is a bit different from what I'm used to from him, as it deals with commercial fishing. Gann is more remembered for
stories dealing with flying such as Island in the Sky, Fate is the Hunter, The Aviator, In the Company of Eagles and Twilight for the Gods. But,
as with all his stories he brings his life experience to the table as Gann spent time as a commercial fisherman on the West coast—something I
didn't know—which is where the story emanates from.
While the novel was published in 1950 by William Sloan Associates, New York, you will recognize a good deal of it as the subject matter and
stormy ocean scenes are very similar to those appearing in The Perfect Storm. However, I gravitate to the Gann story as I find it richer in
relationships, especially between the father and son, and also the generational divide that begins to disappear when the characters are away from
the corrupting influences of technology and are obliged to depend only upon their basic structures of honesty and integrity.
If you can find a copy at your next library book store or quality used book store, pick it up—especially if you're of a seafaring disposition.
Fiction, Twentieth Century
The read for July 2011
Please Pass the Guilt
by Rex Stout
If only Rex Stout had been writing in the 21st century when the food channel could fully appreciate him. Nero Wolf is the perfect character for a
world obsessed with consuming food, although surely not the food we now consume. Today’s detectives consume fast food by the truckload and
rarely communicate in words of more than two syllables; they’re slim, fit and ready to run a four minute mile with a Big Mac in one hand and a
bowl of chili in the other. Wolf is over three hundred pounds, rarely ever leaves his brownstone in Manhattan, dislikes and distrusts women,
never speaks in less than five syllables and is most often found in his kitchen arguing with his chef over the number of juniper berries to include
in the marinade. What, never read a Nero Wolf mystery by Rex Stout? Well, your literary education is very much unnourished. Find a Nero
Wolf mystery to devour; I’ve never come across a poorly written or inadequately concocted plot and they are all filled with positively delicious
characters. Please Pass the Guilt is a great example. You won’t be disappointed.
Fiction, Twentieth Century
The read for June 2011
Vendetta for the Saint
by Leslie Charteris
Why is it that the great mystery writers of the 20th century seem to have such a leg up on their contemporary cousins? The fast cars, flamboyant
lifestyle, the ease of movement from one culture to another on a worldwide scale, they’re readily available on today’s best seller lists but there’s
something missing isn’t there? Could it be the quality of the writing? Could it be that they focus on the story line and main character rather
than getting lost in extraneous sex and violence descriptions? Simon Templar is surely not a saint when it comes to his interpersonal life and
Charteris makes no attempt to hide it from the reader but he doesn't’t let it get in the way of the story and he doesn't’t write of it exploitatively.
Vendetta for the Saint is a great read and if you're unfamiliar with Charteris and his Simon Templar character I would suggest seeking him out
in your favorite book store.
Fiction, Contemporary
The read for May 2011
Fall of Giants
by Ken Follett
A fascinating look at the world around the World War I. A very well done piece of writing that tries to capture the look and feel of the era. Could
not help making comparisons to the Loss of Eden trilogy by John Masters and especially Heart of War and By the Green of the Spring. Decided to go
back and re-read both volumes and Masters still comes out ahead but for different reasons. Follett is excellent as a story teller and he holds your
interest throughout. Masters, on the other hand-while also a great storyteller-has such a gripping descriptive capability that after reading a
chapter about a trench warfare incident you feel as though you should stand up and brush the dirt and mud off your clothing.
Fiction, Twentieth Century
The read for April 2011
The Jungle
by Upton Sinclair
There's a reason why this novel continues to be relevant today especially with a segment of society believing government regulation is
unnecessary. Yes, Sinclair was a socialist but he took to task both corporations and unions for their uncontrolled exploitation of American
workers where profit and power were more important than life liberty and the pursuit of happiness. A great and important re-read whether you
like Sinclair's personal politics or not.
The read for January, 2012
The Increment
by David Ignatius
With all the words being tossed about the airwaves and the saber rattling that has dominated the recent political debates, it's refreshing to hear
the voice of someone who has a well deserved reputation of being truly knowledgeable on the subject of Iran.
David Ignatius, if you are not familiar with him, is considered to be one of the most experienced and respected journalist voices regarding the
Middle East in general and Persia specifically. However, he also has a couple of other "expert" badges pinned to him by not only a rather large
company based in Langley, Virginia but also its companion organization in London: he is looked upon as someone who actually understands how
the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and Secret Intelligence Service (MI 6) really work.
Now, admittedly, The Increment is a work of fiction but then, of course, it has to be. But fiction has its great advantages because it permits an
author to attribute factual based information, knowledge and actions to individuals that do not exist. It has often been said that there is more non-
fiction in novels then there is fact in autobiographies.
Yes, we all know Iran is pursuing the development of a nuclear capability and is doing its best to disguise its efforts. The Increment delves into
how the CIA and MI 6 track and disrupt Iran's effort to disguise their research and development. (Side comment: most interesting that a certain
North Korean rocket didn't quite function as designed a short while ago.) It is a fascinating read which answers a good many of the criticisms of
certain, now former, political candidates, even though the work was completed prior to the, now apparent, ill informed criticisms were made.
Ignatius has many works of fiction to his credit, some of which the CIA itself recommends to new recruits. He is a good story teller and well worth
reading on many levels.
I have always found it to be very instructive to watch him when participating as a panelist on one of the Sunday morning news programs when he
is asked about something that is happening in Iran and the interaction among neighboring countries. As he answers the questions all the other
journalist and guests become quiet and listen to his every word. Very interesting.
Fiction Eighteenth Centuray
The read for December 2011
Death Comes to Pemberley
by P. D. James
What I found most enjoyable about The Baroness James of Holland Park's latest novel, Death Comes to Pemberley, is the quality of the writing. It
is a delight to read a work of fiction that takes advantage of the capabilities of the English language in telling a story. Too often we are
confronted with writers, editors and publishers that believe there is no market for fiction writing that contains words of more than one syllable,
does not have at least one murder or scene of graphic sex and violence in each chapter and is targeted to an audience that enjoys eighteenth and
nineteenth century literature. Well, I'm delighted to report that P. D. James has given us dinosaurs of the paper bound book a sense of hope.
So you say the name "Pemberley" sounds familiar to you? It should, especially if you are a fan of Jane Austen and her Pride and Prejudice, as Ms.
James has deemed to continue on where Ms. Austen left off. Here we have all those characters you found so engrossing in the Austen novel and
the many portrayals of them presented in films and television series: Mr. Darcy, Elizabeth, the Bennets, Rev. Collins, Wickham and all the rest.
Being classified as a writer of mysteries—it seems every writer must be placed into a simplistic category for fear a potential reader/customer
might read something out of their comfort zone (but then wasn't Shakespeare a writer of mysteries or was it comedies or maybe tragedies)—
James has given us one with the strange demise of Mr. Wickham. However, it is not the death that is the central focus of the story but the
characters and their reactions to it. The story revives memories many of the players would best like to forget.
If you enjoyed reading the novels of Jane Austen you will surely enjoy Death Comers to Pemberley for P. D. James has caught the style very well.
Unfortunately if you have become addicted to the banality of Twitter and Facebook this might be a bit of a challenge for you but certainly worth a
try. Who knows, you might find that you like it and suddenly develop a strange urge to find a copy of Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre.
Fiction, Nineteenth Century
The read for November 2011
The Pickwick Papers
By Charles Dickens
Yes, February 2012 marks the 200th birthday of author Charles Dickens, however, in all honesty, I decided to read The Pickwick Papers without
being aware of this literary anniversary.
Dickens has always been one of my favorites (especially since studying and analyzing Bleak House in graduate school). In addition to reading
and re-reading his novels on an irregular basis, I continually search for motion pictures and made for television versions on Turner Classic
Movies and PBS's Masterpiece Theatre (I prefer the dramatic rather than the theatric musical versions as the latter usually misses the mark and
loses the Dickens creative element in favor of the entertainment musical additions).
The Pickwick Papers is a joy to read. Following th adventures of Samuel Pickwick, Augustus Snodgrass, Tracy Tupman and Nathaniel Winkle
has been one of the highlights of the year thus far. No serial killers, vampires, or zombies; no formula plots filled with evil government
conspiracies and heroes doing everything an unheroic manner, just people getting by day by day in the mid-nineteenth century, looking for love,
happiness and fairness within their own sphere of influence.
Here is Charles Dickens doing his best as he presents us with a somewhat Victorian Canterbury Tales. He is the master of writing with a smile
and a twinkle in his eye while the pointed stick in his hand tweaks all those in need of tweaking. It is fascinating to see him extrapolate the grass
to see the field and the twig to see the forest.
Read some Dickens and see the twentieth-first century come alive as you travel through the nineteenth.
Fiction, Fourteenth Century
The read for October 2011
The Divine Comedy
By Dante Alighieri
Couldn't resist this edition of The Divine Comedy when I came across it at Barnes & Noble last year—yes, big box book store do some good things
sometimes—this is a re-do of the original Henry Wadsworth Longfellow translation with the super Gustave Doré illustrations under the Barnes
& Noble imprint. It was a great choice in having a learned poet like Longfellow do the translation of Dante's poetic masterpiece as he does a
marvelous job of giving his translation a strong poetic feel. Only experience that could have been better would to have been able to read it in the
original Italian and marvel at the original poetic text with the proper rhyme and meter.
Haven't thought of re-reading this masterpiece since leaving college a long, long time ago but it was well worth it. References are often made to
Dante's work but actually going over the words is a treat. It's one thing to be obliged to read and study something but to do it one one's own at a
comfortable pace is the true way to appreciate it.
Somewhere in this modern society of ours we seem to have forgotten that the purpose of going to school is to obtain an education and not just a
job. The task is to broaden the mind and to open it; to make it creative; to encourage innovative thought; to learn to analyze and to question
everything around us.
Non-Fiction, Twentieth Century
he read for September 2011
The Best and the Brightest
by David Halberstam
Picked this up at a library book sale when I saw it even though it was written in 1972. I remember reading portions of the book almost forty years
ago and wondered how it would all sound in the twenty-first century, especially with our current plan for exiting Iraq. For those not familiar with
The Best and the Brightest, it is an historical chronicle and analysis of the United States' foreign policy leading up to and through the Vietnam
War.
Halberstam, an author of more than twenty books (many with war as its topic), who died in an automobile accident in 2007, was a Pulitzer Prize
winning journalist who covered the Vietnam War as a foreign correspondent beginning in 1962 and was considered one of the most respected
analysts of the reasons for United States involvement in the conflict.
In The Best and the Brightest he chronicles the basis for the cold war era foreign policy that led to the U.S. involvement in Southeast Asia by
sifting through the leavings of five previous presidential administrations to demonstrate how the finest minds in the country came to be led down
a path that now seems so obviously marked with warning signs. It surely reconfirms the historian's lament of "…those who do not learn from
history are doomed to repeat it." or words to that effect.
The arguments used to justify entering Iraq, Afghanistan and the current saber rattling over Iran are eerily identical to arguments presented in
the late 1950's with regard to Southeast Asia. And yes, it would appear the same poor decisions have been made.
The Best and the Brightest is a fascinating re-read and highly recommended for anyone who would like to learn how good intentions by the best
and brightest minds advising the country's leaders from the 1930's through the Vietnam War could so easily be led astray and it is especially
chilling to see it being repeated.
Some quotes I found interesting.
Westerners always learn the hard way. Respect for the enemy always came when it was too late.
No-one likes government interference in daily life - even Adam and Eve thought God a bit intrusive and heavy handed.
They believed in the capacity of rational men to control irrational commitments.
…the best way for civilians to harness generals was to stay out of war.
Loyalty trumps reason and intelligence.
Vietnam was an example of business methods applied to war.
Government, on both sides of the aisle, has lost the business man, as they no longer see it as a place for them and their sons and daughters to give
back to the country.
Each dead American became one more rational for more dead Americans.
Problems always develop when one tries to sense which way the wind is blowing so as not to be caught going against it.
The art of arguing with your mother-in-law: "You win the first point and move on to the next only to find out you are back at the first."
Some other thoughts:
Never underestimate the power of religious conviction. In a world dominated by "Relativism" it is a bastian of "Absolutism."
There is a difference between being brilliant and being wise.
Should elected officials defer to military leaders on matters of military policy? And if they do is that a violation of the spirit of the constitution
which clearly calls for civilian control of the military?
Fiction, Twentieth Century
The read for August 2011
Fiddler's Green
by Ernest Gann
Reading novels of favorite authors of a half century ago is a true delight. There's something about the writing and the ability to tell a story that is
difficult to find today and Fiddler's Green by Ernest Gann is no exception.
Admittedly, this novel is a bit different from what I'm used to from him, as it deals with commercial fishing. Gann is more remembered for
stories dealing with flying such as Island in the Sky, Fate is the Hunter, The Aviator, In the Company of Eagles and Twilight for the Gods. But,
as with all his stories he brings his life experience to the table as Gann spent time as a commercial fisherman on the West coast—something I
didn't know—which is where the story emanates from.
While the novel was published in 1950 by William Sloan Associates, New York, you will recognize a good deal of it as the subject matter and
stormy ocean scenes are very similar to those appearing in The Perfect Storm. However, I gravitate to the Gann story as I find it richer in
relationships, especially between the father and son, and also the generational divide that begins to disappear when the characters are away from
the corrupting influences of technology and are obliged to depend only upon their basic structures of honesty and integrity.
If you can find a copy at your next library book store or quality used book store, pick it up—especially if you're of a seafaring disposition.
Fiction, Twentieth Century
The read for July 2011
Please Pass the Guilt
by Rex Stout
If only Rex Stout had been writing in the 21st century when the food channel could fully appreciate him. Nero Wolf is the perfect character for a
world obsessed with consuming food, although surely not the food we now consume. Today’s detectives consume fast food by the truckload and
rarely communicate in words of more than two syllables; they’re slim, fit and ready to run a four minute mile with a Big Mac in one hand and a
bowl of chili in the other. Wolf is over three hundred pounds, rarely ever leaves his brownstone in Manhattan, dislikes and distrusts women,
never speaks in less than five syllables and is most often found in his kitchen arguing with his chef over the number of juniper berries to include
in the marinade. What, never read a Nero Wolf mystery by Rex Stout? Well, your literary education is very much unnourished. Find a Nero
Wolf mystery to devour; I’ve never come across a poorly written or inadequately concocted plot and they are all filled with positively delicious
characters. Please Pass the Guilt is a great example. You won’t be disappointed.
Fiction, Twentieth Century
The read for June 2011
Vendetta for the Saint
by Leslie Charteris
Why is it that the great mystery writers of the 20th century seem to have such a leg up on their contemporary cousins? The fast cars, flamboyant
lifestyle, the ease of movement from one culture to another on a worldwide scale, they’re readily available on today’s best seller lists but there’s
something missing isn’t there? Could it be the quality of the writing? Could it be that they focus on the story line and main character rather
than getting lost in extraneous sex and violence descriptions? Simon Templar is surely not a saint when it comes to his interpersonal life and
Charteris makes no attempt to hide it from the reader but he doesn't’t let it get in the way of the story and he doesn't’t write of it exploitatively.
Vendetta for the Saint is a great read and if you're unfamiliar with Charteris and his Simon Templar character I would suggest seeking him out
in your favorite book store.
Fiction, Contemporary
The read for May 2011
Fall of Giants
by Ken Follett
A fascinating look at the world around the World War I. A very well done piece of writing that tries to capture the look and feel of the era. Could
not help making comparisons to the Loss of Eden trilogy by John Masters and especially Heart of War and By the Green of the Spring. Decided to go
back and re-read both volumes and Masters still comes out ahead but for different reasons. Follett is excellent as a story teller and he holds your
interest throughout. Masters, on the other hand-while also a great storyteller-has such a gripping descriptive capability that after reading a
chapter about a trench warfare incident you feel as though you should stand up and brush the dirt and mud off your clothing.
Fiction, Twentieth Century
The read for April 2011
The Jungle
by Upton Sinclair
There's a reason why this novel continues to be relevant today especially with a segment of society believing government regulation is
unnecessary. Yes, Sinclair was a socialist but he took to task both corporations and unions for their uncontrolled exploitation of American
workers where profit and power were more important than life liberty and the pursuit of happiness. A great and important re-read whether you
like Sinclair's personal politics or not.
| New Additions to the Reading List are below and the rest can be found in the reading list page. |
