Tag Archives: history

Simon Winchester: The Man Who Loved China

Reading Simon Winchester is a bit like listening to a well-traveled friend at a cocktail party who’s always just come back from somewhere, brimming with interesting stories about people you would otherwise never have heard of. His previous books, among … Continue reading

Posted in Books | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

William Least Heat Moon’s Long and Winding “Roads”

William Least Heat-Moon’s Roads to Quoz is subtitled “An American Mosey.” While that’s appropriate enough, it’s equally applicable to his previous offerings, Blue Highways, PrairyErth, and River Horse. And therein lies, or doesn’t lie, the problem, depending on your particular … Continue reading

Posted in Books | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Studs Terkel, 1912-2008

For an idea of just what we lost when writer and broadcaster Studs Terkel passed on October 31, leaf through a copy of My American Century (1997), which cherry-picks the best bits from such earlier volumes as The “Good” War, Race, … Continue reading

Posted in Books, Rear-View Mirror | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

It Was the ? of Times…

I read an article recently that puts a magnifying glass up to a small chunk of the zeitgeist, wondering aloud (or on paper, at least) whether we’re living in the worst of times. Granted, these are not the best of … Continue reading

Posted in Politics | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Nicholson Baker: Human Smoke

Nicholson Baker’s latest offering, Human Smoke: The Beginnings of World War II, the End of Civilization traces the devolution of humanity and human nature as weaponry and tactics evolve. War has never been civilized business, but Baker shows the dizzying … Continue reading

Posted in Books, Politics | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment