Founding Partisans

 

Founding Partisans – H.W. Brands

It’s always a bit of a letdown and mild shock when you come across one of your favorite authors and you end up not enjoying the book. Such was the case here. H.W. Brands has written a boatload of American History – I’m guessing I’ve read maybe 10 of his works. I’ve never been disappointed until this one. Was it the subject matter? The fact that the well had run a bit dry? The fact that I didn’t learn much that I already knew? Was I feeling grumpy?  Probably a bit of all of this.

The subject matter is the first 25 years or so after America’s independence. The focus is the fact that the leaders of the country, like today, really didn’t get along based on their particular politics and ideologies, and so there was a lot of squabbling back and forth.  The main players are John Adams and Alexander Hamilton on one side (the Federalists) and Thomas Jefferson and James Madison on the other (The Democrat-Republicans).

There was actually an awful lot of history to cover during this timeframe, and the author tries to cover it all in somewhat brief snippets.  The main focus, though, is the politics, and it simply didn’t make very interesting reading.  In many ways I felt like I was reading 25 years worth of newspaper articles. What made this reading a bit tougher was the fact that Brands includes a lot verbatim records of what each of these players actually said during whatever  the hot topic of the day was.  This could be a bit of a slog since public figures used a lot more heavy verbiage 250 years ago.  It probably would have been enough to simply summarize what these individuals thought, and maybe include a literal passage here and there, but it’s simply too much.

The saving grace of this book is that it does tell us that partisan politics isn’t anything new. In our fractured political climate of the 2020s, we tend to romanticize the past and think that things were somewhat harmonious in the days of yesteryear, but this simply isn’t the case. This book probes it. However, it must be said that the way this book was written simply didn’t add any feeling or specific insight that was necessary. There have been much better books written about this time period, and the author himself has had masses of success with his other books.

Check this author out. Hie’s great. Just don’t start with this one.

The Ghost

 

The Ghost – Robert Harris

This was a bit of a strange one. Not strange in terms of content, but strange in terms of not really what I was expecting from this author. Robert Harris, I can now honestly say, is one of my favorite authors in the mystery/history department. I guess you can call him “historical fiction” but his works seem a bit different than those that I’ve read who fit into that particular genre. Harris tends to write about well known historical events, and fill them with a fictitious tale of mystery and intrigue. From my perspective he always succeeds. This one is a bit different – at least on the surface.

The “Ghost” is a ghostwriter. We never learn of his name as the story is told in first person. ‘Ghost’ has been challenged to ghost write an autobiography of a former controversial British Prime Minister (Adam Lang) who, according to the tabloids at least, took a bit of liberty with the law while in office and managed to due some illegal killing where alleged terrorists may or may not have been involved. Some have argued that this story is a thin-veiled attempt to really tell the story of the Tony Blair administration.  Perhaps, but such similarities were not completely necessary.

As the story begins, the original ghost writer who is assigned to ‘write’ the autobiography dies mysteriously off the coast of Martha’s Vinyard which is where Lang now resides. ‘Ghost’ soon arrives and picks up the task while trying to uncover several strange occurrences. Did the first ghost writer really die of a suicide?  Was Lang really involved in illegal activities? What other strange things may or may not be involved?

What makes this story a bit unique (and a bit better) is that author Robert Harris introduces to the world of ghost writing. Oh sure, the story by itself is a good one, and it can probably stand on its own, but it’s a fun learning experience to learn about such an occupation.  Example: Adam Lang has already ‘written’ his autobiography, but ‘Ghost’ has to make it interesting enough to where it will actually sell some books.  It’s humorous when ‘Ghost’ begins to flip through the manuscript and feels a churn in his stomach while reading just how dull and lifeless this account is.  Sometimes readers (me and you) need to be reminded just how difficult it is to write well.

So the story is adequate and the reader learns more about the intriguing world of ghost writing.  To be honest, I was hoping and expecting more from Robert Harris, but this was a good read and the pages turned rather nicely in the ‘quickness’ department.  It’s definitely one of Harris’ least consequential works, but it was overall enjoyable just the same.

Anxious People

Anxious People – Frederic Bakman

This is one of those novels that manages to be hilarious, sweet, and depressing all at once. As the author Frederic Bakman tells us early on in the novel, “This is a story about idiots”. Yes, it is, but they’re lovable idiots all the same. Even the ones who really aren’t that cuddly still manage to make us root for them and we understand why they may not be particularly pleasant.

This is one of those stories that really doesn’t have that much of a story. It’s really an introspective tale where we get to know the cast of characters even though not a lot of action occurs.  We meet a bank robber who really isn’t a bank robber. As soon as we know the bank robber’s background and present situation, we have sympathy.  This “bank robbing” isn’t an occupation, it’s a one-time event that happens due to an unfortunate situation that occurs due to nothing other than what one could call dire straits.

It’s never a good thing when one attempts to rob a bank and then discover during the robbery that the bank doesn’t even carry cash. Such a modern world we live in. So when the unsuccessful thief runs away, the only place nearby is an apartment that is currently being shown to a group of people by a real estate agent.  Imagine being at a somewhat innocent apartment showing when an intruder barges in waving a gun while wearing a ski mask. The gun doesn’t even look real, but let’s not go there.

Well, since the bank robber really isn’t a bank robber, we know that these innocent bystanders won’t actually get hurt, but we have a hostage situation regardless.  We spend most of the story inside the apartment building getting to know all of these people a bit better.  Most of them have a somewhat colorless sad existence, but there’s still plenty to laugh at.

There’s a little more to the story.  The police in this small (somewhere in Sweden, I think) town consists of a father and son (Jim and Jack) and we learn about their fragile yet touching relationship as all of this drama unfolds.  There’s also a bridge in this town that serves as a background to the story. It seems like this bridge is known for a suicide or two with other “unsuccessful” attempts at ending one’s life as well.

So with all of this going on, we manage to laugh out loud a lot, but we genuinely feel for all of these people.  Author Frederic Bakman has written several novels with this sort of theme that runs through them – people who aren’t quite with it, and they let out their frustrations through anger and a sense of hopelessness. Yet the reader can see that they’re actually hurting and we really do desire a happy ending for all of the parties.

I’ve read several of Bakman’s books, and I’ve been mostly satisfied. This one was possibly the best.  An internet search shows that there are dedicated fan pages and “book clubs” where readers can discuss their assumptions and conclusions about this bizarre set of characters in this well-told story.  This is a sign of a great book. A book that when you’re done reading, you’re not quite ready to let the characters go.  Having resources available when you can reflect and compare notes just makes you more attuned to the story and the characters.  This was a lovely experience and well worth the time. A book that might even appeal to those who don’t find any sort of satisfaction from reading, even.

Terms of Endearment

Terms of Endearment – Larry McMurtry

Before I begin the actual review of this book, a little bit of personal history (this is, after all, a blog).  When I was in Junior High and early Senior High, I was never a book reader. The only time I ever read a “proper” book was if I had seen the movie.  So I read ‘Jaws’ and the ‘Star Wars’ books, but other than that, the idea of reading a real actual book seemed awfully intimidating. Around my Sophomore year in High School, I picked up a copy of Stephen King’s The Stand, and I was able to put away that intimidating fear for good.

I mention this because I would guess that the reason many people picked up this book was because they saw the movie, and the movie was an Academy Award winning smash hit.  I also imagine a lot of those readers were probably disappointed.  For those who are a novice to the process of a novel becoming a movie, it can be quite jarring to see just how much can get changed.  There’s a lot of money involved when books become movies and those who write the checks want to ensure they get a proper return on their investment.  So often big changes are made for the big screen.

I did see the movie. January 1984. A long time ago. I remember it being a great movie (and a very good choice for a 17-year-old to take a date) but it was a long time ago.  I never would have picked up the book except for the fact that it was authored by Larry McMurtry.  A bit of a shock since McMurtry is mainly known for his ‘Lonesome Dove’ novel along with its sequels and his many other various western adventures.

And the book is very good. It’s funny and it’s sweet. It’s introspective and the characters are very well thought out. The story is about Aurora Greenway.  She’s a widow in her late forties and quite wealthy.  She’s not in any rush to get old or pine away for her deceased husband.  Whether it’s fear, loneliness, or a combination of the two, she has a light-hearted acerbic view of her latter-day life.  She’s determined to march to her own beat and not let anyone else dictate how she is to live her life.

The novel describes this 48-year-old as “buxom” and….well….she has plenty of suitors. Most of them are rich older men who chase her all over the place.  She must be some catch to have this much attention.  She has every one of these men wrapped around her little finger, and is quite happy keeping things as is.  One gets the impression that she’s afraid to settle with any of them since that will rob her of whatever youth she has left.  So these men chase her, woo her, buy her flowers and other expensive gifts, yet at the same time they scream an awful lot at her as she resists many of her advances.  Love has a way of making us behave rather stupidly.

Then there’s her 22-year old daughter Emma who lives across town in a garage apartment with her new husband Flap.  Emma seems an awful lot unlike her mother and the two have a rather odd relationship. There doesn’t seem to be much tenderness, yet you get the feeling that their constant bickering has been going on for the entirety of Emma’s life, so Emma never gets fazed with her mother’s consistent ill-natured comments.  As the story begins, Emma finds herself pregnant, and although Aurora never says so directly, we suspect that she’s horrified that she’s actually old enough to be a grandmother.  What will all of her suitors think?

Then there’s Aurora’s long suffering maid Rosie who although is an employee of Aurora, you can’t help but think that Rosie is the main person that Aurora needs in her life to keep her flamboyant behavior in check.  Rosie has a husband Royce who would never win any Husband-of-the-Year contest, and we read an awful lot of their putrid lives when Rosie isn’t working in Aurora’s mansion.

The last 50 pages of the book shifts focus, and we now read more about Emma. The story fast forwards ten years, and Emma and Flap have a less than stellar marriage. They now have three kids, a hard time tolerating each other, and a host of extra-marital affairs. It’s during this time that we finally see Aurora and Emma develop somewhat of a bond. It’s sweet but not really surprising. The wonderful thing about McMurtry is that even though insults roll off the tongue of Aurora constantly, we also know that deep down she really is just trying to desperately stop the wheels of time from aging her.

So regardless of whether or not you’ve seen the Academy Award film, the book is very sweet and will leave the reader feeling satisfied. Just don’t expect a carbon copy of the movie.

 

Paris 1919: Six Months That Changed the World

 

Paris 1919: Six Months That Changed the World – Margaret MacMilllan

As someone such as myself who loves to read about history, this massive offering by Margaret MacMillan richly satisfied my cravings. First, the book itself is wonderful and detailed. Second, even though I’ve easily read 8-10 books already about World War I, it was still an enrapturing read where I was still able to learn many things. And third, probably most importantly, I was exposed to a wealth of knowledge about many of the minor countries and characters that I knew nothing about prior to reading. Most of those chapters detailing said events in history could have their own self-standing volumes and, since they probably do, only made someone such as myself want to pick up these history books and digest more.

At the end of the great war and short-lived relief, the question then becomes “what next”? How do the spoils get divided?  Do we punish the losers?  Do boundaries and geographies simply go back to the way they were before the calamity began?  Should some victorious countries get more booty since they sacrificed more men and more material?  

Ironically, I’m somewhat reminded of the plot of the farcical film “It’s a Mad Mad Mad Mad World”. No matter how hard all of the protagonists decide the split up the eventual reward, everyone is basically only looking out for themselves.  Greed is a selfish monster.  We meet the ‘Big Four’ who represent some of the victorious allies.  There’s Woodrow Wilson of the United States, Georges Clemenceau of France, David Lloyd George of England, and Vittorio Orlando of Italy.  To be honest, I was never quite sure why Italy was considered for inclusion within this powerful fraternity. They didn’t seem to be a particularly relevant part of the alliance, and as the narrative progresses, Orlando and Italy seem to be somewhat demoted to minor characters in the proceedings.

Which, I guess, leaves the “Big 3”. Author Margaret MacMillan devotes ample and necessary page space to the backgrounds, the history, and the motivations of each of these main players. Let’s just say that the reader is left with an undesirable feeling for all three.  Altruism is the last thing any of them want, and it’s clear that this “new world” is going to have to have an arbitrary leader, and all three push for their respective country to have the main part of this still unwritten global play.

This book could have been about 1/3 the length that it was, but fortunately the author realizes that there are too many important stories to tell about too many countries, so most of the minor players get entire chapters. This is a good thing, despite the thickness of the overall finished product. There is so much to learn about the many countries that participated. My guess is that those who are somewhat familiar with “The War to End All Wars” still know very little about the doomed Ottoman Empire, the conflict between Japan and China (yes, they were in the war too), or about the role of such places like Rumania (now ‘Romania’).   Ask yourself this: do you think many people would have ever known who T.E. Lawrence was had it not been for the 1962 film “Lawrence of Arabia”?  Of course, now that the film is more than sixty years old, many younger people wouldn’t know anyway.  Never mind.

One huge benefit to this book is that the beginning contains a wide variety of maps of Europe and Asia both pre-war and post-war.  Never has a book needed this more than this one.  A huge part of the constant bickering at this peace conference revolves around settling disputes of territorial boundaries.  If I’m completely honest, it was a bit much after a while.  Once the chapter about the particular country would bleed into the meticulous details of what part of what country would change after the fighting, my head would start to spin. It was the least interesting aspect of this book, and it is covered in quite a lot of detail. Yes, it’s important and everything, just not very interesting; which is why the maps really do help.   

What’s (incredibly) more interesting is the stories of the important people, the places, the mood of the country before the war, why they fought on the side they did, and how they attempted to pick up the pieces once the guns stopped. 1919 (the year, not the book) really was a huge mess, and most would argue that it never was cleaned up the way it should have been. This would lead to the inevitable second world war a mere two decades later and, most would argue, still has horrible repercussions today.

The one thing about this book that surprised me was the lack (what I thought) of detail about the reparations placed on the shoulders of the big loser, Germany.  History has shown us that Germany was punished far too harshly for its part of the conflict, and that aspect is definitely covered in this book, it just didn’t seem like there was an incredible amount of detail that was focused on this particular aspect.  Such details would probably demand its own book, and I’m sure there have been many that have been written. I didn’t see this lack of detail as a disappointment, yet rather a surprise.

Overall this was a wonderful book on so many levels. It sadly makes you wonder if human nature can ever evolve to where powerful countries can every become less competitive and more caring. It seems as though in order to secure one’s place on the global map, one has to push their way forward in terms of strength, otherwise, the country will never get a proper seat at the negotiations table.  In other words, kill or be killed.

A fascinating, yet somewhat sad, look at human nature and how the inner demons of mankind led to one of the most globally destructive events in human history.