American History

[thanatopsy]

I believe this is the Truman book recommended by Gintaras:

http://www.amazon.com/Cross-Iron-National-Security-19451954/dp/0521795370/ref=sr_1_4/105-5791205-4542015?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1184244624&sr=1-4


RW endorsed it as well.

[thanatopsy]

weezo,

I started this round of recommended reading by suggesting,


http://www.amazon.com/Cross-Iron-National-Security-19451954/dp/0521795370/ref=sr_1_4/105-5791205-4542015?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1184244624&sr=1-4


Please consider this one as it appears to be a good subject.

BTW, Gintaras also recommended,

http://www.amazon.com/Cross-Iron-National-Security-19451954/dp/0521795370/ref=sr_1_4/105-5791205-4542015?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1184244624&sr=1-4

... which also sounds like a good topic but is lengthy.


Correct me if I'm wrong but I believe we have not read any book recommended by Gintaras in quite a while so my vote is for Truman.

[weezo]

Thank you Than, I have added the book to the list. I hope to get the poll compiled tonight or tomorrow ready for voting. I don't know how it will work with 33 entries, but I don't want to cut it down and leave off someone's good idea!

[archeus]

I just found this forum and I just finished The Shakespeare Riots, so apologies for chipping in late. As a theater practitioner, I was at first surprised by the ending too. But then I read the last endnote, which applies to the brief comment "Though America's attachment to Shakespeare would revive": "The twentieth century's gathering Shakespeare revival had severeal inspirations: the stars who rebelled against the monopoly system; the brave souls who set out to revive repertory; and the downfall of realism..." Cliff ends his note with a mention of Joseph Papp, the genius behind Shakespeare in the Park. My feeling is that he was tying up his story with the aftermath of the riot, rather than trying to take things up to the present day. The other books I've read on this chapter of theater history echo his concluding theme: that at the end of the 19th century, there was vaudeville and comic-realistic plays for the masses, and Culture for the elite. One of the points I took from the book was that throughout the time Cliff describes, theater was purely commercial - there were no sponsors supporting cheap tickets to "improving" plays, since at the time it was popular entertainment and seen as no more special or in need of help than tv or movies today. Probably it took a while before we realized what we'd missed and theater lovers started doing something about it. On the other hand, it's still the eternal struggle to get new audiences to watch plays - in that way it seems the period Cliff describes did have something in common with Shakespeare's age, when everyone would go to the theater nightly. Edward Herrmann's review in the WSJ captured that poignant sense of loss. It was sort of unbearable to read aobut. Maybe I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt, but I thought Cliff was describing things as they were then, not being elitist about theater today. I came away with the sense that he thought something important had been lost - let's hope it's true that it's partly been recovered today.

[weezo]

Folks,

I have just uploaded the poll. I'm not sure why the lines are so short, which makes the poll even longer than it is.

Let's try to get the first rounding of voting done by July 31. After that, I will eliminate those titles with no votes, and, if necessary those with a single vote (depending on how the votes go), and we will have another round of voting on the ones people are really interested in.

Hope this is satisfactory to all on this thread.

[Dzimas]

I assume we will have a runoff.

[weezo]

You assume right, Dzimas. I am figuring it will take a week for everyone to vote and I can clean up the list on the 31st.

[Dzimas]

Thanks for the support, thanatopsy.  But, I have not read the book so I can't vouch for it specifically.  I chose it mostly for the subject matter.

[Dzimas]

The new bio of Dean Acheson also looks very interesting, but at 800 pages is a bit much I think.

http://www.amazon.com/Dean-Acheson-Life-Cold-War/dp/0195045785/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/105-5791205-4542015?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1185376906&sr=1-1

The photo makes him look like a character out of a 40s film noir.

[Dzimas]

BTW, weezo, thanks for assuming this burdensome task.

[Lhoffman]

Archeus...nice post.  I re-read the ending of the book, and the end-notes as well.  Your point is well-taken.

[Bob]

I just voted for 1421. The poll is a great idea--thanks for tracking for us weezo...

[weezo]

Dzimas,

I will put the Dean Acheson book on the start of a list for September since I already have the list for August posted. Perhaps by then it will be in paperback?

[weezo]

Glad to be of help. With so many wonderful suggestions, it just seemed a good idea to use a poll to decide. I will save the old polls so we can reconsider some books at a later date that don't make it the first time they are presented for selection. I will also keep a running list of suggestions as we go, so it isn't such a task to collect all the suggestions.

[thanatopsy]

I just voted for Truman but now see that it is listed twice. Well, at least two votes for that book.

At the moment I am reading Bitter Harvest - Richmond Flowers and the Civil Rights Movement by John Hayman.  Flowers' role in promoting civil rights has been lost to history for the most part.  He sacrificed much and paid a heavy price for his work.  He should never be forgotten for his contribution to making the American Dream a reality for a great many people.