I never much cared for fiction. All of my reading is limited to biographies, true accounts or history. Here three of the most recent reads.
The Man without a Face. The Unlikely Rise of Vladimir Putin. If you want to learn who Vladimir Putin really is this is the book to read. It tells how a communist tenement building thug came to be a KGB paper pusher and the iron fisted megalomaniac running Russia today. A real Eye opener that sheds a big light on the events that led to his rise to power, his role in them as well as recent events in Russia and the Ukraine.
Glock, the Rise of America's Gun is the unlikely story of how Gaston Glock an Austrian curtain rod maker and radiator repairman came to create what has become the best selling handgun in America.
Cod, a fantastic story of the fish that fueled the world economy of the 18th and 19th century and the three way trade it created between North America, Europe and the Caribbean.
these all sound interesting. i only read biographies. i can't do fiction.
ReplyDeleteJaz, you can't go wrong with either one, I enjoyed all. Kurlansky also has a few companion books to COD, on the same vein, that sound interesting and I look forward to reading next. SALT, Big Oyster, The Last Fish Tale, and Birdseye. All on the historical and economic context of food staples. I think you would enjoy those as well. http://www.markkurlansky.com/
ReplyDeleteThe book on Glocks looks the most interesting to me. I'm not a big Glock fan but I have several of them. Most of what I know about Glocks is second hand.
ReplyDeleteHarry: The Glock book is not so much about the pistol itself for as you know the design is quite simple and could summed up in one paragraph. The book is about Gaston Glock and the company he created because he was in the right place at the right time and how as a total outsider to the industry he was not afraid to break with tradition as it all was new to him anyhow. Not only was the designs a break form tradition but so was his whole approach to the industry. A true rags to riches account that tells the how and why of the success as a company and shows the methods and characters, good and bad that helped it succeed where the known purveyors were lagging behind. It is a fast fun read that will keep your attention. As a firearms aficionado I have no doubt you would appreciate it.
DeleteThey sound interesting books. I'm learning about seed saving and vegetable breeding through books at the moment and I'm being obsessed with it as usual. I love looking at the history of certain things so all three books appeal to me.
ReplyDeleteKev: I think you would like all three. I was thinking of you when I put this post up. The three books are on distinct subjects but all are well written and hold the interest of the reader. I especially enjoyed the Putin book as it really explains a lot of things that underlie the current (and recent past) events we see just barely touched upon by the alphabet soup news media. A real cloak and dagger account of the modern political scene in Rusia today. I also think you would really get a kick out of the Kurlanski books as they put some very crucial food items in a historical context and how entire societies and economies developed around these products.
DeleteI know what you mean about the third book, sometimes it's almost impossible for us to understand the scale that things were done in the past with thousands involved in an industry that's barely there any more.
DeleteI might give that one on Putin a read. He certainly is interesting, especially in his Russian media portrayal. I recommend "Folks, This Ain't Normal" by Joel Salatin. Great read!
ReplyDeleteMark: I am certain you will enjoy the Putin book. It ties in well with current events barely touched on by our media. I shall look for the Salatin book at the library.
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