I’m taking a break from serious reading and doing some reminiscing from my childhood. Just finished Game Six: Cincinnati, Boston, and the 1975 World Series: The Triumph of America’s Pastime by Mark Frost. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Now I’m reading The Machine: A Hot Team, a Legendary Season, and a Heart-stopping World Series: The Story of the 1975 Cincinnati Reds by Joe Posnanski. Sure wish the 2012 Reds were half the team that one was. Or half as colorful.
It is my experience teams and people are usually more colorful in retrospect, even if they were currently colorful. There are always things going on in the background not privy to our current news system, which gets unearthed to titillate us years later.
You’re probably right—I know you’re right in general. But in this case, these guys really were more colorful than most teams. The fans knew it at the time. There were some really big egos on that team, guys that all loved the spotlight and some who where just crazy. They were tremendously talented and many of them were tragically flawed. It is a tribute to the management and in particular to field manager George “Sparky” Anderson, that they were able to get these guys to play together as a team long enough to have two completely dominant seasons and win back-to-back World Series. Sparky was very much under-appreciated at the time.
Just finished Middlekauf’s “Glorious Cause-History of the American Revolution 1763-1787”
Excellent book. Perfect balance between coverage and detail.
It’s independently part of the Oxford series on US history.(book one)
I think I will take a chance on the next book.
Just finished Middlekauf’s “Glorious Cause-History of the American Revolution 1763-1787”
Excellent book. Perfect balance between coverage and detail.
It’s independently part of the Oxford series on US history.(book one)
I think I will take a chance on the next book.
Is it in ebook form? I’d like to read it. One of my 4th great grandfathers fought in the Revolutionary War. He was from SC. I recently found his paperwork for his pension claim. It listed the battles he participated in as well as the details of each battle, movements of the troops and detailing his commanding officers. It was an entirely new perspective of the war.
Just finished Middlekauf’s “Glorious Cause-History of the American Revolution 1763-1787”
Excellent book. Perfect balance between coverage and detail.
It’s independently part of the Oxford series on US history.(book one)
I think I will take a chance on the next book.
Middlekauf’s book is an excellent overview of the war and a great place to start for Rev. War history. He attempts to present a balanced account and does a decent job of focusing in on specific incidents such as the “Boston Massacre” to give a accurate portrayal of the role of the mob and Revere’s spin on it. If you want to pursue this any further I recommend James Flexner’s history of George Washington, “Washington, the indespensible Man”. It’s an easy read but jammed with facts about Washington and the Revolution. Reading biography is one of the best ways to learn about a time period as it provides a focus for the background and the people that influenced the incidents. If you want the British point of view read “rebels and Redcoats” for starters.
Is it in ebook form? I’d like to read it. One of my 4th great grandfathers fought in the Revolutionary War. He was from SC. I recently found his paperwork for his pension claim. It listed the battles he participated in as well as the details of each battle, movements of the troops and detailing his commanding officers. It was an entirely new perspective of the war.
That puts In opposition Asanta, one of my ancestors maternal, great, great,great, great, grandfather fought for the British. He was a Hessian grenadier captured by Washington’s army at the battle of Trenton on Xmas day. He was with the regiment Von Rall. He was paroled and became a farmer here, passing his height to me (all grenadiers had to be at least 6 feet tall. 30,000 came here and 10,000 stayed. This kept my mother out of the DAR!
Just finished Middlekauf’s “Glorious Cause-History of the American Revolution 1763-1787”
Excellent book. Perfect balance between coverage and detail.
It’s independently part of the Oxford series on US history.(book one)
I think I will take a chance on the next book.
Is it in ebook form? I’d like to read it. One of my 4th great grandfathers fought in the Revolutionary War. He was from SC. I recently found his paperwork for his pension claim. It listed the battles he participated in as well as the details of each battle, movements of the troops and detailing his commanding officers. It was an entirely new perspective of the war.
I don’t know about e-book availability Asanta. That’s awesome about your fore-father! I would recommend a more detailed book on battles-specifically S.C. battles. I’m sure this book might touch on some of the battles your Great Grandfather fought in, but I’m sure you could do better with another book.(detail wise)
Just finished Middlekauf’s “Glorious Cause-History of the American Revolution 1763-1787”
Excellent book. Perfect balance between coverage and detail.
It’s independently part of the Oxford series on US history.(book one)
I think I will take a chance on the next book.
Middlekauf’s book is an excellent overview of the war and a great place to start for Rev. War history. He attempts to present a balanced account and does a decent job of focusing in on specific incidents such as the “Boston Massacre” to give a accurate portrayal of the role of the mob and Revere’s spin on it. If you want to pursue this any further I recommend James Flexner’s history of George Washington, “Washington, the indespensible Man”. It’s an easy read but jammed with facts about Washington and the Revolution. Reading biography is one of the best ways to learn about a time period as it provides a focus for the background and the people that influenced the incidents. If you want the British point of view read “rebels and Redcoats” for starters.
Cap’t Jack
I started with Magellan Jack, I’m just working my way up the timeline to present day USA. I definitely will revisit this subject in more detail. I think you will be an excellent resource in discovering more books on the subject. Thanks.
I started with Magellan Jack, I’m just working my way up the timeline to present day USA. I definitely will revisit this subject in more detail. I think you will be an excellent resource in discovering more books on the subject. Thanks.
That’s a great book Vyasma, I can work up a short biblio. For you and hope you continue your interest. BTW, while we’re on the subject, on another thread, you might read “Thomas Jefferson, an Intimate Portrait” by Fawn Brody. She did 12 years of research on Jefferson and uncovered his relationship with his wife’s slave Sally Hemmings who was also his wife’s half sister. Jefferson fathered several children with Sally and they were reported to be light skinned and freckled! DNA tests on descendants confirmed that he was the father. Interesting stuff!
Oops, also forgot to add that this controversy concerning Jefferson’s liaison with Sally is still ongoing despite the DNA claims. The definitive bio is by historian Dumas Malone. Very detailed and well researched. Malone was a professor emeritus at U.Va.
The man who provided the dna for comparison thought it unfair that white claimants needed little proof to be accepted as descendents, but these families were blocked at every turn and made to jump incredible hoops for their claim. I think he was the only one who offered to compare his dna to theirs.
Just finished Middlekauf’s “Glorious Cause-History of the American Revolution 1763-1787”
Excellent book. Perfect balance between coverage and detail.
It’s independently part of the Oxford series on US history.(book one)I think I will take a chance on the next book.
Just a quick correction. I searched for more info on the Oxford Series History of the US. A wiki lists the series in more detail. I guess “Glorious Cause” is book no. 3. Oxford Press has commisioned authors to write the volumes but some are not finished yet.
On the inside cover of my copy, it lists Glorious as being the first book.
If you get a chance Vyasma read Mcpherson’s “Battle Cry of Freedom”. It’s part of the series and I recommend it as the best single volume on the Civil war. It’s a comprehensive coverage of the background to the war and dispels the myth of States Rights as the cause. It answers the revisionist contention as opposed to slavery as the primary cause. He also includes vignettes of the arguments in Congress and the attitudes of both sections including us here in the border states. Also, there are several new volumes out in the series including one by Gordon Wood. I had a chance to talk to McPherson while at Gettysburg. He had just published his book and was on a book signing tour there. Needless to say it’s a well researched monograph and not at all a “drum and trumpet” history.
