Published in May of 2022, “Lieutenant General James Longstreet: Innovative Military Strategist: The Most Misunderstood Civil War General” is a biography of James Longstreet during the Civil War. An argument is made that he was a greater general than history portrayed him and, if General Lee had followed his recommendations, several battles would not have been fought or would have worked out much better in the favor of the Confederacy. (E.g. Gettysburg.)
Lieutenant General James Longstreet
My Thoughts
I love a good Civil War book in general. However, this one went a little bit further in the weeds than I would have liked. He did make a compelling argument about Longstreet’s ability but I don’t have the expertise to fact check him. Still, it seemed very detailed and I enjoyed it.
Published in July of 2023, “Lexington: The Extraordinary Life and Turbulent Times of America’s Legendary Racehorse” is a book by Kim Wickens who is a lawyer who became interested in Lexington when she heard so many Triple Crown winners were descended from him. Lexington, the horse, was a legendary 19th-century American Thoroughbred racehorse known for his exceptional speed and dominance on the track. Born in 1850, he quickly gained fame as a two-year-old, winning all of his races and establishing a reputation as one of the finest racehorses of his era. Renowned for his striking appearance, impressive stature, and remarkable athleticism, Lexington continued to achieve victory throughout his racing career, earning him the title of one of the greatest American racehorses of all time. His legacy extended beyond the track, as he became a highly influential sire, passing on his exceptional genetics to future generations of racehorses, shaping the sport for years to come.
Lexington
My Thoughts
Initially, I saw the title of the book “Lexington” and the publication date of last month and thought, “Sweet! A new book on the Civil War!” Obviously, this wasn’t the case. I was very surprised the book was about an 170 year old horse. Fortunately, or unfortunately depending on the context, I’m interested in everything and this was something I had no idea about.
Horses… Of all the things I’ve been exposed to in my life, horses cause the biggest allergic reaction. I can just stand downwind from a horse and find it hard to breathe. Long story short, I’ve not enjoyed them at all. I have ridden a few over the years, while heavily medicated, and just didn’t see the attraction. I would take a motorcycle over these giant smelly animals with a mind of their own any day of the week. Still, I’m certainly able to read a book and this seemed to be a good opportunity.
Almost everything about the story was new to me. I loved the tie ins to the Civil War and how Lexington and his offspring played such an interesting role. General Grant’s horse “Cincinnati” was famous in his own right and was Lexington’s colt. In fact, so many of Lexington’s children ended up throughout the United States the author makes the claim that it would be nearly impossible to find a Thoroughbred horse without being somehow descended from Lexington. We might as well call him the Abraham of horses.
Published in 2013, “Countdown to Dallas” is by Paul Brandus exploring the events leading up to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. The book examines the lives of both Kennedy and Lee Harvey Oswald, and it debunks various theories about who was responsible for the assassination. Brandus argues that the assassination was at the hands of Oswald and gives compelling evidence of the series of events that led to that day in Dallas.
Countdown to Dallas
My Thoughts
I never saw the movie “JFK” by Oliver Stone but Paul Brandus doesn’t seem to have a high opinion of it. In fact, he takes every opportunity to show where it was in error. I also had no idea of the time Oswald lived in Russia or his communist ties. I didn’t know he idealized Cuban Marxism or that he was so far down the end of his rope. I was gratified to hear that the Marines kicked him out. He sounds like a real piece of work.
However, if all the above were true, I can certainly understand why it wouldn’t be such a great idea to inform everyone of exactly who this guy was and what he was about as it would certainly cause issues. Of course, it did anyway and that is a worthy story in of itself.
Recommendation
I enjoyed it. The book seems to be well researched and written but there is still some tangible bias in his language. It’s enough that makes me want to delve further.
Written back in 1953, A Stillness at Appomattox is the last book in the “Army of the Potomac” series by Bruce Catton. It picks up with General Grant’s entrance into the war and the battle’s in Spotsylvania.
A Stillness at Appomattox
My Thoughts
A very enjoyable read! I like history and particularly when it is in my backyard. I hopped in the car and went to the Spotsylvania battlefield to visit where most of this book took place. It really is amazing what we can learn by paying attention to the people who went before us.
Recommendations
I really enjoyed the book. However, it hasn’t been sanitized for modern readers as it was written in the 50s and directly quotes the people who lived in the 1840s. If you are so easily offended, perhaps a history book isn’t for you.
Written in Feb of 2023, Putin’s World is a history of both Russia and Vladimir Putin. The book attempts to illustrate how Russia sees itself in the world and why Vladimir Putin has been so successful maintaining leadership in the post Soviet era.
Putin’s World
My Thoughts
This book was very interesting on a number of fronts. Having lived in Eastern Europe for a while, I had been exposed to the pride and even arrogance found in some of those cultures. I believe President Trump played to this perfectly even if he didn’t fully understand what he was doing. It does make me wonder where we would be in the Ukraine if he had another term in office.
There were a number of newer concepts that, I’m sorry to say, I didn’t think much about. I hadn’t really thought much of Russia as seeing itself as an Asian power rather than European. Of course, that doesn’t make much sense given the location and how it sees itself. It was simply a reflection of my ethnocentrism… I’m glad I had a chance to learn more and I look forward to more opportunities.
Recommendation
Great book on understanding Russia and it’s current president.
Published in September of 2022, Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter is the biography of our 39th President and his wife.
Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter
My Thoughts
At over 900 pages, I had been working on this book for some time. Most of it happened well before I was born but it was a pleasure to learn some of the backstory and gaps in my knowledge.
This bio seemed to be pretty balanced and was exhaustive.
First published in March of 1830, The Book of Mormon is the cornerstone book of scripture for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. It is meant to go hand in hand with the Bible to bring all people to Christ.
The Book of Mormon
My Thoughts
I like to put this in here every now and then when I finish the book. I read a little bit out of it every day so I finish it about once every 8 months or so. Love it or not, it has done me a world of good.
Published in 2012, A Peculiar People is the narrative of the emergence of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and the state of the world at the time. J. Spencer Fluhman makes the arguement that “Mormonism” was so persecuted at least partly due to the social and economic issues in mid 17th century America.
A Peculiar People
My Thoughts
The book tries to keep as neutral as possible. In fact, I’m still not sure if Fluhman is on one side or the other on the debate against my religion. However, it did bring up a number of fairly interesting points about the state of our nation at that time.
Recommendation
I’m on the fence with this one. It was good background knowledge but I didn’t enjoy it. I appreciate the author trying not to pick a side.
Published in May of 2019, “The Pioneers” is a history of a handful of white men who settled “the Ohio” (future states of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin) during the American expansion.
The Pioneers
My Thoughts
For a more modern book, I was surprised that it mentioned relatively little about the native Americans who were already in the area. This history is very much written from the perspective of the American citizens who were moving West in what may be called “the Midwest”. (That term always cracked me up. If you look at a map of the United States, no one would have called that area the MidWest…)
Not having grown up in that area, pretty much all of it was new to me so I really enjoyed it. It gave me a view of American culture that I hadn’t been aware of and and understanding of what happened in the area.
Published in February of 2020, Franklin and Washington: The Founding Partnership, is the biography and comparison and contrast of our founding fathers George Washington and Benjamin Franklin.
Franklin & Washington
My Thoughts
A very enjoyable read and a novel approach to subject matter that has been well documented. I really enjoyed the comparisons and the narrative of the relationship between these two men.
