Books with Lost Reviews
I have been writing book reviews for most of my post-college years. Previously, I published them on a Facebook app that compiled all of my books. Unfortunately, the app shut down some years ago before I could save the list and my writing. Here is an incomplete compilation of books I read after college and found interesting. For the most part, they are not in any particular order, though I have grouped a few by theme. I also added some brief comments for the more noteworthy books.
Twilight at Monticello by Deckle Edge
This book nurtured the seeds of affection I have for the Revolutionary War and prompted the next three books below, which I read in sequence.
1776 by David McCullough
This is the first book I read by McCullough, and it is a wonderful primer for those new to the subject of the Revolutionary War
John Adams by David McCullough
Six Frigates: The Epic History of the Founding of the U. S. Navy by Ian Toll
Toll’s book is one of my favorites. The book is a good reminder that a return to colony status was a real possibility in the War of 1812. Six Frigates is similar to David McCullough’s style of writing with vivid and crisp narratives.
1984 by George Orwell
Somehow, I made it through high school and college without receiving this book as an assignment. I’m glad I read it in early adulthood because it remains one of my favorite books and still my top choice for dystopian novels.
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
I read Brave New World shortly after finishing 1984. I once thought readers had to choose one of the two as the most likely means that a government might control the masses. Yet there are notable traits from both that seem increasingly real today, which speaks to the timelessness and effectiveness of the books.
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
Fahrenheit 451 completes triumvirate for my list of dystopian novels. It is a hair below 1984 for me, but I adore Bradbury’s work and think often of Professor Faber’s insight on the importance of learning and discussion:
“Man, when I was younger I shoved my ignorance in people’s faces. They beat me with sticks. By the time I was forty my blunt instrument had been honed to a fine cutting point for me. If you hide your ignorance, no one will hit you and you’ll never learn.”
The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
Sea of Glory: America's Voyage of Discovery, the U.S. Exploring Expedition, 1838-1842 by Nathaniel Philbrick
Master of the Senate by Robert Caro
Caro’s book in monstrously long but endlessly captivating. It is a must-read handbook for anyone who works in politics with insight and advice from start to finish.
Tinkers by Paul Harding
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy by John le Carré
Mornings on Horseback: The Story of an Extraordinary Family, a Vanished Way of Life, and the Unique Child Who Became Theodore Roosevelt by David McCullough
Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin
The first half of the book was more engaging than the second, but I’m so pleased I had Team of Rivals as my introduction to Doris Kearns Goodwin. She is a treasure, and her writing is some of the best history available.
The Great Bridge: The Epic Story of the Building of the Brooklyn Bridge by David McCullough
Welcome to the Monkey House by Kurt Vonnegut
I read this in college as opposed to independent adulthood, but I list it here as my introduction to Vonnegut who greatly shaped my approach to writing. “Harrison Bergeron” remains one of my favorite short stories.
Scorecasting: The Hidden Influences Behind How Sports Are Played and Games Are Won by Tobias Moskowitz
Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything by Steven Levitt
SuperFreakonomics: Global Cooling, Patriotic Prostitutes and Why Suicide Bombers Should Buy Life Insurance by Steven Levitt
Miles Gone By: A Literary Biography by William F. Buckley Jr.
Polk: The Man Who Transformed the Presidency and America by Walter R. Borneman
Undaunted Courage: The Pioneering First Mission to Explore America's Wild Frontier by Stephen E. Ambrose
Letters by Kurt Vonnegut
Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power by Jon Meechum
Of all the lost reviews on my list, this one is the most dispiriting. Meechum’s book is one of the finest biographies I have read. Similar to Robert Caro’s Master of the Senate, this biography is not only an insightful story of an incredible individual but also an effective resource for successfully maneuvering the world of politics. Even for those who shun the world of politics, The Art of Power offers insight into the soft skills that helped Jefferson succeed in so many facets of life.
The Greater Journey: Americans in Paris by David McCullough
From God to Us: How We Got Our Bible by Norman L. Geisler, William E. Nix
You can find a fairly complete list of my reading through my profile at Goodreads.
