The Gathering Storm

We watched Darkest Hour, a pretty good film about Winston Churchill taking the reins of the British government after the failure of the appeasement policy (with an astonishing, virtuoso performance by Gary Oldman as Churchill) – which made me interested in reading The Gathering Storm – the first of Churchill’s six-volume history and personal memoir of the period from the end of the first World War to the end of the Second World War.  Churchill was a masterful writer (he received the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1953, though for other writings, not the history).  

The book amply fulfills its stated theme:

HOW THE ENGLISH SPEAKING PEOPLES
THROUGH THEIR UNWISDOM
CARELESSNESS AND GOOD NATURE
ALLOWED THE WICKED
TO REARM

Of course, Churchill’s stirring speeches are famous for their emotional power and The Gathering Storm includes some striking examples. Churchill first described post World War One Germany, after the allies imposed The Weimar Republic, as a tepid democracy “which was regarded as the imposition of the enemy” and then paints a vivid picture of the consequences:

Thereafter mighty forces were adrift, the void was open, and into that void after a pause there strode a maniac of ferocious genius, the repository and expression of the most virulent hatreds that have ever corroded the human breast – Corporal Hitler.

Many of his conclusions and recommendations speak forcefully to the world situation today:

When three or four powerful Governments acting together have demanded the most fearful sacrifices from their peoples, when these have been given freely for the common cause, and when the longed-for result has been attained, it would seem reasonable that concerted action should be preserved so that at least the essentials would not be cast away.  But this modest requirement the might, civilization, learning, knowledge, science, of the victors were unable to supply.  They lived from hand to mouth and day to day, and from one election to another, until, when scarcely twenty years were out, the dread signal of the Second World War was given, and we must write of the sons of those who had fought and died so faithfully and well: 

Shoulder to aching shoulder, side by side,
They trudged away from life’s broad wealds of light
 -Siegfried Sassoon

In addition to his unparalleled gift for rousing and emotional language, Churchill’s narrative and persuasive writing throughout is marked by simplicity, clarity and power.  A sad story, masterfully recounted.

Dead Wake - Eric Larson

Dead Wake, by Eric Larson (author of Devil in the White City), is the captivating and tragic story of the 1915 sinking of the British cruise ship Lusitania. Nearly 1,200 passengers (or "souls") perished after a German U-boat torpedoed the Lusitania, an event that rocked the civilized world and helped draw America into World War 1. Larson's skillful storytelling weaves the events of that fateful year into a thrilling page turner, and his detailed portrayal of characters makes them come alive. President Wilson isn't just the cautious and patient man he seems to be outwardly, he is also a passionate man, driven to distraction by his wife's death, and preoccupied by his subsequent courtship of Edith Bolling. Larson recounts several passengers' tales in vivid detail, and clearly went to some trouble to gather stories about victims as well as survivors, so one is not sure when reading if a given personage will be spared or not in the inevitable tragedy, adding to the suspense of the narrative. A very engrossing read which I recommend to all.

H is for Hawk

This extraordinary nonfiction book by Helen Macdonald creates its own genre: a very personal memoir of grief that focuses on the training of hawks and makes extensive reference and comparison to T.H. White, author of The Sword in the Stone, and a tortured, repressed man who also authored a book on his sad and difficult experiences in training a goshawk.

Macdonald is devastated when her father dies unexpectedly.  She had had a lifelong, deep interest in falcons and, out of this passion and as a distraction, she decides to acquire and train a goshark.

When you are broken, you run.  But you don't always run away.  Sometimes, helplessly, you run towards.

The goshawk was an unusual choice.  Macdonald explains and explores the idea that falconry has been the domain of the nobility, partly because large tracts of land - estates - are necessary for hunting, and the language and customs of falconry are precise and mannered.  Modern falconry is steeped in this aristocratic history, which for some, promotes a special kind of identity that tends to exclude outsiders.  Falconry was a passion and source of style in Nazi Germany.  But, unlike the noble falcons, the goshawk, Macdonald explains, is a low, murderous bird

They were things of death and difficulty: spooky pale-eyed psychopaths that lived and killed in woodland thickets.

Because it needs only short flights to run down its prey, a goshawk can be trained on small properties.  Hunting with goshawks is thus possible for commoners and is, basically, low class.

Compared to those aristocratic falconers, the austringer, the solitary trainer of goshawks and sparrowhawks, has had a pretty terrible press.  'Do not house your graceless austringers in the falconer's room', sniped the fourteenth-century Norman writer Gace de la Bigne. 'They are cursed in scripture, for they hate company and go alone about their sport.  When one sees an ill-formed man, with great big feet and long shapeless shanks, build like a trestle, hump-shouldered and skew-backed, and one wants to mock him, one says, "Look, what an austringer!"'

Macdonald herself is pretty feral and her grief over her father's death drives her to some outrageous and heart-rending behavior.  But her reflections are sharp and the descriptive writing is brilliant - fresh and vivid.  And though this is a dark book, it is laced with humor and, ultimately, is optimistic.  A terrific read.

A Spy Among Friends

This account of the Cambridge spies, focusing on Kim Philby, the infamous Third Man, is fascinating and highly readable.

Spy stories, both fictional and nonfictional, interest me, and I suppose many others, because they deal with treachery, deceit and betrayal.  And I believe this interest is intensified in people who in childhood have experienced or been exposed to powerful family secrets or deceptions.   A Perfect Spy, reputed to be LeCarrè's most autobiographical novel, deals explicitly with this topic.

So it's no surprise that many people are riveted by the story of Kim Philby's decades-long career as both a highly placed leader in Britain's MI6 and a double agent who passed thousands of secrets to the Soviets and cost the lives of hundreds of British agents.  This betrayal was especially shocking because of the close-knit and completely trusting relationships among the British upper classes who filled many of the MI6 positions.  Vetting often consisted simply of confirmation that the candidate came from "good people".  Philby survived so long as a double-agent not simply because he was a consummate actor, but also because he was so fully a member of the public school educated gentry. His friends and colleagues considered it to be simply impossible that "one of them" could be a traitor and they closed ranks to protect and defend him.  (This superior attitude and disregard of incriminating evidence infuriated members of the more working-class MI5 section, charged with investigating Philby).

MacIntyre's account of Philby's recruitment, advancement, betrayals, and eventual undoing is fascinating.  But what drove Philby to this extraordinary duplicity remains essentially unknown. After he was revealed as a double-agent and fled to Russia, his third wife Eleanor asked him if he had to choose between the Party and his family, which he would choose, and he unhesitatingly replied, "The Party, of course".  Eventually, he came to acknowledge the evils of Communism as practiced in Russia, but rationalized them as the errors of men, rather than flaws in the system.  Surprisingly, then, he had minimal interest in or knowledge of the theory of communism.  Such a life, which appears to derive satisfaction from betrayal alone rather than betrayal in the service of a cause, suggests, to this armchair psychiatrist, that Philby was almost certainly driven by powerful forces from his childhood rather than an intellectual conviction.  MacIntyre depicts Philby's father, a distinguished Arabist who was an advisor to King Ibn Saud, as an irascible iconoclast and an extremely demanding yet absent father.  After his father's sudden death, Philby, a heavy drinker at the best of times, immediately plunged into despondency and alcoholic stupor.   The origins of Philby's extraordinary duplicity must be more complex, intense and unusual than this, and it would be fascinating to understand the development of his personality but, of course, the master of keeping secrets from his friends offered no grist for speculation.

The Daughter of Time - Josephine Tey

The Daughter of Time was the first required reading for my medieval history course (HSTAM 235: Medieval Mysteries), and I found it completely delightful. The protagonist of this work is an English police officer who was injured on the job and is laid up resting at a small hospital. A highly perceptive detective with a wry wit, Scotland Yard Inspector Alan Grant is unused to boredom and inactivity, and struggles immensely with the tedium of convalescence. That is, until his vivacious actress friend brings him a folio of paintings of faces. Grant's intuitive ability to read criminals' faces snags on one mysterious portrait - a suffering, noble face Grant is dismayed to learn is that of the barbaric Richard III. His curiosity deeply piqued, Grant teams up with a charmingly oafish young history buff to unravel the mystery of the murder of the princes in the tower. Fascinating analysis with a surprising conclusion. (And a bonus reference to our illustrious ancestor, Sir Robert Brackenbury.) Delicious language enhances this very enjoyable thriller.

The Year 1000

This extremely charming book about life in the year 1000 is organized around the 12 months of the year, and the activities that were typical of that month. It is densely packed with fascinating information, and is extremely readable. Many fascinating facts in this book and I highly recommend it to everyone!

The first page of every chapter bears that month's illustration from the Julius Work Calendar, such as these:

Quicksilver (The Baroque Cycle, #1) - Neal Stephenson

The first novel in the Baroque cycle is an engaging picture of life in 1600s and 1700s England and America, where former Puritan Daniel Waterhouse is mixing it up with the greatest minds of his day, including Isaac Newton and the young Benjamin Franklin, among others. I don't have much to say about the plot (such as it is), but it is full of interesting philosophical discussions, such as this:

“And yet viewing several depictions of even an imaginary city, is enlightening in a way," Leibniz said. "Each painter can view the city from only one standpoint at a time, so he will move about the place, and paint it from a hilltop on one side, then a tower on the other, then from a grand intersection in the middle--all in the same canvas. When we look at the canvas, then, we glimpse in a small way how God understands the universe--for he sees it from every point of view at once. By populating the world with so many different minds, each with its own point of view, God gives us a suggestion of what it means to be omniscient.”

An interesting book. I've set down The Confusion, which has a different cast of characters and didn't grab me as much, but I may return to it.

Stephenson's Novels

• The Big U (1984)
• Zodiac (1988)
• Snow Crash (1992)
• Interface (1994) 
• The Diamond Age: or A Young Lady's Illustrated Primer (1995)
• The Cobweb (1996) 
• Cryptonomicon (1999)
• The Baroque Cycle
• Quicksilver (2003), volume I
• The Confusion (2004), volume II
• The System of the World (2004), volume III
• Anathem (2008)
• The Mongoliad (2010–2012)
• Reamde + Colin's review (2011)

Of Human Bondage - Maugham

After reading Dad's review, I decided to check out Maugham's Of Human Bondage. It was a very interesting tale of a neurotic young man afflicted with a clubfoot, and his coming of age in England and France during the late 18 and early 1900s. Although it starts off fairly slowly (the tale begins in Philip's youth), it builds powerfully and is a very captivating read.

I don't have much to add to Dad's review, except to say that it is filled with interesting bits of Philip's evolving philosophy, such as when he thinks:

Society had three arms in its contest with the individual: laws, public opinion, and conscience; the first two could be met by guile, guile is the only weapon of the weak against the strong... but conscience was the traitor within the gates; it fought in each heart the battle of society, and caused the individual to throw himself, a wanton sacrifice, to the prosperity of his enemy.

Of Human Bondage

I quite enjoyed Cakes and Ale by Somerset Maugham, a short, breezy story of a young man entranced by an unusual couple.  So I was very interested in reading Of Human Bondage, generally regarded as Maugham's masterpiece.  The book deals with limitations, or bonds, imposed by accidents of class or wealth, but the main bondage experienced by the protagonist, Philip Carey, is his obsession with a low-class, self-absorbed and cruel waitress.  Obsessions are often treated in contemporary culture as highly-charged fixations that are potentially good things, unfortunately "carried to an extreme" - but Philip Carey's obsession is incomprehensible, degrading, and pathetic.  Contrasted with this main story line, Maugham very effectively captures moments of joy or beauty, although such moments are rare in this book. Also, Maugham is especially gifted at depicting ordinary events that suddenly turn deeply sad or hopeless - some of these scenes are heartrending.  While living in Paris with the aspiration of becoming a painter, Philip becomes acquainted with Cronshaw, an older, successful poet and, when he had been drinking, a fascinating conversationalist:

    But this evening, Philip wanted to talk about himself.  Fortunately it was late already and Cronshaw's pile of saucers on the table, each indicating a drink, suggested that he was prepared to take an independent view of things in general. "I wonder if you'd give me some advice," said Philip suddenly.
    "You won't take it, will you?"
    Philip shrugged his shoulders impatiently.
    "I don't believe I shall ever do much good as a painter.  I don't see any use in being second-rate.  I'm thinking of chucking it."
    "Why shouldn't you?"
    Philip hesitated for an instant.
    "I suppose I like the life."
    A change came over Cronshaw's placid, round face.  The corners of the mouth were suddenly depressed, the eyes sunk dully in their orbits; he seemed to become strangely bowed and old.
    "This? he cried, looking round the cafe in which they sat.  His voice really trembled a little.  "If you can get out of it, do while there's time."
    Philip stared at him with astonishment, but the sight of emotion always made him feel shy, and he dropped his eyes.  He knew that he was looking upon the tragedy of failure.  There was silence.  Philip thought that Cronshaw was looking upon his own life; and perhaps he considered his youth with its bright hopes and the disappointments that wore out the the radiancy; the wretched monotony of pleasure, and the black future.  Philip's eyes rested on the little pile of saucers, and he knew that Cronshaw's were on them too.

It may not exactly sound like it from this review, but I really liked this book.

Great Harry - Carrolly Erickson

Another tremendous biography by Ms. Erickson. Like Bloody Mary, Great Harry is a vibrant, engaging portrait of life in 1500s England, both the intrigue and lavish splendor of the court, and the violence, ignorance, and squalor of the poor. Ms. Erickson is a master storyteller - King Henry VIII is convincing portrayed as a highly intelligent and ambitious (though flawed) ruler, who is here shown in all his facets and stages - charismatic, handsome, idealistic and beloved in his youth, irascible, peevish, and self-important in his old age, always majestic and awe-inspiring. Hundreds upon hundreds of contemporary quotes are seamlessly woven into this tale, giving it a very rich and authentic flavor of the period and of "Great Harry," as he was called by his adoring subjects in the early years of his reign. A brilliant work, and I can't wait to read more Erickson!

The London Monster: A Sanguinary Tale - Jan Bondeson

Bondeson's tale is a stranger-than-fiction account of the "Monster," a savage serial stabber in 1790s London, who preyed upon unaccompanied young women by with a "tremulous eagerness," accompanying his attacks with shockingly foul and indecent language. Although the Monster (or perhaps, Monsters) employed a variety of sinister stratagems of assault, including stabbing unsuspecting maidens in the face using a knife hidden inside a bouquet of artificial nosegays, and tearing at women's exposed arms with some sort of metal claw, his preferred method of attack was to slash at his victims' thighs and buttocks, inspiring fearful aristocratic women to wear copper petticoats, and lower class women to hide frying pans under their skirts.

All told, the Monster attacked somewhere between 15-30 women, causing mass hysteria and vigilante mob action, before a local pervert and malcontent, artificial flower-maker Rhynwick Williams, was brought to trial and ultimately convicted (although both then and now, doubts remain about his guilt), essentially ending the slew of attacks and putting an end to the witch-hunt.

The book is largely an exploration of the panic caused by these stabbings, as well as the popularity of the subject in the media (the book contains ribald poetry, bawdy newspaper cartoons, and descriptions of various Monster plays from the period), as well as the bizarre circumstances of the two trials.

Pretty odd, but interesting!

The Prince and the Pauper

This is one of Twain's "softer" books - although there is some social criticism and a few sad episodes, by and large this is a delightful story with many humorous incidents.  And the overall theme of the book is a paean to mercy - sympathy for one's fellow man and a willingness to help.  The device of virtual twins, one from the highest and one from the lowest station of life underscores that, as the Phil Ochs folksong says, "there but for fortune go you or I".  And Twain is a masterful storyteller with a powerful ability to build a mood and then demolish it suddenly with a piercing incident (no spoiler quote to follow!)  Very highly recommended.

Bloody Mary: The Life of Mary Tudor

I am a member of goodreads.com (check out my profile here) and was dismayed to realize I only read 13 books in 2013. I have set myself a slightly more ambitious goal of 65 books for 2014, and am happy to say that it's a week into the new year and I just finished my second!

Carolly Erickson's Bloody Mary is a history that reads like an action adventure. This book was thoroughly engaging and immensely interesting.

Adored and publicly admired by her father as a young child, Mary's peaceful home life was destroyed when her father, always flirtatious, suddenly decided to pursue his love affair with Anne Boleyn beyond the bedroom, and with cold indifference and evident scorn cast aside his former wife, daughter, and religion. Mary was stripped of the title "Princess" and of all her fine clothes and possessions, tormented by Anne and her courtiers, denied medical treatment when sick, and kept for years as a veritable prisoner in a run-down and drafty old house.

Although Mary rose above seemingly insurmountable obstacles to become Queen, and was an impressive scholar who spoke excellent Latin and ruled with wisdom and moderation, and even compassion and clemency (by the standards of the day), she was never accorded the respect she deserved while she was alive, due to the "imbecility of her sex," and was later condemned in the public memory as a bloody tyrant.

This book illustrates the flavor of life during the period very colorfully, and portrays Queen Mary with perhaps greater subtlety and nuance than has been accorded her in the past.

Highly recommend!

Adam Bede

Adam Bede was the first full novel by Marian Evans, under the pen name of George Eliot.  Evans had already been working for several years as assistant editor of The Westminster Review under her own name and had a solid but modest reputation as essayist and reviewer. But Adam Bede received wide acclaim and sparked great  interest in the identity of the mysterious author.  Surprisingly, an imposter stepped forward, forcing Evans to acknowledge that she was "George Eliot".    Her subsequent novels were all published under George Eliot -  "She used a male pen name, she said, to ensure her works would not be taken seriously."  No, wait - that they WOULD be taken seriously, she said.  (I wonder what she was thinking).  

Eliot is an insightful observer of humanity and nature and her insights are presented in fluent and memorable language.  The setting is rural and unsophisticated, but the interactions among the characters are timeless and fascinating.  All of the conversations, and particularly the repartee between Mrs. Poyser and any of her natural adversaries, feature lively rural expressions that vividly convey the essence of the issues under discussion.  Adam Bede tells the story of four intertwined lives and loves, centering on the carpenter Adam Bede, who is strong, skilled, upright, and true.  Very admirable, and likable, yet also rather rigid.  He bears some clear resemblance to Tom Tulliver from Mill on the Floss (reviewed in this Blog), who shares many characteristics with Eliot's brother, who bitterly disapproved of her "unconventional" marriage to philosopher George Henry Lewes.   Perhaps a theme of Eliot's is to show the far-reaching consequences of apparently minor acts and decisions that are determined, for better or worse, by elements of character.  This is a very readable, gratifying and rewarding book.

The Mill on the Floss

George Eliot's books are highly intelligent and rewardingly insightful - the scope of setting and action is intentionally narrow, with a corresponding intensity of examination - like focusing sunlight with a magnifying glass so tightly that the spot bursts into flame. This book describes the Tulliver Family, centering on brother and sister Maggie and Tom, as they grow from childhood to young adults. The Tullivers have lived for generations as owners of a mill on the River Floss, near the larger city of St. Oggs (both fictional). The heart of the book is the troubled relationship between Maggie and Tom, made inevitable by the important difference in their characters. Tom has a strong moral sense and an unwavering confidence in the correctness of his judgments. Maggie is a sensitive and caring person, quick to empathize with others, but prone to impulsiveness that invariably leads her into troubles.

But if Tom had told his strongest feeling at that moment, he would have said, "I'd do just the same again." That was his usual mode of viewing his past actions; whereas Maggie was always wishing she had done something different.

Imprudent legal actions by Mr. Tulliver lead disastrously to bankruptcy and disgrace. Tom responds with courage and purpose, eventually paying the debts and restoring the family's honor. With the best of motives and honor, Maggie is nevertheless drawn into two conflicting romantic situations, causing a decisive break with Tom, who cuts her completely. Maggie remains devoted to Tom, however, and the book concludes with an emotional reconciliation between the two.

The preface of my edition (another beautiful Folio) states that this is Eliot's most autobiographical book - reflecting her estrangement from her own family and especially her brother, which resulted from her unconventional and socially unacceptable relationship with a married man. The book is deeply absorbing, with detailed and thoughtful exploration of relationships, with moving descriptions of powerful consequences resulting from small choices, and with a variety of strong characters - some good, some weak, some generous and some selfish - but every one convincingly and sympathetically rendered. Very highly recommended!

La's Orchestra Saves the World

Alexander McCall Smith is the "Bestselling Author of THE NO. 1 LADIES' DETECTIVE AGENCY" and many other books. This book's jacket describes La's Orchestra as "heartwarming" and I suspect all of his books would fit this adjective...while this would usually be a red flag for me, this book was recommended by Linda's sister Karen, who likes to have fun but is serious and levelheaded! And, as advertised, the book was really good. Set in the 1930's, the book focuses on La (short for Lavender), who is serious and thoughtful. Rather surprisingly, she marries young, but is soon widowed. She moves to the English countryside in a kind of defiant rebellion against her London life and, when war breaks out, establishes an amateur orchestra.

While there were moments of "heartwarming", it was more a sober book, dealing with the limited options for women at that time, how the British coped with war, and how one person touches others. Sober but ultimately fairly optimistic. I read that Smith is an amateur bassoonist and "Not content with merely founding the Really Terrible Orchestra in Edinburgh (which brings really great fun to its audiences), McCall Smith has established an opera house and opera training center in Botswana". A very interesting man, evidently with limitless energy, as in his "real" life, he is a professor of medical law at Edinburgh. Quite a worthwhile read, I thought.