Monday, August 22, 2011

A couple of really good books I've been reading . . .

George Washington's Great Gamble
I'm really enjoying this. Nelson is really good at describing warfare, both on land and at sea, without getting bogged down in tactics. This is very good popular history, full of intriguing characters like Lafayette, Arnold, Cornwallis, and Washington of course. I'm planning to gradually read forward from this book in small chronological increments, reading through American history. Oh, and btw, you can check out the author's blog here.

56: Joe DiMaggio and the Last Magic Number in Sports
Maybe the best book on sports I've read in a long time. I really enjoy books about the place of sports in American history, and this is a really fine one. Kostya Kennedy embeds Dimmagio's achievement in the context of its historical moment. that is to say, 1941, America on the verge of war. A really fine book that brings to mind the sights, sounds, and spirit of a time and place. The author's official website is here.

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