Every time I take a book with me on a family trip I never get more than a page or two read and this trip is no exception. Not that I’m complaining, given the surroundings.
Afterwards, at the funeral, I managed to remember my father weak and good as I had always known him from my infancy, and I convinced myself that the slap given me by a dying man hadn’t been intentional. I became good as gold, and my father’s memory accompanied me, growing sweeter all the time. It […]
Cover of the second edition of La coscienza di Zeno (1925)I had never heard of Zeno’s Conscience until recently (shows how much I get around) and was happy to see a copy of it at the library. The life of the author, Italo Svevo, proves to be an interesting tale by itself. All quotes from […]
On October 8th [2008], Victor Davis Hanson spoke at Biola University on Thucydides: Understanding the Pelopenessian War and the principles which translate from a study of this ancient Greek historian to the modern political-cultural sphere. I meant to listen to this before I read Thucydides. Failing that, I meant to listen to Hanson’s talk while […]
Kaputt by Curzio Malaparte, translation by Cesare FolignoKaputt proves to be a fictional memoir, or a fantasy intertwined with historical events, by Curzio Malaparte. Employed by an Italian newspaper during World War II, he was able to travel around Europe and to the Eastern Front, at ease with dignitaries, soldiers and peasants alike. A large […]
Kaputt by Curzio Malaparte, translation by Cesare Foligno(For a note on this book as a literary work instead of a memoir, see the earlier posts on Kaputt) For the first time during the four years of war, for the first time in the course of my cruel journey through slaughter, hunger and devastated towns, I […]
For those that might be interested–History of Philosophy without any gaps podcasts: Peter Adamson, Professor of Ancient and Medieval Philosophy at King’s College London, takes listeners through the history of Western philosophy, “without any gaps.” Beginning with the earliest ancient thinkers, the series will look at the ideas and lives of the major philosophers (eventually […]
Since I don’t have time to do anything else today, here is a series of links to a discussion between two of the historians that assisted with Landmark Arrian: The Campaigns of Alexander. While not intending to shill for the Landmark Series–they have the capability to do it better than I can–I am a big […]
Kaputt by Curzio Malaparte, translation by Cesare Foligno(For a note on this book as a literary work instead of a memoir, see the earlier posts on Kaputt) Frederick turned his face to me, his skin was yellow and wrinkled, his eyes were shining, humble and despairing. Suddenly I recognized his look. I recognized his look […]
Coin portraying MithradatesThe Poison King: The Life and Legend of Mithradates, Rome’s Deadliest Enemy by Adrienne Mayor For audiobooks I’ve rarely gone beyond a couple of sentences on my reviews. I’m still feeling my way out on expanding any comments for a book I’ve listened to instead of read, but I’ll give it a try […]