I read Alan Bullock's "Hitler and Stalin - Parallel Lives". I wonder if there's really enough new stuff to hold the interest.
The revised version of the book I read was published in 1964, so "Hitler & Stalin" will definitely have the most up-to=date info, TG.
Since Hitler has now moved into the realm of cartoon supervillain I felt I should know the contours of his life as a human being. Seeing him only as a monster is practically useless (although he was, certainly, monsterous).
It's always a matter of the right (wrong) person taking advantage of the right (wrong) conditions. I find Stalin to be the scarier figure, if it's even possible to compare. The Bullock twin biography was fascinating but I don't know if I'd have the stomach to read it again.
re; Hitler bios I recommend the recent release HITLER; ASCENT 1919-1939
it has some real interesting trivia: -'Dolph received royalties for having his image on postage stamps which made him a millionaire - his affair with his own niece almost cost him his Presidency*
But, at least he didn't gas his own people..... brm
* there is a tv movie with Robert Carlisle AD that is very good. It deals with this subject
It's always a matter of the right (wrong) person taking advantage of the right (wrong) conditions. I find Stalin to be the scarier figure, if it's even possible to compare. The Bullock twin biography was fascinating but I don't know if I'd have the stomach to read it again.
Well, he surely gave Hitler a run for his money in terms of awfulness, but Adolf is the one who has become the poster boy for evil and that's what sent me to this particular book. Also, since the Germans had 15 years of experience with self-determination before Hitler took over I was especially interested in the politics behind his ascent.
Still, I may have to try that Hitler/Stalin book... after I've finished the three or four on other subjects that I'm working on!
I just finished THE DRY by Jane Harper, a new novelist from Australia. Great mystery. It takes place in a drought-ridden farming town about 5 hours from Melbourne. I loved the way such minute, seemingly non relevant clues started to bother the detective. It was a harsh life style for the farmers, and the drought almost seemed like a character. It was a brilliant "who-done-it."
I'm currently reading two books - the necessarily brief biography of Mieczyslaw Weinberg "In Search of Freedom" by David Fanning and the latest Jack Reacher novel. The Fanning is the second time I've read it, and can do so now with much more knowledge of the musical works to which he refers. I may well haver eferred to it earlier on this thread, but can't be bothered to check!
The Lee Child book takes Reacher to Germany in his military police days. Not so sure I enjoy these flashbacks as much as the tales of his itinerant wandering around the USA, but it's a good page turner, as always. No doubt in line for a "mini-me" cinematic outing in due course!
The Short Stories of F. Scott Fitzgerald by...wait for it...F. Scott Fitzgerald.
Not necessarily a done deal - what if they were the short stories ABOUT F Scott Fitzgerald?
Enn-nee-way....
I forgot to mention that in the pipeline I have The Portable Veblen (Elizabeth McKenzie), a book that made Mrs TG laugh out loud in bed (a feat that I've managed on occasion), and I gather Murakami has a book of short stories due to be published this year.
A brittle, yellowed, paperback copy of Jules Verne's Around the World in 80 Days. Nothing beats that old decaying paperback scent. So intoxicating.
Although I've read several of Verne's other works over the years, this is my first time reading this one, and incidentally, I've never even seen any of its film adaptations. The novel is certainly not lacking Verne's classic wit and humor, but its overall tone is more serious than I was expecting. I'm about 1/3 through and really enjoying it so far,.
I just started the 7th Outlander book, An Echo on the Bone. I read the first soon after the TV show - scored by Bear McCreary - began. Really enjoy this book and the series to date. All 10,000 pages! Well, there were sections I found slow, but I'm enjoying this one so far.
