Hinchcliffe Biblio-Blog

Two more from the LIbrary...

2006-12-06T14:48:00.000-05:00

Xenophon and Thermopylae hitting mainstream?

2006-12-05T19:14:00.000-05:00

Here's a book review from the NY Sun.

Tocqueville

2006-11-24T10:15:00.000-05:00

The Economist has an article on Tocqueville here.

Aenied

2006-11-17T07:04:00.000-05:00

The Boston Globe has a nice write-up for a new translation of the "Aeneid." Here's another from the New York Times. Robert Fagles has done it again.

Viking/Penguin did not have the book on their site yet? I tried several searches to no avail. Here's a link to Powell's Books.

Robert Kagan's Dangerous Nation

2006-11-07T07:09:00.000-05:00

The October 23, 2006 edition of The New Republic has an article from Robert Kagan. It appears to be a synposis or teaser for his Dangerous Nation: America's Place in the World from its Earliest Days to the Dawn of the Twentieth Century. The Wall Street Journal has another. The Carnegie Endowment has a good site for the book's launch. There is a debate with Thomas Friedman.

I mentioned the TNR article to my gym buddy, Dick "Doc" Delgado. Now he blames me for adding history to his usual investment reading. Anyway, he has borrowed Stephen Kinzer's Overthrow: America's Century of Regime Change from Hawaii to Iraq. He is a pretty knowledgeable guy. his interest range from his past vetrenarian career. Based on what he has told me, Kinzer breaks down our Empire-like history into chapters. He likes, and I would agree, how it is structured. Just from his description and a quick puruse at the bookstore, I think it reminds me of The Prince? NPR had a interview. Democracy Now another.

The End of the Poem, Paul Muldoon

2006-10-25T14:03:00.000-04:00

The Economist ran a review of this book of literary analysis. It was a teetering one in that it at once dislikes Muldoon's method, but then admits that his writing makes one laugh.

Woodward: State of Denial

2006-10-24T12:53:00.000-04:00

Just finished Woodward's new book about the Bush Administration. It seems he used parts one and two to set up three.

I made a mistake in assuming that the writing would be great. It is not bad, but lacks something intangible. This is an unfair assessment. On the other hand, it is not as if David McCullough is writing great literature, but his "srotes" flow and engage. This book does not.

With all that said, it is still worth a read. It details much of what the "liberal" perspective has superficially assumed. Its attack is less on Bush than on the Administration. In fact, it convinced me that Bush is not dumb, but merely intellectually lazy (he certainly lacks curisoity...remember that after announcing his presidencial candidacy he still had not bothered to learn the names of major world leaders...)

William J. Daugherty. Executive Secrets: Covert Action and the Presidency

2006-10-13T13:27:00.000-04:00

From CIA Studies:

William J. Daugherty. Executive Secrets: Covert Action and the Presidency (Lexington: The University Press of Kentucky, 2004), 298 pp., endnotes, bibliography, index.

"
There is a tendency among academics who have never served as intelligence officers to denounce covert action in principle. They argue that interference in another nation’s politics is just not right under any circumstances.[2] In his Foreword to Executive Secrets, Mark Bowden, author of Blackhawk Down, tells of a scholar he interviewed in Tehran who blamed the CIA for supporting the Shah, for engineering his overthrow, for bringing down the post-Shah provisional government, and for secretly arranging the takeover of the US embassy in 1979. When pressed about the contradictions, the scholar explained that it is “necessary to view the world through the clear lens of Islam to see the logic of these things.” Bill Daugherty, an academic who did serve as an intelligence officer and who spent 444 days as a hostage in Iran, gives us a more reasoned prospective on this controversial topic. [3]

One of Daugherty’s assignments as a CIA officer in the clandestine service, was on the Evaluation and Plans Staff of the Directorate of Operations (DO), where he monitored every covert action operation run against the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe. Based on this experience and that of his other DO assignments, Daugherty set as his primary object for this book “to show definitively that covert action programs managed by the CIA since its inception have been at the express direction of the presidents of the United States. (xv) He writes to correct the impression, held by many Americans, that the CIA “runs a rogue foreign policy” beyond executive branch control. (xvi) In Executive Secrets he sets about correcting the record.

The first six chapters define and discuss the elements and role of covert action operations: Topics include some of the persistent myths—for example that Desert One was a covert action operation—that circulate in the media; the exemplary failures that have contributed to the negative public image of covert action; the process of initiation, approval, and review; and the relationship with the Congress. Chapters seven through 13 examine covert action policies and operations in each administration from Truman to Clinton. He shows that the level of activity varied more with international turmoil of the moment than with the party in power. The nature of the activity changed over the years as considerable effort had to be devoted to countering KGB deception operations and participating in counter-terrorist programs. Change will be part of the future too, he suggests, with the Internet playing an important role. Many well-known peacetime covert action cases are discussed—in Chile, Iran, Iraq, Cuba, Poland, Italy, the Soviet Union and Afghanistan, to name a few. Where particular cases—Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty—are only mentioned in passing, references for full coverage are provided. For each case treated in depth, whether a success or failure or some of each, Daugherty describes the circumstances that led to the operation, while documenting in meticulous detail the various presidential directives and legal authorities involved.

In conclusion, Daugherty argues that no matter how well he has put the case for covert action, it will remain controversial, but it will nevertheless continue as an instrument of presidential policy when conventional methods short of war are unsuccessful. Executive Secrets provides ample justification for this position while illuminating this cont...
"

American Theocracy

2006-04-08T22:23:00.000-04:00

American Theocracy has been reviewed in the Jesuits' America and Washington Post's: Book World

Semper Fi...

2006-04-08T21:55:00.000-04:00

I watched Jarhead last night. It left me wanting more, which my wife points out; is the point of the movie. So is the book going to be worth reading? Does it have more than the movie, as most books do?

Being in a Marine mood, I stumbled onto NPR Books and General Zinni's new book, The Battle for Peace. If you buy it through NPR they get a portion of the sale.

New translations of Virgil's Georgics

2006-03-29T14:23:00.000-05:00

The New Republic does a great job of reviewing classics in new translation. I found Peter Green's Catullus.

Here's the link to the revierw of Georgics:

MIT's Classics Archive version is here.

Sarah Dunant Birth of Venus

2006-03-29T13:33:00.000-05:00

I finished Birth of Venus last week for the book discussion at the Buffalo Central Library.

I have to admit that I picked the book several times before committing to it. It was very feminine looking. I am ashamed to admit this but it follows from my utter boredom in reading Pride and Prejudice that I was initially uninterested. On the second look, I read a bit of random parts and it still struck me as feminine in theme. Finally, I asked my wife to look at it and she sold me: "If you buy I'll read it too." I acquiesced remembering that the book group was mostly women and they read the outwardly masculine, World War II historical novel, Miracle at St. Anna, by James McBride.

It was well worth reading. I am drawn to the nostalgic historical fiction settings. This Renaissance one did not disappoint that aspect. But this book goes far beyond the intial pulp attractions.

It steps into universal themes using the Renaissance as a backdrop.

Moods

2006-03-23T08:55:00.000-05:00

I am sorry to say that I go through reading mood swings. Often they rotate topics or genres. I would also like to blame daily life for the periods when reading is absent. That excuse, though, is weak because I often find myself in front ot the idiot box telling myself I am watching quality stuff. At least my wife, Amanda implies it in calling me a "nerd" for the programming choices.

Still, when the reading mood is jump started it goes in high gear for awhile. I (almost) finished Sarah Dunant's Birth of Venus between Sunday night and Tuesday's Book Club. I'll write more on the text in the next post.

Well, I bought two nerwspapers yesterday and rescued a friend's forgotten Economist. Those are Liberal Artist fodder now...

Platform, Michel Houellebecq

2006-02-05T12:06:00.000-05:00

I am sure that the erotic is part of the allure for Platform. That is to say that it attracted me to Michel Houellebecq as Der Spiegel reviewed his newest novel, Island. (Island does not seem to be available in America and definitely not in the Buffalo Library so I settled for two that were...Elementary Particles is my next read). Still, that admission is quite candid and decidedly unliterary.

The sex scenes in Platform are well-written. As I read them I wondered whether they were devoid of literary value. The description is somewhat explicit and often seems to accomplish nothing other than piqued and cheap interest. The text is also sprinkled with philosophical quotes and allusions amidst a compelling plot and characters. Houellebecq's literary reputation haunts the reader.

It is in Part Two, Chapter Nine that the book pulls out of the gratuitous. Here, the narrator offers a simple revelation about the Western world and sex becomes valuable as more than gratuitous. The chapter concludes with: “But I knew that people sometimes find it difficult, strangely, to accept simple ideas.” I, in turn, must shed the American Puritanical aversion and embrace the sex scenes.

Part Two, Chapter Twelve advances the simplistic. The commodity of sex is laid bare. Money, as Aristotle might agree (Nicomachean Ethics), is the means of trade and equality. The morality of extra-marital sex and prostitution are sterilized. The narrator's life is emptied out into this capitalistic philosophy.

The climax of the novel is heavy handed. The narrator reminisces about climbing easily to a platform only to look down at the top and realize that the descent is complicated. This is the only significant mention of a “platform” and clearly alludes to the title. From here the novel descends and the simple sex metaphor is severely complicated.

One of the reviews on the dust jacket praises the novel's Muslim theme. Until the climax the comment seems irrelevant and wrong. There are only minor references to Islam. I had forgotten the comment. Then, there is the terrorist attack at the sex club. The narrator's lover is killed and his life becomes empty despite his modest wealth, early retirement to Thailand, and its sex trade. The novel's Islamism is set down by a disgruntled Muslim sex tourist (Part Three, Chapter Three).

Finally, the narrator digresses and ends the work. I was left with an empty and disappointed feeling. It seems that the novel was a waste of time and offered little closure. The epiphany is that that is the way you are supposed to feel. That feeling is the closure.

NPR on Deus Caritas Est

2006-01-27T08:31:00.000-05:00

NPR's story on Deus Caritas Est is a little bit more in depth than the BBC.

I noticed that they explain that sex is important in unconditional love. They do not specifically say "marriage." I wonder if this is a translation issue or is the Vatican recognize the economics of modern marriage?

Deus Caritas Est

2006-01-26T06:06:00.000-05:00

Pope Benedict has produced his first Encyclical Letter, Deus Caritas Est.

The BBC has an article on it. There they quote Pope Benedict as paralleling modern eros with a commodity. The point is clear and dangerous. In many interpretations of Genesis God grants us the earth to command. Making earth a commidity to be used is dangerous. The separation of physical and spiritual is one of the aspects that has repelled me. The opposite message seems in Eastern thought.

I should mention, before I go to far, that I have not read Deus Caritas Est or the Kama Sutra yet.

Many here in America giggle a the mention of the Kama Sutra. Others embrace its hedonistic aspect. Again the mention of Tai Chi or Yoga draws similar dvisions of the physical and spiritual.

We in teh West are only beginning to see the intertwining of the two.

Khaled Hosseini's Kite Runner

2006-01-17T09:36:00.000-05:00

I finished Khaled Hosseini's Kite Runner in a marathon session over the last two days. I liked it immenbsely and feel that it is more than just a pulp fiction work.

Iwanted to get an essay in before I headed off to the Buffalo Central Library for Book Talks. I like getting my own raw emotion down before it is transformed by others' interpretations and discussions. I also wanted to hit ont he "Discussion Questions" included in my edition.

Perhaps I'll have to handwrite one if I get tot he library early?

Paul and Historical Fiction

2006-01-13T14:41:00.000-05:00

Truth is a slippery thing. Fiction can often be more truthful than non-fiction. What I mean by that is that fiction can weave a clearer understanding of Truth (capital T) and that facts can obscure. I enjoy Historical Fiction but am careful with it too.

Here are some links for James Cannon's Apostle Paul:
NPR interview
Catholic Encyclopedia

Chronicles of Narnia

2006-01-10T06:40:00.000-05:00

My mother-in-law gave this anthology to me for Christmas. It was an excellent present and one I will keep for my children. It has a its sentimental and literary value to be sure.

As I was reading the prequel and The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe I am haunted by the recent criticisms of C.S. Lewis. His work has certainly made its mark in modern US and UK. One article explained that his high-esteem is mostly American while, surprise, the British take a more staid view.

In a very "academic" one-man play I DVR'd an actor narrates Lewis' life as Lewis himself. The actor, whose name escapes me, does brilliantly. From it I remembered that Lewis and Tolkien were colleagues and friends. Tolkien was instrumental in converting Lewis from atheism to Christianity.

He, however, told Lewis to scrap Narnia. The Lord of the Rings is a far more subtle and valuable piece of literature. Narnia, though, serves its place well while at the same time being heavy-handed and obvious. It is not bad but fit for a different audience. After finishing the first two books, I have chosen to set the works aside until my girls, just 18 months and 2 1/2 may enjoy reading with me.

Restarting...

2006-01-10T06:31:00.000-05:00

I have been trying to force my way into Gibbon's Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. I found an awesome antiquarian set a year a go. It was too brittle to be functional. Sadly, in a practical mood I auctioned it off (happily netting a $90 profit).

Still, I wonder if reading an abridged copy is "cheating"? I am sure that it is better than not reading it at all. Moreover, a scholar has abridged it so why shouldn't we trust his jusdgement?

Maybe for the same reasons we should not "trust" translators?

In the end practicality often wins.

The Historian, Elizabeth Kostova

2006-01-10T06:09:00.000-05:00

Elizabeth Kostova's The Historian is a cursed book. Several factors pushed it down on my reading list. In the end, I wish I had bought and read it of my own accord but must admit it was lent to me and stared at me from my shelves.

First, its Dracula theme caused me hesitation. I am familiar with Anne Rice and found her most popular novel, Interview with the Vampire, intriguing and entertaining. I would hardly call it an area of my interests however. My friend convinced me that The Historian was much more than a vampire book and that the title, he teaches Social Studies and we share a love of history, tells a lot.

Secondly, it shares its curse with Hollywood and the Da Vinci Code. The main text has a happy and neat ending. I suppose it may have been split into two books, one ending chaotically and wanting. If that were the case the first book would have been great and the second a cheap sequel. But I wrote this before I had completely finished the novel.

It is rare for me to read so quickly and engrossed. I started the 640 plus page turner and could barely put it down. Kostova does a wonderful job of merging several intertwined plots into one long narrative. Her juxtapositions help pull the story. When one of the narratives begins to wane, the second breaks in. I found myself anxious for both.

The appeal is especially great for the want-to-be scholar. Much like the Da Vinci Code it lends a highly romantic and admirable facade to the academic world. It is here that I think my friend and I would most recommend the book to others.

Teacher Man, Frank McCourt

2005-12-29T18:58:00.000-05:00

According to the Powell's Books website the publisher calls Frank McCourt's latest book “long-awaited.” In one of the review-a-days Powell's emails me is not so kind to Teacher Man.

His first book, Angela's Ashes, also a movie now, was a wonderful retelling of a chaotic and miserable childhood. Reading it is an exercise in rubber-necking of a nostalgic sense. The writing is easy and flows as if one is listening to the seanache (Irish storyteller). It is important to note that Frank McCourt is an American born Irishman. That is, he is born in New York City but grows up in Ireland. The tale really epitomizes the romantic notion many Americans, especially me, have towards our supposed Irish-ness. It is in this connection that Angela's Ashes found selling power, at least for me.

'Tis was a continuation of that story. Fittingly I “read” this using audio tapes and driving between Annapolis, Maryland, and Western New York. Frank McCourt writes well. It may be great literature but more likely, it is just an engaging tale. In it I find connections and commonalities that make reading his writing worthwhile. It reminds me of my Jesuit high school class about the Book of Revelations. There, Father Jack regaled us with personal histories. I remember many of them fondly, though not much about the Apocalypse.

After reading 'Tis, I want to learn more about McCourt's teaching career. It is the type of career that evokes romantic notions of selflessness and of childhood callings. Everyone “knows” teachers and what they are like, or imagined to be. I hate to admit I found myself becoming a teacher more from esteem issues and doors closing rather than the romantic ideology.

So, for me, Teacher Man, is “long-awaited.” It is the part of his story I can really connect with. The negative review I read reinforces my reaction to his writing. His writing is valuable for everyone and deserves real attention. Some universal truth is hidden in it. However, not all readers have the affliction we English teachers have. One of his students sums us up: “Why can't we just leave it alone? Just take the story and feel sorry for the kid and the mother and her countenance and, maybe, the dad, and not analyze it to death. ...you know what English teachers do to poems. Analyze, analyze, analyze. Dig for the deeper meaning. That's what turned me against poetry. Someone should dig a hole and bury the deeper meaning.”

New "Blog" for my Library

2005-12-28T22:02:00.000-05:00

I'd like to use this "Blog" to comment on recent reads. I have been posting some on "The Liberal Artist." I'll continue to post relevant ones there also.

This site will have three columns. The "Posts" columns will be dedicated to recent reads, responses, and reading in progress. The right sidebar will be dedicated to Proposed Acquistions and "to reads" from my library. The left will simply be a catalog of my library, probably organized haphazardly.