@Ken Anderson, I was wondering what you mean when you say that Remarque wrote about WWII? In which book did he do that? Or do you mean writing about an NS torture camp as in Spark of Life is basically writing about WWII? Don, I read All quiet on the Western Front which is a bit biographical in as much as he himself was a soldier on the western front in WWI in contrast to Spark of Life which is purely fictional because Remarque was no inmate of an NS torture camp. Yet there are books written by former inmates of those.
I'm really into Western Stories now! My wife gave me the collection of Louis L'Amour Short Stories, Volume 1, for my 82nd Birthday. I can usually finish a story during a visit to the Bartholomew. He really describes his scenes in great detail! I haven't tried Zane Grey yet, but I'll look for his "Riders of the Purple Sage" when I visit the Library. Hal
I noted in one place that he commented on several Jews who had been decorated heroes in WWI ending up dying in the camps in WWII. I wondered if he mentioned it because he knew them. He also commented that, like the blacks in the U.S. military in WWI, Jews had to be really exceptional warriors in order to receive recognition.
I use War and Peace as a warm-up read before going on to "The Decline And Fall Of The Roman Empire". Hal
I've been reading a series of books by a local author about the Split Rock explosion. It happened a hundred years ago this summer, I'm a little behind in my reading! This link gives a little background about the tragic incident. http://www.gendisasters.com/new-york/2669/syracuse-ny-split-rock-explosion-jul-1918
On a recent rerun episode of M*A*S*H, high-born Major Winchester said that Zane Grey was like Tolstoy with spurs! I chuckled. Hal
When President Truman's military adviser presented him with a 28-page report consisting of plans for the final attacks on Japan, he said: "I don't like to read long reports; just tell me what I have to know." Hal
The original edition of Samuel Clemens "Adventures of Tom Sawyer" had been banned for some time because of a racial slur. Hal
Just started 'The Long Walk' by Slavomir Rawicz ( not to be confused with the story by Stephen King ) First part is his journey to 'camp' in Siberia. The story is about his escape, a one year journey, walking through China, the Gobi Desert, Tibet and over the Himalayas to British India. Like stories such as 'Papillon' and 'The Teaching of Don Juan', you the reader must decide how much of it is true. True or not, it is a 'page turner...'
And I will add that 'Papillon' and ' The Teaching of Don Juan' are two of my 'reread' books that I own.
Coincidentally, I happen to be re-reading that book. I'm not sure it's an original copy but it has the original words. It uses the N word. It may be politically incorrect now but I don't think African American would have the same effect in the book. I'm also reading "Liars, Leakers, and Liberals: the case against the anti-Trump conspiracy" by Judge Jeanine Pirro. Fascinating stuff.
Just started reading a book called Elizabeth Street. I was born and lived there. It is part of little Italy and I remember it well. I am interested in learning how it was populated by Italians, the mafia, and general life on that block.