Books

Book Watch On My Night Table

November 18, 2020 by Robert J. Avrech Leave a Comment

Morality:Restoring the Common Good in Divided Times by Jonathan Sacks

“With liberal democracy embattled, public discourse grown toxic, family life breaking down, and drug abuse and depression on the rise, many fear what the future holds.

“In Morality, respected faith leader and public intellectual Jonathan Sacks traces today’s crisis to our loss of a strong, shared moral code and our elevation of self-interest over the common good. We have outsourced morality to the market and the state, but neither is capable of showing us how to live. Sacks leads readers from ancient Greece to the Enlightenment to the present day to show that there is no liberty without morality and no freedom without responsibility, arguing that we all must play our part in rebuilding a common moral foundation.

Book Watch On My Night Table

November 4, 2020 by Robert J. Avrech 1 Comment

The genre which leasts holds my attention is the mystery/who-dun-it. But Karen recommended this book, saying the evocative period atmosphere and surprising Jewish content made this mystery unusually rewarding.

I’m about half way done with the book and Karen is, of course, right.

Book Watch On My Night Table

October 28, 2020 by Robert J. Avrech 3 Comments

A History of the Art of War in the Sixteenth Century by Sir Charles Oman

“This is an unrivalled account of sixteenth-century warfare, in which Sir Charles Oman traces the dramatic, far-reaching changes in the military strategy, tactics and organization of the period.

“Showing how warfare developed, he covers the Great Wars of 1494-1559; military events in Tudor England, including Henry VIII’s continental wars; the French Wars of Religion, 1562-98; the Dutch revolt and war of independence, 1568-1603; and the Turkish offensive against Christendom, from 1520 until the Peace of Sitva Torok in 1606.

Book and Watch On My Night Table

October 14, 2020 by Robert J. Avrech 4 Comments

The Evening and the Morning by Ken Follett

“The inaugural book in the Kingsbridge series, The Pillars of the Earth, has sold over 27 million copies worldwide. So, Ken Follett knows what he’s doing, but no one would blame him for blinking twice at the prospect of penning the prequel. The Evening and the Morning proves he has nerves of steel. Set at the tail end of the Dark Ages when England was being pinched by the Vikings and the Welsh, it mines the growing pains of a budding legal system, one that wouldn’t only benefit the ruling class and corrupt clergymen. It’s also a star-crossed love story involving a humble boatbuilder and Norman noblewoman, two heroes whose journey provides the emotional center of an otherwise brutal, and yet beautiful, tale. Fans of Follett will certainly relish this very worthy addition to a beloved oeuvre, but it will also attract new admirers like yours truly, who initially balked at the 928 page count and then was disappointed that The Evening and the Morning didn’t stretch on to the afternoon.” —Erin Kodicek, Amazon Book Review

Book on My Night Table

September 2, 2020 by Robert J. Avrech 1 Comment

The Return of George Washington: Uniting the States, 1783-1789 by Edward J. Larson

“After leading the Continental Army to victory in the Revolutionary War, George Washington shocked the world: he retired. In December 1783, General Washington, the most powerful man in the country, stepped down as Commander in Chief and returned to private life at Mount Vernon. Yet as Washington contentedly grew his estate, the fledgling American experiment floundered. Under the Articles of Confederation, the weak central government was unable to raise revenue to pay its debts or reach a consensus on national policy. The states bickered and grew apart. When a Constitutional Convention was established to address these problems, its chances of success were slim. Jefferson, Madison, and the other Founding Fathers realized that only one man could unite the fractious states: George Washington. Reluctant, but duty-bound, Washington rode to Philadelphia in the summer of 1787 to preside over the Convention.

“Although Washington is often overlooked in most accounts of the period, this masterful new history from Pulitzer Prize-winner Edward J. Larson brilliantly uncovers Washington’s vital role in shaping the Convention—and shows how it was only with Washington’s support and his willingness to serve as President that the states were brought together and ratified the Constitution, thereby saving the country.”

The watch is a anOrdain Model 1 with iron cream vitreous enamel dial.