What are you currently reading?

[Bogey]

As a side:

[Beorn]

Elizabeth by Jessica Hamilton was good and creepy.

Now I'm reading this, which is great so far:
[asin]1590173481[/asin]

[Geo Dude]

As a side:

I have no doubt that this is both fascinating and delightful.

[Sergeant Rock]

Thomas Pynchon, Inherent Vice. Kindle edition. This will (should) make a great film.

[asin]B005CRQ3H0[/asin]


Sarge

[North Star]

The Rest is Noise

Next: Darmstadt chapter.

[Bogey]

I have no doubt that this is both fascinating and delightful.

No too bad.  A nice overview, though.

[Drasko]

 

[kishnevi]

A great book that falls short of excellence because its author loves his subject too too much.

[Drasko]

A great book that falls short of excellence because its author loves his subject too too much.

I'm about hundred pages in and so far I'm quite satisfied with both detailedness and flow of the narrative. Loving the subject isn't bad position for an author, so far I haven't noticed much pronounced bias, but we'll see when I come to 1204, that would be a litmus test.

He does seem even more in love with de Hautevilles. He wrote two volume 800+ pages book on Normans in Sicily, covering less than 200 years. Talk about pet project.

Mediterranean history (medieval mostly) has always been fascinating subject for me, and I finally found some time for reading on it in bit more detail. Read Ostrogorsky's History of Byzantine State, Runciman's Fall of Constantinopole, now reading History of Venice and have in plan two more books: Kinross' Ottoman Centuries and Braudel's The Mediterranean and the Mediterranean World in the Age of Philip II.

Have you read any of these two by any chance? Or something else interesting on this subject?   

[kishnevi]

I'm about hundred pages in and so far I'm quite satisfied with both detailedness and flow of the narrative. Loving the subject isn't bad position for an author, so far I haven't noticed much pronounced bias, but we'll see when I come to 1204, that would be a litmus test.

He does seem even more in love with de Hautevilles. He wrote two volume 800+ pages book on Normans in Sicily, covering less than 200 years. Talk about pet project.

Mediterranean history (medieval mostly) has always been fascinating subject for me, and I finally found some time for reading on it in bit more detail. Read Ostrogorsky's History of Byzantine State, Runciman's Fall of Constantinopole, now reading History of Venice and have in plan two more books: Kinross' Ottoman Centuries and Braudel's The Mediterranean and the Mediterranean World in the Age of Philip II.

Have you read any of these two by any chance? Or something else interesting on this subject?

I've read so much over the years they all blend into it.   The Kinross book sticks out for me, however. 
Didn't know about Norwich's Sicily books, but I've read his triple decker about the Byzantines (the first two volumes are better than the third volume).  Once you read the Venice book,  you'll probably want to read that.  Speaking of 1204, it's interesting to watch his two passions--Venice and Constantinople--collide.  Venice commits the unforgiveable sin, but he manages to forgive her anyway.

[Sergeant Rock]

The Rest is Noise

Next: Darmstadt chapter.

Ah, the really Noisy Rest 

Sarge

[North Star]

Ah, the really Noisy Rest 

Sarge

[Karl Henning]

You're reaching that part of the book with which I am more apt to have the odd quarrel. (I mean: Wuorinen mentioned only in passing on one page, but an effusive near-hagiography of Reich; really?)

[Drasko]

I've read so much over the years they all blend into it.   The Kinross book sticks out for me, however. 
Didn't know about Norwich's Sicily books, but I've read his triple decker about the Byzantines (the first two volumes are better than the third volume).  Once you read the Venice book,  you'll probably want to read that.  Speaking of 1204, it's interesting to watch his two passions--Venice and Constantinople--collide.  Venice commits the unforgiveable sin, but he manages to forgive her anyway.

Yes, I know of Norwich's three volumes on Byzantium, but I'll probably will be skipping that. Ostrogorski's book on the matter is excellent, and I even have Vassilev's three volume Byzantine history as e-book (for spot checking and cross referencing, can't read on computer screen and no plans for e-reader).
Kinross and Braudel will keep me going for months.

and now some comics:

[North Star]

You're reaching that part of the book with which I am more apt to have the odd quarrel. (I mean: Wuorinen mentioned only in passing on one page, but an effusive near-hagiography of Reich; really?)

Hmm, I don't really know much of either composer's music, but Reich must have much more commercial appeal. (revisiting Wuorinen String Sextet now).
Yeah, that Wuorinen name-drop was pretty lame.

[HIPster]

I've read so much over the years they all blend into it.   The Kinross book sticks out for me, however. 
Didn't know about Norwich's Sicily books, but I've read his triple decker about the Byzantines (the first two volumes are better than the third volume).  Once you read the Venice book,  you'll probably want to read that.  Speaking of 1204, it's interesting to watch his two passions--Venice and Constantinople--collide.  Venice commits the unforgiveable sin, but he manages to forgive her anyway.

Drasko and Jeffrey - thank you for your comments!  They are timely for me, as I just finished the following in succession:
[asin]055338273X[/asin]
[asin]0393343405[/asin]

I had previously read the Wells (in '07-ish) and completed the Greenblatt mere days ago, while on a plane home from vacation.  Both are good reads imo.  The Greenblatt had a slightly disjointed ending in my view, but was a fascinating and enjoyable book.

As it so happens, I have been listening of late to this fine CD:
[asin]B001Q7A8LW[/asin]

*And a hat tip to Octave for the Neal Stephenson link, which led me to this wonderful recording!  Thank you.

[Gold Knight]

Christopher Clark--The Sleepwalkers: How Europe Went to War in 1914

[Gold Knight]

Christopher Clark--The Sleepwalkers: How Europe Went to War in 1914

[Drasko]

[Beorn]

Hm...