Hello my fervent readers and welcome to the September edition of the reading list. This might just be my favourite edition of the reading list so far this year. It also happens to be one of the broadest in scope of the lists I have curated thus far, covering a range of classic fiction to the Revolutionary War.
I’m also pleased to say I’ve returned to the 5 books per month format - and this was no mean feat this month with over 3000 pages included.
The Return of a King - William Dalrymple:
My favourite book of the month was definitely the Dalrymple and The Return of a King on the 1839 - 42 war in Afghanistan. It is quite remarkable to see the similarities of the errors committed by military officials then compared to now.
I particularly like the compelling narrative structure of this which made it very easy to jump in and digest what is actually quite a complex story. Likewise, Dalrymple does a great job of bringing the characters of this woeful tale to life and you feel able to relate to not just the British officers in their suffering but the permanent plight of the various local rulers such as Dost Mohammad.
In fact, I enjoyed Dalrymple’s style so much in the next month’s list I’m reading “The Anarchy” on the East India Company’s rise - once again I’m picking areas of history which I have no prior knowledge on to try and gain a broader understanding of the historical context.
On the whole, this book emphasises that despite expending vast sums of money all to aims which are poorly understood, not well-defined and frankly foolish to anyone who has considered the difficult terrains of Afghanistan. Much of this sounds very familiar...
The Premonition - Michael Lewis:
Now this one has been on the upcoming reading list since the moment it was released with Michael Lewis peeling back the curtain on the pre-pandemic plans which were in place from various administration officials.
In his usual style, the narrative of this book is very compelling and shows that there were clear plans for dealing with a pandemic which many of the governments of the world chose to override.
What is particularly stark is the way all things which we now consider normal - like social distancing, mask wearing and temporary closures of various spaces. What was most stark to me though was the revelation that the single best way to control viruses was via the closing of schools, which was the most anathema policy all the way through the pandemic.
This book simply must be read.
Catch-22 - Joseph Heller:
Onto a bit of a fiction now. Everybody is aware of the concept of Catch-22, and I thought it was about time I got around to reading the original book.
I have to say, I was a touch disappointed with this one and felt it lacked some of the more potent gravitas of some of the books on the most recent reading lists. Nonetheless, I did enjoy the dry witty humour of the various Catch-22 scenarios uncovered in the various wartime scenarios and it was an entertaining if actually rather disturbing book.
Lords of the Desert - James Baar
This was another very interesting read on Middle-East history. Regular readers will know that a few months ago I read “A Line in the Sand’ by the same author, and this was largely about the founding of modern Israel.
This was another particularly interesting read as it focused on two traditionally very strong allies - the UK and the US - but outlined the differences we faced throughout our interactions in the Middle East after the end of the Second World War (and to some degree, before).
Baar constructs an enthralling narrative of various backstabbing and underhanded activities - particularly in the era of some of the big American Foreign Policy names like Dulles and McNamara. The story of course culminates with the effective total demise of Britain from Middle-East, but this is not to the Americans advantage as it soured relations for a number of years - particularly when those like Johnson most needed international support in the Vietnam years.
Washington - Ron Chernow:
It’s been a while since I included one of the ultra-long presidential biographies on a reading list, and this time i went for the man himself... George Washington. Chernow is perhaps my favourite historical writer and he covers the majesty of this great figure in such depth but in a way which is really rather enjoyable and easy to read.
Chernow adeptly captures all aspects of the Washington biography from his time as Leader of the Continental Army to his time as a Constitutional writing supervisor to his time as President. Chernow adeptly points to the way in which this man who longed so much after independence to retire was continuously drawn back into the political fray - initially, he didn’t want a term as President, then he said he’d do two years to secure the union, then no to a second term, then a few years more.
What is totally clear from this writing is that Washington is not a man who was addicted to power, but rather a reluctant figure who was entirely impartial and determined to do what was best for the Novel Union.
Frequent readers will of course know that I have enjoyed reading about a number of the military battles in the American Civil War and at other periods, and this is another area where Chernow excels in bringing colour to a number of the famous battles where Washington took part - namely at Bunker Hill, Rochester Heights and in a number of his daring overnight manoeuvres.
Lastly, what is particularly great about this account of Washington’s life is the way Chernow does deal with the issues surrounding slavery and Native Americans with which Washington struggled so much during his life. Chernow is not afraid to be critical in some regards but here I feel like he has maintained the right tone in trying to be impartial and recognise the complexity of the issue which Washington faced. In his dying requests, Washington ordered his own slaves freed and this was, from a political standpoint in the new Union, the only time where he really had the option to do so.
This account of Washington’s life is simply magisterial, and this was no doubt one of my favourite books of the year.
Next Month:
It’s another busy month of reading lined up ahead. I’ll be reading from wide sources once more but Dalrymple on the East India Company is probably the one I’m most interested in. I will also be reading Dan Jones’ new history on Powers and Thrones; Tom Holland’s Dominion - The Making of the Western Mind -; Kahneman’s Thinking Fast and Slow; and Timothy Snyder on Tyranny.
That’s all for this month folks, and please do get in touch as always with your many suggestions, I promise I am trying to get through them all gradually!
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