| ||||
Civil War Interactive Discussion Board > Civil War Entertainment: Books, Movies, Music & Art > Civil War Books > The "To Read" list |
| ||||
Civil War Interactive Discussion Board > Civil War Entertainment: Books, Movies, Music & Art > Civil War Books > The "To Read" list |
| Moderated by: javal1 | Page:   1 2 3   |
|
|||||||||||||
| The "To Read" list | Rate Topic |
| Author | Post |
|---|
| Posted: Thu Jul 24th, 2008 12:42 am |
|
21st Post |
|
CleburneFan Member 
|
izzy wrote: And, NO, I am not interested in The Book Swap. That big red SWAP sign is starting to get annoying. I don't have any books that I am willing to swap at this time. I have to at least read them first! LOL! I CAN'T participate in the book swap because every Civil War book I read is filled with marginal notes, underlined passages, stars, exclaimation points, laughing and crying faces. The maps are colored in with blue rivers and waters, brown roads, green woods, red symbols, and other markings useful mainly to me. No one would every want a book of mine for the book swap. By the way, several of the books in the posts above are some of my favorites ( and therefore the most marked up  .) Anyone that has in their pile Plenty of Blame to Go Around, One Continuous Fight, Retreat from Gettysburg, and Last in Their Class have some really good reading ahead of them.
|
||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||
| Posted: Thu Jul 24th, 2008 12:54 am |
|
22nd Post |
|
izzy Member
|
The worst thing about this tread is that I am getting talked into buying more books! Last in Their Class sounds like a good read. I think I am falling into Fedreb's pattern of "read one, buy three". Good Grief! And, yes, I blame Shelby Foote for getting me started in this mess too.
|
|||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||
| Posted: Thu Jul 24th, 2008 02:53 am |
|
23rd Post |
|
susansweet Member 
|
I hope when you are reading it Tim, that you are enjoying it. I am trying to finish Sherman's Memoirs before second week in August for a book discussion group. I am never going to make it . Amazing how much I am enjoying the book but 800 pages of small print. American Brutus is a fave of mine .
|
||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||
| Posted: Thu Jul 24th, 2008 07:32 am |
|
24th Post |
|
fedreb Member 
|
To those of you with unread copies of Wiley Swords "last Hurrah" I would advice you read it. I know Sword has many critics who say he is biased and selective in his writing but this is still one good read. Then seek out " Mountains Touched with Fire" his book on the siege and breakout from Chattanooga, terrific book. I've not read American Brutus but I see amazon are selling it heavily discounted and as susan is usually such a good judge in these things I guess that will have to be ordered.
|
|||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||
| Posted: Thu Jul 24th, 2008 08:11 am |
|
25th Post |
|
susansweet Member
|
Make sure you read the footnotes in American Brutus. Interesting information . Thanks also for the complement. Susan
|
||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||
| Posted: Thu Jul 24th, 2008 08:16 am |
|
26th Post |
|
susansweet Member
|
Fan I am glad to know someone else marks up their books . It was hard for me to do at first but I wanted to remember where passages were . I find myself with different colored pens for different things. Notes in the margins . You can tell the ones I read for book discussion they are full of sticky notes. with notes written on the sticky. A friend has a fit when he hears me talk about marking my books and I am sure my old librarian that trained me in eighth grade and wanted me to go into library science would turn over in her grave at the markings I make. Also the reason I can't do book swap either I can't turn loose of the book, or I haven't read it or no one would want it. Good reading to all Susan
|
|||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||
| Posted: Thu Jul 24th, 2008 10:38 am |
|
27th Post |
|
izzy Member
|
Susan, I used to mark up my books. I now take notes into my laptop. That way I can add, subtract, move around, condense, and print out. It also means that notes from the books in my library go with me where ever I go. I also copy and paste articles of interest from the "news" section of CWi. When I plan a trip, I pull up the ones relevant to my route and add them into my itenerary.
|
||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||
| Posted: Thu Jul 24th, 2008 01:05 pm |
|
28th Post |
|
CleburneFan Member
|
For me, the idea of marking up books came easily. Unless the book is a classic, rare copy or some valued book with sentimental connections, I just see no reason NOT to mark it up. For me, my markings ADD value to my book for me. Every year libraries sell off hundreds of older books. My son's school's parents' group used to have an annual book sale of our persoanl used books. We couldn't get rid of them. The stock pile just kept getting bigger and bigger. In this age and time when a publisher's printing might be 1000 or more copies at the least, why protect a book? I believe in getting the maximum use out of it. I don't mean uber-expensive coffee table books. I'm talking about the books most of us read here. Most of my books are purchased used at Amazon, unless it is a newly published book such as "One Continuous Fight" which, too, is now thorougly marked up and the maps, believe me, are considerably enhanced. (My biggest issue with Civil War books is the quality and quantity of readable maps.) I'm not a book collector in the sense that sometime a hundred or more years from now my book collection will be reviewed on "Antiques Roadshow 2110" and valued at several thousand dollars. I read for myself now. What happens to my books when I'm gone--who knows? That's why I mark them up. They mean so much more to me that way. And, no, I am not swapping them. I reread my favorites, add more markings, of course, and cherish every book I have about the Civil War.
|
|||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||
| Posted: Thu Jul 24th, 2008 01:09 pm |
|
29th Post |
|
CleburneFan Member
|
fedreb wrote: To those of you with unread copies of Wiley Swords "last Hurrah" I would advice you read it. I know Sword has many critics who say he is biased and selective in his writing but this is still one good read.I love that book. It's great to read it in November and early December when the action was taking place. Plus I lived in the Nashville area, so it has even more meaning for me. Sword has a writing style that just brings the action to life.
|
||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||
| Posted: Thu Jul 24th, 2008 01:40 pm |
|
30th Post |
|
Tom Wiehle Member
|
I agree that Wiley Swords books are a great read, in addition to the ones mentioned here, dont forget "Bloody April" his book on Shiloh. Have to agree also on the book "Covered with Glory" by Rod Gragg, only 250 pages but it brought tears to my eyes to read some pages. Guess that is not to unusual for me . When I get down to the big cities I prowl the used book stores, but have found that prices have risen a lot lately on CW books. I guess there must be a demand for them, even though I do not know very many young people that seem to be interested in history.
|
|||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||
| Posted: Thu Jul 24th, 2008 02:33 pm |
|
31st Post |
|
pamc153PA Member
|
Amusing trivia for all of you who mark up books as you read and/or make notes on paper or laptop: Thought you might like to know you are on the "cutting edge" of education in language arts! A couple years ago, the district where I teach started teaching the "newfangled" reading strategy of "Talking to the Text." What is it? Exactly what people who make notes/comments/stars/smiley faces in their books do (myself included)! Go figure--we have to teach the kids how to do it, with the goal of comprehending what they read!(We have to use sticky notes in textbooks instead of writing on the page, but that actually gives a little more room to write. Laptops might work even better, if we were lucky enough to have them for all students.) When I first was told I had to teach this, I laughed at how all the experts thought this was so innovative. I've been doing this for YEARS! So consider yourself cutting-edge, folks! Oh, and I agree with everyone about "Last Hurrah"--very good book, no matter what Sword's critics might think of his biases. Pam
|
||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||
| Posted: Thu Jul 24th, 2008 03:00 pm |
|
32nd Post |
|
PvtClewell Member 
|
Tom Wiehle wrote:Have to agree also on the book "Covered with Glory" by Rod Gragg, only 250 pages but it brought tears to my eyes to read some pages. You want tears? A few years ago, three of my friends and I took Gragg's book and walked to the golf course side of Willoughby Run. From that point, I started reading aloud selected sections of the chapter entitled 'Covered with Glory.' We stepped across Willoughby Run, up the slope of the creek, and into Herbst Woods, with me reading the whole time. It took about an hour, but by the time we finished, I could hardly bring myself to speak I was so choked up. And the other guys were reduced to silence. The running narrative was an interesting way to explore the battlefield, made it personal and meaningful. Years later, we still talk about that day.
|
|||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||
| Posted: Thu Jul 24th, 2008 03:03 pm |
|
33rd Post |
|
PvtClewell Member
|
pamc153PA wrote:When I first was told I had to teach this, I laughed at how all the experts thought this was so innovative. I've been doing this for YEARS! So consider yourself cutting-edge, folks! Pam, A fine example of how everything old is new again. Or, in this case, how everything old is knew again. 
|
||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||
| Posted: Thu Jul 24th, 2008 05:50 pm |
|
34th Post |
|
susansweet Member
|
I have bought books in second hand stores that I find notes written in the margins. Makes me feel a connection to the person that wrote them years and years ago. Susan
|
|||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||
| Posted: Thu Jul 24th, 2008 06:27 pm |
|
35th Post |
|
TimK Member
|
I'm sure it was pounded into me at a very impressionable age, and I don't actually remember it, but I can't bring myself to write in a book. I don't really have any objections if other people do, but I can't get my hand to do it. However, I must say that my book shelf looks pretty unkempt with the thousands of sticky notes protruding from practically every book. If you asked me, I'm pretty sure I would only know why about 10% are there. Pvt Clewell - most of my tears come after reading some of your puns. Susan - I will certainly drop you a note when I finish. As of now, I am happy with the recommendation. Please excuse me now - I'm off to buy more sticky pads.
|
||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||
| Posted: Thu Jul 24th, 2008 07:45 pm |
|
36th Post |
|
susansweet Member
|
Tim I use the sticky pads too . Some books especially book discussion books are full of stickies. I have all different colors and sizes. I think I am addicted to them as much as to the books I buy. I really like the ones in the shape of an arrow. lol. Points to the section of the page I want to remember. I too was taught never never mark in a book til I went to college and then all bets were off . My Shakespeare is highlighted all over the place. Those quotes were on the "TEST". Other plays have favorite quotes highlighted or the scripts I used in various classes were marked . Literature passages were marked for more TESTs that I had on quotes from short stories, poems or novels. That got me in the habit. It continues now . As I said Mrs. Heckman is turning in her grave I am sure . (jr high librarian) Back now to reading Sherman. Using stickies in this book as pages are sooo thin. Susan
|
|||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||
| Posted: Thu Jul 24th, 2008 08:13 pm |
|
37th Post |
|
izzy Member
|
Back in college, I took a course from a professor that assigned a book every week to read. Our assignment was to condense the authors work onto two typed pages; no more, no less. We had to directly quote the author, no paraphrasing. The title of the paper was the proper reference for the book (author, title, publisher, etc) and all sentences or parts thereof had to have a page number reference. That professor was tough, and to this day I first read a book through uninterupted for the pleasure, no marks allowed. Then I go back chapter by chapter and pull out the sentences where the author condensed and summarized his ideas. I also look at the examples the author uses to make his points. It makes me study the text before any notes are taken from it, and it keeps the amount of notes I take concise and properly referenced.
|
||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||
| Posted: Thu Jul 24th, 2008 08:25 pm |
|
38th Post |
|
susansweet Member
|
Izzy good tool you were taught in College. I had a professor in my senior American History Research class that has us read a book actually on the Civil War and then discuss it in class. When we were hot and heavy in the discussion he asked if knowing who the historian that wrote the book would make a difference in how we looked at the book? The book was the Militant South by John Hope Franklin. He then explained that Franklin was a black historian writing on the South. Since that time I always look up something about the author of the book I am reading so I know something about his point of views as I read the book. I still have the Franklin book . Last year I actually saw the place where Franklin was born as I was headed to Honey Springs Battlefield in Oklahoma. Amazing how some of the things we were taught in college stick with us. My high school history teacher I swear rides with me on my travels and says this is important stop and see this . He was a real lover of history and taught so many of us to love it too. I even had Joe Cannon Bean soup in the Congressional Dining room in DC one time because he told us we had to do that if we were ever had the chance to eat in the Dininig room. My cousin who worked for a Congressman took me . She didn't even know the story and it was printed on the back of the menu. By the way the soup was wonderful. Thank you Mr. Rozelle and yes he was Pete Rozelle's Uncle Susan
|
|||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||
| Posted: Thu Jul 24th, 2008 08:29 pm |
|
39th Post |
|
pamc153PA Member
|
Okay, here's another "book-ish" thing: when you start reading a book and find you don't like it (it's boring, etc.) do you continue to read it, or allow yourself to stop reading it? Old school (what I was taught!) was that you should keep reading it through, because it might "get better." New school is that if you don't like it, quit. I USED to try to follow the old school method, but since I don't have nearly enough time to read so as it is, I've "allowed" myself the luxury of stopping if it's a really uninteresting book. Of course, I've gone back years later and reread some of these, and thought, So what was the problem the first time? One little trick I have when I first open up a book (fiction or non-fiction, CW or not) is I read the first paragraph or so. If it catches my interest even a little, it's worth a try! Doesn't always work, but it's a start! Pam
|
||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||
| Posted: Thu Jul 24th, 2008 09:01 pm |
|
40th Post |
|
izzy Member
|
Hi pamc153PA! If it is fiction and I don't like it, it goes straight to the flea market. If it is non fiction, I will usually put it back on the shelf until another time, or I just dip into it for specific information rather than reading it from cover to cover.
|
|||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||
| Current time is 10:53 pm | Page: 1 2 3 |
| Civil War Interactive Discussion Board > Civil War Entertainment: Books, Movies, Music & Art > Civil War Books > The "To Read" list | Top |
