A brief summary of what I’m currently reading or have recently finished, why I read it, and whether I’d recommend it. Although really, it’d have to be truly terrible for me to bother writing about a book I wouldn’t recommend……
With Kitchener in the Soudan (G. A. Henty) – Henty wrote historical fiction for an intended audience of primarily adolescent/young adult males. This particular volume relates the story of Atbara and Omdurman, and the British campaigns in the late 19th-century. Like most older books, it reflects the opinions and values of the times, so be forewarned of language and mindsets that may come across as racist or shockingly out of touch with modernity. I consider it a personal choice to continue reading these books, from the standpoint that they’re accurately conveying life and experiences at that time. If you choose differently, you may want to not read this book. Digression aside, I know very little about British history after it splits from American history, and found this one informative.
Confessions of an Economic Hitman (John Perkins) – I generally tend to be a bit skeptical when self-proclaimed nonreaders tell me how much they enjoyed such and such a book. They have little with which to compare their favorites, so is their opinion really to be trusted? I think not. However, in a new environment, particularly one in which I will be for quite some time if all goes well (read: new job), should I wish to not present myself as haughty and dismissive of others’ opinions, I might read a proffered recommendation even from a nonreader, especially if it’s accompanied, as this one was, with the loan of the book in question. Perkins details his work on behalf of the US government, which entailed utilizing overly optimistic (ie, falsified) economic projections and associated loan programs to destabilize developing countries, for the benefit (of course) of the United States. Much of his work was in Latin America, and several of the incidents brought back memories of one of my favorite college courses. (Anyone else attend Kent State and take US-Latin American Relations?) Nostalgia aside, it’s a version of history that, though not completely devoid of agenda (Perkins is writing for redemption, in hopes that a confession will somehow outweigh his actions), isn’t the whitewashed vision of Uncle Sam the white knight with which we’re often presented.
Schindler’s List (Thomas Keneally) – I recall hearing much about the movie by the same name when I was a kid, but had never read the book until recently. (Surprising, given my general preference for that era.) One of my objections to historical fiction is the blend of fact and fiction and the difficulties inherent in determining where one ends and the other begins, and that’s no different here. Motives are inscrutable as well. However, when so much of my reading on World War II has been about the atrocities committed, it was almost a relief to read of one who actively attempted to mitigate those as far as he was able.
Life Undercover (Amaryllis Fox) – the subtitle of this memoir is “Coming of Age in the CIA”, and that’s the crux of the book: the author is recruited to join the CIA in college, and although she doesn’t detail her assignments, she does cover the unintentional consequences that spilled over into her personal life. Memoir is not my favorite book form – it’s too much like a conversation involving all the inane and mundane details of personal life that contribute to the difficulties of personal relationships for my tastes – but the impact of a global pandemic is such that I have the mental and emotional space to engage with memoirs in a different way and find the experience more pleasing than it has been. We’ll see if that lasts.
So there you have it: 4 books I’m reading right now or have recently finished. If you’ve read any of these (or decide to after reading this post), drop me a note and let me know what you thought of them! And let me know what you’re reading right now too.