[lit-ideas] Books read in 2006
- From: "Lawrence Helm" <lawrencehelm@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 2 Jan 2007 09:33:48 -0800
Brian:
I can't meet the requirement of singling out one book. Nothing stands out
in such a way, but I can describe some of the books I found most
interesting.
I read five books on Iran, two by Robin Wright a very insightful journalist
(In the Name of God, the Khomeini Decade, and The Last Great Revolution,
Turmoil and Transformation in Iran). Robin Wright is well worth reading.
She provides valuable background on Iran. The remaining three books have to
do with the Iranian threat. Islamic Fundamentalism, the New Global Threat
was written by Mohammad Mohaddessin, a member of a group that fought against
Khomeini, was declared illegal and hounded out of the nation. Ilan Berman
(Tehran Rising, Iran's Challenge to the United States) and Kenneth Timmerman
(Countdown to Crisis, the Coming Nuclear Showdown) put Iran's nuclear
ambitions in a lurid light. If we assume Iranian intentions to be mad,
malicious or evil, we should certainly do something about them before they
are realized. None of the last three hold out hope for negotiating with
Iran.
I read eight books on Islamism. The two by Oriana Fallaci (The Rage and the
Pride, and The Force of Reason) were very emotional and perhaps described a
common European reaction against the Islamic and Islamist influx. Two
American writers describe the threat of Islamic immigration in a relatable
fashion: While Europe Slept, How Radical Islam is Destroying the West from
Within, by Bruce Bawer; and Menace in Europe, why the Continent's crisis is
America's too by Claire Berlinski. One writer, Daniel Pipes, described a
more direct threat against America in Militant Islam Reaches America.
But perhaps the two best books on Islamism were The Losing Battle with Islam
by David Selbourne and Globalized Islam, the Search for a new Ummah by
Oliver Roy. Selbourne takes an encyclopedic approach to the matter. His
conclusion isn't quite as pessimistic as his title implies. Roy's book is
one of those invoked by Francis Fukuyama to get him to abandon the Neocons
over Iraq. He provides some interesting arguments that might be said to
counter the more alarmist contentions of Fallaci, Bawer and Berlinski.
I read two books pertaining to France: Jonathan Fenby's France on the Brink,
A Great Civilization Faces the New Century, and J. F. Revel's
Anti-Americanism. The latter is an iconoclastic Frenchman who checked out
the anti-American prejudices he was raised with and found them false.
I was happy to discover the military historian Bevin Alexander. I read his
The Future of Warfare in which he lists the lessons learned from Vietnam and
elsewhere. A very insightful book. You should read it, Brian, if you
haven't already. I also read Alexander's How America got it right, the U.S.
March to Military and Political Supremacy - this also is very insightful and
not as triumphalist as the title makes it sound. He also lists the
occasions when America got it wrong.
Perhaps a wee bit more in a triumphalist mode was Ralph Peters, New Glory,
Expanding America's Global Supremacy. Peters is one of those authorities
who has a lot of inside information. His book was interesting.
A very interesting book that relates to several of the themes mentioned
above was Honor, a History. A lurker recommended it to me and I found it
very valuable and insightful.
I read a number of books on literary subjects. One that stands out is Kay
Redfield Jamison's Touched with Fire, Manic Depressive Illness and the
Artistic Temperament.
Lawrence
_____
From: lit-ideas-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:lit-ideas-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]
On Behalf Of Brian
Sent: Tuesday, January 02, 2007 8:31 AM
To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [lit-ideas] Re: The Button Moulder's Fan and Other Animals
I do hope more people take David up on his question as I'm interested in
what books everyone found worth in this last year, both old and new.
Best,
Brian
On Jan 1, 2007, at 6:38 PM, David Ritchie wrote:
So what was the single best book you read last year?
Other related posts:
