Apart from The Emperor and the Assassin, this is a different beast from the other biographies I’ve been reading. Dispensing with the straight telling of James Garfield’s life, Candice Millard instead paints the portrait of an era. Taking place between the war that sundered the nation and the dawn of the new century, the era in which Garfield rose to prominence was nothing if not propitious. It was a time for momentous change and novel invention. The light bulb and the telephone came to prominence. […]
He’s pretty great if you forget about the whole “owning humans” thing.
James Madison and James Monroe are interchangeable in mind. Both were important Founding Fathers, their names are fairly similar, they served consecutive dual terms as president, they both hailed from Virginia, were both proteges of Thomas Jefferson and turned against George Washington and the Federalists. Both served as Secretaries of State. Madison and Monroe were even close friends for 25 years (before temporarily severing ties with one another). There are numerous differences between the two men, but the one that stands out for me is […]
Dullness of Character Makes for Bland Review Titles
This was not the next biography on my list. I had engaged, the day previous to starting this book, in a heated exchange with a co-worker over who would comprise a list of the five most important Americans (I live an exciting life, folks). My off-hand suggestion of George Washington was dismissed with disdain, and countered with George Mason. This led down a rabbit hole which I won’t bother venturing again, but the salient point here is that I was driven to pursue greater understanding […]
I’ve seen Fire and I’ve seen Reign
It is only fitting that perhaps the most contentious presidency of my lifetime gets a second look in my quest to read a biography for every president in US history. And while Decision Points was shockingly insightful and somewhat changed my opinion of George W. Bush, Days of Fire is far deeper and considerably more thorough. In many ways, this is for Bush what Doris Kearns Goodwin’s Team of Rivals was for Lincoln: an interwoven narrative exploring the characters of the particular administration being studied. […]
I came for the dystopia, but stayed for the Ultraman references.
I am not, generally, a fast reader. These days, it’s a rare thing for me to devour a book over a weekend. Ready Player One started as a much-needed reprieve from presidential biographies (I’ve gotten bogged down in an FDR biography), and ended up a marathon session that left me both highly entertained and saddened by its inevitable end. For the few who haven’t yet read Ready Player One, it is (to put it simply) Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, but with 80s pop culture […]
Breaking Dawn of the American Century, or Twilight of Empire: all I know is, I’m covered in glitter
It’s the dawn of a new century, and the nation has gone through a tumultuous and self-affirming period of growth, with widespread new technologies spurring a hope that tomorrow will be better. But this misted veil of wonder and confidence masks a darker and more sinister reality. Wealth inequality has reset the social paradigm, resulting in hotbeds of political upheaval around the country. Meanwhile, the overwhelming influx of migrants seeking a better life has spurred racist and xenophobic tendencies, and the country always seems one […]