Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

“One of Harold Nicolson’s many endearing traits was to invent occasions brought about by some preposterous and improbable action on his part.”

Harold Nicolson: A Biography (Volume I: 1886-1929) by James Lees-Milne

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One of my continued passions is Edwardian era history and as I keep reading more books about it, some people pop up over and over again until finally I either buy a biography or their letters and diaries to figure out what they were up to. Harold Nicolson is one of those people who show up in every book you will read about the 1900s through to the 1960s, as he was involved in huge amounts of historical events and had a very busy social […]

The Other Empresses

The Rebel Empresses: Elisabeth of Austria and Eugénie of France, Power and Glamour in the Struggle for Europe by Nancy Goldstone

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While Victoria of Great Britain is the most well-known of the empresses who reigned in Europe in the 19th century, she is by no means the only one. While Eugenie of France and Elizabeth of Austria-Hungary did not rule in their own right, they left their own marks on the lands and people over which they reigned too. I read omnivorously, but sometimes one wants to come back to the basics, and for me books about royalty count among the basics. I’m quite familiar with […]

Anti-Fascist Protection Rampart

Beyond the Wall: A History of East Germany by Katja Hoyer

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I’ve been searching for interesting books about Soviet bloc countries. Specifically, ones about East Germany. I’ll admit that much of my fascination has to do with my adoration for the TV show “The Americans,” and the somewhat idealistic view us Gen-Xers and Millennials have of growing up in America in the 1980s and 1990s (looking at you Stranger Things). The narrative about life in East Germany was so controlled, especially in news and entertainment, that I knew very little about East Germany other than their […]

“Fighting a one-man war against the twentieth century:” Jane Ridley’s Attempt to Make George V Interesting

George V: Never a Dull Moment by Jane Ridley

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For the general reader who’s curious about Royal history and will only read one book about George V, this is the best pick. Jane Ridley is a great writer and puts lots of interesting details in here. She has a real gift for summarizing complicated topics and synthesizing them into very readable prose. One of my most intense special interests is Edward VII, so I’ve read a lot of books about him and his family. I have a collection of coronation memorabilia and a pretty […]

An Informative Memoir by the King of Clowns

Grock: King of Clowns by Grock

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This was a pleasant read and Grock was a cheerful raconteur of his interesting life story. Grock was one of the most famous performers of his day, but as he himself writes, “Clowns too are soon forgotten.” I think the fact that clowning is an art best experienced live, combined with it not usually being recorded for posterity, leads to the progressive cultural memory loss of people like Grock, except by those with an intense knowledge of the field (there are videos of him that […]

wikipedia with a wink

Queer City: Gay London from the Romans to the Present Day by Peter Ackroyd

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Peter Ackroyd loves London. He has written novels, histories, poetry, and biographies of the people, places, and things that make (or have made) London, well, London. He approaches history with curiosity, wonder, and with an almost obsessive eye for detail. He criticizes when criticism is needed, and he allows facts and stories to breath and speak on their own without editorializing. Queer City, his history of gay life in London from the original founders through the current citizens, reaches far back into the history of […]



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