Grant Moves South

Grant Moves South by Bruce Catton Little, Brown (12 July 1990) Amazon What's it about?: The first volume in Bruce Catton's biography of Ulysses S. Grant, Commanding General of the Union Army and later President of the United States, detailing part of his life from 1861 to 1863. From when he first takes a position … Continue reading Grant Moves South →

Titan

Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr. by Ron Chernow Random House (1 September 2004) Amazon What's it about?: Ron Chernow's biography of John D. Rockefeller, Sr, America's first billionaire and the patriarch of one of the greatest dynasty families of the modern world. From his humble beginnings in the Rust Belt to sitting … Continue reading Titan →

On Moral Ends

On Moral Ends by Marcus Tullius Cicero Cambridge University Press (16 August 2001) Amazon I make an effort to read On Moral Ends every year, or at least revisit sections of it now and then. A treatise on ethics, and one of the most important texts in ancient philosophy by one of Rome's greatest minds. … Continue reading On Moral Ends →

On War

On War by Carl von Clausewitz Princeton University Press (29 August 1989) Amazon What's it about?: Prussian general Carl von Clausewitz's classic treatise on war and military strategy. Written after the Napoleonic Wars, it is an incomplete work, with Clausewitz passing away before he could finish his task. It is considered to be one of … Continue reading On War →

The Fish That Ate the Whale

The Fish That Ate the Whale: The Life and Times of America's Banana King by Rich Cohen Macmillan USA (4 June 2013) Amazon What's it about?: The story of Samuel Zemurray, the self-made banana mogul and infamous robber baron of the twentieth century. It's a classic rags-to-riches story on an epic scale, with Zemurray going … Continue reading The Fish That Ate the Whale →

The Fifteen Decisive Battles of the World

The Fifteen Decisive Battles of the World: From Marathon to Waterloo by Edward Shepherd Creasy CreateSpace (16 February 2016) Amazon What's it about?: A book that chronicles historical conflicts that were real turning points on the course of civilisation. Edward Shepherd Creasy analyses fifteen battles that shaped the history, culture, and development of nations and … Continue reading The Fifteen Decisive Battles of the World →

Charlie Wilson’s War

Charlie Wilson's War: The Extraordinary Story of How the Wildest Man in Congress and a Rogue CIA Agent Changed the History of Our Times by George Crile Grove Press (6 November 2007) Amazon What's it about?: How US congressman Charlie Wilson, CIA agent Gust Avrakotos, and a host of characters manipulated global politics to turn … Continue reading Charlie Wilson’s War →

Reflections

Reflections: Or, Sentences and Moral Maxims by François de La Rochefoucauld Forgotten Books (19 April 2018) Amazon What's it about?: A collection of epigrammatic reflections by François de La Rochefoucauld. The author is considered a pioneer of the maxime, a French literary form of the epigram, a brief statement that expresses some truth about human … Continue reading Reflections →

Complete Works of Demosthenes

Complete Works of Demosthenes by Demosthenes Delphi Classics (27 November 2015) Amazon What's it about?: A collection of the works of Athenian statesman Demosthenes, who is recognised as one of the greatest orators of Ancient Greece. This volume is complete with illustrations, introductions, and bonus material including the Roman biographer Plutarch's account. My opinion: For … Continue reading Complete Works of Demosthenes →

The Conspiracy Against Hitler in the Twilight War

The Conspiracy Against Hitler in the Twilight War by Harold C. Deutsch University of Minnesota Press (20 May 1968) Amazon What's it about?: A detailed account of the German anti-Nazi plot against the Fuhrer Adolph Hitler, between September 1939 and May 1940. The German resistance movement is covered in great detail, as is the role … Continue reading The Conspiracy Against Hitler in the Twilight War →