With the Covid, Beth and I have had a lot more time to read. Some of the books we have read have turned out to be exceptional. We thought we’d make a list of some of the books that have had the most impact on us or that we found especially interesting. I’m going to include a couple of reads from years past that also were standouts. My descriptions can be supplemented by going to Amazon where  comments are also available.

It was in the late seventies or early eighties when I found a copy of The Naked Ape, by Desmond Morris.  This was a big game changer for me. Drawing from the field of Sociobiology, Morris’s claim was that a lot of human behavior could be explained by linking the past to our present in an evolutionary manner. Obviously this book isn’t going to be for everyone. I’ve included it because of the impact it has had on me personally.

The Grapes of Wrath, by John Steinbeck was also a standout. The Grapes of Wrath is a novel about a family in Oklahoma during the Depression who decides to move to California where they were not exactly welcome. Steinbeck was a Socialist which is apparent in the book. None the less, it’s a powerful story which captures the desperation of the family. Steinbeck’s ability to create strong scenarios is impressive. He had the ability to create very powerful images with his words.

A book that I fell in love with was Stephen Ambrose’s Uncommon Valor. It’s a factual account of the Lewis and Clark expedition. Ambrose was a wonderful storyteller. Both Lewis and Clark were exceptional people. They were both in their early thirties when they made the journey to the Pacific. They lost one man from a burst appendix (who probably would have died had he not have made the trip), and killed one Native. What impressed me was the incredible responsibility these young men took on. Historians believe that Lewis was bipolar. There is also speculation that during at least part of the expedition Lewis was in a depressed state, which makes his accomplishments even more incredible. Tragically, Lewis later took his own life. As a side note: Benjamin Rush was a leading physician of the time. Lewis studied under him before the expedition. Mr. Rush was a proponent of bloodletting. Thinking about the practice and how it is viewed today reminded me of the futility of viewing the past from a modern lens. I have come to believe that it has become a political tool. Groups conveniently choose who and what to isolate as it fits their agenda. I mostly ignore that argument. I’m more interested in how groups have evolved. Mr. Ambrose was a prolific writer, his Nothing Like it in the World was about the building of the Transcontinental Railroad. It’s another book that I regret giving away.  He wrote several books on WWII, but almost entirely on the European theatre. I read several and all were very engaging, but I have always been more interested in the War in the Pacific. In reviewing his work, I see that he wrote a couple of biographies on Dwight D. Eisenhower. I don’t know how I missed those, but given his attention to detail and his ability to make a story come to life, they are both on my to read list. I did recall that he’d written a couple of volumes on the life of Richard Nixon. I have them both, but have never been interested. The same can be said for Bill Clinton. I have also never read anything on Abraham Lincoln

David McCullough has several books that I would recommend. He wrote two extensive biographies on John Adams and Harry Truman. His Path Between the Seas is an intriguing story of the building of the Panama Canal.  Transportation of materials was a grand challenge. Mosquito ridden jungles added to the dangers of the project. Reading the section about William Gorgas’ breakthrough tying the mosquito to the illnesses which brought deaths from illnesses almost to zero makes the book worth reading.  Mr. McCullough has several other good reads but these three are my favorites. McCullough is another great storyteller. When I read my first book by McCullough, I was transported to being a child, sitting in a semicircle, and devouring every word spoken by my teacher as she read us stories. I love stories. I have come to favor authors that are good storytellers. Because of Mr. McCullough, I later read a book called, The Mosquito: A Human History of Our Deadliest Predator, by Timothy Winegard. You don’t have to be a scientist to enjoy Winegard’s research. It’s a fairly easy book to digest.

Micro Histories, as the name implies, are events or subjects that are viewed as if under a microscope. Micro Histories explain how the events or subjects evolved and the political and economic effects they had on the world. For me, these are books that are difficult to put down until finished, and tend to be very, very interesting. A couple that I vigorously recommend are,

Salt: A World History, By Mark Kurlansky

Cod: A Biography of the Fish that Changed the World, also by Mark Kurlansky

Uncommon Grounds: The History of Coffee and How It Transformed Our World

The Power of Gold: The History of an Obsession, by Peter Bernstein, is on my to read list

A couple more novels that I can’t leave out are, Larry McMurtry’s Lonesome Dove and Nevil Shute’s A Town Called Alice. McMutry’s book is a story of a couple of ex-Texas Rangers who live in South Texas. When not quarrelling amongst themselves, the two (with a few other ex-rangers) are trying not to be killed by renegades or Indians. McMurtry is also a great storyteller. Some of his other books I found to be almost bizarre, but Lonesome Dove is a true masterpiece.

A Town Called Alice, is a story of Allied soldiers and civilians being held by the Japanese during WWII. I have more to say on this topic when I reach the books on the war in the Pacific. There is a bit of a love story intertwined In a Town Called Alice which is a contrast amongst all of the sorrow and brutality. I loved this book. I was really drawn to the characters.

I recently read a couple of books of two separate accounts of escapes from North Korea. They were, A River in Darkness, by Masaji Ishikawa and Escape From Camp 14, by Blaine Harden. I was pretty ignorant about the goings on in North Korea. Both books are pretty explicit in their descriptions about conditions in NK, which are almost beyond belief. Entire families are punished for crimes, real or alleged, for a single family member.  

Beth and I have over nine years now living in Mexico and we are both grateful that this government has allowed us to be here. Having said that, neither of us has had to hold down a job, we don’t have kids in school, we don’t run a business. If we were involved in any of these scenarios, I don’t believe we could have lasted. To not exaggerate, not a week goes by that I don’t think about how lucky I was to grow up in America. These two books have drastically reinforced that feeling. For years Beth and I have been astounded by the things Americans complain about. If you want a peek inside of North Korea, I highly recommend either of these books. Aside from the information you’ll glean, I believe you’ll never look at America the same.

Skeletons on the Zahara, by Dean King, is a story of twelve American sailors who were taken prisoner in North Africa in 1830. The book recounts their struggles to survive and the hardships they endured. It’s well worth the read.

Into Africa: The Epic Adventures of Stanly and Livingstone, by Dugard Martin is the familiar story of the two American and British explorers. Much of the book centers on the search for Livingstone, but there are several sub stories. If you, like me, were intrigued as children by mysterious Africa, you’ll enjoy this book.

Swearing is Good for You, by Emma Byrne, is an intriguing read. As someone who has had a foul mouth for most of my life, it’s comforting to know that there might have been some scientific benefits to being a potty mouth. You’ll be entertained and might just increase your vocabulary.

The Shining Path, by Orin Starn tells about the rise of a Communist movement in Peru, beginning in the eighties. I had no idea. The story centers around a couple that went to great lengths to establish a Communist government no matter the cost.

A Majority of Scoundrels, by Don Berry is a detailed account of the American fur trade that took place in the West. The main years covered are from 1825 to 1845. If you know any of the more famous mountain men, you’ll find them in this book. More info than I wanted over tonnages of beaver taken with dollar amounts. There are some incredible stories of survival of men who wandered the Western wilderness in search for beaver. This too, was one of my favorite reads. If you are interested in the fur trade, this is a must read.

Rock music lovers will enjoy My Life, by Keith Richards. Keith is one of the guitar players for the Rolling Stones. I honestly don’t remember a whole lot of detail about the book but I do remember that I found it very entertaining. I think I’d already heard a lot of the stories. My favorite Keith story is when he fell out of a tree. I remember thinking, what was a man in his mid-sixties doing in a tree. That kind of epitomizes Keith Richards. I started an autobiography by the drummer of the Grateful Dead, but found it too decadent for my taste. I’ve read several autobiographies and biographies of musicians but Keith’s was the only one I found exceptional.

I really enjoy listening to and watching videos of Jordan Peterson. For that reason I bought his 12 Rules For Life. I couldn’t get through it. I suspect that it’s an important book, and I am sure I’ll make another attempt. I’ve put books down before, returned to them, and for some reason my second attempt was successful. I think JP is very analytical. I like the way his mind works. He seems to think carefully before he speaks.
 

I’m not big on books about politics. I did read a book about Fast and Furious because I didn’t understand what it was about. An exception to the rule is Thomas Sowell. I kind of think of him as a Will Rogers of politics. I also enjoy listening to him speak. I am currently reading Maverick, a biography about Sowell, by Jason L Riley. Sowell’s story is very compelling. Like JP, I admire Mr. Sowell. The only book of his that I didn’t enjoy was Black Rednecks and White Liberals.

Dead Reckoning: The Untold story of the Northwest Passage, by Ken McGoogan, as the name implies, is about the search for the Northwest Passage. Most of the voyages (there were several) were done before the advent of modern equipment. There were lots of frostbite cases and deaths from the cold. Politics kind of dirtied the search. The Inuits were often mistreated and mistrusted even though they were a great help to the Europeans. There are lots of names and dates in this one. 

Another book that I am currently reading is War Before Civilization, by Lawrence Keeley. Keeley’s premise is that there have been very few cultures that didn’t engage in warfare and that deaths due to warfare were often more deadly when total populations and death percentages were taken into account. The beginning of the book was difficult but it has become very interesting. A new book, The Dawn of Everything, has recently come out with an opposite thesis. Their claim is that the advent of states led to more wars and higher death rates per populations. Although skeptical, I was intrigued. I viewed the comments on Amazon and found some compelling arguments against the book. I searched the authors and saw that one of the authors is listed as anthropologist/activist. When I was younger having the title anthropologist/activist would have been blasphemy.  It certainly doesn’t encourage any sense of objectivity.

I’ve long been skeptical of the Idea that our Civil War was fought over slavery. I mentioned above that I hadn’t read a biography of Abraham Lincoln. I recently purchased, Lincoln Unmasked: What You’re Not Supposed to Know About Dishonest Abe, by Thomas L. Dilorenzo. I’ll admit that I didn’t finish the book. I found the book extremely disturbing. His thesis is that the war was fought to rid the country of a Jeffersonian states rights system to one of a country with a strong Federal government that favored large corporations. Far from the humble Lincoln, Dilorenzo paints Lincoln as a ruthless railroad lawyer that strongly favored Federal and corporate power. Dilorenzo claims that no other country fought a Civil War to abolish slavery.  After a search, maybe you could possibly make an argument for Haiti. This is a skeleton that I am content to keep in the closet.

I failed to include any of James Michener’s books because he has a theme for each of his histories. If you enjoy the theme, they are good reads, but if you don’t they drag. For instance his book on Mexico centers around bullfighting which I was not the least bit interested in. The gentleman who reads his audiobooks is great. His voice is clear and captivating.     

I read for entertainment and curiosity. I’m a lazy reader. I don’t normally worry about exact dates and specific locations (obviously there are exceptions). I like to rip through books and end up with a general understanding of the material. To give an example, I’d be hard pressed to write a biography of President Truman from memory, but I have developed an opinion about him personality and his presidency. I don’t read as though I am preparing for a test. For that reason, some of my summaries are a little thin.

The Attack on the Liberty, by James Scott, covers the attack on the USS Liberty by the Israelis in 1967. The book questions whether the attack was an accident as the Israelis claim or that is was intentional. The book draws attention to the murky, dishonest relationship between the US and Israel.

A Troublesome Inheritance, by Nicolas Wade, explores the possibility that IQ is affected by race. What I took away from studying IQ is the importance of helping young adults discover an area where they can become exceptional.

Honor and Betrayal: The Untold Story of the US Navy Seals Who Captured the Butcher of Fallujah, by Patrick Robinson, relates the story of three Navy Seals who were prosecuted for mistreating a prisoner on flimsy evidence. It became a political issue, which made discovering the truth all the more difficult.

The Aztecs, by Michael E. Smith, is an in depth study of the Aztec Culture. I found some areas dry and tedious, but if you, like me know little of the Aztecs, it’s an informative read. I had a university student to the house a while back and was surprised to hear that one of his professors denies that the Aztecs sacrificed humans. The professor told the class that the Spanish conjured up the lie to justify the Conquest.

Another good storyteller is James Bradley. Bradley wrote Flags of Our Fathers, which Clint Eastwood went on to make into a motion picture. The China Mirage: The Hidden History of American Disaster in China, is one of my favorite reads on the list. The book details how the British and later the US forced trade on China. The opium market became a major product that made millions for British and American businessmen, including the grandfather of Franklin Roosevelt. It’s a book that’s hard to put down, even though it’s a long read. Another great book by Bradley is Flyboys: A True Story of Courage. Flyboys is set in the Pacific during WWII. I somehow missed the Imperial  Cruise, which I’ll be starting in the next couple of days. I highly recommend reading Bradley, he’ll keep you on the edge of your seat.

The rest of my list centers on the war against Japan during WWII. If that’s not an area you are interested in, you might want to stop reading.

James Swift wrote an essay called 5 Reasons Japan was more terrifying than Nazi Germany. The complete essay can be found at: https://thoughtcatalog.com/james-swift/2016/12/five-reasons-imperial-japan-was-more-terrifying-than-nazi-germany/

Briefly, his reasons are:

1. Imperial Japan conquered and occupied a much larger part of the globe 
2. The Japanese held those areas for a longer period of time
3. They probably killed more people than Hitler
4. They killed in more gruesome ways than the Germans
5. They really have never apologized

In my opinion, the Japanese were monsters during the war. They were savage and brutal beyond belief. I can’t imagine what it must have been like to have fought that war with the possibility always in your mind of being taken captive, especially for pilots. When America entered the war, we already had an idea of how the Japanese were going to fight. We knew how they had treated the Chinese. Negative thoughts about the Japanese were reinforced quickly as our troops discovered mutilated bodies of Americans that had been tortured.

My list of books covering the war in the Pacific is long. I don’t have a clear memory of each book. But I can assure you that if it on my list, it was a read that I valued. I think in most cases the title of the book is self explanatory as to its content. The fighting in New Guinea stands out due to the terrain. It must have been the most inhospitable place on earth to wage war. On many islands like Saipan and Okinawa civilians had been brainwashed by Japanese soldiers to believe that American soldiers were going to commit horrible atrocities against them, so many civilians chose to kill themselves and their children. The banzai charges of up to five thousand men were terrifying. Remains confirmed that the Japanese were eating Americans in some cases. The Building of the Burma Railway by starving Allied soldiers is difficult to read about. The battle of Manila was the epitome of Japanese brutality against civilians. The stories of how America slowly gained air and sea dominance is hair raising. Our submarine fleets along with air power slowly choked Japanese supply lines that left thousands of Japanese soldiers without food or ammunition. I believe it while reading Retribution by Max Hastings, that I thought of the term, bringing down the wrath of God.  The Japanese surly must have felt that way. Towards the end, the Japanese suffered horribly. The politics of the war is frustrating. Egotism cost the lives of many soldiers, sailors, and airmen. But there were many great leaders. I don’t think it’s a stretch to say that the American industrial machine was very instrumental for our victory. Through my reading about this war I learned a lot about sacrifice, honor, bravery, fear, incompetence (when a sitting Congressman exposed to the media that the Japanese were setting their depth charges at the wrong depth, (an error that the Japanese quickly corrected), and terror. The submarine commanders especially stood out. Their bravery and intelligence was admirable.

My list of books covering the Pacific War are as follows:

If you don’t have a lot of time to read but are interested in the war. My recommendation for a single read is The Conquering Tide, by Ian Toll. It’s a magnificent book.

Helmet for My Pillow by Robert Leckie

War Beneath The Waves by Don Keith

The Galloping Ghost by Carl P. Lavo, about a submarine commander. Great read.

The Bedford Boys by Alex Kershaw, follows the boys from one town who served in the Pacific

Goodbye, Darkness by William Manchester

Race of Aces by John R. Bruning, competition between pilots in the Pacific

Saipan by James H. Hallas

Ship of Ghosts by James D. Hornfischer

Guadalcanal Diary by Richard Tregaskis

The Ghost Mountain Boys by James Campbell

Behind Japanese Lines by Ray C. Hunt

Challenge for the Pacific by Robert Leckie, the battle for Guadalcanal

The Pacific by Hugh Ambrose

Red Sun Setting by William T. Y’Blood

MacArthur at War by Walter R. Borneman

Whirlwind by Barrett Tillman, the air war against Japan

USS Seawolf by Gerold Frank

The Conquering Tide by Ian W. Toll

Pacific Crucible by Ian W. Toll

The War Below by James Scott

The Burma Air Campaign by Michael Pearson

As Good As Dead by Stephen L. Moore

Pacific War Uncensored by Antony Ferguson

Okinawa by Robert Leckie

Neptune’s Inferno by James D. Hornfischer

Never Call Me a Hero by N. Jack Kleiss

Lost in Shangri-La by Mitchell Zuckoff

The Things Our Fathers Saw by Matthew A. Rozell, Vol I

Indianapolis by Sara Valdic

My Hitch in Hell by Lester Tenney

The Fleet at Flood Tide by James D.Hornfischer

The Burma Campaign by Frank McLaynn

Disaster in The Far East by John Grehan

Operation Vengeance by Dan Hampton

Tin Cans and Greyhounds by Clint Johnson

Their Backs against The Sea by Bill Sloan

The Battle for Leyte Gulf by C. Vann Woodward

All Hell Let Loose by Max Hastings

Voices of the Pacific by Adam Makos

Escape from the Deep by Alex Kershaw, one of my favorites

The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors by James D. Hornfischer

Pacific by Simon Winchester

The Heart of Hell by Mitch Weiss

I know I am leaving out some books, especially concerning prisoners of war, but I got tired of digging.