BANDing together for projects and goals.

Joy of Joy’s Book Blog is hosting this month’s discussion of B.A.N.D. and in her post, she asks the question, “What book or books have you used or are you using to support a goal, resolution, or project?” That’s a good question and it demands a good answer. So let’s see what I can come up with to hopefully answer Joy’s question.

As I look back on 2011 and ponder Joy’s question I guess the first things that jumps out at me are a few of reading projects I featured last year on my blog.

• True Tales of Survival. It seems that few of us can’t resist those thrilling yet true stories of folks who survived disastrous  circumstances. Well, neither can I. Therefore, in 2011 I featured several books that fell under this category, books like Leningrad: State of Siege, Island of the Lost and (one of my favorites), Lost in Shangri-La. In 2012 I hope to continue this trend with Batavia’s Graveyard, Over the Edge of the World and Skeletons on the Zahara.
• About Time I Read It. Since my reading tastes can run a bit on the, um, obscure side, I admit that sometimes it takes me a while to read some of those popular, well-reviewed and even award-winning books. Therefore, last year I tried to feature several of these kind of books that sadly, took me forever to finally read. Last year I featured The Nine and The Planets. In 2012 I hope to feature other acclaimed books such as Reading Lolita in Tehran, King Leopold’s Ghost and The Evolution of God.
• Gospel Goodies. Being a wannabe theologian, over the course of 2011 I featured several books dealing with the Gospels, the life of Jesus and all things related. I ending up reading The Pagan Christ and Jesus Compared, in addition to Phillip Pullman’s fictional account The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ. In 2012 I hope to feature other books of this type, with many of them being old and obscure books.
• Biographies of Faith. In 2011 I featured the life stories of famous individuals like Martin Luther and Maimonides. My spin-off project Memoirs of Faith featured the memoirs of two former fundamentalists, (one Catholic and the other Protestant), a former Jehovah’s Witness and a Muslim convert. In 2012 I plan to continue this project, hopefully encompassing individuals representing the non-Abrahamic faiths.

That’s a brief run-down on the reading projects of 2011. But what about 2012? In addition to the above-mentioned projects, (and number of reading challenges including Kinna’s African one and Helen’s Middle East one), I hope to unleash two new reading projects.

• The Enlightenment Project. I’ve been mulling this one over for about a year. I wanna start a project featuring books that explore the Enlightenment period of history. Besides A Wicked Company, I have a number of books in mind for this project including Peter Gay’s The Enlightenment and Henry Steele Commager’s The Empire of Reason. I can’t wait to start this project.
• Church-State Studies. Yet another one that’s been on my mind for a while. There’s several books I have in mind for this project including Peter Irons’s God on Trial and Greenhaven Press’s Church and State: Opposing Viewpoints.
• Point-Counterpoint. Speaking of Greenhaven Press and their Opposing Viewpoints and Current Controversies series of fine books, I’m toying with the idea of a project in which I review two diametrically opposed books side by side. Possible candidates for this project could be Cornell West’s Race Matters and Joseph Graves’s The Race Myth or maybe a pair of books representing opposite sides of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Well that’s all for right now. Probably time for me to get back to my reading. It look’s like there’s a lot of work ahead of me.

Old Books Reading Challenge: Jerusalem, Jerusalem by Lesley Hazleton

A number of years ago my mom and I visited a rummage sale across the street from my old high school. Nestled among the stacks of dog-eared mass marketed paperbacks, cheap thrillers and old back issues of National Geographic one particular book caught my eye. Picking it up for closer inspection, I could see that despite its apparent age, it was nevertheless in fine condition and obviously had been well taken care of by its previous owner(s). Inspecting it even closer, I noticed that the book, entitled Jerusalem, Jerusalem: A Memoir of War and Peace, Passion and Politics, appeared to be the memoir of a British Jew who lived for a number of years in Israel, chiefly in Jerusalem. Being a sucker for a good memoir, not to mention books in general dealing with the Middle East, I bought it. And then, unfortunately like many of the books I buy, it sat languishing away and unread in my personal library for years. Then, one evening, probably inspired by Helen’s Middle East Reading Challenge I picked it up and started reading it. And thoroughly enjoyed it. So much so I felt like kicking myself for not reading it sooner.

It is the memoir of British-born international correspondent, (and now author of the blog The Accidental Theologist) Lesley Hazleton fondly recalling her years as a thoroughly engaged and observant ex-pat living in Jerusalem. Similar to Saul Bellow in his memoir To Jerusalem and Back, Hazleton, while technically an outsider, is nevertheless a Jew. To me, this helps gives writers like her and Bellow a kind of “insider’s/outsider’s” perspective on life in the Jewish Sate. Like other Middle East memoirs I’ve read over the past year like Kai Bird’s Crossing Mandelbaum Gate and Lucette Lagnado’s The Man in the White Sharkskin Suit, Hazleton’s 1987 memoir describes a Middle East of yesterday, which is not only fascinating to read, but essential to understanding the Middle East of today.

Speaking of which, even though Hazelton’s memoir was published 25 years ago and recounts her life in Israel from 1966 to the mid-80s, I found many of her observations and much of her commentary incredibly prescient. Hazelton’s concerns about the political and social polarization of Israel’s Jewish population I found particularly interesting, not to mention the lingering questions of how to resolve the occupation of the Arab West Bank and the Golan Heights and also the role Israeli Arabs deserve to play as full citizens of a Jewish and democratic Israel. She also recalls the first use of suicide bombers to attack Israeli occupation troops in Lebanon. Originally employed by Lebanese Shia in the 80s, the practice would eventually be adopted by the Sunni Al-Qaeda and other like-minded groups and individuals and employed throughout the globe.

Lastly, I’m happy to report that Hazelton’s memoir is well-written and therefore a joy to read. I’m sad I waited so long to read her book. Don’t be put off by its 1987 publication date. Give it a shot. I wholeheartedly recommend it.

Jeffrey Rosen’s take on the Supreme Court.

After having very good luck with books about the Supreme Court, I certainly felt optimistic when I first spotted Jeffrey Rosen’s 2007 book The Supreme Court: The Personalities and Rivalries That Defined America during one of my frequent library visits. My optimism was heightened when upon closer inspection, I noticed on the front cover that his book was billed as a companion text to the American PBS TV series on the Court. Feeling lucky and hoping Rosen’s book was cut from the same cloth of other great PBS/BBC companion books like Sagan’s Cosmos, Yergin’s The Prize, Clark’s Civilisation  and Karnow’s Vietnam: A History I eagerly grabbed it and headed to the automated check-out machine. Unfortunately, it looks my expectations might have been a bit too high. While I wouldn’t consider Rosen’s book a huge disappointment, for the most part it just wasn’t my cup of tea. Once again, just as with King’s book Ghost of Freedom, there are things about Rosen’s book to like and things not to like.

Just like with Ghost of Freedom, The Supreme Court contains a ton of information and definitely feels well-researched. Following in the footsteps of Woodward and Armstrong as well Toobin, Rosen did a very good job showing the individual justices as flesh blood personalities, each with their respective good attributes in addition to their less than flattering foibles. True to the book’s stated purpose, he did attempt to present a history of the Court as seen in the context of some of the great rivalries that have played out during the Court’s long history.

But in other ways, Rosen’s book falls a bit short. Foremost, with his dualistic approach in interpreting the 200-plus years of Supreme Court history as largely the product of ongoing rivalries between key historic figures as they squared off throughout the ages, sometimes his presentation feels narrow and even a bit forced. While I enjoyed most of the book’s chapters, the early chapter dealing with the rivalry between Chief Justice John Marshall and President Thomas Jefferson, (who wasn’t even a Supreme Court Justice) seemed overly long, causing me to eventually lose interest. Lastly, just like King’s Ghost of Freedom, I think Rosen’s book could have benefited from additional editing.

Lastly, Rosen does excel by proving quite convincingly that the most successful Supreme Court jurists with the most lasting legacies aren’t necessarily most intellectually gifted. Much like the venerable statesmen of old, they are the justices who can cement alliances, compromise when needed, and above all, conduct themselves (on and off the Court) with civility and decency. When scholars look back years from now and debate the merits of the various Supreme Court books, perhaps that above-mentioned conclusion will end up being Rosen’s lasting legacy.

Everything you always wanted to know about the Caucasus but were afraid to ask.

Riding o’er the land, you can feel its gentle hand Leading on to its destiny
- Loreena McKennitt “Night Ride Across the Caucasus”

When I joined the History Book Club a few years ago I jumped at the opportunity to get four free books just for joining. After quickly pouncing on my freebie selections What the Gospels Meant and Where Have All the Soldiers Gone, the other two books sat untouched in my library for what seemed like forever. Finally, one evening I picked up one of them, Charles King’s The Ghost of Freedom: A History of the Caucasus and started reading it. Then after a few days I became distracted by some cool book I happened to find at the library and promptly sat King’s book aside. And there it sat for several months while I busied myself with at least a half-dozen other books. Finally, last week or so I knuckled down and finished King’s book. Generally speaking, I’m glad read I read it. However, I have good things and bad things to say about The Ghost of Freedom.

First the good things. There’s probably no better book out there that covers the history of the Caucasus region. The extends to not just the political history that one would expert from a book like this, but also how the region was perceived in the popular imagination of travel writers, poets, filmmakers and adventurers. In addition, the book feels incredibly researched. Based on these reasons, there’s much to like about King’s book.

Then there’s the bad. While I don’t consider King a bad writer by any stretch, there’s something about the flow of his book I just didn’t like. Sometimes it feels too dense, like he’s trying to pack too much information into a book this size. Like a painter trying to paint a masterpiece on too small a canvas, the final product, while still impressive and peerless, nevertheless feels crowded and busy. The Ghost of Freedom yearns for the skilled hand of a careful editor who could have transformed the text into a tighter and therefore more aesthetically pleasing book.

But all is not lost. Reading King’s 2008 book has inspired me to read other books that deal with this region in some way or another. David Fromkin’s A Peace to End All Peace: The Fall of the Ottoman Empire and the Creation of the Modern Middle East has been sitting unread on my shelf for far too long and needs to be read. (Plus, I could read it for Helen’s Middle East Reading Challenge.) I’ve also been wanting to read Caroline Finkel’s Osman’s Dream: The History of the Ottoman Empire as well as Justin Marozzi’s Tamerlane: Sword of Islam, Conqueror of the World. So if a book, no matter how flawed, inspires me to read more, trust me, it’s never a bad thing.

Library Loot: January 4-10

Same old story. I drop by the library for just a moment so I can drop off a few items and the next thing I know I’m walking out the door with a big ole stack of books and yet again feeling like a fool.  Someday maybe I will develop greater self-restraint or at least start using the after-hours book drop. But until that happens I’ll never be short of library books. After running amok a few hours ago at my public library here’s what I’ve managed haul away this time:

• Church and State: Opposing Viewpoints ed. by Lynn M. Zott. I’ve had good luck with these books published by Greenhaven Press. I’m hoping this one is good too.
• A Contest for Supremacy: China, America, and the Struggle for Mastery in Asia by Aaron Friedberg. With back cover recommendations from both Robert Kaplan and Robert Kagan, I’m feeling pretty good about this one.
• If the Allies Had Fallen: Sixty Alternate Scenarios of World War II ed. by Dennis E. Showalter and Harold C. Deutsch. After loving the What If? series of books, I’m hoping this one is good too. I guess I’ll find out.
• Exploring Reality: The Intertwining of Science and Religion by John Polkinghorne. This book looks like it could be really good or really awful. I’m hoping for the former as opposed to the later.
• Israel: Opposing Viewpoints ed. by Myra Immell. Yet another book from Greenhaven Press. I’m hoping to read this one for Helen’s Middle East Reading Challenge.
• What Israel Means to Me: By 80 Prominent Writers, Performers, Scholars, Politicians, and Journalists ed. by Alan Dershowitz. Another one for the Middle East Reading Challenge.
• Holy War: How Vasco de Gama’s Epic Voyage Turned the Tide in a Centuries-Old Clash of civilizations by Nigel Cliff. This book looks epic. I just hope I can get to it.
• Why I Am a Catholic by Garry Wills. After thoroughly enjoying Robert Barron’s recent book Catholicism, I didn’t hesitate to grab Wills’s book once I saw it on the shelf. Plus, I’ve had pretty good luck in the past with his other books.

Well, I was hoping that 2012 was going to be the year I really get serious about reading my own books as opposed to ones from the library. Judging by the size of this stack, that might not be easier said than done. Oh well, time for me to start reading…

Looking Back on 2011: The Honorable Mentions

Whenever I put together one of those year-end “best of” lists, there’s always a number of  excellent books that come very close to making the list, but in the end just didn’t make it. That doesn’t mean they’re mediocre books. Far from it. For the most part, it just means that at the end of the year when I finally sit down and compile my best of list there are a few other books that happen to beat them out for being the year’s best. So, as I look back on what I read in 2011, here’s my list of those kind of books. In no real order of preference, here they are:

1. Voodoo Histories: The Role the Conspiracy Theory in Shaping Modern History by David Aaronovitch. Sometimes Aaronovitch can be dry. Sometimes he spends too much time discussing topics that really aren’t that significant. But when he’s on, he’s ON.
2. The Supremes’ Greatest Hits: The 37 Supreme Court Decisions That Most Affect Your Life by Michael Trachtman. Living proof that great things can come in small packages. This rather slim book is a superb introduction to the U.S. Supreme Court.
3. The Brethren: Inside the Supreme Court by Bob Woodward and Scott Armstrong. This other book on the Supreme Court was headed for my year-end best of list ’till Toobin’s The Nine knocked it off the pedestal.
4. Catholicism: A Journey to the Heart of the Faith by Robert Barron. An excellent book on the Catholic faith written by a true believer. So good even a non-Catholic like myself could enjoy it.
5. The Man Who Loved China: The Fantastic Story of the Eccentric Scientist Who Unlocked the Mysteries of the Middle Kingdom by Simon Winchester. You have NO idea how hard it was to leave this book off my 2011 best of list. A great story about a fascinating and multifaceted individual.
6. Allah: A Christian Response by Miroslav Volf. Intelligent and original. Volf’s ability to discuss detailed theological matters using accessible language helped make this a remarkable book.
7. In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror and an American Family in Hitler’s Germany by Erik Larson. While I liked his 2003 book  The Devil in the White City a bit more, I really enjoyed this engrossing look inside the early years of Hitler’s Germany. Trust me, it was difficult to leave this book off my year-end best of list.

All seven of these are great books and I’d have no problem recommending them to anyone. By they way, Voodoo Histories, The Supremes’s Greatest Hits, Catholicism and Allah: A Christian Response I discovered only because I happened to find them sitting on the shelf at my local public library. If not for the good people at my library, I might never have even heard of them.

Catholicism 101 with Robert Barron

Frequently, whenever I visit the public library I like to take a chance on an unfamiliar book. Even though I might already have a ton of library books on loan and sitting by my bed waiting to be read, I’ll still grab one more. And while I have a tendency to gravitate towards book I’ve read about online or in the newspapers or heard featured on NPR, time and time again I’ll grab a book that’s completely unfamiliar to me, usually by an author I’ve never heard of. By taking these little literary “leaps of faith” over the years I’ve discovered a number of excellent books.

Robert Barron’s 2011 book Catholicism: A Journey to the Heart of the Faith is yet another one of those books. Despite being completely unfamiliar with its author Robert Barron and his book Catholicism, nevertheless I still took a chance and plucked it off the new books shelf during one of my recent library visits. My goodness I’m really glad I did. Barron’s book is an incredibly readable, engaging and illuminating reflection on the Catholic faith. It’s a book that Catholics will love and non-Catholics like myself will respect and enjoy.

Writing simply but with clarity and elegance, Barron refuses to present his subject matter in a dry, linear fashion like most writers would when tasked with writing a history of, or at the very least an introduction to, the Catholic faith. According to Barron, if one is to  fully understand the Catholic Church then one must realize the overwhelming centrality of the incarnation is to the faith. Just as God became human in the form of Jesus Christ, so also is the Holy Church a tangible, earthy and flesh and blood entity with human beings as its constituent parts. In order to show the fullness of the Church as it’s moved and continues to move through human history Barron, (much like Phyllis Tickle did with her recent book The Great Emergence) likens the Church to a residential attic in which countless things are accumulated over the years but nothing is ever thrown out.

Yes, through his book Barron does serve is an apologist for the Catholic faith. But who cares since he’s a dang good one. I found Catholicism stimulating as well as a pleasure to read. I’d place it alongside other excellent defenses of the faith such as Dinesh D’ Souza’s What’s So Great About Christianity and Omid Safi’s Memories of Muhammad: Why the Prophet Matters. Judging by the number of favorable comments the book has generated on both Goodreads and Amazon, (not to mention last week I happened to see Barron’s book prominently displayed at a local bookstore), Barron’s book will continue to be well-received. This is an excellent book.

My Favorite Books of 2011

As we bid farewell to 2011, it’s time for me to look back on the things I’ve read and ask myself what exactly were my favorite books of 2011. These should be the kind of books that even months after reading them, you look back on these books fondly and would eagerly recommend them to your friends and family with little, if any hesitation. These are also the kind of books that while reading them you know, even then, there’s a good chance they’re going to end up making your best of list at the end of the year. They are that good.

Some of you might remember from reading my previous year-end lists, that my lists differ a bit from those of other bloggers and reviewers since they tend to restrict their lists to books published during that particular year. I like to read a lot of older books along with more recently published material, I think it’s only fair to consider for inclusion any outstanding books that I read over the course of the year, no matter how old they happened to be. And as I’ve said before, just because something is new doesn’t automatically mean it’s good. And just because something might be old, it doesn’t automatically mean it’s bad. After all, quality never goes out of style.

So, tonight I sit here with a big ‘ole glass of red wine from my favorite Oregon winery, (Abacela, if wanna know), and try to compile a list of my favorite books of 2011. Honestly, it hasn’t been easy. I read about 75 books over the course of this year and I found a significant number of them to be very good. But after a great deal of thought, deliberation and second-guessing that one might also associate with a Papal conclave or BCS selection committee, here’s my list of my favorite nonfiction books of the year. Please keep in mind that this list is arranged in no particular order of preference. And just like Nigel Tufnel’s amplifier in Spinal Tap, this one goes to 11.

1. Crossing Mandelbaum Gate: Coming of Age Between Arabs and Israelis, 1956-1978 by Kai Bird. I enjoyed this book so much it took me almost six months to write the review ! All because I wanted to list the many reasons why I liked it. It’s a joy to read as well as great window into the troubled region of the Middle East.
2. The Worst Hard Time: The Untold Story of Those Who Survived the Great America Dust Bowl by Timothy Egan. One of the few books to make this list that I didn’t have to borrow from the library because I own a copy. Incredibly researched with the perfect blend of the personal with the “big picture”.
3. Travels In Siberia by Ian Frazier. Just like the massive landscape he describes, Frazier’s book sucks you into another world leaving you amazed, enveloped and entertained.
4. The Social Animal: The Hidden Sources of Love, Character and Achievement by David Brooks. While some probably thought Brooks’s use of biology, neurology and the like might have been superficial or even ham handed, I on the other hand ate it up. I loved how he wove fiction and nonfiction together to illustrate his points.
5. A Time to Betray: The Astonishing Double Life of a CIA Agent Inside the Revolutionary Guards of Iran by Reza Kahlili. Yet another one of those books I knew nothing about prior to grabbing it at the library. An incredibly unbelievable but true story of an Iranian spy. Expertly edited, too. Plus, the book’s author and I traded emails after he read my review thanks to my posting on Goodreads !
6. I’m Perfect, You’re Doomed: Tales from a Jehovah’s Witness Upbringing by Kyria Abrahams. A blast to read. Yet another book I actually own. After reading Abrahams’s hilarious memoir of being raised Jehovah’s Witness, leaving the faith and eventually becoming a slam poet you will never again look at those Watchtower people in the same light. Guaranteed.
7. Monsoon: The Indian Ocean and the Future of American Power by Robert Kaplan. When I saw Kaplan on Book TV give a lecture at the US Naval War College promoting this book I was held spellbound. His book had same effect on me. If you have any interest in international relations please read this book.
8. The Poisoner’s Handbook: Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York by Deborah Blum. Who says science can’t be fun ? Add to the mix murder, mayhem, industrial accidents, political corruption and high level incompetence and you’ve got the makings of a great book.
9. Children of Jihad: A Young American’s Travels Among the Youth of the Middle East by Jared Cohen. It’s one thing to read a well-written and overall fantastic book recounting an American’s interactions with young people from across the Middle East. It’s another thing when right after you finish it, the Arab Spring breaks out in Egypt and Tunisia. Having read Cohen’s book made me feel like I’d been to the protests in Cairo’s Tafsir Square.
10. Lost in Shangri-La: A True Story of Survival, Adventure and the Most Incredible Rescue Mission of World War II by Mitchell Zuckoff. Just when I thought I wouldn’t be adding any more books to this list, I happened to find a copy of Zuckoff’s book at the library right before Christmas. After finishing it this morning on the second to last day of the year there’s no way this page-turner ain’t going on this list.
11. The Nine: Inside The Secret World of the Supreme Court by Jeffrey Toobin. I thought The Brethren was the best book on the U.S. Supreme Court I’d read until I read Toobin’s The Nine. While Woodward and Armstrong might have covered more ground with The Brethren, Toobin is a much better writer. So in the end, he wins out.

I’m also going to include a short list of my favorite novels of the year. Since I read only a handful of fictional works over the course of the year, my list will be incredibly short.

1. Let The Great World Spin by Colum McCann. This novel lived up to all the hype and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I loved how McCann showed the intimate connections between all of the individual characters, each one touched in some way by Philippe Pettit’s 1974 tightrope walk between the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center.
2. The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ by Philip Pullman.  Although many readers probably saw this book as blasphemous, I on the other hand thoroughly enjoyed this novel. To quote one of my favorite bloggers Jo at Bibliojunkie “Whether this is read like a myth or a story, I’m afraid it is a subject that is controversial and one that people may find offensive. Whether I appreciate this book challenge me, validates my doubt or make me uncomfortable, the conclusion is: it is quite an unusual reading experience.”

Since I’m starting to fall asleep it’s time for me to wrap this up. I wish a Happy New Year to all of you. Talk to you in 2012.

True Tales of Survival: Lost in Shangri-La by Mitchell Zuckoff

One of the most talked about nonfiction books published in 2011 was Mitchell Zuckoff’s Lost in Shangri-La: A True Story of Survival, Adventure and the Most Incredible Rescue Mission of World War II. After first reading about Zuckoff’s book on NPR’s website and then reading Kim’s glowing recommendation of it on her blog Sophisticated Dorkiness I knew it was a great book and certainly worthy of the hype. Therefore I made a mental note to someday read it, should I ever come across it during one of my frequent library trips.

Well, as luck would have it during one of those trips I managed to spot a copy of Zuckoff’s well-received book sitting on the new books shelf,  practically daring me to take it home. So, I did. After finishing it early this morning at my neighborhood coffee shop I’m really, really glad I took Kim’s advice and chose to read it. Lost in Shangri-La is a superb book. One might even call it a page-turner. And trust me, I don’t use that word very often to describe a book.

This book has everything: a horrific plane crash high on an uncharted mountain plateau in the wilds of New Guinea, a beautiful and independently minded damsel in distress, dashing young military men, a crack rescue team of Filipino-American paratroopers, exotic and foreboding natives, and last but not least a drunken former Hollywood actor and petty thief turned documentary film maker. Oh and before I forget to mention it, there’s a World War going on, too.

Once I started Zuckoff’s book I could barely put it down. Not only is it a thrilling and amazing tale, Lost in Shangri-La is  superbly written, too. It’s one of those few books you can’t wait to get to the end, and when you do get there, you don’t want it to end. I loved this book. I highly recommend it.

True Tales of Survival: Leningrad by Michael Jones

2011 marks the 70th anniversary of the siege of Leningrad. Recently, one of my favorite websites, The Browser, marked the occasion by calling attention to journalist Anna Reid’s excellent article on the siege which she wrote for the  British-based online publication OpenDemocracy. The Browser also marked the occasion by posting one of its signature FiveBook Interviews, in which Reid discussed the top five books that she thought a person should read if one wanted to fully understand the horrors and triumphs of that brutal siege.

Then one afternoon a few weeks ago during one of my library visits I happened to come across Michael Jones’s 2008 book Leningrad: State of Siege. Inspired by the those two online articles, (and mistakenly believing that Jones’s book was one of those she recommended, which it wasn’t), I added Leningrad: State of Siege to my handful of books and headed to the automatic check out machine. After quickly starting the book, putting it aside for a bit and then ripping through it in what seemed like no time at all, I’m glad I read Jones’s book. Just like Timothy Egan did with The Worst Hard Time, Jones did a superb job presenting both the scope of the tragedy as well as its depth, particularly as it was seen through the eyes of countless individuals, their lives irreparably wrecked by the horrific siege.

I think the greatest strength of Jones’s book is its ability to show beyond a doubt that the siege’s virtually unfathomable death toll of 1.3 million was just as much the result of Soviet callousness and incompetence as it was Nazi genocidal madness. Stalin and his appointed goons could have safely evacuated the young and old before the city was sealed off but they waited until it was too late and the results were disastrous. What little food did make it past the blockade was quickly confiscated by the ruling Communist elite, leaving the starving masses to fend for themselves. Devoid of food, electricity, heat and running water the starving city of Leningrad soon descended into a spiral of rampant disease, cannibalism and utter hopelessness.

Yes it’s a horrible story, but like many horrible stories it’s a true one and therefore must be told. And Jones did a great job telling it. He’s inspired me to read other books on the siege, especially the ones recommended by Anna Reid in her FiveBook Interview. It might also inspire me to finally read Harrison E. Salisbury’s 1970 classic The 900 Days: The Siege of Leningrad which has been sitting unread in my personal library for years. But the book it’s really inspired me to read is David Benloff’s 2008 novel City of Thieves. After hearing a co-worker of mine rave about it, I think that after reading Jones’s book I’d like to see how a novelist depicts the siege. Something tells me I won’t be disappointed.