This past Spring, my family and I listened to The Wager on an unplanned road trip (long story) and really enjoyed it! I think I would have liked it in print as well, but the audio was fantastic.

Well, you lost me at philosophy, but then Kaputt got me jumping out of my chair ! 🤭 It has that typical Italian obscurity about it (in parts) but worth a read.

Some good books here. I'm with you on the Burke. He and I wouldn't agree politically, but some of his philosophical ideas are quite interesting (though I haven't read him in years).

I have a Goodwill right down the street from me...have I ever gone to look for books? Oh well, I should do that sometime. You have definitely found some interesting titles!

Looks interesting. You always keep me guessing about some of the stuff you pick up. 😁 You think reviews and analyses of PHILOSOPHY can be more enjoyable than the original texts? Try reading "On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres" by Copernicus. 😟🥱😴

Freedom! Those battles of attrition were wild.

Some excellent finds there. I'm with you on enjoying reading about philosophy more than the works themselves. The Bertand Russell tome on the History of Philosophy is great.

I often teach 1984 as s science fiction novel. Your point about the Rosenbergs is valid. It's clear that Julius was a spy; Ethel was involved but not necessarily as deeply. I saw a really good production of Lear with Derek Jacobi as Lear. I'm currently rereading Henry V.

We call all those things :witch hunts"

The Deor Hord sounds fascinating. I actually took Old English in college...I probably remember nothing, but it would be fun to see if any of it rings a bell.

The first time I read this book, I was 5 or 6 and found it in my grandad's shelves, which I was allowed to read anything. I really thought it was a book like "The Wind in the Willows". It was only when I reread it at grammar school as part of an Orwell project that I realised the political themes. . My grandfather was a socialist and I should have realised earlier . Reading a book about civilisations by Ernesto and a Carton book about the Civil War for this part of Q4. I have noted the modern Presidents' book by John Meacham for next year.

I have the same Orwell with both books in one. Great comments about 1984 and the difference between banned and challenged books 👍👍👍 Informative as always, thank you.

1984 was the first real novel I got into after a long reading hiatus. I've since listened to the audiobook and a couple of months ago Audible released an abridged version, complete with voice acting, music and sound effects. It was an atmospheric experience! It's definitely worth reading at least once.

I quite like Orwell but I do think 1984 is his worst (and over rated) book, notwithstanding it's importance. Today, we are now at war with - DDB !!

Agreed on your insight on 1984. I read it for the first time 3 years ago with the caveat told to me to expect realism with a sub par story and that helped. I think it was a bit sensational but that seemed to be for the sake of the narrative. Otherwise, aspects of totalitarianism and the caution of a surveillance government are valuable to the reader. At the end of the day though, out of the famous dystopias, Huxleys Brave New World was the most prescient.

Yeah, yeah, but what's in your personal Room 101? For me, it's exactly like that nightmare "mixer" deal at that conference you were forced to attend. There are pineapple-containing drinks, and name tags, and hominoid clusters engaged in awkward, coerced "mingling." Forever. Sigh. Trump himself has become almost incidental to me -- the symptom, not the vector and all that jazz. I worry that J.D. Vance has the potential to be SO much worse. But I'm admittedly given to catastrophism. Hopefully, such fears turn out to be irrelevant, or failing that, stupidly incorrect.

Hello, I’m your son Ben’s friend from school. Cool channel! I like the i survived book review video! 😊

I definitely want to read The Wager. I don’t think I’ve seen a negative review of it (at least on the Channels I watch).

A few suggestions for folks who’d like to read something for Historathon Q4: Dark Archives: A Librarian’s Investigation Into The Science And History Of Books Bound In Human Skin, by Megan Rosenbloom. Just what it says, by someone active in the effort to correctly identify such books. Contrary to what I thought (and maybe you too), most such books come from the tail end of the 18th century and the bulk of the 19th. And there aren’t many of them: a Harvard project to identify human leather by a proteins test has examined a hundred or so books that museums and libraries with books claimed to be such, and half them weren’t. With both the real ones and the fakes, Rosenbloom provides absolutely captivating research into the people whose skin was used, who the people responsible for the binding were, and how librarians now debate their responsibilities to the books and the public. Available in audio and ebook. Wasteland: The Great War And The Origins Of Modern Horror, by W. Scott Poole. Also as it says. Poole argues powerfully that the experience of World War I, by both soldiers and civilians, haunted the people who went on to create the modern genre in film, art, and prose, through which they sought to find some way to tame the traumas they’d suffered. He brings up early works I’d never heard of, and follows legacy threads all the way to the present. Meticulous and fascinating. Available in audio and ebook. Mirage Men: A Journey Into Disinformation, Paranoia And UFOs, by Mark Pilkington. This is not your usual book about UFOs. Instead, it’s about how various countries’ intelligence agencies have created and spread stories about UFOs and coverups to draw attention away from actual secrets like stealth aircraft development. Some of it can be rough reading, since a crucial part of the story is deliberate manipulation of civilians that their manipulators knew were mentally ill. Available in audio and ebook.

Ive only ever read the original Howard Conan stuff. Maybe ill have to give the newwer and other author things a try sometime

The Wager sounds like a great read. I am fascinated by the risks and hardships aboard a wooden vessel traversing across the ocean. Shipwrecks, starvation, boredom, personal hygiene - and yet Darwin, Humboldt, and others did it for science and the thrill of discovery.

I'm part through the Grann book, but have put it aside to finish as and when, but at the latest next year. My TBR is huge this year, thanks to you, David, Debs and now Richard has got me buying the Penguin History of history of Europe. Well that's my excuse, the heh, "oh no, Historathon made me do it!"

I need to read The Wager, I read Killers of the Flower Moon last year and it was excellent. Grann is a very good writer.

No charlo latino pero me pregunto que puedes entender este sin problemas? No sé que tan parecido es el latín.

The Wager has been on my list so it's great to hear your positive review! I know what you mean about being a land lover. I've only been on one cruise as well, and that strange feeling is almost the opposite of being claustrophobic. To look all around you and feel that you are only a tiny speck in the ocean with no safety in sight is unsettling to say the least! I read Enduance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage last year and was also amazed about what they had to go through to survive. Makes me not want to complain about anything, ever! You've inspired me to pick up The Wager sooner than later. Also, I love that there is a Conan graphic novel! I may have to give that one a try if I come across it. Great reviews, Vin!

Another nice edition of Fresh Read Kills! Quite the steal for the Conan graphic novel! Only a dollar! It has beautiful artwork as well! The Wager is very popular as you mentioned. I'm glad you enjoyed it!

If you're a Conan fan you have to read Conan and the Spider God by L. Sprague De Camp. The Savage Sword of Conan comic had the story spread out in three issues. It just might be one of the best Conan stories ever!

Definitely a Conan fan and The Wager sounds interesting.

I’ve been wary of reading The Soul of America so I’m curious to see what you think of it.

Did I miss the criticism about the Cawthorne book? I got the idea he might be sketchy, but nothing about the book. Can you give a few example about where he is disappearing in the proverbial night-time alley smoke?

"This many books wide" should become a standard of measurement haha. The Junius and Albert looks great, never heard of it! Cool vid vin!

Where has this year gone??

Perhaps the _Paganism For Beginners_ book has been lauded, because, it implicates paganism with the devil, playing on the the links to devil-worship no doubt as a rhetorical device. The Green Man for example is just not the devil or anything to do with the devil...

I always look forward to your new posts; another great episode and presentation.

Band of Brothers is excellent, probably his best book. He tends to plagiarise his own work 🤭

That Alexievich book looks fabulous. I loved Band of Brothers but haven’t read it. I’m sure I had a copy somewhere. I’ve read nothing of the civil war. I really must rectify that. Fabulous choices 😊

If you get around to "Liberalism in Dark Times," tap me on the shoulder in Voxer. I'd love to read it with you. Great list!

if you haven't read Ronald Hutton's books, you might find them interesting. He is an academic who specializes in early modern Britain, British folklore, pre-Christian religion and modern paganism, Currently, he is a professor of history at the University of Bristol and has appeared on British TV and radio. You can find a lot of his talks and conversations on KZbin.

Cawthorne is the James Patterson of non-fiction. Best to avoid. I've been reading a few political books too, for election season. AND of course watching Planet America on KZbin 😉

Great discussions Vin, sorry you had a couple of meh books there, especially the occult ish one as I know you like those haha.

Excellent point about sources and questioning the content of the material 👍 Scott Cunningham, Starhawk, Ann Moura and Edain McCoy are all good sources of information about pagans and the history. Great to hear your viewpoint about this book.

Healthy skepticism is always nice to bring to reads about historical events.

another nice edition of Fresh-Read Kills! Happy Autumn to you Vin!

I feel you, man. I also have about 30 Stephen King books that I haven’t read sitting on my shelves 😂 Nice review!

My favourite quarter 😊. Got a load of good stuff lined up

I have my books all lined up, but thanks for the reminder, Vin. I hope we are going to do it all again next year.

I've just started reading Thomas Weber's Hitler's First War about Hitler First World War experience.

I have a copy of the Ruston book but haven't read it yet. Soon! The Beast book looks interesting to me.

Yes! The 20th century is definitely my favourite time of history!

Greetings on the Autumn Equinox! For some reason, I kept expecting a bear to come crashing through the foliage...