Book Recommendations:
Edson's Raiders: The 1st Marine Raider Battalion in World War II by Col.
Joseph H. Alexander USMC (Ret.)
I recently picked up this definitive history of Edson's
Raiders and was delighted with it. Col. Alexander is a fine historian
and an excellent writer. (Okay, I'm 70 but I'm still bucking for gunny; you
never know.) It has a particularly detailed and vivid account of the battle for
Edson's Ridge on Guadalcanal , an iconic fight
for Marines. Though as a Marine, and a military history buff with a master's in
history I have read a lot about the Guadalcanal
campaign, this volume greatly extended my knowledge and understanding. I had
the privilege to become friendly with a Marine Raider vet in the Chicago area who was very
sharp and had great stories; we lost him this year. Edson's Raiders is a must for Marines and well worth reading for
anyone with an interest in military history.
Rebellion The History of England
We listened to this long but excellent book on CD in the
car. it runs 16 discs, but was well worth the time. I had read a great deal
about the Stuart Dynasty in Scottish history, so it was interesting to have it
covered from an English point of view. It had a great many details and facts
that I didn't know about, and held both my and my wife's interest. You get a
real feel for the times and the people, which many histories fail to impart. I recommend
it to history buffs.
Richistan: A Journey Through the American Wealth Boom and the Lives of
the New Rich by Robert Frank
I found this book fascinating. What I liked is the rich--pun
intended--descriptions of the newly wealthy, both their lifestyles and their
problems. It neither seeks to demonize or glorify the growing American wealthy
class, but to describe what they and their lives are like. As someone who, like
most of you will never be wealthy absent finding the winning Powerball ticket
on the street, I did not envy the super wealthy their lifestyles. Though of
course, compared to billions of people in this world I am wealthy. Almost
anyone born in America
is, if they don't have some physical or mental handicap that has held them
back, such as throwing their lives away on drugs. It was interesting that no
matter how much money a person had, they tended to say that if they could
double it, they'd feel secure, whether it was a billion or ten million. I'm far
below that level but I feel the same way! I think you will find Frank's book
both informative and entertaining.
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