Richard Evans vs. The Economist : on Simms

Richard Evans trashed Brendan Simms' recent book Europe on the Guardian, accusing Simms having a right wing view.

Whereas the Economist elected the book as top 10 of the year in history category or something!

Such a contrast. I actually borrowed it from the library, nobody seems to read it it's always on the shelf, maybe because it's a veritable tome...

Now only Vroman left

Yesterday wanted to spend Sunday at BN so parked the car on a free spot and walked quite long to reach it...

Only to see that the store was closed -_-

I mean, really closed...now the next one is at Glendale -_-;;;;;;;;

And that's not all, Cliff's used bookstore is closed too, wow(not that I've visited there recently, don't really visit used bookstores anymore).

It's funny since the mega stores Borders and BN is gone while independent Vroman's is still standing lol.

Should tell the clerk about it, I don't buy books there(instead knickknacks lol), but love the atmosphere and do check to browse new books(also some bargain books occasionally)

Horny Jupiter

gaudet amans et, dum veniat sperata voluptas,
oscula dat minibus; vix iam, vix cetera differ

Metamorphoses, bk II, ln 862-3

fury of popular governments

'Popular governments are always more vindictive than monarchies'

Charles-Louis de Secondat, Baron de Montesquieu, De l'esprit des lois, Book VI, Ch. XXI.

The epitome of vanity

Paul; "She looks like you" Henri; "You flatter her" -Balzac, Oxford ed., p. 93

mottos

Of city of Paris

Fluctuat nec mergitur

Of the Orange family

Je maintiendrai. 'I will stand firm'

The importance of Stendhal's 'The Red & the Black'

Peter Collier says tin his notes on Balzac's The Girl with the Golden Eyes that the most witty and sarcasric accoumt of the struggle between the Church and State, which defines French Modern history, is found in Stendhal's The Red and the Black: now I MuST read it lol, the exploration of French literature continues..

The most astonishing preponderance

Some might say USA's military spending, but considering the size and resources of that country, not that surprising.

Consider this:

By 1670, Dutch commercial fleet was larger than England, France, Spain, Portugal, Empire's COMBINED.

La belle Noiseuse

Cherished the movie yet didn't know it was adapted from Balzac's "Unknown Masterpiece"(read it today)

and that the name itself was from Shakespeare's "Turn of the Shrew" character, Kate.

The Nation ads

Chanced upon it, Jan 6/13 doubles issue, free on the library(naturally snatched from the bin!)

ad 1. p. 16

"It might be too late to change Henry but there's still hope for Margaret"

This caption is for the pic, in which Henry is reading Barry Goldwater's 'The Conscience of a Conservative'

hahahahahaha, quite funny :)

ad 2. "Israel: Its Success for the Long Haul"

is paid by FLAME, 'Facts and Logic About the Middle East', based on SF, President Gerardo Joffe
link

Hmm...should check it out.

Funny New Yorker cartoons on Dec. 23&30 issue

When did the local library subscribe to New Yorker?

Anyway am browsing and this issue is especially full of hilarious cartoons lol.

p. 8 one by Kanin "Viva la revolucion!" Freaking hilarious haha.

p. 72 one by Shanahar "The Bogeywoman" is funny too. link

Do not read MacMillan's WWI book if you can help it

It's a waste of time, especially if you have read other WWI books, such as the classic Guns of August by Tuchman; it's not like there's a vastly important breakthrough since then. Pretty pedestrian reading too, not too stimulating.

At least Christopher Clark's book gives us significant knowlegde of Serbia and the Entente nations.

Quite unimpresssed with her book. Avoid it if you can, just read Tuchman, that's more than enough. WSJ correctly judges that for History books last year, Rick Atkinson's final trilogy book of WWII is better than hers(among others).

How is this book allowed to be published?

So he's a Guardian editor.

Play it Again

Does this mean he can publish whatever he want, it's only a diary of an attempt to master a particular piano program. It's not like a similar earlier attempt to read all Encyclopedia entries(that at least can impart some funny knowledges to us)

Italy is responsible no less than Germany for both World Wars

After reading all those WW books, one does come inevitably to that conclusion.

Italy attacking Africa in both instances before the main events significantly contributed to the deterioration of the European situation.

Attacking Libya directly lead to two Balkan Wars, and should I even mention Abyssinia.

Fascism originated from Italy as well, Mussolini became a great role model for Hitler.

Really, was their unification worth it, both Italy and Germany, if the price was the untold misery of the world..

Was it an instance of lack of savvy leaders like Bismarck, or was it a structral and historical problem(sonderweg in case of Germany)..