Off-Topic Cafe

[Mariposa]

I just checked out the October selection. Barnes & Noble will have in on September 25th. Not sure I will read it. It is over 700+ pages long. How much participation has there been from the moderator? If this is not an active site, I am unsure I want to join. I don't care if there are only a few participants, but I want to see an active moderator.

I did a book club on the Impressionist art movement with Ross King who was the author of the book, Judgement of Paris. The group was very very small but the author was there participating almost every day and as a result, it was one of the best experiences I have had with B&N to date (except of course Sarah Dunant which was beyond fabulous and Paulo Coehlo).

Lizabeth

[bentley]

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dianearbus wrote:
I just checked out the October selection. Barnes & Noble will have in on September 25th. Not sure I will read it. It is over 700+ pages long. How much participation has there been from the moderator? If this is not an active site, I am unsure I want to join. I don't care if there are only a few participants, but I want to see an active moderator.

I did a book club on the Impressionist art movement with Ross King who was the author of the book, Judgement of Paris. The group was very very small but the author was there participating almost every day and as a result, it was one of the best experiences I have had with B&N to date (except of course Sarah Dunant which was beyond fabulous and Paulo Coehlo).

Lizabeth

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Hello Lizabeth,

Thank you for letting us know. I am not sure that I can fit into my schedule a 700+ page book when I am finishing War and Peace and other books.

Of late, the moderator has joined in very occasionally. I too hoped for more of an active involvement from the New York Historical Society. There are questions that folks had asked or pondered about that have not been really discussed or in some instances even answered.

I have just moved on in my reading in spite of the above and have found Mayflower to be a terrific read and I am glad that I took the time to think and learn about that time period. I guess it is up to you to decide what you want to do. I wish there had been more involvement from folks who were actually reading the book; that has been sparse with just a few loyal diehards who have been plowing through on their own (like me I guess).

Anyways, I am in the final segments of my reading and would recommend Mayflower to anyone who wants to learn more about this period of time. It was an exceptional work on this subject.

Glad to hear from you anyways.

PS:
Not sure what other folks feel about the subjects you raised but it would be interesting hearing their thoughts as well. I am just one participant here who just wanted to read and discuss the book they had purchased for the purpose of discussion. Frankly though we did not hear from B&N or any of their editors when even after 9-10 days no moderation had yet appeared. There were some early posts in August with advance notice to pique people's interest and get them to buy the book and then nothing. We and I had asked questions about what happened to any moderation; but they for the most part also went unanswered in any way until September 10th when Jim reappeared. That is what happened...but nonetheless I was still very pleased with my the book so not all was lost. If the NY Historical Society was tied up with other things and vacations, etc...then B&N should have taken an active role (any action would have been appreciated); to start and set up the discussion properly in advance; but none of that happened. And of course, there are also different styles of moderation..I for one like the more active style where the moderator leads you through the reading. Take care.

Regards,

Bentley

[bentley]

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katknit wrote:

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Carmenere_lady wrote:
'GYHhh&r> Hi all,

My family and I enjoy visiting historical sites so I'm curious, has anyone here visited the area of the Plymouth settlement?
I've been to Plymouth Plantation many times. The village is built on a hill very similar to the actual site, which was built over long ago. So you get a strong and accurate sense of what it was like with respect to place, people, and daily life. Living history, none of the "Pilgrims" would refer to themselves as such and are very good at remaining in their respective roles. The fort's just a large, squarish, enclosed structure. There's also a small Wampanoag settlement, only a wigwam or 2 and a small patch of maize. If I remember correctly, the interpreters are Wampanoag descendants and they are given free reign in their presentations.
There is a pretty good museum with 17th century objects, some identified with specific individuals. The cemetery is interesting to wander and peruse. The Mayflower replica is terrific. Stand on that deck by the pier and you'll marvel at the courage of those who sailed the oceans in a teacup like that!
I think Plymouth is well worth the visit. There's enough to do for a stay of several days, with the cranberry bog and exhibits and some other stuff, and Cape Cod is very close.
Good weekend,
Linda

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It sounds like a great place to visit...Bradford is the one who coined the word Pilgrims (as cited by Philbrick). I was looking up where all these respective places are (the Plantation itself, Mayflower II, and the Wampanoag settlement). If I interpreted what they said correctly, it appeared that you had to drive or be driven to these different locations; and it seems to make sense that this would be so; that not all of the attractions could even be located in one spot.

I think after reading the Mayflower that I will take the time to visit and try to see some of the locations described. I think you could see a lot just traveling up the coast of New England and stopping at the spots noted in the novel along the way culminating in Plymouth, etc.

It might be a lot of fun. Linda, when were you there last?

Regards,

Bentley

[bentley]

The New York Times Review of Mayflower:

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/04/books/review/04shorto.html?n=Top/Features/Books/Book%20Reviews

[katknit]

Hi Bentley,
You're right, Plymouth Plantation is a short distance out of town. The Rock, Mayflower, cemetery, and Pilgrim museum are withing walking distance of each other within town. There's an ultra casual fish restaurant on a picturesque little wharf nearby as well. The last time we visited was summer 2006. Between the Cape and the South Shore, I'd say you could easily spend a week, leisurely but nice.
Linda

[bentley]

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katknit wrote:
Hi Bentley,
You're right, Plymouth Plantation is a short distance out of town. The Rock, Mayflower, cemetery, and Pilgrim museum are withing walking distance of each other within town. There's an ultra casual fish restaurant on a picturesque little wharf nearby as well. The last time we visited was summer 2006. Between the Cape and the South Shore, I'd say you could easily spend a week, leisurely but nice.
Linda

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It sounds like it would be a lovely visit. Thr ultra casual restaurant sounds great too.

Thank you Linda for the great information.

Regards,

Bentley

[Carmenere_lady]

Thanks for the great URL's, Bentley. It is nice to see that the Fort Hill area looks relatively undeveloped. Perhaps, a trip to Cape Cod is in order next summer.

[bentley]

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Carmenere_lady wrote:
Thanks for the great URL's, Bentley. It is nice to see that the Fort Hill area looks relatively undeveloped. Perhaps, a trip to Cape Cod is in order next summer.

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You know I was thinking the same thing..I wanted though to sort of travel up the coast and see what I could find out about the sites mentioned and sort of end up in Plymouth/Boston.

I am wondering if there is some history tour or roadmap laid out already which maybe some group has done which maps out a route. That would be fascinating for me. I don't think I appreciated that historical timeframe enough prior to reading Mayflower.

Maybe see you there Carmenere...have you finished Mayflower yet or is it still a work in progress (believe me I understand those).

And you are welcome about the urls..katknit gave some interesting information and she has been there firsthand.

Message Edited by bentley on 09-25-2007 08:41 AM

[bentley]

Not sure if anybody noticed but Andrew Carnegie is the book selected for November and it is listed already in the November Announcement.

[IBIS]

Bentley, yes, I read the notice that November will be Andrew Carnegie. That's great that there's so much lead time... especially with the holiday's hectic schedules coming up.

I'm enjoying David Halberstam's book; I'm only into Chapter 3.... I doubt that I'd even finish it by end of October. But I intend to finish it; I know that if I put it aside unfinished, it will remain that way for years.

[bentley]

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IBIS wrote:
Bentley, yes, I read the notice that November will be Andrew Carnegie. That's great that there's so much lead time... especially with the holiday's hectic schedules coming up.

I'm enjoying David Halberstam's book; I'm only into Chapter 3.... I doubt that I'd even finish it by end of October. But I intend to finish it; I know that if I put it aside unfinished, it will remain that way for years.

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Yes, I share the same outlook...I am reading now (lol). The weather has been so beautiful I spent the weekend outside with the dog in tow.

Back to The Coldest Winter (smile)

[lily_sparkleto…]

I read a lot of historical fiction and fact books. I review them and also make up my own sense of histoy. I love it when a writer writes and researches their subject well.

[bentley]

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lily_sparkletoon wrote:
I read a lot of historical fiction and fact books. I review them and also make up my own sense of histoy. I love it when a writer writes and researches their subject well.

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Yes, historical fiction is a favorite of mine too. Halberstam is supposedly not dealing with hearsay or fiction but is supposed to be reporting on the Korean War and I am still waiting for the war action. It seems to be very full of anecdotes which I surmise for some is interesting but I find it detracts from the validity of the words themselves. This is of course just an opinion based upon where I have gotten so far.

I am learning a lot about folks who lived during that period who I might not have had any familiarity with and the anecdotes are interesting in a gossipy type of way; but I am not putting stock in what is being said or the opinions that are being given.

This is just an early call on what has been read so far; but I intend to give the book my attention until I complete it. What "historical fiction" have you read lately? I am always looking for good recommendations.

Regards,

Bentley

[bentley]

Reviews of The Coldest Winter (Potential Spoilers)

Review from Newsday

Houston Chronicle

Star Tribune Review of The Coldest Winter

Polner Review of The Coldest Winter

History Book Page Review of The Coldest Winter

New York Times Review of The Coldest Winter

Grime's Review of The Coldest Winter

Garvin's Review of The Coldest Winter: Garvin makes some good points.

Kaplan's Review of The Coldest Winter

USA Today's Review of The Coldest Winter

LA Times Review of The Coldest Winter

Seattle Times Review of The Coldest Winter

Rocky Mountain News Review of The Coldest Winter

Chicago Sun-Times Review of The Coldest Winter: Excellent Review

Cleveland's Newspaper - Review of The Coldest Winter

Union Tribune Newspaper - Review of The Coldest Winter

Message Edited by Maria_H on 10-12-2007 01:32 PM

[IBIS]

Bentley, this list of reviews are a good resource. Thank you for posting them here.

[bentley]

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IBIS wrote:
Bentley, this list of reviews are a good resource. Thank you for posting them here.

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No problem IBIS,,I am way behind in my reading and have to catch up. Hope to be further along by the end of the week...but I get sidetracked by so many other books that I am reading. I will though keep plowing ahead.

I saw the webcast last night and really enjoyed it. It looked very crowded so I am glad that I did not trek into the city and risk not getting a seat.

Here I was comfy and cozy and got a front row seat in my living room.

Sorry to be delayed posting..had visitors...so away from B&N for awhile and did not get caught up until now.

Regards,

Bentley

[jimmackin]

Bentley and IBIS - I watched the webcast also. The video quality was superb and I was able to prepare the salid part of dinner while listening to the audio. Joan Didion's an old favorite, but I mostly enjoyed the Caro and Talese comments regarding Halberstam's journalistic-historical writing process.

[bentley]

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jimmackin wrote:
Bentley and IBIS - I watched the webcast also. The video quality was superb and I was able to prepare the salid part of dinner while listening to the audio. Joan Didion's an old favorite, but I mostly enjoyed the Caro and Talese comments regarding Halberstam's journalistic-historical writing process.

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Gay Talese's stories were very rich and I loved the story about his daughter's wedding: it sort of showed the man that Halberstam was and the kind of friend he could depend upon. I loved the anecdote about Halberstam's statement...“Surely the greatest book ever written about a city"...regarding The Power Brokers by Robert Caro. Caro showed his gratefulness to a man at that time who he did not know personally. MacNeil did a good job of moderating in his understated way.

The video quality was terrific.

[bentley]

Folks,

We are starting an ad hoc History Book Group which we hope those folks who began the journey with us awhile ago with Mayflower will come back and rejoin us. A lot of us felt that a 700+ historical non-fiction book was too much to accomplish in a month and that is why so many folks dropped out. We all have work, families, other obligations, etc.

We are putting together a list of potential reads and have selected Churchill's My Early Life as the first one we are doing in this way (50 pages a week) and Oldesq has volunteered to be the moderator for this one. I have posted the schedule and we will start on June 30 and will be reading this book through August 24th.

We all commented on the lack of moderators before; so we hope that folks will not feel intimidated by this easier reading schedule and pace and will be able to rejoin us.

Please also drop me a note and I will add your recommendations to our potential read list. We thought we wanted to read more first hand accounts and have more of a sampling of various historical world locations, more autobiographies, more of the very best historical books of all time, etc. There were a lot of suggestions and we are interested in hearing yours. Oldesq, Timbuktu and I (Bentley) are spearheading this attempt to revitalize this group; so there is a lot of participation or at least more participation going forward.

Regards,

Bentley

[Timbuktu1]

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Carmenere_lady wrote:
Hi all,

My family and I enjoy visiting historical sites so I'm curious, has anyone here visited the area of the Plymouth settlement? If we were to visit what would we see? Museum, artifacts....etc.? Would anything from the book be recognizable, for example, Fort Hill?

I'm enjoying Mayflower but am only on The Wall and I'm getting the feeling that nothing good can come out of this action, but I'll see.

As well as Mayflower I'm also reading Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. I finally joined the HP bandwagon and started reading the series this summer.

Carmen

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We've been to Plimouth Plantation twice and loved it. It's a recreation of the first settlement and is manned by actors who portray real Pilgrims. They never break character. There's also a reproduction of the Mayflower and an Indian settlement. One day I would love to go there for Thanksgiving and have their annual Thanksgiving dinner. BTW, there is a series of children's books with photos taken as the plantation.