pickNowadays most people think that the only two civilzations that made the West are the Romans and the Greek, but this non-fictional )audio)book proves them wrong. There have been Egyptians, Asyrians, Minoans and many more. Even though I already knew a lot of the information because I am fascinated by ancient civilisations in general, this book gives and extensive overview and a lot of interesting, sometimes funny facts and stories.
pickA history of the Capetians from Hugh through to Charles IV (before it passed to the Valois) focussing on each of the kings. I was familiar with some of them before (like Philip Augustus and Philip IV (the fair) but this helped to put them in sequence in a very readable way.
#BookReport
Finally finished Kristen Lavransdatter! It was slow going as my attention span this year has mostly been that of a gnat but I enjoyed it. Also enjoyed Josephine Baker‘s memoir. What an incredibly fascinating woman!
The format of What We Knew was interesting. The individual sections held my interest more than the rest but that is me not the book.
Caught up on buddy reads except the Picasso which I will read today.
pickThis book examines how Napoleon expanded his authority, through a combination of stretching the limits of the law and constitution, less than legal means, and a blend of intimidation and effective bribery. The book also examines various people who helped facilitate Napoleon's rise to power. Overall, definitely recommend.
pickThis is just the 1st of 8 volumes. I went in expecting to learn a lot (and I did) but not expecting the humor and the quality of the prose. I‘m not jumping right in to volume 2, but I do hope to finish the whole thing by the end of 2026. Pic is the map on the endpapers of my edition.
And the relevance to our current situation keeps coming. Sigh.
Next up for reading.
Let‘s hope it‘s not irrevocable. And this was written in 1776. Do we never learn?
