Tuesday May 20, 2014
I received a fine message from a reader today. He asked if I had toured San Simeon, the Hearst Castle.
Indeed I have. My room mate and I, mere lads in our 20s, were so taken with it we went back a second time. IN 1973 it offered three distinct tours it was and is so large.
A great summer read of the larger than life Hearst is The Chief. This is a very well researched bio of his life by an academic historian. Did you know for example that in his race with Teddy Roosevelt for the Presidential Nomination, he actually offered to outfit his yacht to US Navy standards for gunboats, assuming of course that he received an Officer commission to be the
Captain? The US Navy demurred. Recall that TR got an officer commission from oe of the Western Territories and assembled his own troops gathering here in San Antonio's Menger Hotel. Great stuff...from another era.
Summer Reading
In addition to The Chief we suggest The Pitchman. This is Gladwell's story of Ron Popeil, the larger than life TV pitchman.
Gladwell has also serialized his columns in Outliers and The Tipping Point. His story of Paul Revere versus Willaim Dawes who made a similar ride that night illustrates what it takes to bring about a Tipping Point.
HIghly recommended for your high school seniors headed to college required history courses would be
Paul Johnsons' History of the American People. If your off spring can complete this at least a B awaits for the required American History from 1492- 1865 and 1865 to now classes.
American Caesar: Douglas MacArthur is more than a bio, as the saying goes, there is no history, only biography and that is true of both these volumes. This lays the ground work for the move East that we are now transitioning from Western Dominance.
IF you are not happy with this age be glad you missed A World Lit Only by Fire by Manchester. This is the story of the mIddle Ages to the Renaissance, tough times indeed, not for the meek.
The best mind in the USA may be Tom Sowell. GEt to know him; his page is here. Again your offspring will be far better prepared for college with any of T. Sowell's books in tow though that might not sit well with his liberal professors.
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