Books: The Gathering Storm (Wheel of Time)

Discussion in 'Miscellaneous' started by andypalmer, Oct 27, 2009.

  1. andypalmer

    andypalmer Active Member

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    I just picked up The Gathering Storm, book 12 in the Wheel of Time series. It's the top Epic Fantasy series of the last 20 years.

    What's interesting about this book is that the author, Robert Jordan, died of a rare blood disease after finishing book 11. Brandon Sanderson was picked to finish the series (and last book). Brandon looked at the extensive notes and said, "I can't do this in one book, but I can do it in three." Gathering Storm is the first of the three.

    I should be able to share my thoughts on how he did in a couple of days or so (it's over 750 pages).
     
    #1
    andypalmer, Oct 27, 2009
  2. HatterDon

    HatterDon Moderator

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    You fooled me with your thread title, andypalmer. The Gathering Storm that I have is the first volume of Churchill's history of WWII.

    Book titles, like song titles, can't be copyrighted. Enjoy yours, but give mine a chance when you can.
     
    #2
    HatterDon, Oct 27, 2009
  3. andypalmer

    andypalmer Active Member

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    I might, though I tend to prefer getting my history from those not so heavily involved. Historians at least have the potential to be impartial :)
     
    #3
    andypalmer, Oct 28, 2009
  4. pettyfog

    pettyfog Well-Known Member

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    I REALLY protest THAT viewpoint. It's becoming highly evident that "Historians" 'might have the potential to make shit up' to suit their worldview.
    If that is going to happen let it be done first person narrative and let the 'historians' respond.
     
    #4
    pettyfog, Oct 28, 2009
  5. HatterDon

    HatterDon Moderator

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    ignoring Pettyfog for a moment -- and a refreshing moment it is -- I take your point, andyp. War narratives written by Generals are usually tiresome, and those by national leaders are too self-congratulating, but Churchill is too good a writer of English prose to avoid. Also, this particular book is an excellent retelling of the 1930s, when Hitler was gaining strength and every statesman in Europe was misreading his potential impact.

    Not to hijack further, but the very BEST war memoir by a general was by Ulysses S. Grant. Despite the fact that he only wrote it to reduce his debt, and that he wrote it while in the early stages of dying, it's very gripping and very real. He's probably the only general ever to admit in print that, the first time bullets flew in his direction, he ducked down in the canebrakes in fear and had no idea how to lead.
     
    #5
    HatterDon, Oct 28, 2009
  6. FulhamAg

    FulhamAg New Member

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    No less ironic given that the saying "History is written by the victors" is attributed to Churchill.
     
    #6
    FulhamAg, Oct 28, 2009
  7. FFC24

    FFC24 New Member

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    Jan 6, 2005
    If you really want a view of how Fascism rose, then read Trotsky's writings. He warned of this far before anybody else.


    Alright, I'm prepared to take the public stoning for not only hijacking the thread(along with everybody else), but also bringing up a socialist.
     
    #7
    FFC24, Oct 28, 2009
  8. HatterDon

    HatterDon Moderator

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    no problem, 24, but if you visit Mexico, I'd watch out for ice axes.
     
    #8
    HatterDon, Oct 28, 2009
  9. andypalmer

    andypalmer Active Member

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    to continue the hijacking...

    I've read well over 200 books on WWII, mostly on individual battles. I found the best of those to have been written by historians, who combine the accounts of multiple participants in order to paint the picture of the event. The best of these footnote points at which they choose the account of person X over the accout of person Y and explain why. I found that accounts written by participants were skewed by both the limited perspective of the single participant and by the biases that naturally occur in the account of someone personally and emotionally involved in an event.

    It is the rare man indeed who can be completely objective in such situations; US Grant did a commendable job and is considered one of the best example of this, but even then, I would take a comprehensive account by a historical researcher over his in all but matters he was personally and intimately involved. That would include what happened on the battlefield.
     
    #9
    andypalmer, Oct 30, 2009
  10. pettyfog

    pettyfog Well-Known Member

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    Zing!

    Deliciously Ironic in more ways than one, 'big picture'-wise!. Any socialist bringing up Trotsky had BETTER be prepared.
     
    #10
    pettyfog, Oct 30, 2009
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