Carl Palmateer

Classic history contemporary to the events

Reviewed: 08-08-19

A classic history written in the 1st Century A.D. This is important to understand as it is different from how history is written today. If it were a modern piece it would probably get a 2-3. Little sourcing, long monologues, limited cross references, etc. So read it as it is.

The first point that caught me was the scope of the book. I thought it was about the Roman Jewish war of 66-70 AD. It starts about 200 years prior to that and carries through to 70 AD. The second point was how hard fought the final war seemed to be. Usually it is presented something like, Jews revolted surprising Rome, some initial limited success, Rome reacted, marched in and crushed Jews, big finale at Masada, the end. Josephus details a bitter conflict, that although Rome was never in serious danger, cost Rome far more in blood and treasure than was expected. (and, of course, the author was a brilliant fellow, almost as brilliant as his benefactors Vespasian and Titus, the winners of the war).

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A Compelling Narrative

Reviewed: 08-01-19

There will never be a comprehensive history of anything so momentous as the First World War and this book recognizing that does not try. It is, however, extensive. Unlike many of this genre it is not simply filled with names, places, dates, statistics. Nor is the information simply grouped into arbitrary chunks that are easily digestible but barely connected.

What is different about this history is the attempt to bring all of it together into a single narrative. This flows well and better illustrates the interactions, cause and effect, unintended consequences of what, at first, seems independent decisions and events kept apart by time and distance. What you get is an unfolding, compelling drama which, while it cannot fully explain the horror of the years, gives one a framework within which one can gain some understanding.

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Classic by a Legend

Reviewed: 07-19-19

Clarke is a legend, a well deserved title. This book is a true classic. The characters are a bit wooden but characters is not what Clarke does best. The technology is outdated but more technology has gone on a tangent from what Clarke was writing 45 years ago. Its not that the science is wrong, the technology illogical but there is a sidestep that makes it seem off to a younger, modern reader. The key is to look at the human problems and solutions.

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Early 20th Century Seinfeld

Reviewed: 07-18-19

"This is the song that never ends, it goes on and on my friend."

Its not quite that bad. Its obviously an important novel from the viewpoint of the changes it instituted. Its obvious why it is a favorite in education. A lot of obscure references, multiple languages, and other points that allow one to demonstrate erudition. Even better there are so many points that allow for the writing of papers, thesis and dissertations that can't really be demonstrated as wrong.

The story itself? There are plenty of "erudite" reviews available to give you more detail but to my mind this day in Dublin is like Seinfeld. The book about nothing.

BTW the performance was great.

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The 19th and the 21st are two different centuries.

Reviewed: 05-29-19

What started as an interesting supernatural thriller/mystery 19th century set piece died when the boot of modern morality was placed firmly on the neck of the narrative and used to crush the life from it. The performance was quite good but the material killed it. If you wish to show your disapproval for another time there are subtler ways to do so without sucking the soul of a story and insulting the intelligence of your audience.

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Classic what?

Reviewed: 05-17-19

This should properly be titled "Classic Authors, Poets and Playwrights of American Literature" since that is the focus. The Professor points out that many of the writings he examines are little known or unknown works that he picked to help highlight the people. Even when he sets a lecture on a specific work it is usually viewed through the lens of what it shows about the writer. The irony is that when he does actually deal with a text there is good stuff but its more like 4-8 hours not 43 hours.

Production/performance is very uneven. First of all Great Courses, I know who you are, I know what the course is. I don't need to be told about you every 10 lectures nor do I need the introduction to the course to be repeated with it.

This is recorded with an audience which I can live with, some people do better with one but I have to listen to every dropped object, rustled paper, stirring soul because the Prof has a habit of dropping his voice to a whisper at odd intervals (or turning away from the mics, I'm not sure) so the volume has to be turned way up, and you still aren't able to make out what he says. Is this a classroom device to bring the students to the front?

The speaking is uneven. Lecture after lecture will go fine then he's suddenly using a bunch of fill words (uh, um, etc) and repeating syllables (it it it, th th th, etc) its not a stammer but more like he's lost the train of thought and is searching for words. Its jarring since its either completely absent or all in. Other times I want to get him a glass of water for the coughing or dryness of throat. Was this an early course and Great Courses hadn't learned about being able to retake, pause, edit and so on?

From a personal quirk the many mispronunciations are endearing. Having grown up doing far more reading than talking I too often mispronounce words. You don't often realize the commonness of the problem since those who have this problem are rarely caught speaking.

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12 people found this helpful

The ties that bind

Reviewed: 04-23-19

That the United States should be united was not a foregone conclusion, although we tend to think it was an effortless, natural occurrence. Mr. Winchester looks at the many threads that help pull it into one and created the connections that helped keep it together. He does not go the normal route of political founders, parties or ideal but look at the physical and communication links. Rivers, canals, railroads, telegraph, telephone, etc. he explores their characteristics, the forgotten (who should be remembered) who pushed, created, built and used these to have a giant, unrecognized role in creating the United States of America.

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Good start

Reviewed: 04-16-19

The book started well, leaving you guessing at what type of story it would be (I'm terrible at reading book summaries or remembering them). Setting up characters, conflicting actions, problems and the like so it gets to the halfway point and it was time to start the resolution.

The resolution starts with a polemic and the "message"sections get more heavy handed. I realize that books often have messages and more and more its the message rather than the story that's important to the author. But if I'm so stupid you have to spell it out like that I'm probably too stupid to help your cause.

Truly the book started to crash after the sermon. The resolution was sloppy, filled with holes. It hit its message but it missed this reader.

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There is only one

Reviewed: 04-11-19

This is one of the rare times when I like both book and movie even when they have little in common. Two main differences, in the movie the other characters have more to do with the story, in the book its all Elmer and everyone else is but a fleeting page of his life. Also the movie is, comparatively, respectful and deferential to religion. In the book the scorn, disdain, nay hatred drips off each page. Mr. Lewis rails against religion like Elmer rails against sin both condemning their audience to the perdition of their choice. Is that irony?

Elmer, a small town boy without means but with ambition, desires and doubts through thick and thin finally succeeds. Sounds like a typical american success story? The superficial framework helps set up the contrast. Elmer is not a nice guy, not particularly evil but neither a hero or even an antihero. Moving along from compromise to compromise, failure to success trying to overcome the greatest obstacle, himself, falling again. Never truly happy or satisfied Elmer is an indictment of so many things but mainly religion and christianiy rather than a cautionary tale of misplaced ambition and pride.

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Updated myths

Reviewed: 04-04-19

I was expecting more. Basically Mr. Gaiman has taken the old Norse myths, put them in an order that seems logical, updated the language. Neil is a good story teller and the performance is very good but the description going on about his skill as a writer I expected something original. If you don't know the myths and are looking for an intro this is good. If your looking for an example of Neil's skill as a writer or something truly new, pass.

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