James J. Walsh, Thirteenth Greatest of the Century. Eccentric, published a long time ago, is not correct, but it is full of vitality and insight. Many important pieces of the West were already in place at that time. Highly recommended, this one has just been reissued. How was Giotto’s chapel in Padua possible? Parsival? This book gives you a head start on those questions.
Stephen Walsh, Stravinsky: The Second Exile, France and America 1934-1971. Yes, it made me order and want to read the first volume as well. This is probably the best biography of Stravinsky and his musical moments.
Rochelle Gurstein, Written in Water: The Ephemeral Life of the Classic in Art. For the importance of the past, and the common values of the past, if art is to challenge us and make us better. The book also pays ample tribute to Canova, one of the most impressive artists of all time but somehow these days rarely discussed.
Sarah Blaffer Hrdy, Father Time: A Natural History of Men and Children, offers a scientific look at how fatherhood and parenting change men’s minds, bodies, and behaviors.
Sulmaan Wasif Khan, The Struggle for Taiwan: A History of America, China, and the Island Caught Between. I have been following this issue for a long time, so I don’t feel like I learned much from this book. But for many people, especially young people, it is an excellent introduction to a long history.
Douglas Porch, Resistance and Liberation, France at War 1942-1945. It was too detailed for my purposes, so I stopped reading it. But this volume seems to be a great historical achievement, and should be read by at least a small part of the population.
Andrew O’Hagan, Caledonian Road. This is the British novel that everyone there is now reading and talking about. “Characteristics” and “striking imagery”, depicting modern Britain, especially London, today. I read about fifty pages, found it very interesting, and decided that the rest would be a waste of my time.
Source link