The Barista Told Me This Was Good For My Health. Hmm...

Monks Take their Libraries Seriously...

The stunning library of Admont Abbey in Austria which is the largest monastic library in the world. Thirty monks have the privilege of holding a library card. Built in 1776 the library contains 70,000 volumes. The ceiling consists of seven cupolas, decorated with frescoes by Bartolomeo Altomonte showing the stages of human knowledge up to the point of Divine Revelation. Light is provided by 48 windows reflected through gold and white. No fluorescent bulbs here.

Books: Storm Of War

This is a fabulous book. And I’m not even done reading it yet! I found it on a random browse through B&N. My shelves are already sagging with too many WWII books, so I am usually circumspect when purchasing these days, but after one glance at the, Storm of War, by Andrew Robert’s, I knew it was a must have. Why? I’ve always liked the way Andrew’s writes, he seems to be able to get at the heart of “military things” better than anyone else writing today. And he is especially perceptive when it comes to WWII. The Economist, has called him one of Britain’s finest military historian. I think I agree, even though some of the Brits get pretty good when it comes to writing history. Storm of War is a comprehensive and vivid history. Andrew’s depth of research is immediately apparent from the insights he infers from the course of the war as well as the actions of its participants. Andrew has the benefit of time on his side and takes the thoughtful long view of history that only many years can provide. Which is a benefit as it makes his analysis of events superb. All the major theaters are covered even the oft-neglected Burma campaign__my favorite. Remember the, Bridge on the River Kwai? Oh yeah! The main thrust of Andrew’s thesis, the “New History of WWII,” as he calls it, is that the Allies did not so much win the war as Hitler lost it, mostly because Hitler’s decisions were based on intuition and blind ideology rather than sound military judgment. Too prove his point Andrew’s fills his book with all sorts of juicy details to the delight of WWII aficionados. For example, why did Hitler declare war on the US after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, he was under no treaty obligations? Why did he wait to late June to invade Russia? And why didn’t he eject the allies from North Africa before invading Russia? Surely his generals advised otherwise. But then you didn’t disagree with the Fuhrer. And why did Hitler have an obsession to rid Europe of the Jews? It served no military or strategic advantage, but instead drained Germany of valuable resources and manpower. Again blind ideology. Andrew’s is especially skillful in assessing these types of motives, both of Hitler and Churchill. This was also the subject of his previous book, Hitler and Churchill: Secrets of Leadership. But even if you are not particularly interested in the psychological factors surrounding the wars leadership, all the battle details and facts are here, presented clearly and comprehensively. And when you’re done reading this book you can use it as a boat anchor. Well not quite, but it is 768 pages.

Hmm...

Why do I think driving this would engender hostility from other people on the road, anyway where would the librarian keep all his books?

Random Post Of A Hoplite Battle...

BOOKS: The Leopard

From Luchiano Visconti's film version of The Leopard.

Ever try do save something good, something that’s disappearing__like a relationship or a situation. But as hard as you try nothing that you do will prevent it from slipping away. There is a certain sadness at that point, a pause in life, a sobering moment, a realization of how temporary life is. The Japanese call it mono no aware, which means an empathy for the ephemeral nature of life. A similar notion is at the heart of Guiseppe Lampedusa’s, The Leopard, a beautifully written novel about the waning days of Sicilian nobility during the Italian Risorgimento of the 1860’s. Sounds boring, but give it a chance. The Leopard is a breathtakingly evocative novel. Lampedusa takes the idea of the fleeting nature of “things” and puts it into a plot that doesn’t move much, but instead lingers on the sadness of this passing moment; which in this case is the passing away of a genteel aristocracy and its gracious and vibrant lifestyle. The main character is the refined and erudite, Fabrizio, Prince of Salina and the plot follows the events that surround his life. When Fabrizio enters a room the reader follows his every thought as he takes in the details of his surroundings, learning about the history of the objects before him. As such the reader can feel the pang of regret that such things will disappear and no longer be appreciated, but forgotten. Lampedusa through his plot and dialogue is able to communicate a strong sense of the Sicilian character. When a representative of Italy’s new government asks Fabrizio to join the newly formed Italian Senate he declines and when pressed further by the representative who describes all the new improvements coming to Sicily, Fabrizio responds that Sicilians “don’t want improvements.” He continues, "They are coming to teach us good manners...But they won't succeed because we think we are gods." Interestingly, Fabrizio is based on one of Lampedusa’s ancestors. This novel is one of modern Italy's greatest literary achievements and beautifully rendered in the original Italian. Archibald Colquhoun's lyrical English translation is a fine one and does the original justice. Recommended.

Welcome International Visitors..

Judging from the emails I'm receiving, I'm getting a lot of international visitors. Welcome and thanks for reading. Also thanks for the compliments and invitation Carlos. If ever I get to Spain I will visit you.

Librarian Paradise...

Barter Books, Alnwick Station, England

Destination: Taormina Italy

Many librarians flock here for respite.