There are so many enjoyable kinds of history to me that I can't really decide whether its the events or the writing that turns me on. I just found a volume of American documents about the founding of the nation published by the government including Madison's detailed notes on the Constitutional Convention (300 pages or so). He attempted to summarize what was going on every day. Absolutely gripping. He knew he was writing some of the most important historical documents imaginable. Not historical writing, but history itself.
I also am rereading the full study of history by Toynbee. It's grand. He sweeps you into the same kind of generalization about humanity and its mission if any on earth that makes me speculate. He doesn't lose you in the delicious but meaningless detail of Gibbon (who has never really been replaced). I have the sense that Gibbon knew that at least for Englishmen, he was closing as many pages of history as he was opening -- and they would never be opened again without first reading what he had to say.
And I'm rereading Sandburg's Lincoln. It is one of the most magnificent biographies I've ever read. There's lyricism, especially in the Prairie Years, but it's backed by astounding scholarship. It's main virtue is that I know I'll reread Freeman's Lee and Lee's Lieutenants which I haven't touched for 40 years, and then I'll have to reread his Washington as well, and Malone's Jefferson and van Doren Franklin.
But I also like big parallel stacks of facts like Timetables of History, and Wells' Outlines of History. These are dangerous as hell, because they can get you wrapped into detailed place history of places like Morea, Serbia, Korea, the Indian subcontinent, about which you shouldn't give a damn and should be satisfied with reading Encyclopaedia Britannica articles or Dupuy's Harper's Handbook of Military History (a great work by the guys who taught history at West Point for many years).
And then there's Morison's History of the US Navy in World War II -- he omits a few names (like George Bush) but the incidents are there. I own the whole damned thing, and when I am feeling hopeless about the future and think that for the little guy there isn't any purpose, I start at Pearl Harbor and remember how I felt that afternoon in my room December 7th 1941, listening to the unfolding story of the disaster and poring over my notebooks full of data pulled from Jane's Fighting Ships and being so shocked and horrified about the probable losses that I was sure that my lifetime would be spent in fighting. It took me 30 years before I could face my personal shame at that defeat -- how could my Navy have been so unprepared. But the recovery, rebuilding and attack -- the volumes on Guadalcanal, Marianas, Leyte Gulf -- I could never get enough of them. Read Morison if you want to know about World War II. He was there. He saw it happen. There's the kiss of salt in the air, and a taste of blood at the corner of your mouth (it comes from your own bitten lips). Great history. Comparable to Thukidides at his best, and about equally important stuff -- except this time the good guys won.
Then there's American diplomacy to read about. Acheson, Nitze, Kennan, Kissinger, Rostow and how the last 50 year's came about without mankind blowing itself up. It's not a pretty story -- after all, it was done by people who didn't know how it would turn out. But mostly honest men and good. And lucky ---, don't forget the luck. |
