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keny's logs

Keep track of your reading for 2011 here! One thread per member, please.
SGM
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Post by SGM » Wed December 7th, 2011, 7:34 pm

[quote=""Kveto from Prague""]"Garibaldi" by Denis Mack Smith[/quote]

Ah, yes. I read this back in my school days. At that time, at that level Mack Smith was the writer to read on Italy in the 19th Century although I seem to remember concentrating more on the one about Cavour and Rissorgimento.
Currently reading - Emergence of a Nation State by Alan Smith

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Kveto from Prague
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Post by Kveto from Prague » Sun December 11th, 2011, 11:15 am

[quote=""SGM""]Ah, yes. I read this back in my school days. At that time, at that level Mack Smith was the writer to read on Italy in the 19th Century although I seem to remember concentrating more on the one about Cavour and Rissorgimento.[/quote]

Aye, even the Italians I met in Rome said Mack Smith was the best on recent Italian history. I really enjoyed his biography of Mussolini. Really brought home what a nutcase he was.

Garabaldi was good as it was from primary sources. id have liked a bit more on Garibaldi's south american career. but it confirms what others have said,

"Garibaldi is the only wholly admirable figure in history."

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Kveto from Prague
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Post by Kveto from Prague » Sun December 11th, 2011, 11:15 am

"lost valley of Iskander" Robert e Howard

SGM
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Post by SGM » Sun December 11th, 2011, 3:43 pm

[quote=""Kveto from Prague""]"Garibaldi is the only wholly admirable figure in history."[/quote] True, but incredibly politically naive.

For some reason, I only dealt with Italy during the 19th century and so read nothing on Mussolini -- too, tied up with France, Germany and Russia for the 20th century -- well even at that age, you have to specialise a bit.

On a slightly light-hearted note I would mention that I have family connections with Nice and one day whilst having a coffee somewhere in London had a brief conversation with a young Italian who was working over here to improve his English (which was actually excellent). He mentioned he didn't understand why the English were so bad at learning other languages (which we are). I agreed but explained my connection with Nice. His response was - where? I explained on the south coast of France just before Monaco and "the birth place of Garibaldi.

His response was "who?"
Last edited by SGM on Sun December 11th, 2011, 3:45 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Currently reading - Emergence of a Nation State by Alan Smith

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Kveto from Prague
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Post by Kveto from Prague » Sun December 25th, 2011, 9:18 pm

"pigeons from hell" Robert e howard

"otto of the silver hand" Howard Pyle

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