June 2021: Rewriting the Past

History is not set in stone. We are constantly rewriting it for good, or sometimes bad, reasons. Think of all the revisions to the past which have come as new technology and research techniques are used to explore the ancient world. Then there is the other side of the coin; new mythology to underpin a preferred way of thinking of a peoples’ past. Nazi propaganda comes to mind.

This month’s theme could have you reading about that kind of propaganda, a new way of interpreting Black history in America, or the revised history of the ancient world, to name a few. It will be interesting to see what we come up with for this month’s reads.

I think I am going to read a book by William Least-Heat Moon entitled Columbus in the Americas in which he examines this controversial explorer. What and how we think about Christopher Columbus and the 'discovery' of the new world has undergone a revision in recent years. The original accounts did not take into account the indigenous people and the harm that was done to them.

>2 DeltaQueen50: That sounds like a good one, Judy.

I think I will read Eli by Bill Myers which asks the question: What if Jesus had not come until today? And then goes into some what ifs taken from that scenario. Has been on my shelf since 2015.

>4 Tess_W: It's always great to use a challenge topic to pick up an old timer on the shelves, Tess.

Mentioned elsepost about one of my favorite books by Amitav Ghosh In an ancient land. In the book Ghosh recounts his ten-year investigation into the life a twelfth-century Indian slave who lived in a remote corner of Egypt. Whats amazing about this search was my discovery of the Cairo Ganiza is a collection of some 400,000 Jewish manuscript fragments and Fatimid administrative documents that were found in the genizah or storeroom of the Ben Ezra Synagogue in Fustat or Old Cairo, Egypt. While I knew about the Jewish tradition of burying old books, I did not realize that at times they used rooms to place the items until they could be buired, which apparently didn't always happen. This find made a huge difference in Ghosh's search, and continues to be used by scholars and historians today to update histories of that time and place. But for me, its special because I discovered something about my religion and culture that never knew about. Sent me searching elsewhere for more information. Its been a while, might need to reread that for this theme

and I can combine this with the book discussion of The Mirror and the Light that we are reading in May in Club Read. Mantels novel turns our perception of Thomas Cromwell upside down and give new possibilities to the history of the reformation

>6 cindydavid4: >7 cindydavid4: Looks like you have a plan and a lot of interesting reading ahead of you.

I have William Appleman Williams's The Tragedy of American Diplomacy (first published in 1959 and which I read in college a half-century ago) sitting around for a reread. I don't have any idea what happened to my college copy; but I've got the W.W. Norton (2009) 50th Anniversary edition, which is all for the better since it's got an Afterword by Andrew Bacevich.

I've also got Frederick Merk's Manifest Destiny and Mission in American History: A Reinterpretation (first published in 1963) around the house for another "not-since-college" reread.

For more contemporary "revisionism," there are the books in the American Empire Project. I have all of Chalmers Johnson's (unread) and Andrew Bacevich's The Limits of American Power (read, but I'd like to get hold of some more of Bacevich). Bacevich, a convert from Cold War anti-communism to anti-interventionism and currently the president of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, has been strongly influenced by Appleman Williams.

I also have TBR'd the anti-interventionist Tomorrow, the World: The Birth of U.S. Global Supremacy by Stephen Wertheim, one of Bacevich's associates at Quincy.

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On a totally different subject, I've got Joan Breton Connelly's The Parthenon Enigma, a revisionist interpretation of Athena, the Parthenon, and pre-Periklean human sacrifice in Athens. I think I may hold this one until September, though, because it may fit in with the Prehistoric theme and I have enough right now for June.

I've read several books this year which would've fitted this theme if anyone is looking for ideas. I gave all of these at least 4*.

State of Emergency : a novel about the Malaya Emergency and the emergent state of Singapore.

Sunken Cities : Egypt's lost worlds, non-fiction about recent marine archaeology.

Incomparable World, a novel about African Americans in 18th century London.

Any book about African American polar explorer Matthew Henson, including his own autobiography. There are good children's books available on this subject too. I read Arctic Hero by Catherine Johnson who writes both non-fiction and fiction on under-explored history.

Angel by Merle Collins which is a novel about Grenada through independence, revolution, and invasion by the US, that was first written and published in the 1980s then rewritten and republished in 2011 so it has its own history of revision.

Time Song : journeys in search of a submerged land, non-fiction about Doggerland.

Travels with Herodotus which is respected journalist Ryszard Kapuściński's non-fiction about how reading history helped him write journalism. His Imperium about the USSR is also excellent.

Sovietistan : a journey through Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan is non-fiction about places in the former Soviet Union that are difficult for journalists and historians to access.

>10 spiralsheep: That's a thought, Sovietistan. I've got it in a TBR pile.

>11 CurrerBell: It's an impossibly wide subject to cover in one book but Erika Fatland did an excellent job, and I found Sovietistan both entertaining and educational as she managed to balance history, journalism, and travel writing. Even the few photos were well chosen to complement the text. Definitely a recommendation from me.

>9 CurrerBell: It looks like you're spoiled for choice. Enjoy your June reads.

>10 spiralsheep: Those look like interesting reading suggestions.

>14 Familyhistorian: If people aren't interested in those actual books then at least they might give ideas about the range of what's available and would fit this theme.

Now I need to find something new for me to read in June! :D

>10 spiralsheep: , Travels with Herodotus which is respected journalist Ryszard Kapuściński's non-fiction about how reading history helped him write journalism.

wanting to read this, esp as it might fit the May theme of Meet the Press

currently reading Antigone Rising very interesting book about the actual play and many other myths that continue to influence our lives today. By revising some of these myths might influence things to change.

>15 spiralsheep: Yes, I haven't figured out what to read for June yet either.

>16 cindydavid4: Antigone Rising looks interesting, thank you!

>17 Familyhistorian: I'd normally go and browse the shelves at one of the larger local libraries for inspiration but normal doesn't apply here at the moment. I'm sure there'll be many tempting books in this thread though (and, of course, there's probably something buried in my To Reads, lol).

>18 spiralsheep: Little disappointed with it tho will keep reading. she keeps repeating the same ideas over and over with each myth; the affects those myths have on us is a no brainer after about the third chapter. so fyi. Otherwise its very well written

I think Overstory by Richard Powers will fit the category. If someone who has read it thinks otherwise, please let me know.

Oh, I've thought of something else. I've been wanting to reread The Court-Martial of General George Armstrong Custer by Douglas C. Jones so this is the perfect time.

Still considering but I think Samarkand by Amin Maalouf might fit.

Robert Harris’ book, Fatherland, would fit this theme, I believe. It is an alternative history in which Germany has won WWII.

>20 clue: It looks like it will fit from the review I read. It's definitely a new way of looking at history from an ecosensitive point of view.

>21 spiralsheep: Samarkand looks like a good one from the review.

>22 marell: Fatherland would definitely fit the theme. I'm considering reading Farthing which is based on the same premise.

From this month's thread, it looks like there is some confusion over the theme. The June theme of "rewriting the past" is really loosey goosey. It can be about new discoveries or ways of looking at things have changed our ideas about the history of a place or a people. It can also be a book about what could have happened if an event, such as a war had gone the other way.

I can recommend: The Plot Against America by Philip Roth which is an alternative US political history told in novel form.

>27 Tess_W: Sounds like a good one, Tess.

I mixed up the May and June themes, so I have finished The fate of Rome early. This explains the fall of the Empire as a consequence of climate change and pandemics and brings lots of epidemiological and geoscientific facts to bear. Looking up all those things took quite some time.

I think that Harry Turtledove's alternate histories would fit this category.

>29 MissWatson: Looks like you're ahead of the rest of us.

>30 cfk: I had to look up Harry Turtledove and from the sounds of the Wikipedia article, one of his alternate histories should fit the bill.

>31 Familyhistorian: Yes, I mislaid my May list and jumped ahead to June by accident.

>33 MissWatson: Does that mean you were out of sync for other reading challenges too?

>20 clue: found overstory fascinating, till about 3/4 way when reality sets in. Not sure if its rewriting history.....perhaps tho because the towns people are certainly making their own assumptions of what happened so many years ago, So possibly. Heck go for it, its a great read

>33 MissWatson: Thankfully, no.

>36 MissWatson: That could have been a major problem. Good that it was only one challenge.

Need to think on this one. The first thing that comes to my mind is alternate histories, but I'm not sure if I have any on my tbr. I'll have to see...

Hmm, ok maybe a couple of Jasper Fforde books (they are both tagged "alternate history", though I'm not sure if they really fit):

- The Constant Rabbit
- The Woman Who Died a Lot

>39 LibraryCin: Jasper Fforde is definitely alternative whether historical or not depends on the book. I don't know either of those.

isn't he the one who did all thos alternative Jane Austen books? Tried one; lots of puns that got tiring after a while, but he does change the history in the book, so....

>39 LibraryCin: The Constant Rabbit seems to be very alternative history. The Woman Who Died a Lot is more alternative literature as it's part of Fforde's Thursday Next series.

>42 spiralsheep: Yeah, I figured the Thursday Next series was more literature, but was trying to remember if there was also some alternate history mixed in, as well (it's been a long time since I've read any of the rest of the series!).

Ok, that helps me decide. Plus, I hear that tagmashes are working again. I might do another (quicker!) look,but if I am choosing between the Fforde books, I will go for "The Constant Rabbit".

Thank you all!

Aradnecame out this month, wonder if anyone has read it yet? I love books that flip the past upside down, including Circe and Song of Achilles Curious if its as good as Miller's books

Well, the book I wanted to read for Rewriting the Past - The War on History: The Conspiracy to Rewrite America's Past - is not available at my library, so I'll go the route of Alternate History, with To Try Men's Souls: A Novel of George Washington and the Fight for American Freedom.

>46 countrylife: That's too bad. Your first pick sounds like a good one. I hope the alternate history is enjoyable.

I think I'm going to start with Edward Said's Orientalism, which I've been meaning to read for ages; and I found a nice paperback copy a little while ago at a used book store. Also, I just got a 20% B&N club coupon and used it on Timothy Brennan's Places of Mind: A Life of Edward Said at B&N's tax-free Wilmington DE store. Said's approach to "Orientalism" represents a major revisionist approach to colonial era writers like (especially) Joseph Conrad, whom Said admired as a literary talent but criticized for his allegedly imperialist world view.

>48 CurrerBell: Historian's takes on history changed with the times. These books sound like good examples of that.

I read Dotter of her Father's Eyes by Mary M. Talbot and Bryan Talbot, which is an autobiography and biography in comics form ("graphic") revolving around Mary's relationship with her father, a scholar focussed on author James Joyce, interwoven with a biography of Lucia Joyce and her relationship with her father. It sounds complicated but the differing art separates the three time periods covered, cleverly using full colour for Mary's adult life, sepia with coloured highlights for her childhood, and black & white for Lucia's history. 4.5*

Winner of the 2012 Costa Book Award for Biography. A formidable achievement for a comic!

>50 spiralsheep: It sounds like an interesting way to write a biography and it must be very good if it won an award for biography.

>51 Familyhistorian: The three-strand plaited structure worked surprisingly well, but Mary Talbot had studied girls' own comics as an academic and Bryan Talbot had been creating comics for decades so they had a lot of combined experience. And, of course, focussing on the biographies of the daughters instead of their fathers was, even in 2012, still a notable perspective. Anyway, I enjoyed reading it!

I hope everyone else is a fortunate with their reads.

>52 spiralsheep: That does sound good and my library has it. It made its way onto my holds list.

Hello! I have just come across this group in my browsing of LT and really like its description and the posts I’ve read. History and historical fiction are among my favorite types of reading. And looking ahead to themes for the rest of 2021, I’m hoping to find encouragement to read some of those wonderful books that have sat on my shelves unread for too long. Hope all are ready for, and looking forward to, summer reading, Diane

My selection for June is Reading the Man: A Portrait of Robert E. Lee through his Private Letters by Elizabeth Brown Pryor (published 2007). Pryor uses previously unpublished letters to shed “new light on every aspect of the complex and contradictory general’s life story.” I bought this book soon after finishing Ron Cernow’s magnificent Grant earlier this year, but at that point I think I was burned out on the Civil War. Now I’m going to try again...

>54 dianelouise100: Welcome! Have you read Guy Gabriel Kay books? Loved his earlier ones. The last several I tried was just rehashing the others. But reading him would be a good start for this the theme

>56 cindydavid4: I’m not familiar with this writer—I’ll check him out. Thanks for suggesting.

>54 dianelouise100: Welcome, Diane. That sounds like a wonderful book for this month.

>54 dianelouise100:: Hello from me too, Diane. Hope you enjoy yourself here. We don't really have much at all in the way of rules, so don't feel under any obligation to read something if the topic doesn't interest you. Just have fun.

In case you're not aware, we also have Wiki pages for our monthly and quarterly reads where you can post the book(s) that you've read. You can find the Wiki links on the Group main page.

Am reveling in revisions of the past beliefs about human origins by reading Fossil Men: The Quest for the Oldest Skeleton and the Origins of Humankind by Kermit Pattison. Book is devoted to the searches for hominids that predate the famous 1970s discovery of "Lucy."

Thanks for the welcoming messages and suggestions. I did go to the Wiki links and think I could add a finished book by opening the Edit link on the appropriate thread and typing in?

The Constant Rabbit / Jasper Fforde
3.25 stars

It was in the late 1960s that the “Event” happened. The Event caused rabbits (and a few other animals...though not nearly as many as the rabbits) to become anthropomorphized. It’s decades later and many people are leporiphobes. Peter Knox (who works for the Rabbit Compliance Taskforce, sort of tracking down specific rabbits, I think) discovers a long-ago college friend (and rabbit) Connie has moved in next door, along with her husband.

My summary might not be exactly right, as I found the first half-ish of the book quite confusing. I ended up quite enjoying the second half, though, once I (kind of) figured out what was going on… though I don’t want to say too much more in my summary so as not to give anything away. So for the first bit of the book, I kept thinking – ok, Fforde is way too smart for me because this is over my head. I did like the second half-ish, though. At that point, there seemed to be more of a plot and things happened, and I understood what was happening. Anyway, this all made me unsure how to rate it, so I went with 3.25, between ok and good. It seems there was a bunch of “deep” satire that went over my head, but once there as a plot, I liked it!

>54 dianelouise100: Welcome, Diane!

I think I can count Wide Sargasso Sea here as it gives us a very different tale of Edward Rochester's first marriage.

Oh most definitly!!! I love the Jamacia background in history, as well as putting that place front and center

>60 Limelite: That sounds like a good one. Fossil Men is now on my library wish list.

>62 LibraryCin: Jasper Fforde is very much a what if kind of author. I attended a writing workshop with him once and that was one of his ways of thinking up stories. Good that you enjoyed it in the end.

>64 MissWatson: If it's a different take on the story already given then Wide Sargasso Sea fits the bill!

I read Samarkand, by Amin Maalouf. The first half is inspired by the life of Omar Khayyam and the second half appears to be trying to explain 20th century Iranian politics to the French (and USians). 3.5*

>61 dianelouise100: Welcome, Diane. Yes, if you go into the Wiki through the edit link you can type in your book details. You can follow the other entries as to the format. If you have any questions please don't hesitate to ask.

I have completed my read of Columbus in the Americas by William Least Heat-Moon. I suspect there are better books about Columbus, in this case the author tried to stick to the facts known and not offer too many opinions on the man himself. Popular opinion toward Columbus has undergone a huge change since I studied him in school, I think we have a better rounded look at him, and most other explorers, today.

A few years ago I read a charming "little gem" titled The Death of Napoleon by Belgian writer, Simon Leys. This popular covershould be enough to intrigue any reader. Light humor and dispatch highlight this pleasant alternative history.

>70 DeltaQueen50: Two questions: I did try to add a book to the quarterly reading challenge this morning, but I don’t know where to find the https number at the very beginning of each entry. And I’m curious about why the title The Winthrop Woman doesn’t post in blue when I bracket it.

Well, it did this time, hmm....

>69 spiralsheep: Im about half way through, had to put it aside for other books. But right now Im loving it. Sounds like I may be changing my mind, we'll see

>71 DeltaQueen50: oh I remember reading his Blue Highways in HS,, loved his voice and loved the perspective he brings to events and places. Hadn't read Columbus, I wouldve reckoned a very low opinion of him, but knowing his writing I can see why he stuck with the facts. Id be curious of others have more recent reads about Columbus.

Read one of the reviews and had to laugh

William Least Heat-Moon meets some interesting characters as he travels through the small towns of America. He seems to be a bit of a character himself. The entire time I'm reading this, I'm thinking "He sleeps in his van all across the US? Is that a seventies thing? Could someone do that now? What about bathing? Is that why sometimes people look at him askance? What would I think if I saw him today on this journey? Would I be a nice stranger or one of those that gave him a weird look?" cracked me Its something people did back then, and still do actually I suspect they may have looked at him askance because he is Native American. Or maybe he was just a stranger.

IIRC he was following in the very big shoes of John Stienbeck's Travel With Charley Who indeed did live in his van, set up a system to wash his clothes and wash himself, all several decades earlier. If you liked this, you' might like this oneas well

>75 cindydavid4: Samarkand is a novel revolving around historical events, rather than characters or ideas, and I personally would prefer to read about historical events in non-fiction. Nonetheless, it's a reasonably well-written and structured novel, which manages at least one moment of fiction stranger than truth, and I thought it was worth reading (but only once and this was an accidental re-read for me).

ETA >76 cindydavid4: I might have to put Blue Highways on my To Reads, thank you for the rec. /ETA

Someone reminded me it's LGBT pride month (or LGBTQQIA+ or whatever) so I dug this 2019 book out of my To Read pile and it also fits this month's theme of Rewriting the Past.

I read Sensible Footwear: a girl's guide, by Kate Charlesworth, which is an autobiography of Kate Charlesworth and her perspective on British lesbian history from 1950 to 2019 in comics form, with some gay / bi / trans history and biographies included. The history is very focussed on white lesbians and middle class lesbians and their respectability politics. The art employs various styles and some of them appeal to me more than others but they're all chosen for reasons, whether it's collage for the history, or girls' own for Kate at school, or the nods to Alice in Sunderland, or etc etc. 4*

I have read Miss Austen by Gill Hornby. Taking place twenty years after Jane Austen's death Miss Austen follows her sister Cassandra, the only sister still living, as she hunts for personal letters Jane had written to a close friend. Her purpose in finding the letters is to destroy them to protect Jane's privacy and reputation.

>77 spiralsheep: personally would prefer to read about historical events in non-fiction

One of the reasons I love Historic Fiction is that it often leads to me reading non fiction about the event, and then reading more HF about it. One of those rabbit holes I long to jump into. Reason for my interest is what happened to the Rubaiyat. I have a old copy of the book (illus Dulac) but never read it, and never know the history of how the original it was lost. So now might just have to read it, knowing what I know!But I do understand what you are saying - I also prefer more character depth and more plot, but enjoying in nonetheless

And you are welcomed :)

I realized the book I just finished fit this month's theme. Outlawed by Anna North is an alternate history novel and a feminist take on the Western genre. It was a good read, though the ending felt kind of rushed.

>79 clue: I've been meaning to read this one and see that it fits this challenge--thanks for the suggestion!

>73 dianelouise100: Hi Diane. First off, the square brackets usually work, but they can be a little touchy at times so if they don't work, it's not you, usually they eventually come around.

If you go to your books' main page, the https number is at the top of page in a light grey shaded area. It will probably read something like "librarything.com/work 54321/book/554433" and there is usually a lock symbol. Just copy and paste this address at the beginning of your entry on the Wiki.

If you are still having any difficulty you can just add the book without the address and we can add the address in later.

>73 dianelouise100:, >83 DeltaQueen50: I was having trouble with touchstones (for a one-word title), so I started this thread in Bug Collectors: https://www.librarything.com/topic/332097

The answers here were very useful for me, and may be of help to others.

>76 cindydavid4: I have read Blue Highways by William Least Heat-Moon and I did love it. I enjoy his style and I really want to read his River-Horse where he crosses America almost entirely by water at some point.

>82 kac522: You"re welcome! I wasn't thinnking about this challenge when I read it but I do think it works.

Perhaps it is insufficient to re-write actual history because a recent trend in fiction has been to retell Greek and Roman myths in novels. And a number of these have been brilliant.

Here are my favorites:

I'm thinking of the retelling of the Trojan War in Trojan Women: A Novel of the Fall of Troy by Byrne Fone; the surreal retelling of the latter part of the Aeneid of Virgil in Ursula K. Le Guin's haunting novel, Lavinia about the wordless widow of Aeneas; and (of course) the highly popular and lauded novels by Madeline Miller who retells episodes in Homer''s Odyssey with The Song of Achilles and Circe.

Eli by Bill Myers was an alternative history, if you will. The scenario was that parallel universes exist. In the "regular" universe, Jesus was born, preached/healed, died and rose again on the 3rd day. In the parallel universe, Jesus was not born until 1970, in a seedy motel in L.A., wrapped in dirty bath towels. Joseph and Mary were druggie teens. They named the baby Eli. The main character holding these two parallel universes together was Conrad, a reporter, who existed in both, to some extent. I'm not a sci-fi or parallel universe fan, but somebody gave me this book and I felt that it fit this month's category, so I read it. It was a dead average read for me. 390 pages 3 stars

>84 kac522: Thanks for posting that link, I never knew that trick with using title, author - good to know.

>88 Tess_W: Too bad that wasn't a better read for you, Tess. At least it is no longer a TBR.

I read Sally Heathcote: Suffragette, by Mary M. Talbot, Kate Charlesworth, and Bryan Talbot, which is history presented as historical fiction in comics form. The history is extremely accurate as expected from Mary M. Talbot. There are also twenty pages of notes on historical sources at the end, although reading these is a bonus and not necessary to understand the story.

The novel revolves around a fictional working class Manchester girl who becomes involved with members of the Women's Social and Political Union in 1898, and then the WSPU itself after a move to London. The story continues until 1916 but there is a brief framing story taking us as far as 1969. The plot doesn't sacrifice either the protagonist's personal story or the surrounding history and both are fleshed out.

Another comic worth reading from Mary M. Talbot and team. 4.5*

>91 spiralsheep: That sounds like a good graphic novel. Nice that it is historically accurate and a good story too.

I read Poison for Teacher, by Nancy Spain, which is a 1949 camp comedy, murder mystery, girl's school novel with an lgb(t) bent. This is technically the fifth book in a loose series of nine but it works as a standalone. The protagonist is a retired "Russian" ballerina who has recently left her husband to move in with her female friend. Her side-kick is a revue actress turned detective, based on real life star Hermione Gingold at her own request as, according to the author, she literally asked Spain to "Send me up as far as you like, but I do so want to be in a book...". They are employed as fake teachers at Radcliff Hall School for Girls (supposedly named after the red cliffs of Sussex and not anything, or anyone, else). Spain's writing style is the same as her performing style: a rapid succession of humour, clues, and red herrings. If you don't get one joke or clue then don't worry because several more will arrive almost immediately. 3.5*

A contemporary novel when it was written but historical to us now, this fits the challenge because it's a lesbian author reinterpreting her own place in society. It's been republished yet again, and although it's not as fresh as it was over seventy years ago it still sells!

I read Reading the Man: A Portrait of Robert E. Lee through His Private Letters by Elizabeth Brown Pryor. I liked this book very much and would recommend it to anyone interested in the Civil War era. Pryor focusses on the character of Lee, not on the war itself. She uses previously unpublished letters, most of them written by Lee, as the basis of her presentation of a complex human being who lived through extraordinary and tumultuous times.

She begins each chapter with the full text of two or three letters, which she then places in the context of the issues facing Lee, his family, and his country. The Robert E. Lee who emerges from this book is a real person, whose life was filled with joys and sorrows, accomplishments and frustrations, admirable traits and serious flaws. Her research is extensive and her documentation thorough. I learned a great deal from this enjoyable read.

I grew up in an Alabama that celebrated Confederate Memorial Day in May and Lee’s birthday in January instead of Lincoln’ s in February and where children were taught to idealize Lee as the perfect hero. I now live in an Alabama bitterly divided over the issue of what to do with Confederate monuments, including the many statues of Lee on his horse that are in front of courthouses around the state. Elsewhere in the country, Lee is seen in other ways, different but equally one-dimensional. Pryor gives us a realistic, balanced view of a man of many facets, a view much needed if we are to really understand this man and his significance.
5*

>93 spiralsheep: That's a different take on the month's theme. It's interesting how odd books like Poison for Teacher are a window on past attitudes.

>94 dianelouise100: Historical figures become so one dimensional as memories retain only the prominent things for which they are remembered. This book sounds like an interesting study of the man behind the myth.

I’ve just started the book that I was going to read for this month’s challenge, Farthing and hope to finish before month’s end but there was another book that I read this month that fits the theme. That was The Dictionary of Lost Words, which looks at the development of the Oxford English Dictionary from a feminine point of view. It was a decided change from the usual histories of the OED which focus on the men who were the leading lights of the enterprise. It was refreshing to see the story told through a female lens.

>97 Familyhistorian: Just picked up that one from the library...not sure I'll get enough time for this month, but will get to it soon. Heard lots of good things about it.

I read The Professor and the Mad man way back when. this should be an interesting perspective (the touchstone is totally off. By Simon Winchester)

>99 cindydavid4: I think Madman is one word: The Professor and the Madman should work. I read it, too, so looking forward to this new (fictional) look.

>98 kac522: >99 cindydavid4: >100 kac522: I read The Meaning of Everything and there was quite a contrast between that and The Dictionary of Lost Words.

>94 dianelouise100: a great review, Diane! I'm going to put that book on my WL.

>102 Tess_W: Thanks, Tess! Hope you enjoy the book.

Sovietistan: Travels in Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan by Erika Fatland 4****, which I've had around the house and been meaning to read for a little while now.

I read this on >10 spiralsheep:'s suggestion that this one would fit the June theme. I suppose it would fit in this sense. We Americans think that the new-found independence of the former Soviet republics is an untoward blessing, while Vladimir Putin insists that the break-up of the Soviet Union is the greatest geopolitical disaster of the 20th century. Considering the results of independence in these five new nations, as described by Erika Fatland, the truth might well be closer to Putin's view than America's (though Fatland is definitely not pro-Russian). So in that sense, Sovietistan is definitely a piece of historic revisionism from an American perspective – even if this perception is unintended by Fatland.

In any event, an excellent introduction to a part of the world few of us are familiar with. Particularly interesting to me since I just finished reading Peter Hopkirk's The Great Game, to which Fatland makes more than one reference in Sovietistan.

=========

Incidentally, my own choice for "greatest geopolitical disaster" of the 20th century would be the break-up of the Hapsburg Empire after World War I. For all of its flaws, that Empire had historically been a buffer between Prussia and Russia; and with its demise, it became open season on Central Europe between Germany and Russia (which was exactly what the Polish-born Joseph Conrad had tried to warn the British Foreign Office was going to happen).

>104 CurrerBell: Such differing opinions about the results of geopolitical events certainly lead to differing histories. Sounds like an interesting read.

eager to finally get that book!

Finished In an Antique Land with days to spare. Knowing about the treasure fond in an egyptian synagogue of ancient documents already made this even more interesting. Feels very much like the past has indeed been rewritten from that find. Plan to find other non fiction about them and how else they have been used

>106 cindydavid4: It's interesting how new discoveries change the understanding of the past.

The other thing I didn't pick up on at first was how many of these documents and fragments were basically stolen from the Egyptian jewish community, many of them ended up at Cambrige, other from other collections. So many items were appropriated by great powes, stripping the colonies of their history. This happened so often I know I shouldn't be surprised, but I totally missed this im my first read, I think because I was so wrapped up in this new discovery.

Farthing was a “what if” novel that imagined a negotiated peace between Nazi Germany and Britain. It was a scary premise that could possibly have come true if events had played out differently.

I ended up reading Mrs Robinson's Disgrace by Kate Summerscale (2012). I was hoping that a 21st century look at divorce in the 19th century would provide some new insight. Unfortunately I found this book fell short. Mrs. Robinson kept a diary for many years, recording all of her thoughts and movements, which her husband discovered. He sued for divorce in 1858, based on her alleged adultery, only months after Britain had passed a new Divorce Act, making it somewhat easier (for men) to file for divorce.

Summerscale goes into great detail--in fact, detail about people and events that are only marginally involved with the case--yet, she provides no analysis, no overall summary nor any historical context for the impact of the case, one of the first of its type in Britain. I was expecting some illumination, if not "re-writing", but essentially this is just a regurgitation of letters, court documents, diary entries and some newspaper accounts. Disappointing....it could have been so much more.

>110 kac522: Oh, that's too bad. I have this one on my shelves and was hoping for good things from it. Like you say, some analysis and/or comparison would help to put things in context.

>111 Familyhistorian: Looking at the reviews on LT, most people liked it, so definitely give it a try. I may just be an outlier, since I was purposefully looking to meet the "re-write" challenge and I didn't find it in this book.

>112 kac522: Good to know. Hopefully I'll be pleasantly surprised when I get to it.

I only bought Die Himmelsscheibe von Nebra four days ago, but it fits perfectly here as it throws a completely different light on the Bronze Age in Germany.

>114 MissWatson: That sounds like it will be an interesting read.

>115 Familyhistorian: And so it has been. I read it immediately and it starts out like a thriller (the disc had to be saved from the black market in a sting operation) and it's truly amazing what modern scientific techniques reveal about the provenance of the materials. The gold has been traced to Cornwall, for instance.

>116 MissWatson: It is amazing what new scientific techniques can reveal about things that have long be accepted to have occurred in a certain way.