Books That Matter: The Federalist Papers

by Joseph L. Hoffman

The Great Courses series

 

 

 

 

Tying together our past and our present

It is one thing to read the Federalist Papers; it is another to understand them and their significance in the founding of the republic and its subsequent development. I need to have this kind of stuff explained to me and Great Courses has rounded up some really good teachers who are willing to do the explaining.

If nothing else, the lectures explain just how new and unique was the system of government  being created by our Founding Fathers. Interesting to note that they weren't sure it would last even fifty years, let alone two hundred and fifty.

Three and a three-quarters stars -- and a place on the re-read pile.

 

Great Courses: The Great Trials of World History

 

by Douglas O. Linder

More history than jurisprudence

This one was disappointing because within the time frame of each lecture he spent more time setting up the events that lead to the trial giving his less time to spend on why the trial was important enough to be included in this series of lectures.

Three stars -- not a complete waste of time but not stellar

The Great Courses: The Fall and Rise of China

Taught by Richard Baum, UCLA

 

 

I loved this series of lectures. Professor Baum knew his subject -- I say "knew" because, sadly, he passed away in 2012. I really would have loved hearing his take on US-China relations during the Trump years and would have loved having him around to share his wisdom with President Biden on how to heal the breach.

Baum was a skilled lecturer; he knew how to break the subject down into small, digestible units. In my estimation, the telling really took off when Baum started to add personal anecdotes about his visits to China, etc. to the lectures, and he started visiting China not long after the country opened to tourism is the early 70s.

I give it 4.5 stars. I've listened to a lot of The Great Courses and this is among the best.

The Great Courses: Churchill

 

Professor J. Rufus Fears

 

 

A very well done series of lectures.

If you want the whole story in minute detail, you can read one of the many biographies written about him. If you want just the precis, this lecture series is what you are looking for. Professor Fears has done an excellent job of culling all the important bits, the turning points and even the missteps.

For me, the most interesting part came at the beginning, where Fears labels Churchill a statesman not a politician and then goes on to define what makes a statesman:

We distinguish a statesman from a politician by four criteria: 1. A bedrock of principles. 2. A moral compass. 3. A vision. 4. The ability to build a consensus to achieve that vision.

Fears goes on to shows us how he thinks that Churchill meets the criteria and why he thinks Churchill was the greatest statesman of the twentieth century.

Four stars.

September. 2020: To Be Read

Many thanks to Blogger for the absurd layout of this page. One day I will figure how to make images work on this platform.
So this is my TBR shelf, books I have lined up waiting to read. It will grow between now and January 11 when my Audible account renews and I receive my annual allotment of 24 credits. I have to spend my 10 remaining 2020 credits before then. I like to get the best bang for my buck, so I hold on to them, hoping to find something in the next 2 for 1 or 3 for 2 sale.
Audible just added something called Audible Plus and I can stream certain books for free. Great! Now I don't have to depend on my local library when I want something new to read but I don't want it badly enough to waste a credit on it.

Shopping the Audible 2 for 1 Sale

Audible must have heard my complaints because there are new titles in the the sale bin -- and this time there was something worth buying. I bought four titles! which consider what a picky reader I am is a huge haul. I am making it harder and harder for me to spend my credits these days because with a thousand titles already in my library, I probably don't have to add a single new title and will still have plenty to keep my brain occupied for the rest of my life, so what I buy these days has to be something that I really want to read and re-read.

Three were Great Courses titles, which I really enjoy listening to. I am slowly working my way into areas of history that I haven't explored before--and being a lazy reader, the Great Courses spoon feed it. :

 

 

And the fourth was a novel, the only one whose Audible reviews did not turn me off completely to even trying the author:

 

I'm happy that they added some Great Courses this time because otherwise my credits would have stayed in my pocket for another day.