My Favorite Historians

Denny,

I was wondering if you could recommend some of the best books on history that I should read.

Here was my reply:

Dear A -------,

You raise an interesting question. A key element would be the type of history you're looking for. The fellows interested in, respectively, the history of philosophy or ancient Rome or World War II are, most likely, going to be reading different historians. Thus, my favorite guys will tend to cover the areas of history I'm most interested in.

Another factor is that some of my favorite history books are not written by professional historians at all. A speech writer (Peggy Noonan) wrote my favorite history of the Reagan administration; a soldier wrote my favorite history of the American Civil War (Ulysses Grant); and my favorite histories of the U.S. space program were written, respectively, by two scientists and a novelist (Chris Kraft, Gene Kranz, and Tom Wolfe).

Another category similar to the above is the autobiography. Those can certainly be classified as history but few are penned by professional historians.

Novelists and playwrights can also serve as excellent
chroniclers of history, usually of their own times, but certain writers dip expertly into other eras and write historical fiction that is of immense value. Especially appreciated in this latter category are Dickens, Scott, Tolstoy, Dumas, Hugo, Cooper, Austen, Dostoevsky, Waugh, and the Brontes.

So, if you can keep all of these things in mind, I will mention a few "professional" historians that have made the top rank for my interests and purposes. I'm quite sure I'll leave a couple out, but here's some names I'm thinking of right now (without classifying them as to time or subject): Shelby Foote, Samuel Eliot Morison, Walter Lord, John Toland, David McCullough, Antonia Fraser, Roland Bainton, Paul Johnson, Stephen Ambrose, Bruce Catton, William Prescott, Basil Liddell Hart, Laura Hillenbrand, and Alexander Solzhenitsyn.

Of course, there's a whole lot more to talk over than this quick list -- including your input about topics, people, periods of history you're most interested in. So, why not give me a call or zip along an e-mail telling me what day next week would be best for lunch where we can discuss it further? I'll look forward to it.

Denny

William Tyndale & the English Bible

Erasmus, the great humanist scholar of the late Middle Ages performed one of the most important projects of his time when he published an entire Greek New Testament in a lucid translation which was true to the original manuscripts. Though himself a quiet and moderate man, a Catholic who had desires for only modest changes in the Church, his new translation would become a key spark for the Reformation throughout Europe.

In particular, a young priest and language scholar in England took Erasmus’ New Testament to his very heart. He was William Tyndale, a man who would later testify that he found Jesus Christ in that Greek New Testament and, depending upon Christ's mercy, Tyndale dedicated his life to producing the Holy Scriptures in the English language.

However, Tyndale’s great vision was opposed by strictly and ruthlessly applied laws prohibiting the translation of the Bible into the language of the people. Indeed, parents had been burned at the stake simply for teaching their children the English version of the Lord’s Prayer and the Ten Commandments.

But God honored William Tyndale’s noble desires and the brave, diligent, prayerful work it required to bring them to pass. The Bible was translated into English and disseminated throughout the country. And though Tyndale paid the ultimate price, being martyred by strangulation and burning in October 1536, he considered his life's work a wonderful investment for his eternity.

The Bible in our own language, my oh, my.  We have heroes to thank for this awesome blessing and a heroic heritage to treasure. And, of course, a Bible in our own language that we should be reading (and obeying) much more than we do.

Extra note: The bronze statue shown here was created by J.E. Boehm in 1883. This bronze statue was placed in Whitehall Gardens on May 7th 1884 as part of the 80th anniversary of the British and Foreign Bible Society.

The Inscription on the front of the plinth reads...

William Tyndale 

First translator of the New Testament into English from the Greek. Born A.D. 1484, died a martyr at Vilvorde in Belgium, A.D. 1536. 

“Thy word is a lamp to my feet, and a light to my path” - “the entrance of thy words giveth light.” Psalm CXIX. 105.130. 

“And this is the record that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his son.” I. John V.II. 

The last words of William Tyndale were “Lord! Open the King of England's eyes”. Within a year afterwards, a Bible was placed in every parish church by the King's command.

Let's Talk Wilberforce...

Lord, Melbourne, one of the ardent supporters of the English slave trade in the 18thCentury, once vented his hatred of the winsome, persistence of Christian abolitionist William Wilberforce with this infamous slur, “Things have come to a pretty pass when one permits one’s religion to invade public life!”

Sound familiar? As in something you might hear from one of today’s progressive politicians who wants to receive communion while yet supporting the killing of preborn boys and girls by government-funded abortionists?

Well, on Saturday morning October 23 at 10 o'clock, Vital Signs is hosting a special Book Brunch at the Hartford home to discuss Eric Metaxas’ biography of William Wilberforce.  It’s a fascinating, enlightening, and challenging book and one well worth your time.  Indeed, for those of you with home-schooled teenagers, we cannot think of a better project to kindle their awareness of one of Christianity’s most important (though largely overlooked) heroes.  So, here's an invitation to grab a copy of Amazing Grace: William Wilberforce and the Heroic Campaign to End Slavery by Eric Metaxas, read it, and then plan on joining us on October 23.

P.S. We are setting the date for the Wilberforce brunch a couple of months away in order to give people time to order copies of the book (used copies are plentiful through the internet) and to get it comfortably read. Also, RSVPs are profoundly appreciated.

There's Always a Little Time for Books

My last reading review posted here on The Book Den was the first week of May and a lot of things have competed for those hours usually devoted to reading: Vital Signs Ministries responsibilities (including several preaching assignments), an awful lot of lawn work, days spent without electricity after Omaha's horrid wind/rainstorm, a mountain hiking trip to Colorado, and some household projects.

Still, I found enough time to work my way through proofreading the first two manuscript volumes of The Faithfulness of God, missionary LaVern Smith's detailed autobiography. Really rich and inspiring. There was also Elie Wiesel's Hostage, Rafael Sabatini's The Banner of the Bull, Howard Pease's The Tattooed Man, and Dorothy Sayers' Clouds of Witness.

I also enjoyed re-reading yet again all five books by John Buchan which feature his hero Richard Hannay and friends: The Thirty-Nine Steps, Greenmantle, Mr. Standfast, The Three Hostages, and The Island of Sheep.

Next in line? I'm reading Eric Metaxas' biography on William Wilberforce. The historical material is quite good and profoundly challenging...even though the writing itself is too often strained and unprofessional. Claire and I are also reading Dante's Divine Comedy and enjoying very much the Hillsdale College online course over the same trilogy.

A Lot of 4-Star Reading Here

There have been some really wonderful reads in the last few weeks (my last reading review was posted March 18) with several that I can unreservedly recommend to others. And that, of course, is a major reason I present these lists here on The Book Den.

* First off, let me suggest that Calvin Miller's 175-page The Philippian Fragment (published by IVP in 1982) is quite effective in comedic punch as well as spiritual challenge. Purporting to be a recently discovered manuscript from the early church, Miller uses it to pass along witty and wise counsel about both an individual Christian's sanctification and the life of a local congregation. (It is a re-read which I appreciated a lot more this time around. I'll give it 3.5 out of 4 stars.)

* 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne is a classic that I first read (in an abridged version) as a lad and I still love it. Yes, Verne can be a bit tedious in his detailed descriptions of flora, fauna, geography, and scientific processes but it remains an exciting and worthwhile read. (Re-read. 3 stars.)

* Dr. Dwight Pentecost's Design for Discipleship (1971) came out of sermons he preached at Grace Bible Church in Dallas where he pastored (as well as serving as a professor at Dallas Theological Seminary). It is an excellent study of the topic: well-presented, enlightening, convicting, helpful. (Re-read. 4 stars.)

* Churchill by Paul Johnson is a superb short biography of one of the most interesting, brilliant, and influential men in modern history. And, coming from Paul Johnson, you know that the argument and writing style are going to be first rate. (A new read. 4 stars.)

* The Man in White is a novel written by none other than American music legend Johnny Cash. I wrote a bit about the book in this post. (Re-read. 4 stars.)

* In 1912 Henry Gilbert created the first modern retelling of the noble medieval hero, Robin Hood. It is a rather lengthy book -- which is terrific for I love every thrilling, endearing, inspiring chapter. I have since I was a kid. (Re-read. 4 stars.)

* Along the way in March and April were three "mere entertainment" novels, all of which were wonderful for what they were. I'd give them all three stars as mystery/adventure novels: The Crime at Halfpenny Bridge by George Bellairs; The Dutch Shoe Mystery by Ellery Queen; and When Eight Bells Toll by one of my favorites for literature of this genre, Alistair MacLean. (Of these, only the MacLean book was a re-read.)

* Certainly the most important book from these past weeks would be Heaven by Randy Alcorn. Indeed, that would be true of any of the several times I've read it. It is easily the book both Claire and I most recommended to others. This time around we even hosted a Saturday Brunch discussion here at our home where we were joined by 15 guests to discuss Heaven. And, yes; we had a lovely time. (Re-read. 4 stars plus.)

* And finally, another book from my "Resisting the Thugs of the Cancel Culture" reading list was Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451. It is a gem. (Re-read. 4 stars.)

Ike's Anger Drawer

“As she (Eisenhower’s mother] ministered to his bleeding hands, she spoke softly to Ike about this very fact, telling him how mastering his temper was the task of growing up. Referring to a biblical passage, she said, ‘He that conquereth his own soul is greater than he who taketh a city.’ 

Half a century later, Ike recalled her advice, noting that it marked a change in his life. ‘Hating was a futile sort of thing, she said, because hating anyone or anything meant that there was little to be gained. The person who had incurred my displeasure probably didn’t care, possibly didn’t even know, and the only person injured was myself…I have always looked back on that conversation as one of the most valuable moments of my life.’

And indeed, in his life and career, although Ike could display a blistering temper on rare occasions, he became far better known for his calm strength under pressure. He developed a simple method for handling rage, an ‘anger drawer’ in his desk into which he dropped slips of paper with the names of people he was angry at. Once in the drawer, the grievance was banished from thought.” (Bret Baier, Chapter 1, Three Days in January)

A Quick Review of L'Abri

I finished reading Edith Schaeffer’s L’ABRI earlier this week and I wanted to pass along my hearty recommendation for the book.  Published in 1969, the book tells the story of Francis and Edith Schaeffer starting the ministry of L’Abri and the course of its early years.  It is written in Edith’s charming, if sometimes rambling, style – full of warmth and beauty and miracles.  And what’s most important, the book shows what Francis calls the “other side of the coin” of the L’Abri ministry.  It is the demonstration in real life (relationships, home life, trials and tribulations) of the philosophy spelled out in Francis’ theological writings.

 A few of the take-away points?

* The critical importance of honest, fervent prayer for the success (as God defines it) of our ministries and personal lives.

* The priority of ministering to individual persons.

* God’s desire (nay, His command) for us to excel in hospitality.  And that involves effort, sacrifice, attention to detail, creativity, beauty, patience, and love.

* The fact that ministry (if it is truly of God) is never separated from real life.

* The importance of children, family, and friends.

* The profound power and beauty of letter-writing, journals, conversation, and simple church services.

And more…

Now many of these ideas are perhaps painted more colorfully and detailed in such other books by Edith Schaeffer as What's In a Family and A Way of Seeing but I’m really glad I went back to the beginning and read this one.  It was a provocative, timely, heartwarming, and challenging read.

"Socialism in Practice" Requires Force

“It was perfectly clear, too, that if socialism was to stem the crisis and remake the world, socialism involved a violent struggle to get and keep political power. At some point, socialism would have to consolidate its power by force…This was not theory or statistics. This was socialism in practice. This was how it worked.

I quickly passed on to Lenin’s State and Revolution and the ABC of Communism (its three authors were all shot during the Great Purge). Here was no dodging of the problem of getting and keeping power. Here was the simple statement that terror and dictatorship are justified to defend the socialist revolution…Terror is an instrument of socialist policy.” (Whitaker Chambers, Witness, 1952, pages 194-195)

Reading Resolutions: A Good Start to 2018

Reading. It is a pretty regular item in our annual Christmas Resolution deliberations. And though it is sometimes formed into a very general goal (as in “Read more quality stuff”), it usually becomes much more specific with certain authors, genres, or booklists becoming targets.

Last year, for instance, my reading-oriented resolutions included a new “read through the Bible” regimen with Claire, re-reading a lot of C.S. Lewis, re-reading The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, and re-reading a Shakespeare play every month. Regarding that last goal, I only managed to get to 8 of them. But I was still pleased for even though I didn’t quite make it, I certainly read more than I would have if I never made the goal in the first place! Also, I scored very well with my other resolutions and so I’m pursuing my 2018 goals with an encouraging wave of momentum and, I’m delighted to say, January has proved a good start to the year.

Here’s a quick rundown.

* Claire and I started in again on January 1 with the same “read through the Bible” plan (and strategy) we used last year. That means reading 2-4 chapters a day while drinking tea, munching on our Paleo power bars, and listening to the narration of the same passage by Alexander Scourby.

* My first book read in 2018 was the 4th book in Jan Karon’s Mitford series, Out to Canaan. I have found these novels very pleasant, very comforting, but also enlightening and spiritually challenging.

* The month was a bit of a “play month” for me with one of my favorite dramas of all time (Thornton Wilder’s Our Town) and three I had never read: Joseph Addison’s Cato, Arnold Ridley’s The Ghost Train (which Claire and I listened to in an audio version one snowy night), and, from ancient Greece, Aeschylus’ Seven Against Thebes.

* My major project in January was a re-reading of the 2 volumes of Memoirs by Ulysses S. Grant. This, by the way, is a masterful work of literature as well as history.

* Though I prefer reading a real book to a Kindle version, I am nevertheless greatly pleased by the technological breakthrough Kindle represents, especially because it allows me to read (often for free) very old books that I would never be able to afford if, that is, they could even be found. The books in this category that I read in January were two by an English mystery writer of the very early 20th Century, R. Austin Freeman. Those 2 were Dr. Thorndyke’s Cases and The Red Thumb Mark. I also enjoyed another early 20th Century mystery from Anne Katherine Green, The Forsaken Inn.

* I have long had Antonia Fraser’s King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table in my library but I only got round to it this month. It was a provocative and elegantly written retelling of the great legends, but often with Fraser’s unique twist. I think I'm going to read more of Dame Fraser's books this year.

* Also through Kindle in January came another freebie, this one from one of my favorite writers, John Buchan. It was quite different than anything I had ever read of his but I found it quite interesting. It was A Book of Escapes and Hurried Journeys.

* I read Tom Clancy’s modern classic The Hunt for Red October shortly after it was published in the late 1980s and I have told myself many times over the years to read it again. I finally listened to myself and did so. And I’m glad I did. It is a superb thriller -- and with none of the psychotic, sex-crazed, serial killers that so dominate that genre nowadays.

* And finally, I should mention that January’s reading also included two excellent theological works, Randy Alcorn’s Happiness and Francis Schaeffer’s No Little People. However, I’m reading them both carefully and just a bit at any one sitting and so I’m not yet finished with either one.

Literati Alert: A Few Very Interesting Articles

Frequently over on Vital Signs Blog, I post compilation lists of articles that I believe will be interesting, equipping, even inspiring to my friends who check in there. I've decided it's a tactic I should employ here at The Book Den as well, occasionally listing for you some of the more provocative articles about books, history, and the arts that I've recently come across.

Here is the first of those posts.

* “The Master Obituarist: William F. Buckley’s glorious tributes to the dearly departed raised eulogy to the level of art.” (Herbert W. Stupp, City Journal) — Being, in part a look at A Torch Kept Lit: Great Lives of the Twentieth Century, by William F. Buckley, Jr. and James Rosen, editor.

* “The Seduction of Benedict Arnold” (John Daniel Davidson, National Review) -- Being, in part, a look at Nathaniel Philbrick’s book, Valiant Ambition: George Washington, Benedict Arnold, and the Fate of the American Revolution.

* “The revolutionary vision of Jane Austen: Is Austen’s popularity starting to undermine her stature?” (Gillian Dooley, Mercator)

* “George Washington’s God” (Mark D. Tooley, Juicy Ecumenism) — Being, in part, a look at Michael and Jana Novak’s book, Washington’s God: Religion, Liberty, and the Father of Our Country.

* “Horrors of Waugh” (Violet Hudson, TLS)

* “The Very Drugged Nazis” (Antony Beevor, New York Review of Books) — Being, in part a look at Norman Ohler’s book, Blitzed: Drugs in the Third Reich.

* “The New Unworking Class” (Mona Charen, National Review) — Being, in part, a look at Nicholas Eberstadt’s book, Men Without Work.

* “How King Arthur became one of the most pervasive legends of all time: Brave, noble, kind -- everything that is missing from our modern world?” (Raluca Radulescu, Mercator)

* “On the trail of the Man in the Iron Mask” (David Coward, TLS)

* “After the exile: poetry and the death of culture” (Anthony Esolen, Mercator)

Two Minutes with David McCullough (On His Favorite Writers)

Richard III: A NRO Slide Show

National Review Online has an interesting slide show about Richard III with an emphasis on the discovery of his remains and their subsequent re-internment. 

Check it out right here.

Favorite Historians, Huh?

Denny,

I was wondering if you could recommend some of the best books on history that I should read.

Here was my reply:

Dear A-------,

You raise an interesting question. A key element would be the type of history you're looking for. The fellows interested in, respectively, the history of philosophy or ancient Rome or World War II are, most likely, going to be reading different historians. Thus, my favorite guys will tend to cover the areas of history I'm most interested in.

Another factor is that some of my favorite history books are not written by professional historians at all. A speech writer (Peggy Noonan) wrote my favorite history of the Reagan administration; a soldier wrote my favorite history of the American Civil War (Ulysses Grant); and my favorite histories of the U.S. space program were written, respectively, by two scientists and a novelist (Chris Kraft, Gene Kranz, and Tom Wolfe).

Another category similar to the above is the autobiography. Those can certainly be classified as history but few are penned by professional historians.

Novelists and playwrights can also serve as excellent chroniclers of history, usually of their own times, but certain writers dip expertly into other eras and write historical fiction that is of immense value. Especially appreciated in this latter category are Dickens, Scott, Tolstoy, Dumas, Hugo, Cooper, Austen, Dostoevsky, Waugh, and the Brontes.

So, if you can keep all of these things in mind, I will mention a few "professional" historians that have made the top rank for my interests and purposes. I'm quite sure I'll leave a couple out, but here's some names I'm thinking of right now (without classifying them as to time or subject): Shelby Foote, Samuel Eliot Morison, Walter Lord, John Toland, David McCullough, Antonia Fraser, Roland Bainton, Paul Johnson, Stephen Ambrose, Bruce Catton, William Prescott, Basil Liddell Hart, Laura Hillenbrand, and Alexander Solzhenitsyn.

Of course, there's a whole lot more to talk over than this quick list -- including your input about topics, people, periods of history you're most interested in. So, why not give me a call or zip along an e-mail telling me what day next week would be best for lunch where we can discuss it further? I'll look forward to it.

Denny

Gabriel García Márquez: Distinguished Writer or Stooge of Tyrants?

The Left (and those among the young who know no better and the older pseudo-intellectuals who should) are singing the praises of Nobel Prize-winning author from Colombia, Gabriel García Márquez, who died last week at age 87.

But Cuban dissident and freedom fighter Armando Valladares has a different opinion of Márquez.

Very different.

All dictators and murderers have had staunch defenders — Stalin, Hitler, and Fidel Castro.

Perhaps the most heinous in that fauna supporting dictatorships are writers, poets, and artists. I’ve been saying for decades that an honest intellectual has a commitment to society: Tell the truth, fight for respect and human dignity, and do not lie or skip over the historical reality and thereby abuse the privilege of reaching millions of people.

This is one of the biggest crimes in the case of the late Gabriel García Márquez. He put his pen at the service of Fidel Castro’s tyranny, supporting torture, the concentration camps, and the murdering by firing squad of whoever dared to oppose the Communist regime. García Márquez used to say that the only country in the Americas that respected human rights was Cuba…

Read the rest of Valladares’ column here in National Review.

What Am I Going Through? (Books, That Is.)

So many books. So little time. Especially when you have a full-time (and then some) job, when you must prepare Sunday sermons on the side, when you have a lot of social obligations, and when you have to tend to your house, garden, lawn, and cars.

So how can you find time to read? Simple. Don't watch TV.

With that introduction, let me run through the books that have occupied my "spare time" since last checking in to The Book Den in late March. The number of stars (0-4) attached with each listing suggests how highly I would rate these books for other readers.

* Unjust Enrichment: How Japan's Companies Built Postwar Fortunes Using American POWs by Linda Goetz. (4 stars)

* On the advice of a close friend, I tried the political thrillers of Vince Flynn. I enjoyed the first few quite a bit but they tailed off in quality as I went on. The momentum kept me going for the last three or four but I finally gave up. I read 10 of them in all but, with all things considered, I'm not recommending them except to readers who are already into that genre.

* Wyatt Earp: The Life Behind the Legend by Casey Tefertiller. This wasn't the most elegant or effective prose but the historical detail was immense and fascinating. (3 stars)

* Little Casear and Asphalt Jungle by W.R. Burnett. Both books inspired classic Hollywood films. The first is a best-selling gangster novel from the 1930s (2.5 stars) and the second provided a model for what is now known as a police procedural. It was more substantial. (3 stars).

* April's reading included one of my frequent visits back to J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle Earth. The Hobbit, The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King. These are all 4 stars plus.

* Alistair MacLean is one of my favorite writers of adventure but I had never read Ice Station Zebra, Where Eagles Dare, Captain Cook, or South by Java Head. All were thoroughly enjoyable. I'd give the first two novels 3 stars. But Captain Cook is a tremendous piece of historical non-fiction that rates 4 stars. Also, I give 4 stars to South by Java Head, a tense page-turner set in the South Pacific during World War II. But it is more than a thriller; it is excellent human interest literature and I'll be submitting it for inclusion in our Notting Hill Napoleons rota.

* Speaking of the Napoleons, I had read Arnold Bennett's comic novel The Card last year and suggested that the book club take it on this year. They did. I re-read it for the discussion in April and loved it as much as I did the first time. (4 stars)

* The May selection of the Napoleons was Daphne du Maurier's The Scapegoat. I liked the first 5 pages and then discovered the plot involved a doppelgänger. I don't do doppelgängers. I immediately quit reading. Good riddance.

* Since about the beginning of May, the cares of the bushes, flowers and
lawn have taken up a lot of time ordinarily invested in reading. But I did find time late at night to drop in a few Erle Stanley Gardner mysteries and a few Saint books from Leslie Charteris. For entertainment in the detective/mystery genre without the reader sacrificing a lot of time or, more important, his moral convictions on matters of gore, language, sexual titillation, and political-correctness, these two authors almost always rate 3 stars...at least.

* Finally, I managed in early May a couple of autobiographies. I read Andy Williams' book just shortly after his death. It was certainly interesting to someone like me who has listened to Andy Williams' music all my life, but it lacked moral character or inspiration (2 stars). The other was written by country singer, Larry Gatlin. Now I knew much less about him and therefore wasn't as drawn to the book initially. But his prodigal son theme captured me quite early in the book and I was repeatedly encouraged by the lessons his life story proclaimed. (3 stars)

Summer Reading Suggestions from the Right

Here's a very cool idea. And just in time for the beach, those long evenings out on the patio, or that dreaded plane ride out to the family reunion.

National Review Online asked several of its writing contributors for recommendations for summer reading. The result is interesting and informative. 

I've carefully thought through their suggestions and added several to my summer list. Some will be re-reads -- Witness by Whittaker Chambers, Cyrano de Bergerac by Edmond Rostand, Gaudy Night by Dorothy L. Sayers, and In Defense of Sanity by G. K. Chesterton.

But three are newer books (and completely new to me). They are Mary Eberstadt’s How the West Really Lost God, Kevin Williamson's The End Is Near and It’s Going to Be Awesome, and Rich Lowry's Lincoln Unbound.

Why not give the list a once-over yourself? I think your summer might be a bit more enjoyable (and productive) because of it.

Deep Winter Reading: World War II, Alistair MacLean, Perry Mason... and More

I've been deep in World War II the last couple of weeks with the help of some outstanding historians …and one novelist. I pass along the best of these as hearty recommendations.

* Dan Kurzman's excellent history of the Allies' effort to destroy the Nazi's supply of heavy-water (especially involving a handful of daring heroes from the Norwegian underground) is titled Blood and Water: Sabotaging Hitler's Bomb. It was published in 1997.

* Ben Macintyre's Double Cross: The True Story of the D-Day Spies (2012) is an excellent history of Britain's brilliant and stunningly successful counter-espionage program. Imagine -- capturing every single spy Germany sent into England and then turning most of them into remarkably effective double agents whose misinformation was critical to the Allies' victory.

* Stephen Ambrose's Pegasus Bridge: June 6, 1944 is a detailed (and stirring) description of the early hours of D-Day starring the British glider commandos and paratroopers who took (intact) the river and canal bridges at Benouville and defended them until relieved. The efforts of this small band of heroes, quite literally, may have saved the invasion. If you doubt it, please read the book, first published in 1985.

* The novel I referred to above was Alistair MacLean's thrilling adventure about the Merchant Marine in WW II, San Andreas (1984). It's superb.

Other reading going on? Well, besides the Bible study material and the necessities of Vital Signs Blog, the late evenings of the deep winter months usually find me curled up with a few favorite mystery authors. Among that group would be Agatha Christie, Ngaio Marsh, Dorothy Sayers, Dick Francis, John D. MacDonald, Jonathan Gash, Donald Hamilton, John Dickson Carr, Helen MacDonald, Leslie Charteris, Eric Ambler, and the like.

This year, however, it was 30 some Erle Stanley Gardner novels, most of them featuring Perry Mason, Della Street, Paul Drake and company. For a bit of spice, I did toss in a few of Gardner's books written under the pen name of A.A. Fair. Those star the diminutive but street smart private eye, Donald Lam.

Slipped in there were Drums Along the Mohawk by Walter D. Edmonds (which I posted about previously in The American Revolution's Frontier War) and The President’s Lady by Irving Stone, a fine historical novel about Andrew and Rachel Jackson that we read for our book club in February.

Oh yes, there was also the much more substantial book written by one of my favorite historians, Samuel Eliot Morison. That was The Two-Ocean War: A Short History of the United States Navy in the Second World War (Atlantic-Little, Brown, 1963, 610 pages.) That book also prompted a Book Den post which you can find here.

But back to the more recent reading. In addition to the World War II books I mentioned at the outset of this post, March titles have included three more Alistair MacLean novels (Fear Is the Key, The Guns of Navarone, and Caravan to Vaccares). I enjoyed them all. For well-written, thrilling adventure novels, MacLean never disappoints. And then there was the The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom by Christopher Healey that was the subject of a Book Den post from earlier in the week. 

Next up -- I'm about halfway through Studies in Words by C.S. Lewis; two thirds through A Solo in Tom-Toms by Gene Fowler; and I've just begun Unjust Enrichment: How Japan's Companies Built Postwar Fortunes Using American POWs by Linda Goetz Holmes. In order to best serve "When Swing Was King" ministry, I'm also reading through a few books dealing with Big Band history. Among them are Star Dust by Richard Grudens and The Big Band Almanac by Leo Walker.

A Love Story We Will All Do Well to Read

Joni Eareckson Tada writes, 

It's surprising how many marriages are beginning to crack under the pressure of suffering, depression, illness and pain. It's why Ken and I just wrote our new book Joni & Ken: An Untold Love Story. After more than 30 years of marriage, we're peeling back the curtain to reveal some of the toughest years of our life together. Yes, it is definitely an untold story… but we hope the lessons learned through our depression, pain, and cancer will bolster others to 'stick with their vows, for better or for worse.'

Joni & Ken: An Untold Love Story will be out soon, but you can get a sneak preview now by watching this video – then please, share it with your friends!

Was Mozart Dissed in Death?

Poor Mozart ! In life pushed from pillar to post; in sickness working to the last moment to bring bread to his family; in death occupying an unknown grave!

After Mozart's death, that night of December 4, 1791, the little house on Roughstone Lane, in Vienna, was almost deserted. Only two or three callers came. The men who made money by the dead master's genius stayed away. The widow was left almost destitute, as Mozart's fortune amounted to five pounds in money and his effects were valued at about twenty-six pounds more. A heavy draft on this was made by the undertaker's and doctor's bills, which amounted to perhaps twenty pounds.

The cold rain and sleet pounded down, that gloomy day when the little group left the house. After the services at the church the mourners dropped off, and when the hearse reached the cemetery no one followed the remains of the composer of "Don Juan" and the "Jupiter" symphony.

Two paupers had been buried that day; and, as it was late, Mozart's coffin was hastily thrust into the pauper's grave being the last for the day it was uppermost, the earth was hastily thrown in, and the great composer lay at rest in a pauper's grave.

But a stranger thing happened. After some years the grave was opened to receive more bodies of the unfortunate poor. The grave-digger remembered which was Mozart's grave and, having been an admirer of Mozart's music, he preserved the great composer's skull. This man sold it to a certain official, who in after years bequeathed it to his brother, and it was he who made known to the world the fact of this gruesome possession.

Be this as it may, Germany can by no admiration for Mozart's works at this day atone for her neglect of their author at the time of his need and distress. It will always be a blot on the good name of Vienna and the Fatherland.

(From Anecdotes of Great Musicians by Willey Francis Gates, published by T. Presser, 1905.)

It makes for a great story with memorable morals about gratitude, loyalty, the fleeting nature of fame, excellence will survive, and so on.

But did it really happen?

Not quite.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart died on December 5th, 1791. On that there's no contest. But the tale of ignominy, ingratitude and poverty surrounding his funeral is not based on fact. Yes, the records reveal that Mozart's body was buried in but a wooden coffin and in a pit where another four or five bodies would be laid as well. But that wasn't because Mozart was poor or forgotten. It was merely the standard practice for middle class people of late 18th Century Vienna. Only aristocracy assumed they would have a private burial plot.

The Gates anecdote, already famous before he included it in his 1905 collection, makes no reference to Mozart receiving a Christian funeral service. But he did.  His body was consecrated with the traditional rites at St. Stephen’s Cathedral. Afterward, it was solemnly taken by horse-drawn wagon to St. Mark's Cemetery.  The sad anecdote emphasizes the lack of mourners along the way but again, that was normal for the day. Indeed, reliable sources describe how a few friends and devotees defied convention and accompanied the hearse anyway.

Also, the digging up of Mozart's body (another somber element of the legend) wasn't considered a desecration at all. In fact, the city held the rights to re-use (for whatever purposes) the grave sites after a period of 10 years and frequently exercised that privilege. In such cases, the bones of the dead were disinterred, crushed to allow for more room, and re-buried in consecrated ground. With such a policy, it should be no surprise that the exact site of Mozart's remains are unknown. However, the honor of recognition is not denied Mozart by the cemetery officials or the people of Vienna. In later years, a monument commemorating his life was erected in the cemetery near the spot where Mozart's remains must almost certainly rest.

What about the skull? Well, it's true that the Salzburg Mozarteum was presented with a skull in the early part of the 20th Century. And the donation was supposed to be Mozart's. But there is no hard evidence at all to connect the skull with the legend.

It just might be that the original source of the sad tale depicting Mozart as a forgotten genius was Mozart's widow herself, Constanze. Mozart had left her with an awful lot of debt and she needed to not only get out from under that but to provide for herself and her two children. We know that she applied for (and received) a pension from the Emperor. Plus she also organized publication of Mozart's music and had concerts performed. There's no doubt that interest in these things was greatly stimulated by the story of an unheralded musical giant and his impoverished widow -- a story that could well have been exaggerated by the widow herself to guarantee the success of the numerous ventures.

By the way, Constanze also helped her second husband, Georg Nikolaus von Nissen, write a detailed biography of Mozart. With these measures, Constanze lived well and was not at all the destitute, broken-hearted widow of the legend.

So the lesson here? Learn what you will from legends, fables and old wives' tales. But don't confuse hysteria and hype with real history.

Pleasant Enrichments

I started to title this post "Pleasant Diversions" because I am going to jot down here a quick update of things we've been reading, watching and listening to in recent days. But I decided on a more appropriate word because the things going into that list have not been as much diverting for my soul as they have been deepening, developing and enriching.

And that's the trick for Christians, isn't it? To select things to enjoy in your leisure hours that do not divert you from your stated convictions of faith and morality but rather which enhance your knowledge, sharpen your communication skills and entertain in ways that will not dull your conscience.

Modern Christians are much too quick to accept whatever the culture throws at them. We are not discriminating and we are not properly protective of what our heart takes in. We take television, movies, popular music and modern novels as a natural right without carefully considering how dramatically different in morality they are from past years. Think of The Lone Ranger, Leave It To Beaver and Playhouse 90 compared to today's shlock where dysfunctional families, sexual promiscuity (even perversions), coarse language, leftist politics, disrespect for Christianity, and a general lack of creative quality abound.

There are better things to do with your time...and your mind.

With that said, let me get to that catch up list.

* I finished Micah Clarke, Arthur Conan Doyle's novel about the Monmouth Rebellion of 17th Century England and found it to be a wonderful read -- exciting and instructive and, thanks to Project Gutenberg, completely free. It is a novel of battle, religious conviction, politics, honor and friendship that is splendidly carried by Doyle's rich prose and his steady eye for historical accuracy. I will definitely recommend Micah Clarke for next year's Notting Hill Napoleon list.

* Claire is well into Gone With The Wind, Margaret Mitchell's panaromic view of the American Civil War and its aftermath. We have both read it in years past but it is this month's selection for the Napoleons so we're re-reading it. Well, Claire is. In typical fashion, I'm kinda' late in getting to it. And with the novel stretching over 1100 pages, that's a bit dangerous.

* The reason I'm not yet into GWTW is partly because I've been spending most of my evenings creating new "When Swing Was King" presentations. That requires downloading photos, editing them, sorting them into categories, downloading music, increasing the volume as I enter the songs into the Power Point program, researching information about the songs and musicians, and finally actually creating each 13-song, 160-180 picture volume.

* Another couple of reasons that I'm not yet into the antebellum South is that Claire and I have started taking long walks in the evening and there is often the need to work on my sermons for Faith Bible Church. (By the way, here's a great hint for all of you who, like me, are Bible students. Check out the resources of StudyLight.org)

* And yes, there's one other distraction I'd better admit to. For instead of opening GWTW last night, I opened the Kindle and started reading Philip and Elizabeth: Portrait of a Royal Marriage by Gyles Brandreth. Claire had alerted me last week to a Kindle special offering a bunch of titles for 99 cents and I opted for this one. And, boy; am I glad I did. It is absolutely delightful, a charming and extremely interesting book about two people you think you know...but don't. I did about a third of the book last night and now I'm afraid I've got to finish it before I start on Mitchell. It'll be tight.

*On the viewing front? Well, there's not much in this category except that we have often watched episodes of The Rifleman on MeTV. There's also episodes of Wanted: Dead or Alive which we picked up over Christmas at ShopKo -- all 7 seasons of the show on disc for $19.99. Not bad. And finally,  on the advice of the Goldens who we had over to dinner a week ago or so, we watched the movie, Seven Days In Utopia starring Lucas Black and Robert Duvall. It was a terrific story. Well developed. Inspirational. Quirky. A great family film. We can rarely recommend movies but we do this one.

Okay, we're up to date on our "pleasant enrichments." Feel free to e-mail us suggestions from your experience too. Or to drop them in the Facebook thread following this post there.