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alphadesigner's reviews
100 reviews
Vanished Kingdoms: The History of Half-Forgotten Europe by Norman Davies
4.0
This is a book with a mission, namely to remind everybody that history is not simply an account of events in the existence of contemporary states. It's also a record of countries that ceased to exist, often by accidents that, in hindsight, weren't necessarily inevitable. It's a strong reminder of the fragility of all political systems, especially those taken for granted.
Unfortunately, the author covers this important message with far too many historical details, which, although valuable from a general point of view, serve only to distract the reader from the context that they are originally supposed to support. A little more focus and editorial pruning would have made this book even better. For example, the last chapter claims to be about the USSR but is de facto a detailed history of Estonia, with events regarding the Soviet state unfolding in the background. The awkward shift is a missed opportunity, after all the Soviet Union is among the few relatively familiar, yet profoundly misunderstood "vanished kingdoms" and tiny Estonia doesn't have the potential to fit in its shoes. The book is far more successful in its short chapters, like those about Montenegro and Ruritania, where (probably) the lack of abundant sources or the short timespan prevented the author from indulging in pedantic descriptions of events, rulers, and dynasties or in supplying quotes from letters, poems, and news articles.
However, despite its imperfections, this book is worth the patience of anyone seriously interested in European history. The message, diluted as it is, is still incredibly important.
Unfortunately, the author covers this important message with far too many historical details, which, although valuable from a general point of view, serve only to distract the reader from the context that they are originally supposed to support. A little more focus and editorial pruning would have made this book even better. For example, the last chapter claims to be about the USSR but is de facto a detailed history of Estonia, with events regarding the Soviet state unfolding in the background. The awkward shift is a missed opportunity, after all the Soviet Union is among the few relatively familiar, yet profoundly misunderstood "vanished kingdoms" and tiny Estonia doesn't have the potential to fit in its shoes. The book is far more successful in its short chapters, like those about Montenegro and Ruritania, where (probably) the lack of abundant sources or the short timespan prevented the author from indulging in pedantic descriptions of events, rulers, and dynasties or in supplying quotes from letters, poems, and news articles.
However, despite its imperfections, this book is worth the patience of anyone seriously interested in European history. The message, diluted as it is, is still incredibly important.
Moorish Spain by Richard Fletcher
5.0
This is an awesome book, but first, let's get the annoying stuff out of the way: The author is a bit obsessed with dates which, typographically speaking, gives the body text a sort of algebraic flavor. Did I need to note the exact year in which Alfonso X farted? Not really. Do all those numbers disrupt the narrative flow? You betcha. Another problem is the complex language that he often uses to describe pretty mundane ideas. It's cringeworthy, and along with the numbers, makes my brain hiccup.
“The witness of those who lived through the horrors of the Berber conquest, of the Andalusian fitnah in the early eleventh century, of the Almoravid invasion – to mention only a few disruptive episodes – must give it the lie.”
Those two faults aside, the book is an absolute masterpiece. The narrative is well structured and concise. The author does his best to look at the history objectively and not succumb to idealization, which is quite common in studies on that period. Yet, despite omitting the usual poetic nonsense about a lost paradise, the book is anything but boring. On a few occasions I felt the urge to clap. Here's an example:
“Those who are too idle to prepare decent food can buy pungent sauces in supermarkets to disguise the absence of flavour in the meat or fish they smother with them. The past, like the present, is for most of the time rather flavourless. ‘Nothing, like something, happens anywhere.’ Larkin’s line should be the historian’s motto. But in the cultural conditions that prevail in the west today the past has to be marketed, and to be successfully marketed it has to be attractively packaged. Medieval Spain in a state of nature lacks wide appeal. Self-indulgent fantasies of glamour or guilt do wonders for sharpening up its image.”
Amen!
P.S. Highly recommended to anyone interested in Iberian history, especially for those who look for a detailed straight-to-the point introduction.
“The witness of those who lived through the horrors of the Berber conquest, of the Andalusian fitnah in the early eleventh century, of the Almoravid invasion – to mention only a few disruptive episodes – must give it the lie.”
Those two faults aside, the book is an absolute masterpiece. The narrative is well structured and concise. The author does his best to look at the history objectively and not succumb to idealization, which is quite common in studies on that period. Yet, despite omitting the usual poetic nonsense about a lost paradise, the book is anything but boring. On a few occasions I felt the urge to clap. Here's an example:
“Those who are too idle to prepare decent food can buy pungent sauces in supermarkets to disguise the absence of flavour in the meat or fish they smother with them. The past, like the present, is for most of the time rather flavourless. ‘Nothing, like something, happens anywhere.’ Larkin’s line should be the historian’s motto. But in the cultural conditions that prevail in the west today the past has to be marketed, and to be successfully marketed it has to be attractively packaged. Medieval Spain in a state of nature lacks wide appeal. Self-indulgent fantasies of glamour or guilt do wonders for sharpening up its image.”
Amen!
P.S. Highly recommended to anyone interested in Iberian history, especially for those who look for a detailed straight-to-the point introduction.
The Book of Symbols: Reflections on Archetypal Images by Archive For Research in Archetyp (aras)
5.0
This is a book that examines how our environment interacts with our psyche and how we make sense of the world. It starts with the most fundamental and ancient symbols like the Universal egg and expands further towards modernity passing through the symbolism of the plant world, the animal kingdom, and ultimately, our own artificial creations. It's a fascinating collection of illustrated essays that would be of interest to anybody. It's beautifully designed, incredibly well researched and a pleasure to read.