The 250th anniversary of the greatest country on earth is technically on July 4. But I’m starting a bit early. I picked America as the topic for the next book club.
As mentioned in a previous article, the first book to read is The Last King of America by Andrew Roberts.
It’s a beast of a book. A whopping 675 pages in my hardbound edition. The knocks against the book pertain to its exhaustive detail. Andrew Roberts is a modern iconic historian by reputable accounts. I’ve read a number of his articles and have listened to him on interviews yet have not read one of his books. His biographies of Napoleon and Churchill are famous. The King George biography received wide praise and acclaim, yet George is not as sexy as Churchill and Napoleon, hence the less “fame” of this biography, if you could call it that.
This book will take time. After the last message, it was a bit crickets. Yet I know of one heavy hitter joining in on this topic. Keep in mind, you do not need to be reading any of the books to be a part of this book club. As long as you are a paying member, you can partake.
The certain-to-read books of this curation are big books and will require patience to read:
A History of the American People, Paul Johnson — 976 pages & smaller font
A Patriot’s History of the United States: From Columbus’s Great Discovery to the Age of Entitlement + its companion volume The Patriot’s History Reader: Essential Documents for Every American, Larry Schweikart and Michael Allen — 867 pages + 427 pages for the companion reader
Democracy in America, Alexis de Tocqueville — 822 pages. Also, as a primer, I’m going to read Pierre Manent’s Tocqueville and the Nature of Democracy; people can join me if they wish on that.
I’m not here to scare you off. Breaks will exist between these books. I will not read one after the other. Given the size and depth of each, that, I surmise, would cause reading burnout. I will take breaks. How long a break lasts will be determined by how I’m feeling. It might be a week, it might be two weeks. I want to be fresh and ready for each book. I know that will get the best out of me for you.
My philosophy: I want you to read and enjoy them at your pace and in your own time. You do not need to read along. Though, I hope you do. And I want and hope to engage with you.
The Last King
An impulse arose, a strong one, to write a section to stoke curiosity to read The Last King. I announced this topic and the feedback was quiet. Like I said, I know of one heavy hitter joining. But that’s it. I’m still navigating and tinkering with the shape of the book club.
But I’m not going to try to bring out ye olde copywriting chops to sell you on reading this book.
A topic like this, with books like this, requires not just a motivated reader but a reader who would enjoy this topic, a reader with curiosity on this topic, and a reader who likes the challenge of a big book.
King George will not be an easy book. It’s a big book. It’s a book written by a historian of substance and depth. Yet it will not be beach-read history such as The History of Salt. It’s a doorstop book. Roberts is regarded as a great and compelling writer by many. In other words, he’s largely readable to smart people. Yet it’s a big book with a lot of detail. As any big book like this, it wil require someone deeply motivated to read it, and the idea of “getting through all of it” isn’t a worry to them.
Some of you will be interested but will not have the time to read it or simply might be too intimidated to pick it up. If that is you, you can still join in, watch the videos, ask questions in the chat, comment on the articles or riffs on the book, and join or offer up questions for the livestreams.
I’m excited to read this book. I have been for some time. Given the response to the last article, and it still being the nascent stages of my book club, it might just be me talking to the heavy hitter who said he was in and to a few flies on the wall. We’ll see what sticks. And it might be good practice since I’m thinking of adding in quick riffs or quick videos exclusive to members to discuss what I’m reading, book club topic or not.
In sum, this book is a serious one. It’s a big one. The takers will be few. But if you are a taker, whether reading or a fly on the wall, I plan to start next week.
I’m reading Deliverance by James Dickey currently. You may know it by the iconic movie. The book, so far, is superb. I can’t put it down. I will finish it in the next few days. I might read another fast-paced and short fiction before I begin The Last King.
If you are with me, first, you must be a member. Second, let me know if you’re reading this book or planning to. You can do that by commenting below. If you want to be a fly on the wall for this book and the topic, simply like the post.
I will write another announcement the closer I get to starting The Last King.