Uncool History - Franklin: America's Essential Founding Father

Jeff's Uncool history series continues with a look at Benjamin Franklin.

"Franklin: America's Essential Founding Father" by James Srodes.

If you want to understand the founding of the country and the founding fathers, you need to have some perspective on Benjamin Franklin. He's one of those dudes who did so many things, any one of which would have been remarkable, it's hard where to start.

He was America's first self-made millionaire.

He invented the battery. THE BATTERY.

He invented a font. Who invents a font?

He invented bifocals, a stove, the lightening rod, a musical instrument, and bunch of other stuff.

He drew of the most famous political cartoon ever sketched.

His model of the fire department and the post office are still used today.

He pretty much personally got the French to side with us in the Revolutionary War.

Read your history books!!!!

Uncool History - Kennedy Assassination

As our Uncool series on history continues...

There's been about a bizillion books and tv specials done on the Kennedy assassination and it is one of those historical moments that everyone should have some perspective on. In my opinion, there are two books that pretty much explain it:

"Death of a President" by William Manchester is pretty much the 'official' version of the events leading up to, during, and following the assassination. This is the book authorized by Jackie and Bobby Kennedy and is a pretty thorough timeline of things.

"Case Closed" by Gerald Posner is to me the definitive refutation of all the Kennedy conspiracy stuff. If you've heard conspiracy theories, have conspiracy theories, think you might want to develop a conspiracy theory about the assassination then you need to read this book. The title says it all.

Uncool History - The Great Bridge

Jeff's Uncool history series continues with a look at the construction of the Brooklyn Bridge.

"The Great Bridge" by David McCullough.

When I was doing a lot of traveling for work I once had a gig at one of the main Verizon buildings in Manhattan. For those of you who don't know, that building is quite literally at the end of the Brooklyn Bridge. I was so happening to be staying at the Brooklyn Marriott at the other end of the bridge. So I walked across the bridge everyday to work the whole week I was working at Verizon.

The Verizon building is visible to the right of the
tower (above, notice the Verizon logo on the building)
right at the end of the bridge.

Anyway, between fighting off muggers (another post) I became pretty fascinated by this bridge.

"The Great Bridge" is the definitive history of the construction of this bridge. The story of the Roebling's (who designed and built the bridge) to Boss Tweed and the shenanigans that went into the whole thing. Plus, it was downright dangerous work...

Another must-read if you are interested in the history of New York. This is nice slice of life if you have any interest in 1870's NYC.

Uncool History - Albion's Seed

Jeff's Uncool history series continues with the early, early history of the US.

"Albion's Seed" by David Hackett Fischer.

Admittedly, this may not be of as much interest to some of us as to others of us. It's a little dry, it's a little too thorough, and it's very English (if you get my drift). As far back as i can trace my history, I seem to pretty much be of European descent though from where exactly in Europe can only be conjectured. My family tree goes through the back country of West Virginia, Virginia (before there was a 'West'), North Carolina and Maryland. Hillbilly to be more precise.

But where do these goobers come from? Enter "Albion's Seed". This book is a fascinating look at the different regions of the early US: The Puritans up in New England (the Pilgrim dudes), the Cavaliers & '2nd sons' of the aristocracy (the Southern dudes), the Friends migration (the Pennsylvania dudes), the Borderlands migration (the goober dudes).

If want a good sense of who dared to cross to the New World, why the did it, where they came from, this is a fascinating book.

Example: They talk about the origins of the regional accents (Bah-stan, versus New Yoik, versus Bal-di-more) and how they developed and why. Totally cool foundation kind of history book.

Uncool History - Churchill's History of the English Speaking Peoples

Jeff's Uncool history series continues with a look at Anglo history going way back to the day...

Churchill's History of the English Speaking Peoples by Winston Churchill (arranged by Henry Steele Commager).

This is an abridged version of what is a four volume mega set written by Winston Churchill. The short version is good enough for me.

This is an interesting history book that gives a real thorough historical overview of British history and key events in that history along with what happened to Britain's colonial 'children'. Whether we want to admit it or not, America and our culture is a descendant of that country so if we want to understand ourselves we should have some perspective on it. Churchill seemed to feel there was an ongoing relationship/culture/kinship between Britain and all of its former colonies. Hence the 'English Speaking Peoples' reference in the title...

What I think is coolest about this book is listening to Churchill talk about American history from the point of view of an Englishman:

"The Radicals, who began to call themselves 'Patriots,' seized their opportunity to force a crisis."

"In spite of the Boston 'massacre,'..."

It's interesting. Read your history!

Uncool History - Mornings on Horseback

Jeff's Uncool history series continues with Theodore Roosevelt.

"Mornings on Horseback" by David McCullough.

I'm a big fan of David McCullough so I had to get this book even if I wasn't terribly interested in the topic. Man, I was wrong. This is nice, nice book that is essential if you want to understand the history of New York.

Basically, this a chronicle of young Teddy Roosevelt from about 10 years old up to the years just prior to his becoming a national figure. Much like Benjamin Franklin, this is one of those dude who did tons of stuff, any one of which would have been incredible.

My favorite: As a kid, he had a "zoo" in his bedroom where he personally stuffed birds and animals he had personally shot. As a kid. In New York. I guess some things never change...

Uncool History - The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich

Jeff's Uncool history series continues with a look at Nazi Germany...

"The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich" by William Shirer.

I'm not all that fascinated with World War II and the Nazi's but if you want any kind of grasp on the 20th century you have to have some perspective on it. Shirer's book is pretty meat and potatoes with names and dates and some general analysis. It is most famous for being the first major work on the topic.

It get bashed by the academics for lots of reasons but if you are looking for one book to get you up to speed, this should handle it.

I was particularly interested to find out how a poor man from a nothing family could rise up from nothing to be one of the biggest monsters in history. One lie at a time, I suppose...

Uncool History - Paul Revere & The World He Lived In

Jeff's Uncool series on history continues with a look at Paul Revere.

"Paul Revere and the World He Lived In" by Esther Forbes.

This is a cool little book that digs deep into famous patriot Paul Revere. I'm always interested to find out where these little footnote dudes came from and how they fit into the big scheme of things.

This book actually won the Pulitzer Prize and is full of cool little tidbits on this little understood American figure.

Example: On Paul Revere's famous midnight ride, he never shouted "The British are Coming" for a couple of reasons. First, it was kind of secret. He wouldn't have been shouting. Second, at this point, everyone still considered themselves British so the phrase meant nothing. He is reported to have told people "The Regulars coming out."

Uncool History - John Adams & 1776

Jeff's Uncool history series continues with a look at the founding of the good ol' US of A.

"John Adams" by David McCullough
"1776" by David McCullough

David McCullough is quite simply 'The Man' when it comes to history books. They are just so well researched and readable that you can't help but get sucked into these incredible stories. I would have never thought that John Adams would be a dude worth reading about but this book is absolutely essential if you want to understand anything about the founding of the country.

"1776" was a side book that came about from McCullough's research into "John Adams" so in a sense, these books go together as companion pieces.

What I learned:

A) How much was at stake during all of this - these guys would have been better off just letting things go the way they were going but they all decided to stick it to England at great risk to their money and their lives.

B) How hopeless it was - They had no business competing let alone winning a war against England.

C) How smart everyone was - It was very primitive but everyone was very, very well read and wanted to better themselves.

D) What a douche Thomas Jefferson was - Every book I've ever read seems to point to the fact that TJ was a piece of crap. I wasn't there, so I don't know, but a pattern is emerging...

HAPPY 4th!!!

Uncool History - A Peace to End All Peace

Jeff's Uncool history series continues with a look at the Middle East.

"A Peace to End All Peace" by David Fromkin.

The whole Jewish/Israel/Arab thing goes back thousands of years to be sure. But believe it or not, a good deal of this crap-o-la can be traced back to things that happened not all that long time ago. This is a great book to read if you want to get up to speed on the background of the whole Middle East thing, the whole terrorist thing, and the whole 'how did something this messed up get this messed up' thing.

Read your history books!!!!!

Uncool History - The Oxford History of the American People

Jeff's Uncool history series continues with another of my overview looks at American history.

"The Oxford History of the American People" by Samuel Eliot Morison.

This is a very broad and very comprehensive US history book and one that is very readable, full of facts and comprehensive. If you are looking for one book to cover everything, this is a great place to start. Morison has been justifiably criticized for being extremely light on the slavery issue but then again most authors of his era had a distorted view which has been since corrected in this and most other general history books.

So often we think we know history until we read it again...

Example: Can you name a disputed presidential election where the votes from Florida were called into question and the eventual winner had less popular votes but more electoral votes? If you said the 1876 election of Rutherford B. Hayes, you would be correct.

Read your history! Nothing is new...

Uncool History - Kent State

This famous picture (above) was shown in every
newspaper around the world after the shootings
at Kent State on May 4, 1970. It quite frankly
scared the pants off of me when I was a kid.
This picture also won the Pulitzer Prize
(taken by John Filo) that year.

As part of Jeff's continuing series of Uncool history... "Kent State" by James Michener.

I was talking with a young friend of mine the other day and was asking him if he knew about Kent State. "Isn't that the name of the Green Lantern's alter ego?" Yikes. Another example of 'you know you're getting old when..' It all went down on May 4, 1970.


Quick synopsis: A bunch of college students started protesting the presence of ROTC on their campus. They burned down the ROTC building. The governor called in the Ohio National Guard to restore order. The students got extremely rowdy, the soldiers got extremely agitated, shots were fired and some students were dead. It all kind of summarized the Us vs. Them, hippy vs. square, Progressive vs. Establishment kind of thing going on back then.

I was just a kid when the Kent State tragedy happened and it was the first news event I remember that kind of scared me. I wasn't sure I understood what it was or what it meant but it was all over the news and seemed real freaky to me. When I got older, I ran across this book at a used book sale and bought it. I remember taking it with me to Wes Unseld basketball camp to read.

This is an example of one of those 'snapshot in time' history books that really lays the whole thing out minute by minute. Especially for you youngsters, it's a fascinating read about a time long gone.

Uncool History - Will of the World

Jeff's Uncool history series continues with a look at William Shakespeare.

"Will of the World" by Stephen Greenblatt

As a kid and high schooler, I was particularly averse to anything having to do with William Shakespeare. It wasn't until my later years at good ol' James Madison University that I took my required Shakespeare classes from Dr. Ralph Alan Cohen that I started to develop an appreciation and love for the work. Willy Shakes was a real literary genius. Not in the Hollywood sense of "you're a genius" but in the Einstein sense of "how could a human do that?"

Anyway, I picked up this book a couple of years ago because I'm always fascinated about how regular dudes become super-human dudes. This book is an interesting look at the world that Willy Shakes probably grew up in. I don't think it sheds much light on how he became what he became (that's probably an impossibility anyway) but it certainly paints a picture of the English countryside during those interesting times.

Happy birthday, Will...

P.S. Read some Shakespeare!

Uncool History - Truman

Jeff's Uncool history series continues with a look at Harry S. Truman.

"Truman" by David McCullough.

Once again, if you haven't read any David McCullough, you should get off your butt and get to the library. This is fascinating book about a dude I probably would not have given a second look to if not for this book.

The one thing I still can't get over: Truman was almost forty years old WHEN HE ENTERED POLITICS.

He owned a failed clothing store. He wasn't a lawyer. He didn't graduate college. He was just a regular dude for the most part who became president. If it was a novel or a made-up movie, it wouldn't be believable.

Uncool History - Team of Rivals

Jeff's Uncool history series continues with a look back Abraham Lincoln's early presidential history.

"Team of Rivals" by Doris Kearns Goodwin.

There has been about a bizillion books written about Abraham Lincoln but I kind of feel like this one is a very appropriate one for today's times. In all off these modern political wranglings about partisanship and non-partisanship most of what you see today is all a bunch of bunk. It's all talk. What's cool about 'Team of Rivals' is that Abraham Lincoln actually did it...

The gist: When Lincoln was elected, that was pretty much the final straw that started the Civil War. Nobody thought the dude was all that. But he did something that few have done before or since: He brought in the smartest, best people at their jobs, even if they were his enemies. He brought into his cabinet THREE guys he had run against and beaten in the presidential election. Imagine if Barack Obama had brought in not only Hilary Clinton but also John McCain and Sarah Palin. It was a gutsy move and it took all of his efforts to coral it and make it work.

Fun book to read that gives a very nice picture of presidential politics back in the day...

Uncool History - Alexander Hamilton

Jeff's Uncool history series continues with a look at Alexander Hamilton...

"Alexander Hamilton" by Ron Chernow.

If you want to have any kind of understanding about the founding of the US and our government, you have to read this book. Alexander Hamilton is the dude on the 10 dollar bill and if you are like me you are probably like 'who the heck is this guy?'

Often times you'll hear people talk about how 'it's impossible to know what the founding fathers were thinking when they framed the Constitution'. That's the biggest load of bunk when you a book like this. It is all very, very clear indeed.

What was cool about this book:

a) Hamilton pretty much invented the government we have today

b) Hamilton pretty much invented the two party system we have today

c) Hamilton was the first US politician to be rocked by a sex scandal

d) Hamilton died in a duel... against the sitting Vice President!

This is another one of those books where we learn what a douche Thomas Jefferson was. I am reasonably confident that I am one of the few people in the blogoshpere to say HAPPY BIRTHDAY ALEXANDER HAMILTON. Next time... duck.

Hollywood Handbook - "The Prince" by Machiavelli

I was talking with a Hollywood honcho friend of mine who suggested I read Machiavelli's "The Prince". Since I am most keenly interested in taking over Hollywood, I decided I'd keep my eye out for the book. Being exceedingly cheap, I decided not to buy the book from the bookstore (taking over Hollywood would have to wait for a sale) but lucked upon it at a local yard sale where I picked it up for a mere 20 cents. Apparently, it didn't help the person who was selling it.

After carefully reading the book, be warned, I now have the knowledge to take over Hollywood. Here's what I learned:

1. It's useful to build a fortress or castle but only if you have the love of the people.

2. I should live in my capitol city if I wish to attain the love of the people.

3. If I attack another city, make sure it doesn't have the protection of the church.

I realized I was approaching this all the wrong way. I was under the impression that I'd need to sell a script or get some kind of lucky break, but Machiavelli has convinced my otherwise. Applying what I learned, I've devised a three-pronged strategy for taking over Hollywood:

Strategy #1 - Raise an army through false promises, threats, and bribery. Deploy them in a line stretching from Santa Monica Blvd, up La Brea, ending at the base of the Hollywood sign. Since Hollywood is under the protection of no church, I should be safe.

Strategy #2 - It is better to be feared than loved, so I will be mean to everyone and demand tribute even when it isn't due. But by actually living in the Capitol Records building, I will share in their grief and attain their love.

Strategy #3 - I will build a fort on Sunset near Doheny (escape route through Beverly Hills).

Twenty cents down the drain...

Book of the Week - "Thunderball" by Ian Fleming

I picked up Ian Fleming's "Thunderball" at a yard sale last week for fifty cents. Interestingly enough, the original price on the cover from 1962 was fifty cents so the book held its value!

This is a James Bond book and I've never read one of those before. I was surprised how different it felt. It opens with Bond hung-over from a late night game of bridge. Bridge? He was at work at his office doing paperwork when he gets called into M's office. Paperwork? Who knew James Bond had a desk...

Anyway, M thinks Bond is smoking too much and needs to go to a health spa for a week to eat healthy food and get better. For real? Not as the beginning to a mission but just to dry out and avoid bridge games with those whacky old ladies at the garden club. Sheez. Of course, things get crazy after that but James Bond felt so much like a loser in this book. I just thought being a cold-hearted killer would be a bit more fun.

But at 183 pages, its hard to get mad when you're in and out of the story lickety-split. If anybody wants to borrow it, let me know...