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Thursday, July 8, 2010

Inaugurational Reading

I have enjoyed American history since as early as I recall learning it...which dates back about 15 years to 5th grade. When I saw Glory for the first time in 8th grade, followed by a trip to Washington D.C. I was hooked. Probably most notably by the historical reenactment of Jamestown.*

My favorite year of history was my junior year in high school. The teacher was one of the best I ever had, and he presented America's story in a way that truly felt like the birth of a nation. And even though I excelled in the class, there was still a part of me that was absorbing the information into my short term memory to do well on an exam or trench warfare Jeopardy.

I find now that I am craving the knowledge that was once presented to me, but on a deeper level. I live in a home that watches each Ken Burns documentary from the epic greats of the Civil War to baseball, and I find that also as I age, I am becoming more engaged in politics. Could be that I am a homeowner and taxes take on an entire new meaning to me now (ie they sucked before and now I really, REALLY want to stick to the Property Tax man) and of course being older, wiser, and more mature reveals more informed opinions.

The long and short of it is that I have decided to take a tour of history through presidential biographies. Being a Type A personality with extreme order required in life, you can guess that book number one starts with president number one:

Being that I don't often stray far from fiction, let alone HP, I decided that this one looked good among the 10 or so other authors. I admit it, I judge a book by its cover, and this one looked authentic. But, as I typed the title into Google search just now, it came up as predictive text so perhaps that's a good sign, along with the reviews on the back cover from the New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Chicago Tribune, and Newsweek.

Like a good student I will offer my thoughts on this revolutionary hero (or is he???) when completed. The book is due back July 29 and I don't like renewing so ready, set, go!

*I am just waiting for the day Scott tells me he booked a surprise trip to Georgia and the first item on our agenda is a Civil War reenactment, Confederate style. I.Would.Die. Naturally he'd have the good sense to bring a hoop skirt for me too, and then we'd find a suitable Tara for ourselves and enjoy our new porch with sweet tea or and a mint julep. The end.

2 comments:

LeeElle said...

Erin, I too love history. Might I recommend a fabulous book, John Adams by David McCoulough. It was an inspiring read about the birth of our nation and more specifically the declaration of independence. I am convinced since reading it that we should have a Adams memorial. I also loved that it talked about Abigail Adams and the influence she had not only on her husband but the government.I could go on and on but trust me, though bulky it is worth the read.

Erin said...

I'll put it on my list! Thank you!