History in perspective ...

Here are thoughts on some recent non-fiction books dealing with historical topics:

IF YOU ASK ME by Eleanor Roosevelt contains her “essential advice” on ten issues that reverberate today, including women, race, politics, religion and health.  Based on her advice column which appeared in Ladies Home Journal, this will be a fun – and eye opening – book for students to consult.  Each answer is followed by the date it appeared in brackets, like this: “Do you really think all men are created equal? Yes, but they do not always have an equal opportunity for development, either before or after birth. [November 1943]” IF YOU ASK ME has a short introduction written by one of Roosevelt’s granddaughters, several pages of notes, a bibliography, and suggested additional reading, plus a series of photographs on the end papers.   

Readers, especially students, will be surprised by the relevance to today of many of the comments that “ahead-of-her-time” Eleanor Roosevelt made decades ago. 

HEIRS OF THE FOUNDERS by H. W. Brands is subtitled “The Epic Rivalry of Henry Clay, John Calhoun and Daniel Webster, the Second Generation of American Giants” and focuses on a period of history about which I particularly enjoy reading.  These three men were indeed political titans and skilled orators. Brands does an excellent job of relating key events in their lives, including multiple failed attempts to achieve the Presidency. The debate over nationalism versus states’ rights, plus regional differences (East vs. West and North vs. South) of this era (roughly 1810 to 1850, from the war of 1812 to the Missouri Compromise) are highlighted as well.   

A best-selling author, Brands holds the Jack S. Blanton Sr. Chair in History at the University of Texas at Austin; two of his books, The First American (about Benjamin Franklin) and Traitor to His Class (about FDR), were finalists for the Pulitzer Prize. Teachers and students of American history will find HEIRS OF THE FOUNDERS to be very readable – almost like a novel. It contains pictures of the three men at various ages and of their homes and offers extensive notes and a comprehensive index.  HEIRS OF THE FOUNDERS received a starred review from Library Journal.   

 

IMPEACHMENT: AN AMERICAN HISTORY is the combined work of four authors: Jeffrey A. Engel (who writes about the Constitution and discusses Donald Trump in an Introduction and Conclusion); Jon Meacham (on Andrew Johnson); Timothy Naftali (on Richard Nixon); and Peter Baker (on Bill Clinton).  Clearly, these writers are knowledgeable scholars and have created a powerful text, filled with relevant quotes like this one from Gerald Ford (1970): “What is an impeachable offense? An impeachable offense is whatever a majority of the House of Representatives considers it to be at a given moment in history.” They contrast the circumstances and motivations of the three times when impeachment has been used, arguing that there were strong political motivations in the cases of Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton, but more bipartisan support for the clearer case of “high crimes and misdemeanors” involving Richard Nixon’s actions. IMPEACHMENT: AN AMERICAN HISTORY received a starred review from Kirkus ("impeccably researched and well-presented").

On a related note, see also Meacham’s recent reflection in The New York Times on George H. W. Bush. 

Dear Mrs. Bird by AJ Pearce

DEAR MRS. BIRD by AJ Pearce is a new favorite for me, for LibraryReads reviewers and for Amazon which named it an Amazon Best book for July 2018.  This work of historical fiction – set in 1940’s London – is thoroughly charming and certainly heartwarming.  Emmeline Lake is a young woman with hopes of becoming a War Correspondent, leading her to take an entry level job in publishing which surprisingly involves sorting through letters asking for help. The set-in-her-ways advice columnist, Mrs. Henrietta Bird, has strict rules about ignoring any Unpleasantness so numerous letters involving Affairs, the Change, and possible Pregnancies go unanswered in the Woman’s Friend publication. Young Emmy is moved by the letter writers and secretly begins to respond. Simultaneously, Emmy volunteers some evenings at the local fire station and Pearce thereby recounts the horrific impact of the Nazi bombing raids on London. There’s an element of chaste romance, too, for both Emmy and her best friend, Bunty, and their heroic beaus. Introspective and observant, Emmy is a spirited character, somehow both wise and naïve, who often needs to “be British and be brave.” The Guardian’s review calls DEAR MRS. BIRD “as hilarious as it is moving” and, like AJ Pearce, acknowledges the contributions made by women and girls during wartime. Definitely look for the debut novel if you enjoyed titles like Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand or The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society.  

The Storm by Arif Anwar

THE STORM by Arif Anwar is a fascinating book to read for all kinds of reasons. First, it offers an opportunity to explore different regions of the world and different points in time.  Anwar tells three interconnected stories: one is set in 1970’s India and what comes to be called Bangladesh; another occurs during the 1940’s in the Pacific Theater of WWII, initially near Rangoon in Burma; and the third is set in Washington DC in the early 2000’s.

In addition, the structure of Anwar’s novel mirrors the bands or concentric circles that form around the eye of a cyclone, (also called hurricane or typhoon depending on its location).  I appreciated the “gathering” section where characters were introduced, including a poor, young wife and mother named Honufa and her fisherman husband Jamir.  There lives are linked to and contrasted with another couple: Zahira and Rahim who are much wealthier and well-connected, but therefore a target at a time filled with unrest and religious strife. During the war years, Anwar shares perspective from Claire, a British army doctor married to a high ranking officer and from Ichiro, an injured Japanese pilot. In the most contemporary period, readers meet Shahryar and Val, former lovers and parents to Anna as he struggles to extend a student visa and remain in the United States close to his daughter. A range of emotions is involved and as with a real storm, there is a sense of foreboding and suspense which also kept me reading.

THE STORM made me question and think about moments in history such as the Indian partition, about religion and beliefs spanning Muslim, Hindu and Buddhist faiths, and about social customs and practices.  Throughout, I was definitely interested in all of the characters and the varied ways in which they exhibited love, honor and sacrifice. This is a great debut which will be popular with book groups – here is a link to the discussion guide from the publisher. Thank you to Atria Books for an advanced reader copy provided via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Arif Anwar’s THE STORM received starred reviews from Booklist and Library Journal.