Human Smoke : The Beginnings of World War II, the End of Civilization

from johnthefireman

A very interesting look at "The Beginnings of World War II", as the sub-title says. The style is unusual. It's a collection of snippets of information, quotes, anecdotes, etc, in chronological order. Most are just a paragraph or two; few are longer than one page. While it's not an anti-war book p...

from francomega

Picked this up at work. Baker sets out to correct some of the myths that led to WWII.A collection of primary and secondary source accounts from papers, diaries, etc. that illustrate the build up from WWI to WWII. Hitler, of course, was a madman, but Churchill and FDR don't exactly come off smelli...

from thronm

Baker has turned over his usual microscopic detail to others and let them speak about the era leading to the US declaratio of War. He chooses who will speak, and often comments, nonetheless the book indites all of us, living and dead, for believing war is in anyway a solution to conflict. We may ...

from nmele

Nicholson Baker is no stranger to controversy and his latest book is controversial. A collage of snippets from news stories, diaries and other sources, Baker assembles an unflattering portrait of the world from about 1935 through the end of 1941. Anti-Semitism, indifference, profiteering and deci...

from francomega

Picked this up at work. Baker sets out to correct some of the myths that led to WWII.A collection of primary and secondary source accounts from papers, diaries, etc. that illustrate the build up from WWI to WWII. Hitler, of course, was a madman, but Churchill and FDR don't exactly come off smelli...