What I’m Reading (v.2)

In another thrilling edition of What I’m Reading, this week decided to hail the advent of the Kindle Fire… which is just eye-candy to folks who worship the Kindle, but won an unmeritorious shrug from true believers in the printed word such as myself.  Still, iPad enthusiasts need not be worried… the Fire seems to be more of a competitor for the Nook, not the book.  Maybe the e-readers will eat one another — and leave the Luddites such as myself alone!

Virginians at Home by Edmund S. Morgan — This is one in a series of books written for Colonial Williamsburg on the traditions and sense of pre-Revolutionary America.  The chapter on the long-treasured notion on Virginian hospitality was my favorite, as it was long the pride of Virginians and — sadly — seems to be on waning to the point of myth.

A Hornbook of Virginia History by Randolph W Church, State Library of Virginia — The mid 1960s was when many Virginia localities took a stronger interest into their respective county histories, and this early hornbook must have been an excellent overview to re-ignite Virginia’s interest into their local histories.  One catch — this hornbook was written in the mid-1960s… and so, perhaps expectedly, preoccupies itself with the condition of “the Negro” and how progressive Virginia was in educating them and raising them above their station (without mention of segregation, of course).  Like many things, this book has it’s own story to tell…

How George Washington Fleeced The Nation by Phil Mason – George Washington… beloved first president, and a guy who knew how to take advantage of public office.  If you’re the type of person who loves the sort of gossip that tears down heroes, or if you just want to know the peccadilloes of a list of British Prime Ministers (this book was clearly written for both American and British audiences), then this is a neat little one volume, though snide and gossipy in parts.

The Mosque Exposed by S. Solomon and E. Alamaqdisi — This is a highly abbreviated snapshot of the role of the mosque in the West vs. some of the more inflammatory remarks by certain Islamic leaders against non-Muslims.  A quick read, though not a terribly insightful one.

The Hedgehog and the Fox by Isaiah Berlin — Better to be a fox than a hedgehog, but better to be a fox who believes in being a hedgehog.

Islamic Imperialism by Efraim Karsh — This is probably the best single-volume on the Islamic threat that can be recommended, going back though the history of the Arabs and the Ottoman Empire, and bringing the reader up to the present day.  The entire thrust of the book circles back to one significant point: the Islamists are not joking when they desire the destruction of the West.  Great read, and just the sort of depth that should be required when making claims of this sort.

From Boom to Bust by Jerry Tuma — America is about to go through a demographic winter.  In short, there are too few people paying into our entitlement system and too many people drawing the checks.  The result?  An economic freeze that will take at least two generations to thaw out.  The book is very much a combination of economic and Christian insight, so it can be easy for a reader to dismiss it based on either complicated economics or scriptural quotations.  The intersect between the “dismal science” and evangelical Christianity should prove to be eye-opening for many who would otherwise not receive either message.

Politics, Law, and Morality by V. S. Soloviev — With the fall of the Soviet Union, there has been a small renaissance of Russian authors, one of the more prominent being Vladimir Soloviev.  This book is a collection of essays, the one that most touched me being the final in the series, “A Brief Tale About the Antichrist” that has received some notice in the pages of First Things of all places.  This book was a bit expensive, so I would recommend picking up one or two of Soloviev’s essays or short stories before diving in to something as deep as this.

To Change The World by James Davison Hunter — I have to admit this.  This book was far too Protestant in it’s outlook to really engage me directly.  ”Constantinianism” is a new one… and the argument that Christians are somehow supposed to pull back from the public square and cede the arena to those political religions (secularism) and others (Islam?) is specious at best.  It’s worthwhile to mention that our Founding Fathers were profoundly Christian men, and they left behind a republic — not a theocracy. Doubtless, the author would describe his post-Constantinian world as the very epitome of what the Founding Fathers intended, but let us not forget that this is precisely what a very publicly and unapologetically Christian Founding Fathers precisely did create — a secular government supported by Judeo-Christian morals.

What Every American Needs to Know About the Qur’an by William J. Federer – Not flattering towards Islam, but a very Westernized view of what Islam is, what the threat to Western values will be, and what questions Americans should be asking.

The Greater Journey by David McCullough — This will shock a few people, but I am not a fan of David McCullough’s writing… try as I might.  This book turned me into a fan, detailing the history of Americans in Paris and the lure of Parisian culture with the history of the city itself.  This is a fantastic way to write a book, eminently readable, and an interesting way to show how American republican virtue met the challenge of corrupting Parisian vice.

The Virginia Gardener’s Companion by Donna Williamson – I borrowed this book from a neighbor and loved it.  If you’re working on your victory garden (and you are — right??) then this is the book you’ll want to grab.  You’ll thank yourself in the spring if you take all those leaves and start a compost pile this fall…

Saving Monticello by Marc Leepson — The Levy family were the stewards of Monticello after Thomas Jefferson’s family sold the plantation home.  It was not always appreciated by Monticello’s neighbors or admirers.  After a very intense (and sometimes, anti-Semitic) anti-Levy campaign, the family finally parted with the property.  This chapter over the legacy of Thomas Jefferson deserved a good book, and Leepson does not disappoint with a very balanced, fair, and enlightening book on the pitfalls, tragedies, and hopes of historic preservation.

Thomas Jefferson’s Parliamentary Writings collected by Charles T. Cullen — No, I have not read this book.  Yes, it does have a copy of Jefferson’s Manual on Parliamentary Practice, and yes, I bought this book for a steal in a downtown Charlottesville bookshop near the Corner.  I am much more the awesome for owning it.

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About the author

Shaun Kenney

Shaun Kenney is the Chairman of the Fluvanna County Board of Supervisors, former Communications Director for the Republican Party of Virginia, and an active blogger since 2002. Shaun lives in Thomas Jefferson's backyard with his wife, six children, and a modest attempt at a farm in Kents Store, Virginia.