After the War

 

Savage Continent: Europe in the Aftermath of World War II by Keith Lowe explains with attention and clarity how the displacement, violence, and casual disregard for human life, continued well after the end of the war in Europe.  And not only the deportation of ethnic Germans in Czechoslovakia and East Prussia, which are somewhat known.  Lowe goes into great detail about the Greek civil war, where the British and the Americans supported a right wing government to defeat the communists.  The book sheds much needed like on a piece of neglected history.

The Definitive Warhol

 

Warhol a Biography by Blake Gopnik, at 965 pages, appears very nearly comprehensive.  The author explores every aspect of the artist’s life, with sympathy and an eye toward giving us an understanding of this complex man.  Whatever your impression of Warhol before reading this book, afterward it will no doubt change, and for the better.  Warhol was often seen as less than serious when he was alive (and to be fair, that was part of the mission of his art).  Gopnik will disabuse you of this notion.  Warhol deserves his place in the pantheon of twentieth century artists, both at the level of the execution of his art, and its abiding impact.

In Pharoah's Army: Memories of the Lost War

 

In Pharaoh's Army: Memories of the Lost War by Tobias Wolff is certainly a worthy collection of non-fiction stories about the Vietnam War.  Wolff captures the stupidity and waste of war – especially in the context of Vietnam, which as wars go, was worse than most.  That said, some of the episodes he tells here feel “puffed up” to be humorous. These moments soil an otherwise powerful collection. 

Has Archaeology Buried the Bible?

 

Has Archaeology Buried the Bible? is an excellent overview of biblical archeology, the historicity of the bible (or the lack), and what we can and cannot know about this subject, by William G. Dever.  This is the same book as his other works on the topic, for a general audience.  But if this is your first time on this topic, or if you have been away from it so sometime, this is a great book.

War Is a Force that Gives Us Meaning

 

In War Is a Force that Gives Us Meaning, author Chris Hedges explores the utter havoc war causes, but also the appeal of war (for young men seeking) to prove themselves.  We often forget that the urge to fight a war is an attempt to find meaning.  The simple necessity of staying alive and killing people is loaded with meaning.  Despite the title, Hedges shows how the long-term effect of war leads to nothing but damage and loss in a micro and macro sense.  War is based on lies and confusion.  The only way to get human beings to voluntarily kill each other is through deception. Everyone involved in war eventually reaches this sobering conclusion.

A Talmud for Today

 

How the Talmud Can Change Your Life: Surprisingly Modern Advice from a Very Old Book by Liel Leibovitz lives up to its title.  The author contextualizes the Talmud in novel ways.  The author starts each chapter with some modern story that seems not connected to Talmud.  But it does,, every time, in many successful ways.   If you want a book that makes Talmud relevant, here it is.

Transcends Genre

 

Despite its salacious title, While the City Slept: A Love Lost to Violence and a Young Man's Descent into Madness, is not salacious.  Unlike most true crime, especially featuring a sexual crime against women, this book makes great efforts to humanize everyone – including the perpetrator.  This book is about a terrible crime, but also about a system that is unable to treat the mentally ill.  This book transcends its genre to become an important statement about the price we all pay for a broken healthcare system.