Compelling Interest

Books I've Read

I have recently "discovered" Thomas Paine.

Common Sense, Rights of Man, American Crisis I and XIII, Agrarian Justice, various letters. I am in the middle of The Age of Reason.

Thomas Paine and the Promise of America, Harvey J. Kaye.

After I finish Age of Reason, I am going to read Citizen Tom Paine, by Howard Fast.

I happened to be reading a book called Civil Disobedience in America, edited by David Weber, in tandem with the Harvey Kaye book on Paine. It turns out the two books are surprisingly complimentary. If you should read one, read the other.

More later.

Revolutionary War stuff

Since the subject of Tom Paine has come up, let’s review other books I’ve read that deal with our founding era, shall we?

My interest in this particular era began about ten years ago when I happened to read a book called The Story of Our Constitution. I had picked it up in a used book shop – it’s one of those books that is written at an 8th grade level. I enjoy these types of books because you are able to learn a lot about a particular subject without going into every nitty-gritty detail. The Landmark series of books is a great example of what I am talking about.

Anyway, I literally found the story of our Constitution so astonishing that it made me want to learn more about the people who influenced that period of our history. And I realized for the first time why they bothered to tell us this stuff in school – it’s an amazing story!

So, since reading that book, I have read biographies of Paul Revere, Ben Franklin, Alexander Hamilton, Gilbert Lafayette (as in, the Marquis de), Dolly Madison, and Thomas Jefferson, as well as Ben Franklin’s autobiography. I have also read Founding Brothers, which looks at Hamilton, Jefferson, Franklin, George Washington, John Adams, and James Madison.

After reading the bio on Hamilton, I read The Federalist – a series of essays written by Hamilton, Madison, and John Jay – which argues for the ratification of the newly proposed Constitution.

There is also a cool children’s book I read called The Bells of Freedom, about a boy growing up in Boston at the beginning of the Revolution.

It has also been good to actually read the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and the Declaration of Independence from time to time.

Did you know...?

Did you know that The Yearling (Rawlings), The Caine Mutiny (Wouk), and The War Lover (Hersey) have something in common? I mean, besides the fact that I have read all three?

Yes, that's right, they are all "coming-of-age" stories, and very good ones. One might think that The Caine Mutiny can't seriously be put into this category because one knows that Captain Queeg does anything but grow (except more and more psychotic). However, though the movie version of the story focuses on Queeg, the story in the book is about Willie Keith, not the Captain.

It is said that a writer should write from his or her own experience. This is what blows me away about the last scene in The Yearling. Rawlings (first name, Marjorie) writes this beautiful scene between father and son which never fails to move and fascinate me - moving because of the situation and the way it is told, and fascinating because she absolutely nails her subject: the journey from boyhood to manhood. Profoundly perceptive woman.

Speaking of profoundly perceptive women, how about Harriet Beecher Stowe? If you haven't, you must read Uncle Tom's Cabin. It is a shame that the true character of Uncle Tom has been maligned by ignorant stagings of the story. He was portrayed (or at least perceived) in the theatre as a dumb, spineless, ass-kisser of the White Man. But in Stowe's book, you find a man of deep faith, love, character, and conviction. Any man, black or white, ought to be proud to be associated with Uncle Tom - the one from the book!

I Like the Oldies but Goodies

I've been thinking that I would tackle this whole book thing in some organized fashion - alphabetical by author, or base each post on subject matter, etc. The problem is I'd rather just talk about books as they pop into my head so I don't have to be organized (since organization takes time and thought). So, this internal struggle has led me to talk about nothing in a couple of months. Paralysis.

I'm going to bag the organization and just start talking.

Let's see...Captain Horatio Hornblower comes to mind. Have I mentioned that one? If you thought Master and Commander was exciting (I saw the movie and liked it a lot), wait until you read this book. I didn't know what to expect, but I figured it would be somewhat interesting to a Navy guy such as myself. I - COULD - NOT - PUT - THIS - BOOK - DOWN. Loved it. The book, along with Master and Commander, also gives some good illustration about the role of the Marines within the Navy.

Okay, what else comes to mind? I should probably relate my love for Mark Twain, John Steinbeck, and Charles Dickens. Within my library I have mini collections of their works. Actually, the first writer whose works I began to collect is Edgar Allen Poe. I was still in elementary school when I began reading his stuff (and I wasn't on opium, either). It's been years since I have read him. I'll have to revisit and see what I think of him now. I need to grow my Dickens collection. Right now I only have Christmas Stories, The Old Curiosity Shop, and Nicholas Nickleby.

Most of my books are old, hardbound editions, and I love finding books I want to buy that have inscriptions on the inside cover. My edition of Nicholas Nickleby is inscribed: Albert - Xmas 1898. Isn't that cool? Sometimes I like to ponder who these people were and wonder what their life was like and what they thought or said or felt when receiving their book - the very book I now hold in my hands. Not a book like the one they once received as a gift - no, the very book! And to think that someday a little knick-knack of mine may be sitting on someone's shelf, and they'll be wondering who owned it a hundred years ago. Ah, the inexorable wheels of time!

Military

I feel compelled to do a themed posting here: military books.

I just found out a few days ago that one of the cast members of a show I am conducting is a published author! His name is Bud Jones, a former Marine chopper pilot who served in Vietnam. His book is called Snake, Rolling In Hot. You can get it at Amazon.com. I just got it in the mail a couple days ago and am about to start chapter 4. I am enjoying it a lot.

Concurrently, I am reading Ship of Ghosts, about the fate of the USS Houston during the early days of WWII. Not a happy story, but important that it not be forgotten.

A couple of cool finds from the used book stores:
1. Famous American Generals, from 1946.
2. The Armed Forces Officer, from 1950. Published by the Department of Defense, it was DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY PAMPHLET No. 600-2. "This manual on leadership has been prepared for use by the Department of Army, the Department of Navy, and the Department of Air Force, and is published for the information and guidance of all concerned." It's a hardbound book with 250-odd pages. It was very well written and should be required reading for teenagers - it is an excellent text on responsibility and covers many interesting aspects of the subject. It's really a great read.

Next in line to read are two more I picked up in used book stores: Famous American Marines and Pacific Battle Line.

Hoo-ya!

A Day That Will Live In Infamy

Well, another December 7th has come and gone. My pespective on the day has completely changed since reading the following books:

1. The Roosevelt Myth, by John T. Flynn. A change of perspective on Pearl Harbor begins with a change of perspective on FDR.

2. Day of Deceit - The Truth About FDR and Pearl Harbor, by Robert B. Stinnett. The truth is in black and white, written by our own naval department.

3. Admiral Kimmel's Story, by Husband E. Kimmel. This is the man who was in charge at Pearl Harbor the day it was attacked - the man who took the fall (along with General Walter C. Short, US Army). Admiral Kimmel deserves to have a carrier named after him for having had to endure such injustice to his name and reputation. I hope I live to see that day.

So, you read these books and tell me whether or not your perspective changes. December 7th comes along and I feel saddened at the toll Americans took that day. And then I feel anger toward FDR for using those Americans as pawns for his political maneuvering. Before you send an angry comment, read the books.

The Toscanini Syndrome

In "Never Bow to the Demigods," a post under "Musical Musings," I mentioned the possibility of classical musicians losing their "love of the game" from playing under conceited, self-centered conductors. In relation to this, I bring to your attention the following book which I have read a couple of times over the years:

The Maestro Myth: Great Conductors In Pursuit of Power, by Norman Lebrecht. This is a MUST READ, especially for all you conductors out there.

It is extremely unfortunate that Arturo Toscanini and men like him decided that their position on the podium gave them license to abuse their musicians in the most brutal fashion. In Toscanini's day, if you looked at the conductor the wrong way, he could fire you on the spot. Short of firing you, he could give you an unbelievable tongue lashing, throw something at you, hit you, etc.

"Power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely." Yes, there was a day when the conductor had absolute power. This is one reason orchestral musicians unionized, to stop the abominable practices of the tyrants they played under.

Looking back, it is pathetic to read accounts of Toscanini's child-like tantrums (on and off the podium). In those days, and to a lesser extent even today, these tantrums were tolerated under the "artistic temperament" doctrine which allowed "geniuses" and "artists" to treat people any way they chose, for good or ill. A man could protect his cherished art as if he were protecting his home from an intruder, sometimes with the same brutality.

I used to believe that conductors had a right to treat musicians this way, because they were the Boss, after all. This all changed when I became a conductor through Northwestern's master's program. And even though I was trained under a conductor who suffered from "the Toscanini Syndrome," I refused to adopt his harsh ways. The people under my baton are human beings first, musicians second. And being human, I understand that my musicians are fallible, and I understand that they are doing their best not to screw up. They are also adults, and don't need someone berating them for their mistakes.

All it takes to get what you want from your musicians is to understand the fact that you, as the conductor, are there to help them do what they want to do anyway - play their best. You help them by giving clear direction with your conducting gestures, by giving clear verbal instruction when necessary, by showing respect and patience, and by making them feel like they want to be there. It really doesn't take a whip and a chair, as if you are in the lion cage.

Fellow conductors, a toast: To Toscanini. He's dead, and so should be his immature, unprofessional practices.

Cheers!

World War II

I was recently tuning a piano in a new customer's home, and I couldn't help but peruse the bookshelves that were immediately above the piano as I did my work. Various interests of the household became apparent as my eyes searched the shelves - painting, photography, philosophy, war, the sea, among others.

As I was finishing up and putting away my tools, I commented to the elderly lady of the house on her fine book collection. To my amazement, she said I could help myself to whatever I wanted as she and her daughter were going to try to give them to a local library the next day. Apparently, the woman had become a widow within the last year or so, and these were her late husband's books. Another group of books nearby had to do primarily with the Navy and general maritime interests.

I fought very hard the urge to ask for a large box and to simply take the whole collection. I was proud of my self-restraint. I ended up taking five books. Two of them introduced me for the first time to Ernie Pyle, a popular columnist and World War II correspondent. The first book I read was a collection of his material entitled Here Is Your War. The other was entitled The Story of Ernie Pyle, by Lee Miller. I have recently read both books, and just prior to them had finished Ship of Ghosts, referenced before. A couple of days ago I finished Pacific Battle Line, by another WWII correspondent named Foster Hailey. Somewhere in there I also read Remember Pearl Harbor!, by Blake Clark.

I am now watching the WWII documentary Victory at Sea, which originally aired on television as a series in 1952 and '53. The presentation can be a little melodramatic even for my taste, but there are some awfully powerful and tragic images caught on film by all sides of the conflict.

Rather than go through each of these and critique them, I thought I would share the impact they have had on me taken as a whole. Basically, any romantic notion of war I have carried with me throughout my 43 years has been burned away, like the smoking ruins strewn across the deck of a bombed and torpedoed aircraft carrier. And no matter how biased an author may be (because, after all, he's cheering for his side), the tragic human toll trumps all feelings of national pride - at least in me. What is a nation but a group of people trying to dwell together in relative peace and safety? And when nations clash, who does the fighting? People. Just people who otherwise would be home with their families, living life.

My mom once said that she views the world as one giant kindergarten, a big group of kids who are trying to learn how to get along. That's probably the best summation I've heard. If only we could learn with a sense of humor, with a sense of what is just and fair, with a sense of decency, and with a sense of compassion for our fellow human being. If only world leaders could see that we're all in the same boat, on this one earth - so why spoil the fun with bombs and guns and poisoned gas? Don't they see that someone is liable to get hurt? The problem is the fact that every world leader is also a member of the kindergarten. It's hard to step outside and look in objectively. It's hard, but not impossible. It's probably easier, though, than having to scrape your friend off of the flight deck. It's probably easier than watching a burned, naked child running down the street in abject terror.

The only wars we should be fighting are those against poverty, disease, ignorance, injustice, corruption, and organized crime. In short, against anything that oppresses the human race as a whole. That's hard, too, but not impossible. And anything is better than the alternatives to ignoring such things.

It's probably safe to say that some of my feelings are being fueled by the fact that my brother will be spending the next year in the Middle East conflict. I just want him to be home with his wife and kids.