Favorite Book of 2017

I always have trouble with this topic because there are so many books or authors I love. So I try not to sound too much like the proverbial broken record and pick a surprise, or at least a semi-surprise.

The surprise is that my pick is not a mystery nor is it a medieval. The semi-surprise is that it may be historical but is relatively modern.

Occasionally, I get caught up in one of those “you know, I really should read that book” moment. At the moment, I am intrigued so I buy it, usually on e-readers these days. As other TBRs get bumped up, the book slides. OK, I confess it. Sometimes it slides for a very long time. This one did. It may have been the first I bought when I converted to e-reader: David Halberstam’s The Coldest Winter.

Now I’m glad I waited to read it. Even though I did realize it was a significant time in history, the Korean War did not resonate with me. I was a child in Canada at the time, although I must have heard my parents talking about it. At night, the sound of planes flying overhead terrified me. I assumed they were bombers.

The reason I chose to read Halberstam’s book now may be obvious. If we are going into Potentially Nuclear Police Action II, it helps to read about Potentially Nuclear Police Action I. I expected to read it with ulcer pills in hand. I did not expect to find it oddly comforting.

One of the good things about reading history is the discovery that people have always been ignorant, bigoted, self-absorbed, greedy, willfully blind, and moral cowards. The other good news is that, most of the time, most of the people manage to survive, exceptions like the Holocaust respectfully noted. The Korean War took place in a period we might recognize today, one in which we suffered all of the above mentioned faults while stuffed into a cocoon of fear, well-insulated by the Cult of Ignorance to which we are too often prone.

Halberstam makes his history personal. A journalist, he interviewed people from all aspects of the war. This isn’t a book about battle names, dates, and one-dimensional characters. The people in these battles bleed and die. The knowledgeable struggle and usually lose against the more powerful and willfully ignorant. There was even an unhealthy but very successful dose of fantasyland politics. 

So why did I find it comforting? Because we managed to survive without a nuclear war. Some of it was luck, a bit was due to a little political courage in Washington, and a few competent people finally managed to bottle up the fantasy world and deal with reality. If we managed to survive that era, perhaps we can survive now. That hope is why the book is a favorite of mine from 2017.

A bit of a PS! This will be my last post for LadyKillers. Even good things must come to an end, sadly enough. I want to thank Ann and Mysti for being administrators from heaven. Were it not for them, I never would have started on this blog thing. The hardest part is no longer being a part of such a wonderful group of writers, all with different points of view and special wisdom. 

So I take what I have learned from you all and will hopefully transfer it to my new blog on my website, www.priscillaroyal.com, which will have the first posting on February 15th. Should anyone wish to contact me, my email is tynprior@aol.com. 

For the new year and the future, I wish all peace and joy. As a nation, may we recover the concept of compassion, respect for the diversity that once made us the most creative and admired countries on earth, and the understanding that democracy is intended to improve the lives of all people, not a tiny minority.

Comments

[Michael A. Black]

Interesting perspective on the Korean War, Priscilla. It was exceptionally hard on those Americans who fought it. Although it only lasted about three years, we lost almost as many men as we did in over ten years in Vietnam. The verdict is still out as to how it was handled. I've heard different opinions on that, and as you pointed out, we're facing some dangers there today. Another good book written by James Brady is The Coldest War. Brady was a young marine during the conflict. It's been a pleasure and an honor to be part of the blog with you and the other fine writers. I'll miss you all.

[camille minichino]

Not much more to say, Priscilla: One of the good things about reading history is the discovery that people have always been ignorant, bigoted, self-absorbed, greedy, willfully blind, and moral cowards.

It's a good thing I read to the hopeful end :)

I will miss these bi-weekly visits with you, but will catch up on 2/15!

[Priscilla]

Thanks for the book reference, Michael. Brady may have been one of his contacts in writng this book. I will miss you too!

[Ann]

Love your post, Priscilla... cocoon of fear, indeed.
I had an uncle who fought in the front lines of Korea. I still recall some of his harrowing stories of that time.
These are fraught times, but then, there have been many such throughout history.
I'll have to look up The Coldest Winter and add it to the TBR stack.
Looking forward to your personal blog... And thank you for your many years on the LadyKillers!

[Priscilla]

It's a long book, Ann, but it never dragged. The sad kicker to this story is that he handed in the final proofs of the book, then got into the car in which he was killed in an accident shortly thereafter.

[Priscilla]

Well, not quite liteally. A few days later!

[Jean Rabe]

Such a good post. I've put the book on my list.

[Priscilla]

It is a goodie. Happy 2018, Jean!

[Carole Price]

Enjoyed your post, Priscilla. My brother, a marine, was in the Korean war. I look forward to your personal blog.

[Priscilla]

Thank you, Carole. The book really made the war come alive. Halberstam wrote extremely well.