That’s what a friend said after he learned of the recent death of a great writer for the second time in as many days. You’ve probably heard by now that both Howard Zinn and J.D. Salinger passed away this week. Their deaths should not come as a surprise – at 87 and 91 respectively, Zinn and Salinger both lived long lives — but should let us remember their achievements, and the ways they impacted our lives.
Known best for his A People’s History of the United States, Dr. Zinn had a long and accomplished career that included teaching at historically-black Spelman College, universities in Europe, and finally at Boston University. Zinn was called a truth-teller and lover of humanity. He challenged history as often presented in mainstream texts, and believed the experiences of common folks to be at least as important as those of princes and presidents. He was raised in Brooklyn, NY, and before going to college on the GI Bill had worked as a pipefitter and then Air Force bombardier in World War II, which shaped his beliefs about war.
“Bunch of Phonies Mourn J.D. Salinger” is the headline chosen by the satirical The Onion, for its humorous meta-commentary on Salinger and A Catcher in the Rye in particular. If you haven’t read this classic dealing with teenage angst, you’ve missed a great American story (but Preston Library’s copy is checked out – try some of Salinger’s short stories instead ). I learned of Salinger’s death when I saw the New York Times’ obituary. The image shown with his headshot is the same book cover as the copy that I read over and over, yet haven’t seen since my early 20s. The small volume, held together by then with a purple rubber band, hardly left my backpack as I alternately tip-toed and ran from childhood to adulthood.
Do you remember reading Catcher, or did Zinn change your perspective?
These are just two of the many books available in the Recreational Reading section, in the Periodicals Room. Stop by and browse the shelves for something fun to read before leaving Post for the Thanksgiving holiday.
Mr. Charles Horner gave an engaging, thought-provoking talk, laced with humor, on China on Thursday, October 29 at 3:00 p.m. in the Turman Room in Preston Library. His presentation was entitled “Rising China and Its Postmodern Fate,” based on his new book, Rising China and its Postmodern Fate: Memories of Empire in a New Global Context. Mr. Horner provided insights into China’s history and referenced a number of associations with China from the local area (e.g. Mary Price Coulling whose father, Francis Wilson Price, was a missionary to China and sinologist). A sizable number of faculty, cadets, and members of the community enjoyed the talk which was followed by engaging questions and discussions.
Mr. Horner is Senior Fellow at Hudson Institute in Washington, DC. He is a China scholar who pays special attention to how China’s evolving views of its 
modern historical experience and its intellectual and cultural traditions influence contemporary developments.
From 1980 to 1982, Mr. Horner was Adjunct Professor in Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service and an associate of its Landegger Program in International Business Diplomacy. During the 1970s, Horner served on the staff of the late Senator Henry M. Jackson and then as Senior Legislative Assistant for Foreign Affairs and National Security policy to the late Senator Daniel P. Moynihan.
A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, he did graduate work in Chinese history at the University of Chicago and, overseas, from 1967 to 1970, at National Taiwan University and Tokyo University.
Celebrate YOUR Freedom to read and right to choose your book during Banned Books Week, September 3 to October 3.
Most of the books featured during Banned Books Week were not banned due to the efforts of librarians who fought to keep them in their collections. Just imagine how many more books might be challenged—and possibly banned or restricted—if librarians, teachers, and booksellers did not use Banned Books Week each year to teach the importance of our First Amendment rights.
If you are curious about the books that made the “Frequently Challenged Books” list, check out the American Library Association’s web site:
http://www.ala.org/ala/issuesadvocacy/banned/frequentlychallenged/index.cfm
And check out the display of banned books located in Preston Library’s lobby.
Although a self-propelled crane boat made the first passage of the 50-mile waterway on January 7th, and the ocean steamer, SS Ancon, made the trip on August 3rd, today marks the 95th anniversary of the opening of the Panama Canal.
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How Wall Street Created a Nation by Ovidio Diaz Espino.
A native of Panama, Espino, describes the origins of the Panama Canal, detailing the decades of speculation, fraud, and conspiracy that continue to influence international relations in the region. The roles of Theodore Roosevelt, the French Panama Canal Company, and Wall Street are highlighted, with clear attention to their immediate motives–profit and power. |
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The Path Between the Seas by David G. McCullough
The Path Between the Seas tells the story of the men and women involved in the struggle to construct an aquatic passageway between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. It is a story of astonishing engineering feats, tremendous medical accomplishments, political power plays, heroic successes, and tragic failures. |
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The Sydney B. Williamson Papers.
Sydney Bacon Williamson, Class of 1884, served as Division Engineer for the Pacific Division of the Panama Canal from 1907 to 1914. The bulk of the collection documents Williamson’s engineering assignments in Panama, South America, and the United States, and his service on the Interoceanic Canal Board. On top of biographical information, project details and correspondences there’s also some fantastic photos. |
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Cadiz to Cathay by Miles P. DuVal
A detailed history of the diplomatic issues relating to the construction of the Panama Canal including the proposal and eventual rejection of locating the canal in Nicaragua. |
Information about the opening of the Panama Canal is from the 2009 edition of Chase’s Calendar of Events.
It’s the 65th Anniversary of the Allied Landing in Normandy. Preston Library has an extensive collection of resources related to D-Day, here are our favorites.
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From the Praeger Illustrated Military History Series comes four excellent volumes: Gold & Juno Beach, Omaha Beach, Sword Beach & The British Airborne Landings, and Utah Beach & The U.S. Airborne Landings. These slim volumes are packed with details, chronologies, maps and biographical sketches. |
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In one day the town of Bedford, Virginia lost 21 young men. Unlike other military history books Alex Kershaw’s The Bedford Boys follows the soldiers as well as their families and the hometown they left behind. |
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Not a detailed history of the Normandy Invasion, but rather a series of essays that explore topics as varied as the functioning of Allied High Command, German defensive measures and the contributions of air power. The D-Day Companion offers reader’s a big-picture view of the engagement. |
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A film so epic it needed three directors, The Longest Day, depicts both the Allied and German preparations, mistakes, and random events that shaped the outcome of one of the biggest battles in history. The star studded international cast features: John Wayne, Richard Burton, Henry Fonda, Robert Mitchum. Keep your eyes peeled for a pre-James Bond Sean Connery in the role of Pvt. Flanagan, he gets the best one-liners.
Based on the meticulously researched book of the same name by former war correspondent Cornelius Ryan, also available at Preston Library. |
Every year Preston Library celebrates our graduating Cadet Assistants by dedicating a book in their honor. The graduating Cadet Assistants chooses any book in the collection and we put the dedication inside the front cover and display them in the library lobby.
Check out what our cadets selected this year…
Have you ever had to read the same book over and over again?
I must have been assigned Hamlet at least 3 times before I graduated from college…not that it isn’t worth revisiting the classics. I just prefer new spins and variations on a theme.
Take for example Beowulf. I love it, really, I’m probably the only one who never complained about having to read it AGAIN. But isn’t it always a little more interesting to hear the story from another perspective? And a lot of times villains are much more interesting characters than heroes. John Gardner’s Grendel is not the dark, scary, one-note monster you remember. This Grendel (although still a monster) is a fully developed character with thoughts and reasons to fuel his actions. If you didn’t have to read it for school you should check it out.
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King Lear is one of Shakespeare’s greatest tragedies–it’s a good play and also ranks high on the tragedy-meter. There’s not much funny about a King dividing his kingdom based on which daughter loves him most and the ensuing calamity of the decision.
Or is there?
Enter Christopher Moore. Moore’s latest novel, Fool, retells King Lear using the same warped sense of humor you might remember from such novels as You Suck: A Love Story. In this version King Lear’s jester, Pocket, takes over the duty of narrator. Tragedy has never been this funny.
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| And of course the list goes on once you take into account new settings for old stories. |
| Jane Smiley’s Pultizer Prize winning A Thousand Acres is King Lear set on an Iowa Farm. |
| The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski is Hamlet set in Wisconsin, with a dog. |
And my personal favorite:
West Side Story is really Romeo & Juliet, only with better dance numbers. |
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Dr. Lewis Sorley provided the Friends of Preston Library with an engaging Spring Program Thursday, March 26, at 3:00 p.m. in the Turman Room of Preston Library. Dr. Sorley spoke on “Adventures in Research” and revealed several fascinating tales of discovery learned in the course of his research. We learned how his scholarly “detective work” tracked down a member of Gen. Creighton Abrams’ World War II tank crew, how rescuing the records of Lt. Col. Harold Cohen from a fire resulted in his receiving the Distinguished Service Cross–fifty years after the war in which he earned it, how he discovered the secret location of Abrams’ command staff tapes, and other tales of research adventures. A lively and informative question and answer session followed and all had a good time.
Dr. Sorley is the Secretary of the Board of Directors of the Army Historical Foundation. In 2007, he received the General Andrew J. Goodpaster Prize for military scholarship. This spring he serves as VMI’s Gottwald Visiting Professor of Leadership and Ethics. A third-generation graduate of the United States Military Academy, Dr. Sorley earned his doctorate from Johns Hopkins University. In his academic career he has served on the faculties of West Point and the Army War College. His U.S. Army assignments include tank and armored cavalry unit commands in Germany and Vietnam and staff service for the Secretary of Defense and Army Chief of Staff.
Dr. Sorley’s latest book is Honor Bright: History and Origins of the West Point Honor Code and System.
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Crisp reads a passage from Goodbye Vienna
The Friends of Preston Library’s Spring Program featured William Crisp, ‘63, Friday, 25 April in the Turman Room of Preston Library. Will read from several of his novels as well as from novels of other writers of spy thrillers such as Len Deighton. He discussed how he writes and how various writers influenced him. These included Deighton, LeCarre, and Hemingway. Will gave an interesting and engaging talk and answered numerous questions from his audience.
Will has written several suspense novels: Spy Trap (1982), The Compleat Agent (1984), and Vengeance is Thine (1986). His latest novel is Goodbye Vienna, published in 2006 by PublishAmerica.
After serving as a rifle platoon leader in Vietnam, Mr. Crisp served as a US Foreign Service officer in Yugoslavia and worked for twenty-five years as an East European business specialist with the Economist Intelligence Unit in Vienna, Austria. In 1996, he returned to VMI to teach in the International Studies program. He is currently working on a non-fiction work about Vietnam.
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