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Reading material    [ Rants ]

Good books that I've read over the past 6 months or so:

• 1421: The Year China Discovered America, by Gavin Menzies [site] [book]
  Fascinating book detailing the evidence for voyages of a vast Chinese naval armada across the globe starting in 1421, who may have discovered North America, South America, Australia and Antarctica plus methods for reckoning longitude decades and centuries before Europeans.   Historical non-fiction, it's a fascinating read for anyone interested in history.
• Like Hidden Fire: The Plot to Bring Down the British Empire, by Peter Hopkirk [book]
  
  Another great book from Peter Hopkirk on Central Asian/Middle Eastern history, this one covers the plots and people involved in German efforts to drive the British and Russians out of Central Asia during World War I.   Historical non-fiction, highly recommended.   Not quite as engrossing as Hopkirk's The Great Game: The Struggle for Empire in Central Asia, but well worth reading.
• Quicksilver, by Neal Stephenson [site] [book]
  
  The Confusion, by Neal Stephenson [site] [book]
  
  Stephenson's first two books in the Baroque Cycle.   Follows the beginning of the Enlightenment in Europe through unforgettable characters both real and fictional including Newton, Leibnitz, Louis XIV of France (The Sun King) and William of Orange.   Historical fiction; absolutely brilliant, if you're a fan of science fiction or historical fiction or simply good writing, you should pick this up.   Stephenson stands in the company of Thomas Pynchon, Kurt Vonnegut and Mark Twain with his writing, and if you enjoy any of their works, I'd recommend these books.
• The Conquerors: Roosevelt, Truman and the Destruction of Hitler's Germany, 1941-1945, by Michael Beschloss [book]
  
  Beschloss covers the inner plans and political maneuvers inside the White House and between the Big Three (US, Britain and the Soviet Union) during World War II regarding the fate of Germany.   Fascinating insights into FDR's and Truman's approaches to governance and politics, as well as the back-and-forth debates, conferences and arguments inside the US government and between the Allies over what should be done to Germany after Hitler's armies were defeated.   Historical non-fiction, a good read if you're interested in WWII or US Presidential history.