Puttering in the Study

The First World War - John Keegan

  It took a long time to slog through this book, and two editions - a hardback when reading in the study and a softcover when at football practices or on trips, but I finally finished it.  It is a good overview of the conflict (at least to me, having not read any before) and although dense, gave me a good framework for understanding the personalities and the issues of the war.

Popes and the Papacy: A History

By a wide margin, this is my favorite course by The Learning Company so far.  In 24 lectures, Prof. Thomas F. X. Noble of the University of Notre Dame goes through the history of the papacy from its origins to the present.  He's by far the best presenter I have yet seen in these lectures, and I found myself repeatedly just enthralled by the stories he was telling about a particular period or individual.  (It may also have had something to do with watching a number of them in the study late at night fortified with a good glass of wine).
It's obvious that I learned a great deal, of course, but I also enjoyed it immensely.

World War II: A Military and Social History

 I finished this course a couple of weeks ago, starting it immediately after finishing the WW I course.  Overall a good course and an okay presentation.  I learned a great deal, but the most surprising had to do with Hitler's war aims.  I didn't know that Germany never fully mobilized for war, in large part due to Hitler's reluctance to impose that burden on his country after seeing its effects in World War I.  I also didn't realize that his true objectives were in the east against Russia, and that he did not want war with the western allies, and essentially backed himself into a global conflict.  The similarities between the 1918 German offensive and the December 1944 Ardennes offensive that resulted in the Battle of the Bulge were also new to me - in both cases Germany made a colossal strategic blunder squandering assets that could have been used to preserve (or achieve) a stalemate that could have permitted negotiations for a peace.  in both cases, irreplaceable assets were squandered for a tactical victory that was worthless, and opened Germany to a forced armistice in the firts war, and invasion and occupation in the second.
Childers also taught me about the difficulties that Hitler faced attempting to invade England by sea, making clear that while it was not at all clear at the time to either side, there was never any real risk of a successful invasion of England - a large scale amphibious landing was simply not possible early in the war. 
He also emphasized the effect of England's full mobilization, and I learned about how the tactical and strategic roles of the RAF were sharply different from the US air forces - something I hadn't considered before.  Britain's small land army, and its geographically protected position caused it to build air forces for a different purpose than the U.S. did.  It had better fighters sooner, and grasped earlier the role that strategic bombing might play in a general war.  I say "might" because as Childers discusses, it's not at all clear that strategic bombing was ever the war-winning tool that its advocates claimed.  It never broke the morale or destroyed the ability to make war of the nations it was used against (Britain, Germany, Japan).  While it arguably kept Germany from mobilizing more effectively than it did toward the latter part of the war, and it certainly resulted in widespread destruction in Japan, the only weapon during the war that actually destroyed a nation's ability to make war was submarine warfare against Japan, which strangled the Japanese conomy far more effectively than bombing ever did.
In the latter example, though, it is clear in retrospect (well, at least to me) than neither strategic bombing nor submarine warfare, nor even the two nuclear weapons used againt it is what actually caused Japan to sue for peace, because its military leaders continued to be steadfast in their plan to die defending Japan rather than surrender.  What caused the surrender was the Emperor's personal intervention in the matter in a cabinet meeting where he ordered his government to end the war to stop what his subjects were enduring.  had he not done so, the war would have continued.
Anyway, good set of lectures, which I enjoyed.

The Book of Lies - Brad Meltzer

 I enjoyed Meltzer's The Book of Fate, and have The First Counsel sitting on my shelf waiting, but saw this in the airport last week, and when I saw autographed copies in the Austin airport decided to pick it up.  It has a good, albeit a little muddled story about the creation of the Superman character, and ended with a really great riff on the relationship between father and son.  The author's website has more information on the story.  The book is a little on the short side, and I fdinished it in a little less than a day while waiting to return from a trip to Austin.
I have to admit, the cover sucked me in - the towering bookcases fronted with the gilded shelf labels that I'm still trying to find for my bookcases.

Grayson's first game

  Grayson had his first football game this past weekend, and had a great time.  He has a real NFL-looking Broncos jersey, and his coach was nice enough to add his name to the back (G. Smith, as we also have a M. Smith).  I managed to get all of the plays he was involved in on video, and a few pictures of him on the sidelines and during breaks.  Because of the small teams they're playing 7-man and iron man (going both ways) so during the 32 minute game he spent all but a handful of plays in the game.  He even brought his own cheering section, with Collin and Parker running up and down the sideline following me.

Sagra restaurant - Austin

Had a magnificent dinner last night at this new restaurant in Austin, Sagra enoteca & trattoria.  It's at 1610 San Antonio, just north of the Doubletree I often stay at next to the State Bar building.  The menu is online, but I had this amazing arugula salad with truffle oil and I'm not sure what else, followed by the daily special, which last night was ravioli with three or four chesses and spinach.  Just amazing.  Had my first "Super-Tuscan" wine as well, and really liked it.  Also had the tiramisu and a cappucino to wrap things up, and those were good as well - I couldn't figure out what the slightly bitter stuff at the bottom of the cup the dessert came in was until I realized it was espresso - making this the first tiramisu I've ever had where you actually noticed the espresso (and I don't mean that in a bad way - it set off the rich of the creamy topping).
I highly, highly recommend this place!  I can't wait to get another free night in Austin to go back.

I almost forgot - their cards have a little Italian translation on the back that's helpful for ordering in Italian.  I'm not sure how helpful the translation for "Do you have Shiner Beer" will be, though.  (Seriously, it's on there).

Grayson's first football practice

  Well, not exactly - they've been practicing for three weeks.  But last night was the first practice in full pads (and his super-cool new helmet!).  His practice jersey even says "Cowboys" (his team is actually the Broncos, and his jersey number will be 9 (for some reason that escapes me right now...)  He even made a tackle when they were fooling around returning kickoffs (and got laid out flat - but he was thrilled that so did the ball carrier).  His least favorite part is getting his ears torn half off when he puts the helmet on or takes it off.  his favorite part is that I can slam him into walls, chairs, couches or any other furniture at home when he's in full pads and he can't feel a thing.  he thinks that's so cool.

First game is Saturday - everyone keep your fingers crossed.