Behind the News

Behind the News — July 7, 2009 04:41 PM

Beach Reading Redux

CJR’s summer reading list for journalists

By The Editors

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I'm so happy Herodotus and Xenophon made the cut, even though it seems like they might not be relevant to journalists.

Herodotus was basically the World's First Blogger, passing along "stuff I heard, but I cannot verify, but I still thought you might like to hear," and Xenophon tells the firsthand story of The Original Iraq Quagmire.

Pres. Truman once said "Men do not change. The only thing new in this world is the history you don't know."

#1 Posted by Hardrada, CJR on Tue 7 Jul 2009 at 08:43 PM

By this rreading list, no one can ever accuse CJR of Liberal Bias!

My G-d, look how many books talk clearly and kindly of the two party system!/sarc off.

Remind me again of how many newspapers are in the black financially again? And how does this list help?

#2 Posted by JSF, CJR on Wed 8 Jul 2009 at 12:27 PM

Kind of like the quieting feeling of solitude I get each time I enter a library -- no matter how many people are there.

#3 Posted by Benedict@Large, CJR on Thu 9 Jul 2009 at 02:53 AM

The correct title of the Greider book is "Who Will Tell The People."

#4 Posted by DexterW, CJR on Thu 9 Jul 2009 at 04:46 PM

Another illuminating book that should be on this list: Woodward and Bernstein: Life in the Shadow of Watergate, by Alicia Shephard.

#5 Posted by mike hoyt, CJR on Fri 10 Jul 2009 at 11:47 AM

I'm a little disappointed to see nothing by A.J. Liebling. "The Earl of Louisiana" -- a picaresque tale of Earl Long, Huey's younger brother and governor of the Gret Stet of Louisiana in the '50s, is still one of my favorite books. Liebling's "The Road Back to Paris," in the Modern Library edition, is also superb. And since we're on the topic, what about the New Yorker's brilliant Joseph Mitchell? Start with "Joe Gould's Secret" and don't miss "The Bottom of the Harbor" or "McSorley's Wonderful Saloon."

#6 Posted by Jack Cheevers, CJR on Fri 10 Jul 2009 at 01:58 PM

I'm a little disappointed to see nothing by A.J. Liebling. "The Earl of Louisiana" -- a picaresque tale of Earl Long, Huey's younger brother and governor of the Gret Stet of Louisiana in the '50s, is still one of my favorite books. Liebling's "The Road Back to Paris," in the Modern Library edition, is also superb. And since we're on the topic, what about the New Yorker's brilliant Joseph Mitchell? Start with "Joe Gould's Secret" and don't miss "The Bottom of the Harbor" or "McSorley's Wonderful Saloon."

#7 Posted by Jack Cheevers, CJR on Fri 10 Jul 2009 at 01:59 PM

So glad to see Mitford on here. Halberstam was a given. However, I would add The Autobiography of Lincoln Steffens—follows the coming-of-age of a first class muckraker. And I know it's kind of taken for granted at this point, but it bears tacking on: Walter Lippman's Liberty and the News.

#8 Posted by Marianna, CJR on Fri 10 Jul 2009 at 05:27 PM

*Lippmann, that is (I'm never using Google to spell check again)

#9 Posted by Marianna, CJR on Fri 10 Jul 2009 at 05:30 PM

Yeah, Hardrada, Herodotus was basically the world's first blogger. Congrats, you have mastered the art of equivocation. And the Anabasis is totally similar to our war in Iraq today -- it happened in the same place almost!

#10 Posted by Shane, CJR on Sun 12 Jul 2009 at 04:32 PM

For Herodotus, Xenophon and Thucydides, I strongly recommend the Landmark Editions, edited by Robert Strassler and teeming with notes, maps essays, timelines. Ideal for the modern reader. I read Herodotus and Thucydides with the Reading Odyssey, a non-profit whose mission is getting average adults to dig into the classics.

#11 Posted by Cathy Cranston, CJR on Mon 13 Jul 2009 at 09:03 AM

My bad. The author of the Watergate book above is Alicia Shepard, not Shephard.
Mike

#12 Posted by mike, CJR on Mon 13 Jul 2009 at 11:40 AM

As the the self-serving author of the book, I recommend Odyssey of a Derelict Gunslinger: A Saga of Exposing TV Preachers, Corrupt Politicians, Right-Wing Lunatics...and Me.

#13 Posted by john camp, CJR on Mon 13 Jul 2009 at 12:28 PM

Congratulations Shane, you've mastered the art of being a pompous windbag! Anabasis did in fact happen in the same place as our current war in Iraq, and I'm not the one who said there were any similarities with Bush's war and Xenophon's war. There aren't, and you're a jackass for suggesting I said as much.
All I said was that it happened in Iraq, so therefore it's interesting. Don't you think it's interesting to read about the ancient history of lands where our soldiers are fighting?

#14 Posted by Hardrada, CJR on Mon 13 Jul 2009 at 02:57 PM

Great list, and I second the nomination for Herodotus, especially the Bob Strassler-edited Landmark edition, which set a much higher bar for reader friendliness. A great way to dive into the classics with peers is through the Reading Odyssey, a new not-for-profit "virtual" book group that hosts moderated discussions on the phone of some of the greatest books ever written.

http://showsupport.typepad.com/odyssey/

#15 Posted by Bruce Upbin, CJR on Thu 16 Jul 2009 at 04:36 AM

I think Herodotus' Histories and The Best and the Brightest would make an interesting pairing - how much has really changfed in 2500 years?

#16 Posted by Frank Renzler, CJR on Thu 16 Jul 2009 at 08:39 AM

As the founder of the Reading Odyssey (that Bruce and Cathy mention above) I'm quite heartened by this list.

I also wanted to invite readers to several upcoming free events that we are hosting:

1. Xenophon conference at NYU Sept 30, 2009 in the evening
Free registration here:
http://xenophon.eventbrite.com

At the end of the summer - we are running a free conference Wednesday evening September 30 on Xenophon at the NYU Center for Ancient Studies with scholars like Cambrdige classicist, Paul Cartledge, Robert Strassler, who is coming out with the new "Landmark Xenophon" and has previously published "Landmark Herodotus" and "Landmark Thucydides."

If you'd like to join us for good conversation and cocktails, then register free here:

http://xenophon.eventbrite.com

2. Xenophon virtual reading group

And if you are interested in a virtual reading group on Xenophon that will start in January 2009, that is also free, then go here:

http://xenophon2009.eventbrite.com

3. Additional book?
Finally, I might add Columbia's very own Jonathan Weiner to your list - especially his book, "Beak of the Finch" which won the Pulizer Prize.

4. And Darwin lecture series?
Jonathan Weiner will also be participating in our free Darwin lecture series this fall - which you can also sign up for free online:

http://showsupport.typepad.com/odyssey/darwins-150th.html

Happy reading!

Phil

Phil Terry
CEO, Creative Good
Founder, Reading Odyssey
www.creativegood.com
www.readingodyssey.com

pterry at reading odyssey dot com

#17 Posted by Phil Terry, CJR on Thu 16 Jul 2009 at 09:41 AM

We all would do well to read some of the classics; to explore the foundation upon which our civilization rests. Give Aristotle's Nichomachean Ethics a shot and just see how timely it is 2,500 years on. Or try Homer or Thucydides.

If you want to give the classics a shot, check out the Reading Odyssey:
http://www.readingodyssey.com
And if you want to support others as they rekindle their intellectual curiosity, consider making a donation as well!

#18 Posted by John Halloran, CJR on Thu 16 Jul 2009 at 10:50 PM

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