MOST OF MY friends and family know that I enjoy reading. I can read a good book in the same room as a TV and just filter out the sound. I’ve read a lot of spy/secret agent, detective, lawyer stories over the last several years. In the last six months I’ve tried to raise the level of what I read. I’ve alternated something a bit higher than the traditional spy novel with German detective stories. I’m almost finished with six of eight books about a German private detective I’ve come to enjoy.
This turned out to be one of the most interesting books I have ever read. It was interesting. I learned more about the geopolitics of geography than I ever thought I would enjoy.
In between though, I’ve read some more intellectually stimulating non-fiction including a biography of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a book about geography, and Frederick Forsyth’s autobiography. I’ll give a few thoughts on each book and provide a link to Amazon so you can see what others have said, or even buy it if so inclined. I would get a few cents, though this doesn’t seen to happen too often!
Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a German theologian who became an active anti-nazi and was executed just a couple weeks before the end of World War II. He almost survived the regime he can to hate. The book includes information on Bonhoeffer’s life, the times in which he lived, and his impact on theology in the years after the war. It’s not a “religious” book, it’s about a struggle to stand up for one’s convictions.
Prisoners of Geography. Wow! What more can I say? Earlier this year I went to England to so some glider flying. The weather was not supportive, and I ended up making a day trip to Oxford (Where Inspector Lewis is filmed). I had a great time wandering around despite the dreary day and the expensive parking ticket! Right after I got out of the car I saw a bookstore. I like bookstores. I took a quick look, confirmed they’d be open when I came back later and went exploring. Later, back at the bookstore I found more books than I could possibly carry with the low baggage allowance that went with my cheap ticket to London. I selected a book about geography. This turned out to be one of the most interesting books I have ever read. It was interesting. The content flowed smoothly, almost seamlessly through one transition to the next. I learned more about the geopolitics of geography than I ever thought I would enjoy. If you wonder what makes the world tick, this really is for you.
One of the first novels I remember reading was the Odessa File by Frederick Forsyth. I’ve since read most of his novels. At the Frankfurt airport several weeks ago, I discovered that Forsyth had recently written an autobiography. It read like one of his books. It was full of energy, excitement, and stories. It was a great read about politics, spying for real, making and losing a lot of money, and about people in general. Well worth a read if you’ve ever enjoyed one of his books or wonder how an author comes up with ideas for stories.
