TOP 100 BOOK SITES
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| Hardcover Nonfiction Top 5 at a Glance1. HAVE A LITTLE FAITH, by Mitch Albom2. SUPERFREAKONOMICS, by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner3. WHAT THE DOG SAW, by Malcolm Gladwell4. ARGUING WITH IDIOTS, written and edited by Glenn Beck, Kevin Balfe and others5. THE BOOK OF BASKETBALL, by Bill Simmons feeds.nytimes.com |
Hiroshima: The World's Bomb by Andrew J Rotter | Book review Andrew J Rotter offers an absorbing account of the bombing of Hiroshima, says Alex LarmanAndrew Andrew Rotter notes towards the end of his sagacious and impeccably researched account of the creation, use and aftermath of the atomic bomb that detonated on Hiroshima on 6 August 1945: "More than 60 years after the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, people still have nuclear nightmares." The bare facts of what actually happened that day are well known. With Germany having surrendered and an uneasy peace settling over most of the world, it seemed as if Japan might well refuse to capitulate, thereby prolonging the Pacific war to an unthinkable extent. As a result, President Truman sent an executive order to detonate two nuclear bombs, codenamed Fat Man and Little Boy (the former falling on Nagasaki, the latter on Hiroshima), which duly destroyed the two cities. As many as 200,000 people, mostly civilians, died in Hiroshima; around 70,000 of them killed instantly. In a sense, they were the fortunate ones; better to have died swiftly than to have suffered a lingering death from the combined effects of burns, radiation and disease.With the threat of nuclear war (if not nuclear capability) having receded somewhat, there is a danger of Rotter's account seeming like a record of a past time rather than a warning from history. The book follows in the footsteps of what many view as the definitive work on the subject, John Hersey's famous 1946 account, Hiroshima, but Rotter takes a wider, more sweeping approach, preferring to focus on the international ramifications of the bomb's detonation, as well as emphasising the way in which just about every major nation involved in the Second World War was desperately trying to find a way to build an atomic bomb, knowing it would guarantee eventual victory.Rotter rises above the lazy "what if?" speculations for the most part, but they remain chillingly present throughout this absorbing account, with the race-against-time narrative providing constant tension and offsetting some of the more technical aspects of what remains one of the last century's most compelling and tragic tales. HistorySecond world warAlex Larmanguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds feeds.guardian.co.uk |
France to Digitize Its Own Literary Works The announcement of a nearly $1.1 billion digitization project underscored the government’s desire to maintain control over French cultural heritage. feeds.nytimes.com |
Yoko Ono to write book about John Lennon The Fab Four widow is to publish her autobiography in 2015, dishing the dirt on life with Lennon and the myths surrounding her role in the Beatles' break-upYoko Ono is to finally put pen to paper and tell us why the Beatles broke up. The Fab Four widow said this week that her "next book" will be a set of memoirs, to be published by 2015."I would love to [write my memoirs]," Ono explained in a Q&A with fans. "I just need to find the time." When another fan asked about her upbringing, Ono suggested they read her forthcoming book, "which will be written in five years or so". According to Rolling Stone, the autobiography will focus "on the duo's intense relationship, the myths surrounding her role in the Beatles' break-up, the bed-in for peace, Lennon's infamous 'Lost Weekend' and more".So far, the 76-year-old artist has avoided commenting on the Beatles' final days. "There are things that I can't write because it may hurt someone," Ono told Reuters in 2007. "I think about how it might hurt [their] children, and I don't want to do that." Though perhaps there's some secret Ringo-related scoop, most assume the "someone" is Cynthia Lennon, who John divorced in 1968. Cynthia has already written two memoirs, 1978's A Twist of Lennon and 2005's John.Ono and John Lennon were together for 14 years, until his murder in 1980. And yet their relationship's intimate details may not be as exciting as Beatles fans would hope. Asked by a fan about John's "quirks", Ono spent almost 150 words talking about the way he took his tea:"John was very particular about how to make English Breakfast tea. He told me that you are supposed to put the tea bag in first and the hot water over it, so the tea would not get cold. I thought it was logical, and followed it for quite a few years. When I made a mistake and put the tea bag in after the hot water, he would recognise it. In early 1980, he told me that that was not how you were suppose to make tea at all! Mimi over the phone, [had] just told him that the tea bag was to be put in after the hot water was in. We had a laugh. Just shows you how meticulous he was about everything, how he didn't mind confessing to me that he was wrong, and how we laughed a lot."What a cliffhanger!Ono also announced yesterday that she will pledge approximately £34,000 toward the survivors of tropical storm Ketsana, which hit the Philippines in September. Flooding there left almost 500 people dead and thousands homeless. Besides a "deep sympathy and love for suffering children", Ono described a special bond with the Philippines, as her childhood home is now the Philippine embassy in Tokyo. The manor, which was built by Ono's uncle, is "my home sweet home in Japan", Ono said. "I am therefore very grateful to the Philippine government for maintaining the house in a good condition all these years."John LennonThe BeatlesPop and rockSean Michaelsguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds feeds.guardian.co.uk |
Essay: Our Boredom, Ourselves Scientists are arguing that tedium is good for your brain. But some novelists argue that it’s good for your soul. feeds.nytimes.com |