It's amaaazing and hilarious how Damrosch, by and large, manages to give those same anecdotes while putting completely different spins on them.
I think that how you treat those below you in the hierarchy, especially if you yourself have fallen on hard times, is one of the best testimony's of character.
Damrosch agrees with this, but chooses radically different examples of how Boswell behaved toward the people below him in the hierarchy. If I have more time after I finish the book, I'll share some examples.
I'm under no illusions that I'm getting a balanced portrayal of these people, but much like with Bodanis' romanticizing bio of Voltaire and Émilie, I'm learning whole bunches of things I didn't know, and that's very useful. As recently agreed, we all started out with random unsourced anecdotes about Fritz! You have to start somewhere. :D
I've put the Barber book on my maybe list, thank you. My kingdom for more time! (Currently working on fix-it fic.)
Re: Oster Wilhelmine readthrough
I think that how you treat those below you in the hierarchy, especially if you yourself have fallen on hard times, is one of the best testimony's of character.
Damrosch agrees with this, but chooses radically different examples of how Boswell behaved toward the people below him in the hierarchy. If I have more time after I finish the book, I'll share some examples.
I'm under no illusions that I'm getting a balanced portrayal of these people, but much like with Bodanis' romanticizing bio of Voltaire and Émilie, I'm learning whole bunches of things I didn't know, and that's very useful. As recently agreed, we all started out with random unsourced anecdotes about Fritz! You have to start somewhere. :D
I've put the Barber book on my maybe list, thank you. My kingdom for more time! (Currently working on fix-it fic.)