history books
Jan. 29th, 2007 02:32 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
cahn-Alison Weir writes cool books. I read a little of her Henry VIII stuff and then devoured her biography of Elizabeth I. Basically, Elizabeth I rocks. I knew that already, but I didn't know HOW much she rocked. Also, she was a character. Also, the drama! Lord Dudley, Mary Queen of Scots... awesome stuff.
-Sir Thomas More (Peter Ackroyd) - In the middle of this, which I am really liking. Watched Man for All Seasons (Bolt) recently, which may rank as one of my favorite movies of all time, and was the impetus for reading this...Bolt's More is a little more humanist, perhaps, than the real thing, but really not that far off. More is really a very interesting person who really did give his life (and power, riches, family, etc.) for a principle that I agree with and a religion I do not particularly agree with (interestingly enough, Bolt isn't really religious), but you can't help admiring him anyway. Ackroyd also argues that obedience and order (that is, order in the medieval sense, where everyone and everything had its place) were the twin pillars of More's life, which is something that does kind of resonate with me (though it's not really an American sentiment). And it was amazing how much of Bolt's stuff was just directly lifted from More himself. A great man. Not one I'd want to marry, probably, but one I'd definitely have a crush on, if I knew him.
-Confessions of St Augustine - almost finished with this. The autobiographical stuff was awesome, but the post-autobiography theological stuff is a little harder to read. (D would say that my reaction is because in the theological section he argues against enjoying one's food... sigh!) Augustine is a neat guy, and really bares his soul in the Confessions in a way that's really kind of inspiring. His demolishing of astrology is especially fun to read.
-Sir Thomas More (Peter Ackroyd) - In the middle of this, which I am really liking. Watched Man for All Seasons (Bolt) recently, which may rank as one of my favorite movies of all time, and was the impetus for reading this...Bolt's More is a little more humanist, perhaps, than the real thing, but really not that far off. More is really a very interesting person who really did give his life (and power, riches, family, etc.) for a principle that I agree with and a religion I do not particularly agree with (interestingly enough, Bolt isn't really religious), but you can't help admiring him anyway. Ackroyd also argues that obedience and order (that is, order in the medieval sense, where everyone and everything had its place) were the twin pillars of More's life, which is something that does kind of resonate with me (though it's not really an American sentiment). And it was amazing how much of Bolt's stuff was just directly lifted from More himself. A great man. Not one I'd want to marry, probably, but one I'd definitely have a crush on, if I knew him.
-Confessions of St Augustine - almost finished with this. The autobiographical stuff was awesome, but the post-autobiography theological stuff is a little harder to read. (D would say that my reaction is because in the theological section he argues against enjoying one's food... sigh!) Augustine is a neat guy, and really bares his soul in the Confessions in a way that's really kind of inspiring. His demolishing of astrology is especially fun to read.
