Thomas Lowry, The Story the Soldiers Wouldn't Tell. A very frank look at the seamier sides of the Civil War: sex and the diseases thereof. It's a little on the sparse side - I might have liked a slightly more in-depth look at the issues - but as the author points out, primary sources are rare, as much of the discussion of these things has been cleaned up by ensuing generations. It's a well-organized, highly readable book, and a good addition to the bookshelf.
Jules Verne, Around the World in Eighty Days. I've read this one several times before, but it's always entertaining. Phileas Fogg is truly an enigma, his purposes and desires completely hidden - a fine example of the use of point of view to reveal and obscure and to alter the interpretation of a character or plot point.
Alberto Angela, A Day in the Life of Ancient Rome. Informative, entertaining, highly readable, this long day's journey into Rome brings to life a long-vanished world and makes it accessible to today's reader. Definitely a keeper!
Lord Macaulay, The History of England, vol. 1. Despite its length, I found this book surprisingly interesting. Partly, I admit, for the added historical perspective that comes from it having been written in the nineteenth century, but also because Macaulay's passionate writing carries the reader along, providing an immersion in the lives of people and places. Definitely not a stuffy, dusty recitation of facts and dates - Macaulay had opinions on these events, and wasn't afraid to share them.
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