We did not like this Larson book as much as the last one. For one thing, it was a light treatment of a period of history--the rise of Hitler--that has been hashed over many times. In addition, the story of a marginally competent US ambassador (professor of southern history William Dodd) and his daughter, Martha, who seemed to have slept with every Nazi, Russian spy, and American writer she encountered, seemed over-developed. Ian Kershaw's giant bio of Hitler mentions neither of them. Finally, the book petered out without tying up the various threads of the story. Nevertheless, the book was a brisk, entertaining read and opened up a human side of the diplomacy of the period.
Krungthep Thai restaurant on Nicollet pleased all of us who enjoy Thai cuisine. The place is a sister restaurant to Bangkok Thai Deli in St. Paul, and both of them offer Thai food that is authentic and delicious. Our discussion ranged from observations and arguments about the latest political developments to reports about recent travels to exotic places in six weeks "around-the-world" as well as more domestic duties in Denmark (and Iceland).
Our next book is Willa Cather's My Antonia. Other titles considered were Ambrose, Band of Brothers, Russo, Empire Falls, Diaz, Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, and Hochschild, To End All Wars (a pretty enticing list). We'll meet at 6:30 pm on Monday, October 22. Roger will suggest the next book.
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