Many years ago I fell down the WWI rabbit hole and I still wander there frequently. Recently I took another plunge with A World Undone by G.J. Meyer aMany years ago I fell down the WWI rabbit hole and I still wander there frequently. Recently I took another plunge with A World Undone by G.J. Meyer and this excellent little book. This book referred to many of the books and authors I had already read so it was like visiting old friends.
Ali and Nino is a masterful weaving of the history of the Caucasus area during WWI. It interweaves the lives and ethos of a Christian Georgian girl, NAli and Nino is a masterful weaving of the history of the Caucasus area during WWI. It interweaves the lives and ethos of a Christian Georgian girl, Nino, with an Azerbaijan boy, Ali. Far more than a love story it is beautiful picture of the time of WWI in the area. How the area is deeply affected and yet strangely apart. As a western Christian I was most deeply disturbed when Ali has to escape with Nino to Persia. Her life there becomes untenable but his life is spiritually untenable in a western setting. It is only in their mixed town of Baku on the borders of all that they can find peace together and yet, that peace is swept away by WWI. End the end it is politics that destroy everything not religion.
History parading as story and very well done.
I picked this for my non-western read for #theliterarylifepodcast #20for2020reads...more
This is a superb course. Dr. Liulevicius is one of my favorite professors teaching on The Great Courses. This set is an indepth look at WWI, an importThis is a superb course. Dr. Liulevicius is one of my favorite professors teaching on The Great Courses. This set is an indepth look at WWI, an important historical period for understanding our own times. I hope to relisten to these in the future. ...more
While I realize this book will not appeal to everyone, it is light years better than the Ken Follett series covering the same time period-WWI and the While I realize this book will not appeal to everyone, it is light years better than the Ken Follett series covering the same time period-WWI and the following century. For those who care this series does have a few sex scenes but they are not nearly as ridiculously silly and gratuitous as Follett's which make his century books almost unreadable.
It took me longer to 'get into' this 2nd book in the series than it did the first but the look inside of Germany in the 1920s was fascinating.
I will be finishing this series with the final installment A Future Arrived....more
This was not my favorite Rutledge mystery. I did like the time frame and seeing all the people before their lives were ravished by WWII but the murderThis was not my favorite Rutledge mystery. I did like the time frame and seeing all the people before their lives were ravished by WWII but the murder itself was less than satisfactory and the issues with Bowles, the unhelpful superior, too over the top to be believable.
Still I liked the idea of looking at Rutledge before he became haunted by Hamish....more
This was recommended to me by a friend who reads a lot about WWI as I do. It was excellent. A few parts made me blush but otherwise it was an excellenThis was recommended to me by a friend who reads a lot about WWI as I do. It was excellent. A few parts made me blush but otherwise it was an excellent portrayal of the time period. I found myself thinking the author stole ideas from certain things like Downtown Abbey or Charles Todd and other things only to realize he had written this book first.
I highly recommend this series. It is much, much better than the Ken Follett books on the same time period.
I have already downloaded book 2 of the trilogy....more
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