I know it's late in the day for this, but... For a day that's lived "in infamy," Dec. 7, 1941, has been the inspiration for a lot of films. It's kind of a quirky way to remember one of the more significant events in American history, but my brain is fried and I couldn't think of a better way to commemorate Pearl Harbor Day in the limited time I have. Pearl Harbor spawned a lot of movies. So here's a brief trip down memory lane. The biggies, of course, are the inimitable Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970), From Here to Eternity (1953) and its star-studded cast, and In Harms Way (1965) with John Wayne. They're all good, though I remember some better than others. I'd be curious to see the depictions in the earliest wartime releases: … [Read more...]

Hugh has issued a topic for discussion among the blogosphere: A modern novel worth reading twice is very hard to come by, at least for a reader like me, pressed for time and inclined to history and current events.... But it seems to me to be a good sign that a serious reader would have reread a modern novel twice, and if any in the blogging community would like to offer those novels they have been through at least twice, I will link those posts here as a handy guide to Christmas book giving and getting. My first reaction to this was 'why read a novel twice?' … [Read more...]