Member: Urquhart

American Caesar is fantastic so far. Manchester uses some fairly obscure words like "popinjay"(I had to look it up.) and tends to throw out some French idioms that I am not entirely familiar with, but other than that, I find his writing style to be pretty good. I am reading it at work during my lunch hour and have not been able to get through as much as I had wanted to in the past week due to other things coming up. I am at the point where WWI is coming to an end and MacArthur is a Brigadier General. I look forward to the rest of it!

posted by network-janitor at 11:42 pm (EST) on Nov 20, 2009

The Iliad? I'm taking my time with it as poetry is new to me. Only just finished the first book in the volume. So far, so good. It's a story of war, of which I am all too familiar with.

posted by OldSarge at 7:10 pm (EST) on Oct 4, 2009

I don't really know that much about Bhutan to either agree or disagree to that one:) maybe you should try one of the mediterranean countries too. Slow and simple are very known words in both Spain and Italy..maybe even some places in France...you should try out a holiday in a vinyard or a sleepy village by the sea:) I know a lot of norwegians live in southern Europe throughout the winter season.

posted by Apolline at 11:50 am (EST) on Sep 29, 2009

Hi,

how are you? I hope you had a nice weekend:) Who wouldn't want to live in Norway?? hehe, good question, I'm not leaving to put it that way....! But then again...when you're privileged by living in one of the richest countries in the world, the least you could do is to appreciate it.

Haha, the language is not THAT difficult either....we have to learn english and i guess it is no more difficult to learn norwegian than english!And yes, since we live in Norway, there is no way out of learning our own language!!:D

If you look at it a bit closer you can see that many of the words are rather similar.

A few ex:
Knife - kniv, day - dag, mother - mor, father - far, yes - ja, no - nei

and the typical international words like telephone - telefon etc:)

Not difficult at all;) but then again, I guess nothing is difficult for those who know it. We have a lot of different dialects and that might be confusing for those trying to learn the language. We also have two different written languages. They are not that different from each other, we understand both with no difficulty, but we have to learn both in school. One of them is developed from the danish language, if you know any nordic history you'd know that Norway was in a union with Denmark in approximately 400-years...before we were handed over to Sweden after the Napoleon wars in 1814. We got our freedom in 1905. But, back to the language thing, one of the written languages is based on the danish language and the other is constructed upon different norwegian dialects and some parts were picked up from the old norse language, the way they spoke in the middle ages. The old norse language sounded a bit like what icelandic does today. In addition to norwegian, we have another official language, spoken by the sami or lapps. (I do not know that language...it is very far from norwegian, I think it is more related to finnish). I guess you'll be able to peak norwegian fluently after this short introduction...piece of cake;)

Well, over to your serious question. You're assumptions are not far from being correct. because of the oil we had a lot of back up resources to keep the recession from getting to much hold of our economy. If not for the oil I guess the recession would've had a deeper impact here as well. But then again Norway was a poor country before we discovered oil. As I mentioned earlier Norway were under foreign rule for almost 500 years, and a lot of resources had benn drained out of the country in this period of time. It was also occupied during the WW2. People were used to save money and living small. this is a way of living that many norwegians still live by. Though our economy is much better and the living standards are high, people don't have the need of flashing their wealth and fortune. People look down on snobbery and moderation is actually a key word. Though I think maybe this changes with time.
If we look atthe MTV programe Cribs as an example. I don't think it would be necessary to even think about making the same programe in Norway....celebrities here do not live like that. Maybe a few multimillionairs....and those who do live like that would not flash it on national tv. You are allowed to be rich...just don't go around flashing it;) The Hollywood culture is therefore a lunatic fringe (as you called it) to us moderate norwegians;) So, what can the rest of the world learn? Well, find some oil, become filthy rich and keep a back up bank account just in case the world economy collapses. Maybe you should think of becoming a smaller country too, then you wouldn't have as many inhabitants to care for:)

B

posted by Apolline at 4:48 pm (EST) on Sep 27, 2009

Dear Mr. U!

Haha, sorry for starting this message wih a laugh, but I have to admit i certainly had grea pleasure in reading your message. But first of all, thank you for inviting me to a very interesting group, though my respond was rather late.

Now back to your funny little assumptions, or maybe rumours you've heard about Norway. I think I was ROFL(as the chat language calls it), basicly rolling on the floor laughing. I might live in Norway, but it is in no way Utopia. If we all had 100.000$, I've at least never heard of it. I wish...:) It would be fun to read the article from the Financial Times though:) I guess the state might have enough money to pull off a stunt like that, but instead we have something called the welfare state. It provides us with (almost) free hospital/medical care if you get sick, we have kindergardens, homes for old people, state universities....if you lose your job, the state will help you find a new one....almost all your needs is covered by the state....almost:) But this is a small country so it is possible to do so. And we do earn a lot of money on oil, and fish export...and death/black/heavy metal music;)

The financial may not have hit us as hard as many other countries, and I guess there is many reasons for it. One of them is the state (again) who have produced new project (sort of paid) to keep the industry going. It means that industrial workers kept their jobs, or many did, but there is still plenty of people who lost their jobs. Maybe not as many as in other countries....and I guess they didn't get homeless and all that... maybe I'm a bit naive, but I think that most of the hoeless people over here are either drug addicts or alcoholics. "Normal" people who just loose their jobs normally wont loose their home at the same time. We have good support arrangement for unemployed persons. I don't know if tis made any sense...just got home from a night out;) A bit difficult to discuss politics and the welfare state with too much wine.....

Have a lovely day!!

posted by Apolline at 9:05 pm (EST) on Sep 19, 2009

Thanks for the welcome. I just read your review of Dangerous Games, I had been looking forward to reading it after a good review in the Washington Post. I'll probably still read it, partly because it's so short. I'll let you know what I think of it.

posted by sgtbigg at 5:52 pm (EST) on Jul 16, 2009

Thanks for your "Welcome to the group".

posted by rolandperkins at 10:12 am (EST) on Jul 11, 2009

I could also add:

James Ronda, /Lewis and Clark among the Indians/
James Merrell, /Into the American Woods/

posted by alshacke at 2:18 pm (EST) on Jul 4, 2009

I'm really unsure what criteria to use in making any recommendations, so I'll fall back on titles that have been successful as course texts for a largely engaged, informed, and capable audience.

First, given the interest of your group, you should read:
John Lewis Gaddis, /The Landscape of History/ & David Lord Smail /On Deep History and the Brain/. Both comment on historical method, the latter specifically on the history of non-literate peoples.

As for Native North America, I've had a lot of luck w/:
Colin Calloway, /New World's For All/
Theodore Binnema, /Common and Contested Ground/
Andrew Knaut, /The Pueblo Revolt/

posted by alshacke at 2:08 pm (EST) on Jul 4, 2009

Isn't Maida Vale more like...Central London and Poshness? :)

posted by Wanderlust_Lost at 6:29 am (EST) on Jul 4, 2009

Hey Mr. U.,
Thank you for a great reminder......The best education/knowledge is self made! Following the intellect of the heart to the time and places we really want to know or understand.
kellycd

posted by kellycd at 8:35 pm (EST) on Jul 2, 2009

Thank you, Mr. U. Am afraid I can't offer anything very erudite, only interest and enthusiasm.
Kelly

posted by kellycd at 11:20 pm (EST) on Jun 29, 2009

I thought the question I posed was rather relevant to the topic of tools for historians, as bibliographies can certainly be considered tools, and since several of the links posted in the thread include bibliographies. There did not seem to be any indication that discussion on the thread was limited solely to links and other tools. If you'd like it in a separate thread, feel free to go ahead and do so. I hadn't thought the question merited its own topic.

posted by bfertig at 1:21 pm (EST) on May 19, 2009

Thanks for the invitation. Although this is a rather tedious thread, you might find posts starting around #111 to be of interest on "Islam" as a "failed religion" (as it relates to historical analysis) http://www.librarything.com/topic/61406

posted by theoria at 10:51 am (EST) on Apr 24, 2009

Hi Urquhart (good Scottish name :) ) - Thanks for your kind comments and welcome to our history group...I would not say I had "expertise in Chinese history", and my interest is mainly 19th/20th century, which is but a mere fraction of it all !....but I will do what I can...best wishes Graham

posted by grahamhk at 10:06 am (EST) on Apr 24, 2009

Glad to hear you're enjoying "War and Peace and War". His next book, "Secular Cycles" comes out this summer, but he has it up in its entirety on his website. It's a far more detailed "mathy" book than the one you're reading now, but attempts to provide case studies of his theories.

posted by Trystorp at 1:13 am (EST) on Apr 11, 2009

Hi there,

I appreciate the comments :-) I try my best to live a happy and productive life and I guess I do it how it works for me :-) I do SO LOVE R. Service. I was just reading the Cremation of Sam McGree the other day...

Do you read Service? I actually pulled some of his works out of my library to re-read (a stack). Well anyway talk later...I have to get out birding before it gets too dark. The migration is full on...Great Grey Owl in NH just this week...running down tomorrow to hopefully see it!!! How cool!

Talk later, zeke

posted by ejakub at 4:53 pm (EST) on Apr 8, 2009

Thanks for inviting me to the group, Urquhart. It looks most interesting. Unfortunately, I don't seem to be able to join it - a technical hitch of some kind keeps telling me that it doesn't exist any more.
I'll keep trying though.

Nisha

posted by nisha at 1:29 pm (EST) on Apr 6, 2009

Hey, Thanks for the invite! Looks like a great group.

posted by MammuthusPrimigenius at 10:14 pm (EST) on Apr 4, 2009

Thanks for inviting me! The Historiography group looks very interesting and history is one of my passions. Right now I only have a tiny fraction of my books inventoried in my library but it is one of my goals to get it done this year. Oh, how I would love a scanner! And I do make a lot of bread- the grocery store is a one-hour plane ride away so every morsel of food we eat has been made from scratch. It's a good thing I like to cook!

Kecia

posted by celebrian at 11:48 am (EST) on Apr 4, 2009

Thanks for inviting me to join the group. I look forward to sharing some thoughts on the subject.

posted by Buckle at 4:03 am (EST) on Apr 4, 2009

Thanks for the invitation to the Historiography group and for the warm welcome. I don't know how active I'll be, because I've got way too many projects going, but it's a great group and I do plan to keep checking in when I can.

posted by margad at 8:16 pm (EST) on Apr 3, 2009

Thank you for the invitation to the history group, it sounds interesting!

posted by shirukuroodo at 5:40 pm (EST) on Apr 2, 2009

Thank you for your kind words.
Any ideas for a first topic?I will do some reading on the subject and hope to get back to you.
best wishes, Bart

posted by Coessens at 11:09 am (EST) on Apr 2, 2009

I would definitely like to help. How do you propose to go about?

Best wishes.

Bart

posted by Coessens at 5:28 am (EST) on Apr 1, 2009

OOOO I have to say that Sharpes Rifles...AWSOME!!!! Good book there!!! I love both the book and some of the BBC vids. They are just glorious!

posted by ejakub at 8:03 pm (EST) on Mar 30, 2009

No problem, and thanks for the compliment. John

posted by john257hopper at 4:51 pm (EST) on Mar 30, 2009

Thanks for the invite. My books also are the books I have read. I don't think you truly own a book until you have read it.

posted by DaristeiaD at 10:14 pm (EST) on Mar 29, 2009

Yes, I'll join your group. Let me know how.
Norm

posted by liber_scriptus at 5:26 pm (EST) on Mar 29, 2009

Hello, and thank you very much for the invite to the group. I accepted of course and will enjoy reading many of the discussions in the future.

posted by KeithFowler at 2:58 am (EST) on Mar 28, 2009

Hi there,
thanks for the invite, I joined and have been reading many interesting threads in the group.

posted by Tylman79 at 2:15 am (EST) on Mar 28, 2009

Hi Urquhart,

Thank you very much for the invitation, and I hope the new group is everything you are hoping it will be. For me, the idea of a private group makes me a bit uncomfortable -- there is something about discussing books and scholarship that feels more comfortable open and available to all comers.

I was enjoying the previous group so much though, that I am considering starting a new public general history discussion group, and if I end up doing so, I'd be happy to have your participation!

Good luck with the group, and I'll be careful riding!

posted by stellarexplorer at 11:16 am (EST) on Mar 27, 2009

Thanks for the invite! Looks like interesting stuff. :)

posted by zhukora at 4:24 pm (EST) on Mar 26, 2009

Urquhart, '

What happened to our group. I was enjoying it. Did somebody cross a line?

K

posted by ksmyth at 11:26 pm (EST) on Mar 25, 2009

Hi Urquhart,

It's my pleasure! I do think Sarah Waters is great at evoking her period. I love when historical novelists get the settings just right, or at least right in a way that I can feel the period. This is one of the reasons that Sharon Kay Penman is one of my favorite historical novelists. It's rare to find history that can make you feel a period the way historical fiction can, although it can't ever replace history.

It took me a while to contribute to the group because most topics seem to focus on ancient or American history, neither of which I know much about. I specialized very early on.

Have a great day!

- Meghan

posted by littlebookworm at 1:46 pm (EST) on Mar 24, 2009

Hi Urquhart,
I wanted to thank you for all your wonderful work on the Group Read and your thoughtful comments. Please don't ever get back onto the beaten path.

posted by Cecilturtle at 11:48 pm (EST) on Mar 21, 2009

Yes, Cyteen takes a lot of time and patience.

Relax and enjoy the journey.

Carmody

posted by carmody at 8:22 pm (EST) on Mar 18, 2009

A belated thank you for the invitation, Urquhart - I've been travelling for the last couple of weeks. I've accepted and am looking forward to being part of the group!

posted by chrisharpe at 9:50 am (EST) on Mar 17, 2009

Thank you! interesting link, I am going to the UK (for my sins) in May. My mother lives in Kent, so I may pop over to check this place out.

posted by tomcatMurr at 12:03 am (EST) on Mar 16, 2009

Thanks for the invite. For a moment I thought your profile said you had 2 wives and a cat. LOL

posted by Choronzon at 2:20 am (EST) on Mar 14, 2009

Thanks for the invite to the history group. I am finding it to be an informative area. :)

posted by Belisaurus at 11:45 pm (EST) on Mar 12, 2009

Thanks for the invitation to the history group! Bravo on the bread-baking - eating too much of it is my bane, but it is fascinating (and satisfying) to do.

posted by Eurydice at 5:59 pm (EST) on Mar 11, 2009

Hi, thanks for the invitation to join the history group. I just joined up .... at least, I think I did!
cheers,
Mary
www.marynovik.com

posted by MaryNovik at 6:28 pm (EST) on Mar 10, 2009

How, if I may ask, did you discover me here on LT? Just curious.

posted by OldSarge at 1:10 am (EST) on Mar 10, 2009

Thank you for the invite. Don't believe I will be able to contribute much until I get back stateside.

posted by OldSarge at 12:58 am (EST) on Mar 10, 2009

It is a worthy goal, albeit not one I achieve very often in my own posts! :D Thanks for the invite and kind regards. :)

posted by Essa at 1:12 pm (EST) on Mar 9, 2009

Many thanks for the invitation! I'll hope I can be a bit more active soon, if I get my computer problems fixed.

Greetings from Germany
Neurasthenio

posted by Neurasthenio at 8:02 am (EST) on Mar 9, 2009

Thank you for the invitation. Yes, I like to join.

posted by marieke54 at 6:04 pm (EST) on Mar 8, 2009

Thank you for the invite. It looks like an interesting group and is particularly relevant to me right now.

posted by Marensr at 3:20 pm (EST) on Mar 8, 2009

Thank you for the invite. I did indeed join.

posted by kurvanas at 1:59 pm (EST) on Mar 8, 2009

Thanks for the invite, but I was there already ;-)

posted by BarkingMatt at 9:57 am (EST) on Mar 8, 2009

Thank you for the invitation.

posted by hasprintwillread at 4:13 am (EST) on Mar 8, 2009

No problem, I should have answered the first one.

Ficus

posted by FicusFan at 6:38 pm (EST) on Mar 7, 2009

Thank you for the invitation. It does look like the group has some potential for interesting discussions and you are certainly doing your best to get them started.

posted by justchris at 2:35 pm (EST) on Mar 7, 2009

Thank you for your invitation to the History group. I share your questions and would be happy to have some answers...
I'm a very buzzy bee; therefore I'm afraid I will not be able to contribute as much as I would like (and as the subject merits), but when an occasion presents itself, I will not hesitate and jump in!

Happy reading (and baking)!

posted by JanWillemNoldus at 1:51 pm (EST) on Mar 7, 2009

thanks for the invite!

posted by biscuit at 7:32 pm (EST) on Mar 6, 2009

Thank you for your invitation which I am happy to accept.
F/H

posted by Foxhunter at 2:55 pm (EST) on Mar 6, 2009

Sorry for my delayed response. My day job has been burying me lately.

Thanks for inviting me to the group! I will add it to my list of groups.

Steven
http://steventill.com

posted by StevenTill at 1:32 pm (EST) on Feb 21, 2009

Thanks for the group invite. Sounds interesting!

posted by AngelicaHarris at 10:38 am (EST) on Feb 20, 2009

thanx for the invite :)

posted by potterfan2121 at 12:29 am (EST) on Feb 20, 2009

Golly, you type fast!!!!! I just put that up there!

Great! lots of points for discussion. Give me some time. I like your characterisation of the difference between Chinese art and Western art very much. Spot on in my opinion.

posted by tomcatMurr at 11:58 pm (EST) on Feb 19, 2009

Hi Urquhart,
thanks for your patience.

You are quite right about Buddha's rejection of ascetic practices. But this is not an alternative to what I was trying to express in my post. What I was trying to say is that the Pali cannon, which is Buddha's Middle Way, is at once a manual of how to 'get there' and a record of one man's journey there. I think it's wrong to say that Buddha simply found enlightenment the way you find a penny (i know you don't mean this, but many people do), but that, sitting under the boddhi tree he worked towards it using the methods he later taught and which are now enshrined in the Pali texts. Buddha's struggle to attain nirvana under the tree is described wonderfully in Majjhimanikaya 36, 85, and 100, for example. They are beautful texts.
That's what I was trying to express in that sentence.

As someone from a Western culture living in an Eastern culture, I am particularly sensitive towards and interested in underlying conceptual differences between East and West. I think it's many of these conceptual differences which account for the misunderstandings many Westerners have about key Buddhist concepts. I hope to find the time to write about the Buddhist conception of the self, which is profoundly interesting.

The post on my blog initially was prompted by a discussion on Buddhism and Christianity on the Pro and Con:Religion group, where many were under the illusion that B and C had areas of similarity. Needless to say, this is not so. Another post you might be interested in is my review of Italo Calvino's Mr Palomar, which I feel is very buddhist. Do you know that book?
I am very interested in talking further with you about this. Let's keep the conversation alive!
Murr

posted by tomcatMurr at 10:05 pm (EST) on Feb 19, 2009

Hello Urguhart,

I am a new member of your History group.

Adventuretracker.

posted by adventuretracker at 7:20 pm (EST) on Feb 18, 2009

Well, now you're making this cat blush!

Give me a couple of days to get back to you on this, I do want to engage in conversation, but I am fearsomely busy right now.

Don't go away.
:)

posted by tomcatMurr at 8:04 am (EST) on Feb 18, 2009

Thanks for the invitation. I"m feeling a bit overwhelmed with my Dostoevsky project and with other groups, so I'll just lurk this time.
Last year I read Braudel's Civilisation and Capitalism and blogged about it here:

http://thelectern.blogspot.com/2008/10/c...

Some of your group members may find it interesting.

Thanks again.
Murr.

posted by tomcatMurr at 11:46 pm (EST) on Feb 16, 2009

Thanks for the invitation.

posted by varielle at 10:08 am (EST) on Feb 16, 2009

mail me at garp83 at verizon dot net

btw, my business web page is at www.gogeeks.com

when you mail me the question I will also send you more on the Bush 22 percenters ...

Ciao!

Garp

posted by Garp83 at 4:05 pm (EST) on Jan 28, 2009

We seem to share a similar perspective. Check out my political blog:

http://takeamericaback2006.blogspot.com/

posted by Garp83 at 1:12 pm (EST) on Jan 28, 2009

Dear Mr. Urquhart, I joined Library Thing just so I could reply to your comment: "Is it possible to compile a list of great literature that is at the same time upbeat." In the last few years I've been on a quest to find such books after realizing that many literary novels were depressing me, but I wanted to read books that are worth my time and have good writing, character development, and insights about life. To share my findings with other readers, I created a web site, Positively Good Reads (www.positivelygoodreads.com), that now that lists and describes 100 novels. It hasn't been easy to find upbeat literary novels, but I've discovered I was wrong in thinking they are almost non-existent. To people who comment that upbeat literature isn't realistic, I say it's not that I'm looking for novels without moral dilemmas, loss, struggle and conflict; I'm looking for novels that leave me feeling that there's reason to go on living. As Fay Weldon said, "By a happy ending I do not mean mere fortunate events — a marriage or a last-minute rescue from death — but some kind of spiritual reassessment or moral reconciliation." Anyway, please check out www.positivelygoodreads.com for the titles I've read so far, and send me others if you'd like, since I'm going to keep looking.

posted by positivelygoodreads at 5:14 pm (EST) on Dec 22, 2008

HI there.
Thanks for your comments on What the DIckens....
I see you changed your name. There's an excellent BBC TV series called House of Cards the main character of which is called Urqhart. He is a wonderfully Machiavellian character, full of relish for his own evil. I wonder if you've seen it? If Urqhart is your real name, my apologies and congratulations!

It's also a pleasure to meet someone who loves Dickens. I read most of his books in my 20s, but this year I am doing an in depth study of his life and work. So far I have read:
Barnaby Rudge
Bleak House
The Old Curiosity Shop
Sketches by Boz
Kaplan's biography
Martin Chuzzlewit,

It's not a long list, because I'm reading quite slowly, and I'm also incredibly busy. Librarything also takes up far too much of my time.:)

I am currently reading Master Humphry's Clock and other short stories. I review what I read on my blog. It's a bit heavy on Dickens at the moment, but there's other stuff there too you might be interested in reading.

Come to think of it, there are some Sketches by Boz that might give you the same feeling as Copperfield, particularly one called Horatio Sparkins, which is a wonderful spoof of Jane Austen. I agree completetly with what you said about her, by the way. She lacks breadth. Mmm. Actually I strongly recommend the Sketches to you, especially the later ones: Characters and Tales.

Good luck with the bread making. I used to make rye bread on a regular basis, but don't have the time for it now.

Besst wishes
Murr

posted by tomcatMurr at 11:56 pm (EST) on Apr 5, 2007