Since history books dominated my reading this year (sorry to all fiction lovers!), I am going to share my favorite books that appear only in that category, with a few cheats.
My top two can be found at the end of this post.
In no particular order…
Who is an Evangelical? by Thomas Kidd
A short, but helpful history that makes a good case that a much-debated word is still worth using.
Moral Vision by Marvin Olasky
My interview with Marvin can be found here:
Our Ancient Faith by Allen C. Guelzo
Allen Guelzo is one of my favorite historians. I recently reread his Fateful Lightning: A New History of the Civil War and Reconstruction. It brilliantly captures the sights and sounds of The Civil War.
A productive scholar, Professor Guelzo has a new book. Our Ancient Faith: Lincoln, Democracy, and the American Experiment is only 171 pages long, but I made over 150 marginal notes.
When I started reviewing and interviewing authors I came up with “Moore’s Law of Worthwhile Reading.” It goes like this: Take the total number of pages in a book and divide by two. If my marginal notes exceed that number, then it was a worthwhile read. You can see by that calculus that Professor Guelzo’s more than made that cut.
If you were to ask whether I find Professor Guelzo’s writing optimistic or pessimistic, I would answer, “Neither.”
In Our Ancient Faith he certainly offers sober reflections on the fragility of the democratic experiment. His characteristically judicious treatment of Lincoln has all kinds of inherent warnings for us today.
However, I find Professor Guelzo, after reading four of his books, both realistic and genuinely hopeful. His hope is certainly a tough earned one. It is tethered to his Christian convictions, but not in the irresponsible way where the past is ransacked for talking points that fit one’s preconceived bias.
The flow of history also informs Professor Guelzo’s hope. He doesn’t sugarcoat the bad actors, nor does he gloss over the weaknesses and error of those like Lincoln whom he clearly respects. In a word, Professor Guelzo does not traffic in either hagiography or cynicism. Again, you get “thick realism with hope.” (HT: Will Willimon)
If you are looking for wise and beautiful reflections to make better sense of our own tumultuous time, I highly recommend Our Ancient Faith. And if you are not looking to make better sense of the present, then read Our Ancient Faith to see why you should!
The Spirit of Early Christian Thought by Robert Wilken
A beautiful and penetrating study of important themes during the ancient period of Christianity. I have studied church history for many years. It is hard to imagine a better place to learn about the early church than this wonderful book.
In Hoffa’s Shadow by Jack Goldsmith
In Hoffa’s Shadow details the riveting story of Jimmy Hoffa’s mysterious disappearance. It is amply supplied with roller-coaster drama and elegant writing.
The author is the stepson of Charles “Chuckie” O’Brien, the loyal and longtime assistant to Jimmy Hoffa. (I should add that the author is a professor at Harvard law school and a wonderful mentor to our youngest son.)
I well remember the disappearance of Jimmy Hoffa. My young assessment was that his Teamster job was really a front to make lots of money from his mobster connections. The reality, like many true things, is more complicated and compelling than the simple narrative I believed in high school.
Goldsmith artfully tells the story of his stepfather’s quest to gain his innocence. I am convinced that Chuckie had nothing to do with the disappearance and death of Hoffa. The story is told with judicious detail and an appropriate pathos that one would expect from a loving stepson.
But don’t be mistaken. This is not a hagiographical account. Goldsmith is quick to admit the many faults and foibles of his stepfather. Perhaps you noticed that Goldsmith did not keep his stepfather’s surname. I won’t go into why, but it underscores that this book is not some cheap, laudatory account. On the other end of the spectrum, it is equally not remotely in the Mommie Dearest genre.
If you are looking for an engaging book full of twists and turns, I highly recommend In Hoffa’s Shadow. I should add the subtitle: A Stepfather, a Disappearance in Detroit, and My Search for the Truth.
Edmund Burke by Jesse Norman
Edmund Burke: The First Conservative: Norman, Jesse: 9780465062935: Amazon.com: Books
One of the books I took with me to England this past summer.
Several friends have heard me gush about this book. What can I say in short compass? It is certainly one of the best biographies I have ever read. I will also add that though there is nothing explicitly about theology in this biography, it did give me much to think about how that discipline is conducted.
On the way home, I ran into Karl Rove in Reagan National Airport/Washington D.C. I asked him what he thought about Norman’s book. He also loved the book and added that he has read all of Norman’s books. I asked Rove if there are any present-day Burkes. He was sanguine that there are. I am not so sure…
Undone by John Donne, translated by Philip Yancey (first non-history cheat)
The older I get (66 at the moment), the more I am reading or rereading the books that have stood the test of time: classics in literature, history, and poetry.
I have read several books by Yancey. When I saw that he had put Donne’s essays in modern form, it was a no-brainer to buy the book.
In short, these essays are beautifully rendered by Yancey. Donne’s process of struggling with the horror of death and dying is realistic. He doesn’t sugarcoat the awfulness of it or as Scripture says, that it is the final enemy.
Donne’s coming to peace through realizing that only fearing God made sense of life and death takes time, but journey with Donne as he goes there. It is time very well spent!
Wonder Confronts Certainty: Russian Writers on the Timeless Questions and Why Their Answers Matter by Gary Saul Morson (second non-history cheat)
I read and discussed this book with my literate friend, Bill. Both of us found it stunning.
Morson offers an extended account of how the best of Russian writers (those in the wonder category) confront the hardcore ideologues of the former Soviet Union (the certainty fellows; and don’t be misled there were some women who gladly imbibed in torture and other forms of brutality).
As with the book on Edmund Burke, there was much that made me think about how I go about understanding Christian theology.
A New History of Redemption by Gerald R. McDermott
My interview with Gerry can be found here:
Finishing What Jonathan Edwards Started
End of Woman: How Smashing the Patriarchy Has Destroyed Us by Carrie Gress
Wife. Mother of five. Writer. Roman Catholic. PhD in philosophy.
Carrie Gress has the perfect background to write this book. Her training in philosophy and her commitment to womanhood and motherhood are put to great use.
This book is not long (under 200 pages), but the endnotes showcase the serious research that went into the writing.
Gress does a terrific job of describing the origins of modern feminism. It is a truly sordid story.
Since Gress writes as a committed Catholic Christian (I am a small c catholic Christian) her appreciation and explanation of the body’s importance is a real strength. Bible-believing Christians have much to learn about the importance of making arguments from natural law, though there are plenty of Roman Catholics who could also use a refresher course. Remember Clarence Thomas trying to explain natural law to his fellow Roman Catholic, Joe Biden?!
So, Protestants may be surprised to find that there is hardly any Scripture in Gress’s book, but that should not keep them from reading this terrific book.
Highly recommended!
Medieval Wisdom for Modern Christians by Chris Armstrong
I read and interviewed Chris when this book was first published. I have recently finished a reread of it with my friend, Warren. It is a terrific introduction to both C.S. Lewis and the medieval frame of mind. Lots to consider and reconsider, especially for us American Christians.
John Newton: From Disgrace to Amazing Grace by Jonathan Aitken (third non-history cheat)
There is actually some history in this book, but it is not strictly a history book. I also read this when it first came out and recently reread it. It was wonderful discussing it with my friend, Scott. We are still doing so, but it definitely deserves a book of the year spot.
I finish this list off with three, short memoirs: one by a political science scholar, one by a biblical studies scholar and the third by a pastor. Exploring the Paranormal is right below this post, Retractions by Pastor Pat Nemmers is also on this page below, and Garrett Sheldon’s memoir can be found here:
MEMOIR OF A GRATEFUL ACADEMIC | Moore Engaging
My top two are Edmund Burke by Norman and Wonder Confronts Certainty by Morson.
