A NEW BEGINNING

The first book the Book Club read was One Summer: America 1927 by Bill Bryson. By the way, the book club was named The Edge and members were charged $15 for each three book section.

One Summer is a bit lengthy at 456 pages, but Bill’s prose is easy reading. The year 1927 included Charles Lindbergh’s solo flight across the Atlantic, Babe Ruth’s record setting home run season, Al Capone’s coming to power in Chicago, and Al Jolson’s as The Jazz Singer. Bryson also wrote A Walk in the Woods, which was made into a movie starring Robert Redford. 

If you are a fan of Bill Bryson and/or linguistics, Bill also authored The Mother Tongue and Made in America. Further, fellow book club member, Patricia suggested History of English podcast, which covers the history of the English people and their language.

So, I selected One Summer instead of a book detailing the Julian Petroleum scandal in Los Angeles. That story was too detailed in its explanation of the intricacies of the oil and gas business and accounting and finance in the era before regulation by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

As I remember it, the book was well received by our initial members, including Mary and JIm. And so it began…

If you remember Saundra recommended Manhunt, a fictionalized story of Secretary of War, Edwin Stanton, and his hunt for presidential assassin, John Wilkes Booth. Manhunt featured Stanton’s firing by President Johnson, the proximate cause of his impeachment, which we read about in The Impeachers by Brenda Wineapple. Stanton was portrayed by Tobias Menzies, who also played Prince Philip in The Crown. I wish Tobias could have grown a wacky beard like the real Stanton.

That’s it for now. I’m glad I kept all my notes from the beginning!

Tony Ciarriocco