{"id":21591,"date":"2022-12-31T23:59:50","date_gmt":"2023-01-01T04:59:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.henryhartley.com\/?p=21591"},"modified":"2026-03-13T10:13:56","modified_gmt":"2026-03-13T15:13:56","slug":"my-2022-reading","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.henryhartley.com\/?p=21591","title":{"rendered":"My 2022 Reading"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"My<\/a>

My 2022 Reading<\/p><\/div>\n

Jump Back to my 2021 Reading List<\/a> or Jump Forward to my 2023 Reading List<\/a><\/p>\n

As I finished my reading last year, I had a fairly substantial stack of 27 books waiting for me to read in 2022. That included a few larger works, such as General Sherman’s Memoirs<\/em>, Bonhoeffer<\/em> by Eric Metaxas, and a book of poetry and prose by John Milton (including Paradise Lost<\/em>), and the other two volumes of the extant works by Livy (The War with Hannibal<\/em> and Rome and the Mediterranean<\/em>. I also hoped to read six or so more plays by Shakespeare in the process of reading all 39 of them.<\/p>\n

The year turned out differently to what I had hoped and there was a time I didn’t think I’d get through as many as 45 books. The middle of the year, in particular, was a difficult time and reading became much more difficult. Nevertheless, I managed to read at least some every day, averaging a little short of 48 pages a day. I got through the 27 books and ended up reading a total of 57 books in all. As usual, the list of books is below. This year’s reading only included four books by currently living authors, all written in this century. At the other end of the age spectrum, nine were written in the years B.C. The 19th century provided the largest number of books this year, at 16, followed by the 20th century (8 books) and 16th (7 books, all plays by Shakespeare). You can sort the table by the order read (the default), title, author, and date written by clicking on the headings.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>

The Books<\/p><\/div>\n

As I finish writing this on January second, I have already begun my 2023 reading with the second volume—Their Finest Hour<\/em>—of Winston Churchill’s six volume history of the Second World War. I read volume one—The Gathering Storm<\/em>—in 2017 and I hope to get through all the rest this year, a total of more than 4,000 pages. Including the five by Churchill, there are 39 books on my to-read shelf, including a few long books, such as Plutarch’s Lives<\/em> and Vanity Fair<\/em>.<\/p>\n

In case you are interested, here are links to my 2021 Reading<\/a> and my 2020 Reading<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Order   
Read   <\/th>\n		Title<\/th>\nAuthor<\/th>\nDate   <\/th>\nNotes<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
1<\/td>\nLaodicean<\/span> A Laodicean<\/em><\/strong><\/td>\nHardy, Thomas (June 2, 1840 \u2013 January 11, 1928)<\/td>\n1881<\/td>\nSubtitled, “A Story of To-day.”<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2<\/td>\nAku-Aku<\/span> Aku-Aku<\/em><\/strong><\/td>\nHeyerdahl, Thor (October 6, 1914 \u2013 April 18, 2002)<\/td>\n1957<\/td>\nSubtitled, “The Secret of Easter Island.” This chronicles excavations and other archaelogy on Easter Island by the author and his team in the 1950s. Very interesting reading.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
3<\/td>\nEvenor<\/span> Evenor<\/em><\/strong><\/td>\nMacDonald, George (December 10, 1824 \u2013 September 18, 1905)<\/td>\n1867, 1871, and 1875<\/td>\nA collection of three short stories: The Wise Woman<\/em> (1875); The Carasoyn<\/em> (1871); and The Golden Key<\/em> (1867); with an introduction by Lin Carter titled “The Dubious Land.”<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
4<\/td>\nPiers the Ploughman<\/span> Piers the Ploughman<\/em><\/strong><\/td>\nLangland, William (circa 1332 \u2013 circa 1386)<\/td>\ncirca 1370<\/td>\nAn allegorical narrative poem written in a Middle English sometime in the late 14th<\/sup> century.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
5<\/td>\nMemoirs<\/span> Memoirs<\/em><\/strong><\/td>\nSherman, William Tecumseh (February 8, 1820 \u2013 February 14, 1891)<\/td>\nSecond Edition, published 1886, (first edition was published in 1885)<\/td>\nNot surprisingly, the bulk of this deals with the years 1861 through 1865 and Sherman’s campaigns of the U. S. Civil War. This includes—among others—Shiloh, Vicksburg, Chickamauga, Lookout Mountain, and Missionary Ridge, the Atlanta campaign and of course the March to the Sea.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
6<\/td>\nGentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning<\/span> The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning<\/em><\/strong><\/td>\nMagnusson, Margareta (born December 31, circa 1935)<\/td>\n2018<\/td>\nSubtitled, “How to Free Yourself and Your Family from a Lifetime of Clutter.” This book is not as depressing as the title may sound and considerably less depressing than dealing with someone elses ‘stuff’ (for lack of a better term).<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
7<\/td>\nComedy of Errors<\/span> The Comedy of Errors<\/em><\/strong><\/td>\nShakespeare, William (circa April 26, 1564 \u2013 April 23, 1616)<\/td>\ncirca 1594<\/td>\nA short farcical comedy. There are two sets of identical twins who are repeatedly mistaken, one for the other.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
8<\/td>\nWar With Hannibal<\/span> The War With Hannibal<\/em><\/strong><\/td>\nLivy (Titus Livius, 59 B.C. \u2013 A.D. 17)<\/td>\ncirca 27 B.C.<\/td>\nLivy’s History of Rome (Ab Urbe Condita Libri<\/em>) contained 142 books, of which 35 are extant. This third volume contains books 21 through 30, covering the the Second Punic War, from 218 to 202 B.C.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
9<\/td>\nReflections On The Psalms<\/span> Reflections On The Psalms<\/em><\/strong><\/td>\nLewis, C. S. (November 29, 1898 \u2013 November 22, 1963)<\/td>\n1959<\/td>\nAs the title suggests, these are reflections rather than any sort of thorough study of the Psalms. I found it wonderfully written and helped me to look at these poems in a new way. I highly recommend this short book to anyone interested in the subject.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
10<\/td>\nEuripides II<\/span> Euripides II<\/em><\/strong><\/td>\nEuripides (circa\u2009480 \u2013 circa\u2009406 B.C.)<\/td>\n440 through 412 B.C.<\/td>\nThe second of three volumes of plays by Euripides and volume six in the Modern Library’s The Complete Greek Tragedies<\/em>. The first four plays are set in the aftermath of the Trojan War. The fifth with the son of Xuthus by Apollo and the progenitor of the Ionian people. The sixth is an event during the Trojan War, and the last with war between descendants of Oedipus. The seven plays are: <\/p>\n
    \n
  • Helen<\/em> (412 B.C.)<\/li>\n
  • Hecuba<\/em> (424 B.C.)<\/li>\n
  • Andromache<\/em> (425 B.C.)<\/li>\n
  • The Trojan Women<\/em> (415 B.C.)<\/li>\n
  • Ion<\/em> (413 B.C.)<\/li>\n
  • Rhesus<\/em> (probably before 440 B.C.)<\/li>\n
  • The Suppliant Women<\/em> (423 B.C.).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
11<\/td>\nPossessed<\/span> The Possessed<\/em><\/strong><\/td>\nDostoevsky, Fyodor (November 11, 1821 \u2013 February 9, 1881)<\/td>\n1872<\/td>\nOriginally titled Demons<\/em> (\u0411\u0463\u0441\u044b), this is a somewhat complicated story dealing with Dostoevsky’s views on nihilism and the social and political situation in 19th century Russia. It’s the fourth book by Dostoevsky I’ve read and is considered among his four masterworks. I need to read The Idiot<\/em> to complete those four.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
12<\/td>\nBonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy<\/span> Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy<\/em><\/strong><\/td>\nMetaxas, Eric (born June 27, 1963)<\/td>\n2010<\/td>\nA wonderfully written biography of a most remarkable man, Dietrich Bonhoeffer (February 4, 1906 \u2013 April 9, 1945). I’ve only read one of his works, The Cost of Discipleship<\/em>, first published as Nachfolge<\/em> (Discipleship) in 1937. I need to read that again and have also added two others to my ‘to read’ list: Life Together<\/em>, completed in 1938 and Ethics<\/em>, incomplete on his death and edited and published by his closest friend, Eberhard Bethge (August 28, 1909 \u2013 March 18, 2000).<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
13<\/td>\nJulius Caesar<\/span> Julius Caesar<\/em><\/strong><\/td>\nShakespeare, William (circa April 26, 1564 \u2013 April 23, 1616)<\/td>\n1599<\/td>\nOne of the most well known of Shakespeare’s plays, giving us such lines as “Cowards die many times before their deaths; The valiant never taste of death but once.”, “those that understood him smiled at one another and shook their heads; but, for mine own part, it was Greek to me”, “Cry ‘Havoc,’ and let slip the dogs of war”, “This was the most unkindest cut of all,” and of course “Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears.”<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
14<\/td>\nChronicles Of The Crusades<\/span> Chronicles Of The Crusades<\/em><\/strong><\/td>\nVillehardouin, Geoffrey of (c. 1150 \u2013 c. 1213) and Joinville, Jean de (c. 1 May 1224 \u2013 24 December 1317)<\/td>\nearly 14th century<\/td>\nThis volume is comprised of translations of two works: The Conquest of Constantinople<\/em>, by Geoffrey of Villehardouin (c. 1150 \u2013 c. 1213) and The Life of Saint Louis<\/em>, circa 1309, by Jean de Joinville.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
15<\/td>\nCheese & Dairy<\/span> Cheese & Dairy<\/em><\/strong><\/td>\nLamb, Steven<\/td>\n2018<\/td>\nRiver Cottage Handbook No. 16, this deals with cheese making, although I didn’t learn as much from it as I might have liked. It’s a nice book but not really enough to feel confident actually trying make anything but the very simplest cheeses. It’s also geared towards the English market, where double cream is an actual thing.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
16<\/td>\nMeasure for Measure<\/span> Measure for Measure<\/em><\/strong><\/td>\nShakespeare, William (circa April 26, 1564 \u2013 April 23, 1616)<\/td>\n1604<\/td>\nNot one of Shakespeare’s better known plays, it deals with morality and power. I actually enjoyed it.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
17<\/td>\nWoodlanders<\/span> The Woodlanders<\/em><\/strong><\/td>\nHardy, Thomas (June 2, 1840 \u2013 January 11, 1928)<\/td>\n1887<\/td>\nI made the mistake of reading the introduction to this book, which had spoilers in it. Particulary with Hardy, not knowing how the story will end is a big part of their appeal. Hardy doesn’t always end a story the way you might want. But they have considerable verisimilitude. I think I liked the ending much more than the author of the introduction.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
18<\/td>\nWrongly Dividing the Word of Truth<\/span> Wrongly Dividing the Word of Truth<\/em><\/strong><\/td>\nGerstner, John H. (November 22, 1914 \u2013 March 24, 1996)<\/td>\n1991 (but third edition, 2009)<\/td>\nThis is a strongly worded polemic against dispensationalism. Although it touches briefly on eschatology, it is more focused on soteriology.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
19<\/td>\nTimaeus and Critias<\/span> Timaeus and Critias<\/em><\/strong><\/td>\nPlato (428\/427 or 424\/423 \u2013 348\/347 B.C.)<\/td>\ncirca 360 B.C.<\/td>\nTimaeus<\/em> is mostly a long monologue given by the Timaeus of Locri, speculating on the nature of the physical world, discussing the four elements and their shapes: earth (cube), fire (tetrahedron), air (octahedron), and water (icosahedron). Critias<\/em> tells the story of Atlantis, its attempt to conquer Athens.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
20<\/td>\nHenry V<\/span> Henry V<\/em><\/strong><\/td>\nShakespeare, William (circa April 26, 1564 \u2013 April 23, 1616)<\/td>\ncirca 1599<\/td>\nA good story. The two most memorable parts or two monologues given by Henry. The first is in Act 3, Scene 1, beginning with “Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more.” The second in Act 4, Scene 3, the ‘Saint Crispin’s day’ speach, with that well known phrase, “We few, we happy few, we band of brothers.”\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
21<\/td>\nEuripides III<\/span> Euripides III<\/em><\/strong><\/td>\nEuripides (circa\u2009480 \u2013 circa\u2009406 B.C.)<\/td>\n413 through 406 B.C.<\/td>\nThe last of three volumes of plays by Euripides and volume seven in the Modern Library’s The Complete Greek Tragedies<\/em>. The five plays in this volume are: <\/p>\n
    \n
  • Orestes<\/em> (408 B.C.)<\/li>\n
  • Iphigenia In Aulis<\/em> (406 B.C.)<\/li>\n
  • Electra<\/em> (413 B.C.)<\/li>\n
  • The Phoenician Women<\/em> (between 411 and 409 B.C.)<\/li>\n
  • The Bacchae<\/em> (406 B.C.)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
22<\/td>\nWestminster Confession of Faith<\/span> The Westminster Confession of Faith<\/em><\/strong><\/td>\nWestminster Assembly, 1646<\/td>\n1646–7<\/td>\nThis publication also includes the Westminster Larger Catechism and the Westminster Shorter Catechism and is published by the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA).<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
23<\/td>\nTwo On A Tower<\/span> Two On A Tower<\/em><\/strong><\/td>\nHardy, Thomas (June 2, 1840 \u2013 January 11, 1928)<\/td>\n1882<\/td>\nThomas Hardy’s categorized his novels into three groups: Novels of Character and Environment, Romances and Fantasies, and Novels of Ingenuity. I’ve read, eight of the ten in the first category and one of the three in the third. This book is the first I’ve read in the second (of which there are five). It definitely did not end the way I would have expected. But it’s a good read.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
24<\/td>\nAugustine Reader<\/span> An Augustine Reader<\/em><\/strong><\/td>\nAugustine of Hippo (November 13, 354 \u2013 August 28, 430)<\/td>\nA.D. 427<\/td>\nEdited by John J. O’Meara (18 February 1915 \u2013 12 February 2003) and published in 1973. Included in this edition are:<\/p>\n
    \n
  • Soliloquies<\/em>, Book 1, A.D. 386–387<\/li>\n
  • Letters<\/em> (correspondence with St. Jerome), A.D. 394–418<\/li>\n
  • Confessions<\/em>, Books 7, 8 (Manichaeism and Neoplatonism) and 11 (Creation and Time), A.D. 397–400<\/li>\n
  • On Baptism<\/em>, Book 1 (against the Donatists), A.D. 401<\/li>\n
  • Sermon on Psalm 22<\/em>, A.D. 407<\/li>\n
  • On the Trinity<\/em>, Books 2 and 8, A.D. 399–419<\/li>\n
  • City of God<\/em>, Books 5 and 22, A.D. 413–427<\/li>\n
  • The Grace of Christ and Original Sin<\/em>, Book 2 (against the Pelagians), A.D> 418<\/li>\n
  • Christian Instruction<\/em>, Book 4, A.D. 396–426<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
25<\/td>\nPursuit of God<\/span> The Pursuit of God<\/em><\/strong><\/td>\nTozer, Aiden Wilson (April 21, 1897 \u2013 May 12, 1963)<\/td>\n1948<\/td>\nI was warned before reading this that Tozer would likely make me feel inadequate. I can see where that attitude comes from but I actually liked this little book quite a bit. It put me in mind of Brother Lawrence and I found it more an encouragement to be better than I am.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
26<\/td>\nProtagoras<\/span> Protagoras<\/em><\/strong><\/td>\nPlato (428\/427 or 424\/423 \u2013 348\/347 B.C.)<\/td>\ncirca 390 B.C.<\/td>\nThe book I have contains both Protagoras<\/em> and Meno<\/em>. However, because I read Meno<\/em> as recently as 2020, I didn’t read it again this time. Protagoras<\/em> deals with the question “Can virtue be taught?”<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
27<\/td>\nRomeo and Juliet<\/span> Romeo and Juliet<\/em><\/strong><\/td>\nShakespeare, William (circa April 26, 1564 \u2013 April 23, 1616)<\/td>\ncirca 1595<\/td>\nThis is definitely one of Shakespeare’s best know works so there were no surprises. Spoiler alert, it ends sadly.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
28<\/td>\nRome and the Mediterranean<\/span> Rome and the Mediterranean<\/em><\/strong><\/td>\nLivy (Titus Livius, 59 B.C. \u2013 A.D. 17)<\/td>\ncirca 27 B.C.<\/td>\nThis fourth and final volume of Livy’s History of Rome (Ab Urbe Condita Libri<\/em>) contains books 31 through 45, covering the the Second Macedonian War, the War with Antiochus, and the Third Macedonian War. Books 46 through 142 are, sadly, lost.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
29<\/td>\nBirthmark<\/span> The Birthmark and Other Stories<\/em><\/strong><\/td>\nHawthorne, Nathaniel (July 4, 1804 \u2013 May 19, 1864)<\/td>\n1832–1852<\/td>\n\n
    \n
  • Young Goodman Brown<\/em> (1835)<\/li>\n
  • The Minister’s Black Veil<\/em> (1836)<\/li>\n
  • Feathertop: A Moralized Legend<\/em> (1852)<\/li>\n
  • Wakefield<\/em> (1835)<\/li>\n
  • The Ambitious Guest<\/em> (1835)<\/li>\n
  • The Wives of the Dead<\/em> (1832)<\/li>\n
  • The Birthmark<\/em> (1843)<\/li>\n
  • Roger Malvin’s Burial<\/em> (1832)<\/li>\n
  • My Kinsman, Major Molineux<\/em> (1832)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
30<\/td>\nSecond Treatise of Government<\/span> Second Treatise of Government<\/em><\/strong><\/td>\nLocke, John (August, 29 1632 \u2013 October, 28 1704)<\/td>\n1689<\/td>\nLocke writes about the state of nature, conquest and slavery, property, representative government, and the right of revolution.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
31<\/td>\nRobinson Crusoe<\/span> Robinson Crusoe<\/em><\/strong><\/td>\nDufoe, Daniel (circa 1660 \u2013 April 24, 1731)<\/td>\n1719<\/td>\nAnother novel that everyone knows but not everyone has actually read. As usual, there’s quite a bit more to book than the simple story that everyone knows. Well written and very engaging.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
32<\/td>\nErotic Poems<\/span> The Erotic Poems<\/em><\/strong><\/td>\nOvid (Publius Ovidius Naso, March 20, 43 B.C. \u2013 A.D. 17 or 18)<\/td>\nBetween 16 B.C. and A.D. 8<\/td>\nThe book contains The Amores<\/em>, 16 B.C., The Art of Love<\/em>, circa A.D. 2, Cures for Love<\/em>, circa A.D. 2, and On Facial Treatment for Ladies<\/em>, between 1 B.C. and A.D. 8.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
33<\/td>\nCelestial Railroad<\/span> The Celestial Railroad and Other Stories<\/em><\/strong><\/td>\nHawthorn, Nathaniel (July 4, 1804 \u2013 May 19, 1864)<\/td>\n1834–1851<\/td>\nThis book turns out to include all but one (Feathertop<\/em>) of the short stories that were in The Birthmark and Other Stories<\/em> with the addition of the following:<\/p>\n
    \n
  • The Gray Champion<\/em> (1835)<\/li>\n
  • The Maypole of Merry Mount<\/em> (1836)<\/li>\n
  • The Great Carbuncle<\/em> (1837)<\/li>\n
  • Dr. Heidegger’s Experiment<\/em> (1837)<\/li>\n
  • Lady Eleanore’s Mantle<\/em> (1838)<\/li>\n
  • Egotism, or, The Bosom Serpent<\/em> (1834)<\/li>\n
  • The Celestial Railroad<\/em> (1843)<\/li>\n
  • Rappaccini’s Daughter<\/em> (1844)<\/li>\n
  • The Snow Image: A Childish Miracle<\/em> (1851)<\/li>\n
  • Ethan Brand<\/em> (1851)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
34<\/td>\nHand of Ethelberta<\/span> The Hand of Ethelberta<\/em><\/strong><\/td>\nHardy, Thomas (June 2, 1840 \u2013 January 11, 1928)<\/td>\n1876<\/td>\nThe fourth Hardy book this year. Not a well known work, I don’t think, but I found it wonderfull well written and a very good story.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
35<\/td>\nThus Spoke Zarathustra<\/span> Thus Spoke Zarathustra<\/em><\/strong><\/td>\nNietzsche, Friedrich (October 15, 1844 \u2013 August 25, 1900)<\/td>\n1883<\/td>\nThis is a work of philosophical fiction, dealing with ideas about the \u00dcbermensch<\/em>, the death of God, the will to power, and eternal recurrence.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
36<\/td>\nRa Expiditions<\/span> The Ra Expiditions<\/em><\/strong><\/td>\nHeyerdahl, Thor (October 6, 1914 \u2013 April 18, 2002)<\/td>\n1972<\/td>\nHeyerdahl chronicles the planning, building, and sailing of two rafts made of papyrus from the west coast of Africa across the Atlantic Ocean.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
37<\/td>\nComplete Poetry and Selected Prose of John Milton<\/span> Complete Poetry and Selected Prose of John Milton<\/em><\/strong><\/td>\nMilton, John (December 9, 1608 \u2013 November 8, 1674)<\/td>\n1673<\/td>\nThis book includes the 300+ page Paradise Lost<\/em> (1667) and the much shorter Paradise Regained<\/em> (1671), which are the principle reasons I bought and read it. I found a few of the sonnets lovely, which was a nice bonus. The prose, for the most part, was quite dry and with a few exceptions, not something I’d recommend.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
38<\/td>\nDhammapada<\/span> The Dhammapada<\/em><\/strong><\/td>\nGautama, Siddh\u0101rtha (a.k.a. the Buddha, 6th or 5th century B.C.)<\/td>\n6th or 5th century B.C.<\/td>\nA collection of 423 aphorisms grouped into 26 chapters, attributed to the Buddha. The title can be translated as The Path of Truth<\/em>.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
39<\/td>\nShip of the Line<\/span> Ship of the Line<\/em><\/strong><\/td>\nForester, C. S. (August 27, 1899 \u2013 April 2, 1966)<\/td>\n1938<\/td>\nThis is the second book published in the Hornblower series but is the seventh in terms of the story timeline.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
40<\/td>\nPens\u00e9es<\/span> Pens\u00e9es<\/em><\/strong><\/td>\nPascal, Blaise (June 19, 1623 \u2013 August 19, 1662)<\/td>\n1662<\/td>\nThe Pens\u00e9es (i.e. “Thoughts”) is a collection of fragments by the French mathematician, physicist, inventor, philosopher, writer, and Catholic theologian.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
41<\/td>\nBlithedale Romance<\/span> The Blithedale Romance<\/em><\/strong><\/td>\nHawthorne, Nathaniel (July 4, 1804 \u2013 May 19, 1864)<\/td>\n1852<\/td>\nAn interesting romance by Hawthorn.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
42<\/td>\nHistories<\/span> The Histories<\/em><\/strong><\/td>\nPolybius (circa\u2009200 \u2013 circa\u2009118 B.C.)<\/td>\nMid to late 2nd century B.C.<\/td>\nThere were originally 40 volumes in this work. The translation by Robin Waterfield has the first five, which exist in their entirety, and the existing portions of volumes six and twelve. After a summary of the first war between Rome and Carthage (the First Punic War) and a corresponding summary of the situation in Illeria, Macedonia, and Greece, he begins his history proper. He discusses the causes and first three years of the Second Punic War (a.k.a. the \u2018Hannibalic War\u2019) and then the occurrences in Greece, Asia Minor, Persia, and Egypt during the same three years.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
43<\/td>\nDesperate Remedies<\/span> Desperate Remedies<\/em><\/strong><\/td>\nHardy, Thomas (June 2, 1840 \u2013 January 11, 1928)<\/td>\n1871<\/td>\nOne of Hardy’s so-called ‘Novels of Ingenuity’, this was his first published novel.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
44a<\/td>\nBirth of Tragedy<\/span> The Birth of Tragedy<\/em><\/strong><\/td>\nNietzsche, Friedrich (October 15, 1844 \u2013 August 25, 1900)<\/td>\n1872<\/td>\nThis is the first of two works in a single book. Nietzsche discusses, as the title suggests, the development and subsequent changes to the art of tragedy. I can’t say I followed his argument well enough to explain it to anyone else, but I found it interesting.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
44b<\/td>\nGenealogy of Morals<\/span> The Genealogy of Morals<\/em><\/strong><\/td>\nNietzsche, Friedrich (October 15, 1844 \u2013 August 25, 1900)<\/td>\n1887<\/td>\nThis is the second work by Nietzsche in this book. He traces “episodes in the evolution of moral concepts with a view to confronting ‘moral prejudices’, specifically those of Christianity and Judaism.“<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
45<\/td>\nFlying Colours<\/span> Flying Colours<\/em><\/strong><\/td>\nForester, C. S. (August 27, 1899 \u2013 April 2, 1966)<\/td>\n1938<\/td>\nThis is the third book published in the Hornblower series but is the eighth in terms of the story timeline.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
46<\/td>\nFaust<\/span> Faust<\/em><\/strong><\/td>\nGoethe, Johann Wolfgang von (August 28, 1749 \u2013 March 22, 1832)<\/td>\n1829 in it’s final form<\/td>\nThis is a play, mostly written in rhymed verse, giving his version of a classic German legend based on the historical Johann Georg Faust (circa 1480\u20131540).<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
47<\/td>\nTrumpet-Major<\/span> The Trumpet-Major<\/em><\/strong><\/td>\nHardy, Thomas (June 2, 1840 \u2013 January 11, 1928)<\/td>\n1880<\/td>\nAnother romance by Hardy. He is among my favorite authors and I’m working on getting through all of his works.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
48<\/td>\nIf Ye Shall Ask<\/span> If Ye Shall Ask…<\/em><\/strong><\/td>\nChambers, Oswald (July 24, 1874 \u2013 November 15, 1917)<\/td>\n1915<\/td>\nA collection of talks on prayer given by Chambers between 1911 and 1915 at Bible Training College in Clapham Common, Greater London. It was published in 1938.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
49<\/td>\nBeowolf<\/span> Beowolf<\/em><\/strong><\/td>\nUnknown author, translated by Tolkien, J. R. R. (January 3, 1892 – September 2, 1973)<\/td>\n8th century<\/td>\nThis modern English prose translation of Beowulf was edited by his son Christopher Tolkien (November 21, 1924\u00a0\u2013 January 16, 2020) and published in 2014. In addition to the translation of Beowulf this volume contains Sellig Spell<\/em>, Tolkien’s own retelling of the story of Beowulf, and two versions of Tolkien’s The Lay of Beowulf<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
50<\/td>\nOn The Incarnation<\/span> On The Incarnation<\/em><\/strong><\/td>\nAthanasius of Alexandria (c. 296\u2013298 \u2013 May 2, 373)<\/td>\nbefore A.D. 319<\/td>\nThis is a theological meditation on the divine Word made flesh. Athanasius aims to provide \u201can elementary instruction and an outline of the faith in Christ and his divine manifestation to us.\u201d<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
51<\/td>\nRise of Silas Lapham<\/span> The Rise of Silas Lapham<\/em><\/strong><\/td>\nHowells, William Dean (March 1, 1837 \u2013 May 11, 1920)<\/td>\n1885<\/td>\nThis is a realist novel by William Dean Howells, nicknamed \u201cThe Dean of American Letters.\u201d It tells the riches to rags story of Silas Lapham who nevertheless rises from moral ambiguity to clarity.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
52<\/td>\nGentle and Lowly<\/span> Gentle and Lowly<\/em><\/strong><\/td>\nOrtland, Dane<\/td>\n2020<\/td>\nThis is a lovely book that provides a good reminder of who God is. I don’t often recommend what I sometimes refer to as \u201cChristian Self-Help Books\u201d but this is worth reading.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
53<\/td>\nWorks of Virgil<\/span> The Works of Virgil<\/em><\/strong><\/td>\nVirgil (Publius Vergilius Maro, October 15, 70 B.C. – September 21, 19 B.C.)<\/td>\nbetween 29 and 19 B.C.<\/td>\nThis book, with translations by J. W. Mackail, contains The Aeneid<\/em>, Eclogues<\/em>, and Georgics<\/em> all in prose. I read them back in 2010, but thought it was time to go through them again.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
54<\/td>\nLove’s Labor’s Lost<\/span> Love’s Labor’s Lost<\/em><\/strong><\/td>\nShakespeare, William (circa April 26, 1564 \u2013 April 23, 1616)<\/td>\ncirca 1598<\/td>\nAn early comedy by Shakespeare dealing with the relations between men and women.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
55<\/td>\nCandide<\/span> Candide<\/em><\/strong><\/td>\nVoltaire (Fran\u00e7ois-Marie Arouet, November 21, 1694\u00a0\u2013 May 30, 1778)<\/td>\n1759<\/td>\nI’m not sure what to make of this. It’s a fairly easy read and moves quickly along, but everything is so exagerated that it’s hard to really take it seriously in terms of social or philosophical criticism.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
56<\/td>\nMidsomer Night’s Dream<\/span> A Midsomer Night’s Dream<\/em><\/strong><\/td>\nShakespeare, William (circa April 26, 1564 \u2013 April 23, 1616)<\/td>\ncirca 1595 or 1596<\/td>\nA classic by Shakespeare, this is a fun play and more fun for my having seen in performed a few years ago so I knew the story pretty well ahead of time.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
57<\/td>\nAs You Like It<\/span> As You Like It<\/em><\/strong><\/td>\nShakespeare, William (circa April 26, 1564 \u2013 April 23, 1616)<\/td>\n1599<\/td>\nA final Shakespeare play to finish out the year, this has some of the best “banter” of the Bard’s plays as well as a happy ending. Highly recommended.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

<\/p>\n

Note about dates: Not all dates—either publication dates or birth\/death dates for authors—are known with any certainty and some of them are not much more than educated guesses. If the work or collection of works was written over a period of years, sorting by date will use the latest relevant date. Also, I only label dates with B.C. or A.D. if they are earlier than A.D. 1000. All unlabeled dates are A.D.<\/p>\n

Jump Back to my 2021 Reading List<\/a> or Jump Forward to my 2023 Reading List<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Jump Back to my 2021 Reading List or Jump Forward to my 2023 Reading List As I finished my reading last year, I had a fairly substantial stack of 27 books waiting for me to read in 2022. That included a few larger works, such as General Sherman’s Memoirs, Bonhoeffer by Eric Metaxas, and a … Continue reading »<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[3328],"tags":[461,2735,2734,2225,2733],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.henryhartley.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21591"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.henryhartley.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.henryhartley.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.henryhartley.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.henryhartley.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=21591"}],"version-history":[{"count":120,"href":"https:\/\/www.henryhartley.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21591\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":24963,"href":"https:\/\/www.henryhartley.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21591\/revisions\/24963"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.henryhartley.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=21591"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.henryhartley.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=21591"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.henryhartley.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=21591"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}