Beethoven: The Man Revealed by John Suchet

In further preparation for our upcoming trip to Vienna I chose this book about Beethoven.  I had read a book of his letters perhaps 30 years ago, a book which I still have in my study.

I chose Suchet's book largely due to its brevity of only a few hundred pages.  It was sufficient in detail to suit its purpose, and was well researched and written.

I was reminded of Beethoven's legal battles to adopt his nephew.  But I did not recall his eccentricities.  Apparently his downtrodden appearance led to many believing upon first site that he was a vagrant.

Such are the minds of many geniuses, so brilliant in one aspect, while so lacking in common traits and behaviors.

His deafness occurred much earlier in adulthood than I recalled.  Such a sad irony for one of the world's greatest composers to lose his hearing.

The book has spurred me to listen to his works.  While in my high school and college years I spent much time with his symphonic works and piano sonatas, I'm now drawn to his string works for smaller ensembles.

Anyhow, the book added additional color and life to the city of Vienna and the broader Germanic world that I'm seeking in advance of our trip.

Maria Theresa of Austria by Regine Neuhauser

I just completed this book about one of the most important figures in Austrian history.  I've known of her for years, largely as a central figure in the Seven Years War from 1756-1763.

My fear that this biography would focus on the extensive warring of her reign as Empress was not realized.  Neuhauser appropriately reviewed the military history, but then spent most of the book detailing other aspects of her reign, covering diplomacy, the economy, religious, civic and cultural matters.

And of course the book detailed Maria Theresa's infamous marriage-diplomacy, sending off her daughters to the far corners of Europe in the (mostly) vain hope of expanding Austrian rule.

She was staunchly Catholic, refusing to allow Protestantism to prosper in her realms.  And although hardly a leader of the Enlightenment, she did push through a variety of reforms that benefitted her people.  She famously introduced smallpox vaccination at a time when that was wildly controversial (some things never change), and also introduced widespread educational programs that benefitted even her lowliest subjects, well ahead of her time.

With Maria Theresa behind me, I've now firmed up a Viennese reading list that should take all of the next 12 weeks until our trip.

The Crossroads of Civilisation - A History of Vienna - by Angus Robertson

This read officially kicks off my planning for our upcoming trip to Vienna, less than four months away.  I normally spend 1-2 years reading and studying for our trips, so now I've got to cram a lot of reading into a short period of time.

I've read quite a lot about Vienna, just not in a single volume dedicated to the subject.  This history took me through the entire scope, with refreshers on so many things: The Ottoman invasions, Mozart and his interactions with Emperor Joseph II and Salieri, the travels of Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, and so many others.

The book helped me develop a reading list for the next few months, from the topics mentioned above plus Beethoven, Maria Theresa, Eugene of Savoy and others.

I'm so looking forward to this trip...

Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie

This was perhaps the most original novel I've ever read.  At times it reminded me much of Dickens with his multiplicity of characters and meandering plot, but also like King concerning his obsession with darkness and his ability to tell stories through the eyes of children.

But the book's deep originality came from its overarching story, that of the children born at the exact moment (or shortly after) of India's independence.  The children of Midnight's Children become the hopes of India for a better future, but one by one, slowly over time, those children (and the metaphorical hopes they represent) die and wither away.

Protagonist Saleem, born exactly at midnight, represents a literal India, with his body slowly cracking over time as India's hopes erode.

Forces work to destroy Saleem and the other children, but a generation of new children, I suppose the grandchildren of midnight, live on, representing continued hope for the long-term wellness and prosperity of India.

It's a fabulous story in its conception, if perhaps a little longer than it needed to be for my taste (again, the Dicken's reference holds up).

But a fabulous book nonetheless.  

Written more than 40 years ago, early in Rushdie's career, I'm curious to find out how his writing evolves over the decades.  I'm sure I will be back for more.

China Between Empires by Mark Edward Lewis

I continue my study of China with this second volume of Lewis' six part series.

I found parts of it challenging, partly due to long treatises on military activity that simply doesn't interest me, plus the nature of this portion of Chinese history, the low ebb known as the "Northern and Southern Dynasties" period that took place between the fall of the Han and the rise of the Sui and Tang Dynasties.

Many sections thrilled me, however, especially that on cultural advancements.  The wide adoption of Buddhism, of course, interests me.  

But also the section about the rising importance of natural environments during the period: The insecurities of the time sent many elites into the mountains and hinterlands, adopting hermit-like lifestyles and building elaborate mountain palaces.

But an opposite reversion to nature also took place, bringing natural life into the cities and palaces with elaborate gardens, something still strongly seen in East Asian culture.

It's slow going, but I'm beginning to wrap my arms around Chinese culture.  I'm guessing the coming volumes of Lewis' series will provide further appreciation, as the dynasties become more distinct and our understanding of them more vivid.

The Lost Flamingoes of Bombay by Siddharth Dhanvant Shanghvi

This novel, which I first downloaded some years ago, was exactly what I needed to cleanse my reading palette.  

Beyond that, it was just a terrific book, painting a picture of the superbly contradictory nature of India, and Bombay in particular.

It brings to life the brilliant cultural richness, combined with the loving humanity, juxtaposed with horrific squalor that I recall from my past studies and time spent in India.

I would love to read more of his work.  

And after some digging, it reminds me to try out Salman Rushdie's work as well.  Perhaps there is some treasure to be unearthed there.

Socrates by Paul Johnson

With my study of the ancient Greek historians complete, I've now moved on to my study of Greek philosophy.

And after brief consideration, I realize that I don't have it in me to do a deep dive.  Besides my love of Stoicism, and cursory awareness of Greek philosophy that I've absorbed along the way, I just can't dig deeper into the subject.  The brief encounters I've had with Greek thinking, and with philosophy in general, convince me that I don't possess the intellectual rigor to take it any further.

However, I will tackle the subject via biographies of Socrates, Plato and Aristotle.

And this short read on Socrates was brilliant in its simplicity.  A brief overview of the man's life, the key points of his philosophical work, and a poignant telling of his final days was all that I required.

Socrates' largest contributions to the Athens and the world at large were:

• His belief that ethical principles must never be broached.  Never.  Not under any circumstance, whatsoever.  If something is wrong, then you simply don't do it, ever.  This applies to the behavior of both people and political bodies.
• His belief that one should never retaliate against one who has done you wrong.  In the context of perpetual warring among the Greek states, this was an absurdly original thought.  Instead of retaliating, try to convert your offender into a friend instead.  And again, this applies to both people and political bodies.
• His persistent work to persuade his fellow Athenians to truly understand the reasons for their actions.  This manifested itself in his famous Socratic dialog, that asked people to define words with precision.  By doing so he inevitably pointed out the fallacies in their logic, encouraging them to think more critically about their actions.  Socrates' famous statement that he "knew nothing" wasn't meant to be taken literally, but rather to underscore that we all need to think harder and not simply accept that our actions are right.

These three contributions, and much more besides, set the foundation for new thinking that resonates to this day.