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Books everyone should read

13»

Comments

  • #102
    Denerick
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 6,488 ✭✭✭Denerick


    Modern(ish) Political History:

    -Postwar by Tony Judt
    -Empire by Niall Ferguson
    -Origins of the Second World War by AJP Taylor
    -The Transformation of Ireland: 1900-2000 by Diarmuid Ferriter (Also useful: 'The Modernisation of Ireland 1848-1918' by J.J. Lee, 'Modern Ireland 1600-1972' by R.F. Foster, 'Ireland Since the Famine' by F.S.L. Lyons - and thats just the general survey histories)
    -States of Ireland by Conor Cruise O'Brien (This is more of a polemic that actual history, but fascinating nonetheless)
    -The four European history books by Eric Hobsbawm (Something of an ideological relic but still interesting)

    Base Texts
    -The Bible
    -Plato's Republic
    -Machiavelli's 'The Prince'
    -The Communist Manifesto (I haven't actually read Capital so I couldn't possibly recommend it)
    -Edmund Burke's 'Reflections on the Revolution in France'. - Of all the books I've read this has influenced me the most. At its heart is a reactionary and conservative insanity, but more broadly, and when treated with more kindness, you see a principle of ideological moderation, tolerance, and respect for fundamental rights and liberties that the extreme fervour of revolution tends to trample on.)
    -Thomas Paine's 'Common Sense' and 'The Rights of Man'
    -Collected pamphlets of Rousseau
    ETC. !

    Political/Philosophical satire and/or parody
    -The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists by Robert Tressel (Currently reading)
    -Anything by Orwell - particularly Animal Farm & 1984 but also 'Coming up for Air' and 'Homage to Catalonia' (Which is a memoir but still relevant if you fear deliberate misinformation perpetuated by the powerful)
    -Catch 22 by Joseph Heller (anti bureaucratism)
    -One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey (Liberal Humanism Vs Rational Behaviourism - guess which side I come out in favour of)
    -Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck (Ultimate denunciation of the 'American Dream')
    -Babbit by Sinclair Lewis


  • #103
    Fenian Army
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,483 ✭✭✭Fenian Army


    Ireland her own - T.A Jackson

    Ten Men dead

    And above all: "Northern Ireland - The Orange State" by Michael Farrell


  • #104
    Fenian Army
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,483 ✭✭✭Fenian Army


    Denerick wrote: »
    Modern(ish) Political History:

    -Postwar by Tony Judt
    -Empire by Niall Ferguson
    -Origins of the Second World War by AJP Taylor
    -The Transformation of Ireland: 1900-2000 by Diarmuid Ferriter (Also useful: 'The Modernisation of Ireland 1848-1918' by J.J. Lee, 'Modern Ireland 1600-1972' by R.F. Foster, 'Ireland Since the Famine' by F.S.L. Lyons - and thats just the general survey histories)
    -States of Ireland by Conor Cruise O'Brien (This is more of a polemic that actual history, but fascinating nonetheless)
    -The four European history books by Eric Hobsbawm (Something of an ideological relic but still interesting)

    Base Texts
    -The Bible
    -Plato's Republic
    -Machiavelli's 'The Prince'
    -The Communist Manifesto (I haven't actually read Capital so I couldn't possibly recommend it)
    -Edmund Burke's 'Reflections on the Revolution in France'. - Of all the books I've read this has influenced me the most. At its heart is a reactionary and conservative insanity, but more broadly, and when treated with more kindness, you see a principle of ideological moderation, tolerance, and respect for fundamental rights and liberties that the extreme fervour of revolution tends to trample on.)
    -Thomas Paine's 'Common Sense' and 'The Rights of Man'
    -Collected pamphlets of Rousseau
    ETC. !

    Political/Philosophical satire and/or parody
    -The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists by Robert Tressel (Currently reading)
    -Anything by Orwell - particularly Animal Farm & 1984 but also 'Coming up for Air' and 'Homage to Catalonia' (Which is a memoir but still relevant if you fear deliberate misinformation perpetuated by the powerful)
    -Catch 22 by Joseph Heller (anti bureaucratism)
    -One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey (Liberal Humanism Vs Rational Behaviourism - guess which side I come out in favour of)
    -Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck (Ultimate denunciation of the 'American Dream')
    -Babbit by Sinclair Lewis

    Some excellent books there - Haven't read The Transformation of Ireland: 1900-2000 by Diarmuid Ferriter yet, what did you think of it?


  • #105
    Denerick
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 6,488 ✭✭✭Denerick


    Fenian Army wrote: »
    Some excellent books there - Haven't read The Transformation of Ireland: 1900-2000 by Diarmuid Ferriter yet, what did you think of it?

    I was very impressed with it. He has a real passion and understanding of Ireland in the Free State years (The most interesting part of the book) Can't flaw him as a revisionist or a republican either. Of course he has bias but I think he is largely outside the Irish historical culture wars.


  • #106
    Valmont
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,857 ✭✭✭Valmont


    johnnyskeleton wrote: »
    As to recommendations, I would rather suggest how to read not what to read. You shouldn't read only those view pouts that you are iterested in, and you should read everything with scepticism.
    I'm not sure why it frightens you so much that a libertarian might read and recommend Ayn Rand novels! For your information I just finished Free Market Madness and I was disappointed only in that Ubel bases his argument far too heavily on obesity. I was expecting a more widely sourced put-down of free-market economic theories.

    A very concise and readable introduction to Austrian economics is Economics in One Lesson by Henry Hazlitt. Considering many of you here have the indirect hobby of arguing with libertarians, this book may be an excellent source for some ammunition!


  • #107
    KyussBishop
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,797 ✭✭✭KyussBishop


    I also increasingly don't understand most Austro-Libertarian posters complete lack of skepticism towards the texts (and often views) they promote; things that are supportive of Austrian economics/Libertarianism are given unquestioned credence, and only stuff that is critical of it is treated with skepticism, and when arguments countering criticism fall short, the criticism is then just ignored and not acknowledged.
    Valmont wrote: »
    A very concise and readable introduction to Austrian economics is Economics in One Lesson by Henry Hazlitt. Considering many of you here have the indirect hobby of arguing with libertarians, this book may be an excellent source for some ammunition!
    Have you any criticisms of 'Economics in One Lesson' yourself, or done any research on the credibility of book, or looked for criticism of it online?

    I've encountered it before here and have been critical of it before (and a google search or two is quick to find ammunition), but I want to see if you are able to be skeptical or critical of it.


  • #108
    doc_17
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,972 ✭✭✭doc_17


    I really enjoyed Samantha Power's book about the various genocides that have occured in Europe in the 20th century. Found it really detailed, forensic in a way.


  • #109
    SamHarris
    Registered Users Posts: 1,633 ✭✭✭SamHarris


    Clash of Civilizations and the remaking of the world order - Samuel P Huntington. Probably the most influential political theory book of the last 20 years.

    The State of Africa - Martin Meredith. An excellent over view of post colonial Africa. Tragic, but explains excelently why it is where it is.

    The Rise and Fall of Communism -Archie Brown. Explains why communism both worked and didnt. Never properly understood why people are still so ideologically dedicated to countries that practice/practiced this form of society untill this lay out the development of peoples attitudes.

    The Opium Wars (cant remember the author) - an incredibly important event nearly forgotten in the West, and when remembered poorly understood.

    The Just War In Islam (again cant remember the author, sorry) - lays out the relgious basis for the various violent islamic movements in the world today. The absolutists who believe that violence is emblamatic of Islam, and those who believe it has nothing to do with Islam per se are both wrong, and this book lays out why. Very sympathetic (in a good way) and is both depressing and hopeful in equal parts.


  • #110
    johnnyskeleton
    Moderators, Entertainment Moderators, Politics Moderators Posts: 14,535 Mod ✭✭✭✭johnnyskeleton


    Valmont wrote: »
    I'm not sure why it frightens you so much that a libertarian might read and recommend Ayn Rand novels! For your information I just finished Free Market Madness and I was disappointed only in that Ubel bases his argument far too heavily on obesity. I was expecting a more widely sourced put-down of free-market economic theories.

    It doesn't frighten me at all, nor did I say as such. I simply said that I thought Atlas Shrugged was rubbish and if Rand's goal was to extoll the virtues of self made individuals, she made some very poor choices for her character's backgrounds.
    Valmont wrote: »
    A very concise and readable introduction to Austrian economics is Economics in One Lesson by Henry Hazlitt. Considering many of you here have the indirect hobby of arguing with libertarians, this book may be an excellent source for some ammunition!

    Sigh. While I appreciate that this thread is about book recommendations, it is not a particularly convincing to say:

    If you had read [insert name of book] then you'd know what you're talking about.



    Anyway, just finished reading The political animal by Jeremy Paxman. A good, if by necessity anecdotal, description of the motiviations and obsessions of UK parliamentarians throughout the years.


  • #111
    Cognitive Cascade
    Closed Accounts Posts: 51 ✭✭Cognitive Cascade


    junder wrote: »
    John pilgers 'hidden agendas'

    Eamon Collins 'killing rage' good insight into the pira

    Seriously, do you have anything better to do besides trying to turn threads on the politics forum into train wrecks about northern Ireland, that is actually all you do on this site.

    It's pretty sad.


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  • #112
    Ambient Occlusion
    Registered Users Posts: 122 ✭✭Ambient Occlusion


    Apologies, as this goes against the grain of the thread a bit; rather than recommend, I shall ask for assistance. Does anyone have any suggestions for a good book relating to Meritocracy or internal Irish political reform? I don't really know where to start because I'm only beginning to form a personal ideology. Thank you.


  • #113
    johnnyskeleton
    Moderators, Entertainment Moderators, Politics Moderators Posts: 14,535 Mod ✭✭✭✭johnnyskeleton


    Ambient Occlusion wrote: »
    Apologies, as this goes against the grain of the thread a bit; rather than recommend, I shall ask for assistance. Does anyone have any suggestions for a good book relating to Meritocracy or internal Irish political reform? I don't really know where to start because I'm only beginning to form a personal ideology. Thank you.

    Why Ireland was so poor for so long by prof tom garvin is a good book about the systemic corruption and cronyism that is even now still thoroughly ingrained in Irish society. That sort of thing?


  • #114
    RATM
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,591 ✭✭✭RATM


    Great thread.

    Would have to say that Machivellis 'The Prince' is essential reading for anyone who wants to understand how a nation state is run and the tricks of the trade of politics, it was way ahead of its time.

    To understand US hegemony over the last 100 years Noam Chomsky's 'Understanding Power' is a great read. It obviously has Chomsky's slant contained within it but it demonstrates how all the things the US accuse other nations of (i.e. terror) are conducted by the US itself. Chomsky is one of the greatest living academics and has this extraordinary memory and talent for catching Washington power mongers out at their own game. It makes it a fascinating read. It also contains a few interviews during which Chomsky outlines his political philosophy of anarchism which is eye opening for anyone who thought anarchism is just about starting fights at protests (which I did at an innocent 18 ! )


  • #115
    Denerick
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 6,488 ✭✭✭Denerick


    RATM wrote: »
    Great thread.

    Would have to say that Machivellis 'The Prince' is essential reading for anyone who wants to understand how a nation state is run and the tricks of the trade of politics, it was way ahead of its time.

    I'm currently enjoying a Danish political drama called 'Borgen'. Each episode opens with a famous or relevant political quote. Machiavelli must have around half of them at this stage.


  • #116
    SocSocPol
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,043 ✭✭✭SocSocPol


    In defence of Politics by Bernard Crick
    Globalism and its Discontents by Joseph Stiglitz
    The Social Contact and Discourses by JJ Rousseau


  • #117
    southsiderosie
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,565 ✭✭✭southsiderosie


    MOD NOTE:

    FYI - I've pulled the posts on free thought vs. ideology out of this thread into their own thread in the Political Theory forum.


  • #118
    thecommietommy
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 564 ✭✭✭thecommietommy


    Art of War of Sun Tzu, Paisley From Demagogue to Democrat ? by Ed Moloney, The Longest Day by Cornelius Ryan.


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