You are not mistaken. It is.
When I was a young whippersnapper of 40, I could eat, drink, and read anything just before closing my eyes and experience no problem slipping into a sleep so deep that cannons could not disturb it. Now, however, I've found that sleep requires preparation and that a key element pertains to reading material.
The latest Stephen King novel? Forget it. The idea-packed management best-seller? No way. I want a volume that is informative and interesting but which can be put down with no lingering side-effects.
That's where historical fiction comes in. Does anyone read Thomas Costain novels anymore? If you don't want to go that far back, check out Colleen McCullough's novels about ancient Rome. Great stuff Large, slow-moving, and very entertaining but not caffeine in print.
That's where historical fiction comes in. Does anyone read Thomas Costain novels anymore? If you don't want to go that far back, check out Colleen McCullough's novels about ancient Rome. Great stuff Large, slow-moving, and very entertaining but not caffeine in print.
5 comments:
At 40 I have already limited my nighttime reading - nothing about work or studies. Only fiction novels and magazines allowed. I guess I have historical non-fiction to look forward to in the near future :)
Interesting, I shared a flight with a Catholic Msgr a month ago, and he recommended Colleen McCullough to me to read. It's a small, small world
The Colleen McCullough novels on Rome are very good. Years ago, I read the first in the series - "The First Man in Rome" - and enjoyed it. Recently skipped ahead and finished "Caesar." It was very good. Am currently reading "The October Horse."
I plan on reading the ones I skipped.
Another historical fiction series I highly recommend is Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey-Maturin series based during the Napoleonic wars.
Michael
Michael, you have similar taste with my father, who also recommends the O'Brian books. He also recomends Jane Austin, which I also enjoy.
Along those lines, if you have never read the satire books based on the 80s "Yes, Minister" series in England, I think you would enjoy them, whether you have watched the series or not. I recently re-read them and found them to be just a fresh and funny as when I first watched the series and read the books years ago.
Dan in Philly,
I'm around mid-way through the "Yes, Minister" books and enjoying them. Good lessons on the games of the bureaucracy.
Michael
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