Narrative/Literary Non-Fiction Recommendations.

[Scott Dolan]

While preparing for our trip to the dessert next week, I was looking for a good book to read. In doing so I came across The Devil In The White City by Erik Larson which I read a few years ago and thoroughly enjoyed. Remembering that, and discovering that type of non-fiction has its own sub genre, I'm interested in finding more great books.

So does anyone else here have any books they'd recommend?

Oh, and I've decided my book for the trip will be another from Larson called Isaac's Storm, about the Galveston Hurricane.

[ejp626]

Maybe Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil: A Savannah Story by John Berendt

or another disaster book: Dennis Smith's San Francisco Is Burning.

[Scott Dolan]

Thanks! I will definitely put Midnight on my list. I didn't care much for the movie, but have always heard that the book is outstanding.

The other rec will indeed go into the queue as well.

Edited March 27, 2015 by Scott Dolan

[Milestones]

Among the classics in this field are In Cold Blood by Capote and The Executioner's Song by Mailer. I'm afraid I never read the latter.

[medjuck]

a bunch of my friends just recommended Erik Larson's next book-- the one about the US ambassador to Nazi Germany. I haven't read it because though I was fascinated by Devil in the White City I thought the writing was cheezy. MY friends assured me that his next book was great. And he has a new one out about The Lusitania which sounds good.

Edited March 27, 2015 by medjuck

[Scott Dolan]

Yeah, I almost bought the Lusitania book (Dead Wake) instead. It's definitely not far down my list.

And the book you allude to, In The Garden Of Beasts, gets rave reviews.

As for the writing in The Devil, I'm probably far too biased because I'm a sucker for anything relating to old World's Fairs. Especially the ones from the late 1800's and early 1900's. So I was probably too wrapped up in that aspect of it to notice the overall quality of the writing. Either way, it certainly had me hooked.

Edited March 27, 2015 by Scott Dolan

[erwbol]

King Leopold's Ghost by Adam Hochschild.

Eyeopening book about our southern neighbour's king's horrific colonial ambitions in Africa's Congo region.

[Scott Dolan]

King Leopold's Ghost by Adam Hochschild.

Eyeopening book about our southern neighbour's king's horrific colonial ambitions in Africa's Congo region.

Hmmm… completely unfamiliar with that one. Thanks for the rec. Sounds like a subject I'd be highly interested in. I'm not as hardcore into politics as I once was, but the history of colonialism is an important one.

I'll add it to my list based on that fact alone.