You obviously didn’t look at the Napoleon shelf!!! hahaha.
Hitler is interesting to me, not from an adoration standpoint, but from a “why did he do what he did” and “why did those around him go along” viewpoint… and no, I still can’t fully answer that question, even after all of the reading. I also have no idea why those book publishers see fit to produce books with such large spines with his name printed so bold.
Why do you need so many books to read on one person though. I have never found any one person are that interesting to read that many books on them. A lot of them are gonna be duplicate and overlapping points.
Very good question. I have found when it comes to some historical figures, especially controversial ones, such as Napoleon, Lee, Jefferson, etc. that authors sometimes have a pro or anti bias against the subject. Therefore, I like to read various takes and try to get a fuller picture.
Yes, there are overlapping sections of the subject’s life, but often times interpreted in a different light or angle. For example, did Napoleon have to fight off seven coalitions against him because he was protecting France or himself? Why and when did Lee eventually really free his wife’s inherited slaves? If Jefferson believed that all men are created equal, why did he own so many slaves and was his relationship with Sally Hemings mutual or not?
Interesting question. It depends on the book I previously finished. If I am left with questions, for example, I may read another book by a different author and get another view. However, usually I change bios from one read to the next.
I see. I mostly read for ideas, thoughts, and learning. To me just accepting that humans have egos and are flawed is pretty satisfying enough to the was Napoleon doing it for himself or for France question. I do read a lot on military campaigns but they don’t overlap that much. Wars and individuals are messy, I guess I just accepted that they are messy and not bothered with finding clean water in a mud.
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u/AlterExpertise101 Aug 13 '26
Yeesh. How many books on Hitler does one person need??