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I Just ordered "Robert Scott Liberty's Engraver." What books are you presently reading?
Insider2
Posts: 14,452 ✭✭✭✭✭
I finally got around to ordering "Liberty's Engraver." I've been putting it off for over a year until I caught up with my reading. Today, due to a question about polishing dies, I "pulled the trigger" and ordered the book. Now I'll have five books to read with three already started.
Started:
The Devil in the White City"
Making the Corps
Counterfeit Portrait Eight-Reales The Un-real Reales
Need to read:
The Bombers and the Bombed
Engraving Liberty when I get it.
What are you reading?
4
Comments
A recently received, original copy of William Barton's 'Memoirs of the Life of David Rittenhouse', published in 1813.
RMR: 'Wer, wenn ich schriee, hörte mich denn aus der Engel Ordnungen?'
CJ: 'No one!' [Ain't no angels in the coin biz]
Issac Asimov’s Foundations
Doing some Spanish retraining to start digging a bit deeper into some of the books related to my Spanish Colonial collection
Latin American Collection
A Guide Book of Flying Eagle and Indian Head Cents by @EagleEye
Collector of randomness. Photographer at PCGS. Lover of Harry Potter.
Encyclopedia of Morgan and Peace Dollars by Van Allen & Mallis (VAM)!
A Guide Book of Morgan Silver Dollars by Bowers
Carson City Morgan Dollars by Crum, Unger and Oxman
Now guess what I collect??
Books?
I don't have the CC Dollar book.
Bowers Inside The Rare Coin Marketplace
Re-read Dante Alighieri's La Vita Nuova this afternoon. Hadn't read it since high school. His introduction is always captivating:
"In quella parte del libro de la mia memoria dinanzi a la quale poco si potrebbe leggere, si trova una rubrica la quale dice: «Incipit vita nova». Sotto la quale rubrica io trovo scritte le parole le quali è mio intendimento d’assemplare in questo libello; e se non tutte, almeno la
loro sentenzia."
[In that part of the book of my memory before which little can be read, there is a heading which says: “Incipit vita nova: Here begins the new life.” Under that heading I find written the words that it is my intention to copy into this little book: and if not all, at least their essence.]
The Panic of 1819 - Murray Rothbard
America's First Great Depression - Alasdair Roberts
A Guide Book of Half Cents and Large Cents - QD Bowers
Fractional Money - Neil Carothers (reading it for like the 5th time)
All this for some background research on why coins were counterfeited prior to the Civil War; I'm not looking forward to the post-Civil War era!
I'm in the middle of Steinbeck's East of Eden. Not much interest numismatically, but great book nonetheless. Especially since we're considering moving to Salinas area.
http://macrocoins.com
Triumph and Tragedy by Churchill last of the set. Also A. H. Fox The Finest Gun in the World by Michael McIntosh. Taking a break from coin books for a little while so I don't burn out.
In Search of Sir Thomas Browne: The Life and Afterlife of the 17th Century's Most Enquiring Mind - Hugh Aldersley-Williams
Paradise Now: The Story of American Utopianism - Chris Jennings (met him at a mutual friend's performance in SF)
John Dee and the Empire of Angels: Enochian Magic and the Occult Roots of the Modern World - Jason Louv
Finding Fibonacci: The Quest to Rediscover the Forgotten Mathematical Genius who Changed the World - Keith Devlin
Delegates Letters to Congress (1774-1789)
I guess I like lengthy subtitles.
What is now proved was once only imagined. - William Blake
Re-read as well. A pretty heady read
m
Fellas, leave the tight pants to the ladies. If I can count the coins in your pockets you better use them to call a tailor. Stay thirsty my friends......
I read The Devil in the White City a couple of years ago. What an amazing story!
Any fan of Erik Larson, or anyone interested in the 1893 World’s Colombian Exposition in Chicago and the diabolical tale of serial killer H. H. Holmes should read it. It is riveting!
Lance.
That explains it. I wondered if you had been in Purgatorio for a while.
RMR: 'Wer, wenn ich schriee, hörte mich denn aus der Engel Ordnungen?'
CJ: 'No one!' [Ain't no angels in the coin biz]
The Mint on Carson Street/Goe and Left of Bang/Van Horne & Riley.....Cheers, RickO
Anyone interested in forgery of documents should read the two major books about Mark Hoffman and the Mormon murders. One is called White Salamander.
I agree. Also get the DVD (ANA04-029), in which Charles Larson discusses his book--available from David Lisot (coinvideo.com).
RMR: 'Wer, wenn ich schriee, hörte mich denn aus der Engel Ordnungen?'
CJ: 'No one!' [Ain't no angels in the coin biz]
Does he get detailed about making the ink and getting the paper? Dos he mention the 1959 mule cent he claimed to have made?
As I recall (I have the DVD, but haven't looked at it in years), he does mention the mule. I don't remember about the other materials. I was living in Salt Lake City when the trial took place, and the forgeries of early Mormon documents did not surprise me. Hoffman's desperation that led to violence certainly did, however. Get the DVD--it does mention things that were not in Larson's book.
RMR: 'Wer, wenn ich schriee, hörte mich denn aus der Engel Ordnungen?'
CJ: 'No one!' [Ain't no angels in the coin biz]
I shall! Thanks.
I have @Nysoto 's Robert Scot Engraving Liberty , by William F. Nyberg in my little stack 'to be read' along with The Storm before the Storm, by Mike Duncan.
Just finished Exploding Suns, by Isaac Asimov, The Merry Wives of Windsor, by a hack named Bill and The Mechanic's Tale by Steve Matchett.
Currently In the middle of The Roman Way, by Edith Hamilton with a reread of Shakespeare's English Kings, by Peter Saccio.
RE: Sonorodesertrat - "That explains it. I wondered if you had been in Purgatorio for a while."
Actually I live near the maul of Dante's Inferno, called the "White House" by some.
That is one of my all-time favourite novels.
I have read it at least six times.
Timshel!
In answer to the OP, not numismatic, but currently reading "Three Soldiers" by John Dos Passos and on the non-fiction side, George Hyde's "The Life of George Bent."
Bent was quite the interesting fellow.
For numismatic books, most recent is 1792: Birth of a Nation's Coinage. Excellent, recommend for all who are interested in the early stages of the First US Mint.
The Swamp Fox: How Francis Marion Saved the American Revolution
The First Wall Street: Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, & the Birth of American Finance
Reading now - American Revolutions: A Continental History, 1750-1804
Insider2, if you don't mind if I ask, what is your assessment of Robert Scot: Engraving Liberty ?
It is interesting that with all of the iconic coinage designs minted during Scot's tenure as Chief Engraver 1793-1823, there had been very little research done on Scot, with most authors resorting to mostly unreliable secondary sources, or speculation.
"The Copper Coins of Vermont and Interrelated Issues 1783 - 1788" A new book by Q. David Bowers.
" When Trumpets Call,Theordore Rooasevelt after the White House" by Patricia O'Tool.
The Grace and Truth Paradox by Randy Alcorn
Kevin Young's 2017 book, Bunk: The Rise of Hoaxes, Humbug, Plagiarists, Phonies, Post-Facts, and Fake News. Seems appropriate for the present. Not a great book and requires considerable advance knowledge to understand many of the anecdotes. Also, it really has no beginning or end - but it's not a story, its more of an experiment.
@insider2 , @Swampboy , and @Nysoto : The Robert Scott book was excellent. It was carefully researched and exceedingly well written. The book drastically increased my appreciation of the early coinage in which Scott had a hand in creating. It has an A+ recommendation.
I just started reading The History of the United States Mint by George Greenlief Evans, I started and stopped a few years ago as I thought it somewhat boring, but it has a lot of info regarding first coin issues in or about 1200 BC and how the Romans made excellent coin strikes in 300 BC as a prelude to modern coinage. Hope I finish it this time.
Jim
When a man who is honestly mistaken hears the truth, he will either quit being mistaken or cease to be honest....Abraham Lincoln
Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it.....Mark Twain
"Confiscation - Gold As Contraband" by Ken Furgueson
West Like Lightning, The Brief, Legendary Ride of the Pony Express by Jim DeFelice.
The Bonanza King by Gregory Crouch
Abbadon's Gate for non coin
Seated Liberty Silver Coin book
Collector of randomness. Photographer at PCGS. Lover of Harry Potter.
The Mark Hoffman stuff is fascinating. Living in Utah I have seen some of his work and it’s amazing how authentic it looks.
My in-laws lived a couple of doors down from one of the victims in Holladay, Utah until they recently moved.
Rereading "From Sarajevo to Potsdam" by A. J. P. Taylor. I read it long ago, but it is a great read. Next up are the Charlotte and Dalonega gold books.
Mark and afford - thanks for the nice comments and recommendations for my biography of Chief Engraver Robert Scot!
@Nysoto Asked: Insider2, if you don't mind if I ask, what is your assessment of Robert Scot: Engraving Liberty ?"
Your book should make you very proud. I know how hard it is to write one because I've been trying to do it since 1985!
I bought it because I learned on CU that there was a discussion about die making and the technology of the times. Thus, the first thing I did was skip the first part. After a few pages, I decided to return to the beginning. I don't see how any future author can add to Scott's autobiography. I wondered how you knew what you were writing and turned to the bibliography. Yikes, you must have spent at least a decade on research alone. The footnotes to your sources are extremely important. I can only imagine if Breen had used them to back up his writings.
Anyway, I will say that you have written book for historians and numismatists. Thus, I think it is too advanced for the average coin hoarder. Additionally, I expect I'll need to read the parts I'm most interested in twice so I don't miss anything.
Undaunted Courage by Steve Ambrose on the Louis and Clark exposition is something I read once a year or so. Incredible, and emboldens be to do the hard things in life. Someday, a peace medal may come home. I see a few at FUN each year and are not crazy money for what they are and represent.
Just finishing Riders on the Storm, an account of the Doors by drummer John Densmore. Published in 1990. My brother bought if for me as a gift around 91.....just getting to it finally. Not sure why I waited so long. John is a great writer and a honest eye witness account of the time period.
My favorite interview question, “What are you reading right now?” the right answers to me isn’t What your reading but That you are reading. Tells me a lot.
Alas, I am better at writing and collecting books than actually reading them.
Currently on the reading pile is Moral Combat: How Sex Divided American Christians and Fractured American Politics.
So far I have not found any parts about numismatics.
"Liars, Leakers, and Liberals" by Jeanine Pirro
If only 10% of what she writes is true, this country is in big trouble. Am actually listening to an Audible book while I drive.
Quite disturbing.
Edited to add: Coins are a distant third on my reading list.
“In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock." - Thomas Jefferson
My digital cameo album 1950-64 Cameos - take a look!
There are several best sellers out at the moment that would rock our world. I've been waiting for the folks accused of these things to get on TV and repudiate all of it but they are staying very quiet. At least two former Presidents did just that! Sadly, both Bill and Dick lied right to our faces.
(
Does anyone else have the "Rat up the Spout" quarter?
Thanks for getting back. Yes, the entire process of research and writing was about a decade. The gems of information came from unpublished manuscripts, in government and private archives - these took time to research and a number of on-site trips to the archives. There were many surprises. Who created the first federal revenue stamps? Robert Scot and Adam Eckfeldt, AT THE MINT, in support of the effort to finance the re-building of the US Navy, to successfully fight the Quasi and First Barbary wars.
It will keep you awake!
"Silver Legend" The story of the Maria Theresa Thaler. by Clara Semple.
I know very little about these but have always liked the design. Good read so far, I found out about the book from another member in a recent MTT thread.
LORDS OF FINANCE the bankers who broke the world.
A Prayer for Owen Meany
Coin book?
The Authoritative Reference on Two Cent Coins by Kevin Flynn
Normal everyday reading books?
The Authoritative Reference on Two Cent Coins by Kevin Flynn
Summer reading - interesting and actually has interviews of numismatists at the end:
Pacific Northwest Numismatic Association
I'm brushing up on Lange's Lincoln Cent and Buffalo Nickel books, as well as revisiting the PCGS Counterfeit Detection Guide.
Pete