Best Defense
Thomas E. Ricks' daily take on national security.

My fun reading

I read tons of current books for my day jobs — almost all the new stuff about the military, Iraq, Afghanistan, and so on. At night I try read farther afield. On the fun front, I’ve finally finished Antonia Fraser’s biography of Cromwell. I liked it but after 600 pages began to find her style ...

By , a former contributing editor to Foreign Policy.
587689_090317_book_rez2.jpg
587689_090317_book_rez2.jpg

I read tons of current books for my day jobs -- almost all the new stuff about the military, Iraq, Afghanistan, and so on. At night I try read farther afield. On the fun front, I've finally finished Antonia Fraser's biography of Cromwell. I liked it but after 600 pages began to find her style off-putting -- she tends to explain the event before telling you what actually happened.

I read tons of current books for my day jobs — almost all the new stuff about the military, Iraq, Afghanistan, and so on. At night I try read farther afield. On the fun front, I’ve finally finished Antonia Fraser’s biography of Cromwell. I liked it but after 600 pages began to find her style off-putting — she tends to explain the event before telling you what actually happened.

Following the suggestion of a comment on this blog, next up on the nightstand is The Cousins’ Wars, by Kevin Phillips. Speaking of your postings, I appreciate all your comments. I read every one of them, but try to respond only when I think I’ve got something to say. Often I find that someone else has gotten there first with my thought, which is fine by me.    

Thomas E. Ricks is a former contributing editor to Foreign Policy. Twitter: @tomricks1

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