non-fiction and documentary recommendations

[Irish George]

If I want fiction I will read dispatches from Dave Spadaro. I have always been a nonfiction guy.

I heartily recommend "1944" by Jay Winik. Essentially a history of WWII from the perspective of President Franklin Roosevelt. Learned a lot about this brilliant, flawed leader and specifics on how our government dragged its feet in trying to save European Jews, and the hundreds of thousands of lives these no-decisions cost.

Just finished watching "Jim" an HBO documentary about the ISIS-murdered American journalist James Foley. Very moving and powerful story not just of Foley but the other "conflict journalists" who put their lives on the line to inform us about what is happening in our increasingly dangerous world.

OK...looking for a new non-fiction read and more great documentaries. What have you got for me?

[Loki]

God is My Co-pilot

Great account of the Flying Tigers in WWII. Easy beach read and a decent book.


For a sports book, Jerry Kramer's Instant Replay is pretty good, as well as the Bootlegger's Boy book about Barry Switzer.


I got a book about Red Klotz written by some hack, but I couldn't get past the first ten pages. *)

[Birdwatcher]

If you haven't seen...

Ken Burn's documentary on the whole Roosevelt clan, from Teddy to Franklin and Eleanor, take a look, it is quite an amazing legacy that family gave us. One of the rare privileged class of that era that wanted elevate the less fortunate rather than exploit them. They were all flawed, as all of us are, but unlike politicians of this age, they actually cared and wanted to serve our country.

[KenfromCanada]

No exactly in the same sort of category but "Shake Hands With The Devil", a book by Gen. Romeo Dellaire who was the Canadian in charge of the UN mission to Rwanda during the Hutu/Tutsi genocide in 1993. Chilling book demonstrating the racial hatred in man. A movie was made as well of the same name. It is an independent movie so other than Amazon it can be hard to find. Great read on how the West ignored a boiling situation that led to the death of 800 000 Tutsi's in 100 days. Brutal and sad story on the inhumanity of man.

[HEREisAKERS]

All Who Go Do Not Return by Shulem Deen

Rec. by Richard Dawkins at NYPL

Awesome

[AthensEagle]

A Dawn Like Thunder: The True Story of Torpedo Squadron Eight

[slag]

Although I play, I don't like golf books generally ... but highly recommend "Who's Your Caddy?" by Rick Reilly (excellent writer who worked for SI and ESPN the Mag).

Concept is he received permission from 5 PGA pros and 5 celebrities to caddy for them while they played golf and he then wrote his impressions of their personalities as revealed during the round.

There is a very interesting chapter on Donald Trump, considering what's going on now.

Informative, revealing and funny.

EDITED TO ADD: The only other golf book I've enjoyed is "A Good Walk Spoiled" by John Feinstein (who also wrote a very good book on Bobby Knight: "A Season on the Brink")

[The Duck]

My all-time favorite documentary is "Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse", about the insanity of the making of Apocalypse Now. You don't have to be a film dork to enjoy it, either. It's mind blowing.

[muggz]

Have you read...

1776 by David Mccullough?

Very well written. Should be read in connection with his better known "John Adams."

I've always loved Revolutionary war history and I liked it because of the focus on activities in and around the Phila area.

[slag]

If you're looking for a non-sports book take a look at "The Power Broker" by Robert Caro ... the inside story about Robert Moses and how he basically built the infrastructure of NYC.

Won a Pulitzer ... really long.