New books in the mail, and on the reading stack

The Look-It-Up Book of Presidents

One of the first “Presidents” books to be updated with a bio of Obama. No glaring red flags in the Bush & Obama write-ups. the author appears to have tried to be even-handed. Less happy with the Harding & Wilson sections. Will have to read through carefully before making a final judgement.

The Great Game: The Struggle for Empire in Central Asia

Originally published in 1990 in Great Britain. The Great Game was the struggle between Victorian Britain and Tsarist Russia for influence and position in Central Asia. Britain feared that the Russians would come south through Afghanistan and threaten India – which the Russias openly desired to do. I’ve run across a number of references to the book and the metaphor. Time to fill in a little corner of knowledge.

The Baader-Meinhof Complex

Originally published in 1985 in the Germany, translated in 1987. Re-published in 2008 in the UK – not yet available in the US, but there is a seller you can click through to from Amazon. There’s a new movie out in Germany which tells the tale, based on this book written by a reporter who knew many of them but who rejected their irrational, romantic embrace of violence. Can’t wait to dig in.