LitQueuelitqueue

After

Son of the Morning Star: General Custer and the Battle of the Little Bighorn

Evan S. Connell

6 of 6 directions open

More like it

Same elegiac register, still biography

1 more ↓

  • Lawrence in Arabia

    Scott Anderson2013

    The story of the Arab Revolt during WWI told through the lives of four men, including T.E. Lawrence and a German spy.

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Denser prose

3 more ↓

  • Either/Or

    Søren Kierkegaard1992

    A collection of papers presents two life philosophies: the aesthetic pursuit of pleasure and the ethical commitment to duty.

    elegiac → meditative

    pace-1·prose+1·bleak-1

  • Orientalism

    Edward W. Said1978

    A scholarly critique of how Western academics and artists represent the Middle East to justify imperial power.

    elegiac → clinical

    pace0·prose+1·bleak-1

  • Superintelligence: Paths, Dangers, Strategies

    Nick Bostrom

    An analysis of the risks posed by artificial intelligence reaching human-level cognition. It maps out potential control problems and outcomes.

    elegiac → clinical

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To recover

3 more ↓

  • A Higher Call

    Adam Makos2013

    In 1943, a German fighter pilot chooses not to shoot down a crippled American bomber. The book follows both men before and after the encounter.

    elegiac → earnest, still biography

    pace+1·prose-1·bleak-2

  • The Last Question

    Isaac Asimov2007

    A short story told in seven vignettes spanning billions of years. Humanity asks a supercomputer if the heat death of the universe can be avoided.

    elegiac → meditative

    pace+1·prose-2·bleak-2

  • The Confidante: The Untold Story of the Woman Who Helped Win WWII and Shape Modern America

    Christopher C. Gorham

    A biography of Anna Rosenberg, a labor expert and advisor who managed manpower for the U.S. during World War II.

    elegiac → earnest, still biography

    pace0·prose-1·bleak-2

Faster

3 more ↓

  • Astrophysics for People in a Hurry

    Neil deGrasse Tyson2017

    A summary of the origin of the universe, the laws of physics, and the nature of space and time.

    elegiac → playful

    pace+2·prose-2·bleak-2

  • Steal Like an Artist

    Austin Kleon2012

    A series of short, illustrated principles for creative work. It focuses on remixing existing ideas and establishing productive daily habits.

    elegiac → playful

    pace+2·prose-2·bleak-2

  • Poke the Box

    Seth Godin2011

    A short manifesto encouraging readers to start projects and take initiative. It argues that the greatest risk is staying in place.

    elegiac → earnest

    pace+2·prose-2·bleak-2

Slower

3 more ↓

  • Confessions of a prairie bitch

    Alison Arngrim2010

    The actress who played Nellie Oleson recounts her time on Little House on the Prairie and her subsequent life in activism.

    elegiac → tender, still biography

    pace-1·prose-1·bleak-1

  • The Prophet

    Kahlil Gibran1900

    A prophet waiting for a ship home delivers twenty-six sermons to a crowd. He speaks on topics like love, work, and death.

    elegiac → meditative

    pace-1·prose0·bleak-2

  • Tao Te Ching

    Lao Tzu1842

    A collection of 81 short poetic verses outlining the principles of the Tao. It focuses on balance, inaction, and the flow of the natural world.

    elegiac → meditative

    pace-1·prose+1·bleak-2

Heavier

Same elegiac register, still biography

3 more ↓

  • Stalingrad: The Fateful Siege, 1942–1943

    Antony Beevor

    A chronological account of the battle for Stalingrad using primary sources. It details the military strategy and the starvation of soldiers.

    elegiac → bleak, still military history

    pace+1·prose0·bleak+1

  • Als die Soldaten kamen: Die Vergewaltigung deutscher Frauen am Ende des Zweiten Weltkriegs

    Miriam Gebhardt

    A historical study of the mass sexual violence committed by Allied soldiers in Germany in 1945. It uses archival records and victim testimonies.

    elegiac → clinical, still military history

    pace0·prose0·bleak+1

  • Enemy at the Gates: The Battle for Stalingrad

    William Craig

    A chronological account of the 1942-1943 battle between German and Soviet forces. It uses survivor interviews to detail the siege and starvation.

    elegiac → bleak, still military history

    pace+1·prose-1·bleak+1