Wed, Nov 6, 7:15 PM (2 days ago)
Hi James. I see you are traveling again. Are you making it out to Oregon?
I have a question I thought you might be interested in. When I realized my understanding of the world needed to rebuilt from the bottom up, I decided to try to read old books dating back as far as I could and work my way forward. So far I have gotten through the Old Testament and Homer and am now moving onto Livy. I will try to proceed up through time, reading the essentials of each age to at least get a vaguely cohesive picture of world history. I see this something you have a lot more experience with, so I am wondering, if you were to make a list of 10 (or however many) essential reading for curious people, what would that be?
Anyways thanks again if you make it out here I would like to meet you, hope you are doing well.
-Jesse James Yehah
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I am scheduled to be in Portland, Oregon, hopefully coaching Antifa, Proud Boys and the PPD in stick-fighting in February and March. I'm thinking mixed classes will be the most fun. Of course, I am scheduled to be used as Bigfoot bait by a crypto-zoologist in British Columbia in January, so who knows if i ever make it to Stonerville on the Columbia. I really like Portland, literally the safest place I have ever drawn breath!
Okay, some great titles from antiquity:
-?, Epic of Gilgamesh [He, my annotated adaptation is linked below]
-Herodotus, Inquires
-Homer, the Iliad
-Homer's dyke daughter, The Odyssey
-Thucydides, Peloponnesian War
-Xenophon, Anabasis [journey-down-to-the-sea]
-Diodorus Sicilus, Geography
-Aryan, Alexander
-Plutarch, Lives
As for a top ten list, according to a chronological scheme, I would suggest, off the top of my withered head, with dates likewise yanked from the folded fat between my ears and not exact enough for some nerds:
-1. Gilgamesh, ? 2000 B.C.
-2. Old Testament, ? from 1000 B.C.
-3. The Iliad by Homer from 750 B.C.
-4. The Odyssey by Homer from 700 B.C.
-5. Inquires by Herodotus 470 B.C.
-6. Lives by Plutarch A.D. 100
-7. Meditations by Marcus Aurelius A.D. 170
-8. Beowulf, ? A.D. 1000?
-9. Conquest of New Spain by Bernal Diaz A.D. 1580
-10. Life and Curious Adventures [Peter Williamson's memoir annotated in my book Stillbirth of a Nation] A.D. 1790
I left out a whole lot, including religious texts. The attempt was to establish a span of perspective.
He: Gilgamesh: Into the Face of Time
Stillbirth of a Nation: Caucasian Slavery in Plantation America: Part One
link › jameslafond.blogspot.com
Mr. Jesse James Yehah,
blogs.britannica.com/wp-content/pdf/The_Great_Conversation.pdf
We have access to the greatest minds in history through classic literature. Other great minds such as Adler, Hutchins, Bloom etc have compiled the works of these men into the Western Canon of literature so we don't have to guess and waste time going down dead end book alleys. I have found this list to be one of the most helpful endeavors I have embarked on and every chance I have to recommend it I will take.
Adler's list can be found in his book "How to Read a Book" and probably elsewhere online. St. John's University's is here: listchallenges.com/the-western-canon-according-to-st-johns-college I believe this one is set up to be able to be done in 4 years time permitting.
I am only expounding on Mr. Lafond's list and giving some background as to why one might choose to read the Western Canon of literature. You can stand on the shoulder's of the greats and engage in the "Great Conversation" whatever position in life you find yourself.