October-December 2018 - 20th Century: Before WW1 (1900-1913)

The era begins with the death of Queen Victoria, and Edward VII taking the throne of England, followed by the eruption of Mount Pelée, Martinique (40,000 killed). The Wright Brothers make first controlled flight in aeroplane in 1903 and Henry Ford designs first mass-produced cars.

The Trans-Siberian Railway is completed, and in 1905 comes "Bloody Sunday" the massacre of protestors in St Petersburg. In 1905 Albert Einstein develops special theory of relativity.

Young Turk" Revolution establishes constitution in Turkey, in 1908 Bulgaria is liberated from Turkish rule by Russia. In 1909 American Robert Peary first to reach North Pole. In 1909 Union of South Africa is established.

In 1910 the Mexican Revolution under Emiliano Zapata and Pancho Villa leads to civil war. And in 1911 there is the Chinese Revolution - Sun Yat-Sen establishes a Republic.

In 1912 the African National Congress (ANC) is formed in South Africa to fight apartheid and in 1913 Igor Stravinsky's "Rite of Spring" causes an uproar. Also in
1913 Nijinsky and Pavlova perfom Fokine and Diaghilev's ballets.

So lots happening in a few short years, and these are only a few of the highlights.

Please update the wiki at: https://wiki.librarything.com/index.php/Reading_Through_Time_Quarterly_Theme_Rea...

I just bought a mystery set in my hometown in 1911: Kieler Dämmerung, which will fit nicely.

I'm running a tad behind in this group, but I've got A Home-Concealed Woman: The Diaries of Magnolia Wynn Le Guin, 1901-1913 lined up for this read.

>2 MissWatson: Love it when reads are local! Hope you enjoy!

I just finished The secret agent by Joseph Conrad, written in 1906, published in 1907, and although we must assume it is set in 1886 (judging by the date in Winnie's wedding ring), I don't think much had changed in the murky world of anarchists finding refuge in England from their own governments, but under close surveillance by the police. It is a very clinical account of how things go wrong for Mr Verloc, and very short on personal details: we never learn the name of Winnie's mother, for instance. She's always Mrs Verloc's mother. It's a little strange.

Oh we must include this 1913: The Year Before the Storm A book that stays away from politics and focuses on the cultural and social history of the time. The section of Alma Mahler and her love affair with Oskar Kokoschka is worth the read by itself but the whole book is an outstanding addition to understanding the beginnings of WWI

>6 cindydavid4: Thanks for reminding me about this, it's on its way to me.

I have just finished Die Naschmarkt-Morde, a mystery set in 1903 Vienna and involving lots of afternoons in the Kaffeehaus and food.

edited for touchstone

Velma Bourgeois Richmond, The Faerie Queene As Children's Literature: Victorian and Edwardian Retellings in Words and Pictures. As the title indicates, this book covers Edwardian children's literature, though it also includes late Victorian as well as some spill-over to the post-1914 era. An excellent catalog of its subject – if you want to collect all the children's liteature on The Faerie Queene, this is the book for you – but badly short on analysis. 3½*** for what it does well.

(This was an Early Review book that I misplaced a couple years ago, so I read it through notwithstanding its dryness since I badly owed TPTB a review!)

I finished Kieler Dämmerung, set in 1911. Kaiser Wilhelm is coming to inaugurate the new city hall, and the police are busy with a possible assassination attempt. The inter-service rivalries are nicely portrayed, otherwise not great literature.

The January-March 2019 thread is up: https://www.librarything.com/topic/299670

My reads for this quarter:

Fatal Fever: Tracking Down Typhoid Mary (1902-1915)
The Forgotten Garden, Kate Morton (1900-1909)
The Great Impersonation, E. Phillips Oppenheim (1913)
In the Shadow of Gotham, Stefanie Pintoff (1904-1905)
The Night Journey, Kathryn Lasky (1900)
The Riddle of the Sands, Erskine Childers (1903)
Snow Hall, Elizabeth Gill (1907)

Running behind this quarter so I chose a YA book that was shorter than what I usually read. I like to read 4-5 YA books per year so I can add them to a list I give to students I teach who always ask for book recommendations. I read Terrorist: Gavrilo Princip, the Assassin Who Ignited World War I. I did pick up a few gems, but for the most part I already knew most of the info since I do teach about the Great War. I didn't know anything about Princip's family life or how or why he became involved in the Black Hand Society. (also called the Black Glove). This would be a book I would recommend to a student (or an adult) who knows little or nothing about the assassination or the assassin. This is a graphic novel. 236 pages 3 1/2 stars.

I started reading Land of Marvels which takes place in Mesopotamia in 1914 just prior to WWI. The archaeologists in the region are affected by the uptick of activity prior to the Great War and the hero, Somerville, is in a race against time to fulfill his lifelong dream. Will he be able to dig down to discover the treasurers he believes are under the ground or will events overtake his dig? It's good so far.