John Marchetti
@johnmarchetti.bsky.social
History MA, former political hack, I’m the fun uncle.
We live in a post irony age…
November 28, 2025 at 4:01 PM
We live in a post irony age…
Book #28. McPherson examines Lincoln as commander in chief throughout the war. Well written and engaging, worth reading to understand the challenges Lincoln faced. Highly recommend.
November 16, 2025 at 6:48 PM
Book #28. McPherson examines Lincoln as commander in chief throughout the war. Well written and engaging, worth reading to understand the challenges Lincoln faced. Highly recommend.
Book #27 - another great selection of short stories from Stephen King. Highly recommend.
November 10, 2025 at 11:39 PM
Book #27 - another great selection of short stories from Stephen King. Highly recommend.
Book #25. Good overview of the life of Emory Upton. Includes a look at Upton’s service in the Civil War through his post war service and his efforts to reform the US Army.
November 4, 2025 at 10:35 PM
Book #25. Good overview of the life of Emory Upton. Includes a look at Upton’s service in the Civil War through his post war service and his efforts to reform the US Army.
Book #24. Thought Maier’s book was better but even at over 100 years old, still a good study of the Declaration.
October 28, 2025 at 1:05 AM
Book #24. Thought Maier’s book was better but even at over 100 years old, still a good study of the Declaration.
Book #23. Ferling looks at the role three of the founders played in the Revolution: Washington, Adams, and Jefferson. Jefferson comes off the worst of the three - after helping to write the Declaration, Jefferson performs poorly as governor of VA. Nice to see Adams role highlighted. Good read.
October 21, 2025 at 1:00 AM
Book #23. Ferling looks at the role three of the founders played in the Revolution: Washington, Adams, and Jefferson. Jefferson comes off the worst of the three - after helping to write the Declaration, Jefferson performs poorly as governor of VA. Nice to see Adams role highlighted. Good read.
Book #22. Interesting comparison of military leadership. The book highlights Alexander the Great, Wellington, Grant and Hitler. It’s a little dated now, but a good read and puts into focus the changing dynamics of military leadership.
September 29, 2025 at 8:54 PM
Book #22. Interesting comparison of military leadership. The book highlights Alexander the Great, Wellington, Grant and Hitler. It’s a little dated now, but a good read and puts into focus the changing dynamics of military leadership.
Book #21. Even though the series is dated, it is still a great introduction to the material. This volume covers the siege of Petersburg through the winter of 1864-5. Great illustrations and maps.
August 28, 2025 at 2:35 PM
Book #21. Even though the series is dated, it is still a great introduction to the material. This volume covers the siege of Petersburg through the winter of 1864-5. Great illustrations and maps.
#20 for 2025. The second of three books on Byzantium. It’s a good read, covering through the disaster at Manzikert in 1071. For a general audience, there’s no footnotes and a short bibliography. It’s a good introduction to the Eastern Roman Empire.
August 5, 2025 at 3:58 PM
#20 for 2025. The second of three books on Byzantium. It’s a good read, covering through the disaster at Manzikert in 1071. For a general audience, there’s no footnotes and a short bibliography. It’s a good introduction to the Eastern Roman Empire.
Book #19. 1914 is a great introduction to the campaigns of the BEF in the opening days of WWI. Consisting mainly of first hand accounts of soldiers and civilians, it doesn’t bog down in heavy military actions or jargon. It’s a fantastic read, and highly recommend to general readers.
July 17, 2025 at 9:40 PM
Book #19. 1914 is a great introduction to the campaigns of the BEF in the opening days of WWI. Consisting mainly of first hand accounts of soldiers and civilians, it doesn’t bog down in heavy military actions or jargon. It’s a fantastic read, and highly recommend to general readers.
Book #18. Detailed look at the reigns of Edward VI, Mary, and Elizabeth I. The Oxford Histories and great - but highly detailed. Wouldn’t recommend for a general reader but if you have a strong interest in the period, it’s worth the read.
July 5, 2025 at 1:24 AM
Book #18. Detailed look at the reigns of Edward VI, Mary, and Elizabeth I. The Oxford Histories and great - but highly detailed. Wouldn’t recommend for a general reader but if you have a strong interest in the period, it’s worth the read.
Book #17 for the year. A little horror to start the summer off. Great read, Moreno is a fantastic writer. If you love supernatural horror, you’ll enjoy this read.
June 28, 2025 at 4:47 PM
Book #17 for the year. A little horror to start the summer off. Great read, Moreno is a fantastic writer. If you love supernatural horror, you’ll enjoy this read.
This seems bad. Really bad.
June 24, 2025 at 10:49 PM
This seems bad. Really bad.
#16 for the year. Another break from history with a fun read. Not as good as his first two, and easier to figure out the big mystery. But Brown still makes it an entertaining ride.
June 9, 2025 at 11:23 PM
#16 for the year. Another break from history with a fun read. Not as good as his first two, and easier to figure out the big mystery. But Brown still makes it an entertaining ride.
This doesn’t sound good…
June 4, 2025 at 7:49 PM
This doesn’t sound good…
Book #15. Almost through the series. Almost. The title for this one is a little misleading as the book also covers Hood’s Tennessee campaign. But like the rest of the series, good overview of the material.
May 24, 2025 at 2:02 PM
Book #15. Almost through the series. Almost. The title for this one is a little misleading as the book also covers Hood’s Tennessee campaign. But like the rest of the series, good overview of the material.
Book #14. Decent bio on Constantine. Considered the first Christian emperor he at least helped create tolerance for the religion. Grant also points out that many of Constantine’s decisions probably hastened the fall of the Empire. Good book, but sometimes not easiest of reads.
May 22, 2025 at 5:57 PM
Book #14. Decent bio on Constantine. Considered the first Christian emperor he at least helped create tolerance for the religion. Grant also points out that many of Constantine’s decisions probably hastened the fall of the Empire. Good book, but sometimes not easiest of reads.
Book 13 of 2025. Catton’s centennial history is a MUCH better read than Foote. The first volume covers starts with the election of 1860 and ends with the Battle of Bull Run. Incredibly readable, would recommend it to anyone.
May 10, 2025 at 1:00 AM
Book 13 of 2025. Catton’s centennial history is a MUCH better read than Foote. The first volume covers starts with the election of 1860 and ends with the Battle of Bull Run. Incredibly readable, would recommend it to anyone.
President of the US celebrates victory in Europe with a picture of Iwo Jima memorial. Only 6000 miles off, and ignoring the Pacific War. Because that’s where we are now.
May 8, 2025 at 4:10 PM
President of the US celebrates victory in Europe with a picture of Iwo Jima memorial. Only 6000 miles off, and ignoring the Pacific War. Because that’s where we are now.
You’d think it’d be tough to fit this much stupid into a single tweet but the President continues to exceed expectations.
May 2, 2025 at 12:27 PM
You’d think it’d be tough to fit this much stupid into a single tweet but the President continues to exceed expectations.
Book #12 for the year. A little Roman philosophy. The Meditations are a collection of Aurelius’ thoughts over his life. The 12 books are sometimes repetitive but they provide an interesting look at the ideas of the Philosopher Caesar.
April 28, 2025 at 9:13 PM
Book #12 for the year. A little Roman philosophy. The Meditations are a collection of Aurelius’ thoughts over his life. The 12 books are sometimes repetitive but they provide an interesting look at the ideas of the Philosopher Caesar.
Book #11. Great summary of the war in the west from Bragg’s invasion of Kentucky through the Battle of Stones River. Well written - it gives a military and political overview of this period of the war. Highly recommend for anyone interested in these battles.
April 16, 2025 at 12:57 AM
Book #11. Great summary of the war in the west from Bragg’s invasion of Kentucky through the Battle of Stones River. Well written - it gives a military and political overview of this period of the war. Highly recommend for anyone interested in these battles.
Book #10. Good biography on a relatively little known Rebel general. It gives a decent insight into the war in the West through the Battle of Atlanta where Walker was killed. If you have a strong interest in those campaigns it’s worth reading.
April 5, 2025 at 1:45 PM
Book #10. Good biography on a relatively little known Rebel general. It gives a decent insight into the war in the West through the Battle of Atlanta where Walker was killed. If you have a strong interest in those campaigns it’s worth reading.