“Books are the carriers of civilization. Without books, history is silent, literature dumb, science crippled, thought and speculation at a standstill. Without books, the development of civilization would have been impossible. They are engines of change, windows on the world and lighthouses erected in the sea of time. They are companions, teachers, magicians, bankers of the treasures of the mind. Books are humanity in print.” Barbara W. Tuchman
The past few days I have just spent time reading and thinking rather than attempting to write much. I have a good number of things that I want to write about but need that sense of timing as well as inspiration to write the way that I want.
One book that I am reading is Roger Knight’s “The Pursuit of Victory: The Life and Achievement of Horatio Nelson.” I have always been fascinated with Nelson’s life ever since 3rd grade when I read a biography of him. I had the book for years but it disappeared years ago. One thing that always struck me was how timing was important to Nelson and how he recognized how crucial timing is. Nelson said “Time is everything; five minutes make the difference between victory and defeat.” Likewise as I read this account I am again reminded what a complex man Nelson was and that while he was a brilliant commander he also had his faults some of which as a career military man I can see in my own life. This has made the book more interesting than simply reading about his great victories at the Battle of the Nile, Copenhagen and Trafalgar all of which I am well acquainted with having read numerous accounts.
So I have been wrestling with a number of topics and instead of just grabbing one and going with it I have taken some time to refresh my mind and ponder which direction I want to go and what I want to accomplish with what I write. We’ll see what comes of this in the coming days.
Peace
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The Inglorius Padre Steve's World 