Stepson #2, our Brooklyn boy, told his mom the other day that he thought he and I had a real bonding experience over the Thanksgiving holidays as we went exploring New York City. He said that he had no idea I was such a history bug, and that I gave him a great excuse to feed his own history jones; that otherwise he'd never take the time to visit the historical sites in the city by himself.
That's how it is with us history buffs. We're geeks. We know we're geeks. We have to be kind of circumspect about our passion for the past...you know, slipping cheesy romance-novel covers over Barbara Tuchman books; telling friends we're reading Twilight when we're really reading Bruce Catton's history of the Civil War; stuff like that.
Well...maybe it's not that bad. But still.
Anyway...I'm glad we had a bonding experience. (I'm still chuckling.) And if Stepson Number 2 has been very good this year, he may get a copy of Forgotten New York in his stocking.
2 comments:
That sounds like a great book. A few years ago someone came out with a Historical Atlas of New York City that I always sort of wished for -- I love looking up the places I'm reading about, even in mystery stories and such, and I also like historical mysteries, so that book would be a fine one to have. Unfortunately I think it cost $65 or something.
((you, the history buff))
Having lived with one for 26 years, I have a soft spot for history (and archaeology) buffs. Mine will be thrilled this year to find under the tree Tuchman's The Distant Mirror and a book about the Myceneans.
Post a Comment