Truth and Nothing But the Truth ( #AtoZChallenge )

 

      True stories are my favorites.  I've grown tired of the fantastical.   If it really happened, then that story is most to my liking.  Truth can be eye-opening and instructive.  I still enjoy reading fiction, but preferably that fiction will deal with truths that will build up my thinking muscles.  Here are some books for the 'T' category...

Textbooks

Gardner's Art Through the Ages fifth edition (1970)

        This was my textbook for my college Art History class in 1972.  It's a big book filled with photographs of great artwork throughout history and text that tells about it all.  A very nice book to own.

Stage Scenery (Gillette & Gillette)

        Even though I never took a class that required this book, somewhere along the line in my life I acquired it.  Maybe I found it in a used book store.  Who knows when it might come in handy for me.  Likely not, but I'm keeping it anyway.

Southern Writing 1585-1920 edited by Davis, Holman, & Rubin

       One of this book's editors, Richard Beale Davis, was one of my English professors at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville in the early seventies.  This stately old Southern gentleman was an award winning author who was part of the University faculty for many years.  I had him for Southern Literature and perhaps another class.  Being the rebellious young fellow that I was at the time I was not overly respectful of him or his teachings.  Now I have a better view of him, but still I didn't care much for his class.  I did think the textbook he used and which he also co-edited was worth keeping.  It is a bountiful collection of well-known writing as well as esoterica which includes essays, fiction, and poetry.  There's a heck of a lot of fine reading in this book.

Trevillian

       What is the significance of Trevillian?   This was my mother's maiden name.  Fortunately, as was the case on my father's family side, I had an aunt who compiled a sort of history about her family lineage.   Jean Trevillian Lough was an ardent student of history who did extensive research about her own family as well as other figures of history.  Now I don't exactly recall how the Scott family fit into the Trevillian line, but the Scotts take top billing in this book of genealogy.  My family and I all make appearances in this book.  I don't know how many copies were published but it's nice to own one for my home library.   I wish there would have been more about my grandparents' ancestry and the direct lineage that leads to me.  

A Genealogical History of the Scott Family: Descendants of Alexander Scott, Pioneer Settler of Augusta County, Virginia, C. 1750 and a History of Allied Families in Western Virginia by Jean Trevillian Lough, Josephine McCord Vercoe

Truman by David McCullough

     This is a highly regarded book by a well-respected author.  Not sure if I have any more of McCullough's books, but any of them would probably be nice to own and good to read.  Someday I'll read this book about the life of President Truman.

The Templars by Piers Paul Read

         This is one of the most recent books I've read.  The Knights Templar and the Crusades is a topic that interests me and I'd long been waiting to read this history.  Sadly I found it to be rather tedious reading.  It's a well-researched book filled with detail, but it gives a pretty good overview of that stretch of time.  I'll probably never read this book again, but for now I'll keep it on my shelves.

Mark Twain

        Twain is mostly known for his fiction, but therein lies lies many truths. Some literary pundits argue that The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain is the greatest American novel.  That's what some of my literature professors in college said and that's when I bought a paperback version in the seventies.  It's probably still around the house somewhere, but now we also have this paperback version that we bought after visiting Hannibal Missouri a few years back.  My wife had never read it so we got this copy on our vacation for her to read.  It's a great book, but as controversial as ever I guess.

    Would you regard Huckleberry Finn to be "the greatest American Novel"?   If not, which novel would you choose?   Did you keep any textbooks from your school years?