Not long ago our school librarian asked what our favorite books were. She played a little contest with students and staff as to who could name which teachers chose which books. It was a fun thing to do and in the end she sent us an email with the answers.
I was chose a book that not only is one of my favorites but one that the library probably had. I chose Night by Elie Wiesel. But then I saw all sorts of books that teachers chose that the library did not have, and it got me thinking. What is my favorite book?
In no particular order, here are my Top 3, because I cannot pick out a favorite.
#1 Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World by Jack Weatherford
I absolutely love this book. I use it every year in class, and this year I even let my students use it when we did an activity to put Genghis Khan on trial. It is a fascinating read that has led me to want to know more and more about him. Recently Disney+ put out a mini series based on The Secret History of the Mongols and that was very good as well. But if you are looking for a book on the Mongols and Genghis Khan, you cannot go wrong with this one.
#2 The Theory and Practice of Hell by Eugen Kogon
This is a fascinating look at Buchenwald Concentration Camp by an inmate. Kogon was arrested multiple times as he resisted the National Socialist movement. Eventually he was placed in Buchenwald as a political prison and luckily he survived. Three times he was scheduled to be moved for execution, and three times he was saved. In 1945 he escaped and even wrote a forged latter from a US officer calling for the camp commandant to surrender. Eventually he wrote a report for the Allies about what went on in the camp. Later this was turned into a full book. It can be a hard read at times, but the story reminds us of the horrors of humanity. It is perhaps my favorite book from an inmate of a concentration camp (there are others that are great as well). But if you are into reading about the Holocaust, I would highly recommend this one.
#3 Ordinary Men: Reserve Police Battalion 101 and the Final Solution in Poland by Christopher Browning
Again this is a book about the Holocaust, but this one takes on such a different perspective. This looks at the men who were too old for the front lines that formed a police force turned execution squad. I use this book as well each year in my classroom when we talk about justification for horrible acts. The story of these men is very intriguing possibly because many of them were my age. Some refused but many went along with the program and did what they were told. I can only imagine the fear they lived in, but that will never make up for the horrors they caused. If you are interested in the Holocaust this is a must read. I almost left this one out of the top 3 books since there was another book on the Holocaust, but I just could not bring myself to leave it out.
From my understanding there is also a Netflix documentary with the same name. I have not seen it and do not know if it is based on the book or other sources.
Honorable Mentions
These are other books I have really enjoyed, but they did not make the top 3.
Night by Elie Wiesel
The Glory of Their Times: The Story of the Early Days of Baseball Told by the Men Who Played It by Lawrence S. Ritter
A Brilliant Solution: Inventing the Constitution by Carol Berkin
Reclaiming History: The Assassination of John F. Kennedy by Vincent Bugliosi
The Billion Dollar Spy: A True Story of Cold War Espionage and Betrayal by David E. Hoffman
1776 by David McCullough
And I could keep going. There are so many great books out there. What are your favorites? I am always looking to add to my list to read.
Check out all my Book Reviews (more being added all the time).
My goal this year is to read 12 books. You can follow me on Goodreads if you have an account and see what I am reading and my thoughts on the books.