Born in the U.S.A. Week 39: A Handful of 19th Century American Writers [REPLAY]

England, God, and Everything: Bijan Omrani's God is an Englishman

A modern history--I think the first one of the podcast! Bijan Omrani's 2025 book God is an Englishman presented a thesis that I couldn't resist, that the history of England can't be unwoven from Christianity, and to ignore the Church is to reject all the things that make England English. We take a look at the basis of Omrani's argument, and a closer look at a few aspects of English life: art, literature, architecture, and education. I think Omrani makes a good case. He's a church warden as well as an historian, and he calls to question the idea that a purely secular England can remain the country that he loves. It's an interesting argument, especially at a time when Christianity in particular is being driven from public life in England. He's at his best when examining history, and weaker as he tries to reconcile himself to the current atmosphere of England, prescribing more compromise in hopes of turning the culture, regaining things like commonly sung hymns or a shared ideal of beauty. But Englishman offers a solid place to consider culture from. Sometimes I think he stretches his points a little far, but overall it's an interesting take on the origins of culture, the things you just take for granted. They came from somewhere; we reject them at our peril. BOOKS IN THIS EPISODE Is God an Englishman? [https://amzn.to/4bqunKs] (Bijan Omrani) CONNECT The complete list of Crack the Book Episodes (Amazon affiliate links): https://cheryldrury.substack.com/p/crack-the-book-start-here?r=u3t2r [https://cheryldrury.substack.com/p/crack-the-book-start-here?r=u3t2r] To read more of my writing, visit my Substack - https://www.cheryldrury.substack.com [https://www.cheryldrury.substack.com/]. Follow me on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/cldrury/ [https://www.instagram.com/cldrury/] Like what you heard? Buy me a coffee! https://ko-fi.com/crackthebook [https://ko-fi.com/crackthebook] LISTEN Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/5GpySInw1e8IqNQvXow7Lv?si=9ebd5508daa245bd [https://open.spotify.com/show/5GpySInw1e8IqNQvXow7Lv?si=9ebd5508daa245bd] Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/crack-the-book/id1749793321 [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/crack-the-book/id1749793321] Captivate - https://crackthebook.captivate.fm [https://crackthebook.captivate.fm/]

What if Joey Tribbiani had been born in 1740?

The answer: You'd have Tom Jones! Oh, how I loved this novel. Come with me as we consider a novel that's been rather lost, overshadowed by all the delightful 19th century English writers like Dickens, Austen, and even Trollope. The History of Tom Jones, A Foundling, by Henry Fielding, is a love story with 900 pages of twists and turns to get the ending you know is coming. I thought there was no way I'd hang in there, but it turns out that this novel was a page-turner, delivering surprises until the very last chapter. As part of my "Brit Lit" set that I was reading in preparation for my vacation in England, I'll share whether this one made the grade, and if it leads me down any other rabbit holes. I hope you enjoy this episode half as much as I enjoyed the novel. And for fun, there's even the 1963 movie--and it WON the Best Picture Oscar that year! Next week we are back to history, but in a really cool way: Bijan Omrani traces England's history not through wars and treaties, but through architecture, song, and literature. See you next week! BOOKS In this episode: The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling (Henry Fielding) [https://amzn.to/3RfcY0A] The complete list of Crack the Book Episodes (Amazon affiliate links): https://cheryldrury.substack.com/p/crack-the-book-start-here?r=u3t2r [https://cheryldrury.substack.com/p/crack-the-book-start-here?r=u3t2r] CONNECT To read more of my writing, visit my Substack - https://www.cheryldrury.substack.com [https://www.cheryldrury.substack.com/]. Follow me on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/cldrury/ [https://www.instagram.com/cldrury/] Like what you heard? Buy me a coffee! https://ko-fi.com/crackthebook [https://ko-fi.com/crackthebook] LISTEN Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/5GpySInw1e8IqNQvXow7Lv?si=9ebd5508daa245bd [https://open.spotify.com/show/5GpySInw1e8IqNQvXow7Lv?si=9ebd5508daa245bd] Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/crack-the-book/id1749793321 [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/crack-the-book/id1749793321] Captivate - https://crackthebook.captivate.fm [https://crackthebook.captivate.fm/]

Happy Birthday America!

America's 250th is just behind us, but I didn't want to let the holiday go by unnoticed--it's a big one! This is a repeat of Week 36 from last year, the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States of America. Never read them? Neither had I--but they aren't long and, wow, are they worth the time. And what better time than now? If you'd like to listen to other episodes that are especially American, check out these episodes: Week 43: Frederick Douglass and W.E.B. DuBois (Frederick Douglass is a MUST READ for every American!) Week 39: 19th Century American Literature Week 47: 20th Century American Short Stories We'll be back next week to talk about everyone's favorite rogue, Tom Jones. I'm so excited for this one--it's one of the funniest novels I've read in a long time! BOOKS IN THIS EPISODE The Constitution of the United States (Including the Declaration of Independence) [https://amzn.to/4wE7Py2] The Communist Manifesto [https://amzn.to/4yq0mnV] A Vindication of the Rights of Women [https://amzn.to/4wQsHSZ] Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave [https://amzn.to/4pmU4RX] The complete list of Crack the Book Episodes (Amazon affiliate links): https://cheryldrury.substack.com/p/crack-the-book-start-here?r=u3t2r [https://cheryldrury.substack.com/p/crack-the-book-start-here?r=u3t2r] CONNECT To read more of my writing, visit my Substack - https://www.cheryldrury.substack.com [https://www.cheryldrury.substack.com/]. Follow me on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/cldrury/ [https://www.instagram.com/cldrury/] Like what you heard? Buy me a coffee! https://ko-fi.com/crackthebook [https://ko-fi.com/crackthebook] LISTEN Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/5GpySInw1e8IqNQvXow7Lv?si=9ebd5508daa245bd [https://open.spotify.com/show/5GpySInw1e8IqNQvXow7Lv?si=9ebd5508daa245bd] Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/crack-the-book/id1749793321 [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/crack-the-book/id1749793321] Captivate - https://crackthebook.captivate.fm [https://crackthebook.captivate.fm/]

A Fat Knight and a King: Henry IV Part 2 and Falstaff

Back for more Shakespeare! This week it's Henry IV Part 2 (following up last month's Part 1)--but with the addition of the book Year of the Fat Knight by Shakespearean actor Antony Sher. Part One's pairings of characters give way to one central relationship in Part 2: fathers and sons. It's much more serious as Prince Hal moves closer to assuming the throne: how much will he follow his father's wishes for him? How can he create his kingly presence with Falstaff acting as his best friend and surrogate father? And who, if anyone, might fill that advisor/father role when Hal loses his own? On top of this play, I read the wonderful Year of the Fat Knight. Sher was Falstaff in the productions of Henry IV from Royal Shakespeare Company, the ones I watched, and he was marvelous. I spotted this book when we were in Stratford last summer and decided that this was the perfect month to read it. Sher's memoir is amazing, full of all kinds of anecdotes about not only this play but being a Shakespearean actor in general. I strongly feel that you can't experience a Shakespeare play without seeing it in some form, and Sher's memoir made me see why. It's a true vocation to act in a play like this--embodying the complicated language so that it seems natural, filling in the blanks of a personality that Shakespeare leaves, deciding exactly how to appear in front of an audience. I'm really happy I read this one. Next week--Happy Birthday, America! BOOKS IN THIS EPISODE The complete list of Crack the Book Episodes (Amazon affiliate links): https://cheryldrury.substack.com/p/crack-the-book-start-here?r=u3t2r [https://cheryldrury.substack.com/p/crack-the-book-start-here?r=u3t2r] Henry IV Part 2 (RSC Production) [https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B0DK4116FW/ref=atv_dp_share_cu_r] Year of the Fat Knight [https://amzn.to/44zUavV](Antony Sher) [https://amzn.to/44zUavV] CONNECT To read more of my writing, visit my Substack - https://www.cheryldrury.substack.com [https://www.cheryldrury.substack.com/]. Follow me on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/cldrury/ [https://www.instagram.com/cldrury/] Like what you heard? Buy me a coffee! https://ko-fi.com/crackthebook [https://ko-fi.com/crackthebook] LISTEN Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/5GpySInw1e8IqNQvXow7Lv?si=9ebd5508daa245bd [https://open.spotify.com/show/5GpySInw1e8IqNQvXow7Lv?si=9ebd5508daa245bd] Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/crack-the-book/id1749793321 [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/crack-the-book/id1749793321] Captivate - https://crackthebook.captivate.fm [https://crackthebook.captivate.fm/]

Who Started English History? Venerable Bede Speaks.

If you're like me, England always seemed to emerge from the mists of history more or less fully formed and with Henry VIII as king. Obviously, I was mistaken! And this week, with Venerable Bede, I found out what was really lurking back in those mists. Our friend (because he definitely becomes our friend) Bede writes his Ecclesiatical History of the English People in 731. Long before most people's idea of history even begins, Bede has set down a story of adventure, heroism and bravery as he tells how Christianity spread across the island of Britain. Simply put, I loved everything about this book. Reading what I call "near-contemporaneous history" lets us hear directly from people writing hundreds or even thousands of years ago. It's become some of my favorite reading, because you truly can start to see the world through very different eyes. The differences we have are as sharp as the evidence of shared humanity. That's very true in this book. Bede shares stories of saints--and most aren't distant strangers. They are friends, or friends-of-friends, who put their lives at risk to spread the Gospel. There was so much to admire in this book. I read this book as part of my preparation for a trip to England in June, and I'm excited to see how it pays off! But even without that, this is a worthy addition to any library that has an English bent. LINK The complete list of Crack the Book Episodes (Amazon affiliate links): https://cheryldrury.substack.com/p/crack-the-book-start-here?r=u3t2r [https://cheryldrury.substack.com/p/crack-the-book-start-here?r=u3t2r] CONNECT To read more of my writing, visit my Substack - https://www.cheryldrury.substack.com [https://www.cheryldrury.substack.com/]. Follow me on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/cldrury/ [https://www.instagram.com/cldrury/] Like what you heard? Buy me a coffee! https://ko-fi.com/crackthebook [https://ko-fi.com/crackthebook] LISTEN Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/5GpySInw1e8IqNQvXow7Lv?si=9ebd5508daa245bd [https://open.spotify.com/show/5GpySInw1e8IqNQvXow7Lv?si=9ebd5508daa245bd] Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/crack-the-book/id1749793321 [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/crack-the-book/id1749793321] Captivate - https://crackthebook.captivate.fm [https://crackthebook.captivate.fm/]