A few recommended books worth reading

Near the end of each year, I devote a column to books — mostly nonfiction, and on a range of topics, including politics, public affairs or media.

Sometimes I recommend books that might be of particular significance or merit. This time I’m going to begin with a recommendation I received. In this case, it was from my oldest grandson, Wells Hatcher, age 13.

Not long ago I was headed to a bookstore, when he asked to go along, and said there was a book he wanted to read. He found the book and quickly read the small volume, which he said he would recommend to anyone: “Make Your Bed,” by William McRaven. Yes, that McRaven, the former Navy Seal commander, the one who was recently belittled by President Trump, the one who oversaw the raid that resulted in the capture and death of Osama bin Laden.

After retiring from the Navy, McRaven served as University of Texas chancellor. In 2014 he delivered the commencement address at Texas, which served as the basis for this book. He lists the 10 principles that helped him overcome challenges in his life and career. He explains that if you make your bed every morning, it will give you a sense of pride and lead to completing other tasks. And it will reinforce the fact that little things matter. It may seem overly simplistic, but, as in most endeavors, “If you can’t do the little things right, you will never do the big things right.”

Earlier this year, the retired admiral said Trump “embarrassed us in the eyes of our children, humiliated us on the world stage, and, worst of all, divided us as a nation.” McRaven called Trump’s description of the news media as the “enemy of the people” as the greatest threat to American democracy he had ever seen.

Reminiscent of some of his comments about the late Sen. John McCain, Trump derided McRaven, and said Bin Laden should have been caught sooner.

Speaking of Trump, much has been published about his mercurial rise and his tenure thus far, but little provides insightful perspective. That is no doubt influenced by Trump’s whirlwind of stops and starts, with new controversies by the day, if not the hour. Bob Woodward’s “Fear” is a revealing and damning view of the White House, but in some respects is overtaken by events.

Of course, it sometimes requires passing of time to obtain a more accurate and comprehensive assessment. This was displayed recently following the death of former president George H.W. Bush with eulogists, including Bush biographer Jon Meacham, who emphasized Bush’s leadership.

As a young reporter for the Houston Chronicle, I covered Bush’s first campaign in 1964, a losing bid for the U.S. Senate, and closely followed his subsequent career. Meacham captures some of the distinctive essence of the 41st president. He also wrote The Soul of America and Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power, both providing historical perspective, looking back at times when hope overcame division and fear.

It is also worthwhile to look back at The Arrogance of Power, by Arkansas Sen. J. William Fulbright. As I recently noted, the University of Arkansas Press has reissued that 1966 classic. The book was and is a guide to Fulbright’s influential and intensifying questioning of our foreign policy. He championed a more assertive Congress and an America that sets an example for the world. Among the central issues he addresses is the role of dissent and the meaning of patriotism and nationalism in our society. His analysis and views are not without clear relevance today.

We shouldn’t overlook Fascism: A Warning, by former secretary of state Madeleine Albright, who points out how the legacy of fascism shapes today’s world and the danger of repeating tragic errors of the past.

Continuing to look back: Much has been written, of varying quality, about the Vietnam War. The latest entry is Max Hastings’ Vietnam: An Epic Tragedy, which extensively explores and illustrates the brutality and cynicism of that tragic chapter.

I like to return to books read hurriedly before and read them more attentively and within a broader context. An example is A Pryor Commitment, David Pryor’s memoir, written with Don Harrell. It is a primer for anyone seeking to understand Arkansas political history and Pryor’s remarkable journey as a highly popular, genuine and successful public figure, both in Arkansas and in Washington.

Looking back further is American Dialogue: The Founders and Us by Joseph Ellis. Especially significant is his view of “political fraud” as committed by contemporary factions who portray the Founders as anti-government. That certainly plays into current controversy.

Returning to contemporary politics, there are plenty of polemical potboilers, but, as noted, few examples of serious, well-founded treatises. One worth a look is The Red and the Blue, journalist Steve Kornacki’s trip into polarization and tribalism in our politics, spurred by Newt Gingrich’s militant and confrontational approach. And Max Boot, not long ago a staunch conservative, describes why he left the right in The Corrosion of Conservatism.

As I have noted, the UA Press deserves plaudits for re-publishing Fulbright’s Arrogance of Power. A second University Press book takes us back to another chapter in our history. It’s All Done Gone by Patsy G. Watkins is a collection of powerful photographs of Arkansas from the Depression-era. It vividly portrays life as captured by some of our most acclaimed photographers, with narrative and commentary by Watkins.

I’ll find some time for John Grisham’s latest, The Reckoning, and The President is Missing by Bill Clinton and James Patterson.

Happy reading. And make your bed.