Amazon Listmania: The Essential Man’s Library Part IV
Written in 1890, the American Boys Handy Book is filled with different activities a boy can do during each season. Activities include kite making, how to make to make blow guns, and bird watching. This book is an excellent resource for dads who want to provide their sons entertainment that doesn’t involve video games.
Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer
This book details the author’s fateful ascent up Mt. Everest in which eight other climbers were killed in a storm. Perhaps the most inspiring story is that of one climber who was left for dead, but awakened 12 hours after being abandoned and hiked back to camp in sub-zero weather. This man is an example to all men that when the will of survival is strong enough, a man can overcome any obstacle.
King Solomon’s Mines by H. Rider Haggard
The author wrote King Solomon’s Mines specifically for boys. The story follows English explorers who penetrate the deepest part of Africa to find the treasure of King Solomon. A great book to read with your son at bedtime. You’ll both be entertained and instill in your son a sense of manly adventure.
The Idiot by Fyodor Dostoevsky
Our protagonist here, Myshkin, is an example of a selfless love, moving to marry a woman to save her from falling into the arms of Rogozhin, who represents darkness. Remind any of you good ol’ boys of that girl in high school who kept running back to the man who didn’t deserve her affections? Well, in this case, the girl runs back to Rogozhin, who, in spite of and perhaps because of his deep passion, rewarded her by…killing her. Myshkin is considered the “idiot” because of his innocence and trust in the best of humanity as it could be, and in the end, his optimism and love for humanity are his undoing in the face of a dark, materialistic society. The lesson: don’t marry a woman to save her from another man…although, come to think of the end of Super Mario Bros…
A River Runs Through It by Norman F. Maclean
You’ve seen the movie, now read the book that inspired it. This book is an American classic. A River Runs Through It follows an older brother’s attempt to save his talented brother from self destruction in one last fly fishing trip. Set in Montana’s beautiful Blackfoot River country, the author fills the story with vivid descriptions of fishing and nature that engages the reader to ponder important life questions. From the story we learn that sometimes the people we love the most are the hardest to help.
“So it is…that we can seldom help anybody. Either we don’t know what part to give or maybe we don’t like to give any part of ourselves. Then, more often than not, the part that is needed is not wanted. And even more often, we do not have the part that is needed.”
The Island of Dr. Moreau by H.G. Wells
The haphazard discovery of scientifically engineered half human-half animals on a remote island is an experience that has the potential to put some hair on your chest. Living with the “Beast Folk” for a year then returning to life as normal in London proves to be exceedingly more difficult for the protagonist.
Malcolm X is quite possibly one of the most controversial public figures from the Civil Rights Movement. His autobiography shows what a complex individual Malcolm X was. We see his transformation from ignorance and despair to knowledge and spiritual awakening. His emphasis on the principal of self-reliance and taking a stand for your rights resonates with every man.
Nobody can give you freedom. Nobody can give you equality or justice or anything. If you’re a man, you take it.
Theodore Rex by Edmund Morris
Theodore Rex is a biography of Teddy Roosevelt that covers his eight years as President. From this book we learn what a man can do if they have unwavering determination. During his eight years as President of the United States, Roosevelt created the national parks system, saw the completion of the Panama Canal, and went after unethical trusts and monopolies. TR created the modern presidency. If only we had more leaders like him.
The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
The ultimate tale of betrayal and revenge, and perhaps one of the best stories of all time. Edmund Dantes, who shortly after being promoted to captain of his ship, and just days before his marriage to his beloved fiance Mercedes, is brutally betrayed by those he trusts, arrested for treason and consequently taken to a prison on an island off the French coast. The story goes on to tell of his life after escape from prison, his finding the greatest treasure in all the world, and re-entering the society as a wealthy, educated and sophisticated Count. He plots his revenge, which he ultimately denies himself when forced to decide between it and his love for his Mercedes. Through this choice his justice is ultimately served. It is a great novel that you most likely won’t be able to put down until you have it finished, even if you have already seen the movie.
All Quiet on The Western Front by Erich Maria Remarq
A classic war novel that depicts how war can destroy a man. The book begins with young, idealistic German men, going of to fight in WWI believing their cause is just. After experiencing the horrors of trench warfare and shell shock these young men leave the war disillusioned and numb.
“I am young, I am twenty years old; yet I know nothing of life but despair, death, fear, and fatuous superficiality cast over an abyss of sorrow. I see how peoples are set against one another, and in silence, unknowingly, foolishly, obediently, innocently slay one another.”
The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane
As boys, men often have romantic and idealized visions of war. The reality of war, though, is hard and brutal. In order to survive and thrive in war, a man must transform himself into something bigger. The Red Badge of Courage follows a teenager’s enlistment into the Union Army during the Civil War. He enlists with dreams of glory, but soon those dreams are replaced with doubt and fear. In the end, the young protagonist digs deep and finds the courage and confidence he needs to be a successful soldier.
They gazed about them with looks of uplifted pride, feeling new trust in the grim, always confident weapons in their hands. And they were men.
Lives of the Noble Greeks and Romans by Plutarch
If you wish to be a great man, you must learn from great men. One of the best ways to do that is through reading the biographies of great men. Plutarch’s Lives of the Noble Greeks and Romans lets us into the lives of some of histories greatest men. From these writings we learn the importance that a man’s character can have on influencing the world around him. His biography on Alexander the Great is especially inspiring.
The Strenuous Life by Theodore Roosevelt
A Strenuous Life is a collection of speeches and essays by Roosevelt on the importance of building the character of men and women in order for the American Republic to succeed. From it we learn that eschewing the life of ease and luxury are necessary for a country to thrive.
The Bible
Despite being one of the most religious Industrialized nations, America’s religious literacy is horrible. If asked to name one of the Ten Commandments or one of Jesus’ apostles, many Americans wouldn’t be able to do it. The problem is half the books on these lists make Biblical references that must be known by the reader for them to understand the message of that book. If a Western man desires to understand the culture that surrounds him, he needs to have a thorough understanding of the Book that has shaped that culture.
In addition, the Bible is full of ancient counsel and advice that is applicable to today’s man, whether you’re a believer in God or not.
When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man I put away childish things. – I Corinthians 13:11
Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry
Lonesome Dove is quite possibly the greatest Western novel ever written. The story follows two-long time friends on a cattle drive from the Rio Grande to Montana. Along the way they encounter outlaws, Indians, and old flames. Be warned. This book is a best, but reading it is definitely worth it. After you read the book, make sure to watch the mini-series.
The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett
There’s nothing more manly than a good hard-boiled detective novel. The Maltese Falcon is filled with ambiguities in morality. Sam Spade, the main character in the book is a hardened and cynical man. But underneath his rough exterior is a man with a sense of idealism. Is it possible to do good even if you’re a bad person? It’s a book that will entertain as well as make you think.
“When a man’s partner is killed, he’s supposed to do something about it. It doesn’t make any difference what you thought of him. He was your partner and you’re supposed to do something about it.”
The Long Goodbye by Raymond Chandler
The Long Goodbye is the last book in the Phillip Marlowe detective series. Like any good hard-boiled detective novel, this one is full of gangsters and beautiful femme fatales. In The Long Goodbye, Marlowe befriends a down-on-his law war veteran and helps him back on his feet. Little did Marlowe know that his relationship with this man would wind him up in trouble. This book makes for great weekend and bed time reading.
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Atticus Finch embodies all the traits that a noble man should have. Atticus teaches us to fight for what’s , even when everyone else around you thinks you’re wrong. He teaches his children to never judge a man until you’ve walked in their shoes; that we should recognize that people have both good and bad qualities, but focus on the good more.
“Courage is not a man with a gun in his hand. It’s knowing you’re licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what. You rarely win, but sometimes you do.”
The Dangerous Book for Boys by Conn and Hal Iggulden
This is a great book if you have a son. It’s filled with activities and skills that all boys should know. Even if you don’t have a son, you’ll spend hours flipping through the pages reminiscing about summer days as a boy. You might also learn a few things, too. Subjects include the histories of famous battles and how to make a bow and arrow.
The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara
The Battle of Gettysburg was the turning point in the Civil War. The Killer Angles recounts this great battle from the the men who played a key role in it. The author attempts to get in the minds of General Lee and Colonel Longstreet and decipher their thoughts and motivations leading up to the fateful battle. After reading this, you’ll understand why many historians say the Civil War was the last romantic war ever fought.
The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin
It shouldn’t be a surprise that Ben Franklin’s Autobiography is on the list. The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin is considered by many historians to be America’s first self-help book. In edition to sharing his life’s story, Franklin explains how a man can make himself a success. His story begins with Franklin as boy walking around barefoot and with rolls in his pocket and ends with him being a successful businessman, scientist, and statesman.
Having emerged from the poverty and obscurity in which I was born and bred, to a state of affluence and some degree of reputation in the world, and having gone so far through life with a considerable share of felicity, the conducing means I made use of, which with the blessing of God so well succeeded, my posterity may like to know, as they may find some of them suitable to their own situations, and therefore fit to be imitated.
The Histories by Herodotus
If we don’t learn from the past, we’re doomed to repeat it. The Histories by Herodetus is considered the first work of history in Western literature. The Founding Fathers looked to Herodetus’ histories to learn from the mistakes that the ancient Greeks made with democracy. From the histories we get the best description of the Battle of Marathon. Despite being thousands of years old, many of the problems that ancient Greeks faced, we still face today.
From Here to Eternity by James Jones
This book isn’t about war itself, but rather the it’s about the life of a soldier in Hawaii before the bombing of Pearl Harbor. The main character, Private Robert E. Lee Prewitt is a non-conformist in a profession that demands conformity. His rebelliousness slowly destroys him as the story progresses. The book takes a look at the effect military subculture can have a on a man.
The Frontier in American History by Frederick Jackson Turner
What makes American’s American? According to Fredrick Jackson Turner, it was the existence of the frontier that shaped America. While Turner’s thesis has been disputed, no one can deny the effect that the wide open frontier had on the American psyche. If you’d like to understand a part of what made the American man, read this essay.
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert Pirsig
Quite possibly the most widely read book on philosophy. The book is set as a cross-country motorcycle trip by a father and son. The book focuses on the importance of quality in a culture obsessed with quantity.
Self Reliance by Ralph Waldo Emerson
Ralph Waldo Emerson is one of America’s greatest philosophers. In his essay, Self Reliance, Emerson stressed the importance of individualism and the importance of living by your conscious. A man should not conform or live a life of false consistency.They should march to the beat of their own drummer.
It is easy in the world to live after the world’s opinion; it is easy in solitude after own own; but the great man is he who in the midst of the crowd keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude.
To see a list of just the titles and authors names for easy printing, click here.
Facebook
{ 250 trackbacks }
{ 693 comments… read them below or add one }
← Previous Comments
The World According To Garp
I must say, that although I am not nearly as well read as mr Patrick R. I am far more inclinded to trust his opinion than that of this list. I also believe that this list is missing one book which should be on any must read list. I am talking about the Hitch Hikers guide to the galaxy. Not because it Offers any lessons on how to live but because it is a book which very much opens up the imagination of the reader and we all need an imagination.
P.S. I am referring to the whole trilogy in 5 parts.
You should definitely have “The Autobiography of Malcolm X” on that list.
It makes your mind goes with the speed of light. I have read many of them,but of course not all of them.
What I love on the top of it?
Thomas Mann: Magic mountain
Hermann Hesse: Siddhartha
Truman Capote: In cold blood
Leo Tolstoy: War and peace
Rabindranath Tagore
It is Nexus, Sexus, Plexus: A Rosy Crucifiction by Henry Miller, who is an outstanding author. For many “men”, reading beyond the weekly Sports Illustrated is a challenge. Those who have added books have also been a great help. Thank you. If I may add a couple: Running Scarred by Tex Maule (who, ironically, was a writer for SI), Casino Royale and the short story The Hildebrand Rarity by Ian Fleming. (Yes that Ian Fleming, who may have affected our modern culture more than any 20th Century author, and please don’t mix the author up with some of those bastardized movies that carry his name.) and either Herzog, More Die of Heart Break, or Humbolt’s Gift by Saul Bellow.
And also, to the poster who added Riders of the Purple Sage by Louis L’amor, it was written by Zane Grey. But the Haunted Mesa by Louis L’amor was an incredible novel.
This is the most unoriginal and uninspired list I have seen. It just looks like a high school book list. Everyone has read, or at least were assigned to read, all these in high school.
I really enjoyed your post. it makes me happy to see that most of these books are on my bookshelves.
I found the book list very intersting as I was looking for a good classic to pick up next. I do wonder, however, if the compiler has read The Grapes of Wrath as they assert that it is about “a man doing what he had to do for his family” when it is actually Ma Joad that carries the family. Pa Joad has to be carried with the rest.
One book that is a little off of the beaten path but I would like to add “The Zombie Survival Guide” by Max Brooks. It is not what anyone would consider a “classic” but worth a read. Also his book “World war Z” would add some nice apocalyptic fun to the mix. Just my two cents.
If you can imagine, I have most of these books in a self-storage unit. Reading is my passion..
Nice site. I’m a female and a book nerd to boot.
(Not to worry…I’m not adding any books from the “essential female” list.)
I would just echo some of the earlier sentiments.
I think “a” measure of a man is his desire, or lack thereof, to understand another. And while there are some classic books on this list, the overall sociocultural perspective from which the stories are told is somewhat narrow.
“The great secret, Eliza, is not having bad manners or good manners or any other particular sort of manners, but having the same manners for all human souls: in short, behaving as if you were in heaven, where there is no third-class carriages, and one soul is as good as another.” -George Bernard Shaw-
This is a updated and full list. There is a little something for every type of reader. Since it is named ‘100 Must-Read Books: The title caught my eye and started me reading on this. This is such a great headline..
I have to agree with Daniel that the following should also be on this list
-100 Years of Solitude
http://awarenessanesthesia.blogspot.com
I loved the list, but I am abhorred by the number of ego-centric whackjobs that posted here that feel either a) they need to correct you on matters of plot or b) they have their own pertinent additions, that many of them seem nearly offended you left out. In short, the list kicks ass. It affirms some of my all time favorites, intrigued me with a few new reads, and certainly has me thinking about what I want my son to read one day. Thank you.
To all you people hating on the Bible’s placement on this list:
I am one of the most open-minded, skeptic people you will ever meet. I was raised in Southern California where religion is scarce. It’s quite rare that I go to any sort of church or place of worship. I’m a college student at UCLA, a predominantly atheistic/agnostic campus, majoring in a science that goes against everything taught by Christianity. However, last year I picked up the Bible and realized that there is more to it than religious blabber. It is full of countless life lessons that every man should know and live by. Not only is the Bible referenced more than any other piece of literature/art in our society, but the stories are quite interesting as well. So before you hate, pick it up and give it a quick (ha) read.
Very interesting looking selection, and a large chunk of them appear to be old classics and now in the public domain (and thus can be had for cheap-to-free). I’ve got several bookmarked that I’m downloading in audio form for free from LibriVox to listen to while at work, starting with the classics that it seems like everybody but me read as a young boy.
My favorite book of all time is Catcher in the Rye, these books pertain to humanity, not to sexual orientation. Thanks for the list!!!
Wow… good, thought-provoking list. A few comments:
One of the authors has a serious hard-on for Teddy Roosevelt. Yes, he was great, but you only have room for 100 books. Pick one and move on, people.
One of the authors has a serious hard-on for classics that seem a bit obvious on a best-of list like this. (Plus, you picked Benjamin Franklin and passed over Thomas Paine’s Common Sense?)
But all in all, I’d agree with 65-75% of the choices. Good work acknowledging award-winners from 20 years ago (not sarcastically at all… White Noise, Bluebeard, and others mentioned were tremendous). They fall into a black hole with a lot of lists like this.
Still, sci-fi and alternative lifestyles are greatly under appreciated. A true man appreciates the world for what it could be and for what it truly is.
I read though a few hundred posts since my last comment… I love lists like these for the discourse they generate. That nominating the Boy Scout Manual can get us to the Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test or Achebe’s Things Fall Apart or the Kamasutra is nothing short of a miracle. Thank you, authors!
only a man would make a list like this, maybe all of you men should be figuring out how to actually please your women, isnt that what being a man is really all about…
Thought you might appreciate this Twitter adaptation of Moby-Dick: http://twitter.com/tweetmeIshmael
That’s pretty awesome!
This is good some more i want to know
James Clavell’s Shogun, I dare you to try to put it down once you start reading it!
must read
Unintended Consequences by John Ross
I feel this fictional piece of literature should be included in the list. Although the book tells a fictional story, the historical background and legal issues that the books i based off of are entirely true. A large portion of the history that is conveyed in the book seems to be little known. If for no other reason, men should read this book to open their eyes to some little known truth’s about the American government. Although the book is expensive and hard to come by, it’s a worthwhile investment, not only the money you’ll spend purchasing it but the time you’ll spend reading it’s 800+ pages.
Reading is good, this book list is gooder (he he).
it’s true, these are top notch selections
I would add “The Godfather” of Puzo to this list. I believe, the novel changes everyone in some way. It is the book about wisdom, toughness and dedication to family.
WHY IS THIS CALLED ‘the essential MANS library’
wat about us females
tsktsk
This is a fantastic list!! Thanks for writing it!
On a side note, the book, The Killer Angels, was also the inspiration for Joss Whedon (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Dollhouse) to create what is one of the greatest shows of all time: Firefly (and later the movie Serenity).
Show only lasted 1 season before being cancelled by Fox, but still just as enthralling as ever to watch on DVD. Must check it out.
Ladies can read whatever they like, this is just a list for men to read. Go make your own list, sheesh.
Also, Firefly was the best and I weep daily for it’s unlikely return.
How about a book on straight razor shaving? That’s manly.
This was a pretty good list of books to read. I’ve read some of them back in high school, like The Catcher in the Rye and The Hacthet. However, the 2 best books on this list was 1st: The Holy Bible, because it does have valuable life lessons in their and plus I’m a christian. 2nd: The Autobiography of Malcom X. It’s amazing what this man went through early in his life and to make such a dramatic 180 turn is such a inspiration and it show how dedication and motivation can make you a better man.
Great list, but COME ON – Puzo’s il padrino – The Godfather
I just have your book opened at page 266, ‘one hundred books every man should read’ and I wonder. Did you only rearrange the list or have you replaced some titles?
(P.S.: Excuse my english, still studying it in school)
There are just so many missed opportunities in this list. There’s too much that is trendy and too little that is of lasting literary merit. Kafka, Kerouac, Salinger, yeah, yeah. I’ll take Dante and Milton any day.
I have to agree with the previous poster who took issue with the three books related to Teddy Roosevelt. I mean, come on. Why not at least substitute in a book on Lincoln? Or how about David McCullough’s John Adams?
Also, why on earth would you put two works by Kerouac on there? Good God.
In fact, why are there so many duplicate authors on your list? Especially when they are relatively marginal authors? Two works by James Jones? Kurt Vonnegut? Are those necessary?
I’m sorry, but Ayn Rand is trash. If you want a defense of narcissism and selfishness, stick with the Nietzsche. Rand is just ubermensch theory for fifth graders. There’s a reason why CEOs are having to bribe universities to teach that tripe; if she were any good, we’d have been reading her long ago.
No Thucydides? What gives?
You chose Hamlet as your exemplary Shakespeare play? Oh, please. Good grief; have you read Coriolanus? Have you read King Lear? Shakespeare at the very least deserves more than one play, especially if Kerouac gets two worthless novels.
I would think the Aeneid at least deserves a spot.
Also, what about Faulkner? Flannery O’Connor? Conrad? All the King’s Men? T.S. Eliot? Orlando Furioso? St. Thomas Aquinas? St. Augustine? Chaucer? Evelyn Waugh? Tom Jones? Edmund Burke?
I mean, I realize this isn’t to be an exhaustive list, but the fact that not one of the aforementioned authors/works merited a spot is just shocking. I mean, my God, I count four Steinbeck novels. Is he REALLY that good? Hardly, I think: Consider other Americans such as Nathaniel Hawthorne and Henry James who are much more accomplished.
There’s also a serious dearth of poetry here: I see none apart from Paradise Lost, the Commedia, and Homer–epics all. What about Tennyson, Keats, Shelley, Pope, Dryden, Donne, Pound, Yeats, Auden, Marlowe, Sidney, Spenser, Ovid, Horace, etc., etc.?
My excessive querulousness aside, though, there are some rather bang-up choices here. I’m glad you picked a McCarthy novel. And I am adamant that the Handbook for Boys should be required reading for everyone, males and females both. Perhaps we wouldn’t be such a sissified nation if we did. But the classics are really most necessary to edification and the inculcation of virtue.
–A Mildly Disgruntled English Major
hamlet was terrible should of used macbeth instead
Good selection, except for Ayn Rand, and I will tell you why.
A man is someone who should be honest and strong in their honesty. She stated to the House of Un-American Activities, under oath, that she the playwright B. Brecht, and that he tried to make her join the Communist Party; however, her dates constantly changed and his location was nowhere close to her during the dates she mentioned to the court. She lied in order to seem significant, and “American,” to the court; therefore, she was not only dishonest, but in need to appease a higher power for personal gain. She does not even display her own theories.
A man should never listen to a hypocrite, further more a liar. Our country is based on strong truths that will not bend to the whims of stronger obstacles. If our forefathers were of the character of Ayn Rand, we would still be a part of Britain. She would just scream about how everyone should be radical-individualists while at the same time appeasing the powers that be. That is called being Spineless.
Replace her with the notes of something more manly. The letters of Thomas Jefferson. Now that was a man.
Those with political axes to grind about Ayn Rand should probably find a better venue. If you don’t want to read the book then move on. However, I assume that in order for you to have a serious discussion about the themes of the book you would have had to actually read it. It is asinine to attempt to direct people’s reading to those topics which you view to be pertinent.
English majors (as you can clearly see above) seem to have a problem with people reading books outside their comfort zone or personal beliefs. C. French was clearly taking the opportunity to name drop as many authors as he could to appear authoritative while presenting cliched critiques of well known authors. In fact, the post was so overloaded with every name they could think of, the argument’s thesis was lost.
This list was a jumping off point for people who don’t read much and are looking to start. How about a little less boyish whining and less venom like gossipy wash women?
Ehh, no Thomas Pynchon. Are you kidding me?
Definately the best American author of the last century, and arguably with Joyce the best in the world.
I mean, a top 100 with no mentioin of Pynchon at all! What about Gravity’s Rainbow? That is not really a top 100 at all. There are great book in there don’t get me wrong, but missing a great like that is shamefull. It would be like talking about the greatest athlete of the century and excluding Ali!
Good list.. hard to narrow down any top 100 without leaving some gems by the wayside. Reading is a singular experience that cannot be shared. We can agree on masterpieces, but we cannot presume that our connection with one book or another will be the same for others.
I would add two books to this list that I think are worth mentioning from my perspective only :
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe
Thank you for your list. It is always a risk to share on the internet because so many revel in elitist, non-value added comments. It takes courage to put out one’s views and opinions.
~ Gabrielle
Good list but so many more book one that i did not see is:
The Communist Manifesto
I found this list of manly books to be not only excellent, but inspiring as well. If I were to make any additions to this outstanding list they would be “Real Fighting” by Peyton Quinn and “How to Stay Alive in the Woods” by Bradford Angier. After all, what’s the point of being brilliantly educated in manly reads if you don’t live to tell about it?
← Previous Comments