It seems like 2018 has flown past and it’s hard to believe that Christmas and then New Years are almost upon us again. The end of the year means it’s time for my annual “books of the year” list. My criteria for selection is simple, each book has to be a book I read and enjoyed during the past year. Many books on the list I believe are deep and important works and others more fun reads.
10. The Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant
Written at the end of his life, this is Grant’s first-hand account of his part in the American Civil War. The simple and entertaining storytelling reveal the mind of one of the greatest strategists the United States has ever produced.
9. Favor by Greg Gilbert
Grounded in scripture and colored with relatable anecdotes, Gilbert in this much needed work shows that God’s favor is not something the believer can earn, but is found in the person and work of Jesus Christ.
8. The Coddling of the American Mind by Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan Haidt
In this significant work, two psychologists speak of the trends they’ve seen on college campuses and how young people seem to think they should be protected from ideas, not grapple with them.
7. Empire of the Summer Moon by S. C. Gwenne
This is the story of he Comanche, a became a powerful race of horse archers; much akin to the warriors of the steppe, and how they were both made and eventually destroyed by the expansion from the east.
6. The Suicide of the West by Jonah Goldberg
We are the luckiest people in the history of the world. In this helpful book, Goldberg looks through human history and shows how the last 300 years have been the best of human history and how we through our ingratitude are at risk of throwing it all away.
5. Red Storm Rising by Tom Clancy
A terrorist attack on a Soviet Oil Production facility has unintended consequences touching off global war. This is Tom Clancy at his best with an entertaining yet plausible 1980s account of how World War III might have occurred.
4. The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
Drawn from his knowledge of the world around him and colored by the betrayal of the author’s father. This classic tale of betrayal, survival, and revenge is one of the greats of western literature. It’s well worth reading.
3. The Battle Cry of Freedom by James McPherson
From the early 1800s seeds of the rebellion to Lee’s surrender at Appomattox and the aftermath, this book follows the story of the American Civil War. It’s probably the best and certainly the most complete single volume I’ve read on the topic.
2. Them by Ben Sasse
We are the most connected society in human history, yet studies show we are increasingly beset by an epidemic of loneliness. In this book, Senator Ben Sasse explores how the breakdown of homes and communities and the advent of a social media culture is producing a world where people are increasingly connected, but alone.
1. Dreamland by Sam Quinones
From remote Mexican mountain villages to New York boardrooms and the heartland of the rustbelt, this book follows the explosion of opioid addiction that has spread across America in a narrative that is both spellbinding and heartbreaking.
Honorable mention: The River of Doubt by Candace Millard, Things that Matter by Charles Krauthammer, Washington: A Life by Ron Chernow, Napoleon: A Life by Andrew Roberts, In the Hurricane’s Eye by Nathaniel Philbrick, Grant By Ron Chernow
Notes from the Shadowlands 