"Eric Flint - [Grantville 04] - 1634 The Ram Rebellion" - читать интересную книгу автора (Flint Eric)

peasants.тАЭ

He emitted the familiar response he remembered from high school. тАЬUh. Well. Yeah.тАЭ

That firm, detestable headshake.

тАЬNot in the least. ThatтАЩs true in eastern Europe, if I remember correctly, but itтАЩs not true here. Mind you,
my memory of the details of German social history in the early modern period is a little vague, now. I
havenтАЩt studied the subject since college, because itтАЩs not something we teach in this high school. Or any
high school in America, so far as I know. But I remember enough to tell you that land relations in
Germany in this day and age are a tangled mareтАЩs nest. If we approach it the wrong way, weтАЩre just as
likely to infuriate the farmers as the nobility, which is the last thing we want to do.тАЭ

She rose, moved over to one of the bookcases in the living room, and deftly plucked out two of the
volumes there. тАЬIтАЩve still got some of the relevant books, fortunately, and IтАЩve been refreshing my
memory these past few days.тАЭ

Then, as Mike feared she would, she came over and handed one of them to him.

Blessedly, the more slender volume.

тАЬStart with this one. ItтАЩs BarracloughтАЩsThe Origins of Modern Germany and itтАЩs stillтАФfor my money,
anywayтАФthe best general history on the subject, even though it was written half a century ago.тАЭ

Quickly, and as surreptitiously as possible, he flipped to the end of the book.

Not surreptitiously enough, of course.

тАЬOh, grow up,тАЭ she said. тАЬItтАЩs not even five hundred pages long. You can read it in a few days. WhatтАЩs
so funny?тАЭ

Despite himself, Mike had started chuckling.

тАЬDanteтАЩsInferno was shorter than this, and you gave us a month to read that one.тАЭ

тАЬYou were a callow youth, then. Besides, it was interza rima and this is simple prose. So stop whining.
Now . . .тАЭ

A moment later, the other bookтАФthe great, fat, monstrous tomeтАФwas deposited firmly in his lap. It was
all he could do not to groan.

тАЬThen read this one.тАЭ

The size of the thing would have been bad enough. The titleтАФEconomic History of Europe, for the
love of GodтАФmade it even worse.
тАЬFor PeteтАЩs sake, Mike, itтАЩs just a book. Stop hefting it as if I were asking you to lift weights.тАЭ

тАЬBe easier,тАЭ he muttered. тАЬWhatтАЩd they print it on? Depleted uranium?тАЭ

She returned to her seat. тАЬMake fancy speeches, get elected the big shot, pay the price. No pain, no