15.228 reading in bed; Hitler's sound systems?

From: by way of Willard McCarty (willard@lists.village.Virginia.EDU)
Date: Fri Sep 07 2001 - 01:55:14 EDT

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                   Humanist Discussion Group, Vol. 15, No. 228.
           Centre for Computing in the Humanities, King's College London
                   <http://www.princeton.edu/~mccarty/humanist/>
                  <http://www.kcl.ac.uk/humanities/cch/humanist/>

       [1] From: Alan D Corre <corre@csd.uwm.edu> (7)
             Subject: Re: 15.223 reading in bed

       [2] From: jod@ccat.sas.upenn.edu (James J. O'Donnell) (16)
             Subject: bedside reading (more) and Hitler sound systems

    --[1]------------------------------------------------------------------
             Date: Fri, 07 Sep 2001 06:50:01 +0100
             From: Alan D Corre <corre@csd.uwm.edu>
             Subject: Re: 15.223 reading in bed

    Winston Churchill is reported to have done most of his reading and other
    work in bed, while puffing a cigar and sipping his daily bowl of
    fresh cream. So much for avoiding smoking and cholesterol.

                            Alan D. Corre
                    Emeritus Professor of Hebrew Studies
                    University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
                        http://www.uwm.edu/~corre/

    --[2]------------------------------------------------------------------
             Date: Fri, 07 Sep 2001 06:51:11 +0100
             From: jod@ccat.sas.upenn.edu (James J. O'Donnell)
             Subject: bedside reading (more) and Hitler sound systems

    With thanks for the observation on Descartes (which I think is true) and
    Willard's pendant: the *possibility* of bedside reading goes way back, of
    course, but candles and oil lamps offer imperfect illumination for the
    supine reader, so I remain curious: when does the possibility or
    expectation that books will be taken to bed become common? Were Pope or
    Pepys doing it?

    A similar historical question: an article in today's London Times about
    Gitta Sereny's work on Nazidom quotes her (she saw Hitler perform when a
    child) on the extraordinary sound system that accompanied Hitler rallies
    -- "what must have been the most sophisticated sound system there was,
    even now it seems extremely well done." Is there any record of or
    research into the actual technology used? Was there a technological
    advantage that gave those howling Nazi voices power beyond what people
    could see or hear otherwise?

    Jim O'Donnell
    Classics, U. of Penn
    jod@ccat.sas.upenn.edu



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