Kyle asks whether there is “any rhyme or reason to the ordering of the list”. Since I placed Sheehan’s Apologetics and Catholic Doctrine at the top of the list, he was wondering whether I consider this the most important book for Catholics to read after the Bible and the Catechism. I’m pleased to respond that there was no rhyme or reason to the order. I simply listed them as I thought of them. I suppose that Sheehan popped into my head first because it’s an excellent place to start for those seeking the fundamentals of Catholic faith and philosophy from an unquestionably orthodox source. It was very important on my own path to Rome, answering many questions and clearing away many of the fogs in my secular-poisoned head!
Kyle also points out that “grumbling” about the choices in top 10/25/100 lists “is what makes them such fun”. I couldn’t agree more. For my part, I can’t help grumbling about his selection of St Teresa of Avila and St John of the Cross. It’s not that these holy eminenti are not worthy (of course they are and I am not worthy to suggest otherwise), it’s simply that I can’t help grumbling at Kyle’s omission of the Poems of St John of the Cross, preferably in Roy Campbell’s translation.
Well i would would have mentioned the poems except that, well, except that i haven’t quite (or at all) gotten around to reading them yet. Unfortunately, until the last couple years i’ve crammed my head mostly with sci-fi & fantasy, something i’m trying hard to make up for now….which again is why i very much look forward to reading the books in your top 10.
Thank you for your response Mr. Pearce.
PS: speaking of science fiction, if anyone is up for a mix of SF and Catholicism, then perhaps check out the late great (and sadly nearly forgotten now) RA Lafferty. I’m currently reading Past Master which features St Thomas More being flung into the future and being very much amazed anyone took his Utopia as anything other than satirical, much less patterned a whole world after it (something he tries to correct). Another book (Fourth Mansions) was inspired by the writings of St. Teresa. He can be a difficult writer to get into though and i would recommend reading the following intro to Lafferty to see what you would be getting into: http://greatsfandf.com/AUTHORS/RALafferty.php
With the impossibility of consensus ever in mind, I refer to your request for a good Church history. I can’t vouch for its authority, but Trumph: The Power and the Glory of the Catholic Church, a 2,000 year History by H.W. Crocker III is very readable. Random House