Men’s book club begins in Hampton

History and camaraderie collide at one of Hampton’s newest clubs.

The Hampton Men’s Book Club held its first meeting last Tuesday at the Hampton Public Library. Founder Linzey Collins said he had the idea to start the club because of the lack of a group targeted towards men in the area. By starting a book club, he said men now have a place to gather and discuss classic literature and historically geared works.

“There are men in the community who enjoy reading and reading quality works,” he said. “I wanted a way to get them together and share ideas on books and discuss books.”

Collins said the books will predominately center around classic works, history and government. Each topic, he said, carries a different reason.

On the importance of classics, he said, “After we graduate, how many classics do we get the opportunity or take the time to read and some classics are good enough where they need to be reread.”

History, he said, is important to visit because of the lessons it has taught and how past events can mirror those of the present despite being centuries apart.

“As we get older, we know that we can learn from history,” he said. “I always think it is easier to learn from the mistakes of others. It’s much less painful than learning from ourselves.”

Finally, government, he said tests the knowledge of the present-day government while showing the evolution of it throughout history.

“How much do we really know about other forms of government?” he said.

When all those lessons come together, Collins said the readers can gain a knowledge and understanding of topics they hadn’t known prior to the book.

“It’s appreciation of good writing, appreciation of learning from the past and appreciation of applying issues from the past to contemporary issues,” he said. “There were problems in the late 1700s that still affect us today.”

The first book up in the club is David McCullough’s “Pioneers,” an historical look at those who settled the northwest. Collins said the plan is for members to read the book throughout the month of February and meet in March for a discussion. By discussing the book, he said readers get the chance to experience a different viewpoint they might have missed while reading the book themselves.

“You and I can both sit down and read the same book, but the book would touch each of us in different ways,” he said. “It causes a train of thought that’s different in each of us.”

The idea of a book club somewhat contradicts the idea of reading as an activity. Collins said he enjoys reading because of the chance to sit in a quiet, cozy environment and absorb the material. However, turning reading into a group production presents the chance to share that appreciation with one another.

“There’s a great value in reading aloud to a small group of people,” he said. “Through history, people listen to oral traditions and oral history. Before there was written word, it was passed on through oral traditions and there’s a great value in sitting down and listening to someone read.

“That’s again something I don’t want us to lose,” he added.

Collins said aside from the first book, a list has not been generated. Future selections will be decided by the group member, which means the interpretation of the three categories can vary by each member.

“I use the term classic, well, that means different things to different people and that’s why I use that term,” he said. “I might consider it a classic but someone else doesn’t and I can learn from that.”

Berry Johnson joined the club because of the chance to not only read about important facts and figures throughout history, but to share those experiences with one another.

“I like to read, I like history and I like sharing back and forth and bantering back and forth,” he said. “It’s good for the mind and the soul both.”

The club will meet once a month and is open to men of all ages. To sign up, visit the Hampton Public Library or contact Collins at 641-456-2005 or pastorlinzey@gmail.com.