Secret History is a short, quick read. As to Latin, my is fairly corroded, but I intend to apply some liquid wrench/wire brush work.
My knowledge of the manuscript kerfuffle you mention is zip, but we certainly have many of these within historical research. As to current reading Megadrought and Collapse ed Harvey Weiss.
Apologies to all others for lack of rail content, but in my defense, the methodologies involved are interesting, and the results cause rethinking many previous analyses of specific historic events and trends. I still need to read Richard White's book on railway overbuilding which likewise if one believes him upsets the received wisdom.