Currently doing a retrospective' and reading early Stephen King stuff which I haven't looked at in years. In the bog for those 'reflective' moments are The Eagle Book of Centre Page Cutaways, Schott's Almanac, and RT; the Story of a Classic London Bus--No laughing at the back there!
trying to read a clockwork orange as I love the film but as the book is written in nadsat (the language heard in the film) it's very hard to get through.
Might read away days again in preparation for the film release as I aint read it for about ten years
Currently reading "Shadow of the Silk Road" - Colin Thubron. A road trip made a couple of years ago starting in Xian and going via Mongolia, Krygyzstan, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan and then into Iran, Iraq and onto Antioch on the Mediterranean coast. This was roughly the route taken by Marco Polo and the silk traders who traded between China and the West in the middle ages. The book is a good snap shot of the state of Asia today away from the the cities and financial/commercial centres.
I've just finished reading "The worst Street in London" - Fiona Rule. The story of Dorset Street in Spitalfields from its origins around 700 years ago to around 1950 when the local council finally knocked down most of the few remaining lodging houses. A good social history and very well researched into the people who lived there from the Hugenoet silk weavers, to Irish and East European Jewish immigrants. Jack the Ripper's last victim (Mark Kelly) was killed on this street. Definitely a worthwhile read for anyone interested in London's history.
Reading Bobby Robson's autobiography at the moment, such a wonderful man. Have managed to meet a number of respected managers in football, but sadly never him.
CommentAuthorBlackForestReds CommentTimeMay 16th 2008 # 37 The Third Reich in Power - Richard Evans, second of a trilogy about Nazi Germany, part one dealt with tthe coming to power of Hitler.
South Sea Tales - Jack London, a collection of short stories, some are good, some are there to pad the book out.
Dubliners - James Joyce, another collection of short stories, the characters are all set in Dublin and mostly have humdrum lives with little going on in them of interest. Looselt speaking the ages of the characters change, the first stories are about young people, then young adults and so on, the other notable thing about the characters is that they are all trapped by circumstances and their lives.
Headed to Dublin this weekend. I am embarrassed to admit that I have never read Joyce and went to the bookstore yesterday to pick up a book for the flight over. Finnegan's Wake, Ulysses and Portrait of an Artist as a Young Man seemed a bit, um, dense, so I was happy to see Dubliners. Look forward to reading it as soon as I finish off Martin Brookes' Extreme Measures: The Dark Visions and Bright Ideas of Francis Galton (He was far more daft than I would have ever expected).
[cite]Posted By: AFKABartram[/cite]Reading Bobby Robson's autobiography at the moment, such a wonderful man. Have managed to meet a number of respected managers in football, but sadly never him.
[cite]Posted By: StubleyAddick[/cite]A brilliant read AFKA love that book got it signed by him at Waterstones in Bluewater wonderful bloke. Devserved better at Newcastle.
There's a story - probably an apochyphal story - that one day Bobby Robson was signing copies of his autobiography in a book store. Someone gave him a copy of his book to sign and asked him how many copies he's signed that day "hundreds" said Sir Bobby. As he walked away he looked at the signature and saw that he'd signed his name as "Bobby Hundreds".
Sadly another with terminal cancer and another who's life was made a misery by the tabloids.
Just finished reading Neslon Madnela's "Long walk to freedom". First autobigoraphy I've read. A real inspirational story of someone who gave up so much for "his" people. I remember him coming out from prison (Am 32), but never fully understood (bothered to learn) about S.Africa and apartheid. His book was a real eye opener.
Just re-reading Double Helix by James Watson. The story of the understanding of the structure of DNA. It's a book that needs no knowledge of genetics or bio-chemistry. It demonstrates how much luck, being in the right place and individual personality can interact to make or break scientific discovery.
Bad Science by Ben Goldacre - a must for scientists and non-scientists alike. Explains why the media are so bad at reporting scientific facts and always seem to cock it up. You can learn a good few things from it!
If anyone is looking for a good book, I recently read one calle 'Destroyer - the war at sea 1939-1945' it was staggering. Listed all engagements during the wartime period with incredible feats of heroism and a hefty slice of tragedy.
It included as a minor appendix at the end a shocking footnote to the war: An escaped US airman discovered that US oil companies were selling oil to the Nazis on the sly all the way through the war.......he was hushed up, but revealed the truth before he died. Some things never change (i.e corporate greed) it appears.
[cite]Posted By: buckshee[/cite]trying to read a clockwork orange as I love the film but as the book is written in nadsat (the language heard in the film) it's very hard to get through.
Might read away days again in preparation for the film release as I aint read it for about ten years
Some of the early editions had a glossary of Nadsat at the back but someone half-inched my copy.
By a strange co-incidence I was driving to Thamesmead yesterday where some of the film was shot.
Was surprised to see that there is a hospital doing cosmetic surgery at the top of Knee Hill now and not surprised to see how depressing Thamesmead still is.
Happyslapped by a Jellyfish & What I have learnt so far - both by Karl Pilkington.......the bloke is either comedy genius or the biggest idiot ever to walk the face of the earth. Anyone who has heard the Ricky Gervais podcasts will know what I mean......Damian Hurst? He's either an artist of a fish monger.
Still working my way through Brookmyre's back catalogue. Just started an early one "Boiling a Frog"
[quote][cite]Posted By: AFKABartram[/cite]Reading Bobby Robson's autobiography at the moment, such a wonderful man. Have managed to meet a number of respected managers in football, but sadly never him.[/quote] A very good read AFKA............one of the best autobiographies, at no point does he have a snipe at anyone.
currently in the middle of "A field guide to the British" - It is interesting enough but whilst funny it comes across as a very bitchy book by an American living in the UK and pretty much seems like 350 pages of why the posh people in Britain (to be honest she means London) are all a bit weird and drunk. I will finish it but not one I recommend.
Then have a book of stuff written by the Late Linda Smith, which from the little I have read so far looks to be very good.
flashman by george macdonald fraser. very enjoyable tale from the officer's perspective caught up in in the british army's disastrous retreat from afghanistan.
GH - I don't know how far you are into Gerald's Game, but there is a passage about halfway through (I think) that is the most chilling thing I've ever read in print (other than American Psycho). It just creeps up on you out of nowhere and is perfectly written. No matter what anyone says about Stephen King not being 'literature' and too 'populist' he is, and will be properly regarded in fifty years' time as, one of the best storytellers of all time.
Just finished reading Cat's Cradle - Kurt Vonnegut...and just started reading "Sam Bartram: The Story of a Goalkeeping Legend" which you can buy from the shop link at the top of the page.
I guess Sam Bartram is part of my karass (to link both books).
Comments
Might read away days again in preparation for the film release as I aint read it for about ten years
I've just finished reading "The worst Street in London" - Fiona Rule. The story of Dorset Street in Spitalfields from its origins around 700 years ago to around 1950 when the local council finally knocked down most of the few remaining lodging houses. A good social history and very well researched into the people who lived there from the Hugenoet silk weavers, to Irish and East European Jewish immigrants. Jack the Ripper's last victim (Mark Kelly) was killed on this street. Definitely a worthwhile read for anyone interested in London's history.
The Third Reich in Power - Richard Evans, second of a trilogy about Nazi Germany, part one dealt with tthe coming to power of Hitler.
South Sea Tales - Jack London, a collection of short stories, some are good, some are there to pad the book out.
Dubliners - James Joyce, another collection of short stories, the characters are all set in Dublin and mostly have humdrum lives with little going on in them of interest. Looselt speaking the ages of the characters change, the first stories are about young people, then young adults and so on, the other notable thing about the characters is that they are all trapped by circumstances and their lives.
Headed to Dublin this weekend. I am embarrassed to admit that I have never read Joyce and went to the bookstore yesterday to pick up a book for the flight over. Finnegan's Wake, Ulysses and Portrait of an Artist as a Young Man seemed a bit, um, dense, so I was happy to see Dubliners. Look forward to reading it as soon as I finish off Martin Brookes' Extreme Measures: The Dark Visions and Bright Ideas of Francis Galton (He was far more daft than I would have ever expected).
There's a story - probably an apochyphal story - that one day Bobby Robson was signing copies of his autobiography in a book store. Someone gave him a copy of his book to sign and asked him how many copies he's signed that day "hundreds" said Sir Bobby. As he walked away he looked at the signature and saw that he'd signed his name as "Bobby Hundreds".
Sadly another with terminal cancer and another who's life was made a misery by the tabloids.
Enjoying it tons, Looking forward to watching Coraline when its released.
Also recently read Shantarm... outstanding book!
If anyone is looking for a good book, I recently read one calle 'Destroyer - the war at sea 1939-1945' it was staggering. Listed all engagements during the wartime period with incredible feats of heroism and a hefty slice of tragedy.
It included as a minor appendix at the end a shocking footnote to the war: An escaped US airman discovered that US oil companies were selling oil to the Nazis on the sly all the way through the war.......he was hushed up, but revealed the truth before he died. Some things never change (i.e corporate greed) it appears.
Some of the early editions had a glossary of Nadsat at the back but someone half-inched my copy.
By a strange co-incidence I was driving to Thamesmead yesterday where some of the film was shot.
Was surprised to see that there is a hospital doing cosmetic surgery at the top of Knee Hill now and not surprised to see how depressing Thamesmead still is.
Now I'm reading The Second World War Martin Gilbert.
Yes I know taste all over the place.
What's the Liddle Hart book like? Corrigan slates him in "Mud, blood..."
For a supposed controversial book, so far it's full of nothing but interesting facts - though to be fair, I'm only up to 'The Clinch'.
The Eastern Front stuff is fascinating, as I know very little about it.
Still working my way through Brookmyre's back catalogue. Just started an early one "Boiling a Frog"
Fighting Scared true story of a mercenary
Operation Barras true story of the rescue of Irish Regimant soldiers in Siera Leone
need a fwe more for me travels tho
No mention of Richard Sharpe yet though ;-)
Then have a book of stuff written by the Late Linda Smith, which from the little I have read so far looks to be very good.
I guess Sam Bartram is part of my karass (to link both books).
Just started "The Jimmy Seed Story" by the man himself - £1.27 plus postage from Amazon "used"!!!
now reading 1984 by Orwell