its well written covers the heptarchy and the arrival of the Danes / Vikings. Good use of sources and supported with archaeology.
I’ve not read that book, but I have read quite a lot about Britain during that period, in fact I was reading an article about just how fast and violent the arrival of the Anglo-Saxons might actually have been before reading this.
I have a particular interest in this, because King Alfred had a hunting lodge at the top of town, where the registry office and museum is. The Great Heathen Army attacked around Christmas, and captured the town, ultimately, Alfred raised an army and beat the Vikings into submission at Edington.
I live in Chippenham, formerly Cepenham, around Alfred’s time.
As others have mentioned, I read Nineteen Eighty Four as a teen, probably because I had to which ruins a lot of books ..... BUT I found my son's A Level copy the other day and started to read it. It's massively relevant to today's era of misinformation.
Absolutely! I read it at school, haven’t read it since, but I’ve been reading enough references to it in connection to current events that I feel I know it all too well… 🤨
Tau Zero is very good, haven't read anything else he wrote.
It is, and most of his books are worth a read. I read a lot of them decades ago!
After working through Adrian Tchaikovsky’s ten book series, I’m now most of the way through Claire North’s first actual SF book, Slow Gods, and I’ve enjoyed it immensely. I’ve read everything she’s written, starting with her first Urban Magic book A Madness Of Angels, written as Kate Griffin, then all of her YA books she wrote as Catherine Webb, which she started when she was still at school, age 14, then she changed tack and started writing as Claire North. She’s a terrific writer, and refuses to stick with one genre.
Things We Found in the Ground: A Metal Detecting Journey Through Britain by Eleanor Bruce and Lucilla Gray.
I was passing Hatchards bookshop in Cheltenham this lunchtime and saw that the authors were doing a book tour this evening. Went along - it was quite interesting so bought the book.
It is, and most of his books are worth a read
I'll take that recommendation. Weird to click on a thread due to feeling like I've not been reading enough lately and immediately see myself quoted from a year ago, roughly when I basically stopped reading in favour of video games.
The tsundoku currently consist of;
Money Lies and God, by Katherine Stewart - about the extremist right wing anti-democratic and authoritarian forces at play in the US currently. Like all these sorts of books, it's always going to be just slightly out of date, but it's a well researched look at who the people are, what they believe (and don't), and their [often] conflicting agendas.
The Next World War - Peter Apps - Looks at the ways in which the next global conflict may arise. The messages is - we really really as a matter of some urgency, need to pick up our defense game. Like previous book, somewhat overtaken by events in Iran.
Exit Stalin- Mark Smith (no, not that one) _ examines Russia as a society and culture, from the day to day perspective of the actual Russians living in both the world's first socialist/communist state and one of the largest states to have ever existed. Genuinely fascinating.
There is no Antimemetics Division - Qntm- Haven't started it, was recommended to me.
Tunisgrad - Saul David - The turning point (November 1942) of WW2 - not started yet, but if you like James Holland and Rowland White, it's pretty familiar stuff.
Just finished "Forgotten Voices of Burma" by Julian Thompson and the IWM. Basically a collection of individual recollections of their experience in Burma 1941 -1945. Some incredible first hand accounts in date order (including some Japanese) of the British and Commonwealth (and civilians) retreat and advance across Burma - also some grim stuff that must have haunted them post war for as long as they lived. And some dark humour.
I'm currently drifting through the wonderful surreal world of Murakami with Norwegian Wood.
I'm currently drifting through the wonderful surreal world of Murakami with Norwegian Wood.
My favourite author, really wonderful books
Lunchtime Waterstones raid. I enjoy the "we have ways" podcast and (most) of James Hollands' books so I thought I'd give their latest collaboration a go. I am sure I haad this Bouverie book but can't find it. I certainly started reading it and it was half price so now I probably have 2 😉 The Empireland my daughter suggested I read. Since I was about 1/3rd into William Dairymples magisterial history of the East India Company, seems like a good companion book. And a lot shorter!
#numberofunreadbooks #22 #B+3
Ooo - Al Murray, as in Al Murray? Interested to know how that is. 🙂
Recently finished...
First Light - Geoffrey Wellum
I loved the first half, talking through his training and his early days on the squadron but felt it tailed off a little - I think I'm being unfair, because I know Piece Of Cake very, very well, and it felt derivative of that, but of course it's far more the other way round!
The Place Of Tides - James Rebanks
A really lovely book, this - makes me want to go and live on an island in harmony with nature. Beautiful work. 🙂
The Sleepwalkers - Christopher Clark
Enjoyed this, although I found it a bit heavy going and far too many names for me to keep track of - builds a haunting sense of claustrophobia around the inevitability of the coming conflict that no-one really wants but they can't work out how to avoid.
I've now moved onto the aforementioned The Anarchy, by William Dalrymple (halfway through, gripping and terrible, lots of names again) as my physical book at home, and 20000 Leagues Under The Sea, by... Well, you know who by 🙂 (only just getting into it, liking it so far) as my ebook at work, just finishing up the books I hadn't got round to reading on my Kindle. 🙂
@pondo - shall let you know, it's next on my list. He's a proper WWII nerd and him and Jim have a great rapport. I think they wrote 4 chapters each (it's basically "end of the war in 8 defeats") so having read along of JH books, I wonder if it'll be obvious who wrote which one.
Sleepwalkers is a bit of a monster. But it's the best book I've read to really understand it was only a matter of time.
Re-reading Matter by Iain M Banks. I feel like I've read the earlier novels more, so I've started here.
Ooo - Al Murray, as in Al Murray? Interested to know how that is.
He was on Richard Herring's book podcast talking about it. I've never been interested in books about the events of war, though, so didn't pay much attention.
I'm reading Ceremony by Leslie Marmon Silko - a novel about a native American with PTSD after WW2. It's good, but i'm a bit confused by the shifts between time periods so don't always know what's going on... probably not helped by reading at bed time!
Listened to more comedian's memoirs - Alexei Sayle's Thatcher Stole My Trousers and Stephen Fry's The Fry Chronicles.
The Anarchy was great - disturbing in just how vulpine the East India Company were, asset-stripping the richest land on earth for personal and company gain. 🙁
Have also re-read Longitude by Dava Sobel and The Hour by Dr Hutch, both excellent reads - Sobel's story of John Harrison's timepieces I find genuinely quite emotional and Dr Hutch is one of the funniest writers I know. There's a genuine sense of claustrophobia as his attempt on the hours record gets nearer....
Moneyball by Michael Lewis - decent but longer than it needs to be, and the claim on the cover that you don't need to know baseball to enjoy the book is bobbins, there's a lot of colloquilisms I have no idea what they're on about.
Abroad In Japan by Chris Broad - loads of great "Brit in Japan" anecdotes, proper laugh-out-loud funny, although it's at its best when he's working in a school, I was less bothered by his burgeoning influencer career.
Riding The Iron Rooster by Paul Theroux - goes on a bit but enjoyed this epic train ride around late 80s China, he can be very funny when he wants to be.
As a change of pace, I'm reading the Hunger Games trilogy - didn't expect to enjoy it but the first one absolutely grabbed me by the collar and ran off with me, Catching Fire is bubbling under so far but feels like it's just about to ignite!
Jules is on the backburner for the mo, but shan't forget it...!
Just finished “Stations” which is the new book by Louise Kennedy, author of “Trespasses” which was recently televised. If you liked that, you’ll like this. Briefly - story of Irish young people living between home and London. Got a bit dusty at times.
Sleepwalkers is a bit of a monster.
I found the first half (wars in the Balkans and Hungary-Austria) v hard going, but the second half of the book as everybody realises that the thing no-one wants literally cannot be stopped is as terrible as it is fascinating. The description of the Kaiser and his advisers literally cracking open the champagne when they think the British have backed down is a remarkable piece of writing.
reading the Revolutionists by Jason Burke currently. The story of the link between the PLO and various extreme left wing European and South American terrorist organisations and the fact that back in the 70's hijacking a plane was a thing you could do. Very interesting as it describes how left wing idealism essentially was party responsible for the rise of the ultra-conservative Islamist terror groups of today.
Stephen Kings ‘fairy tale’.
Kind of Lovecraft meets Willy Wonka.
Bob Mortimer's Avocado Hotel is on the go now, along with "Songs in the Key of MP3" by Liam Inscoe-Jones, when I'm having trouble sleeping. Enjoying both.
Ooo - Al Murray, as in Al Murray? Interested to know how that is.
@pondo - I enjoyed it. I'd been listening to the Podcast where they cover the material but there's plenty more depth here. The thing I've come away with - having read a lot of WW2 history - is the tragic waste of lives at the end of the war because of delusion, ego, some twisted version of honour etc. But also how the allies somehow built this unstoppable war machine with all the different agendas and personalities.
The epilogue is good as well but my guess is James Holland wrote that. Now I need to get myself better educated on the pacific war. Read a lot about the more famous/notorious battles - sea and land, and the atomic bomb but not so much about the detail of the campaigns in Burma, Singapore and the Philippines. I might start with a recommendation for a MacArthur biography. Always struck me as a bit of a wrong 'un but I'm happy to learn some more.
Having said that, spotted Tim Bouverie's "Allies at war" in my unread book pile so that feels like it might be a good companion piece to my last book It's pretty thick with small type and about 40 pages of references so expect it'll be a bit of a "dipper".
@nickc - that's a good summary of Sleepwalkers. I did have to keep coming back to it, but the second half is just hide behind the sofa, hands over the eyes stuff.
20000 Leagues Under The Sea, by... Well, you know who by
I have a slight problem with Reeksy2 in that we can't keep up with his reading. The library never gets what he wants in fast enough either. I go hunting around our bookshelves looking for books that he won't dismiss. So i suggested this the other day and he surprised me by agreeing. He absolutely loved it. He can't get over how old the book is yet how good it is! He's on to more JV now
Normally I don't read biographies as they can be very egotistical, autobiographies can be a little better.
I fancied Rick Astley's autobiography 'Never'. It didn't disappoint. Very honest and not at all how I expected his life to have been. His insight into the 'Stock, Aitkin, Waterman' era of 80's music, was revealing, also why stepped away from the music industry for a long period of time. Not everyone's cup of tea, but I found it easy to read and this book would possibly make a good gift for a Fan.
Just finished a couple of cracking reads on The Troubles in Northern Ireland.
Killing Thatcher by Rory Carroll is an absolutely brilliant read of the build up and aftermath of the Brighton hotel bombing.
Say Nothing by Patrick Radden Keefe is focussed on the abduction and murder of Jean McConville. Again, absolutely fascinating read, though I know a lot of people question how it is written and how it portrays certain people in it.
Say Nothing by Patrick Radden Keefe
Read it a while back. It's genuinely fascinating, and this book was the reason I picked up the Revolutionists. It's hard not to come to the conclusion that Gerry Adams is a sociopath though.
Boomers....man alive.
Im almost finished reading all of Brandon Sandersons Cosmere novels (including the White Sand rough cut you get free with his newsletter- that was superb)
Anyway I started just over a year ago with a free epub of Elantris, then started in the proper order with Mistborn, the Stormlight books were my absolute favourite
I am reading On The Road for the first time in about 25years.
Currently reading Ben MacIntyre's 'A Spy Among Friends,' bought cheapo second hand off the back of a very entertaining episode of Evil: Genius.
But, for a bit of light relief I'm also dipping into John Connolly's collection of short stories from last year, 'Night and Day' (think M.R. James and W.W.Jacobs, crossed with Clive Barker and the best of Stephen King). I read the story 'Evenings with Evans' last night - initially seemed like a conventional, old fashioned ghost story, but turned into a meditation on loss, grief and ultimately redemption. Very powerful, and it got a bit dusty one the patio.
Just started into Hannu Rajaniemi's Summerland a sort of alt-history spy novel with lots of weird stuff. I have no idea what's going on.
I am reading On The Road for the first time in about 25years.
How does it stack up? I read it as a teenager along with Catcher in the Rye and recall not really getting much from either of them. But I was a teenager.
Say Nothing by Patrick Radden Keefe
Read it a while back. It's genuinely fascinating, and this book was the reason I picked up the Revolutionists. It's hard not to come to the conclusion that Gerry Adams is a sociopath though.
Boomers....man alive.
Adam Buxton just interviewed Keefe. His new book sounds pretty interesting, too. I listened to another podcaster interviewing him not too long ago as well... possibly Louis Theroux. Might put this on the list.
Im almost finished reading all of Brandon Sandersons Cosmere novels
Any good? Reeksy2 goes pretty hard on fantasy series so this might be his cup of tea. He's gone through the Wheel of Time series twice and loved them so if they're in any way similar that would be good.
am reading On The Road for the first time in about 25years.
How does it stack up?
It's entertaining enough but I am struggling to work out why it's a classic, I guess that counter culture thing and its written style was unique back then. You can kind of see how Irvine Welsh got to what he did via On the Road
We have a book swap thing in the cycling club, so there's always new books to pick up, read, then pass on again. Just finished Jens Voigt's Shut Up Legs, and about to start this:
We have a book swap thing in the cycling club, so there's always new books to pick up, read, then pass on again. Just finished Jens Voigt's Shut Up Legs, and about to start this:
That's reminded me of Eric Newby's Round Ireland in low gear. I think that's on the shelf somewhere. Quite good IIRC... but not as good as Round Ireland with a Fridge.
Im almost finished reading all of Brandon Sandersons Cosmere novels (including the White Sand rough cut you get free with his newsletter- that was superb)
I'm a fan of commitment heavy fantasy and sci-fi series. Never heard of these. Downloaded the first of the Mistborn last night for a quick read after a ride, and was still reading it at 2am!
Say Nothing by Patrick Radden Keefe is focussed on the abduction and murder of Jean McConville. Again, absolutely fascinating read, though I know a lot of people question how it is written and how it portrays certain people in it.
I’m most of the way through this as an audiobook. I wouldn’t have said it focussed on Jean McConville (I’m not saying it isn’t it’s just that isn’t the way I have received it).
The first 3/4 of the book was jarring, I almost stopped. I felt like it was glorifying the violence of The Troubles. To some degree this is probably emphasised by the Irish narrator’s intonation (it’s also probably got more problematic mispronunciation in it than I’ve heard in an audiobook before and I want some retakes!) But as it’s coming to its conclusion and covering things more retrospectively I think it’s more balanced. It has really hit home to me how much intergenerational damage is done by cultures of violence and dirty politics.
The book I’m reading is Dave Eggers dystopian novel The Circle. Early days but it’s a very easy read and everything is going so well for the protagonist that it’s obvious that things are going to change for the worse before too long…
About 2/3 through Tim Powers' 'Declare.' Interesting but not as compulsive as 'The Anubis Gates' which I've read (and re-read) over the decades.
Say Nothing by Patrick Radden Keefe
Was a quite good adaptation on BBC recently.
On an Irish theme I'm reading Intermezzo by "Normal People" Sally Rooney, having just finished Stations by "Trespasses" Louise Kennedy. Sorry, no sci-fi.
Just started this and it's bloody great. So well written and informative.
