Reading
Here's what I'm reading, and a few thoughts and notes along the way:
01-Aug-18
A Place Called Winter - Patrick Gale
A sweeping tale of the life of a complex man from the scandalous collapse of his marriage in the years before WWI, through his emigration to Canada to become a pioneer farmer to his ultimate breakdown. A good read.
16-Jul-18
Knife Edge - Douglas Reeman
The fifth and final book in Reeman's 'Blackwood' series, following the lives of successive generations of this family of gallant Royal Marines. Another gripping tale following the paths of the small, brave band who re-took South Georgia following the Argentine invasion, and stemmed the tide of the Falklands conflict. Excellent character portrayals as always, and focus on loyalty, leadership and real care for the team.
20-May-18
Nelson - A Personal Biography - Christopher Hibbert
An interesting account of the life of the famous seafarer. Much focus on his rather bizarre relationship with Emma Lady Hamilton and her husband, and their rather shallow and arrogant society lifestyle. An interesting perspective, but rather a disappointing realisation about the personal life of this great national treasure.
05-May-18
Tuffer's Tales - Phil Tuffnel
A humorous, warts-and-all reminiscence of the cricketing career of Tuffers the maveric.
27-Apr-18
What Happened - Hillary Clinton
An insightful, honest and impassioned account of the US election that finally saw the nightmare election of Donald J idiot!!!.......
02-Apr-18
The Cirle of Reason - Amitav Ghosh
A lyrical and very creative book by this wonderful Indian author. I have very much enjoyed various other books by Ghosh including Glass Palace and the Sea of Poppies trilogy. The Circle of Reason was his first book.
27-Feb-18
Shipton and Tilman - Jim Perrin
An endearing, insightful and massively respectful joint biography of these two incredible men and their pioneering exploration mountaineering during the 1930s. An excellent book.
16-Feb-18
Uncommon Type - Tom Hanks
An interesting and very enjoyable collection of short stories. All have some connection with typewriters, often rather obscure!
20-Jan-18
Fortress of Spears - Anthony Riches
The third book in the 'Empire' series about the Romans in Britain. Gory, but somehow enjoyable tales of the adventures of Marcus Tribulus Corvus, a refugee from a fallen aristocratic family in Rome, who finds himself fighting as a brave and noble Centurion in northern Britain.
07-Jan-18
Mischief in Patagonia - H. W. Tilman
My sailing and mountaineering hero. I've read this one before, but have decided to work back through the splendid compendium of Tilman's sailing/mountaineering books that my great friend, Brian, kindly gave to me many years back.
26-Dec-17
Sons and Lovers - D. H. Lawrence
A gritty, semi-autobiographical novel about harsh family life in a Nottinghamshire mining town. Wonderfully written, but hardly full of joy!
15-Dec-17
The Buried Giant - Kazuo Ishiguro
A mysterious tale about far off times in England. I love the way that Ishiguro's books begin with a blank and unfamiliar canvas, and detail is slowly painted in. His style is unique - it takes a bit of getting used to, but all of his books that I have read have been deeply rewarding, and extremely enjoyable. In all cases, it has been a very rewarding journey. I think this one will be no exception.
30-Nov-17
Dust on the Sea - Douglas Reeman
This is the fourth in the 'Blackwood' series, tracing a family with a long line of service and honour in the Royal Marines.
Like all Reeman's books, the characters are very real, and there is a combination of grizzly battle, history and deep humanity.
I have been enjoying Douglas Reeman books for several years now, since my dear Dad bought me the first in the ('Alexander Kent') Bolitho series for Christmas. I have since read the complete series, and quite a few others too.
Sadly, Douglas Reeman 'crossed the bar' earlier this year. He had had a long a good life, but it is sad that there will be no more new titles.
15-Oct-17
The Mill on the Floss - George Eliot
I like to work steadily through the classics. The only book by George Eliot that I've read before is Silas Marner, and that was because Katherine or Sarah (I can't remember which!) was doing it at school in English. So here goes.
It's taking me a long time to get through this one, but I'm now deeply engrossed, and most of the way though...
A very good read. Great character portrayal, and development of deep conscience in relationships.
01-Oct-17
Winter Holiday - Arthur Ransome
The fourth in the Swallows and Amazons series......
My dear Dad bought me Swallows and Amazons when I was about eight (I still have the paperback). I didn't really read it properly when I was young, though my life has evolved as if I had. I'm reading the series now in my late fifties, and the stories really resonate.
Another great childhood adventure - I really enjoyed it - especially Dick and Dorothea's rollicking sledge sail on the frozen lake in a storm!!
Lenin - Robert Service
Biography of Vladimir Ilyich!
A lengthy read. Well written, and enjoyable. I'm taking it in stages. A huge insight into the Soviet era, and the life of an obsessive revolutionary.
01-Aug-18
A Place Called Winter - Patrick Gale
A sweeping tale of the life of a complex man from the scandalous collapse of his marriage in the years before WWI, through his emigration to Canada to become a pioneer farmer to his ultimate breakdown. A good read.
16-Jul-18
Knife Edge - Douglas Reeman
The fifth and final book in Reeman's 'Blackwood' series, following the lives of successive generations of this family of gallant Royal Marines. Another gripping tale following the paths of the small, brave band who re-took South Georgia following the Argentine invasion, and stemmed the tide of the Falklands conflict. Excellent character portrayals as always, and focus on loyalty, leadership and real care for the team.
20-May-18
Nelson - A Personal Biography - Christopher Hibbert
An interesting account of the life of the famous seafarer. Much focus on his rather bizarre relationship with Emma Lady Hamilton and her husband, and their rather shallow and arrogant society lifestyle. An interesting perspective, but rather a disappointing realisation about the personal life of this great national treasure.
05-May-18
Tuffer's Tales - Phil Tuffnel
A humorous, warts-and-all reminiscence of the cricketing career of Tuffers the maveric.
27-Apr-18
What Happened - Hillary Clinton
An insightful, honest and impassioned account of the US election that finally saw the nightmare election of Donald J idiot!!!.......
02-Apr-18
The Cirle of Reason - Amitav Ghosh
A lyrical and very creative book by this wonderful Indian author. I have very much enjoyed various other books by Ghosh including Glass Palace and the Sea of Poppies trilogy. The Circle of Reason was his first book.
27-Feb-18
Shipton and Tilman - Jim Perrin
An endearing, insightful and massively respectful joint biography of these two incredible men and their pioneering exploration mountaineering during the 1930s. An excellent book.
16-Feb-18
Uncommon Type - Tom Hanks
An interesting and very enjoyable collection of short stories. All have some connection with typewriters, often rather obscure!
20-Jan-18
Fortress of Spears - Anthony Riches
The third book in the 'Empire' series about the Romans in Britain. Gory, but somehow enjoyable tales of the adventures of Marcus Tribulus Corvus, a refugee from a fallen aristocratic family in Rome, who finds himself fighting as a brave and noble Centurion in northern Britain.
07-Jan-18
Mischief in Patagonia - H. W. Tilman
My sailing and mountaineering hero. I've read this one before, but have decided to work back through the splendid compendium of Tilman's sailing/mountaineering books that my great friend, Brian, kindly gave to me many years back.
26-Dec-17
Sons and Lovers - D. H. Lawrence
A gritty, semi-autobiographical novel about harsh family life in a Nottinghamshire mining town. Wonderfully written, but hardly full of joy!
15-Dec-17
The Buried Giant - Kazuo Ishiguro
A mysterious tale about far off times in England. I love the way that Ishiguro's books begin with a blank and unfamiliar canvas, and detail is slowly painted in. His style is unique - it takes a bit of getting used to, but all of his books that I have read have been deeply rewarding, and extremely enjoyable. In all cases, it has been a very rewarding journey. I think this one will be no exception.
30-Nov-17
Dust on the Sea - Douglas Reeman
This is the fourth in the 'Blackwood' series, tracing a family with a long line of service and honour in the Royal Marines.
Like all Reeman's books, the characters are very real, and there is a combination of grizzly battle, history and deep humanity.
I have been enjoying Douglas Reeman books for several years now, since my dear Dad bought me the first in the ('Alexander Kent') Bolitho series for Christmas. I have since read the complete series, and quite a few others too.
Sadly, Douglas Reeman 'crossed the bar' earlier this year. He had had a long a good life, but it is sad that there will be no more new titles.
15-Oct-17
The Mill on the Floss - George Eliot
I like to work steadily through the classics. The only book by George Eliot that I've read before is Silas Marner, and that was because Katherine or Sarah (I can't remember which!) was doing it at school in English. So here goes.
It's taking me a long time to get through this one, but I'm now deeply engrossed, and most of the way though...
A very good read. Great character portrayal, and development of deep conscience in relationships.
01-Oct-17
Winter Holiday - Arthur Ransome
The fourth in the Swallows and Amazons series......
My dear Dad bought me Swallows and Amazons when I was about eight (I still have the paperback). I didn't really read it properly when I was young, though my life has evolved as if I had. I'm reading the series now in my late fifties, and the stories really resonate.
Another great childhood adventure - I really enjoyed it - especially Dick and Dorothea's rollicking sledge sail on the frozen lake in a storm!!
Lenin - Robert Service
Biography of Vladimir Ilyich!
A lengthy read. Well written, and enjoyable. I'm taking it in stages. A huge insight into the Soviet era, and the life of an obsessive revolutionary.
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