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What are you reading - Part II


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I just finished this one:

 

81LOQu-zqRL

 

Excellent analysis of each case - clearly showing that all three did not reach the pole but still managed to make a lot of cash from their fraud. Cook even faked his ascent of Denali. Doctored log books, unattainable speeds during the dash for the pole, improbable measurements, no witnesses to verify the claims, denying access to researchers wishing to review the documentation, etc. etc.

 

Thank God for Amundsen, who actually did everything he claimed.

 

Cheers,

Bill

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Over my dead body, the latest Inspector Warwick novel by Jeffrey Archer, yes I know, but it’s a pleasant enough and easy read, and nowhere near as violent as The Dark Horse, the latest Orphan X book by Greg Hurwitz.

 

Though Dark Horse is another good example of the Orphan X books.

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Just finished "The Nanny State Made Me" by Stuart Maconie. Bit of self righteous listening to the echo chamber.

 

Just started to reread The Wasp Factory" by Iain Banks. At one point it features a low flying RAF Jaguar so I'd recommend it to anyone on here. 👺

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Joking aside, "The Wasp Factory" is a brilliant but somewhat robust read with the potential to shock. Not for the faint hearted.

 

Maconie's book was written in 2019 and aside from being a review of what he believes to be a few decades when this country was a place to be really proud of and a had potential that was never realised, in the last few pages he makes an astonishingly precient comment on what has come to pass these last few weeks.

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I’ve just started “confessions of a Phantom Pilot”. Only pages in but so far it’s seems a good read.

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I am now 30% through Duncan Campbell's Jet Man, the story of Frank Whittle's struggles to build a working turbojet. It's an interesting, well detailed read so far. It feels a bit biased towards Frank rather than being a neutral viewpoint, but it's probably fully deserved. If it felt more neutral it might well be less accurate.

 

Just finished Conn Iggulden's The Gates of Athens, which I found to be at about his normal standards and I'll be reading more of the series.

 

Before that, I read the final book in The Expanse. Thoroughly recommended series for anyone into sci-fi.

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9 hours ago, Lightningboy2000 said:

My signed copy of The Sound Of The Machine - autobiography by Karl Bartos.

Heard him talking about it on the radio the other weekend. Said he'd cut it down from 1000 pages to 500! Must get a copy. Did you get it signed while he was doing his promo tour and say hello or is it a pre signed copy?

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2 hours ago, Pigpen said:

Heard him talking about it on the radio the other weekend. Said he'd cut it down from 1000 pages to 500! Must get a copy. Did you get it signed while he was doing his promo tour and say hello or is it a pre signed copy?

I per-ordered a signed copy & it's 634 pages. I've read loads of music autobiographies & this is definitely the biggest book in my collection!

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  • 2 weeks later...

Just finished rereading Mick Herron's seven "Slough House" books plus the three novellas and they still worked for me the second time around. A couple of things I have alweays felt about Herron and I think it was underlined rereading the books was that he doesn't seem to like his characters. For example Roddy Ho provides impossible results his from desk top yet all of the Slough House residents treat him as an undesirsable juvenile.. The Slough House crew perform well in most situations but are constantly berated by Jackson Lamb and Diana Taverner. 

 

Jackson Lamb is over weight, constantly smoking and drinking in addition to poor eating habits and yet in the blink of an eye becomes a stealth assassin with no equal. He is also an obnoxious oracle who seems to know exactly the issues are and how to remedy them. 

 

Despite my critisms I have enjoyed reading the books and look forward to the next installment in the series. I can also highly recommend them to anyone who enjoys light spy fiction with a touch of humour and intrigue.

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I've been chugging my way through Allied Escort carriers of Ww2 by Kenneth Poolman, a really good read imho, hell those guys worked hard for their rewards, or lack thereof, but this was put on hold when I picked up a book I'd browsed at the local bookstore, Critical Point by Geoffrey Waring, a story of flying freight carrying 707s in africa & the middle east in the 1980s, hell I couldn't put it down. I reckon I've read enough aviation books to be able to judge what is authentic & whats not & by my judgement, this had a great ring of authenticity to it, maybe not 100% but I'll give it a 95%. More info & an ebook for anyone interested here.

Steve.

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All Quiet on the Modelling Front, but a few weeks taking it easy after a double hernia op, followed by Covid isolation, means I've had my head in a book even more than usual of late.
I think I've mentioned Bridge Across the Sky already here.

Corsairville. Took me months to read, kept putting it down and picking other books up.

Six weeks. Good account of the typical life of young officers in the Great War

The 5 battleground books were picked up at my local car boot for £3 the lot. I was intersted in the two Airfields and Airmen volumes, but couldn't turn the others away for that price.

I Chose the Sky and Winged Victory were picked out the 'further reading' sections of the battleground books. I Chose the Sky was OK, but was basically Tich Rochford going through his WW1 log book 50 years later. Interesting, but devoid of any emotion.

 

52288643940_16a0d24841_z.jpg

Currently reading ... by Mike, on Flickr

 

52288159468_203247a16c_z.jpg

Currently reading ... by Mike, on Flickr

 

Winged Victory on the other hand is an absolute belter and I can't put it down. Very well written, I can't believe it went relatively unnoticed when it was released in '34. It found fame during the next World War when the new generation of fighter pilots sought out old copies for up to £5, I can see why! Unfortunately the writer never saw his account of his time as a Camel pilot get the recognition it deserved, he died of tuberculosis just after it was printed. The illness was called 'Flying Sickness D' among RFC pilots.

 

Schrapnel and Tumult in the Clouds were purchased at the amazing Stow Maries Aerodrome last weekend (pre-covid), they are next on the reading list.

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12 minutes ago, Quiet Mike said:

All Quiet on the Modelling Front, but a few weeks taking it easy after a double hernia op, followed by Covid isolation, means I've had my head in a book even more than usual of late.
I think I've mentioned Bridge Across the Sky already here.

Corsairville. Took me months to read, kept putting it down and picking other books up.

Six weeks. Good account of the typical life of young officers in the Great War

The 5 battleground books were picked up at my local car boot for £3 the lot. I was intersted in the two Airfields and Airmen volumes, but couldn't turn the others away for that price.

I Chose the Sky and Winged Victory were picked out the 'further reading' sections of the battleground books. I Chose the Sky was OK, but was basically Tich Rochford going through his WW1 log book 50 years later. Interesting, but devoid of any emotion.

 

52288643940_16a0d24841_z.jpg

Currently reading ... by Mike, on Flickr

 

52288159468_203247a16c_z.jpg

Currently reading ... by Mike, on Flickr

 

Winged Victory on the other hand is an absolute belter and I can't put it down. Very well written, I can't believe it went relatively unnoticed when it was released in '34. It found fame during the next World War when the new generation of fighter pilots sought out old copies for up to £5, I can see why! Unfortunately the writer never saw his account of his time as a Camel pilot get the recognition it deserved, he died of tuberculosis just after it was printed. The illness was called 'Flying Sickness D' among RFC pilots.

 

Schrapnel and Tumult in the Clouds were purchased at the amazing Stow Maries Aerodrome last weekend (pre-covid), they are next on the reading list.

At least you have plenty to read; reading is excellent at keeping your mind active and your imagination well oiled! Sorry to hear of your operation, keep on reading!

Tumult in the Clouds is an excellent book, I have read it so so many times now and I’ll continue to read it! It’s an excellent book that I never tire of and always learn something different each time. I have models of aircraft of the 4th Fg, also the 352nd, I was hoping to see Debden but it’s an army establishment.

 

hoping you return to full health soon.🙂👍

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Currently reading 'Lion Resurgent' by Stuart Slade, one of a series of Alternate History novels.  'Lion Resurgent' covers an alternative Falklands War, quite different with the RN having 'proper' aircraft carriers, HMS Glorious and Furious, operating Highball armed Buccaneers and Sea Mirages, plus troop carrying Fairey Rotodynes from HMS Bulwark and Albion.  It's an enjoyable read with a plausible storyline.

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13 hours ago, 593jones said:

Currently reading 'Lion Resurgent' by Stuart Slade, one of a series of Alternate History novels.  'Lion Resurgent' covers an alternative Falklands War, quite different with the RN having 'proper' aircraft carriers, HMS Glorious and Furious, operating Highball armed Buccaneers and Sea Mirages, plus troop carrying Fairey Rotodynes from HMS Bulwark and Albion.  It's an enjoyable read with a plausible storyline.

So what assets does the opposition have, that they feel confident of taking on 4 RN carrriers?

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11 hours ago, Seahawk said:

So what assets does the opposition have, that they feel confident of taking on 4 RN carrriers?

 

Naval assets not too dissimilar from our time line, one aircraft carrier and mainly ex-US destroyers and cruisers plus some submarines.  Aircraft are mainly A-4 Skyhawks and a couple of fictional types, a Super Crusader and a Macchi Ciclone (it is Alternate History).

 

UK forces are the ships I mentioned plus various cruisers and destroyers.  The RAF doesn't really feature, no Vulcans, so no Black Buck raids.  The Army element is composed of battalions of the Parachute Regiment, plus the Royal Regiment of Marines.  Interestingly, the army is equipped with what is described as the L1A2 rifle, which appears to be a developed version of the EM2, in 7mm.

 

It might be useful to give some of the backstory to the series.  The Point Of Departure from our timeline was 1940, where Churchill is removed from the premiership and replaced by Lord Halifax, who signs an armistice with the Third Reich.  The Second World War ends in 1947 when the US uses a fleet of B-36's to nuke every German city, and I mean every German city.  Goodbye Germany!  The UK comes out of it as a fourth class power and has only reorganised it's armed forces by the late '70's, so the idea that the UK might fight for the Falklands is dismissed by the opposition.  The invasion of the Falklands gives the UK a chance to prove it is still a potent force in the world.

 

I read the book set in 1947,'The Big One', previously, and to be honest, didn't think very much of it, but as I'd bought both books I had to give 'Lion Resurgent' a go, and I'm glad I did, as I said in my previous post, it is an enjoyable read, much better than 'The Big One'.  There are some little touches in the book I especially enjoyed, amongst the crew of one of the RN destroyers were Able Seaman Johnson and Leading Seaman Goldsteam at the starboard look out.  Sadly CPO Pertwee wasn't present! In the UK parliament, the leader of the Labour Party is a Mr. Dennis Skimmer, aka The Beast of Bolsover, a hero of the resistance, and the reason why Labour lost the previous election.

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On 8/15/2022 at 10:31 PM, Markh-75 said:

At least you have plenty to read; reading is excellent at keeping your mind active and your imagination well oiled! Sorry to hear of your operation, keep on reading!

Tumult in the Clouds is an excellent book, I have read it so so many times now and I’ll continue to read it! It’s an excellent book that I never tire of and always learn something different each time. I have models of aircraft of the 4th Fg, also the 352nd, I was hoping to see Debden but it’s an army establishment.

 

hoping you return to full health soon.🙂👍

 

Well Mark, I am in 100% agreement with you, what a book Tumoult in the Clouds is! I initially read the first few pages when I got it, just to get a feel of it. I know I'm one of the 'one model at a time' crowd, but that doesn't stop me having several books dotted around the house on the go. I must admitt I thought Goodson might be a bit of a line shooter after hearing his exploits saving all the young ladies from the sinking ship, as he was the only one who could swim ... Once I'd finished Winged Victory and picked it up properly, I soon dismissed this hasty impression. Like Winged Victory, I couldn't put it down. And there is a nice syncronicity between the two  books. Goodson must have been one of those flyers who read and was influenced by Winged Victory during the war. As a mark of respect he includeds one of Yeates poems at the start of his book! A total coincidence that I've read these back to back.

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27 minutes ago, Quiet Mike said:

 

Well Mark, I am in 100% agreement with you, what a book Tumoult in the Clouds is! I initially read the first few pages when I got it, just to get a feel of it. I know I'm one of the 'one model at a time' crowd, but that doesn't stop me having several books dotted around the house on the go. I must admitt I thought Goodson might be a bit of a line shooter after hearing his exploits saving all the young ladies from the sinking ship, as he was the only one who could swim ... Once I'd finished Winged Victory and picked it up properly, I soon dismissed this hasty impression. Like Winged Victory, I couldn't put it down. And there is a nice syncronicity between the two  books. Goodson must have been one of those flyers who read and was influenced by Winged Victory during the war. As a mark of respect he includeds one of Yeates poems at the start of his book! A total coincidence that I've read these back to back.

Thank you for your reply, yes I did wonder a bit but I was able to find a few things online and looked into it more, there is an obscure video of an interview with him where he teaches a German interrogator how to blow smoke rings, he explains how he did that. I enjoy reading about the characters he served along with and the things they said. Must have been quite a crowd of chaps!

Its a brilliant book and I have read numerous times; I will undoubtedly read it many times more and still really enjoy it.😎

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  • 4 weeks later...

I am very much enjoying re-reading 'Evidence of Things Not Seen: A Mountaineer's Tale' by WH Murray. A great read, as were three other mountaineering books by the same author, not a 'Wow!' in sight on any of the pages, but a tremendous ability to use the English (or Scottish) language. It is a perennial favourite of mine.

 

Ray

Edited by Ray S
corrected spelling
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War Report. The BBC organised a team of reporters and tech assistants to go in with the troops on D Day.

The idea was for them to record onto disc their observations of the day. These would then be flown out or transmitted back to the BBC via support vehicles.

Teams of people there would censor, edit and transcribe the recordings, They would then be broadcast around 21:15 each night.

Translated into several languages, they would also be broadcast around the globe. Up to date news complete with background battle sounds!

It was a huge success. It cost the BBC 100,000 pounds in 1945 money! The War Report programme was transmitted from D Day until the Armistice. Millions listened in.

How do I know all this? For the princely sum of 50p I bought the book from a car boot sale the other week. Fascinating stuff. 

Published around 1947 I think. These are the transcriptions of the original recordings.

Reporters went in by glider, parachute, LCT, etc etc. At least two died when flying in Bombers. One of the reporters was Richard Dimbleby.

Allied losses are hardly mentioned, yet German losses are brought to the fore. Propaganda of sorts I assume.

If anyone would like this after me, please get in touch.

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Not reading but listening to Domain by James Herbert. Signed up for a free Audible trial and noted that several James Herbert books were included. Have read the Rats trilogy many times and thought it might be fun to listen to my favourite book of the series. Also have The Dark and The Spear to go at along with James Hollands Sicily 43 and Normandy 44. Best of all i get to keep the books when i cancel at end of the trial 👍

 

Regards,

 

Steve

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