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Posted

Just finished James Ellroy's latest "The Enchanters" and yes it's typical Ellroy. The story concerns a fictional account of Freddy Otash attempting to determine what led to Marilyn Monroe's death and along the way he dishes dirt on her, the Kennedy brothers, former Los Angeles chiefs of Police and different Hollywood actors, directors,  studio bosses and hangers on. It's a page turner and for me, an enjoyable read. 

 

I will be starting Mick Herron's latest book, "The Secret Hours" this evening and I have Richard Osman's latest "The Last Devil to Die" arriving tomorrow. September has been a wonderful month for me with three of my favourite living authors releasing new books. Life is indeed good.

Posted

Currently my brain is being fried studying medieval monasticism in all its forms. Started with one book. Oddly enuf its called 'Medieval Monasticism'

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Posted (edited)

Being in hospital you’d have thought I could have read a few books, but in all honesty I find it difficult to concentrate. 
 

I am about to try and start Wilbur Smith’s (ghost written) Titans of war, one of the books in his Egyptian saga, but will probably finish the IPMS magazine my wife brought in yesterday for me first.

 

As I am sure anyone who’s spent time recently in a British hospital, it’s the continual interruptions starting at 0515, and not ceasing until 2200.

 

And of course staff are dealing with all the other patients so it’s non stop action around you all the time. 
 

Let me also say they are all fabulous people, even with the Mr Grumpy in my bed!!

 

 

Edited by Whofan
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Posted
4 hours ago, Whofan said:

Let me also say they are all fabulous people, even with the Mr Grumpy in my bed!!

 

 

You're having to share a bed???  I knew the NHS was in a bad way, bur really, that's too much!

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Posted
11 hours ago, 593jones said:

 

You're having to share a bed???  I knew the NHS was in a bad way, but really, that's too much!

 

It's okay, I know this Mr Grumpy well 😂

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Posted

Just finished Mick Herron's latest "The Secret Hours". While it isn't part of the the Slough House/Slow Horses saga it sheds light on some of the lesser characters and can easily be read as a stand alone book without having read any of the Slow Horses books. Major characters of the saga appear in the book however they are either unnamed or referred to under an alias. The book alternates between the 1990's and the present time and  keeps the reader wondering where the plot is going, of course all is revealed in the final part. I am a fan of Mick Herron and I enjoyed the book and can recommend it to anyone who enjoys a spy mystery thriller. 

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Posted

Reading just now the "Osprey Aircraft of the Aces, The Legendary Spitfire MK I/II 1939-41" a happy pick up at a local book fair, $2.00. Waiting in the wings, "The Anchor Foundry" a history of a local foundry & shipping company written by a teacher of mine who was a marine engineer for them before he tried to teach clots like me engineering & just picked up today, an interlibrary lone, "The Happy Squadron, 1772 NAS, 1944-45". It's going to be a busy month. 😟 

Steve.

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Posted

I recently ordered 'The War in the Air' by HG Wells. It cost £3.99. When it turned up, I found it was actually a 'double book' and also contained 'The War of the Worlds', which made it even better value, as I would have ordered that one next.

 

To answer the topic question, I am currently reading War of the Worlds, as it is the first one in the book.

 

Ray

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Posted

Reading 'The Northern Crusades'

Detailing the 12th century to 15th century Crusades in North Eastern Europe and the Baltic countries. The forgotten crusades

Posted

Just gone back to start the Flashman series again with, well, Flashman.  Must be the fifth or sixth time I have read it but the series is cracking, besides, it is on Kindle this time so obviously it will be different.  

 

For the guys talking about Cuban Missile crisis, 'One minute to midnight' by Micheal Dobbs is a good read (I was thinking about the Hastings book prior to buying this but I am not his biggest fan).

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Posted

First light, Geoffrey Wellum. 19 year old Spitfire pilot in the Battle of Britain. My third or fourth time of reading it over the years. It's a great book with his views and fears plus lots of familiar places and people.  This morning in a charity shop for 50p, I found the novel Ice Cold in Alex. I've seen the film plenty of times but never read the book.

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Posted

I’ve read Dan Simmons’ Hyperion duology quite a number of times, so finally started Endymion.

 

It’s brilliant, some really fresh ideas and clever extrapolation from the first books. I miss the Chaucerian structure but the closer focus pays dividends in terms of detail.

 

4 hours ago, psdavidson said:

V2 by Robert Harris


I keep meaning to read this- I’ve got it out a few times from the library but never get around to starting it before the due date. Loved Gravity’s Rainbow so would be interested in more fiction set around the V2 program, tough act to follow though!

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Posted

I have a copy of V2 and it will be my next read. At present I'm reading a book about the WAAF. In their own words. It wasn't easy for a lot of them to adjust to the military .

And it took a while for a lot of the military to adjust to them too. Some sad tales and some very funny ones too. Plus there are all those names of old bases. 

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Posted

Still chugging through the Anchor Shipping Co tome & have been trying to read the 1772 NAS history "The Friendly Squadron" there are some very interesting memories shared but overall I've found it a bit chatty & not as nuts & boltsy as I'd hoped, sort of you had to have been there or known someone who was kind of thing. I found time along the way to bowl over Squadrons #17, operators of the Curtiss Mohawk in RAF & Commonwealth service. I was fascinated by the operations of 5 & 155 squadrons in India/Burma. I had no idea they used these aircraft as hard as they did. Really interesting. Getting into the Aeroplane Icon #21 on the Shackleton now.

Steve.

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Posted

I’m currently reading Damascus Station by David McCloskey, a fictional account of a CIA officer’s life in Damascus circa 2012.

 

It’s a decent read, but that’s just my opinion.

Posted

Already had the first couple of chapters as course material, so decided to get the entire book.
Sea People  - Christina Thompson, 2019 - on the spread of human population in Polynesia.

 

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Oh and James Holland's Italian Campaign book 

It will have to take a back seat for the moment however, as the first semester exams are due next week. 

 

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Posted (edited)

I'm currently reading 'The Book At War - Libraries And Readers In An Age Of Conflict' by Andrew Pettegree.  It's an interesting book, although slightly rambling with some interesting information.  I was unaware of the book-burning carried out in the USA in the First World War, when towns and libraries decided to burn books in the German language or on German subjects in general.  One music library destroyed all it's collection of work by German composers.  Tough luck, Beethoven!  The book does contain this remarkable statement:

 

"A long-term sleeper agent in Kirkwall, Orkney, alerted German intelligence to the insufficiency of the anti-submarine nets at the naval base at Scapa Flow. This resulted in one of the most audacious feats of the first year of the war, when a U-boat made it's way into the anchorage and torpedoed the aircraft-carrier Oak Royal'.

 

8DEDm9F.jpg

 

Andrew Pettegree is, according to the book jacket, the Professor of Modern History at St Andrews University.  Oh dear.

Edited by 593jones
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Posted

'Hawkwind: Sonic Assassins' by Ian Abrahams.

 

It is a great read for a confirmed Hawkwind fan like me, and it tells the story from before the beginning up to about 2004. They are still going strong even now.

 

Ray

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Posted (edited)
1 hour ago, Ray S said:

'Hawkwind: Sonic Assassins' by Ian Abrahams.

 

It is a great read for a confirmed Hawkwind fan like me, and it tells the story from before the beginning up to about 2004. They are still going strong even now.

 

Ray

This sounds like one to get.

 

I've read some excellent books on bands and artistes, ranging from Ray Coleman's bio of John Lennon to Bright lights, Dark Shadows, about Abba - oh, it is indeed a fascinating book about probably the second most popular band on the planet (after the Beatles) - A long strange trip, a history of Grateful Dead, which though I'm no particular fan of the Dead, is still a super book about the band and San Francisco culture in the late '60's.

 

Then there is the incomparable bio of Ray Davies by Johnny Rogan; and his book on Morrisey and Marr.

 

without doubt though, for me, the best music books I  have read are the two histories of Man, a Welsh band who's style was a little like Grateful Dead, Rhinos Winos and Lunatics, and it's sequel Maybe I should have stayed in bed, both by Deke Leonard.

 

The accounts of the band's life in the road had me gasping for air and laughing uncontrollably at times.

 

this is of course my personal opinion, not a recommendation, though I would hope if you (or anyone else) read them you'd enjoy them as much as I did.

 

Edited by Whofan
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Posted

Picked up Shot Down and in the Drink recently. Just finished it and liked it so much I found out it had a companion volume called 'on the run', so purchased that too!
A good general history of the ASR during the Second World War. Although the facts and figures given are rather dry, there are also plenty of incredible rescues also covered that meant I couldn't put it down.

 

53293034736_0ab8bb131c_c.jpg

Just finished Shot Down and in the drink by Mike, on Flickr

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Posted
On 9/27/2023 at 3:49 PM, Ray S said:

I recently ordered 'The War in the Air' by HG Wells. It cost £3.99. When it turned up, I found it was actually a 'double book' and also contained 'The War of the Worlds', which made it even better value, as I would have ordered that one next.

 

To answer the topic question, I am currently reading War of the Worlds, as it is the first one in the book.

 

Ray


I read WotW occasionally, it is like a comfort blanket! Same for The Hobbit. I'd hate to be without either of these books.
Another interesting HG Wells novel is The Wheels of Chance, a great account of what very early cycling was like, and also covers ground familar to WotW fans. I think the hero of the book cycles from London down to Salisbury? No science fiction, just modern technology.

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Posted

I've just finished the latest Thursday Murder Club novel by Richard Osman and now have the latest in the Roy Grace detective series by Peter James to read 📚 😀 

 

Keith 😁 

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Posted

After Squadrons #17 the Mohawk, I rattled through Aeroplane Ic0ns #21, the Avro Shackleton & in quick order "See you in November" by Peter Stiff, the story of an ex SAS undercover operative working for the Rhodesian CIO through later years of the bush war that lead to the formation of Zimbabwe. At time confronting but incredibly interesting & well written. Now started "Hurricane Tim" by Neville Peat, the biography of the recently deceased Sir Tim Wallis of Wings over Wanaka fame.

Steve.

Posted

'The Greatest Footballer You Never Saw: - The Robin Friday Story' by Paul McGuigan and Paolo Hewitt.

 

This is about Robin Friday, who was a fabulous talent and played at Reading (in the old Fourth Division) and then Cardiff between 1973/6. The authors reckon that Robin could have played at international level, but his lifestyle prevented that. I am a Reading Football Club fan and I was lucky enough to see him, so they got that title wrong in my case, but I know what they mean! The only other Reading player that I am aware of who had the same kind of fan adoration in the 70's was a giant of a player called Percy Freeman, and I saw him play too.

 

I think this is a great book (third time of reading it now) but I am rather biased. I is a great insight into the player as a person, and the troubles he had

 

Ray

 

PS McGuigan is 'Guigsy' from the rock band Oasis

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