Books - What are you reading?
Discussion
A most remarkable coincidence. I was watching TV this morning and see that flights of the new Boeing 737 are being suspended. By sheer chance I picked up a book by Michael Crichton in a café last week called Airframe. This is all about a new aircraft which has structural problems and flights are grounded. A well researched and interesting novel, and I see published 22 years ago. Be interesting to see the outcome of both real and fictional.
ETA:- And even more bizarre, in the book they are selling a fleet of aircraft to China on the condition that the tail section will be built in China. I see in the paper that Airbus have just done that.
ETA:- And even more bizarre, in the book they are selling a fleet of aircraft to China on the condition that the tail section will be built in China. I see in the paper that Airbus have just done that.
Edited by lowdrag on Wednesday 27th March 11:33
lowdrag said:
A most remarkable coincidence. I was watching TV this morning and see that flights of the new Boeing 737 are being suspended. By sheer chance I picked up a book by Michael Crichton in a café last week called Airframe. This is all about a new aircraft which has structural problems and flights are grounded. A well researched and interesting novel, and I see published 22 years ago. Be interesting to see the outcome of both real and fictional
It's a long time since I read Airframe, though probably not 22 years ago. I recall enjoying it, and prefer my memory of it to some of his more recent stuff. I've just finished "The Fallen" by David Baldacci, one of his Amos Decker series. Very much enjoyed it.
Tales of a Grandfather, by Sir Walter Scott.
I've read and enjoyed most of his fictional stuff over the years but happened across this in an antique book shop a number of years ago and have only just got round to picking it up.
He wrote it (in letter form) as a three volume history of Scotland for his (then)six year old grandson. In the preface, he states that he has somewhat simplified it to make it understandable to a child which puts it nicely at a level suitable for a modern 50something.
I'm really enjoying the combination of hard facts, outdated and biased opinions, and auld Wattie's subtle sense of humour.
I've read and enjoyed most of his fictional stuff over the years but happened across this in an antique book shop a number of years ago and have only just got round to picking it up.
He wrote it (in letter form) as a three volume history of Scotland for his (then)six year old grandson. In the preface, he states that he has somewhat simplified it to make it understandable to a child which puts it nicely at a level suitable for a modern 50something.
I'm really enjoying the combination of hard facts, outdated and biased opinions, and auld Wattie's subtle sense of humour.
lowdrag said:
Yet, sad to say, there is a lot of criticism of the publisher and people say their books are all fake. Don't slate me, I'm just playing devil's advocate and don't know either way. But it has to be said that finding any historical works written by the Germans is extremely difficult, if not downright impossible. Here is but one post I found, and before you read it, have a look here; I found this more convincing:-
https://np.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/7ej...
well that's disappointing if true - surely the nerds jump on history books and debunk them? Also would have thought there would be enough German POWs fro D Day who could have corroborated or supplied stories in the pasthttps://np.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/7ej...
https://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?t=1060...
lowdrag said:
A most remarkable coincidence. I was watching TV this morning and see that flights of the new Boeing 737 are being suspended. By sheer chance I picked up a book by Michael Crichton in a café last week called Airframe. This is all about a new aircraft which has structural problems and flights are grounded. A well researched and interesting novel, and I see published 22 years ago. Be interesting to see the outcome of both real and fictional
How about "No Highway in the Sky" - written by Neville Shute and published just after World War 2 - essentially the same story.Adam B said:
lowdrag said:
Yet, sad to say, there is a lot of criticism of the publisher and people say their books are all fake. Don't slate me, I'm just playing devil's advocate and don't know either way. But it has to be said that finding any historical works written by the Germans is extremely difficult, if not downright impossible. Here is but one post I found, and before you read it, have a look here; I found this more convincing:-
https://np.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/7ej...
well that's disappointing if true - surely the nerds jump on history books and debunk them? Also would have thought there would be enough German POWs fro D Day who could have corroborated or supplied stories in the pasthttps://np.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/7ej...
https://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?t=1060...
It was interesting reading about the German POWs after the war when the allies showed them films of the camps and similar. Would be interesting to hear some more of their reactions to that.
I fancied something lightweight and amusing. Bob dies, Bob gets resurrected in the future as a computer, Bob goes to space as the main computer on a spaceship, Bob replicates himself and the spaceship and becomes a network of Bobs on spaceships and so on.
It is lightweight and amusing, but clearly some deeper thinking has been done.
I am currently reading Frederick Forsyth's autobiography "The Outsider: My Life in Intrigue" and he has had a fascinating and at times very risky life.
As Reuters correspondent in East Berlin during the early 60s he almost started WW3 and gave the Stasi the run around...
I have learnt much more detail about Biafra (specifically the manipulation of the reporting of the situation by the British govt in the early days), I was only 12-13 when it was happening so not really that aware of the why and how of the events apart from remembering pictures of starving children on the TV and in the papers.
His view of working for the BBC and their relationship to the Labour govt was also quite revealing.
In all very recommended.
As Reuters correspondent in East Berlin during the early 60s he almost started WW3 and gave the Stasi the run around...
I have learnt much more detail about Biafra (specifically the manipulation of the reporting of the situation by the British govt in the early days), I was only 12-13 when it was happening so not really that aware of the why and how of the events apart from remembering pictures of starving children on the TV and in the papers.
His view of working for the BBC and their relationship to the Labour govt was also quite revealing.
In all very recommended.
paulguitar said:
I am reading '1984' by George Orwell. It seems a good time, with the way things are going in the USA. I love it so far, the way history is simply erased and it is a 'post-truth' world is so believably done. It's genuinely possible to imagine some of it actually happening.
As Orwell very much intended us to see, it does very closely mirror events in both Nazi Germany and Stalinist Soviet Union.And with the influence of modern mass media we can see it again and again. The puppet masters change but the plot does not.
For a very up to date example; No one in Venezuela dies of starvation or malnutrition today - doctors are not able to give this as a cause of death. New York Times
Starvation crisis resolved
I've just finished "Odessa Sea" by Clive Cussler. I enjoyed it, as I do with all his stuff (except the Isaac Bell series), but it annoyed me that a professional writer with all his proofreaders has his characters come to the UK and offer a £100 note to someone. He's not the only one who has done this - either Tom Clancy or Lee Child (who really should know better) also made the same mistake.
Apart from that, though, a decent book if you like that kind of stuff.
Apart from that, though, a decent book if you like that kind of stuff.
paulguitar said:
I am reading '1984' by George Orwell. It seems a good time, with the way things are going in the USA. I love it so far, the way history is simply erased and it is a 'post-truth' world is so believably done. It's genuinely possible to imagine some of it actually happening.
I know it's probably a cliche thing to say, but it is fascinating how accurate that book was / how relatable it is today. One of my all time favourites for sure.On a different note has anyone here read that Dianetcs by L. Ron Hubbard? I've been listening to loads of Joe Rogan podcasts recently and his interviews with Leah Remini, Louis Thereux etc, and it gets mentioned alot - sounds like it's (predictably) mostly garbage but I might blast through it just for interest...
droopsnoot said:
I've just finished "Odessa Sea" by Clive Cussler. I enjoyed it, as I do with all his stuff (except the Isaac Bell series), but it annoyed me that a professional writer with all his proofreaders has his characters come to the UK and offer a £100 note to someone. He's not the only one who has done this - either Tom Clancy or Lee Child (who really should know better) also made the same mistake.
Are £100 notes not a thing in England? I have most definitely seen £100 notes from Danske Bank and Ulster Bank in Northern Ireland. They massive, and the first time I saw either I immediately assumed they were counterfeit.Gassing Station | Books and Literature | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff