Books - What are you reading?
Discussion
jimmyjimjim said:
And there's already two more books featuring him.
You can relax a bit though, Connelly has brought in a new character, and the action is shared between them. It's an improvement, frankly. I suspect the rationale is the Harry is pretty old now, so needs a more believable character for the action. He also needs PD access.
I sort of liked two kinds of truth; the courtroom plot was interesting - but it played second fiddle to the significantly less interesting drugs plot, and the book lost out as a result.
Thanks for the encouragement. Harry has now landed safely after they tried to ditch him from the plane without a parachute. Perhaps it is now going to get better.You can relax a bit though, Connelly has brought in a new character, and the action is shared between them. It's an improvement, frankly. I suspect the rationale is the Harry is pretty old now, so needs a more believable character for the action. He also needs PD access.
I sort of liked two kinds of truth; the courtroom plot was interesting - but it played second fiddle to the significantly less interesting drugs plot, and the book lost out as a result.
Prolex-UK said:
Goaty Bill 2 said:
'MAO The Unknown Story' by Jung Chang & Jon Halliday
One cannot pretend that this is a dispassionate and unbiased historical document.
It is without doubt or pretense a scathing polemic. One that is exceptionally well researched and highly detailed.
If you find you doubt that - there are near 150 pages of references, lists of interviewees and footnotes at the end of the book as well a further detailed index.
Investigation includes not just China (by Jung) but also Russian archives and interviews (by Halliday).
Given the number of fanboy books and articles in praise of Mao, going back to Edgar Snow and Bertrand Russell amongst others, and the numerous books written by Maoist apologists, this book certainly has and deserves its place IMO.
Anyone that can read this and continue to defend Mao by the 'results achieved' would have to be seriously disillusion or ideologically possessed.
photo obtained from internet
Reading this at the moment.One cannot pretend that this is a dispassionate and unbiased historical document.
It is without doubt or pretense a scathing polemic. One that is exceptionally well researched and highly detailed.
If you find you doubt that - there are near 150 pages of references, lists of interviewees and footnotes at the end of the book as well a further detailed index.
Investigation includes not just China (by Jung) but also Russian archives and interviews (by Halliday).
Given the number of fanboy books and articles in praise of Mao, going back to Edgar Snow and Bertrand Russell amongst others, and the numerous books written by Maoist apologists, this book certainly has and deserves its place IMO.
Anyone that can read this and continue to defend Mao by the 'results achieved' would have to be seriously disillusion or ideologically possessed.
photo obtained from internet
Edited by Goaty Bill 2 on Saturday 7th September 09:44
Eye opening to say the least.
Currently stuck in the middle of:
without wanting to start something that belongs in NPE, its disconcerting how many of his observations of his political opponents could have be written yesterday by someone thinking of twitter et all, and the descriptions of how out of touch political elites are with much of the electorate could easily be current reading too.
Only halfway through so don't spoil the ending plz.
FiF said:
I mentioned this on the Reacher thread.
Lee Child claims that the two most frequent complaints he gets are...
1) Tom Cruise, WTF were you thinking of?
And
2) I'm up to page 10 and there's not been a fight yet!
One thing that surprised me from reading Reacher said Nothing by Andy Martin is how Child constructs his plots. I'd wrongly assumed it was all carefully crafted out with a general story arc tieing most if it together which was then filled out. Nope, writes the first sentence without a clue where it goes from there. Introduces characters without knowing who, how and where they're going to fit, even if they're going to survive. At times following the writing of the book it felt like a one man version of that game the script writers on 24 were reputedly playing, writing alternate episodes with a "Get him out of that then" challenge for the other crew.
One other thing, I'd always assumed that the work of an author involved 8 minimum daily hours of sweat and tears over a keyboard. Nope, Child goofs off, a lot. One day he wrote 700+ words in an hour long burst, that was it for the day, feet up, drinking coffee, naturally has to be coffee, smoking Camels, eating Snickers and watching Villa versus Spurs or whoever is on satellite.
Whether folks like his work or not he's one of a kind writer, but looked down upon by superior types. Particularly liked the story by Andy Martin who spotted a guy on the tube reading some heavyweight intellectual book. Next day he happens to sit beside him, intellectual cover, yet contents actually 61hours by Lee Child.
Raymond Chandler worked like that. He said that if he dried he'd have two guys come in with guns in their hands.Lee Child claims that the two most frequent complaints he gets are...
1) Tom Cruise, WTF were you thinking of?
And
2) I'm up to page 10 and there's not been a fight yet!
One thing that surprised me from reading Reacher said Nothing by Andy Martin is how Child constructs his plots. I'd wrongly assumed it was all carefully crafted out with a general story arc tieing most if it together which was then filled out. Nope, writes the first sentence without a clue where it goes from there. Introduces characters without knowing who, how and where they're going to fit, even if they're going to survive. At times following the writing of the book it felt like a one man version of that game the script writers on 24 were reputedly playing, writing alternate episodes with a "Get him out of that then" challenge for the other crew.
One other thing, I'd always assumed that the work of an author involved 8 minimum daily hours of sweat and tears over a keyboard. Nope, Child goofs off, a lot. One day he wrote 700+ words in an hour long burst, that was it for the day, feet up, drinking coffee, naturally has to be coffee, smoking Camels, eating Snickers and watching Villa versus Spurs or whoever is on satellite.
Whether folks like his work or not he's one of a kind writer, but looked down upon by superior types. Particularly liked the story by Andy Martin who spotted a guy on the tube reading some heavyweight intellectual book. Next day he happens to sit beside him, intellectual cover, yet contents actually 61hours by Lee Child.
Teddy Lop said:
Without wanting to start something that belongs in NPE, its disconcerting how many of his observations of his political opponents could have be written yesterday by someone thinking of twitter et all, and the descriptions of how out of touch political elites are with much of the electorate could easily be current reading too.
Much like Animal Farm, I think it just proves that while times change, human nature doesn't. I was up in the loft over the weekend, clearing out a space for storage. I removed some old paperbacks, and what should I find but a old paperback of Flashman, the first one. I started reading it again, and it's hooked me. It's fun. It's not quite PC.
I used to have half a dozen or so, but only held on to the first one. I bought it before I was married, and it's 49 years so far.
I used to have half a dozen or so, but only held on to the first one. I bought it before I was married, and it's 49 years so far.
Just finished reading “The 16th Round”, later made in to a movie called “The Hurricane”. The story of a pro boxer fitted up for a murder by a corrupt law system in America, about his life before conviction and life in prison.
Riveting read but one that hits home about the problems of racism in the world.
Riveting read but one that hits home about the problems of racism in the world.
Just finished this - bit of a detour for me. Semi-fictionalised (or at least a novelised and embellished) biography of the captain of the Beagle, with Charles Darwin as the primary antagonist, set across 30+ years, with the majority of the book being on the boat.
Big book, slow-going in places, and at times a little dark, but engrossing, educational and very well-written nonetheless. Glad I read it, but probably not going to keep on the shelf to read again...partly for personal reasons as much as the quality of the book.
Big book, slow-going in places, and at times a little dark, but engrossing, educational and very well-written nonetheless. Glad I read it, but probably not going to keep on the shelf to read again...partly for personal reasons as much as the quality of the book.
MB140 said:
Just finished reading “The 16th Round”, later made in to a movie called “The Hurricane”. The story of a pro boxer fitted up for a murder by a corrupt law system in America, about his life before conviction and life in prison.
Riveting read but one that hits home about the problems of racism in the world.
Bob Dylan had a good song on it; 'Hurricane' on the Desire album.Riveting read but one that hits home about the problems of racism in the world.
October was a long anticipated month...
First up was Lee Child's Reacher in Blue Moon - Formulaic and predictable of course, but up to the usual standard, great. [Reacher books are just like reading one very big book in annual chunks
]
Next Micheal Connelly's Bosch and Ballard in The Night Fire - Really enjoyed it, the familiar characters like old shoes, the plot multi-faceted and the writing nicely paced. Classic Bosch.
Now Mick Herron's Jackson Lamb in Joe Country - Again another series of which this is the latest - quirky espionage thriller but with some great wit, and this, so far, is no different.
In parallel Peter Godfrey-Smith and Other Minds - An exploration of the neurological side of the octopus [think someone here has read it...?] Quite thought provoking and interesting, written well. Why octopus? Well, it was off the back of reading Peter Watts' Firefall a collected duo [BlindSight and Echopraxia], hard sci-fi but under the story were a variety of themes such as the embodied 'Chinese room', consciousness, free will, AI, neurology, game theory, evolution and biology. And vampires. Vampires Andy? - wtf? Cleverly integrated vampires in a great universe. All in all a good sci-fi but a thought provoking one too - Watts writes very well and it had some choice little moments.
Finally Andy McNab's new one - Whatever It Takes - new character apparently, should be a good read going by most of his others. Chomp fare, but a rip-roaring read. Let's see.
October is officially pulp month
First up was Lee Child's Reacher in Blue Moon - Formulaic and predictable of course, but up to the usual standard, great. [Reacher books are just like reading one very big book in annual chunks
] Next Micheal Connelly's Bosch and Ballard in The Night Fire - Really enjoyed it, the familiar characters like old shoes, the plot multi-faceted and the writing nicely paced. Classic Bosch.
Now Mick Herron's Jackson Lamb in Joe Country - Again another series of which this is the latest - quirky espionage thriller but with some great wit, and this, so far, is no different.
In parallel Peter Godfrey-Smith and Other Minds - An exploration of the neurological side of the octopus [think someone here has read it...?] Quite thought provoking and interesting, written well. Why octopus? Well, it was off the back of reading Peter Watts' Firefall a collected duo [BlindSight and Echopraxia], hard sci-fi but under the story were a variety of themes such as the embodied 'Chinese room', consciousness, free will, AI, neurology, game theory, evolution and biology. And vampires. Vampires Andy? - wtf? Cleverly integrated vampires in a great universe. All in all a good sci-fi but a thought provoking one too - Watts writes very well and it had some choice little moments.
Finally Andy McNab's new one - Whatever It Takes - new character apparently, should be a good read going by most of his others. Chomp fare, but a rip-roaring read. Let's see.
October is officially pulp month
Teddy Lop said:
Prolex-UK said:
Goaty Bill 2 said:
'MAO The Unknown Story' by Jung Chang & Jon Halliday
One cannot pretend that this is a dispassionate and unbiased historical document.
It is without doubt or pretense a scathing polemic. One that is exceptionally well researched and highly detailed.
If you find you doubt that - there are near 150 pages of references, lists of interviewees and footnotes at the end of the book as well a further detailed index.
Investigation includes not just China (by Jung) but also Russian archives and interviews (by Halliday).
Given the number of fanboy books and articles in praise of Mao, going back to Edgar Snow and Bertrand Russell amongst others, and the numerous books written by Maoist apologists, this book certainly has and deserves its place IMO.
Anyone that can read this and continue to defend Mao by the 'results achieved' would have to be seriously disillusion or ideologically possessed.
photo obtained from internet
Reading this at the moment.
Eye opening to say the least.
thanks on the list.One cannot pretend that this is a dispassionate and unbiased historical document.
It is without doubt or pretense a scathing polemic. One that is exceptionally well researched and highly detailed.
If you find you doubt that - there are near 150 pages of references, lists of interviewees and footnotes at the end of the book as well a further detailed index.
Investigation includes not just China (by Jung) but also Russian archives and interviews (by Halliday).
Given the number of fanboy books and articles in praise of Mao, going back to Edgar Snow and Bertrand Russell amongst others, and the numerous books written by Maoist apologists, this book certainly has and deserves its place IMO.
Anyone that can read this and continue to defend Mao by the 'results achieved' would have to be seriously disillusion or ideologically possessed.
photo obtained from internet
Reading this at the moment.
Eye opening to say the least.
Currently stuck in the middle of:
without wanting to start something that belongs in NPE, its disconcerting how many of his observations of his political opponents could have be written yesterday by someone thinking of twitter et all, and the descriptions of how out of touch political elites are with much of the electorate could easily be current reading too.
Only halfway through so don't spoil the ending plz.
Given the whitewashing the CCP has had in the west, often by our political leaders, this is a very necessary counterbalance to the fluffy image of vast social improvements in China all "thanks to Chairman Mao".
What price is a fair price to achieve the Utopia? Stalin didn't hesitate to sacrifice circa 40m to get there, Mao had greater resources and it seems that 100m+ is an acceptable and forgivable price to pay according to some.
While it's good sized book, I passed my charity shop paperback copy along to a young chap that works in an office near mine. Not the most intellectual of fellows, but he is half way through in a few weeks saying he is finding it fascinating and finds it hard to put it down once started.
As for 'Mein Kampf', I really must get a copy and set to it.
Thanks for the reminder. Having just ordered three books (two Dostoevsky and a Bulgakov) I really should be including that too.
br d said:
Just finished "The Rape of Nanking" by Iris Chang.
A strong stomach required but should be much wider read, difficult to believe to what effect tribal prejudices can be directed.
I read "The Rape of Nanking" a few months back.A strong stomach required but should be much wider read, difficult to believe to what effect tribal prejudices can be directed.
That, and "Ordinary Men" by Browning, should be essential reading in school.
To repeat one of my favourite Solzhenitsyn quotes; "Gradually it was disclosed to me that the line separating good and evil passes not through states, nor between classes, nor between political parties either -- but right through every human heart -- and through all human hearts. This line shifts. Inside us, it oscillates with the years."
Reading those two works should help take the edge off the arrogant conviction that most people carry with them knowing a little of history, believing they would never have been one of the 'bad guys'.
The chances are better that we would have been, given the right circumstances, and that we wouldn't even have recognised it at the time.
Stay vigilant of others but, more importantly, stay vigilant over oneself.
And for something a bit lighter;
"A Sportsman's Notebook" by Ivan Turgenev.
Translation: Charles and Natasha Hepburn
My copy: The Book Society, 1959
Stock photo of the same volume
Through a series of anecdotal short tales describing hunting trips on his mother's and other estates throughout Russia, Turgenev presents a view of Russian life prior to the freeing of the serfs. While he does not dwell on or belabour the point he is concentrating most often on the plight of the peasantry and, to a lesser extent, occasionally of the poorer of the landowners.
Great credit is deserved, I should imagine, by the translators as Turgenev describes the Russian countryside simply yet so vividly that one can clearly picture the places he is walking or traveling through.
One of a number of works that apparently had some effect on the Russian upper classes and rulers, including the Tsar, that lead to the Emancipation Manifesto of 1861.
"A Sportsman's Notebook" by Ivan Turgenev.
Translation: Charles and Natasha Hepburn
My copy: The Book Society, 1959
Stock photo of the same volume
Through a series of anecdotal short tales describing hunting trips on his mother's and other estates throughout Russia, Turgenev presents a view of Russian life prior to the freeing of the serfs. While he does not dwell on or belabour the point he is concentrating most often on the plight of the peasantry and, to a lesser extent, occasionally of the poorer of the landowners.
Great credit is deserved, I should imagine, by the translators as Turgenev describes the Russian countryside simply yet so vividly that one can clearly picture the places he is walking or traveling through.
One of a number of works that apparently had some effect on the Russian upper classes and rulers, including the Tsar, that lead to the Emancipation Manifesto of 1861.
Goaty Bill 2 said:
And for something a bit lighter;
"A Sportsman's Notebook" by Ivan Turgenev.
Translation: Charles and Natasha Hepburn
My copy: The Book Society, 1959
Stock photo of the same volume
Through a series of anecdotal short tales describing hunting trips on his mother's and other estates throughout Russia, Turgenev presents a view of Russian life prior to the freeing of the serfs. While he does not dwell on or belabour the point he is concentrating most often on the plight of the peasantry and, to a lesser extent, occasionally of the poorer of the landowners.
Great credit is deserved, I should imagine, by the translators as Turgenev describes the Russian countryside simply yet so vividly that one can clearly picture the places he is walking or traveling through.
One of a number of works that apparently had some effect on the Russian upper classes and rulers, including the Tsar, that lead to the Emancipation Manifesto of 1861.
Interesting one Bill, nice work. I have only ever indulged in Fathers and Sons from that particular author. I'll put it on ze list."A Sportsman's Notebook" by Ivan Turgenev.
Translation: Charles and Natasha Hepburn
My copy: The Book Society, 1959
Stock photo of the same volume
Through a series of anecdotal short tales describing hunting trips on his mother's and other estates throughout Russia, Turgenev presents a view of Russian life prior to the freeing of the serfs. While he does not dwell on or belabour the point he is concentrating most often on the plight of the peasantry and, to a lesser extent, occasionally of the poorer of the landowners.
Great credit is deserved, I should imagine, by the translators as Turgenev describes the Russian countryside simply yet so vividly that one can clearly picture the places he is walking or traveling through.
One of a number of works that apparently had some effect on the Russian upper classes and rulers, including the Tsar, that lead to the Emancipation Manifesto of 1861.
ElectricSoup said:
Interesting one Bill, nice work. I have only ever indulged in Fathers and Sons from that particular author. I'll put it on ze list.
I have read one translation of 'Fathers and Sons' and found it quite good. I have another translated as 'Fathers and Children' which I may get to one day, along with 'Smoke' which I have yet to read.If the original Russian lives up to the translation, and I feel quite sure it must, then you should this a pleasant read. The stories in the latter half are a bit longer and a bit more 'gripping' than the first half.
I'll be interested to see what you think.
MB140 said:
Just finished reading “The 16th Round”, later made in to a movie called “The Hurricane”. The story of a pro boxer fitted up for a murder by a corrupt law system in America, about his life before conviction and life in prison.
Riveting read but one that hits home about the problems of racism in the world.
On a similar note I recently finished The Sun Does Shine: How I Found Life and Freedom on Death Row by Anthony Ray Hinton about a black man who got framed for murder in Alabama and sentenced to death (the title of the book kinda gives a spoiler about how it finishes!). Fascinating to see in the initial trial and subsequent appeals quite how much it is biased towards 'the system' and the lengths the authorities will go to to not admit they are wrong.Riveting read but one that hits home about the problems of racism in the world.
Some discussion about it on a podcast I listen to
https://www.nodumbquestions.fm/listen/2019/8/23/06...
It's a couple of Americans who seem to have a decent handle on life (apart from being crazy religious) discussing it.
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