Books - What are you reading?
Discussion
1421 - When China discovered the world. Very interesting book but his central theory - that a Chinese treasure fleet sailed around the world, discovering north/South America and Antarctica, around 70 years before Christopher Columbus did, appears to be more interesting theory than hard facts. I’m enjoying it a lot and some of the research the author did to piece together real world locations with 500yr old maps, is outstanding and could well be true. But, other than some pretty tenuous links there is very little real evidence and even some cursory googling of the some of the ‘evidence’ proves to be a total falsehood.
For example an animal known as the mylodon is referred to several times and the author believes it was seen by the Chinese in South America and even taken back to China, the mylodon became extinct around 12,000 years ago
Lots of the evidence appears to be along the lines of “this must have happened because only the Chinese could have done this then” or “this must have happened because”. As enjoyable as it is I can’t quite believe this book has been as successful as it has been, as it appears to be nothing more than 450 pages of opinion and guesswork presented as fact.
For example an animal known as the mylodon is referred to several times and the author believes it was seen by the Chinese in South America and even taken back to China, the mylodon became extinct around 12,000 years ago
Lots of the evidence appears to be along the lines of “this must have happened because only the Chinese could have done this then” or “this must have happened because”. As enjoyable as it is I can’t quite believe this book has been as successful as it has been, as it appears to be nothing more than 450 pages of opinion and guesswork presented as fact.
1421 is an interesting read as an example of how to make a a bizarre theory sound superficially as if it's backed up by evidence.
There is a TV series by Graham Hancock on I think Netflix and it's just the same. He places great significance on the fact that ancient civilisations all over the world built pyramids and tries to argue that this shows that a) they were all connected and b) they had advanced technology. Ignoring the fact that without advanced technology the only way to build a large building that won't collapse into a heap is to make it heap shaped in the first place.
After adducing various bits of semi evidence to back up claims of a worldwide disaster wiping out this supposed advanced worldwide civilisation, he gets all excited about an underground 'city' unearthed somewhere in the middle east and argues that this must have been a shelter from the disaster. To be honest the underground structure does look quite interesting, but it could hardly have been built as a shelter from his disaster since the disaster is supposed to be a flood.
There is a TV series by Graham Hancock on I think Netflix and it's just the same. He places great significance on the fact that ancient civilisations all over the world built pyramids and tries to argue that this shows that a) they were all connected and b) they had advanced technology. Ignoring the fact that without advanced technology the only way to build a large building that won't collapse into a heap is to make it heap shaped in the first place.
After adducing various bits of semi evidence to back up claims of a worldwide disaster wiping out this supposed advanced worldwide civilisation, he gets all excited about an underground 'city' unearthed somewhere in the middle east and argues that this must have been a shelter from the disaster. To be honest the underground structure does look quite interesting, but it could hardly have been built as a shelter from his disaster since the disaster is supposed to be a flood.
^ the point about that netflix series is is a crackpot theory, but his son happens to be a Netflix commissioning editor...
Re '1421'Yes i bought & read that, and the follow-up book. I agree with your thoughts, only more strongly - what the Chinese Emperor's fleet achieved is well-known as are its limits (it turns-up in the history of charting the ocean for one - ) And so pretending it is hidden, then adding a lot of but-what-if, whattabouttery nonsense, really did not help; at all. One of those rare books I literally threw -away, at wasting my time and credulity.
Re '1421'Yes i bought & read that, and the follow-up book. I agree with your thoughts, only more strongly - what the Chinese Emperor's fleet achieved is well-known as are its limits (it turns-up in the history of charting the ocean for one - ) And so pretending it is hidden, then adding a lot of but-what-if, whattabouttery nonsense, really did not help; at all. One of those rare books I literally threw -away, at wasting my time and credulity.
Must admit it’s been tough going now I have made up my mind it’s mostly pseudo-history, but what has been fun is googling the many items of evidence the author uses and looking into what is actually true. The last example I’ll give is the ‘Vinland Map’ which is proven categorically to be a modern fake made from period parchments - the author briefly acknowledges it has a controversial history then proceeds to do his level best to justify its accuracy and comes out with some corking guesswork about the Chinese on Greenland itself. Luckily I didn’t buy a copy and I’m quite looking forward to telling my elderly neighbour what I thought of it - he loved it and was totally taken in. The further in I have got the more disbelieving I have become…
I find a lot of History books and more so TV documentaries tend to collect a little bit of information then guess. 2+2=5 etc
TV progs getting worse at this.
I've just finished Letters to my Grandchildren by Tony Benn, having read his diaries some months ago.
A lot of what he says would be great but unfortunately it can at times be very idealist rather than practical. He tries to befriend Russia particularly after the wall came down despite having lived through WW2 as a pilot. As we now know Russia continued to be an aggressive after it's inroads to Hungary, Chechoslavakia, Poland and now Georgia, Crimea and Ukraine.
However his arguments against modern politics, House of Lords, domination of the world through business deals and riches rather than prop rep etc has some genuine logic. His beliefs were flawed at times but his insight into what went on is illuminating.
About to start "Ocean at the end of the lane"
TV progs getting worse at this.
I've just finished Letters to my Grandchildren by Tony Benn, having read his diaries some months ago.
A lot of what he says would be great but unfortunately it can at times be very idealist rather than practical. He tries to befriend Russia particularly after the wall came down despite having lived through WW2 as a pilot. As we now know Russia continued to be an aggressive after it's inroads to Hungary, Chechoslavakia, Poland and now Georgia, Crimea and Ukraine.
However his arguments against modern politics, House of Lords, domination of the world through business deals and riches rather than prop rep etc has some genuine logic. His beliefs were flawed at times but his insight into what went on is illuminating.
About to start "Ocean at the end of the lane"
havoc said:
grumbledoak said:
The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman.
A beautiful book...really connected with me in ways many books nowadays don't, but I couldn't tell you why - the ending in particular made an emotional mark. Felt like an old-school, dark-as-f, Grimm Fairy Tale for middle-aged blokes, IYSWIM.Waiting for the play to tour again...want to see if they've done it justice.
Ref. Gaiman's 'style' - he's not really got one, except insofar as he clearly loves myths, mythology and the roots of what we call 'fantasy' (faeries, elves, etc), and wants to show off his knowledge of them. Sandman leans heavily on nearly all the established mythologies, cleverly creating a meta-mythology that wraps around all of them, while still managing to tell versions of the classic tales. American Gods re-uses the same idea but at a far more human level, and the book is better than the series. Stardust is I think deliberately twee, emulating old-English fantasy, while Neverwhere is also redolent of Rivers of London, but you should probably turn that sentence around given their publishing dates. The storytelling in Good Omens very clearly reflects Pratchett's influence - the wordplays, the referential humour, the pace - but their shared love of using history (real and history-of-myth) within their stories shines through (Agnes Nutter refers to Alice Nutter, a real 'witch' from the 17th century, or at least tried as one). He is a good storyteller, and far more learned and capable than JK Rowling, for example.
Just finished the third in Ken Follett’s Kingsbridge trilogy - Column of Fire.
It’s been discussed on this thread a fair bit already and a third of the way through I didn’t really get why people were so disappointed by it as I was loving it. But then it got less and less about the people of the small town of Kingsbridge and their lives being affected by national events and more about our hero and his daring adventures, which I think is most people’s criticism of it.
By the end of the book I had rolled my eyes so many times as our hero had been at the execution of Mary Queen of Scots, the death of Elizabeth I, been on the English flagship against the Spanish Armada and foiled the gunpowder plot. Then his grandson was off on the Mayflower…
It’s a great book as a standalone novel but just not up to the standard of the previous two (or the prequel).
It’s been discussed on this thread a fair bit already and a third of the way through I didn’t really get why people were so disappointed by it as I was loving it. But then it got less and less about the people of the small town of Kingsbridge and their lives being affected by national events and more about our hero and his daring adventures, which I think is most people’s criticism of it.
By the end of the book I had rolled my eyes so many times as our hero had been at the execution of Mary Queen of Scots, the death of Elizabeth I, been on the English flagship against the Spanish Armada and foiled the gunpowder plot. Then his grandson was off on the Mayflower…
It’s a great book as a standalone novel but just not up to the standard of the previous two (or the prequel).
tertius said:
Desiderata said:
I'm reading two at the moment.
The second, A Short Walk in the Hindu Kush, by Eric Newby was recommended in another book I read recently, among the Mountains, by Wilfred Thesiger.
It arrived in the post today from World of Books and I sneaked a quick peak at it after dinner. Two hours later, about half way through it I've just put it down briefly for a tea break but I'm pretty sure I'll finish it tonight. It's just one of those books you can't stop reading. Unlike Thesiger's rather dry(but interesting) log of his travels in the same area, Newby's style is a hilariously self-deprecating tale of what , in spite of the light hearted approach, was a difficult and dangerous true boys own type of adventure.
I've already made a mental note to track down some more of his work.
If you enjoy Newby’s writing then The Last Grain Race is a good read.The second, A Short Walk in the Hindu Kush, by Eric Newby was recommended in another book I read recently, among the Mountains, by Wilfred Thesiger.
It arrived in the post today from World of Books and I sneaked a quick peak at it after dinner. Two hours later, about half way through it I've just put it down briefly for a tea break but I'm pretty sure I'll finish it tonight. It's just one of those books you can't stop reading. Unlike Thesiger's rather dry(but interesting) log of his travels in the same area, Newby's style is a hilariously self-deprecating tale of what , in spite of the light hearted approach, was a difficult and dangerous true boys own type of adventure.
I've already made a mental note to track down some more of his work.
Almost finished this - one for sports fans…
Mat Rogers played both Rugby League and Rugby Union for Australia - including the RWC final against England in 03 - before returning to League.
And then I’ll start this…
I’m not usually one for Letters-type books, but have enjoyed just about all of Le Carrie’s writing that it would seem amiss to ignore.
Mat Rogers played both Rugby League and Rugby Union for Australia - including the RWC final against England in 03 - before returning to League.
And then I’ll start this…
I’m not usually one for Letters-type books, but have enjoyed just about all of Le Carrie’s writing that it would seem amiss to ignore.
I've just finished "Edge" by Jeffery Deaver. We're following a protection officer who has to look after a family who have been targeted for some reason. As well as protecting the family, he has to figure out who engaged the hunter, and why. A decent book, a nice change from his "Lincoln Rhyme" books, some good twists.
I read Conn Iggulden's 'Wolf of the Plains' last night/this morning.
The first of a set of five historical novels loosely based on the life of Ghengis Khan .
More of a Hollywood blockbuster than serious history or literature, but light, enjoyable easy reading. A bit of a guilty pleasure like a sneaky Big Mac, I've no doubt that I'll get through the rest of the set before too long .
The first of a set of five historical novels loosely based on the life of Ghengis Khan .
More of a Hollywood blockbuster than serious history or literature, but light, enjoyable easy reading. A bit of a guilty pleasure like a sneaky Big Mac, I've no doubt that I'll get through the rest of the set before too long .
BertieWooster said:
I've just finished Dead In The Water after being given it for Christmas. It was a fascinating read about fraud and corruption in the shipping industry. A real eye opener into how the marine insurance world operates.
Bought that ^^^ for my Dad after seeing a write up on GCaptain. ----> Dead In The Water – The Best Maritime Book Of The Yearhe's enjoying it too.
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