Grand unified books thread

[The Brain]

I'm about half way through my Smiley books and the realization struck me that Le Carre writes very similarly to Iris Murdoch. 

Porn?

[Sheilbh]

I'm about half way through my Smiley books and the realization struck me that Le Carre writes very similarly to Iris Murdoch. 

  I don't think so.

Though I LOVE them both

[Scipio]

I'm rereading the Gandalf's a Dick Trilogy for the second time.

I don't know why I like Abercrombie's stuff.  But I do.  And that scares me.

Oh, Amazon has a sale on kindle editions of 20 novels that were made into films.  99 cents each.  Including slaughterhouse Five, I Am Legend, Soylent Green, Lonely are the Brave, and others.

[Josephus]

Started the new John Irving book.

[Darth Wagtaros]

I ordered a Turtledove book through the Interlibrary loan. I feel unclean.

[Barrister]

Last night I read:

The Potty Book (for boys) - surprising the kid likes this book a lot; and
The Cat in the Hat Comes Back - you know what, the Cat in the Hat is kind of a dick

[Josephus]

Last night I read:

The Potty Book (for boys) - surprising the kid likes this book a lot; and
The Cat in the Hat Comes Back - you know what, the Cat in the Hat is kind of a dick

Is that your opinion or your kid's?

"Daddy, I like the potty book, but that cat in the hat? Well...he's a dick."

[Barrister]

Last night I read:

The Potty Book (for boys) - surprising the kid likes this book a lot; and
The Cat in the Hat Comes Back - you know what, the Cat in the Hat is kind of a dick

Is that your opinion or your kid's?

"Daddy, I like the potty book, but that cat in the hat? Well...he's a dick."

Nah, the kid loves the Cat in the Hat.  On literally every single page, if the Cat in the Hat isn't front and centre of the illustration he asks "Wheres Cat?"

[Sheilbh]

Just started Dominic Sandbrook's 'Never Had it So Good: A History of Britain from Suez to the Beatles'.  I think after this there's 'White Heat' covering the Wilson years () and a book on the early 70s so I've plenty to get through.

It's very interesting so far a lot of it covers the same ground as Peter Hennessy's books on the same era but with a slightly lighter touch.  I also think this is slightly better at conveying MacMillan's character.

So far though it's good.  Worth a read.

Finished this and there's two interesting features that you get from the book as a whole.  One is that it's probably the most negative book on MacMillan I've ever read.  I could be wrong but I think Sandbrook thinks other historians are rather beguiled by MacMillan because he's very interesting, intelligent, charming and witty.  His own verdict is that he is all of those things and very much a failure.  It's quite damning.  Which is an interesting corrective opinion.

The second really interesting thing at the end is the narrative of Alec Douglas Home becoming PM.  I had no idea he was quite as devious as he was.  Almost House of Cards-ish moments of manipulation going on.

I'm looking forward to the second volume - it's all about Wilson

Edit:  Another interesting point is that the most interesting/unusual figure described is Enoch Powell.

[The Brain]

Started on David Stevenson's With Our Backs To The Wall: Victory and Defeat in 1918. Very promising so far.

[Gups]

Just started Dominic Sandbrook's 'Never Had it So Good: A History of Britain from Suez to the Beatles'.  I think after this there's 'White Heat' covering the Wilson years () and a book on the early 70s so I've plenty to get through.

It's very interesting so far a lot of it covers the same ground as Peter Hennessy's books on the same era but with a slightly lighter touch.  I also think this is slightly better at conveying MacMillan's character.

So far though it's good.  Worth a read.

Finished this and there's two interesting features that you get from the book as a whole.  One is that it's probably the most negative book on MacMillan I've ever read.  I could be wrong but I think Sandbrook thinks other historians are rather beguiled by MacMillan because he's very interesting, intelligent, charming and witty.  His own verdict is that he is all of those things and very much a failure.  It's quite damning.  Which is an interesting corrective opinion.

The second really interesting thing at the end is the narrative of Alec Douglas Home becoming PM.  I had no idea he was quite as devious as he was.  Almost House of Cards-ish moments of manipulation going on.

I'm looking forward to the second volume - it's all about Wilson

Edit:  Another interesting point is that the most interesting/unusual figure described is Enoch Powell.

Shelf - Have you tried Kynaston's books - (so far) Austerity Britain and Family Britain?

If not, you'd like 'em a lot

[The Brain]

Started on David Stevenson's With Our Backs To The Wall: Victory and Defeat in 1918. Very promising so far.

And I finished it. It was excellent. Recommended.

I also started reading All The Kaiser's Men: The Life and Death of the German Soldier on the Western Front by Ian Passingham, but turned out it was horrible so I stopped after less than 20 pages. The inaccurate sweeping statements, self-contradictions and cereal box depth of analysis made it obvious that the author is less well equipped for intellectual pursuits.

[Darth Wagtaros]

Star Force.  Worth finishing the series I guess. ?

[Threviel]

Just finished reading The Somme by Peter Hart. Fuck WW1 was a disgusting clusterfuck. Good book, but a little one-sided with very little about what the Germans were doing.

So, anyne have any tip about a book from the german perspective on the western front?

[Barrister]

Last night I read:

The Potty Book (for boys) - surprising the kid likes this book a lot; and
The Cat in the Hat Comes Back - you know what, the Cat in the Hat is kind of a dick

For a kid who isn't potty trained, my kid every nights asks for "Potty Book" at story time.