Grand unified books thread

[Gups]

[Thanks, Gups, I'll check out Banks instead.

Pretty sure you'll enjoy him. He has big ideas and he knows how to put them into words. He aslo has a great sense of humour.

Recommend that you start with Consider Phlebas or The Player of Games.

[Syt]

Thanks!

[mongers]

[Thanks, Gups, I'll check out Banks instead.

Pretty sure you'll enjoy him. He has big ideas and he knows how to put them into words. He aslo has a great sense of humour.

Recommend that you start with Consider Phlebas or The Player of Games.

Good recommendations.

Either 'version' of him is acceptable, though I have been disappointed once or twice; the one set in the East of Scotland commune/cult/church was rather thin. 

[Agelastus]

I like the setting: England post-global warming, and after a socialist party has nearly ruined the country - it's now being rebuilt by conservatives and benevolent enterpreneurs. Yes, the book was published during the Blair years. Obvious political message aside, though, he does a good job of giving you a picture of how the country has changed.

Actually, it was published in 1993; John Major and the Tories were in power.

It's also his very first book, so if you expect it to be him at his best then somebody misled you. 

On the other hand, I still find it enjoyable probably because I first read it when I was at University.

As for his best books...well, he's one of those odd authors where the longer the book/concept is, the better his books are.

His stand alones, such as "Fallen Dragon", are pretty dire (note that although it's on my shelf I haven't read his latest stand alone yet.) His absolute worst book is "Misspent Youth" - I've never been able to finish it.

Conversely, probably his best books are the "Night's Dawn" Trilogy, all three of which are 1000 page plus tomes. His second best books are almost certainly his Duology "Pandora's Star" and "Judas Unchained" (which, quite ironically given what I have said above, are set in the future of the "Misspent Youth" universe.)

[Josephus]

Surprised there's little, if any, talk about Alan Furst on here. By far, imo, the best writer of historical spy novels. I've read many, but just recently finished The Spies of Warsaw and it's his best. It's tailor made for this crowd. It takes place, mostly, in Warsaw in the mid to late 30s. German, Russian and French spies are everywhere. A German engineer in Warsaw to meet his mistress is recruited by the French to pass on tank secrets. We have beautiful seductive women, Russian operatives who want to defect, and leftist Nazis on the run. Amazing stuff. He's very subtle in his writing. evocative. Recommended.

[Syt]

My bedside book at the moment is Martin Gilbert's The Second World War, a chronicle more than an analytical book.

Still, it made me LOL on two occasions so far. About the British leaflet bombing campaign in 1939/40: one pilot dropped a pack of leaflets without opening the bundle first. According to a joke he was reprimanded: "You could have killed someone!"

When the Brits finally decided to drop some bombs on Germany they target the island of Sylt. As Gilbert says, one bomber navigator's skill wasn't matched by his enthusiasm. He directed his pilot to the wrong island, sea and country - they dropped their bombs on Danish Bornholm.


Bornholm in red. Sylt is in the bottom left.

[Syt]

Following seeing Django Unchained - are there recommendable books about "the peculiar institution"? U.S. only or broad historic overview (antiquity to modern times) would be fine.

[Malthus]

Following seeing Django Unchained - are there recommendable books about "the peculiar institution"? U.S. only or broad historic overview (antiquity to modern times) would be fine.

A good one about abolitionism in the UK is Bury the Chains by Adam Hochschild (who wrote the excellent King Leopold's Ghost about slavery in the Congo).

[Admiral Yi]

Still, it made me LOL on two occasions so far. About the British leaflet bombing campaign in 1939/40: one pilot dropped a pack of leaflets without opening the bundle first. According to a joke he was reprimanded: "You could have killed someone!"

Reminds me of the plan to shock Hitler into a heart attack by dropping Kraut animal fucking porn on Berlin.

Supposedly the bomber crews assigned the mission mutinied and refused to do it.

[Scipio]

Following seeing Django Unchained - are there recommendable books about "the peculiar institution"? U.S. only or broad historic overview (antiquity to modern times) would be fine.

http://www.amazon.com/Roll-Jordan-World-Slaves-Made/dp/0394716523

[Syt]

Thank you, guys!

[Sheilbh]

The Three Musketeers. Loved it.

[Admiral Yi]

The Three Musketeers. Loved it.

Did you notice how the film versions have all sanitized d'Artagnans rape of the servant girl?

[Sheilbh]

Did you notice how the film versions have all sanitized d'Artagnans rape of the servant girl?

Kitty? I think my translation interpreted that a bit differently

He sleeps with Milady when she thinks he's des Wardes, which is rapey.

[CountDeMoney]

The Three Musketeers. Loved it.

Which one?  There's like 6 of them.