Grand unified books thread

[Malthus]

For some reason Australia's history has produced an disproportionate number of very good novels - English Passengers, Secret River, Oscar & Lucinda amongst others.

Recent reads:

Hyperion by Dan Simmonds, well-written intellligent space opera. 9/10
Little Women - easy read, not really my cup of tea but worth reading because of its cultural impact I guess 7/10

Currently reading Devil All the Time by Donald Ray Pollock. Quite a contrast with Little Women. In amongst the trailer trash of mid 20th century Ohio. Brilliant prose, beautifully paced, disturbing in places. Looking like a very rare 10/10.

Pollock is great. Reminds me very much of an even harder-edged Joe Lansdale. 

You'd probably like this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Fine_Dark_Line

[Admiral Yi]

Picked up "Invisible Armies" by Max Boot.  You've probably all heard of it; it's a history of guerrilla warfare.  Also picked up "The Birth of the West" by Paul Collins, a history of the Dark Ages centered on France, Spain, and Rome.  While I was browsing I realized I knew next to nothing about the Dark Ages.

[The Brain]

Finished a book on Marlborough as military commander. Characters like Bishop Mew and Captain Blackadder made it hard to take it seriously.

[Scipio]

For some reason Australia's history has produced an disproportionate number of very good novels - English Passengers, Secret River, Oscar & Lucinda amongst others.

Recent reads:

Hyperion by Dan Simmonds, well-written intellligent space opera. 9/10
Little Women - easy read, not really my cup of tea but worth reading because of its cultural impact I guess 7/10

Currently reading Devil All the Time by Donald Ray Pollock. Quite a contrast with Little Women. In amongst the trailer trash of mid 20th century Ohio. Brilliant prose, beautifully paced, disturbing in places. Looking like a very rare 10/10.

Pollock is great. Reminds me very much of an even harder-edged Joe Lansdale. 

You'd probably like this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Fine_Dark_Line

Jim Thompson.  Donald Westlake.

[Sheilbh]

Realised I knew nothing about the HYW after watching some of the BBC4 documentaries on it. So I bought the first volume of Jonathan Sumption's 5 volume history. Just got half way through (Sluys) and the pace is picking up admirably now that we're in the war itself, it's very detailed and you need some broad knowledge of the period before reading it. It is very engaging though.

I also love that Sumption wrote it (and the next two) while a QC and is writing volume 4 while sitting in the Supreme Court. It's an extraordinary model of passion and dedication which I like a lot.

[Ed Anger]

Tuchman's A Distant Mirror will give you a Coucy centered slice of the HYW.

[mongers]

Realised I knew nothing about the HYW after watching some of the BBC4 documentaries on it. So I bought the first volume of Jonathan Sumption's 5 volume history. Just got half way through (Sluys) and the pace is picking up admirably now that we're in the war itself, it's very detailed and you need some broad knowledge of the period before reading it. It is very engaging though.

I also love that Sumption wrote it (and the next two) while a QC and is writing volume 4 while sitting in the Supreme Court. It's an extraordinary model of passion and dedication which I like a lot.

It's you in a quarter century, isn't it ?

[Jacob]

I recently finished the five books in Ian Hamilton's Ava Lee series (#6 is out next year).

Hot lesbian Chinese-Canadian OL-style forensic accountant from a rich family and trained in a secret and lethal ancient Chinese martial art collects debts across the world from shady people with the help of other shady people.

I obviously liked the books since I read all five. At first I got the feeling that the title character is the author's fantasy girl and that does seem a little off, but the characters are good (including Ava herself once you get by the check-box list), the plotting is tight, and the locations are worthwhile too. The bits he gets into re: triads and various locations (including restaurants) seem authentic enough to me as well.

I might do a more full review on my blog if I can be bothered.

[Sheilbh]

It's you in a quarter century, isn't it ?

Lord no, I've no dedication or passion whatsoever. And I'm nowhere near brainy enough

[Agelastus]

Finished a book on Marlborough as military commander. Characters like Bishop Mew and Captain Blackadder made it hard to take it seriously.

Was that the one by Charles Spencer? (Yes, that Charles Spencer of best-place-to-divorce-shopping and sister fame...)

Anyway, you'd best avoid Peter Hart's books on the Somme and Passchendaele then; one of the "Tommies" whose writings are quoted are those of a Lieutenant Robert Blackadder of the Royal Garrison Artillery.

Good books though; I'd recommend them along with his "1918: A very British Victory"* if I wasn't certain that they already had been.

*Despite the unfortunately jingoistic title.

[Eddie Teach]

For some reason I have no interest whatsoever in Australian history, but I've read up on the history of New Zealand a bit.

New Zealand should be part of Australia, it's more pointless than most small countries.

Why not have them join the UK while you're at it.

[Gups]

Realised I knew nothing about the HYW after watching some of the BBC4 documentaries on it. So I bought the first volume of Jonathan Sumption's 5 volume history. Just got half way through (Sluys) and the pace is picking up admirably now that we're in the war itself, it's very detailed and you need some broad knowledge of the period before reading it. It is very engaging though.

I also love that Sumption wrote it (and the next two) while a QC and is writing volume 4 while sitting in the Supreme Court. It's an extraordinary model of passion and dedication which I like a lot.

I've read the first one. It was OK but a little too obsessed with financial matters. Sumption used to take six months off every year to write it.

Incidentally I heard from another barrister that Sumption's brief fee for Abromovitch was close to £10m and his refreshers were £100K a day. 

[jimmy olsen]

For some reason I have no interest whatsoever in Australian history, but I've read up on the history of New Zealand a bit.

New Zealand should be part of Australia, it's more pointless than most small countries.

Why not have them join the UK while you're at it.

I would if I could! 

[Malthus]

Currently reading Saga: A Novel of Medieval Iceland by Jeff Janoda.

Amazing resemblence to a gangster novel, which strikes me as likely historically accurate ... these Norsemen are as cunning as they are greedy and brutal, plotting with relentless precision to take each other's lands (and even their freedom), leading to murder and revenge, in the absense of any sort of law other than custom upheld by the fear of starting the cycle of murder and revenge going ...

In short, a perfect libertarian society. 

[Habbaku]

Finished off George MacDonald Fraser's The Steel Bonnets.  Now off to Crusader Warfare, Volume I by David Nicolle.