Grand unified books thread

[Maladict]

The reviews seem to be a bit mixed, unsurprisingly after such a long wait. I'll still get it, of course.

[Gups]

The reviews seem to be a bit mixed, unsurprisingly after such a long wait. I'll still get it, of course.

Interesting. I've only read reviews by the Times and the Telegraph which were both very positive as are Amazon reviews.

I read a long single volume history of the Navy recently - Empire of the Deep by Ben Wilson - which was very good if not at the level of Rodger

[Maladict]

The reviews seem to be a bit mixed, unsurprisingly after such a long wait. I'll still get it, of course.

Interesting. I've only read reviews by the Times and the Telegraph which were both very positive as are Amazon reviews.

I read a long single volume history of the Navy recently - Empire of the Deep by Ben Wilson - which was very good if not at the level of Rodger

From what I remember the main criticism seemed to be that he is a bit out of his depth on the 20th century.

[Sheilbh]

So on long-awaited third (and final volumes) saw the recent interview with Stephen Kotkin who's writing the third volume of his incredible biography of Stalin - and not going to lie in reasons for being behind on your work I feel like three separate, unrelated cancers is pretty serious

COWEN: Last question, with two related parts. First, when is your final Stalin volume coming out? And what will you do next?

KOTKIN: The final Stalin volume is taking me longer than I thought. Part of it was accidental. I had three separate, unrelated cancers that put me in a tunnel for about 18 months of medical care. They were detected early, and I had the finest imaginable doctors. So again, luck in my life and luck are synonymous here. It wasn't one cancer that spread; it was three separate cancers that arose.

After I had the first one, which was caught early, they were looking to see that I didn't have it anymore, and the microscopic quality of the surveillance enabled them to discover the incipient other cancer in a very early stage. Then that happened again, a third time after the second cancer. The treatment had been conducted, and they were looking to see that it was successful. So that set me back a little bit, 18 months, maybe two years. It teaches you a lot about life when you go through something like that. I won't go into the details, but I'm sure you understand.

The bigger reason that it's taken me longer is the difficulty of the subject. Each one of these three volumes has been harder than the previous one. The first one, I thought, "I'm never going to finish this thing. It's just so hard," and I pulled it off, and then I said, "Okay, I can do this." Then I took the second one on, and it was not quite exponentially harder, but it was significantly harder.

Can't wait for the book though the rest of what he says about it sounds fascinating.

[The Minsky Moment]

Calling Sir Hew Stachan . . .

[mongers]

Reading 'Wolf Hall' for the first time, leaving aside the plot and character, it's likely the best written book I've read in a few years.

[Sheilbh]

Yeah Mantel was a fantastic writer.

I also really, really enjoyed A Place of Greater Safety, her French Revolution novel.

[mongers]

Yeah Mantel was a fantastic writer.

I also really, really enjoyed A Place of Greater Safety, her French Revolution novel.

Thanks for the recommendation, I'll put it one 'The List'.

[Gups]

Yeah Mantel was a fantastic writer.

I also really, really enjoyed A Place of Greater Safety, her French Revolution novel.

Thanks for the recommendation, I'll put it one 'The List'.

It's really wonderful. Despite it's size I'm working my way up to a re-read. Would love to see a TV adaptation

[Norgy]

Yeah Mantel was a fantastic writer.

I also really, really enjoyed A Place of Greater Safety, her French Revolution novel.

Both were amazing!

Finished Robert Harris' "Precipice". And it was a good novel. His thrillers usually have several facets. He's no Mantel, mind.

I also think the scandi-noire crime genre needs to be nuked from orbit.

Now reading "Mythos" by Stephen Fry.

[mongers]

Yeah Mantel was a fantastic writer.

I also really, really enjoyed A Place of Greater Safety, her French Revolution novel.

Thanks for the recommendation, I'll put it one 'The List'.

It's really wonderful. Despite it's size I'm working my way up to a re-read. Would love to see a TV adaptation

I'll search out a copy on ebay, it's notthe sort of book one would find in a charity shop.

[crazy canuck]

But your local library might have it

[mongers]

But your local library might have it

I'm an easily distracted reader, so I'll never likely take out a 500+ page book and be able to read it within the 2-3 week loan period.

[garbon]

Yeah Mantel was a fantastic writer.

I also really, really enjoyed A Place of Greater Safety, her French Revolution novel.

Thanks for the recommendation, I'll put it one 'The List'.

It's really wonderful. Despite it's size I'm working my way up to a re-read. Would love to see a TV adaptation

I'll search out a copy on ebay, it's notthe sort of book one would find in a charity shop.

What sort of books are in charity shops around you?

[mongers]

Yeah Mantel was a fantastic writer.

I also really, really enjoyed A Place of Greater Safety, her French Revolution novel.

Thanks for the recommendation, I'll put it one 'The List'.

It's really wonderful. Despite it's size I'm working my way up to a re-read. Would love to see a TV adaptation

I'll search out a copy on ebay, it's notthe sort of book one would find in a charity shop.

What sort of books are in charity shops around you?

Mainly trashy mass market paperbacks, so I don't really bother with them.
Whereas if I'm in Cardiff, Oxford or other large city I will make the effort to check an Oxfam bookshop or similar.