Yes, don't talk to me about library fines. Fortunately, in the UK, they have periodic amnesties and so I used to go in with a stack, feeling like a pardoned Jesse James. I wonder whether there is a world record for the most overdue library book. It might be hazardous to compare notes though as, eventually, it probably becomes theft as well as anti-social and I make no admissions.
The discovery of `The Essene Gospel Of Peace' by Edmond Bordeaux Szekely.
l've never been a follower of any religion, but this book gets to the ultimate truth. Probably the best book ever published. We have really fallen by the wayside by our modern living, we are living in a version of hell in this day and age. Cities and big business has de-natured us with toxic food, thoughts and lifestyles.
They were giving books away in the pub on Wednesday. One of our lot came in with a bag full. Apparently it is National Book Day soon. The book on offer had won the Man Booker prize. I made my excuses and declined the kind offer. I still have a James Ellroy and a couple of Michael Connollys to get through.
The Most Dangerous Enemy by Stephen Bungay, one of the best histories of the Battle of Britain I have read – and I have read quite a few.
Fredrick Forsyth – “The Fist of God”, entertaining and well written.
Repairing old clocks and watches – Anthony Whiten.
No work books – have this week thrown out all the business / management / MBA books and all my IT books save a couple from the very early 70’s I think the National Computing Museum at Bletchley Park might be interested in. I went round there recently and found to my embarrassment that PC’s excepted, I had worked on just about every exhibit they have on display manufactured since the early 60’s (including the Military ones).
Last edited by JohnL (2011-03-04 16:00:34)
Kingstonian,
Which Ellroy is that? I have read all of his early stuff, but I find him less and less interesting as he developed his current style. It may be intellectually interesting, but I find the characters less developed. Also, I really, really like Connolly.
Against the Gods. A very cool book about attempts, both successful and unsuccessful, to quantify risk in the past 500 years..
"The Idiots Guide to Six Sigma Lean Thinking" - sometimes the simply prosaic has to win out to keep the wolf from the table.
AWOL on the Appalachian Trail by David Miller. A great book about one guy's experience hiking the Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine. Having lived in close proximity to both the beginning and ending points of the AT, wanted to read why otherwise sane people submit themselves to this sort of experience. Great book for anybody who likes unusual travelogues.
Max -
Any recommendations for the Crusades? I'm thinking fat one-volume overviews of the whole shebang, rather than narrow academic studies. Tahnks.
The Man Without Qualities
Triumvirate: McKim, Mead & White: Art, Architecture etc. (A 2009 book that was published by Knopf literally unedited; the ms apparently sat on the editor's desk for 8 months and he/she couldn't be bothered to read it, or didn't have time or whatever shabby excuse the once great house Knopf offers. Says tons about the current and future state of American publishing. Not a great book in any event but if one person had gone through the ms it would at least be readable.)
Mansfield Park
Woolf's recent bio of Bach
Last edited by Kingstonian (2011-03-08 12:40:35)
^ Ellroy really went off the rails in his last few books, however — at the expense of story, character, and, frankly, readability.
Last edited by Big Tony (2011-03-08 16:03:00)