READ ANY GOOD BOOKS LATELY?

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Stanley
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Re: READ ANY GOOD BOOKS LATELY?

Post by Stanley »

Never heard of it Wendy........
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Re: READ ANY GOOD BOOKS LATELY?

Post by Wendyf »

Have a look Here. I think it's one of those books that you either love or hate. I didn't expect to like it but found it an absolute joy. Unfortunately I got the Kindle version so I can't lend it to you.
The Hundred Year Old Man of the story is an explosives expert who accidentally gets involved in many important events around the world.
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Re: READ ANY GOOD BOOKS LATELY?

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I've ordered it, it was the explosives bit that hooked me! I shall blame it all on you Wendy......
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Re: READ ANY GOOD BOOKS LATELY?

Post by Wendyf »

I thought that might appeal to you. :smile:
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Re: READ ANY GOOD BOOKS LATELY?

Post by Nolic »

The same guy Jonas Jonasson has written a similar book about a young girl. The Girl Who Saved the King of Sweden. Almost as good. Nolic
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Re: READ ANY GOOD BOOKS LATELY?

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My reading pile is enormous!!!
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Re: READ ANY GOOD BOOKS LATELY?

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I've been forcing myself to find time for reading. I am up to date with Private eye, have finished 'England's Apprenticeship' by charles Wilson and yesterday I read the history of the Protector Lamp Company. I was surprised to find that amongst other products they were one of the main manufacturers of the enamelled advertising signs which now fetch good prices at auction. Now for the 100 year old man and Angela Carter.
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Re: READ ANY GOOD BOOKS LATELY?

Post by Wendyf »

A bit of light relief Stanley!
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Re: READ ANY GOOD BOOKS LATELY?

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Too bloody right!! It's been a bit grim lately.....
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Re: READ ANY GOOD BOOKS LATELY?

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Had a good bash at Angela Carter.... 'The Passion of New Eve' and in my opinion that woman hard a very dark mind! Reminded me of Eco and Pirsig, not the easiest read in the world!
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Re: READ ANY GOOD BOOKS LATELY?

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I forced myself to finish 'New Eve' yesterday and decided that she was a bit too deep for me so I have ditched the other two Wendy. Call in some time to pick them up when you're in Barlick? I shall start on the Hundred Year Old Man......
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Re: READ ANY GOOD BOOKS LATELY?

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Yes, will do. I thought you might be disappointed in her novels.
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Re: READ ANY GOOD BOOKS LATELY?

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When you call remind me to show you the copper pipe....... Measure what length you would need for the ideal towel rail. If you put it in Col's hands it will become a challenge!
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Re: READ ANY GOOD BOOKS LATELY?

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Thanks but I am determined to use the brass rail I rescued from the Colne house.
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Re: READ ANY GOOD BOOKS LATELY?

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I've started reading one of my Christmas present books from Mrs Tiz - `Wings On My Sleeve' - Eric `Winkle' Brown's own story of his life as a pilot. It's an excellent read, exciting stuff on every page. He had a very active life, flying over 400 different types of aircraft and making 2,407 landings on aircraft carriers. I've read a lot about him before and have his book on German fighter aircraft of WW2 but there's much more in this book. He was an exceptionally skilled pilot but also benefited from being a lucky man. As one example of luck, in 1940 he had to fly his Grumman Martlet from the base in Scotland to southern England for a full harness to be fitted (they only had a lap belt when they left the factory!) and he got caught in a storm over Lincolnshire. The first bit of luck on this journey was that he was near RAF Cranwell and managed to land there. He was stuck there for a couple of days until the weather cleared but they didn't seem happy to have him and restricted where he went on the base. On the second day he offered to try a short flight to check the weather for them and while flying over the aerodrome he saw a hangar on the far side being opened and an odd-looking aircraft without a propeller was wheeled out. Later in the day he heard a loud whine and saw it fly. It was the prototype Gloster jet plane being allowed out for the first time - and three years later he was its test pilot!
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Re: READ ANY GOOD BOOKS LATELY?

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I saw a clip of him on TV the other day describing how he was sent to Germany after the war to assess the rocket propelled fighter, was it a Focke Wulf? He said it was 'very exciting'.... I think he flew the twin engined German jet plane back to England as well.
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Re: READ ANY GOOD BOOKS LATELY?

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Brown flew the jet-propelled Me262 Schwalbe from Germany to the Royal Aircraft Establishment at Farnborough. He and colleagues also brought back 12 Arado Ar 234 jet bombers which the British and Americans were desperate to get their hands on. He flew the Heinkel He 162 turbojet at a Farnborough display; one of his colleagues died trying to fly another one. Brown spoke fluent German and gathered some German mechanics who respected him and warned him of the tricky characteristics of the planes before he flew them back. That help also allowed him to do a flight in the rocket-propelled Messerschmitt Me 163 Komet. That aircraft was considered so dangerous that he had to do it unofficially and had to sign a disclaimer for the ground crew beforehand.
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Re: READ ANY GOOD BOOKS LATELY?

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No wonder he described it as exciting.... The archive film was on one of the UKTV stations. I think it was Yesterday. There was film of him flying the rocket plane.....
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Re: READ ANY GOOD BOOKS LATELY?

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Trump Revealed. An American Journey of Ambition, Ego, Money and Power. Michael Kranish and Marc Fisher. (June 2016). (Lancashire Libraries, if you can find one open). Compiled by a team from the Washing Post from hundreds of records and personal interviews. A very in-depth analysis up to him being selected as the Republican Party (GOP) candidate. A very complex character who's bottom line is whether it makes a profit for himself or promotes his image. A showman, populist and someone who can read the basic American bigotry better than the professional politicians. You can now see parallels in our own politicians trying to emulate his style by pandering to the non-thinking voters.
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Re: READ ANY GOOD BOOKS LATELY?

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I finished reading 'The Hundred Year Old Man who clibed out of the widow and disappeared' by Jonas Jonasson as recommended by Wendy. She was right, It's clever, well written and hilarious. Highly recommended!
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Re: READ ANY GOOD BOOKS LATELY?

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Something from the past but worth reading and reflecting on. Two books.

1 The People of the Abyss, by Jack London. Written in 1902 a series of essays describing life in the slums of east London.
Available through Project Gutenberg as a free digital read from:-The people of the Abyss.

2 The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists by Robert Tressel. Written 1907. A story of the lives of tradesmen in Hastings. Almost a mirror image of No 1. Again, Available through Project Gutenberg as a free digital read from:-The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists

Its hard to believe that these conditions actually existed but nobody cared and nobody thought about it.
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Re: READ ANY GOOD BOOKS LATELY?

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P. I had my house painted by a young apprentice and I gave him a copy of Ragged Trousered Philanthropists..... I wonder whether it influenced him.....
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Re: READ ANY GOOD BOOKS LATELY?

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I mentioned elsewhere The Works as a source of cheap new books. They also do `multiple buys' and this one would appeal to anyone who wants to read or re-read John Buchan books: LINK
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Re: READ ANY GOOD BOOKS LATELY?

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Last night after I had lit the Vapalux lamp during the power outage there was only one thing to do, read! So what book do you go to if you haven't got one on the go? I went for 'The 500 best English Letters' edited by Lord Birkenhead. I'm lucky to have a first edition (1931) printed on India paper and always a joy to open it and dip in. Go and look for one! (Here's one for a fiver from Abe Books. Mine cost me £8 many years ago! LINK)
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Re: READ ANY GOOD BOOKS LATELY?

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Uncle Bob mentioned a book edited by Hobsbawm about tradition. I have long had a healthy suspicion of 'tradition' as I'm sure you know but I had never come across the book. I got one, a nice as new copy for peanuts and I'm enjoying it. No surprises as yet but nice to find all my prejudices explained!
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