OneGuyFromBarlick

Too much excitement for reading the last two days! Am half way through Philip Coggan's 'Paper Promises' and it's a brilliantly clear explanation of the development of currency. Never thought anyone could make that subject sexy!

Still enjoying Coggan but there is a problem. The more I read the more I realise how little I know about economics and how complicated the whole subject is. Still, it's well-written, clear and I am learning more and more.

I'm on the 4th volume of George RR Martin's "Game of Thrones". I have never read a whole series of books one after the other but I just cannot put these down. Magical writing and just enough of what we know of the past to make the historical fantasy almost believable - even the development of dragons. Nolic .........."Winter is Coming"

Coggan still going down well. Big problem is that it lays out very clearly the mistakes that politicians and finance experts made which got us to where we are now and they are the people we are relying on to find a way out! Not a cheerful prospect...

I have been reading the "Matthew Shardlake" series of books by C.J. Sansom. Excellent stuff.

Dissolution
Dark Fire
Revelation
Sovereign
Heartstone

http://cjsansombooks.com/

I agree Kev. His novel "Winter in Madrid" set in the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War is good too.Nolic

Finished Paper Promises. Hard not to be slightly depressed! His conclusion is that we face 20 years of austerity culminating in a lower standard of living. Good job I'm old and have seen it all before.....

Could get even worse than that if a downward spiral continues. I Think there is at least one reasonable solution but politicans of few parties will wish to declare to follow those roads seriously, or effectively.

I got another book down off the shelf containing books I bought to read when I retire. 'The Lives of Enoch Powell' by Patrick Cosgrave. Heavy going because Cosgrave has a very self-consciously 'academic' style. Many of his sentences are so full of sub-clauses and commas that you get lost and have to go back and read it again. (I suspect he lost himself sometimes because sometimes the sense vanishes!) Nevertheless, Enoch has always fascinated me and I shall persevere because there is no doubt that the research was good.
In case you're wondering why an old socialist like me should have an interest in one of the most reactionary Tories of the 20th century, I hate his politics but admire his brain and independence. Much more to him that the infamous Rivers of Blood speech. I once met him when he spoke at Ilkley and asked him of it was true that his life ambition was still to be Viceroy of India. He said it was and was tickled that I remembered him saying it. He said it was the best and most powerful position ever created, all the powers of the King Emperor and none of the disadvantages!

Finished Cosgrave on Powell. Not an easy read but the research is good and I found some good quotes and new insights. Not sorry to put it back on the shelf! Triggered by TV on Bomber Boys I got Len Deighton's 'Bomber' out for another read. Still a good read... enjoying it.

Nolic wrote:I agree Kev. His novel "Winter in Madrid" set in the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War is good too.Nolic

I'll have to get that one, Nolic. I've only read the Shardlake novels so far.

I've just discovered the Alex Delaware series of books by Jonathan Kellerman, can't put them down.

http://jonathankellerman.com/books/

Lovely to read about others who still enjoy a good book. Will finish Bomber today, might even pull another of Len's books off the shelf. You learn so much because he has researched in depth and the little known facts of seemingly trivial matters gives you unexpected insights.

Think I am getting into this site now. I am reading the Kings Speech quite enlightening about the diaries of Lionel Logue who was the speech guy who retrained the oration of King George.

I too enjoy a good book and find a good novel really relaxing.

Eileen

Comrade, I was watching Corrie the other night and noticed a copy of Beevor's "Stalingrad" on Ken Barlow's bookshelf. Product placement? Nolic

Don't know Comrade but what a marvellous, if depressing, book. Should be compulsory reading in schools, we forget that Russia saved us in WW2.

Cold weather still driving reading. Am working my way through Deighton again. Not a problem, what a good writer!

Finished Goodbye Mickey Mouse and got Le Carre's Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy down. Lovely to revisit it.

eileendavid wrote:Think I am getting into this site now. I am reading the Kings Speech quite enlightening about the diaries of Lionel Logue who was the speech guy who retrained the oration of King George.

I too enjoy a good book and find a good novel really relaxing.

Eileen

I enjoyed the film adaptation. I will have to get the book, you get a different perspective on things...

I decided to read the Smiley Trilogy of le Carre after Tinker Tailor. Just finished the Honourable Schoolboy and started Smiley's People. Smiley pops up later in 'the Perfect Spy'. If shed hasn't warmed up I shall read that as well. All revisits but a good book can stand re-reading. One LKF, le Carre said that after the BBC adaptation of Tinker Tailor Alec Guinness took over as Smiley in his head because his portrayal was so close to the image le Carre had in his head when he wrote it.

Finished the trology, have started on the Secret Pilgrim, the last time Smiley is mentioned. By the time I have finished it my Smiley itch will have been scratched!

White Death, Russia's War on Finland 1939-40 by Robert Edwards

The first country to demonstrate the blitz spirit, and stand up to the evil that was Stalin and mother Russia until it was crushed and subjugated

Went back to le Carre's earliest books. 'Call for the Dead' is still a wonderful spy story.

Still reading. Went back to Deighton and have just finished his 'Berlin Game'. He mentions so many places I knew well in the 1950s before he wrote the book, before the wall went up. Funny thing is he mentioned something I didn't know. He talked about the runway at Gatow aerodrome finishing at the boundary with the Russian Zone which I knew because we were billeted at Gatow. However he also mentioned that just across the border was the main Russian tank depot for Berlin and the surrounds. This may have been why we were posted there, we were anti-tank with 17 pounders, the only weapon we had then which could stop a T34 or JS3. We were never told that although we knew there was a big Russian installation there because every now and again the sky would be lit up by live firing. I think the Russians were perhaps keeping us on our toes. With hindsight they were watching us doing gun drill and maintenance as the watch towers were only about half a mile away from the old Luftwaffe hangar where we kept our gear (Gatow used to be a Luftwaffe officer training unit). Fascinating insight and I'd not picked it up in previous readings of the book. Berlin was just as he describes it, much of pre-war Berlin was still functioning, the buses, the trams and much of the night life was straight out of the 1930s. It was a good time to be there and I get the feeling that I may be one of the last people left who experienced it. 'Mack the knife' (The Threepenny Opera) was still alive and well. It was an edgy place and dangerous if you didn't keep your wits about you. Wonderful!
If you want to know more about those days read Volume One of 'Stanley's Story', you can get it from Lulu.com.

Finished Game, Set and Match. I have to read the next trilogy, Hook, Line and Sinker and then I might be able to drag myself back into the Shed!