READ ANY GOOD BOOKS LATELY?

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Stanley
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Re: READ ANY GOOD BOOKS LATELY?

Post by Stanley »

Those of you with long memories might remember that in 2012 after years of searching I spent £126 on a book by David Omissi, 'Air Power and Colonial Control' I am reading it again and don't regret spending the money.
I've just looked on Bookfinder and the prices range from £230 to over £600. I might have done good!
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Re: READ ANY GOOD BOOKS LATELY?

Post by Stanley »

News this morning that the third volume of the Mantel Cromwell trilogy will be published in March 2020!
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Re: READ ANY GOOD BOOKS LATELY?

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I finished David's book on air power and have moved on to another that I think would interest Tiz. 'Barnes Wallis' Bombs by Stephen Flowers.....
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Re: READ ANY GOOD BOOKS LATELY?

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Our David has sent me a book on Wide Boys..... Very kind of him and I look forward to its arrival!
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Re: READ ANY GOOD BOOKS LATELY?

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Just finished "Goin Down Th'Imp" by Steve Chapples, what a nostalgic read, brought back many memories. Borrowed it through our local library.
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Re: READ ANY GOOD BOOKS LATELY?

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Was that the Imperial in Nelson?
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Re: READ ANY GOOD BOOKS LATELY?

Post by Wendyf »

It must have been an amazing place for teens in the 60's Gloria, I haven't read the book but have seen so many stories about the groups who played there.
I've just finished Kate Atkinson's "Transcription" which I thoroughly enjoyed. I found her previous 2 novels very hard going but this one grabbed me and I couldn't put it down!
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Re: READ ANY GOOD BOOKS LATELY?

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Th'Imp was down Nelson Stanley, it was a great place with a large sprung floor. Fans came from far and wide to watch.
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Re: READ ANY GOOD BOOKS LATELY?

Post by PanBiker »

I have a copy of the book, my brothers group is mentioned as they played there, I think on the same bill as Billy J Kramer. Sally and I went a few times when we were courting, last ones we saw were Bill Haley and the Comets not long before it burnt down.
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Re: READ ANY GOOD BOOKS LATELY?

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Nay day when a £20 hardback book in mint condition arrives to join my army is a good one! Thank you David, very thoughtful of you.....
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Re: READ ANY GOOD BOOKS LATELY?

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Barnes Walliss' Bombs is going well. I'm on Tallboy now.....
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Re: READ ANY GOOD BOOKS LATELY?

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I sank the Tirpitz yesterday, that's right, we are now into Grand Slam, the biggest conventional bomb of WW2 at 22,400lbs. The Lancaster was the only bomber in service that could carry it using specially modified planes with no bomb bay doors.

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Re: READ ANY GOOD BOOKS LATELY?

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I finished Barnes Wallis's Bombs yesterday. A very good book full of information and right up Tizer's street. Today I'll start on David's present, the book on the Underground in WW2.
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Re: READ ANY GOOD BOOKS LATELY?

Post by Tripps »

i think 'underworld' rather than 'underground'. :smile:

It'll be interesting to see what actually was happening at home whist the war was on. I think many of the ideas for 'Foyle's War' came from this book.
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Re: READ ANY GOOD BOOKS LATELY?

Post by Stanley »

You are right of course David, 'underworld'.
The book is reminding me of so many things.... and so far Mr Thomas is accurate. Even as a young person I was aware of a lot of what was going on. Even at 5 and six years old I was listening to the news and reading the papers as well as observing the changes to life at home. For instance, my dad was in the ARP and was a Warden and the dreaded phrase "Put that light out!" was a frequent cry in the night. I remember the formation of the Land Defence Volunteers, The LDV, father was in that as well. The story I heard at the time was the name got changed to Home Guard because LDV soon became synonymous with 'Look, Duck and Vanish'.

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Father is in the centre of the second row with glasses and medal ribbon. Of course many years later I learned that he wasn't entitled to them as he deserted from the ANZACS in 1919..... Strange times....
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Re: READ ANY GOOD BOOKS LATELY?

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From that distance he reminded me of Ernest Bevin.
bevin.jpg
I read that Churchill appointed him as Minister of Labour, in the war time coalition. Hard to imagine Theresa May appointing Len McLuskey to the post - whatever the circumstances. :smile:
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Re: READ ANY GOOD BOOKS LATELY?

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I have always thought that as well David. Yes, the War Coalition was a success and Bevin was Minister of Labour and National Service. After the war Churchill gave him unstinting praise. Can't imagine that happening now as you say.
I'm enjoying Underworld at war. It's bringing back a lot of memories.....
On a different matter, I am listening to Karen Armstrong on the R4 religious programme. She sounds a very sensible woman, she has just written a new book on the use of scripture. I came across her when I found her book 'A History of God' which opened up whole new fields of theology to me. I'd recommend it to anyone. (Have a look at THIS, she has a very interesting history.)
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Re: READ ANY GOOD BOOKS LATELY?

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Two books finished last night.
Biography on Karl Marx by Francis Wheen. Dr Karl Marx (Dr of philosophy) A German Jew with a phenomenal memory of classics and details of past events. He has been given a boogeyman status by the ruling classes but in many respects a lot of his predictions including the WW1 proved to be true. This book is not an analysis of 'Das Capital' but the life he led. Expected a much dryer and political orientated book but found it relatively entertaining with a lot of his genius showing through that nobody talks about.

Who Owns England, by Guy Shrubsole, A new book now in Lancashire Libraries, Sets out to detail ALL the major land ownership in England from William the Conqueror to present day. Masses of detail that brings on a state of depression when you realise that very little has changed. You finish up with the feeling that you knew it was something like that but never appreciated to what extent. Worth the read.

See Political Corner.
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Re: READ ANY GOOD BOOKS LATELY?

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Stanley wrote: 09 Jun 2019, 03:50 I'm enjoying Underworld at war. It's bringing back a lot of memories....
Good - I can't read it without wanting you to see it. :smile:

Page 177 interested me as I have spoken to people who were at Watersheddings and Albion Stadium Salford at the time.

I've got the Francis Wheen book - it amused me to see that his mate Engels pilfered the petty cash from his dad's cotton mill to send to his friend Karl. :smile:
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Re: READ ANY GOOD BOOKS LATELY?

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I must read that Wheen book.... (Just ordered it for £6 on Bookfinder.)
My dad had a mate Jimmy Fitzsimons (one time Lord Mayor of Manchester 1958/59) who had a business near Belle Vue, Fitzsimon's Tyre Depot, he noticed a light on one night during the war when passing so went to investigate, He found his son Gerry loading tyres in the back of a van and when he asked him what he was doing he replied "Stock-taking". Gerry also was Lord Mayor 1979-1980!
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Re: READ ANY GOOD BOOKS LATELY?

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P. The Wheen book arrived but I suspect I got the wrong one. This one is misleadingly called 'A biography. Marx's Das Kapital' and appears to be about the book and not the man. Wheen must have written two, I shall seek the other one out!
(I've found it. Ordered it for less than £3....)
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Re: READ ANY GOOD BOOKS LATELY?

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Stanley there was a reference to a book which tries to explain Das Capital. Marx wrote it as a work of art not a series of logic that finished with a definite conclusive answer. Remember he was a Dr of Philosophy and it would appear that a lot of his thoughts were wrapped up within this work. This was one of the reasons why it was rubbished in the popular press.

Finished Endurance by Alfred Lansing (ISBN 0 29782919 X) The story of Shackleton's failed trans Antarctic expedition. An excellent book full of excitement and unbelievable hardship. I'm just about to offer it to a pal to read then I'll pass it on if anybody wants it.
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Re: READ ANY GOOD BOOKS LATELY?

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As I often boast I am one of the selct band who have actually read Das Kapital but I'll admit that it was the condensed version of Volume One in the 'Skeptical Reader Series' published by Gateway in Washington USA. This has all the essentials of the work but edited for the modern reader. I'd recommend it to anyone.
Levitsky, the condenser, says that if it hadn't been for Engels writing reviews under false names it would never have got off the ground. I often wonder when I see politicians using Marx as a pejorative statement whether they have read his philosophical ideas and understood them. This is not the Communist handbook any more than Stalin's version of Communism was a result of putting Engel's Communist Manifesto into practice. Indeed, the thing that has often struck me is the similarity between the original Communism and Christianity! Tell that to a rabid right winger and see what sort of reception you get!
I have almost finished Underworld At War and it still has my attention. It is largely a reprise of contemporary news and court cases of course and could have been boring but Donald Thomas has managed to keep it interesting.
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Re: READ ANY GOOD BOOKS LATELY?

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Finished Underworld at war. Now I can look at Francis Wheen's story of the writing of Das Kapital and by the time I have finished that his biography of Karl Marx should have arrived! Good preparation for the world according to Bojo I suspect.....
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Re: READ ANY GOOD BOOKS LATELY?

Post by Stanley »

I started on Wheen's description of Das Kapital. Many new facts about how chaotic Marx's writing was and some valuable insights. I am struck yet again by the validity of his core arguments even though he was sometimes less than consistent in his approach. A hard but rewarding read.
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