Bought a book recently?

[Slim]

Reading Killing Thatcher by Rory Carroll - a painstaking work on the events leading up to the bombing of the Grand Hotel in Brighton in October '84.

It places the event in historical context and then starts in earnest with the assassination of Mountbatten 6 years earlier.

It covers in earnest the terrorists who planned the attacks and the police force who tried to catch them.

I didn't detect any particular partiality to either side and it certainly doesn't hide from the horror and brutality of the attacks from the IRA.

I'm about halfway through and I really can't fault it.

A few months ago I listened to an interview with the author on LBC and I was quite intrigued by it. I think the least the reader should expect is a bit of partiality in an account of a terrorist attempt to murder members of a democratically elected government, though.

[David L]

Reading Killing Thatcher by Rory Carroll - a painstaking work on the events leading up to the bombing of the Grand Hotel in Brighton in October '84.

It places the event in historical context and then starts in earnest with the assassination of Mountbatten 6 years earlier.

It covers in earnest the terrorists who planned the attacks and the police force who tried to catch them.

I didn't detect any particular partiality to either side and it certainly doesn't hide from the horror and brutality of the attacks from the IRA.

I'm about halfway through and I really can't fault it.

A few months ago I listened to an interview with the author on LBC and I was quite intrigued by it. I think the least the reader should expect is a bit of partiality in an account of a terrorist attempt to murder members of a democratically elected government, though.

Still plenty of apologists around for the murderous cowards

[dom]

As you well know I'm no fan of Thatcher, but from reading the book I was left in awe by her resolve to not be broken by the attack. Her reaction to it really showed her at her best.

[dom]

Reading Killing Thatcher by Rory Carroll - a painstaking work on the events leading up to the bombing of the Grand Hotel in Brighton in October '84.

It places the event in historical context and then starts in earnest with the assassination of Mountbatten 6 years earlier.

It covers in earnest the terrorists who planned the attacks and the police force who tried to catch them.

I didn't detect any particular partiality to either side and it certainly doesn't hide from the horror and brutality of the attacks from the IRA.

I'm about halfway through and I really can't fault it.

A few months ago I listened to an interview with the author on LBC and I was quite intrigued by it. I think the least the reader should expect is a bit of partiality in an account of a terrorist attempt to murder members of a democratically elected government, though.

I think the book's ethos was to provide the facts and the context and let the reader make his/her own judgement

[Slim]

I'm now onto another Reacher novel, Nothing to Lose. Written in the third person, which I prefer. A bit simpler than some of the Reacher novels, so far at least, but I like that. While reading The Enemy a few months ago I was tempted to start taking notes so I could keep track of all the different characters, and maybe even print out a map. This one's a lot tighter and easier to follow.

I finished this one a few weeks ago. It turned out to be poor, unfortunately. The villains aren't particularly interesting, some of the plot doesn't make sense and the way it plays out is preposterous.

I did enjoy it I must admit until I realised, near the end, that it wasn't going anywhere sensible.

Still - I shall embark on the next one in a few weeks' time no doubt.

Presently I'm dipping into Michael Palin's Diaries 1969-1979, The Python Years - prompted by my journey through the TV series. I bought it (or someone gave it to me) as a hardback edition about 15 years ago. Nice to have, though I do find physical books impractical.

[Thenop]

New novel by Dutch literary writer Tommy Wieringa - Nirwana
Also, I was not aware this was even published: Lee Morgan, his life, music and culture by Thomas Perchard. Looks to be an interesting read.

[pxr5]

I'm still catching up with a few books purchased over the last few months, but just got round to reading Time Flies: The Story of Porcupine Tree by Rich Wilson. I'm finding it much better than Wilson's own autobiography.

[Thenop]

I'm still catching up with a few books purchased over the last few months, but just got round to reading Time Flies: The Story of Porcupine Tree by Rich Wilson. I'm finding it much better than Wilson's own autobiography.

Writer any relation to Stevie-o?

[R6GYY]

Having just come into some National Book Tokens, I have just ordered a couple of non-fiction books.

Design Made Easy With Inkscape (1.3) by Christopher Rogers
Uncommon Grounds (new edition): The History Of Coffee And How It Transformed Our World by Mark Prendergast

Did I mention I was a coffee nerd  ?

[Slim]

I bought All Gates Open: The Story of Can. Kindle edition.

I bought my first Can album in 1976, a compilation called Opener. I've always found them very enigmatic and different.

[Slim]

I've just started, in audiobook form, Uncommon People:The Rise and Fall of the Rock Stars 1955-1994 by David Hepworth. David's thesis is that the age of the Rock Star dawned in the 1950s and set near the end of the century.

He chooses one day in each year between 1955 and 1994 as a focus for his essays on the life and importance, in context, of a selection of the "uncommon people" who are culturally meaningful and impactful "rock stars".

I found his foreword, in which he explores the myth of the rock star in general, brilliantly observed. Unfortunately, David is not the most natural narrator. His delivery can come across a little bit languid and slurred. Whether this is due to the first stages of Parkinsons, a tendency to have a couple of drinks before recording or just age I don't know but this, coupled with his tendency to ramble, and to use 200 words where 100 would have done, gave me a feeling of standing next to a pub bore who'd had a gin and tonic too many.

Unfortunately I think David is one of those writers who really likes the look of his own prose. Despite that though, this is really interesting stuff. I listened to the piece about Little Richard. Well researched and eye-opening. Next: Elvis Presley.

[The Picnic Wasp]

I was gifted Boy George's autobiography which I thought might be an interesting comparison after MEL. The drop in intellect and awareness of our species is dramatic. Perhaps too dramatic for me to continue. I'll trudge on another twenty pages or so but I fear I've been spoiled by how much of Neil that Geddy absorbed and cultivated.

[dom]

For the weekend trip to Kerry (stunning scenery, can't believe its taking me over 20 years living in Ireland to visit) we downloaded 'The Marriage Act' by John Marrs, a dystopian story from a World not that far from our own.

The Chapters follow various characters affected by the 'Act'. Well written with plenty of shocking moments to keep your attention. It feels like it was written with the intention of being made into a netflix serial. Not something to tax your mind particularly but it does provide food for thought.

[pxr5]

I've just picked this up for a couple of quid from ebay. I'm really looking forward to this one:

One For The Record - The Authorised Biography of Galahad by Andrew Wild

https://www.amazon.co.uk/One-Record-Authorised-Biography-Galahad/dp/0957007701

'One for the Record', the official, authorised biography of Galahad, charts the first quarter century of the Dorset-based band's existence: the highs and the lows, the challenges and the achievements, the numerous line-up changes (Yes have nothing on Galahad!)  including six keyboard players and eight bassists, the occasional madness on the road, the writing, recording, rehearsing and gigging.'

[David L]

I've just picked this up for a couple of quid from ebay. I'm really looking forward to this one:

One For The Record - The Authorised Biography of Galahad by Andrew Wild

https://www.amazon.co.uk/One-Record-Authorised-Biography-Galahad/dp/0957007701

'One for the Record', the official, authorised biography of Galahad, charts the first quarter century of the Dorset-based band's existence: the highs and the lows, the challenges and the achievements, the numerous line-up changes (Yes have nothing on Galahad!)  including six keyboard players and eight bassists, the occasional madness on the road, the writing, recording, rehearsing and gigging.'

They are playing at the 'Prog for Peart' festival at The Northcourt in Abingdon in July (just down the road from me)