What are you currently reading?

[Gravity Aided]

It is easy with WW1 to just think of the western front, as down the years so much has been said about trench warfare, the Somme, Ypres etc, and overlook all the other aspects. Strachan's book explains how the war extended to Africa and the middle east, and he also describes the eastern front. Never having been much of a student of history, my awareness of those things was pretty thin. I have developed an interest in WW1 and am really enjoying reading about it. I have already read Sleepwalkers by Christopher Clark and have Max Hastings' Catastrophe lined up as well as a few others. It has also led me to read some fiction I probably wouldn't have tried otherwise, Greenmantle by John Buchan is my latest fiction novel, I got the idea when it was briefly mentioned in Strachan's book, and as I was aware that the central character was the same guy from 39 steps, which is set a couple of years earlier, I read that first. There are quite a few other suggestions in this thread........should keep me out of mischief for a while.

Richard Hannay? I always thought John Buchan was quite authentic as a writer.

 

[Christopher]

It is easy with WW1 to just think of the western front, as down the years so much has been said about trench warfare, the Somme, Ypres etc, and overlook all the other aspects. Strachan's book explains how the war extended to Africa and the middle east, and he also describes the eastern front. Never having been much of a student of history, my awareness of those things was pretty thin. I have developed an interest in WW1 and am really enjoying reading about it. I have already read Sleepwalkers by Christopher Clark and have Max Hastings' Catastrophe lined up as well as a few others. It has also led me to read some fiction I probably wouldn't have tried otherwise, Greenmantle by John Buchan is my latest fiction novel, I got the idea when it was briefly mentioned in Strachan's book, and as I was aware that the central character was the same guy from 39 steps, which is set a couple of years earlier, I read that first. There are quite a few other suggestions in this thread........should keep me out of mischief for a while.

If you like WWI, one book that might be worth checking out is Mark Thompson's The White War, all about the Italian front of WW1. I have it, great book.

 

[Roadhump]

Richard Hannay? I always thought John Buchan was quite authentic as a writer.

Yes, Hannay is the central character and Buchan was an excellent writer. 39 steps was written in 1915 and is a damn good thriller. I have read the first 3 chapters of Greenmantle and it seems to be going the same way.

 

[Maverick Goose]

Georgia O'Keefe [Taschen Art Series]

 

[Gravity Aided]

Georgia O'Keefe [Taschen Art Series]

Good books, that series.

 

[Gravity Aided]

Yes, Hannay is the central character and Buchan was an excellent writer. 39 steps was written in 1915 and is a damn good thriller. I have read the first 3 chapters of Greenmantle and it seems to be going the same way.

I'll have to look it up. Library Sale in Normal this weekend and Parish St. Matthew next weekend. Boasting and posting to follow.

 

[Flying_Monkey]

Just finished Ian Macleod's The Summer Isles, a novel of an alternate past in which Britain lost WW1 and saw the rise of (a very English kind of) fascism here, instead of Germany. Macleod is a very interesting writer who does a lot of alternative history stuff - his rather excellent short story, 'Snodgrass', about the mundane disappointed life of a John Lennon who left The Beatles before they made it, was made into a Sky TV play a few years ago...

 

[Roadhump]

Just finished Ian Macleod's The Summer Isles, a novel of an alternate past in which Britain lost WW1 and saw the rise of (a very English kind of) fascism here, instead of Germany. Macleod is a very interesting writer who does a lot of alternative history stuff - his rather excellent short story, 'Snodgrass', about the mundane disappointed life of a John Lennon who left The Beatles before they made it, was made into a Sky TV play a few years ago...

Just looked at the reviews of them on Amazon, those "what if" scenarios are mind boggling - 2 more for the shelf.

 

[Gravity Aided]

You might also look at Phillip Roth's The Plot Against America, in which Charles Lindbergh wins the presidency in 1940. Or Fatherland, by Robert Harris.

 

[Christopher]

Cheers GA re the Philip Roth, I like his writing when it isn't all about s*x. Have read 'Fatherland' twice, very good book.

 

[Gravity Aided]

Plot against America is where Lindbergh is drafted by the Republican Party to run against Roosevelt in 1940, and wins. Phillip Roth tells it against an alternate background of his youth in Brooklyn. A very unique perspective. Lindbergh makes Henry Ford his Secretary of the Interior, you can see where this is going.

 

[Shut Up Legs]

Shadowplay, 2nd book in Tad Williams' Shadowmarch quartet. I've always loved SF and Fantasy.

 

[Brightski]

Arcanum
Written by Simon Morden

 

[Cycleops]

Just finished the Minor adjustment Beauty Saloon by Alexander Mc Call Smith in the Ladies No 1 Detective Agency series. Not as good as the others but still very enjoyable. I love his sly humour. Also "SOE's Secret Weapon Station 12" about the boffins who made all sorts of deadly devices during WW2, very interesting and not as dry as it sounds. Have also been revisiting the "Just William" stories by Richmal Compton. Very much of it's time but very enjoyable.

 

[LutherB]

'The Road to Valour' - Aili & Andres McConnon.

Biography of Gino Bartali; i'm 50 pages in, covering his childhood and early racing career, very good so far & probably could have read it all night!