Books worth a read

[Blue Moon]

Being a hit of a history fan, I had to read Antony Beevor's "Russia", but found I was missing on the history of Ukraine and so discovered the excellent "The Gates of Europe" by Sergii Plokhy. For a more modern spin, Anrey Kurkov's (he of "Death and the Penguin - an excellent novel) "Ukraine Diaries - Dispatches from Kiev" and "Diary of an Invasion" are essential reading. Next stop Norman Davies "God's Playground", recommended by my son, who's moving there this summer and had it recommended by his partner.

[RDCW]

The Climb - a book refuting the character assassination of Anatoli Boukreev by Krakauer in Into Thin Air and a far better book than Krakauer's calumny.

Anything I can get my hands on about Everest.

Wolf Of Wolf Hall.

Notes From A Small Island, or indeed anything by Bill Bryson.

The Outsider (L' Etranger) by Camus.

The Plague (La Peste) - Camus ("I refuse to love a scheme of things in which innocent children are made to suffer and die.")

So many......

 

[Flinkers]

9 hours ago, RDCW said:

The Climb - a book refuting the character assassination of Anatoli Boukreev by Krakauer in Into Thin Air and a far better book than Krakauer's calumny.

Anything I can get my hands on about Everest.

Wolf Of Wolf Hall.

Notes From A Small Island, or indeed anything by Bill Bryson.

The Outsider (L' Etranger) by Camus.

The Plague (La Peste) - Camus ("I refuse to love a scheme of things in which innocent children are made to suffer and die.")

So many......

 

I’m also partial to a good mountaineering book, Joe Tasker and Pete Boardman’s accounts of their exploits in the Himalayas and Karakoram particular highlights of mine. Andy Kirkpatrick‘s books on solo big wall climbing are also great fun.

[RDCW]

43 minutes ago, Flinkers said:

I’m also partial to a good mountaineering book, Joe Tasker and Pete Boardman’s accounts of their exploits in the Himalayas and Karakoram particular highlights of mine. Andy Kirkpatrick‘s books on solo big wall climbing are also great fun.

Fantastic stuff! Pete and Joe were absolute heroes. I read Chris Bonnington's biography and he speaks very highly of them. Great communicators as well as brilliant mountaineers.

I came to this from an article about "Green Boots" and the many bodies on Everest, since when I have devoured every article on the subject of Everest and the rest of the 14.

I am planning to do a trek to Everest Base Camp in about 18 months. If that goes well I fancy doing a more technical trek up to Camp 2 on the Western Cwm. Crossing the Khumbu ice fall would be beyond epic!

Edited February 1, 2023 by RDCW

[RDCW]

41 minutes ago, Flinkers said:

I’m also partial to a good mountaineering book, Joe Tasker and Pete Boardman’s accounts of their exploits in the Himalayas and Karakoram particular highlights of mine. Andy Kirkpatrick‘s books on solo big wall climbing are also great fun.

Solo free climbing on big walls is a whole new kettle of fish and frankly way beyond my physical and indeed mental capabilities, so I am in awe of thos guys!

[RDCW]

1 hour ago, Flinkers said:

I’m also partial to a good mountaineering book, Joe Tasker and Pete Boardman’s accounts of their exploits in the Himalayas and Karakoram particular highlights of mine. Andy Kirkpatrick‘s books on solo big wall climbing are also great fun.

You have to read Alex Honnold's Alone On The Wall and Tommy Caldwell's The Push!

[Backbiter]

14 hours ago, RDCW said:

You have to read Alex Honnold's Alone On The Wall and Tommy Caldwell's The Push!

Picked this up very cheap in a clearance sale. Not read it yet, but if it comes close to the film I'll love it. 

Touching The Void by Joe Simpson was another epic climbing book (and a great film, too).

Edited February 2, 2023 by Backbiter

[RDCW]

40 minutes ago, Backbiter said:

Picked this up very cheap in a clearance sale. Not read it yet, but if it comes close to the film I'll love it. 

Touching The Void by Joe Simpson was another epic climbing book (and a great film, too).

I must catch the film!

[Flinkers]

On 01/02/2023 at 21:04, RDCW said:

Fantastic stuff! Pete and Joe were absolute heroes. I read Chris Bonnington's biography and he speaks very highly of them. Great communicators as well as brilliant mountaineers.

I came to this from an article about "Green Boots" and the many bodies on Everest, since when I have devoured every article on the subject of Everest and the rest of the 14.

I am planning to do a trek to Everest Base Camp in about 18 months. If that goes well I fancy doing a more technical trek up to Camp 2 on the Western Cwm. Crossing the Khumbu ice fall would be beyond epic!

That whole troupe from the mid-late 70s were absolutely amazing climbers. Nick Estcourt, Doug Scott, Boardman and Tasker - what adventures they had and what a price they paid... I climbed a lot in my uni days, and had dreams of going into the mountains, but a bad fall, as well as the deaths of two acquaintances in an avalanche in 1997, scared me off enough to stop climbing regularly.

Like you I've read a ton of Everest stuff as well as most of the classics written about the first ascents of K2, Annapurna, the Eiger, Nanga Parbat etc. Most recently I finished Bernadette McDonald's book on the first winter ascents of the 8000ers and have a soft spot for Ed Viesturs' accounts of his climbs.

On 01/02/2023 at 21:05, RDCW said:

Solo free climbing on big walls is a whole new kettle of fish and frankly way beyond my physical and indeed mental capabilities, so I am in awe of thos guys!

I find the self-rationalisation fascinating - being able to so fully concentrate on the moment/next move so that the fear impulse is overridden is, as you say, awe-inspiring.

On 01/02/2023 at 22:22, RDCW said:

You have to read Alex Honnold's Alone On The Wall and Tommy Caldwell's The Push!

I've watched the two movies but will have to pick up both books - thanks! That Dawn Wall climb was epic!

On 02/02/2023 at 13:05, Backbiter said:

Picked this up very cheap in a clearance sale. Not read it yet, but if it comes close to the film I'll love it. 

Touching The Void by Joe Simpson was another epic climbing book (and a great film, too).

Another great book - how he managed to drag himself to safety is astounding. After my accident I could barely move...

His book on the Eiger North Wall (The Beckoning Silence) is also a great read, as is Heinrich Harrer's The White Spider!

Edited February 13, 2023 by Flinkers

[bertles86]

On 24/01/2023 at 16:21, Blue Moon said:

Next stop Norman Davies "God's Playground", recommended by my son, who's moving there this summer and had it recommended by his partner.

If you or your son would like any recommendations for Polish literature or lit about Polish history, let me know. I've lived there for 6 years and am an avid reader. There's also a very active supporters club over here. 😄

[Blue Moon]

On 08/04/2023 at 21:36, bertles86 said:

If you or your son would like any recommendations for Polish literature or lit about Polish history, let me know. I've lived there for 6 years and am an avid reader. There's also a very active supporters club over here. 😄

Definitely would, @bertles86 - thanks for the offer. Please PM me. Although he reads copiously, despite my best efforts of the last 37 years the lad isn't a football supporter, but in time you never know ...

[RDCW]

On 02/02/2023 at 12:05, Backbiter said:

Picked this up very cheap in a clearance sale. Not read it yet, but if it comes close to the film I'll love it. 

Touching The Void by Joe Simpson was another epic climbing book (and a great film, too).

I watched the Touching The Void docudrama last night. Joe Simpson really is an extraordinary man. I think if the accident had happened the other way round Simon Yates would not have made it (nor for that matter would most mountaineers, let alone most people). The hints from Richard Hawking about Joe's character point to an extremely prickly bugger, something which very likely saved his life!

[RDCW]

On 13/02/2023 at 13:44, Flinkers said:

That whole troupe from the mid-late 70s were absolutely amazing climbers. Nick Estcourt, Doug Scott, Boardman and Tasker - what adventures they had and what a price they paid... I climbed a lot in my uni days, and had dreams of going into the mountains, but a bad fall, as well as the deaths of two acquaintances in an avalanche in 1997, scared me off enough to stop climbing regularly.

Like you I've read a ton of Everest stuff as well as most of the classics written about the first ascents of K2, Annapurna, the Eiger, Nanga Parbat etc. Most recently I finished Bernadette McDonald's book on the first winter ascents of the 8000ers and have a soft spot for Ed Viesturs' accounts of his climbs.

I find the self-rationalisation fascinating - being able to so fully concentrate on the moment/next move so that the fear impulse is overridden is, as you say, awe-inspiring.

I've watched the two movies but will have to pick up both books - thanks! That Dawn Wall climb was epic!

Another great book - how he managed to drag himself to safety is astounding. After my accident I could barely move...

His book on the Eiger North Wall (The Beckoning Silence) is also a great read, as is Heinrich Harrer's The White Spider!

I watched The Beckoning Silence on Netflix. Brilliant, if heartbreaking stuff!

[Backbiter]

34 minutes ago, RDCW said:

I watched the Touching The Void docudrama last night. Joe Simpson really is an extraordinary man. I think if the accident had happened the other way round Simon Yates would not have made it (nor for that matter would most mountaineers, let alone most people). The hints from Richard Hawking about Joe's character point to an extremely prickly bugger, something which very likely saved his life!

Glad you enjoyed it. Will check out The Beckoning Silence.

Still not started Alex Honnold's book. Currently reading Wee Pat's autobiography.  A good read so far - he's not yet joined Clyde!

[Dwmh]

Elmore Leonard, Elmore Leonard, and he wrote so many books I still uncover the odd one if I got to enough charity shops.

 

On 24/01/2023 at 15:21, Blue Moon said:

Being a hit of a history fan, I had to read Antony Beevor's "Russia", but found I was missing on the history of Ukraine and so discovered the excellent "The Gates of Europe" by Sergii Plokhy. For a more modern spin, Anrey Kurkov's (he of "Death and the Penguin - an excellent novel) "Ukraine Diaries - Dispatches from Kiev" and "Diary of an Invasion" are essential reading. Next stop Norman Davies "God's Playground", recommended by my son, who's moving there this summer and had it recommended by his partner.

Not read Beevor but he does have a reputation for playing down the Soviet role in WW2 (which in Europe was about 80% Soviets vs Germany).  Ditto almost all published reporting and a lot of the history on Ukraine is fake.  See the Yaroslav Hunka story which seems to have caught the whole Canadian Parliament embarrassed.  But I do want to read Death of the Penguin.
I bought God's Playground and the follow up book almost 30 years ago and still not read it, but did read Heart of Europe which is a shorter more manageable version of the 2 volumes.

Did your son meet the girl of his dreams here, or is he just planning to find her there.    Not quite the paradise of 1990s (blame MacDonalds and fast food) but E Europe still has its allure.

On 08/04/2023 at 21:36, bertles86 said:

If you or your son would like any recommendations for Polish literature or lit about Polish history, let me know. I've lived there for 6 years and am an avid reader. There's also a very active supporters club over here. 😄

I lived there 20 years, but I pretty much managed to avoid Polish literature thankfully.  On the other hand Baranczak's translations of Shakespeare are great, much easier to understand even with basic Polish than the originals.
The Tin Drum - Gunter Grass - explains a lot of what war time Poland must have been like albeit with what I guess is called magic realism.

Edited November 4, 2023 by Dwmh

[Mark Kelly]

Just finished "The Seeker" series by SJ McLean which is about Damien Seeker a spy for Cromwell in the days of the New Model Army. 

If you like historical whodunnits it's an excellent series. 

[Blue Moon]

1 hour ago, Dwmh said:

Elmore Leonard, Elmore Leonard, and he wrote so many books I still uncover the odd one if I got to enough charity shops.

Not read Beevor but he does have a reputation for playing down the Soviet role in WW2 (which in Europe was about 80% Soviets vs Germany).  Ditto almost all published reporting and a lot of the history on Ukraine is fake.  See the Yaroslav Hunka story which seems to have caught the whole Canadian Parliament embarrassed.  But I do want to read Death of the Penguin.
I bought God's Playground and the follow up book almost 30 years ago and still not read it, but did read Heart of Europe which is a shorter more manageable version of the 2 volumes.

Did your son meet the girl of his dreams here, or is he just planning to find her there.    Not quite the paradise of 1990s (blame MacDonalds and fast food) but E Europe still has its allure.

I lived there 20 years, but I pretty much managed to avoid Polish literature thankfully.  On the other hand Baranczak's translations of Shakespeare are great, much easier to understand even with basic Polish than the originals.
The Tin Drum - Gunter Grass - explains a lot of what war time Poland must have been like albeit with what I guess is called magic realism.

Elmore Leonard? I think I've read all of his, except the Westerns, which I never really took to. His dialogue is something else.

Agreed, I've not read God's Playground yet either, despite it having been on my shelf for months ... nor did I finish The Peasants, although to be fair I did get through about half of it (it's thicker than the Bible) - beautifully written, but with a pedestrian pace. I've visited Poland on business several times over the last two decades, but never got the hang of the language, which seems almost purposefully opaque, but then maybe it's just me. The lad met the girl of his dreams when she was working in England, they've moved to Poland thanks to the difference in the cost of living, leaving me to get rid of his car (anyone want a 16-year-old Z4 in great condition, only 100k on the clock, 3 owners?). The Tin Drum was on my wife's shelf for years (she read German at Uni), but I never read it - it's gone to a boot sale now.

Other recent good reads include:

• Blue was the Colour: A Tale of Tarnished Love - Andy Hamilton's account of why he fell out of love with Chelsea. Can't disagree, I share a lot of his concerns.
• Chums: How a Tiny Caste of Oxford Tories Took Over the UK - Simon Kuper's account of the clique "running" (or was that "ruining"?) our country.
• Mick Heron - The Secret Hours - for those who loved the Slough House books (I do), this seems to be the early days of Jackson Lamb, when he ran the Berlin office.
• The Avengers - Rich Cohen -  true story of three young Jewish lads fighting in the Lithuanian ghetto in WWII, who organised the first underground movement in Europe and continued their fight for retribution from Israel after the war. Interesting read given current events.

  28 minutes ago, Mark Kelly said:

  Just finished "The Seeker" series by SJ McLean which is about Damien Seeker a spy for Cromwell in the days of the New Model Army. 

  If you like historical whodunnits it's an excellent series. 

  Thanks - it's on order!

[Dwmh]

14 minutes ago, Blue Moon said:

Elmore Leonard? I think I've read all of his, except the Westerns, which I never really took to. His dialogue is something else.

I really don't know why he is not the most famous writer in history.
I thought I had read them all same as you, but it turns out he wrote 3 or 4 more in his 80s.  
 

23 minutes ago, Blue Moon said:

 I've visited Poland on business several times over the last two decades, but never got the hang of the language, which seems almost purposefully opaque, but then maybe it's just me.

It is really very difficult.  But at least once you have it 3 or 4 other languages become immediately readable.
Someone asked me last week what Polish healthcare is like.  I said exactly like UK healthcare...  ... will be in 20 more years time.  Go private or go wanting.

29 minutes ago, Blue Moon said:

• Blue was the Colour: A Tale of Tarnished Love - Andy Hamilton's account of why he fell out of love with Chelsea. Can't disagree, I share a lot of his concerns.
• Chums: How a Tiny Caste of Oxford Tories Took Over the UK - Simon Kuper's account of the clique "running" (or was that "ruining"?) our country.

Interesting - I read one of Kuper's books on football - interesting.
Blue was the Colour - 2 copies available at my library! Disgrace but reserved online by me.

35 minutes ago, Blue Moon said:

The Avengers - Rich Cohen -  true story of three young Jewish lads fighting in the Lithuanian ghetto in WWII, who organised the first underground movement in Europe and continued their fight for retribution from Israel after the war. Interesting read given current events.

Current events.  Perhaps you are referring to locals cooperating with the Nazis and killing jews and other minorites in  1940s on a large scale in Lithuania and elsewhere.
But no one talks about that.
Sounds a lot like The Bielski Brothers by Peter Duffy, filmed as Defiance (2008) with Daniel Craig (he was good pre-Bond, good as Bond but different).  The  Belarus equivalent.  Good.

[Blue Moon]

22 hours ago, Dwmh said:

Current events.  Perhaps you are referring to locals cooperating with the Nazis and killing jews and other minorites in  1940s on a large scale in Lithuania and elsewhere.
But no one talks about that.
Sounds a lot like The Bielski Brothers by Peter Duffy, filmed as Defiance (2008) with Daniel Craig (he was good pre-Bond, good as Bond but different).  The  Belarus equivalent.  Good.

Similar story, although more of a terrorist operation I suspect. Defiance is on Prime, so I’ll take a look. Thanks

[bertles86]

On 04/11/2023 at 15:54, Dwmh said:

...I pretty much managed to avoid Polish literature thankfully. 

That's a real shame because there is a lot of really fantastic literature in Polish history. But if you're ethnically Polish, I understand because much like in UK schools, kids have classic literature forced upon them and can't really enjoy many of the novels till much later in life. I recently finished the history of Polish football which was very interesting. Much more to it than just Widzew, Legia and Boniek.

[bertles86]

I recently bought Truth To Power by Andre De Ruyter. Former CEO of Eskom (national grid in South Africa) and it reads like a spy novel. Mass corruption, bribes, spying, attempted assassination. Highly recommend it.

[Dwmh]

3 minutes ago, bertles86 said:

That's a real shame because there is a lot of really fantastic literature in Polish history. But if you're ethnically Polish, I understand because much like in UK schools, kids have classic literature forced upon them and can't really enjoy many of the novels till much later in life. I recently finished the history of Polish football which was very interesting. Much more to it than just Widzew, Legia and Boniek.

I'm not Polish but my kids grew up half-Polish and they weren't interested in it at all.  A lot of it is about pushing a certain version of history, and given the recent government's efforts to re-write a lot of history I suspect most young people find it a complete turn off.
My mate's son played for Widzew then moved to a top division club (before Widzew got back there), I used to live right next door to Legia in Warsaw and I have been to Boniek's flat (rented out to another ex-pat during the early 90s).  But I haven't seen any of them.

[Michael Tucker]

On 05/11/2023 at 03:13, Blue Moon said:

Elmore Leonard? I think I've read all of his, except the Westerns, which I never really took to. His dialogue is something else.

I've read all of them, including the westerns! Superb writer and I never came across a book of his that disappointed. Donna Leon is also a favourite of mine.

[jasonb]

I'm re-reading a book by Tim O'Brien about a young talented kid with major honours expecting to go to Harvard yet gets the draft notice in '68.

The Things they Carried.

Not easy reading as it blows away the honourable myths about war.

Can't often read non-fiction though now feels like a good time to read it.

 

Edited November 9, 2023 by jasonb

[Dwmh]

18 minutes ago, jasonb said:

I'm re-reading a book by Tim O'Brien about a young talented kid with major honours expecting to go to Harvard yet gets the draft notice in '68.

The Things they Carried.

Not easy reading as it blows away the honourable myths about war.

Can't often read non-fiction though now feels like a good time to read it.

 

Unlucky, 15% of the age group went to Vietnam but I doubt many were expecting to go to Harvard or journalism school..
Somehow they managed to keep all the bad bits of it a secret from the media until the Pentagon papers got published 30 years later.

Blood Makes the Grass Grow Green: A Year in the Desert with Team America  by Johnny Rico  sounds a similar story, though autobiographical and he signed up for Afghanistan voluntarily.
I enjoyed that one.