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  • Petrushka
    Full Member
    • Nov 2010
    • 12229

    Russia: Revolution and Civil War 1917-1921 by Antony Beevor.

    All up to Beevor's usual high standard so far (I'm only up to page 86) except for one niggle. There isn't much discussion about the pre-revolutionary period (1905 barely gets a mention) and, more crucially, there's little or nothing about where the major players such as Lenin, Trotsky, Kerensky etc came from, who they were and what they stood for, nor is there much on what the differences were between the Bolshevik's and Menshevik's. We are plunged into March 1917 almost immediately.

    Having said all that, there are 502 reading pages in the book plus notes and index and Beevor (or his publisher) might have thought the book might become too unwieldy with too much detail. That's fair enough but many readers will be scurrying off to Google. Perhaps some of the detail will come out later but Beevor's main objective seems to be the more military side of things. Nice use made of Prokofiev's diaries though!
    Last edited by Petrushka; 23-07-22, 21:04.
    "The sound is the handwriting of the conductor" - Bernard Haitink

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    • gradus
      Full Member
      • Nov 2010
      • 5601

      The Golden Age, Gore Vidal. Took me a little time to get used to the style- dialogue predominates - and the cast of characters is quite large but it is a fascinating novelised account of FDR and his running for office, America's dilemma over supporting us as WW2 begins and the people surrounding, opposing and supporting the President. Classic Vidal territory.

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      • DracoM
        Host
        • Mar 2007
        • 12955

        Electric Michelangelo / Sarah Hall.
        Well.................tried to finish it. Have huge admiration for her other noels - but not this one.
        Last edited by DracoM; 15-09-22, 20:13.

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        • Jonathan
          Full Member
          • Mar 2007
          • 944

          A science fiction novel called "The Ventos Conspiracy" by a author that I know very well.
          Best regards,
          Jonathan

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          • muzzer
            Full Member
            • Nov 2013
            • 1190

            Originally posted by DracoM View Post
            Electric Michelangelo / Sarah Hall.
            Great novel, great writer.

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            • muzzer
              Full Member
              • Nov 2013
              • 1190

              Originally posted by gradus View Post
              The Golden Age, Gore Vidal. Took me a little time to get used to the style- dialogue predominates - and the cast of characters is quite large but it is a fascinating novelised account of FDR and his running for office, America's dilemma over supporting us as WW2 begins and the people surrounding, opposing and supporting the President. Classic Vidal territory.
              You can never fault his ambition. Reminds me of Anthony Burgess a little in that respect. Very different writers. I enjoyed Palimpsest, his memoir. His YouTube spats with various rivals are great viewing, the sort we really lack these days.

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              • french frank
                Administrator/Moderator
                • Feb 2007
                • 30205

                Italo Calvino, If on a winter's night a traveller . I think I attempted it once and failed so am having another go (perhaps).

                Back to Siegfried Sassoon, I found something to recommend in reading vol. 2 last. It left me with the powerful evocation of his feelings as he wrestled with his 'act of wilful defiance of military authority' in the face of contemporay attitudes to the war. In the end he seemed quite grateful to 'David Cromlech' (really Robert Graves?) for his intervention in arranging the possibility of a stay in military hospital and 'treatment for shell-shock' rather than being court martialled and sent to prison. I may read volume 3 again while vol 2 is still fresh in my mind. But not just yet.
                It isn't given us to know those rare moments when people are wide open and the lightest touch can wither or heal. A moment too late and we can never reach them any more in this world.

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                • gradus
                  Full Member
                  • Nov 2010
                  • 5601

                  A Field Guide to the English Clergy: A Compendium of Diverse Eccentrics, Pirates, Prelates and Adventurers; All Anglican, Some Even Practising.
                  Full of amusement and very entertainingly written by the Reverend Fergus Butler-Gallie, who sounds as though he might figure-but doesn't.
                  Strongly recommended as a good laugh.

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                  • Joseph K
                    Banned
                    • Oct 2017
                    • 7765

                    Yanis Varoufakis - And The Weak Suffer What They Must? Europe, Austerity And The Threat To Global Stability

                    Really enjoying this. His account of post-WWII Western economic and political history is very interesting, he's a very good writer.

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                    • Serial_Apologist
                      Full Member
                      • Dec 2010
                      • 37559

                      Originally posted by Joseph K View Post
                      Yanis Varoufakis - And The Weak Suffer What They Must? Europe, Austerity And The Threat To Global Stability

                      Really enjoying this. His account of post-WWII Western economic and political history is very interesting, he's a very good writer.
                      And most charmingly articulate and persuasive, in the best sense I think. He is the one person in the midst of things who gave us the full story on how Germany and the EU pushed Greece into debt and division. I wish we had him on to say more about the present situation and tell us what's really going on with the energy prices.

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                      • Joseph K
                        Banned
                        • Oct 2017
                        • 7765

                        Originally posted by Serial_Apologist View Post
                        And most charmingly articulate and persuasive, in the best sense I think. He is the one person in the midst of things who gave us the full story on how Germany and the EU pushed Greece into debt and division. I wish we had him on to say more about the present situation and tell us what's really going on with the energy prices.


                        I completely agree. Although it's not mentioned in the contents listed of this video, IIRC he does explain why inflation is happening at one point here (edit - they start talking about inflation exactly 8 minutes in):

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                        • Bryn
                          Banned
                          • Mar 2007
                          • 24688

                          https://bl.ag/ragged/ and https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/714944.Tressell

                          I recall a rather good BBC Television production based on the novel. That was very much 'back in the day' and led me to purchase and read the unexpurgated novel (there were several heavily edited versions published in the years immediately following its writing). A recently departed friend tipped me off about the graphic novel presentation and though I knew much of Noonan/|Tressel's biography in outline, thought it worth digging deeper via Dave Harker's tome. There seems to still be an element of mystery about Tressel/Noonan's origins.

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                          • french frank
                            Administrator/Moderator
                            • Feb 2007
                            • 30205

                            Originally posted by french frank View Post
                            Italo Calvino, If on a winter's night a traveller . I think I attempted it once and failed so am having another go (perhaps).
                            Finally finished this. I read an article a couple of weeks ago which said that reading complex works of fiction is good for staving off Alzheimer's. In which case it's probably too late for me as I only finished this last night and am totally unable to remember what it was about. I can describe what I think the author was doing …
                            It isn't given us to know those rare moments when people are wide open and the lightest touch can wither or heal. A moment too late and we can never reach them any more in this world.

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                            • eighthobstruction
                              Full Member
                              • Nov 2010
                              • 6425

                              Originally posted by french frank View Post
                              Finally finished this. I read an article a couple of weeks ago which said that reading complex works of fiction is good for staving off Alzheimer's. In which case it's probably too late for me as I only finished this last night and am totally unable to remember what it was about. I can describe what I think the author was doing …
                              ....
                              bong ching

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                              • Padraig
                                Full Member
                                • Feb 2013
                                • 4220

                                (on order) Living With Ghosts Brian Rowan

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