What are you reading now?

[richardfinegold]

The End of Tsarist Russia, by Dominic Lieven. Another book about the buildup to WW I, told from the Russian perspective .
The bulk is diplomatic papers from Russian archives that were made available after the fall of Communism. It is fascinating to read the thoughts of the leading statesmen of the Romanov's who had great self awareness that their regime was doomed and we're hoping that somehow it would be saved by a general European War.

[french frank]

About to begin a book spotted while taking a short cut through Waterstones s'arternoon: The Origins of the British by Stephen Oppenheimer. Said to 'rewrite' British prehistory by analysing all the genetic data/DNA.

[pastoralguy]

Sinatra. The Chairman by James Kaplan.

It's a blow by blow account of the later life of Mr. Sinatra and what drove him.

[Conchis]

Just finished reading The Sportswriter by Richard Ford, which I enjoyed, although I found it over-reflective in the way contemporary literary fiction can tend to be.

Not sure what to read next: i have a huge paperback edition of Montaigne's essays which I've never read, so I might give that a try.

[Conchis]

Published in 1940, this book is an absolute joy.

I'd be interested in reading this. Ravel must be a tough tackle for a biographer - afaia, virtually nothing is known about his personal life.

[Roslynmuse]

Have almost finished Phineas Redux, the fourth of Anthony Trollope's Palliser novels - having been indisposed for some weeks and not wanting to listen to any music I have read the preceding three volumes since the end of November. I had just finished the Barsetshire series, and after a brief interlude - The Mayor of Casterbridge, whose opening chapters were so much more interesting than the rest of the book - I returned to Trollope again. I have enjoyed them as an undemanding read, although the repetition gets a bit wearisome at times. Before that I had read a marvellous book, Stoner, by John Williams. The story of an 'ordinary' life, told in such a way as to make us realise that every life is extraordinary, moving, difficult.

[Bax-of-Delights]

Just finished ' The House by the Lake' by Thomas Harding which through the microcosm of the history of one house just outside Berlin gives a fascinating and personal insight into the lives of Germans in the 20th century.

And now beginning Nikolaus Wachsmann's 'KL - A History of the Nazi Concentration Camps'. It looks to be throughly researched and copiously documented with some 200 pages of appendices in an 850 page book.

[Stanfordian]

'The Inner Voice' - The Making of a Singer - Renee Fleming on Penguin

[Richard Tarleton]

I'm enjoying Mary Beard's SPQR - her formidable scholarship apart, she writes so well. This comes hard on the heels of vol 3 of Robert Harris's fictional Cicero trilogy - it's downhill all the way for Cicero but an excellent read.

Next on the pile is Adam Sisman's biog of John le Carré.

[verismissimo]

Nana by Emile Zola (to complement all that listening to - and reading about - French operetta that I've been doing).

So much prefer Offenbach and Messager to Gilbert and Sullivan.

[Petrushka]

Churchill: The Second World War

I first read this enormous work 50 years ago during the whole of 1966 (at the age of 11 into 12!) and it had a huge impact on me. Other reading will inevitably be side-lined and I've told myself to get off the computer to make time for it but it feels right to approach the mammoth task again for the 50th anniversary. I've now got three editions: the paperback set I had in 1965, a much later Penguin reprint, which is the one I'm reading now, and a full first edition 6 volume set in the original hardback issue complete with dust jackets.

[Bax-of-Delights]

Churchill: The Second World War
... and a full first edition 6 volume set in the original hardback issue complete with dust jackets.

I too have that first edition set in the dustjackets which I picked up from a local charity shop with the notation inside that the name on the front endpaper of each volume is that of one of Churchill's secretaries. As yet, I have not been able to pin the name to the position of a Churchill secretary (of which, I have learnt, he had many) but I live in hope!

[Petrushka]

I too have that first edition set in the dustjackets which I picked up from a local charity shop with the notation inside that the name on the front endpaper of each volume is that of one of Churchill's secretaries. As yet, I have not been able to pin the name to the position of a Churchill secretary (of which, I have learnt, he had many) but I live in hope!

There are, I think, quite a few of them about and they are not worth much in collecting terms. A set I saw at a recent London book fair was probably cheaper than the originals!

[ucanseetheend]

Just ordered a Biography of Pierre Monteux- "Maitre" , A conductor who I always admired and hearing his 80th birthday interview, which he did for American radio in 1955 he was quite a humorous Frenchman.
Once again the problem with so many books(this was published in 2003) is it;s not available as an ebook.Just wonder why I ever bought this "Kindle thing", when I end up having to buy the printed versions, even though I now buy 2nd hand books on ebay, which work out very cheap even if shipped from the USA,

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Pierre-Monteux-Maitre-/271911660149?hash=item3f4f32aa75:g:aVwAAOSw34FVHJl9

[gradus]

A Land by Jacquetta Hawkes, being read as a result of reading Landmarks by Robert Macfarlane. Both are widely praised, justifiably imv.