What are you reading now?

[Pulcinella]

Music for a long while: Francis Jackson's autobiography.

I understand that he is hoping to be present at a concert in York on 7 July in which a couple of his pieces are being performed.

Borrowed from our local library, which reopened this morning having moved into newly refurbished premises.

[LMcD]

It's good to hear some positive news about libraries. Our local library was refurbished a few years ago, and now offers additional facilities such as a mothers and children group, meeting rooms and a local 'citizen's help' desk which deals with queries relating to council tax and other services and continues the work of the former Tourist Information Office. It presents film shows and hosts talks by writers. There was even a café for a time. It's also now open 7 days a week (formerly closed on Mondays).
Back on thread...I'm currently reading 'A Foreign Field' by Ben MacIntyre, and will then go on to re-read Robert Harris's 'Selling Hitler'.

[Richard Tarleton]

Ben Macintyre is a terrific writer. I have his Operation Mincemeat (the story of The Man Who Never Was, which was not told anything like in full in Ewen Montagu's book, for official secrets reasons), Agent Zigzag, the bizarre story of the WW2 spy Eddie Chapman, and his excellent book on Philby, A Spy Among Friends. He writes more or less weekly in The Times, and did a gripping 2-part TV doc on the history of the SAS in WW2. Selling Hitler - great book, and a sad late chapter in the distinguished career of Hugh Trevor Roper, told in the chapter laconically entitled "Expert" in Adam Sisman's fine biography. I don't know A Foreign Field - is it fact or fiction??

[LMcD]

Ben Macintyre is a terrific writer. I have his Operation Mincemeat (the story of The Man Who Never Was, which was not told anything like in full in Ewen Montagu's book, for official secrets reasons), Agent Zigzag, the bizarre story of the WW2 spy Eddie Chapman, and his excellent book on Philby, A Spy Among Friends. He writes more or less weekly in The Times, and did a gripping 2-part TV doc on the history of the SAS in WW2. Selling Hitler - great book, and a sad late chapter in the distinguished career of Hugh Trevor Roper, told in the chapter laconically entitled "Expert" in Adam Sisman's fine biography. I don't know A Foreign Field - is it fact or fiction??

Described on the front cover as 'A true story of love and betrayal in the Great War', it relates the fate of Robert Digby, Private 9368, of the Royal Hampshire Regiment. Most of the action takes place in the village of Villeret, which is in the middle of the triangle formed by Cambrai, Saint-Quentin and Péronne.

[verismissimo]

Under Milk Wood, prior to a trip to Old South Wales.

[Richard Tarleton]

Under Milk Wood, prior to a trip to Old South Wales.

Will you be visiting Laugharne? Well worth it, here's the link to Dylan Thomas's Boathouse in case you haven't found it! I've been a couple of times with my sister and her Canadian partner, Thomas buffs both, he tries to visit every pub where Thomas is known to have drunk, on both sides of the Atlantic, hence obviously a visit to Browns Hotel is de rigeur

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Will you be visiting Laugharne?

On my second visit to Laugharne (in 2001) there was another property for sale further down the estuary from the Dylan Boathouse, with the same sort of view. We were very, very tempted - but the asking price was just a smidgen above our budget, and our job/income situation wasn't one that allowed us to take any risks. We returned four years later to discover that a large caravan holiday park had been built immediate behind (and above) the place that had been for sale. The dreamt-of tranquility would never have been realized!

But Laugharne is a lovely place - though without a cash point anywhere in the village in those day, as we discovered when trying to pay the bill at the local café: the owner's resentful reluctance to accept a cheque ("But the bank doesn't open until Friday"!) is now a fond memory. (Putting the "laugh" into "Laugharne".) And this was 13 years ago - most probably all up-to-date these days (which is sort-of sad, in a daft kind of way).

Fishguard/Abergwarm is another place to put on a Dylan Thomas inventory - it's where they filmed the (rather less-than-satisfactory) film version of the Play for Voices, with Burton and Taylor. (And a splendid place in its own right, of course.)

[vinteuil]

.


Wilhelm Raabe : 'The Birdsong Papers' [ 'Die Akten des Vogelsangs' ]

http://amzn.eu/6VNnG9K

Just marvellous to have this masterpiece finally available to English readers!


.

[Richard Tarleton]

Just starting on short stories by Barry Pain - Edwardian journalist and writer. I've been trying to find out more about him for years, as he was a close friend of my great grandfather and godfather to my great aunt (and favourite relative). For many years googling him drew a virtual blank, suddenly he has a Wiki entry and his works available as reprints on Amazon. According to Terry "Python" Jones, the "Eliza Stories" are "some of the funniest stories in the English language", so I'm hoping for great things. Anyone else come across him?

[vinteuil]

Just starting on short stories by Barry Pain - Edwardian journalist and writer. I've been trying to find out more about him for years, as he was a close friend of my great grandfather and godfather to my great aunt (and favourite relative). For many years googling him drew a virtual blank, suddenly he has a Wiki entry and his works available as reprints on Amazon. According to Terry "Python" Jones, the "Eliza Stories" are "some of the funniest stories in the English language", so I'm hoping for great things. Anyone else come across him?

... never heard of him - but many copies available on abebooks -

https://www.abebooks.co.uk/servlet/SearchResults?sts=t&cm_sp=SearchF-_-home-_-Results&an=barry+pain&tn=&kn=&isbn=

and if you are in funds -

https://www.abebooks.co.uk/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=22798939777&searchurl=sortby%3D1%26an%3Dbarry%2Bpain&cm_sp=snippet-_-srp1-_-title1

.

[Richard Tarleton]

... never heard of him ....

well, if you haven't ..... I'll report back when I've read a bit more.

[Stanfordian]

'Operation Mincemeat' by Ben Macintyre

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Anyone else come across him?

I've never read them, but I remember the Radio 4 adaptations of the Eliza stories (with, IIRC, Mark Heap) with great affection - gentle, Pooteresque stories of a lower middle class chap who thinks of himself as the Head of the Household, but whose own narrative demonstrates otherwise. I hope you find reading the stories as enjoyable as my memories of the adaptations are.

[Richard Tarleton]

I've never read them, but I remember the Radio 4 adaptations of the Eliza stories (with, IIRC, Mark Heap) with great affection - gentle, Pooteresque stories of a lower middle class chap who thinks of himself as the Head of the Household, but whose own narrative demonstrates otherwise. I hope you find reading the stories as enjoyable as my memories of the adaptations are.

Thank you for that ferney, I'll definitely report back.

[Richard Tarleton]

I received an email from the Amazon algorithm recommending "The Gentleman's Guide to Grooming - the art of male grooming" by Dan Jones, telling me I have bought books by this author before. Mystified I googled Dan Jones, only to realise of course I'd read The Plantaganets, The Hollow Crown, The Templars..... I hope it's a different Dan Jones.

My guide to male grooming would be a very short one.