[Oldmanmatt]

I just wanted to come back to Agatha Christie…
Pretty much read her entire body of work (under her real name) and I’m into the post war Poirot novels, having read them in order.
My image of post war Britain has changed dramatically. Having been raised in the 70s on Saturday afternoon B&W war movies and general nostalgia from my elders, I’d viewed it as an almost idyllic period.
Christie paints a very bleak, broken, impoverished, image of the late 40s and early 50s. A world of broken men and widows, of young men and women returning from overseas, lost and dissatisfied to confusion and unemployment. Of refugees and xenophobia. Out right poverty and borderline starvation. She repeatedly talks about young men, who’d almost thrived in combat, being violent and unable to adjust to peace time. The number of characters, that to modern eyes, clearly have extreme PTSD issues, both from combat and “bombing” experiences.
No, her books were not what I expected. There is that element of the clichéd upper middle class and minor aristocracy petty drama, that I had expected and almost comedic settings where Margaret Rutherford should coming striding in, but she’s not kind to these people. It’s not a celebration of their class, nor a wistful nostalgia. They’re grasping, venal and hypocritical, by and large. By the end of the 40s, they’re dying out rapidly too, broke and broken.

[Will Hunt]

Finally, despite what I said on the Trump thread, I tore through 'Hillbilly Elegy' by J.D. Vance. I'm glad I did and I can see why it has a wide appeal - he tells his story (which has some extraordinary moments) in a direct and vivid way. But he wants to have his cake and eat it. He wants to unpick a desperately dysfunctional culture - that of white Appalachian hillbillies - that causes great misery to many people but in the end he can't help himself from celebrating, despite knowing all the damage it does. The whole thing is riddled with contradictions that he doesn't quite have the courage to confront. The last third is also one of the biggest humble brags ever. I'd still recommend it and it does give some clues as to how America got where it finds itself in 2017.

From the UKB book thread to the VPotUS office. Next, the stars?

[TobyD]

Recently read Rory Stewart's Politics on the Edge; I thought it was well written and engaging. He's clearly torn between wanting to have an influence on progressing policies he considers important and hating the machinery of politics, while also being drawn to it.
I've not read any other political memoirs as far as I can remember; I can imagine that many would be pretty tedious but the characters in this one are clearly drawn enough that it sustained my interest.

[remus]

Recently read Rory Stewart's Politics on the Edge; I thought it was well written and engaging. He's clearly torn between wanting to have an influence on progressing policies he considers important and hating the machinery of politics, while also being drawn to it.
I've not read any other political memoirs as far as I can remember; I can imagine that many would be pretty tedious but the characters in this one are clearly drawn enough that it sustained my interest.

In a similar vein you might like 'A view from the foothills'.

[TobyD]

Yellowface : I just finished reading this on the recommendation of several reviews in newspapers. I was distinctly underwhelmed, it is not bad, and quite clever in many ways, but I found it profoundly depressing and spent the entire novel disliking every character. Perhaps just not my kind of thing and others might enjoy it more.

[Davo]

The Guns of August by Barbara Tuchman

A history/account of the outbreak of the First World War and the first thirty days leading up to the Battle of the Marne.

This sounds like pretty dry stuff but is brilliantly written and really engaging. She also has some quite strong opinions and interpretations of the main protagonists both the people and the countries which is really good.  Even if you know what happened and have a good feel for why things turned out how they did, it is still brilliant and really easy to read.

Dave

[andy popp]

The Guns of August by Barbara Tuchman

A history/account of the outbreak of the First World War and the first thirty days leading up to the Battle of the Marne.

If you enjoyed this, which I've not read but which I've seen recommended many times, then you might also enjoy Christopher Clark's The Sleepwalkers: How Europe went to War in 1914. The book has received some criticism, principally for being too soft on Germany, but it is deeply informed and absolutely brilliantly written, a tour de force of narrative history writing.

[Davo]

The Guns of August by Barbara Tuchman

A history/account of the outbreak of the First World War and the first thirty days leading up to the Battle of the Marne.

If you enjoyed this, which I've not read but which I've seen recommended many times, then you might also enjoy Christopher Clark's The Sleepwalkers: How Europe went to War in 1914. The book has received some criticism, principally for being too soft on Germany, but it is deeply informed and absolutely brilliantly written, a tour de force of narrative history writing.

Funnily enough I am just about to purchase this and am quite interested to see the difference in perspective. Tuchman published her book in the late 1960s and is quite harsh on Germany and the Kaiser (not unfairly in my opinion), so it would be interesting to read a more modern perspective.

The Rest is History have a really good series of podcasts about this subject and they are very kind to the Kaiser and Germany in general to say the least.

Cheers Dave

[Fultonius]

A Woman of No Importance: Fantastic story about the derring-do of Virginia Hall, an American female spy in WW2 - the type that makes you think if it were fiction, it would be too far fetched to be credible. The writing is fine, but a few sections of the book lack a bit of narrative flow and the end fizzle out a bit, but it's a very powerful story and I'm assuming one that not so many people would be aware of.

Well worth it.

[andy popp]

The Guns of August by Barbara Tuchman

A history/account of the outbreak of the First World War and the first thirty days leading up to the Battle of the Marne.

If you enjoyed this, which I've not read but which I've seen recommended many times, then you might also enjoy Christopher Clark's The Sleepwalkers: How Europe went to War in 1914. The book has received some criticism, principally for being too soft on Germany, but it is deeply informed and absolutely brilliantly written, a tour de force of narrative history writing.

Funnily enough I am just about to purchase this and am quite interested to see the difference in perspective.

Please do report back.

[Davo]

The Old Breed by E. B. Sledge
A first hand account of an American infantry soldier at Peleliu and Okinawa. I think it has been adapted by HBO. Quite a powerful read and describes vividly what actual combat conditions were like. I would highly recommend it.

Dave

[seankenny]

This is one of the source books for the series “The Pacific” and its author is one of the more interesting characters in the show. After enjoying that his book is definitely on my to-read list, good to see your recommendation.

[Davo]

This is one of the source books for the series “The Pacific” and its author is one of the more interesting characters in the show. After enjoying that his book is definitely on my to-read list, good to see your recommendation.

Forgot to mention that it features in the Pacific. He comes across very well and is extremely thoughtful and observant. I believe he wrote it much later in life from his diaries at the time and it was initially only intended as a personal catharsis and to try to enable his family to understand what he went through.

[seankenny]

The scenes in which Sledge tries to reintegrate into civilian life are some of the most affecting in the series.

[Will Hunt]

For those who enjoyed Perdido Street Station, I'm pleased to say that The Scar (one of its follow-ups) is even better.

Earlier in the summer I ploughed through The Mirror and the Light, which was good, but is there any excuse for a modern book that's 900-and-something pages long? It's a huge feat of writing and research but I quite often felt that it was trying too hard to be a history and not hard enough to be a novel.

[spidermonkey09]

https://bookshop.zeercle.com/?bsbanner=1

Got an email about this earlier in the week. Might be useful if anyone wants an easy way to slim their collection down. I'm sure they won't be offering the best price but probably better than nothing.

[teestub]

Might be useful if anyone wants an easy way to slim their collection down.

Sorry what now?

[spidermonkey09]

  I had to earlier this year when I literally ran out of shelving space!

[lukeyboy]

2 recent ones from me.

Breakdown by Cathy Sweeney
A very real-feeling and relatable story of a middle-class suburban mother who just calmly walks out one day. I thought it was brilliantly written, very thought provoking and poetic in places. Highly recommend.
https://www.waterstones.com/book/breakdown/cathy-sweeney/9781474618519

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly by Jean-Dominique Bauby
Not a new book but one that's been on my list for a while. It's a memoir by a Parisian fashion editor who has a stroke and is left paraplegic with locked-in syndrome. He cannot move or talk, other than blinking his left eyelid, which he used as a communication technique to dictate this book, letter by letter. His condition is the stuff of nightmares, yet the most amazing thing about this is his love for life, how positive he is, and a very rare insight into what it's like to be in this state. You wouldn't necessarily think about some of the things he misses most, like losing the opportunity to have a sense of humour because by the time he's dictated his witty response, it's several minutes later and the moment has passed. I thought it was a profound piece of work.

[Will Hunt]

Has anybody read Drive your Plow over the Bones of the Dead?
Not stellar but very thought-provoking. Hard to say much about it without giving away spoilers but it tells of the events following the disappearance of the peculiar Mrs Duszejko's dogs.
Slow paced to start, worth sticking with.

[andy popp]

Has anybody read Drive your Plow over the Bones of the Dead?

No, but I've read Flights, which I didn't love, to be honest.

[remus]

2 recent ones from me.

Breakdown by Cathy Sweeney
A very real-feeling and relatable story of a middle-class suburban mother who just calmly walks out one day. I thought it was brilliantly written, very thought provoking and poetic in places. Highly recommend.
https://www.waterstones.com/book/breakdown/cathy-sweeney/9781474618519

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly by Jean-Dominique Bauby
Not a new book but one that's been on my list for a while. It's a memoir by a Parisian fashion editor who has a stroke and is left paraplegic with locked-in syndrome. He cannot move or talk, other than blinking his left eyelid, which he used as a communication technique to dictate this book, letter by letter. His condition is the stuff of nightmares, yet the most amazing thing about this is his love for life, how positive he is, and a very rare insight into what it's like to be in this state. You wouldn't necessarily think about some of the things he misses most, like losing the opportunity to have a sense of humour because by the time he's dictated his witty response, it's several minutes later and the moment has passed. I thought it was a profound piece of work.

Great recommendations, really enjoyed both of these. Thanks!

[lukeyboy]

2 recent ones from me.

Breakdown by Cathy Sweeney
A very real-feeling and relatable story of a middle-class suburban mother who just calmly walks out one day. I thought it was brilliantly written, very thought provoking and poetic in places. Highly recommend.
https://www.waterstones.com/book/breakdown/cathy-sweeney/9781474618519

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly by Jean-Dominique Bauby
Not a new book but one that's been on my list for a while. It's a memoir by a Parisian fashion editor who has a stroke and is left paraplegic with locked-in syndrome. He cannot move or talk, other than blinking his left eyelid, which he used as a communication technique to dictate this book, letter by letter. His condition is the stuff of nightmares, yet the most amazing thing about this is his love for life, how positive he is, and a very rare insight into what it's like to be in this state. You wouldn't necessarily think about some of the things he misses most, like losing the opportunity to have a sense of humour because by the time he's dictated his witty response, it's several minutes later and the moment has passed. I thought it was a profound piece of work.

Great recommendations, really enjoyed both of these. Thanks!

Ah that's great to hear, glad you enjoyed.

[steveri]

I sent my copy of the Diving Bell to a biking mate that had a terrible accident. Never been quite sure this was a great idea or not. There's a pretty good movie of the book if you haven't seen it.

[TobyD]

Strange Sally Rooney
A well written novel with engaging characters and bits of humour; I found it compelling, but not entirely in a good way. The main story is remarkably unpleasant, and, although it does have an ending with some redemption, I was left feeling that it was all a bit bleak to be truly enjoyable.

The Year of the Locust I don't think I posted about this before, so apologies if I did. Enormous fun; it's really silly, but I enjoyed it in a similar way to a trashy movie (author is a Hollywood screenwriter, of Cliffhanger amongst others).