Books...

[creamtime]

I've just read A personal history of the modern middle east by Jeremy Bowen; it's an excellent insight into his years of reporting from the region. It mixes anecdotes from his reporting trips with an overview of the relevant history and politics of the situation. It is not terribly cheerful or optimistic, as one might expect really given the subject, but I certainly learned things from it. It is, as billed, a personal history coloured by his experience but is explicit in this. I'm sure many, more dispassionate, analyses of the region exist but this is very approachable and gives colour to what could otherwise be dry historical accounts.

 

[spidermonkey09]

This one? if so thats on my list too. Based on the excellent podcast from a few years back, Our Man in the Middle East, which is also well worth a listen.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Making-Modern-Middle-East-Personal/dp/1509890890

I've just finished In Tasmania by Nicholas Shakespeare. Been mentioned on here before by JB I think. Its a good read, half family history, half history of the colony/state. Goes on a bit but theres some great anecdotes. A good map of Tassie would have been a useful addition as I had to keep googling place names to work out where he was.

 

[seankenny]

Have you read the same author’s biography of Bruce Chatwin? Good, I thought, but it was a long time ago that I read it. I’d probably have less patience for the subject now than I did then.

 

[spidermonkey09]

Yeah, that's really good as well. I've read some good biographies and some utterly dreadful ones and that's definitely a good one.

 

[creamtime]

This one? if so thats on my list too. Based on the excellent podcast from a few years back, Our Man in the Middle East, which is also well worth a listen.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Making-Modern-Middle-East-Personal/dp/1509890890

That's the one. I also liked the podcast. Bowen is one of the best journalists in the UK.

 

[creamtime]

Damascus Station is a brilliant spy novel, it has enough tension and excitement to be properly compelling, but the depiction of the situation and internal politics in Syria seem fairly credible. (The author was a CIA analyst in the middle east) The inclusion of Assad and several of his lieutenants as characters is interesting. I'm sure it's not completely true to life , and certainly it's dramatised, but it's a really good read.

 

[Will Hunt]

I received Any Human Heart (William Boyd) for Christmas and, judging by appearances, was not enthused. The cover, title, and blurb conjured a 500-page image of an effete aristocrat mooning over poetry and having a string of languorous affairs with glamorously disinterested prostitutes.

I trepidatiously made a start and was instantly hooked and remained enthralled to the very end.

Logan Mountstuart tells the story of his life through a series of intermittent journal entries spanning his final days of public school in the 1920s to his death in the final decade of the century. Along the way there are triumphs and there are tragedies. The mix of the incredible and the banal, combining in an always-compelling arc, are a testament to Boyd's skill.

 

[Wellsy]

I'll add that to the list

Incidentally just finished Kuang's "Babel" and thought it was very good

 

[Falling Down]

Me too. Sounds great Will.

I’m just nearing the end of James Ellroy’s The Enchanters. This is a much better Freddie Otash novel than the messy Widespread Panic. Marylin Monroe has just died. Otash is spying on her to dig up dirt on her relations with the Kennedy brothers for Jimmy Hoffa. Otash is persuaded to switch allegiances to LAPD chief Bill Parker working on behalf of Bobby K. Rapid fire dialogue, rogues, actresses, policemen, pimps and shrinks. I’m a fan of Ellroy and have enjoyed this one.

 

[Will Hunt]

Incidentally just finished Kuang's "Babel" and thought it was very good

Coincidentally I bought this on Kindle this very morning. Looking forward to it.

 

[jwi]

Babel should be right up my alley, but I only got through a third before putting it away. It was a while ago, so I don't really remember what my issue with it was. Poppy War was also a 'did not finish' for me

 

[Duma]

I've got it on the kobo and also haven't got past an hour or so.

 

[bluebrad]

Me too. Sounds great Will.

I’m just nearing the end of James Ellroy’s The Enchanters. This is a much better Freddie Otash novel than the messy Widespread Panic. Marylin Monroe has just died. Otash is spying on her to dig up dirt on her relations with the Kennedy brothers for Jimmy Hoffa. Otash is persuaded to switch allegiances to LAPD chief Bill Parker working on behalf of Bobby K. Rapid fire dialogue, rogues, actresses, policemen, pimps and shrinks. I’m a fan of Ellroy and have enjoyed this one.

Cheers for the heads up on that one - like you I am a fan of Ellroy's writing so good to know something new has been published.

 

[andy popp]

Damascus Station is a brilliant spy novel.

I very rarely (basically never) read spy/thriller novels but just really enjoyed Eric Ambler's class The Mask of Dimitrios, almost more of a shaggy dog story than a spy novel (but maybe all spy stories are also shaggy dog stories, to some extent?).

 

[Plattsy]

I couldn't get on with Babel. Gave up after an hour or two.
Came across a bit too didactic for me.

 

[creamtime]

I received Any Human Heart (William Boyd) for Christmas and, judging by appearances, was not enthused. The cover, title, and blurb conjured a 500-page image of an effete aristocrat mooning over poetry and having a string of languorous affairs with glamorously disinterested prostitutes.

I trepidatiously made a start and was instantly hooked and remained enthralled to the very end.

Logan Mountstuart tells the story of his life through a series of intermittent journal entries spanning his final days of public school in the 1920s to his death in the final decade of the century. Along the way there are triumphs and there are tragedies. The mix of the incredible and the banal, combining in an always-compelling arc, are a testament to Boyd's skill.

I have read a lot of Boyd's novels and they have all been brilliant, although not that one yet, I'm looking forward to it now.

Damascus Station is a brilliant spy novel.

I very rarely (basically never) read spy/thriller novels but just really enjoyed Eric Ambler's class The Mask of Dimitrios, almost more of a shaggy dog story than a spy novel (but maybe all spy stories are also shaggy dog stories, to some extent?).

I rarely read spy novels either, but the one I mentioned was great.

 

[Will Hunt]

I received Any Human Heart (William Boyd) for Christmas and, judging by appearances, was not enthused. The cover, title, and blurb conjured a 500-page image of an effete aristocrat mooning over poetry and having a string of languorous affairs with glamorously disinterested prostitutes.

I trepidatiously made a start and was instantly hooked and remained enthralled to the very end.

Logan Mountstuart tells the story of his life through a series of intermittent journal entries spanning his final days of public school in the 1920s to his death in the final decade of the century. Along the way there are triumphs and there are tragedies. The mix of the incredible and the banal, combining in an always-compelling arc, are a testament to Boyd's skill.

I have read a lot of Boyd's novels and they have all been brilliant, although not that one yet, I'm looking forward to it now. .

This was my first. Will definitely be back for more.

 

[GazM]

Anyone read Prophet Song by Paul Lynch yet? Flippin 'eck.

 

[creamtime]

I received Any Human Heart (William Boyd) for Christmas and, judging by appearances, was not enthused. The cover, title, and blurb conjured a 500-page image of an effete aristocrat mooning over poetry and having a string of languorous affairs with glamorously disinterested prostitutes.

I trepidatiously made a start and was instantly hooked and remained enthralled to the very end.

Logan Mountstuart tells the story of his life through a series of intermittent journal entries spanning his final days of public school in the 1920s to his death in the final decade of the century. Along the way there are triumphs and there are tragedies. The mix of the incredible and the banal, combining in an always-compelling arc, are a testament to Boyd's skill.

I have read a lot of Boyd's novels and they have all been brilliant, although not that one yet, I'm looking forward to it now. .

This was my first. Will definitely be back for more.

Restless and Brazzaville Beach I remember as being especially good, but I haven't been disappointed by any of them.

 

[creamtime]

Just finished reading Salvation of a Saint , by Keigo Higashino, the follow up to Suspect X. It's just as good as the first, if not possibly better. I can't recommend these enough as long as you like murder mystery/ police investigation novels.