What book are you reading or found to be good.
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Last man off ,By Matt Lewis true story
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Five on a treasure island, a classic
The Yellow on the Broom is the first part of Betsy Whyte's autobiography. Not only is it a fascinating insight into the life and customs of traveller people in the 1920s and 1930s, it is also a thought-provoking account of human strength and weakness, courage and cowardice, understanding and prejudice by a sensitive and entertaining writer.
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One summer: America 1927. By Bill Bryson. So much happened in America in 1927 that you will know about.
"It was the summer — if one allows “summer” to occasionally include parts of both spring and fall — that Babe Ruth hit 60 home runs, much of the country was engulfed by a catastrophic flood, Jack Dempsey lost the famous “long count” fight to Gene Tunney, Calvin Coolidge announced he wouldn’t run for another term, the world’s leading bankers made the policy adjustment that would do so much to bring down Wall Street in 1929, “The Jazz Singer” was released, radio and tabloid culture came into their own, an American audience got its first public demonstration of television, work started on Mount Rushmore, Sacco and Vanzetti were executed, and Henry Ford stopped making Model T’s. And oh, yes, most of the world went mad over a 25-year-old prodigy named Charles Lindbergh, who flew a flimsy plane to Paris from New York.
This isn’t to mention all the other fascinating characters Bill Bryson brings splendidly to life in “One Summer” — people like Al Capone and Dorothy Parker; Philo T. Farnsworth, the young man who played a critical role in inventing the television; and the New York Times reporter Richards Vidmer, who married a rajah’s daughter and was “also perhaps the most memorably dreadful sportswriter ever.”
"It was the summer — if one allows “summer” to occasionally include parts of both spring and fall — that Babe Ruth hit 60 home runs, much of the country was engulfed by a catastrophic flood, Jack Dempsey lost the famous “long count” fight to Gene Tunney, Calvin Coolidge announced he wouldn’t run for another term, the world’s leading bankers made the policy adjustment that would do so much to bring down Wall Street in 1929, “The Jazz Singer” was released, radio and tabloid culture came into their own, an American audience got its first public demonstration of television, work started on Mount Rushmore, Sacco and Vanzetti were executed, and Henry Ford stopped making Model T’s. And oh, yes, most of the world went mad over a 25-year-old prodigy named Charles Lindbergh, who flew a flimsy plane to Paris from New York.
This isn’t to mention all the other fascinating characters Bill Bryson brings splendidly to life in “One Summer” — people like Al Capone and Dorothy Parker; Philo T. Farnsworth, the young man who played a critical role in inventing the television; and the New York Times reporter Richards Vidmer, who married a rajah’s daughter and was “also perhaps the most memorably dreadful sportswriter ever.”
I've not read that one but Bill Bryson is a fabulous writer, notes from a small island and Australia are among my favourites. He's also very much a lover of this country, took his family back to America for a few years had to return to the UK.
My best friend's dad, who sort of became my stepdad after my father died young gave me a copy of that book, it's one of the few books that has caused me to shed a tear, as one of my trades is decorating it's also fascinating from the technical aspect.
I should re-read it it but the pages are yellowing and falling out, I should buy another copy.
Three best books I've ever read.
The Ragged Trousered Philanthropist
One day in the life of Ivan Denisovicz
Catch 22
Kurt Vonnegut Jnr did a few good 'uns as well.
Oh, and The Moons a balloon by David Niven.
A colleague recommended RTP, so I ordered it from Amazon (slight irony there, really), brand new for £1. Bargain - it does give pause for thought
The author is anonymous, Robert Tressle is a pseudonym. The book is credited with giving birth to the Labour Party and Trade Union movements.
That's a great achievement.
What would they think of self employed doctors with million pound pension pots demanding two million pound pension pots.
I will look into Ivan, and re read catch 22. I read the latter as a youngster but probably did not fully get it. Around the same time I read Fahrenheit 451 - another strong read.
I read a lot, always have a book to hand, but recently resolved to read more “worthy” stuff. Shuggy Bain is worth one’s time.
Maybe we should start a “book club”?
Unless I am very much mistaken, he is not anonymous. He died age 41 from, IIRC, consumption and was a tradesman and sign writer . Tressel was, indeed, a pseudonym, based on, apparently “Trestle”.
The book was published just befor WW1, AFTER he died.
Your probably right, I've not read up on the history of the book so just based on heresay.
It's a short story, a day in the life of a prisoner in a Russian labour camp. On the one hand it's very depressing, but on the other, it's a healthy reminder that no matter how bad things are, there are always others far worse off than yourself and we should be grateful for what we have.
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I used to read that at bedtime then imagine I was getting my head down outside in the heather.
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