What book are you reading?

[The Stranger]

eh, not reading but writing

Hungarian Chronicles
The rise and fall of a nation

[Geoffrey S]

Der Steppenwolf by Herman Hesse, and Ides of March by Thornton Wilder. Also sporadically reading Caesar's Civil War.

[Sjakihata]

The Double by Dostojevskij

[Strike For The South]

American Spartans The US Marines combat history

and for fun Conapiracy Theories

[Brutus]

Uhm, Rituelen. Nieuwe en oude gebruiken in Nederland (Rituals. New and old customs in the Netherlands) by Jef de Jager, starting in The shadow of the wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon, rereading (for the 3rd time) the appendices in The Lord of the Rings, and The Histories of Gregory of Tours (on and off for months now).


Maybe I should actually start reading again for my thesis as well...

[Dutch_guy]

currently reading Ceasar by Colleen McCullough, only just started so cant comment on it yet.

Also just read a book about the Nuremberg WW2 trials, by a Russian lawyer who was a spectator during the trials - Can't think of his name at the moment.
I liked the book, he gives a bunch of information on how the high ranking Nazi leaders behaved during the trial and gives good comment on how they tried to defend themselves and how the prosecution attacked those often feeble attempts.
Good read for those who are interested.

[Slyspy]

I have two on the go. Non-fiction is Sahib by Richard Holmes. Fiction is The Hundred Days by Patrick O'Brian.

Have loads of books waiting in the wings (especially after Christmas). May have to psyche myself up for The Eastern Front, 1941-45, German Troops and the Barbarisation of Warfare!

[Ludens]

"The Weekend Novelist" by Robert J. Ray. Someone told me it was an excellent book for someone with literary ambitions but little time. After reading (very slowly) through four-fifth of the book, I do not agree. But it does have some interesting points.

[Evil_Maniac From Mars]

I have two on the go. Non-fiction is Sahib by Richard Holmes. Fiction is The Hundred Days by Patrick O'Brian.

Have loads of books waiting in the wings (especially after Christmas). May have to psyche myself up for The Eastern Front, 1941-45, German Troops and the Barbarisation of Warfare!

I had to bite my tounge to keep from laughing there.

[Reenk Roink]

Soldiers and Ghosts by J.E. Lendon.

A magnificent read...

[Lemur]

Dutch Guy, I just finished Caesar, and I'd be interested to chat with you when you're done. The author just seems to be getting stronger as she rolls along. My $0.25 summation of the whole Masters of Rome series: Great historical detail, iffy hypotheses about major historical characters, mediocre writing. In other words, enough for me to keep reading. Not everything needs to be a masterpiece.

I'm currently reading Pride of Carthage, mostly because it's the biggest Roman-era historical novel my local library had laying about. Entirely unsure of what I think of it. A few great passages, some really tedious exposition. And as always when reading a novel about Hannibal, the sheer lack of detailed knowledge about Carthiginian culture shines through. It's very different from reading about Caesar, where there's a plethora of ancient sources.

Anybody else slogging through big historical books?

[Dutch_guy]

Dutch Guy, I just finished Caesar, and I'd be interested to chat with you when you're done. The author just seems to be getting stronger as she rolls along. My $0.25 summation of the whole Masters of Rome series: Great historical detail, iffy hypotheses about major historical characters, mediocre writing. In other words, enough for me to keep reading. Not everything needs to be a masterpiece.


Anybody else slogging through big historical books?

So far after having read te first 80 pages of the book I'm starting to like it more and more, which is a good thing since the start of the book was rather slow.
This is my first book in the masters of Rome series and if all the books are like this one, keep getting better and better once you keep reading , then I might continue the series.

Though I should continue reading, can't really be certain considering I've only just started.

Thanks for the advice though Lemurmania.

Also I've just finished the 3rd book in the Emperor ( by Con Iggulden (sp ? ) series ( fiction novel about Caesar's entire life )which I enjoyed reading a lot.
Anyone else read the series. ?

I would recommend it if you like the era and don't mind a few historical changes for the sake of the story, and don't worry it's nothing major

[Beirut]

Anybody else slogging through big historical books?

I posted before that I'm re-reading The Arms of Krupp. I think that qualifies. Great book.

By some insanity, I've lost my biography of W.T.Sherman by Liddell Hart in my 10x10 bedroom. You'd think that wouldn't be possible but it is. I was re-reading that one as well and was half way through.

When I'm finished with Krupp, and if I still can't find Sherman, I'm going to finally read Livy's The War with Hannibal which has been on my shelf for a year.

[master of the puppets]

just Sabriel, and Catcher in the Rye again.

oh yeah and i'm just finishing up "The Stand" great peice of work.

[aw89]

At the moment I am reading "Ivanhoe" by Sir Walter Scott. I got about 100 pages left, its quite good realy, although a quite heavy read.
But I am a fan of older english (100-200 years ago 'ish written) so it's rather a joy then a curse.

[matteus the inbred]

Burning Angel, by James Lee Burke. after that i will read the second part in an interesting mediaeval fantasy trilogy, The Wounded Hawk, from The Crucible Series, by Sara Douglass...

just read Tim Severin's (English readers may recall him as the adventurer and archaeologist who builds traditional Celtic boats and recreats insanely long voyages at great risk to life and limb...) first novel in a trilogy about Vikings, really good stuff, including a good treatment of the legendary battle of Clontarf.

Anybody else slogging through big historical books?

big historical books that i never managed to get through include somebody-or-other's (possibly Bertram Wolfe) biography of Henry VI...gah. too much finance...

[Meneldil]

A year in the merde, by Stephen Clarke

[master of the puppets]

"The Golems Eye", and "The Firm"

[Sir Chauncy]

"Shadow" by K J Parker

Quite interesting really, this Chappie wakes up with the standard Amnesia background story and travels about trying to find out what on earth has happened.

It is made staggeringly more interesting than it sounds because as he pops off on his little journey he seems to be mimicking that of an ancient fairy tale (that he knows nothing about) in which a God comes down to earth and without any malice intended, utterly destroys the world.

I heartily recommend it.

The review incidentally, may well contain spoilers, just read the first paragraph if interested, it pretty much sums up the book.

[ShadesWolf]

Emperor - The death of Kings by Conn Iggulden

[Dutch_guy]

Emperor - The death of Kings by Conn Iggulden

Is that the last one in the series ?

[ShadesWolf]

Is that the last one in the series ?

The second one. This ones about pirates.

[Dutch_guy]

Ah ok, I read that one.

Pretty good story really, if you're interested in the period that is.

[Dooz]

Just started Nietzsche, Beyone Good & Evil, although I am tempted to also begin reading A Clockwork Orange which I just purchased... I think I'll have to finish Nietzsche first...

[Geoffrey S]

Ah ok, I read that one.

Pretty good story really, if you're interested in the period that is.

I liked the series as it went on. Some things in the earlier books were so blatantly incorrect or annoying that it made it hard to stomach; but it seemed Iggulden got more confident towards the end of the second and during the third books and it became rather more interesting. But particularly the simplification of the first civil war, and Pompey's character, grated.

Right now I'm still working through A History of the Arab Peoples by Albert Hourani, and I've just finished Setting Free the Bears by John Irving.

[The Spartan (Returns)]

almost done with Emperor: Field of Swords.
(3rd in seiries)

[drone]

Mush: A Beginner's Manual of Sled Dog Training
Just got a second Siberian puppy, so I may as well teach them how to fulfill their heritage.

[Dutch_guy]

Mush: A Beginner's Manual of Sled Dog Training
Just got a second Siberian puppy, so I may as well teach them how to fulfill their heritage.

You do realise you're going to have to post some pics of your new pup, right ?

[drone]

You do realise you're going to have to post some pics of your new pup, right ?

Yes, once I get them off the camera and resized. The new one is just 10 weeks old, so I don't have much "free" time at home...

[DukeofSerbia]

"Managment of foreign trade" for my exam.