Book recommendations.

[Herlock Sholmes]

I finished A Leap In The Dark by John Ferling which was excellent. I can’t imagine a better book on the subject to be honest (that said, it’s only the second that I’ve read and the first was a slim volume) Obviously it covers the battles but it’s certainly not a military history so you don’t have to be knowledgeable on all things military to enjoy it. Highly recommended.

….

I finished watching an interesting 4 part documentary series last night called The Man Who Played With Fire about the assassination of Swedish PM Olaf Palme. On the strength of it I’ve ordered the book. The author Jan Stocklassa took over the research of the late Stieg Larsson who found a link to South Africa and those in Sweden who saw Palme’s very vocal opposition to the apartheid as a threat.

[Duran duren]

Just got that book by Ferling in last week, haven't had a chance to start yet...trying to finish these others up first.

[Ms Diddles]

https://www.theguardian.com/society/article/2024/sep/08/undercover-women-the-story-of-how-victorian-female-police-cracked?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other

I thought this book looked quite interesting.

It's an aspect of Victorian policing that doesn't often make it into the books as far as I'm aware.

I'll be giving this a go.

[Herlock Sholmes]

It looks an interesting one though I have to say that the first drawing looks a bit like something out of a Victorian S+M magazine.

[Duran duren]

https://www.theguardian.com/society/...droidApp_Other

I thought this book looked quite interesting.

It's an aspect of Victorian policing that doesn't often make it into the books as far as I'm aware.

I'll be giving this a go.

Yelp, sounds interesting, thanks for posting.

[Ms Diddles]

It looks an interesting one though I have to say that the first drawing looks a bit like something out of a Victorian S+M magazine.

I know!

For an era when people were meant to be reduced to paroxysms of lust or clutching for their smelling salts at a glimpse of an uncovered table leg, some of these old illustrations are not shy of an exposed breast or two!

Pure titillation!

Pun intended!

[Herlock Sholmes]

I just finished The Peepshow: The Murders At 10 Rillington Place by Kate Summerscale.

I enjoyed this one. I’d call it a good, rounded overview of the case which captures life and the atmosphere of the time. On the cover there’s a quote from Val McDermid though saying: “Shatters our preconceptions of a classic crime.”

A slight exaggeration maybe? I’m no expert on the Christie case (I’ve probably read at most three books including the fairly recent one by Beryl Evan’s brother) but I don’t see the book as any kind of ‘game changer.’ If there are any revelations it will need someone with a better background knowledge of the case than me. That said, if someone wanted a really good book on the case I don’t think that they would go wrong with this one. I can only really think of one criticism…no photographs (yes, we’ve seen loads of case-related photos but I do like to see them in a book)

PS..not bad timing really because Sarah Bax-Horton’s book on the Torso Murders should be appearing on my Kindle on Thursday.