Book recommendations.

[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.

[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!

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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.

[c.d.]

Cheers c.d. I had a quick look at this thread earlier and wondered if you were near finishing the book. It’s on my ‘to get’ list.

I think you will like it, Herlock. Next up for me is The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran.

c.d.

[Herlock Sholmes]

Cheers c.d. I had a quick look at this thread earlier and wondered if you were near finishing the book. It’s on my ‘to get’ list.

[c.d.]

Just finished Supper with the Crippens by David James Smith. It is the only Crippen book I have read so have nothing to compare it to but I enjoyed it. Very detailed (maybe a little too much at times) but it presented a thorough overview of the case.

As for Crippen's guilt, I am pretty much convinced, as was the author, as well as the jury which only needed 27 minutes to bring in a unanimous guilty verdict. I think the more interesting question is the extent of the involvement of his mistress Ethel Le Neve. Although she was found not guilty of being an accomplice I find it almost inconceivable that she did not harbor at least some suspicions regarding Crippen.

So all in all an interesting case and a good book. Definitely recommend if you have even a passing interest in the Crippen case.

c.d.

[Herlock Sholmes]

I'm the same way with history. I'm not especially interested in details of military battles, but more interested in other parts of history. Three Ferling books that don't have a lot of military history are Adams vs. Jefferson: The Tumultuous Election of 1800, Jefferson and Hamilton: The Rivalry That Forged A Nation, and Apostles of Revolution: Jefferson, Paine, Monroe, and the Struggle Against the Old Order in America and Europe. So if after your current book you want to read another Ferling book, you might want to try one of those.

Thanks Lewis. I’ll definitely keep them in mind as future purchases.

[Lewis C]

Hi Lewis,

I chose this one because a while ago I mentioned in conversation with friends that I wanted a good general history of the American Revolution but I hadn’t made up my mind which one. Then a friend very kindly gave me a book that belonged to her late husband. It was Ferling’s Almost A Miracle. This was just after I’d ordered it from Amazon. The reason that I haven’t read that one is because on a closer reading of the reviews I saw that they all call it a military history and although I’m not averse to a bit of military history I’m not someone that has a specific interest in the details of that aspect of history. Formations, weaponry, strategy and tactics etc. Ferling’s A Leap In The Dark sounded more to my taste and was consistently well reviewed (with Ferling being a highly regarded historian of course) I’m certainly enjoying it even though I haven’t made much progress due to an unexpected visitor last night which meant that I had to assume ‘sociable mode.’

I'm the same way with history. I'm not especially interested in details of military battles, but more interested in other parts of history. Three Ferling books that don't have a lot of military history are Adams vs. Jefferson: The Tumultuous Election of 1800, Jefferson and Hamilton: The Rivalry That Forged A Nation, and Apostles of Revolution: Jefferson, Paine, Monroe, and the Struggle Against the Old Order in America and Europe. So if after your current book you want to read another Ferling book, you might want to try one of those.

[Herlock Sholmes]

Hi c.d.

Thanks for that. I’ll add it to my list

[c.d.]

Hello Herlock,

If you are interested in the American Revolutionary War you might want to look at this book from Jeff Shaara. I have not read it but super reviews on amazon. His Civil War novels are absolutely excellent. Just finished the one on the the Siege of Vicksburg and loved it. Hope this helps.

https://www.amazon.com/Rise-Rebellion-Novel-American-Revolution/dp/B085JR7R17/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2DE304YHO9LDE&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.U3zUynMfUSzxsIdbyAFOpLTAbzZuVPZoTtc100dBoWDF4LJwTfSDeOW6pul5oytlJKdV3y8IBqrVgxCan_JNyBFO2KiHEl4q9spbPJYr4iwO0MTDe3BU1QCXxYM8cLgAYgLTsvrHDgXz2xDOC1yp2mlG7ZXsOblBX7L0VHQgkxqldmWHHx8FxV4UP13rq0QeabbkjGfryyO7NuTGWvN88F0QzlrWYUsCjtsOw14aeqw.v8ChWQ1IRVsDqF4yknveZ7jLYiPRljbCsOgpFSS8bHA&dib_tag=se&keywords=michael+shaara+american+revolution&qid=1724353401&sprefix=michael+shaara+american+revolution%2Caps%2C288&sr=8-1

c.d.

[Herlock Sholmes]

Hi Herlock,

As you likely know, Ferling has written several books dealing with America's revolutionary period. I think that the one you're reading is a good one to start with because it covers a relatively long period of time, from the Seven Years War to the start of Jefferson's presidency. If you want to read another Ferling book after that one, you can choose it by what part or aspect of that period especially interests you. Ferling's overall writings especially focus on the war years, but not exclusively, and sometimes he's straight history, while other times he's more a biographer of historical figures.

Hi Lewis,

I chose this one because a while ago I mentioned in conversation with friends that I wanted a good general history of the American Revolution but I hadn’t made up my mind which one. Then a friend very kindly gave me a book that belonged to her late husband. It was Ferling’s Almost A Miracle. This was just after I’d ordered it from Amazon. The reason that I haven’t read that one is because on a closer reading of the reviews I saw that they all call it a military history and although I’m not averse to a bit of military history I’m not someone that has a specific interest in the details of that aspect of history. Formations, weaponry, strategy and tactics etc. Ferling’s A Leap In The Dark sounded more to my taste and was consistently well reviewed (with Ferling being a highly regarded historian of course) I’m certainly enjoying it even though I haven’t made much progress due to an unexpected visitor last night which meant that I had to assume ‘sociable mode.’