Pet Beef

[Paddy Goose]

I don't like it when the author gives away a key part of the story in the preface or introduction of a history book. Or biography. Which are the genres I read almost exclusively.

Let me give you an example. I just started the book Lone Wolf, the Life and Death of U-Boat Ace Werner Henke, by Timothy P. Mulligan, Praeger, 1993. In the introduction, the author describes Henke briefly, then states " he suffered a unique fate, the only U-Boat captain killed while trying to escape as a prisoner of war."

I didn't want to know that now. I haven't even started the body of the book yet. This happens a lot in history and biography books.

Anyway, that's my pet beef. For today.

Paddy

[Herlock Sholmes]

They should highlight spoiler alerts Paddy.

[c.d.]

You'll probably want to avoid the movie "Titanic."

c.d.

[Al Bundy's Eyes]

"The rise and fall of the Roman Empire" did it for me.

[Svensson]

a Ripper book with "final chapter"/"the lost evidence"/"ultimate proof" or anything else in the title that suggests that this is the book that we had been waiting for for 130 years

[OneRound]

Paddy,

I understand your beef and accept that you and the writer are at a disadvantage if the outcome is known up front. However, a great writer with a great story to tell can still reel you in and hold you magically in his spell.

I would strongly recommend you try Frederick Forsyth's The Day of the Jackal.A gripping mix of fact and fiction from start to finish even with a key part of the eventual outcome known to nearly all readers.

Best regards,
OneRound

[Paddy Goose]

Thank you OneRound, i enjoyed the movie. Come to think of it, there are lots of movies I've seen and not read the book. Alfie, Doctor Zhivago, ...
I'm going to start a new thread here "I saw the Movie but did not read the Book"

Look for it soon on this channel.

Paddy