Book Recommendations

[c.d.]

Hi Roy,

I can recommend "Company Aytch" by Sam Watkins. The diary of a Rebel private in the Civil War. It was featured a great deal in the Ken Burns documentary.

c.d.

[c.d.]

There is another book I would like to recommend if you have never heard of it ---"The Art of Shen Ku: The Ultimate Travelers Guide" by Zeek. You really need to see the reviews on amazon.com to begin to comprehend what this book has in it. Someone described it as a combination of the Boy Scout Handbook, The Whole Earth Catalog and The Junior Woodchucks Guidebook (the book that Donald Duck's nephews carried which basically told you how to do everything). The book has a 41 page index. The scope of the things it covers is totally unbelievable and it is illustrated. A SMALL sampling of topics includes: martial arts, sex advice, solutions for health problems, how to travel safely, magic tricks, survival information, navigation, child care, CPR, sailboat rigging, telling jokes, repairing shoelaces and sewing on a button.

It is the ulitmate coffee table book and it is totally fascinating.

Check it out.

c.d.

[Tom_Wescott]

If you like Dracula, you might enjoy "The Historian" by Elizabeth Kostova. It seems that Vlad the Impaler is alive and well. I really liked it as did everyone in my office who read it. 1, 347 reviews on amazon.com

c.d.

Thanks for this, CD. I handled the hardcover some time back when it was new and thought about buying it, but decided on something else. Since you recommend the book, I will get it once it's in soft cover.

I'm currently reading The Ruins and am about 300 pages deep. I can see why Stephen King calls it the best horror novel of the 21st Century. I've heard the movie sucks, but that's almost par for the course these days.

Yours truly,

Tom Wescott

[c.d.]

Hi Tom,

I was at the book store (Borders) last Friday and saw it in paperback.

c.d.

[c.d.]

"The Historian", I mean.

c.d.

[c.d.]

I also recently finished and enjoyed "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil". A novel about the city of Savannah, Georgia and its very quirky inhabitants and one of its most notorious murder trials. Very entertaining.

c.d.

[dougie]

cd,
"COMPANY AYTCH" sounds as though it could be interesting,Ill look for that.
Anybody interested in the "oral literature" kind of book (similar to the ones i mentioned earlier) might like to try Private Frank Richards....2 books "old soldiers never die" and "soldier sahib"(not sure that last title is correct) ..but he only wrote 2 books so it wouldnt be hard to find if anyone was interested........simple style,but engrossing account of his years on the front line in world war 1 and colonial days in the old british raj.
regards

[plang]

Shogun, by James Clavell, American novelist, 1924-1994.

Another classic work of fiction.

[Maria]

Plang:

Shogun Yes, I really loved that one ! Really, really wonderful. The flavour of ancient Japan, its traditions and historically very interesting when the Europeans go there, ( the English and the Portuguese) I found it fascinating.

[cappuccina]

I just finished "Spook", by Mary Roach...

...It's a fun and interesting read:

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/50530/book_review_spook_science_tackles_the.html?cat=38

[revpetero]

I am currently reading "Young Stalin" by Simon Sebag Montefiore.

Very interesting read. I love what makes people like Stalin tick.

Peter

[plang]

The Day of the Jackal. by Frederick Forsyth.
First published 1971.
Yes, later became a very good movie too. As usual, cannot match the book. Not even close.

Plang

[The Grave Maurice]

I think you should all go out and buy Life of Pi by Yann Martel. It's a great book. Besides, the author lives a couple of blocks from me, is a charming chap, and could probably use the money.

[plang]

Hi The Grave Maurice,
Guess you were inspired by my brilliant post #19 on the 'The History of 'What If's ' thread in pubtalk?

plang

[c.d.]

Hi Grave Maurice,

I read "Life of Pi" and enjoyed it very much. If you run into the author, please pass that along.

c.d.