Book learning #71 Stalingrad by Anthony Beevor

Unputdownable.

Frozen, vast, incomprehensible.

I had seen the films and the maps, the furthest most reach of the Germans.

The pace of this picked up once it was clear the Germans were defeated. I found the final 100 pages absolutely fascinating, I loved reading the details of the collapse and surrender of the 6th Army.

Book learning #70 The wordy shipmates by Sarah Vowell

I love Sarah Vowell. I love her geeky obsessions and I love her intelligent perspective on so many things so very dear to me (USA, Presidents, history, Presidents, USA, more presidents)
I have really tried to get into the Seventeenth century.
I just can't.
A finely written book, I read it all.
Just didn't love it.

Book learning #69 The end of the party by Andrew Rawnsley.

There is nothing so sweet as hindsight. Hindsight that does prove a stomach full of hints and suspicions, Hindsight that renders one incredulous about the habits and doings of the great and the supposedly good.
This book was originally published in the early spring of 2010, it caused an outrage and many of those who feature within it's pages were quick to comment, to protect reputations and mostly, if I recall, to deny. The author was both praised and vilified within the same newspapers, the politicians were left to face their fate at the polls a few weeks after the original publication.

At the time, I had decided not to rush out and grab a copy of this book. I had read his previous account of the years 1997-2001 and was not terribly excited about the prospect of a sequel. I suspected that much of the juice had been squeezed out during a three week media frenzy following publication. I also hate hardback books, I need to bend and fold my read, to shove it in my pocket and take it to the chip shop.

Summer 2011 comes around, the silly season is non existent, the world is upon my shoulders and my smouldering curiosity about Gordon Brown is ignited by an extended spell as a housefrau.

This book , whether it be completely truth based or whether there be some room for interpretation, was un-put-downable! Yes, much of the big gossip was already known, but to read some of the contextual stuff was great, to follow the fight through to the very bitter end (the original version ended in winter 2010, this edition followed the story through the General Election in May and the negotiations which followed and spawned the Conservative/Liberal Democrat Coalition.

There can be no doubt that politics at the highest level can create immense strain upon those wielding the power, Rawnsley paints poor old Blair as beaten and bruised from the inside whilst maintaining a perma tanned and internationally glamourous exterior. Following the 2007 transition he paints poor old Brown as beaten and bruised by all and sundry, all the time.

I would very much enjoy a third account, the view of the current, fascinating government.

Book learning #68 Cider with Roadies by Stuart Maconie

I was surprised by how short Maconie's music journo career had been. The thing is this, he was writing the words I was reading about most of my favourite bands in the late 80s and 90s. Therefore I had always just assumed that he had been jotting things down about music, and indie in particular since Lennon met MacCartney at the vicarage fete. Of course, a career stretching back to the late 1980's isn't actually a short one.

An amusing stroll through teenage musical fads and then into the final quarter of the book when he emerges into the world of rock journalism and radio. All this made more enjoyable by the fact that he's on the radio about twice a day these days and good value he is too.

I'm not sure how I described Maconie when I made notes about the last book of his that I read. all I will say is that this was an engaging and approachable summer read. Just the tonic for another summer of mayhem and very small children.

Book learning #67 True Grit by Charles Portis

Comes a point when a man, all done with his daily business will look at a book for escape. Such is the way when I turn to reading a novel. I do so about once a year and moreoften than not, I find the experience deeply satisfying.

I found the language in this novel absolutely wonderful, I was entranced by the dialect and the turn of phrase. Why the hell don't we all talk like that anymore? I loved every minute of it. It also helped that it was a pretty good page turner and, well, just something i was determined to enjoy.

Book learning #66. Game Change. John Heilemann & Mark Halperin

Some years ago, an exasperated brother in law exhaled "Why don't you read something different? Why is it always American politics??"

Because I like American politics.

I like other stuff too, but I like to read about American politics an awful lot.

I recently counted books on the shelf in the living room, just under 50% were somehow connected with American politics or history. That means that over 50% were connected to other things, things such as English history and politics, Irish history and politics, football and gardening.

This was a great read, I had forgotten about John Edwards and his personal and political self destruction, I never really knew what a complete old cow his wife was. Just as I began to get a bit bored of the Obama v Clinton marathon, McCain turned up, all grumpy and swearing. Just as everything seemed to be tied up for Obama, Palin turns out to be a complete nut job. Full of backroom gossip, a cracking yarn, there is just one thing.
I think the book doesn't quite catch the atmosphere of the post convention Obama campaign, the wonderous surge of righteousness that seemed so appropriate at the time. I suspect the one person who had doubts about the nature of it was Obama himself, he was never shy in talking about the hard road ahead.

With the gift of hindsight still a great read with some good lessons for anyone even remotely bothered about leadership or how to run a campaign.

Book learning. We interrupt this broadcast.

There is nothing wrong with writing corduroy inspired reviews of the books you enjoy.

It whiles away the hours between tidying up after the kids and opening the next bottle of wine.

For years this takes place in an uneventful manner, few notice, even fewer take it remotely seriously (it's not supposed to be taken seriously).

Then something odd and slightly marvellous happened.

The author of said book drops a cheery comment on your blog.

I checked him out, he's real.