Enjoying a spate of historical novels about Roman times but felt like a break and picked up a copy of "Revelations" a Tudor period murder mystery and there is a good Times review here and you can buy it here and do it, you will not be sorry. Last month we went to see "Duchess" and it is sumptious and even challenging in its treatment of an England not so very long ago with echos in the present. Dont know if its still doing the cinema rounds where you are but if not the DVD cant be far away, More here.

March 2007. Wandered into Weatherspoon's on Lincoln High Street after a long day for a quick sirloin steak and found a Frank Yerby book on their shelves. Who is Frank Yerby I hear you say? I encountered him as a prolific author of the 1950's that my Mother seriously loved. I was too young to do more than register the name but enough to recognise it the other day. Fairoaks first published in 1957 is a story of the early days of American history, false British aristo's, family pride, pathos, humour and, almost incidently, slavery.

Its told in an uncompromising fashion which might now be seen as rather un pc. Well worth a read and to my suprise Frank only died during the 1990's and is still celebrated on the web by black American writers. You can find him here. You can buy it here.

February 2007 I found a brilliant Churchill from Michael Dobbs (Never Surrender) about the retreat from Dunkirk and the many people in his cabinet trying to do business with Hitler. Super book, at one stage you feel that all the freedoms of todays world are hanging in the balance supported only by Churchill, a few good people and the public. Meanwhile the really powerful figures including the US Ambassador (Jo Kennedy) are plotting away a two millenium birthright of Western progress. You can buy it here.

January 2007 was the start of a Churchill period begining with

Churchill's Triumph, a fictionalised account of the Yalta Conference where a sick and fading President Roosevelt was bullied into creating a new Soviet empire that continued the atrocities of the Second World War right up to the 1980's. Its a wonderful read.

You can buy it from Amazon here.

2006

So at December 2006 I am reading "Sharpes Triumph" by Bernard Cromwell which my son Sean bought for me. It is the ideal holiday book of no nonsence fun, guts and dareing do set in the Victorian Empire period around the Indian sub Continent. Published by Harper Collins in 1999.

November 2006

Rober Harris caught my attention quite a bit over the last three years with Pompei and Fatherland, both exceptional books.

Archangel is not as good but was a relief to read following a very demanding year of post graduate course study. The story is interesting and reflects the fears and conflicts that beset modern Russia.

September 2006

Fatherland is a cracking good what if story of an undefeated German Empire, a book not to be missed.

More here.

December 2001 I was reading McCarthy's Bar by Pete McCarthy - a journey of discovery in Ireland. Like me Pete was born on Merseyside to a family of Irish origin and shares my love of Ireland - so I went out and found this book on Amazon right ? - wrong! Visiting my Step Father in hospital I encountered Prof David Quinn in a nearby bed who felt moved to give me the book. Wonderful read with great reveiws from the Irish, UK and Australian press. Nothing from Stateside though - I wonder why? Anyway, published last year by the old English company of Hodder & Stoughton you can get it via Amazon.co.uk and enjoy.

Films

December 2006.

Eragon, brill, magical, great special effects and we all suspended judgement and became 16 like Sean and loved it!

Eragon Listing at Box Office Prophets

December 2001

Just watched "Frequency" which stars Meg Ryans husband (there that should tell you something about me). Just the best film I have seen for a decade. This was very poignant for me, like the lead charecter I lost my blood father at an early age. Here New York Cop Jim Caviezel finds that he can cross thirty years via a ham radio and talk to his soon to be killed New York Fire Fighter Father. This is the lost dream of every child who has suffered the berievement of a parent and the film found the child in me that I had almost forgotten. Its going to be a Christmas present for my wife and then we will all watch it. This was a timely film, the first new film I had seen since the appauling events of September 11th. Dennis Quaid plays a wonderfully believable role and will be every guys favourite dad. Reveiws where mixed ranging from complaints that it was mawkish to starry eyed swoons like mine. Go get it, the DVD and video is everywhere.

November 2000: Reading The Cruel Sea and rediscovering its brilliant and unsentimental view of the war at sea 60 years ago. My Father had served in the Merchant Marine at this time. Co-incidently this is now the time when the BBC are showing the last sailing of the small ships to commemorate Dunkirk.

 Meanwhile I am also starting the diaries of Anais Nin having watched the DVD "Henry & June" featuring the passionate affair between Anais & Henry Miller writer of the Tropic of Cancer.

Book or Film I am with Just Now