Simon Berthon has crafted and intelligent political thriller that kept me interested throughout its 350 pages.
The story vGripping political thriller.
Simon Berthon has crafted and intelligent political thriller that kept me interested throughout its 350 pages.
The story veers between dark deeds on the cusp of the IRA ceasefire in the 1990s to the present day where the main character Anne-Marie is about to be a senior minister in a new UK government and struggling with her past.
I found all the characters credible and felt the febrile sectarian atmosphere of Northern Ireland was captured well. All in all a well written book that rocked along at a good pace and created uncertainty as to how it was going to end until it did!
This is the first book I have read by this author, but would certainly look out for other titles.
I was given this book to review by netgalley, but was not obligated to provide a positive review. ...more
Vibrant imagining of Samuel Beckett’s life in France during World War 2
Jo Baker has created a vivid and poetic fictional account of Beckett’s life inVibrant imagining of Samuel Beckett’s life in France during World War 2
Jo Baker has created a vivid and poetic fictional account of Beckett’s life in Paris and on the run from the Gestapo in France during World War 2. The story revolves around Beckett’s relationship with his girlfriend Suzanne and attempts to explain the complexity of the man and how his World War 2 experiences affected his later works.
The style takes a little getting used to, however after a slow start the book becomes addictive with its flowing and immensely image laden prose. I’ve never read any Beckett, but I have seen “Waiting for Godot” and you can see clever allusions to this in the book.
It’s made me want to investigate Beckett’s works further and look at Jo Baker’s too.
I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review....more
David Downing continues on from “Jack of Spies” with Jack McColl, an agent for His Majesty's Secret Service, andThrilling World War 1 espionage story.
David Downing continues on from “Jack of Spies” with Jack McColl, an agent for His Majesty's Secret Service, and his ex-lover Caitlin Hanley, an American journalist and suffragette against the background of the threat of a Rising in Dublin.
The book uses the proven formula of his “Berlin Station” series with a strong male and female role this novel stands quite well on its own despite being the sequel to “Jack of Spies.”
If you have enjoyed David Downing’s previous books you know what to expect. Great attention to historical detail, encompassed within a plausible and exciting storyline.
I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review....more
A monumental but accessible account of Europe and the West 1914-45.
Heinrich August Winkler is one of Germany's leading historians and emeritus professA monumental but accessible account of Europe and the West 1914-45.
Heinrich August Winkler is one of Germany's leading historians and emeritus professor of history at Humboldt University in Berlin. This excellent translation by Stewart Spencer brings us a brilliant work that English speakers would otherwise not see.
The Age of Catastrophe is the second volume of a trilogy A History of the West. Three have now been published in German, only this one currently in English.
This is not a light read at 1000+ pages, but Winkler’s writing is very accessible for general readers. It’s no mean feat to produce an account of the complex years from 1914 to 1945 that manages to cover military, political and social history in a readable style.
His account is wide ranging covering astutely the dictatorship’s transformation of Europe when many European countries (not just the obvious ones such as Germany, Spain and Italy) turned away from the democratic values of the West.
Winkler is not uncritical of the democracies too, he criticises Roosevelt and Churchill for giving Stalin a free hand in east-central Europe after the defeat of Nazi Germany, forcing many to live under yet another dictatorship.
A fascinating and illuminating read – don’t be put off by the length!
I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review....more
I wanted some more depth and detail, which for a potential presidential contender was probably too much to ask.
You onlI found Hard Choices hard going.
I wanted some more depth and detail, which for a potential presidential contender was probably too much to ask.
You only get to hear what Hillary wants you to hear which is a lengthy world tour of recent hot spots with some detail on how diplomacy works, but I just felt it was too superficial.
I'd look forward to a time when she can be more frank and not pitching for the top job....more
Cold War Conversations Podcast
>
Books:
ireland
(14)
Loading...
