This was the very first/only book on seashells I was able to find in Taiwan back in the very early '80s, and so hTitle translates as "Cute Seashells."
This was the very first/only book on seashells I was able to find in Taiwan back in the very early '80s, and so holds a certain nostalgia as it was also one of the first books I actually tried to read, being printed in both traditional Chinese characters as well as the Zhuyin phonetic symbols used in Taiwan to teach young children (and stupid foreigners) how to read, (see the little "ㄅㄆㄇㄈ" thingies next to the larger characters below):
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Worked through this together with my extremely patient then-girlfriend (and even more patient now-wife), who to this day I regularly refer to as "我可愛的小貝殼," ("my cute little seashell;" sounds better in the original).
Thankfully, the same author/published produced a better (and more grown-up) two-volume guidebook in 1987, Marine Gastropods of Taiwan. But this silly little book will always hold a special place in my heart.
2+ stars rounded WAY the hell up for sentimental value....more
Nice, comprehensive listing of Taiwan seashells that was a big help in identifying much of what I found in the ocean there. Nothing fancy and no long Nice, comprehensive listing of Taiwan seashells that was a big help in identifying much of what I found in the ocean there. Nothing fancy and no long essays on "science" or "biology" or whatever; just straight-up photos on a black background with Chinese/English/Latin names, where to find 'em, and average size.
Intentionally or otherwise, this was published the same month that martial law in Taiwan was lifted—July 1987—and diving was therefore no longer technically illegal, (although the "China Sea Dragons" dive club had been in operation for over a decade). I would imagine/hope that as the sport took off among locals, better books have come along since then, but this is all I could find by the time I left in 1993.
2+ stars rounded WAY the hell up for nostalgia value....more
What it lacks in quality it makes up for in specificity, as my "diving career" was totally limited to the far eastern Pacific, and so I was interestedWhat it lacks in quality it makes up for in specificity, as my "diving career" was totally limited to the far eastern Pacific, and so I was interested mainly is shells to be found in the region there, (same review for similar books on Taiwan, Japan and Malaysia).
Amazed to find this book already listed on GR, albeit with zero ratings and no cover photo (you're welcome). And of course, nothing says "quality" quite like "an Urban Council Pubication"!!...more
Some technically beautiful - if generally horrific, in its matter-of-fact depiction of WWII jungle warfare - writing here; not sure why war writing isSome technically beautiful - if generally horrific, in its matter-of-fact depiction of WWII jungle warfare - writing here; not sure why war writing is some of the best out there, but this book (like so many others in the genre) was just excellent:
Joe nailed his man with one shot. It took me three. My target grabbed a rifle and began shooting in the general direction of New Guinea until finally a dum-dum opened him up like an umbrella.
When Japs start getting ambushed by blokes armed with the shocking power of Thompson submachine guns, and then frontally assaulted by belly-wriggling berks while a Vickers or a Bren blasts everything that isn't lizard-flat, suddenly the joy goes out of war. We haven't seen a Jap yet who's laughing.
It had been a useless sort of day. Bluey and Slim were going rotten with ringworm tinea, and Irish had a swollen and infected eye. Possum had dysentery; and now, three feet away, Best was shuddering with another attack of the wog. The world is a dribbling sponge of sodden earth and rain.
Missim is a commissary stuffed with bullets and biscuits and bullamacow, fed from the skies by flocks of aircraft which drop cargo from God for the white massas who wear green. So that they can keep on killing the yellow men who wear brown.
It's like that bloke somewhere in the Guinea who collects Jap ears in a jar of formalin. They say he plans to stick the jar up behind the bar in his hometown pub. But why? Probably illegal anyway. When the Japs do anything there's big palaver in the press and its called Atrocity. People back home may find the sons and brothers they knew so well have changed a bit.
And all of this took place in just a few dozen square miles of New Guinea's towering, forest-covered mountains, as can hopefully be seen in these increasingly-zoomed-out maps:
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This was a GR friend recommendation, so many thanks. Same person also recommended Pinney's other travel writing, but unfortunately this is the only one of his works I could find at a reasonable price here in the U.S., (Pinney is an Australian whose books are apparently mainly available Down Unda, much the shame). But will definitely keep an eye out for more. Meanwhile, I also plan to watch (or rewatch) some films like "The Thin Red Line," "Hacksaw Ridge" and HBO's "The Pacific," although these all deal more with the U.S. Army's island-hopping battles up the South Pacific, rather than Australia's protracted jungle fighting just north of Queensland, (for that, I'm looking for the Australian film "Kokoda," but it's hard to find).
THAT SAID: I unintentionally found myself reading this in conjunction with both Eat the Buddha: Life and Death in a Tibetan Town and Only Killers and Thieves, and only later made the connection that all three books deal intimately with man's never-ending inhumanity towards his fellow man (and woman). Especially what we white Westerners see as the human "other" - aboriginal/native peoples, former colonial subjects, our historical condescension towards Asians in general (consider how the Japanese were dehumanized so much more than the Germans in WWII), etc. So, y'know, at least in the short term this is a theme I'm happy to get away from for a while…time now for something LIGHT....more
Deighton's Bernard Samson is a neat cross between Adam Hall's "Quiller" and John le Carré's "George Smiley," both in style and substance (and that's nDeighton's Bernard Samson is a neat cross between Adam Hall's "Quiller" and John le Carré's "George Smiley," both in style and substance (and that's not a bad thing). Deighton combines Hall's wry first-person voice with le Carré's complicated plotting (and odd fascination with both "moles" and cuckolds) to create a book that - if not truly unique - makes a valuable addition to the British Cold War espionage canon, (not to be confused with American espionage fiction - I recently had to break those out into two different bookshelves).
The story gets off to a somewhat slow and confusing start, dealing with an intelligence macguffin involving - German banking secrets? Not the most thrilling plot device, if you're used to ticking time bombs and space lasers, but probably more realistic. Unfortunately, like so many Brit-spook stories (and I’m especially thinking "Slow Horses" here), it spends WAY too much time in London rather than the other 99.9% of the world where British spies are actually supposed to be working; but then it does move for a good chunk towards the end into the titular Berlin where what little "action" the story actually has takes place.
Anyway - good book and glad I read it, (though no promises that I'll return, as there are another eight books in the series and I have SERIOUS literary commitment issues). Still, though, a timely call-back to the days when Russia was the Big Bad - which only shows that what goes around, comes around. Makes me wonder…the First World War was originally just "The Great War" until we decided to do it again 25 years later, and so rebranded as "WWI" and WWII." At what point are we going to face reality and accept that - in a similar situation some 30 years later - we should start calling our present situation "Cold War II"?
And finally - need to add a plug here for the late, great Adam Hall, whose "Quiller" books not only hold their own against those of Deighton and le Carre, but also surpass them in terms of both action and exotic locales. But yet for some reason they have not received the same level of recognition or respect, with none (other than the first, The Quiller Memorandum) reaching 500 reviews on Goodreads. Come on, people!...more
Barry's first book, so you do have to cut him some slack. And indeed, there are occasional glimpses of the deranged brilliance to come: "If the clog Barry's first book, so you do have to cut him some slack. And indeed, there are occasional glimpses of the deranged brilliance to come: "If the clog is caused by something soft, such as a corsage, you can dislodge it simply by firing a .22-caliber pistol into the toilet." Or: "Paneling is a surprisingly easy way to make any room less attractive. The easiest way to install panelling is to simply lean it up against the walls all around the room. This way, you can remove it quickly and hide it in the garage when tasteful visitors come to call." However, after an amusing beginning that covers basic topics - tools, wood, plumbing, electricity, etc. - he starts to ramble.
Found this in a remote corner of our bookcase…maybe a gift from my sons years ago? Was thinking of reading and then regifting back to my oldest who recently bought his own first home - but really nothing worth passing on, so just a quick read and toss....more
Maybe not the best Flashman, but probably the one closest to my heart, content/history-wise, as it is the only story set in East Asia. My only complaiMaybe not the best Flashman, but probably the one closest to my heart, content/history-wise, as it is the only story set in East Asia. My only complaint* here is that Fraser breaks this incident (if one of history's bloodiest wars can be called an "incident") into two almost separate stories**- Flashman among the crazy Taipings; and then Flashman among the evil Manchus - with little connective tissue, (indeed, it's left to Fraser's first [of three] appendices to revisit and wrap up the story of the Rebellion and its main characters, since once Flashy escapes their clutches they pretty much drop out of the story).
But as with all these books, this is Flashy's personal - and therefore, totally self-absorbed - story, not a true history book, and so focuses on his own wandering rather than the larger course of history. Still (and as usual), Fraser does a masterly job of plotting in order to position Flashman Zelig-like in each crucial event of the period. Also worth noting: since we - or at least I - tend to read these books mainly for the history and hilariously un-PC humor (and trust me, Flashman here is as racist, sexist and irredeemable as ever), it's easy to forget that Fraser is actually a fairly brilliant writer - not only in his excellent battle scenes, but also in the rare contemplative stretch, such as his emotional description of the burning of the Summer Palace.
I had hoped that by reading this, I'd get enough of the Taipings' story that I could avoid reading Jonathan Spence's God's Chinese Son: The Taiping Heavenly Kingdom of Hong Xiuquan, which has been sitting on my literal bookshelf pretty much since it came out. But instead, I'm actually more interesting now in reading Spence's book - just a fascinating period, and another great addition to the Flashman canon, (which IMHO is best enjoyed at the rate of about one a year). _________________________________
* Okay, I do have one other complaint - what the hell is up with the Flashman cover art? It's been a long time since I've been embarrassed to have someone see me reading a particular book, but this one's cover is so goofily cringy that when I wasn't reading it, I made sure it was face down wherever I left it.
** Not as literally as he did in Flashman's Lady, which was truly two books in one, telling the totally unrelated stories of James Brook in Borneo and the mad Queen Ranavalona of Madagascar....more
Am currently reading Dervla Murphy's outstanding Where the Indus Is Young: A Winter in Baltistan, and it brought back memories of my own foolish plansAm currently reading Dervla Murphy's outstanding Where the Indus Is Young: A Winter in Baltistan, and it brought back memories of my own foolish plans back in the mid-'80s to at least visit and hopefully even hike in that part of the world - so am listing several of my old books on trekking, mountain medicine, etc., that helped me prepare.
I got as far as taking a number of extended "training" hikes in Taiwan (where I lived at the time), but long story short, I ultimately cancelled my expedition and got married instead…40-some years on, I'm still not sure which was the more perilous path!
(Above is the same for all related books) ___________________________________
The best book at the time on hiking in Taiwan, mainly as it was the ONLY one at the time (at least in English). Very useful content - for an island that's about half the size of Scotland, Taiwan has some amazing trails scattered across it's surprising mountain ranges - but with the truly awful production standards that typified the late '70s pirate printing industry....more
Am currently reading Dervla Murphy's outstanding Where the Indus Is Young: A Winter in Baltistan, and it brought back memories of my own foolish plansAm currently reading Dervla Murphy's outstanding Where the Indus Is Young: A Winter in Baltistan, and it brought back memories of my own foolish plans back in the mid-'80s to at least visit and hopefully even hike in that part of the world - so am listing several of my old books on trekking, mountain medicine, etc., that helped me prepare.
I got as far as taking a number of extended "training" hikes in Taiwan (where I lived at the time), but long story short, I ultimately cancelled my expedition and got married instead…40-some years on, I'm still not sure which was the more perilous path!
(Above is the same for all related books) __________________________________
Never actually needed this one, but I remember being four days into my one and only Nepal trek when I passed a Sherpa going the other way who was carrying a young American girl out on his back. She had broken her leg three days earlier and he'd carried her even since, and was happy to hear that he only had 4-5 more days to go. We had tea and I asked if I could do anything to help, but other than taking all my aspirin, he said they were fine.
There was also a whole bulletin board at the office where you got your trekking permit, covered with "Have You Seen This Person?" notices for all those hikers who went into the mountains but failed to come back. Nature is amazing but unforgiving, and so a little useful knowledge like that provided here can literally mean the difference between life and death....more
Am currently reading Dervla Murphy's outstanding Where the Indus Is Young: A Winter in Baltistan, and it brought back memories of my own foolish plansAm currently reading Dervla Murphy's outstanding Where the Indus Is Young: A Winter in Baltistan, and it brought back memories of my own foolish plans back in the mid-'80s to at least visit and hopefully even hike in that part of the world - so am listing several of my old books on trekking, mountain medicine, etc., that helped me prepare.
I got as far as taking a number of extended "training" hikes in Taiwan (where I lived at the time), but long story short, I ultimately cancelled my expedition and got married instead…40-some years on, I'm still not sure which was the more perilous path!
Am currently reading Dervla Murphy's outstanding Where the Indus Is Young: A Winter in Baltistan, and it brought back memories of my own foolish plansAm currently reading Dervla Murphy's outstanding Where the Indus Is Young: A Winter in Baltistan, and it brought back memories of my own foolish plans back in the mid-'80s to at least visit and hopefully even hike in that part of the world - so am listing several of my old books on trekking, mountain medicine, etc., that helped me prepare.
I got as far as taking a number of extended "training" hikes in Taiwan (where I lived at the time), but long story short, I ultimately cancelled my expedition and got married instead…40-some years on, I'm still not sure which was the more perilous path!
Am currently reading Dervla Murphy's outstanding Where the Indus Is Young: A Winter in Baltistan, and it brought back memories of my own foolish plansAm currently reading Dervla Murphy's outstanding Where the Indus Is Young: A Winter in Baltistan, and it brought back memories of my own foolish plans back in the mid-'80s to at least visit and hopefully even hike in that part of the world - so am listing several of my old books on trekking, mountain medicine, etc., that helped me prepare.
I got as far as taking a number of extended "training" hikes in Taiwan (where I lived at the time), but long story short, I ultimately cancelled my expedition and got married instead…40-some years on, I'm still not sure which was the more perilous path!
(Above is the same for all related books) ____________________________________
This book in particular was (at the time at least) the only guide that really focused on the Karakoram, so found it fascinating - even if I ultimately never really used it for anything, (which knowing me was probably for the best)....more
Good but not great entry in the series - and probably my last, as this is the third and final "Mrs. Pollifax" set in Asia.
Gilman made a good decisionGood but not great entry in the series - and probably my last, as this is the third and final "Mrs. Pollifax" set in Asia.
Gilman made a good decision moving the story quickly out of Bangkok (a fascinating city, but too crowded to have much action taking place) and up-country to the northern highlands. So 4-stars for the setting, which cleverly incorporates characters based on Jim Thompson (who went missing in nearby Malaysia's Cameron Highlands in the mid-60s) and drug-running Shan warlord Khun Sa, who was kind of a big deal (at least in Southeast Asia) when this book was written in the mid-80s.
But then barely 3-stars as a spy story, in part because (as with the previous book, Mrs. Pollifax and the Hong Kong Buddha) the plot hinges largely on a McGuffin, but more importantly because for the first time (at least in the books I've read) she portrays the CIA as a fairly unprofessional - if not outright bumbling - organization. Sending an inexperienced analyst off to run a complex surveillance operation single-handedly, while any reader of almost ANY spy fiction knows that effective surveillance requires at least a 3-6 person team; and then later having a senior CIA official suddenly take off after a mysterious phone call, only to be spotted in a Bangkok bar several days later...to which his CIA colleagues respond with a simple "huh, that's weird - wonder if we should tell anyone about this?"
Also, Gilman strains credibility here well-beyond the breaking point (even for a Mrs. Pollifax story!) in having her cast of characters constantly stumbling across each other in the jungle, making the vast Northern Thailand wilderness seem more like a shopping mall where you might bump into friends on a weekend.
Anyway - a fun diversion for fans of the Pollifax series, jungle stories, or Thailand in general; but otherwise not the best introduction to this still-delightful character....more
Strong world building and an original (at least for its time) concept, but not much action for a LONG time - and when it does come, it's largely weirdStrong world building and an original (at least for its time) concept, but not much action for a LONG time - and when it does come, it's largely weird alien threesome sex…
Octavia Butler has a fearsome reputation as a multiple Hugo and Nebula winner, as well as recipient of the MacArthur Fellowship "genius grant," so obviously no slouch. I enjoyed her Parable of the Sower- although not enough to continue with the other "Earthseed" books - and that's kind of how I feel here about the rest of the "Xenogenesis" stories. Luckily, there's a Wiki page under "Lilith's Brood" which includes plot summaries of all three stories…so think that's my next stop and then on to something else. ...more
Another mediocre spy story but with enough charming characters and exotic-yet-familiar detail to knock it up to an overall 4 stars and change. This isAnother mediocre spy story but with enough charming characters and exotic-yet-familiar detail to knock it up to an overall 4 stars and change. This is an immediate sequel to Mrs. Pollifax on the China Station, but set next door in 1985 Hong Kong; i.e., the exact Hong Kong where I spent so much time while based in Taipei.
The ultimate plot hinges (as do most spy stories) on a pretty big McGuffin, but it's still a quick, fun and surprisingly exciting read. That said, there's just one more Pollifax story set in Asia (the next one in the series, so perhaps a direct sequel to this book), and so after that, I may more on to something a little more serious.
One correction - just as Gilman got the location of the CIA's HQS wrong in the previous book, she duffed the return of Hong Kong to China by claiming that Britain was only giving back Kowloon and the New Territories, while the Queen was going to retain Hong Kong Island. Unless something can tell me otherwise, I believe the deal was ALWAYS to give the whole colony back to China - I just cannot imagine Beijing accepting anything less than a full reversion....more
This is just my second Mrs. Pollifax; read the first one for background, but then jumped ahead five books to get to the "Asian trilogy."
So…fun but somThis is just my second Mrs. Pollifax; read the first one for background, but then jumped ahead five books to get to the "Asian trilogy."
So…fun but somewhat weak story; Mrs. Pollifax is a certainly unique character, but this book was ultimately pretty slim on real (or at least realistic) plot. The first half of the book is basically a travelogue, and then when the "action" finally does kick in, it involves too little actual planning, which is only saved by too many impractical coincidences.
So probably only a solid 3-star story, but I'm bumping it up for sentimental reasons. I took a similar guided tour of China (the only way you could visit back then) in 1984* - just a year after this book was published - and so this really brought back a LOT of memories (at least until the story moved out to China's Far West): the Friendship Stores for foreigners and the "Foreign Exchange Certificates" which were the only money foreigners could use; the early days of the Terra Cotta Warriors, when only 300 had been excavated (there are over 2,000 today) and they were basically housed in a single large hangar; the endless banquets and shy crowds on the street wanting to practice their English; how boring Guangzhou was (seriously, why is that included on any tours?); folding seats set up in the aisles of domestic flights; and on and on…
I do have to point out one odd error that appeared throughout the book - the CIA's headquarters is frequently referred to as being in "Langley Field." However, as all good Virginians know, Langley Field is an Air Force base down near the massive Norfolk Naval Station in SE Virginia; while the CIA is located in plain old "Langley," a section of McLean just down the road here in Northern Virginia. Was that maybe different back in 1983? Oh, and just what does this title mean - what is "the China Station," which is never mentioned in the book??
But anyway, really enjoyed this and will definitely read at least the next two Pollifax books at some point, as they take place in Hong Kong and Thailand...but no rush.
* I took that first trip with my own parents, after I'd lived in Taiwan for about six years...it was such a great experience to travel with my folks as an adult and nominal "equal." I then returned to China almost exactly 20 years later with my own wife and sons - and could not BELIEVE how much everything had changed in the meantime. Haven't been back since, so can't even begin to imagine what it's like now, almost another 20 years on......more
Can't recall where I picked this up, but based on publication date it was somewhere in Asia, and has been sitting patiently on my geographically-arranCan't recall where I picked this up, but based on publication date it was somewhere in Asia, and has been sitting patiently on my geographically-arranged bookshelf between "Taiwan" and "Borneo" for a good 30 years until I did one of my "read it or toss it" culls last week. But as it's subtitled "A Novel About the Philippines," and since I haven't read many of those,* I figured I'd give it a tumble. Plus, with Marcos fils and Duterte filles recently established in Malacañang as President and Vice President - seriously, ONLY in the Philippines** - I thought this might be weirdly resonant, in a "what goes around comes around" sort of way.
But sadly…not so much.
As a long-time reporter for Newsweek (which to my amazement is still around, if only online), Came*** can certainly write; but his plotting is jumpy and focused mainly on the no-longer-a-serious-issue Communist insurgency, most of his action takes place "offscreen," and his dialogue is heavy with revelatory clichés of the "I might have known you'd be mixed up in this somehow" variety.
Anyway, nuf said - with only one other rating in 30+ years, it's safe to say no one else is looking to read this book - so am adding back to the "toss" pile, (well, recycle via McKay's Used Books) and moving on to Carl Hoffman's The Last Wild Men of Borneo: A True Story of Death and Treasure to get a more recent dose of South Pacific jungle adventure.
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* For a much more enjoyable visit to the Philippines, try Alexander Yates' Moondogs, which nicely captures the surrealist attraction of this 7,000-island country.
** Closest comparison I can imagine would be if Don Jr. and Bristol Palin won the 2024 election - and even that doesn't quite capture the apocalyptic weirdness.
*** Tried Googling the author, but very few results - one of which wanted to redirect me from "Barry Came" to "Barry Went," a Hollywood sound engineer - nice!...more
Okay, this is partly on me because I frankly read this too close on the heels of the far superior Quiller Salamander (penultimate entry in Hall's 19-bOkay, this is partly on me because I frankly read this too close on the heels of the far superior Quiller Salamander (penultimate entry in Hall's 19-book series); but I needed a disposable paperback I could carry in my back pocket while I scoot around on a walker for a coupla weeks - (black ice; wrong shoes) - and this was handy. But still, this was subjectively the worst and laziest of the Quiller books I've read so far - which I have to believe Hall himself also realized, since he then took a 4-year break before basically relaunching his most famous character in the "Quiller"-titled books that he wrote from 1985 to his death (Quiller, Quiller's Run, Quiller KGB, etc.).
I've mentioned before that Hall's Far East-based stories lack local color, but in Peking he not only includes even less than usual, but much of what he has is just wrong. Start with the cover - that's a Japanese katana spearing the target, a sword that any self-respecting Chinese would never use, based on their memories of katana-based atrocities during WWII. His stereotypical main Chinese villain is also described inappropriately as wearing a kimono and using "ninja weapons" (again Japanese); and Hall also repeatedly refers to Chinese writing as either "hieroglyphs" or "letters," rather than the correct "characters." Even more surprising, he gets Quiller's own history wrong, noting several times that this is only his second time dealing with "Asiatics" (who unlike more civilized Westerners "kill readily"); whereas by my reckoning this should be his third, having been both in Bangkok in The Ninth Directive and Hong Kong in The Mandarin Cypher, (unless somehow Thais don't count as "Asiatics").
Other stereotypes abound as well. His Chinese bad guy has vast powers of ki, which he uses to remotely hurl Quiller into walls and mess with his mind; while the Russian baddie works for a sinister organization that sounds like something right out of James Bond or Man from U.N.C.L.E.: "Department V…the most secret arm of Soviet operations, responsible for sabotage, kidnapping, political assassination and similar bloodletting operations designed to create chaos in foreign governments at times of internal crisis…" And okay, just writing this I do realize it sounds a lot like the past five years of Vladimir Putin; but it's still almost identical to both SPECTRE (the "Special Executive for Counterintelligence, Terrorism, Revenge and Extortion"), and THRUSH ("Technological Hierarchy for the Removal of Undesirables and the Subjugation of Humanity").
This book is also very Bond-ish in that even more than usual, Quiller is frankly a terrible spy - he's just a very good driver (even though his vehicles always end up either exploding or landing in water) and martial artist, who - exactly like James Bond - at the end of the day is just barely better at escaping than he is at getting caught. (Indeed, at the end of this book, he only manages to escape because a guard he had previously pissed off sneaks into his cell and tries unsuccessfully to kill him; otherwise, ol' Q would have been well and truly fucked).
I do have one more Asia-based Quiller on my shelf - the above-mentioned Ninth Directive - but I'm gonna give both Quiller and Hall a good cooling off period so that I come back with a more objective attitude....more
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