|
Post by ronin on Jun 21, 2007 11:14:57 GMT -5
Neuromancer - William Gibson (for about the 3rd time). and The Empire by Ryszard Kapucinski.
|
|
|
Post by diomedes on Jun 22, 2007 14:38:05 GMT -5
Normally I lurk when visiting the sites of allies but this thread is too much fun to simply observe.
I read quite a bit and won't try to post on all my recent and anticipated forays into the written word. Still, ya gotta wade in if you want to join the party!
I recently finished Zulu Victory by Ron Lock and Peter Quantrill as well as The Children of Hurin by JRR Tolkien.
Zulu Victory concerned the 1879 Zulu victory over the British at Isandlwana in the opening days of the Zulu War. In brief, the authors seek to provide a more balanced view of events by considering that not only were the redcoats poorly deployed and led but that the Zulu army deserves more credit for what they did right in the battle. It also seeks to explore allegations of a cover up in the aftermath of the battle by heaping the blame on the dead (imagine that). For people interested in that period, this book is probably one that should be read. Be careful though in the author's agenda. Although they spend some time examining the end of the war, the authors somewhat gloss over the fact that the British may have lost the battle and several others besides, they eventually won the war.
Children of Hurin was a fun read and best if you have read the Silmarillion. Its difficulty is between the latter and the Lord of the Rings book. It is tragic in nature and very few laughs are to be had in its pages. One of the things I love about Tolkien is his unerring sense of evil's nature. As terribly powerful and wicked as Sauron comes across in the LotRs, he is the palest of shadows when contrasted with Morgoth. In the CoH, we see Morgoth's grasp of far events, his manipulation of dread and distorted truth, and a his complete understanding of human nature that will trace its path to doom while ignoring possible ways to transcend our fate.
Currently, I am reading Persian Fire by Tom Holland concerning the cultural and combative interactions between Persia and the Greeks.
Ugh, many words, much wind, some flatulence.
Diomedes Tydeides The Ethereal Guard
|
|
|
Post by Quintare on Jun 22, 2007 22:00:53 GMT -5
Tell me how you like Persian Fire Dio. I have put quite some time lately into that part of the world, from the middle ages to the fall of the Ottoman empire, but mostly the Greek presence has been tangential to the topic.
|
|
|
Post by diomedes on Jun 23, 2007 6:27:31 GMT -5
Q,
Been a couple of years since I read them but for a while I was on a Bernard Lewis kick. Although not exclusively concerning the Ottoman Empire, that entity is a central player in the evolution of Islam and gets considerable discussion in his books. The only downside to Lewis is his tendency to recycle essays and portions of other books.
Check out From Babel to Dragomans although be prepared to skip around some as he also explores other aspects of Islamic evolutin such as exploring in brief the history of Iran, the Fatamid history of Egypt, and esoteric subjects like "Land, Money and Power in Medieval Islam."
A bit less random in its organization is Islam and the West. Here, Lewis spends a fair time examining the Ottoman Empire. This book, divided into three broad sections, is one of East-West relationships beginnig with Encounters, Studies and perceptions, and closing with Islamic Response & Reaction.
Dio
|
|
|
Post by laurelin on Jun 23, 2007 19:36:54 GMT -5
Now on Book 6 of Wheel of Time... Why are there no new books out in the multitudes of series I'm stuck reading?
|
|
|
Post by Quintare on Jun 24, 2007 10:20:17 GMT -5
Well, it's only about a month till Harry Potter concludes. That ought to keep you busy for 2 or 3 days before you go back to waiting.
|
|
|
Post by laurelin on Jun 24, 2007 11:19:43 GMT -5
Ex- actly! I finsihed re-reading that series 2 weeks ago in preparation.....
|
|
|
Post by Indagatrix on Jun 25, 2007 11:30:08 GMT -5
I got to hear Sherman Alexie read from his new book the other day -- pretty cool. I'll be back in game this weekend btw -- almost done in DC
|
|
|
Post by Eldarion on Jun 25, 2007 13:59:05 GMT -5
Hurry back! Time for you and X to finish running that second set of characters through Nightfall.
|
|
|
Post by diomedes on Jul 4, 2007 12:36:31 GMT -5
I finished Persian Fire this week. The author is Tom Holland who also penned Rubicon.
Although I found Rubicon to be the better of the pair, I think that is largely a matter of more plentiful source material. Persian Fire will challenge your beliefs regarding the nature and leadership of Persia. I found it to be generally even-handed in its approach. It is somewhat timely in that Holland paints this period as conflict between a superpower and a terrorist society on the fringes of the civilized world. I don't buy that analogy as truth but I can see why Persia might have viewed it in such terms.
It is a modest read in terms of difficulty. If you enjoyed Thomas Cahill's "Hinges of History" series, you will likely profit from reading Persian Fire. It is of the Popular History genre and somewhat easily digested. If nothing else, it takes us back to the earliest known martial encounters between the West and what is now known as the Middle East.
|
|
|
Post by Fate on Jul 5, 2007 12:51:45 GMT -5
Gurads, Guards - Terry Pratchett
|
|
|
Post by Quintare on Jul 20, 2007 10:45:22 GMT -5
I just re-read Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, in preparation for the book release on Saturday. Not that I'll get the book then... my wife would kill me if I read it first, and she's swamped in homework so probably be a week before I get it.
Already she's somehow bent out of shape with me for reading Half-Blood Prince in less than two days. I can only imagine the long lonely nights if I managed to finish off the last one while she struggles with a text on SuZe Linux lol
|
|
|
Post by Indagatrix on Jul 20, 2007 19:24:33 GMT -5
Today at work I helped unload several boxes of newest Harry Potter -- somewhere between 150-200 of them. I even got to hand deliver some to a remote branch -- but I made all my saves and never cracked one open... I'm waiting til we buy our copy...I did take pics of them on a book cart with my cellphone though -- I'll see if I can upload them
|
|
|
Post by Quintare on Jul 21, 2007 1:35:25 GMT -5
You have far too much will power Inda LOL
|
|
|
Post by Fate on Jul 21, 2007 19:00:47 GMT -5
Up to chapter 4 already. Plenty of copies at Wal-mart..
|
|
|
Post by Indagatrix on Jul 21, 2007 19:13:46 GMT -5
Chapter 4 -- bah -- I see your chapter 4 and raise you 9 chapters -- to 13!
btw -- oodles of copies at target too
|
|
|
Post by Quintare on Jul 21, 2007 21:42:04 GMT -5
I have to wait for Aangy to finish so I can start. I considered buying a copy for myself just so I don't have to worry about spoilers for the next few days till I can get through it, but really it's just not worth the expense to save me a couple of days.
|
|
|
Post by laurelin on Jul 22, 2007 8:56:31 GMT -5
*sob* I can't buy it until payday. Come on Friday! My poor litle pre-ordered copy will have to sit on the shelf and wait for me...
|
|
|
Post by Indagatrix on Jul 22, 2007 9:56:11 GMT -5
Well finished the last 40 pages this morning over scones and coffee (eyes wouldn't stay open around 3 this morning so had to finish over b'fast) -- I liked it -- didn't end how I thought it would -- but hey I ain't no JK Rowling either.
|
|
|
Post by Quintare on Jul 22, 2007 16:00:52 GMT -5
We opened a thread over at the TeG forums for those ppl that want to chat about the book in a place where they don't have to worry about spoiling it.
|
|
|
Post by Eldarion on Jul 23, 2007 9:02:52 GMT -5
The Drawing of the Three by Stephen King.
I've never read any of the Potter books, just seen the five films. But, you know, one or two people in the world may have heard of this Deathly Hallows thing, so I think there's a fair chance of hearing a monumental spoiler or two before the movie version comes out in 2010. So I've reserved Half-Blood Prince at the library. I know that a lot of it won't make sense, starting in the middle like that, but at least I'll be able to follow the main plot line and prep myself for Hallows.
|
|
|
Post by Aeron Serabien on Jul 23, 2007 10:55:32 GMT -5
I'm on chapter 3. Despite the fact that I didn't pay for the release day shipping, Amazon delivered my copy on Saturday while Nightpearl and I were skiing in Oregon. So of course I cracked it open less than an hour after I got home and fired it up. I'm really trying to read it through quickly before the kids at work can spoil it for me. I'm glad to hear that we're all staggered about in our reading so we'll be able to stay spoiler free for a while. Phew!
|
|
|
Post by Fate on Jul 23, 2007 12:11:06 GMT -5
Chapter 26. Hurrying and avoiding news media and stuff until I finish it. I remember I had just finished Half Blood prince when somebody spoiled the ending of it on Jay Leno. All and all a very easy book to NOT put down. So far my wife has been a good sport and not taken it away from me once.
|
|
|
Post by laurelin on Jul 23, 2007 12:58:10 GMT -5
Don't spoil it Don't spoil it Don't spoil it!
*sticks her fingers in her ears* LALALALAAAAA I can't hear you.
won't Friday please hurry up and get here?
|
|
|
Post by Fate on Jul 23, 2007 13:51:16 GMT -5
K. I won't tell you about how Hermionie is carrying Malfoy's love child......
|
|
|
Post by Aeron Serabien on Jul 23, 2007 15:37:18 GMT -5
As I walked out of the office today for lunch, I heard three of the kids talking and before I could avoid it I heard... "I really think that XYZ person should've died when blah blah blah happened." The good news is that XYZ person could die later in the book I suppose. But I walked by them going "LALALALALA I'm on chapter three" and covering my ears with my hands. Probably not the most adult thing to do......
|
|
|
Post by Indagatrix on Jul 23, 2007 18:39:04 GMT -5
K. I won't tell you about how Hermionie is carrying Malfoy's love child...... That's nothing -- Draco get's around -- Did you see where Harry and Draco were caught snogging in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom by Crabb and Goyle-- who were just in there to fix the grow light on their crop....
|
|
|
Post by Eldarion on Jul 23, 2007 22:43:47 GMT -5
Chapter 26, Fate? Jeez, slow down! If it's such a good read it deserves to be savored...
|
|
|
Post by Fate on Jul 24, 2007 7:34:58 GMT -5
Chapter 26, Fate? Jeez, slow down! If it's such a good read it deserves to be savored... Chapter 34......
|
|
|
Post by Fate on Jul 24, 2007 19:18:20 GMT -5
Finished. Pardon the double post. The book's hype did not disappoint. I'm going to start a thread for those who have finished the last Harry Potter book.
|
|