TSF Book Club
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<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="NTA" data-cid="432041" data-time="1401707504">
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<p>If you can't already tell, the author is a piston wristed gibbon.</p>
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<p>All authors are, NTA. Mainly because writing is achieved with caffeine in the morning and alcohol in the evening. When it comes to editing, the caffeine and alcohol process gets reversed.</p> -
<p><a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.amazon.co.uk/Warne-Gideon-Haigh-ebook/dp/B007IL52TS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1403259382&sr=8-1&keywords=on+warne'>http://www.amazon.co.uk/Warne-Gideon-Haigh-ebook/dp/B007IL52TS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1403259382&sr=8-1&keywords=on+warne</a></p>
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<p>For anyone who is a kindle user, in the UK & is interested in Shane Warne, "On Warne" by Gideon Haigh is £1.99 on amazon, I've got it on my phone using the kindle android app & its fricking awesome lengthy morning work shit reading. Great book, stack of awesome insights into Warnie & Waugh & so on.</p>
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<p><a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.amazon.co.uk/Time-Declare-Mark-Taylor-ebook/dp/B008U1PG5A/ref=pd_sim_kinc_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=0Z3GPKMSDTYW7PDA6DGP'>http://www.amazon.co.uk/Time-Declare-Mark-Taylor-ebook/dp/B008U1PG5A/ref=pd_sim_kinc_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=0Z3GPKMSDTYW7PDA6DGP</a></p>
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<p>Mark Taylors book is £1.46, but I'm not an aussie so I couldn't give a boiled turd really, Warne on the oither hand transends cricketing boundaries </p> -
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<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Siam" data-cid="436739" data-time="1403307399">
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<p>Yeah that book by Gideon Haigh is a good one.<br><br>
Gollum have you read the Ed Hawkins book about cricket match fixing , Bookie Gambler Fixer Spy ? Quite illuminating and suggests most of the cricket world don't actually understand how it all works.</p>
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<p>In my wish list, waiting for it to plumet in price. </p> -
<p>[i]Blood Will Out[/i] by Walter Kirn. It's about his "friendship" with "Clark Rockefeller". Entertaining stuff but the writing isn't up to his usual standard - strains a lot for metaphors. I wonder if it was written under a Ritalin influence.<br><br>
The story of John Hawkins is very interesting if you like similar themes.<br><br>
<a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.bardachreports.com/articles/v_19891000.html'>http://www.bardachreports.com/articles/v_19891000.html</a></p> -
<p><span style="font-style:italic;">Authority</span> (2nd book of the <em>Southern Reach</em> trilogy) by Jeff Vandermeer was pretty good. I'd describe it as Ballard-lite sci-fi/surrealist writing.<br><br>
I haven't read the first book of the trilogy yet, but I'd definitely recommend the second.</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Tim" data-cid="437541" data-time="1403552548"><p>
Have heard it's really good. Will have to pick it up.</p></blockquote>
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I just finished it , it's superb . I hope he writes more books, this one obviously took it out of him though as was consumed by writing it. -
<p>Does anyone have any good books about world war one they'd recommend? My son gave me a great book about it a while ago and I'd be keen to read more, not necessarily just from a kiwi perspective -the book my boy gave me was pretty enlightening about the Canadians who seemed to always be sent into the worst places and if theres anything you'd recommend about them I'd be stoked.</p>
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<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="jegga" data-cid="443652" data-time="1407139064">
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<p>Does anyone have any good books about world war one they'd recommend? My son gave me a great book about it a while ago and I'd be keen to read more, not necessarily just from a kiwi perspective -the book my boy gave me was pretty enlightening about the Canadians who seemed to always be sent into the worst places and if theres anything you'd recommend about them I'd be stoked.</p>
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<p><a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.amazon.co.uk/World-War-One-Short-History-ebook/dp/B002RI9QDU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1407144260&sr=8-1&keywords=short+history+world+war+1'>http://www.amazon.co.uk/World-War-One-Short-History-ebook/dp/B002RI9QDU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1407144260&sr=8-1&keywords=short+history+world+war+1</a></p><span style="font-size:12px;"><span style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span>World War One: A Short History by Norman Stone</span></span></span><p>Does exactly what is says on the tin, 180 pages, very easy read, great overview of the whole thing. Really excellent book, you'll either go "thats just what I wanted to know, I'm done". Or it'll set you up to plough through the other 700 page slog fests about it.</p>
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<p>The Sleepwalkers, by Christopher Clark, is great, and huge, but focuses on how the war came about, as opposed to the war itself. Really good read after only ever hearing "Franz Ferdinand got shot, Germany, like utter bastards, invaded the world". </p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="gollum" data-cid="443680" data-time="1407144616">
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<p><a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.amazon.co.uk/World-War-One-Short-History-ebook/dp/B002RI9QDU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1407144260&sr=8-1&keywords=short+history+world+war+1'>http://www.amazon.co.uk/World-War-One-Short-History-ebook/dp/B002RI9QDU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1407144260&sr=8-1&keywords=short+history+world+war+1</a></p>
<span style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">World War One: A Short History by Norman Stone</span>
<p>Does exactly what is says on the tin, 180 pages, very easy read, great overview of the whole thing. Really excellent book, you'll either go "thats just what I wanted to know, I'm done". Or it'll set you up to plough through the other 700 page slog fests about it.</p>
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<p>The Sleepwalkers, by Christopher Clark, is great, and huge, but focuses on how the war came about, as opposed to the war itself. Really good read after only ever hearing "Franz Ferdinand got shot, Germany, like utter bastards, invaded the world". </p>
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<p>Cheers for that, have you read any good books about Germany leading up to the war? From my limited understanding Germany were pretty late to the empire building party and were keen as fuck to show they were as powerful as France and Britain.</p>
<p>I read this at christmas <a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.amazon.co.uk/Berlin-War-Hitlers-Capital-1939-45/dp/0099551896'>http://www.amazon.co.uk/Berlin-War-Hitlers-Capital-1939-45/dp/0099551896</a> it was a great read, some of it was very eye opening- towards the end of the war the nazis rounded up jews that had been to politically sensitive to catch earlier such as husbands of aryans world war one heroes etc. The wives of these guys surround the prison demanded their husbands be released , the guards would come out and shoot into the air and the women would run away and then come back eventually the nazis caved and released them. The story of the jewish hospital and graveyard is particularly odd too.</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="jegga" data-cid="443652" data-time="1407139064">
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<p>Does anyone have any good books about world war one they'd recommend? My son gave me a great book about it a while ago and I'd be keen to read more, not necessarily just from a kiwi perspective -the book my boy gave me was pretty enlightening about the Canadians who seemed to always be sent into the worst places and if theres anything you'd recommend about them I'd be stoked.</p>
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<p><a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.amazon.com/The-First-World-War-Complete/dp/0805076174'>http://www.amazon.com/The-First-World-War-Complete/dp/0805076174</a></p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="jegga" data-cid="443685" data-time="1407146038">
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<p>Cheers for that, have you read any good books about Germany leading up to the war? From my limited understanding Germany were pretty late to the empire building party and were keen as fuck to show they were as powerful as France and Britain.</p>
<p>I read this at christmas <a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.amazon.co.uk/Berlin-War-Hitlers-Capital-1939-45/dp/0099551896'>http://www.amazon.co.uk/Berlin-War-Hitlers-Capital-1939-45/dp/0099551896</a> it was a great read, some of it was very eye opening- towards the end of the war the nazis rounded up jews that had been to politically sensitive to catch earlier such as husbands of aryans world war one heroes etc. The wives of these guys surround the prison demanded their husbands be released , the guards would come out and shoot into the air and the women would run away and then come back eventually the nazis caved and released them. The story of the jewish hospital and graveyard is particularly odd too.</p>
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<p><a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.amazon.co.uk/Iron-Kingdom-Downfall-Prussia-1600-1947-ebook/dp/B002RI9PMM/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1407149952&sr=8-6&keywords=bismarck'>http://www.amazon.co.uk/Iron-Kingdom-Downfall-Prussia-1600-1947-ebook/dp/B002RI9PMM/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1407149952&sr=8-6&keywords=bismarck</a></p>
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<p>This is great, but is a much larger scope. IE its Prussia rising up, unifying Germany etc. It was a bit of a slog, I skipped pretty large chunks that just bored me shitless.</p> -
<p>Just read "He's Back!" by Timur Vermes. It's a satire about Hitler falling asleep at the end of WW2 like Rip Van Winkle and waking up in 2011. People think he's a weird impersonator as he rants Downfall-style on cable TV about dogshit etc which encourages him to go into local politics. Clever and actually funny. It manages to address how, if he was such a mad bastard and nobody was actually a Nazi in 30s Germany he managed to get so many people to vote for him and do the bad things he asked. The style's odd, though. Apparently the author was going after the all-over-the-shop style of Mein Kampf. Worth a go though.</p>
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<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="JC" data-cid="443723" data-time="1407182273"><p>Just read "He's Back!" by Timur Vermes. It's a satire about Hitler falling asleep at the end of WW2 like Rip Van Winkle and waking up in 2011. People think he's a weird impersonator as he rants Downfall-style on cable TV about dogshit etc which encourages him to go into local politics. Clever and actually funny. It manages to address how, if he was such a mad bastard and nobody was actually a Nazi in 30s Germany he managed to get so many people to vote for him and do the bad things he asked. The style's odd, though. Apparently the author was going after the all-over-the-shop style of Mein Kampf. Worth a go though.</p></blockquote>
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That sounds good, you might want to check out HHhH it sounds like it's written along similarly odd lines. Probably the best book I've read this year. -
<p>Has anyone on here read 'Fahrenheit 451'? I have a copy of the movie but have always wanted to read the book first so finally bought an ebook copy. I'm about 5 or 6 pages in. While I find the story to be completely intriguing I find the prose unbearable. It seems to be way over descriptive. </p>
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<p>TBH I'm not a fan of really descriptive writing (Louis de Bernieres is definitely not a favourite writer of mine) and I think once I discovered Hemingway and realised good writing can be short and sharp that these types of (classic) books were ruined for me.</p>
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<p>So if anyone's read it do they really rate it? Enough to suggest I push on through?</p> -
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<p>Has anyone on here read 'Fahrenheit 451'? I have a copy of the movie but have always wanted to read the book first so finally bought an ebook copy. I'm about 5 or 6 pages in. While I find the story to be completely intriguing I find the prose unbearable. It seems to be way over descriptive. </p>
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<p>TBH I'm not a fan of really descriptive writing (Louis de Bernieres is definitely not a favourite writer of mine) and<strong> I think once I discovered Hemingway</strong> and realised good writing can be short and sharp that these types of (classic) books were ruined for me.</p>
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<p>So if anyone's read it do they really rate it? Enough to suggest I push on through?</p>
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<p>Never read it but just finished citizen soldiers by Stephen Ambrose and he didn't hold back about Hemingway who was some sort of war correspondent in France. I had a bit of a chuckle about it because I tried a couple of times to read Ambroses book about Lewis and Clark and its pretty difficult for the same reasons he curses Hemingway. I gave up in the end , I've enjoyed his other books though even if Wild blue had a fair bit plagiarized from someone else.</p> -
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<p>Never read it but just finished citizen soldiers by Stephen Ambrose and he didn't hold back about Hemingway who was some sort of war correspondent in France. I had a bit of a chuckle about it because I tried a couple of times to read Ambroses book about Lewis and Clark and its pretty difficult for the same reasons he curses Hemingway. I gave up in the end , I've enjoyed his other books though even if Wild blue had a fair bit plagiarized from someone else.</p>
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<p>I've got Citizen Soldiers but read it years ago and can't remember what Ambrose said about Hemingway. I've never read Lewis and Clark but I enjoy Ambrose's military books. </p>
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<p>If I remember the Wild Blue controversy it was around him not putting quotations around other writers work but that he did footnote them and provide sources in the endnotes?</p>
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<p>Nepia. It's 40 yrs since I read it but fading recollection suggests it won't reward perseverance</p>
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<p>Hmmm, I might just watch the movie then.</p>
