Petermc - Logbook 2012

For several years I've been a member of the 75ers, but a return to full-time education in 2011 and a new job in a new career in a new town in 2012 means that I can no longer read anywhere like 75 books a year. So here I am... a new home for my book-related lists, idle thoughts, and trips down memory lane; without the pressure of numbers!

I read non-fiction almost exclusively and always have half a dozen books on the go at any one time, and while I don't do formal reviews anymore I'm always happy to respond to any questions people may have about a book.

My physical and virtual libraries run into in excess of 3000 books, and I have no intention of listing them all on the LT database. In fact I made my book list private since, as it stands, it is totally unrepresentative of my actual collection and therefore a misrepresentation of my wide ranging literary tastes and interests.

Enjoy :)

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Current Focus...

The Time Traveller's Guide to Medieval England: A Handbook for Visitors to the Fourteenth Century by Ian Mortimer

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2012 List

January
1. Fried Twinkies, Buckle Bunnies, & Bull Riders: A Year Inside the Professional Bull Riders Tour by Josh Peter
2. Small Man in a Book by Rob Brydon
3. The Checklist Manifesto: How to Get Things Right by Atul Gawande
4. Stuff Parisians Like: Discovering the Quoi in the Je Ne Sais Quoi by Olivier Magny
5. The Memory Chalet by Tony Judt

February
6. The Battle for Iwo Jima by Robert Leckie
7. Paris, Paris: Journey into the City of Light by David Downie
8. Driven to Distraction by Jeremy Clarkson
9. Winston S. Churchill: Youth 1874-1900 by Randolph S. Churchill

March
10. Round the Bend by Jeremy Clarkson
11. Glock: The Rise of America's Gun by Paul M. Barrett
12. 53 Interesting Things to Do in Your Lectures (5th Edition) revised and updated by Anthony Haynes & Karen Haynes

April
13. The Art of Coarse Moving by Michael Green
14. Essays in Love by Alain de Botton
15. Mrs. Kennedy and Me: An Intimate Memoir by Clint Hill

May
16. Master of the Senate: The Years of Lyndon Johnson by Robert A. Caro

June
17. The Audacity to Win: The Inside Story and Lessons of Barack Obama's Historic Victory by David Plouffe
18. The Amateur: Barack Obama in the White House by Edward Klein
19. Mustang Genesis: The Creation of the Pony Car by Robert A. Fria

July
20. Burning Rubber: The Extraordinary Story of Formula One by Charles Jennings
21. Once Upon a Car: The Fall and Resurrection of America's Big Three Auto Makers--GM, Ford, and Chrysler by Bill Vlasic
22. American Icon: Alan Mulally and the Fight to Save Ford Motor Company by Bryce G. Hoffman

August
23. 1066: the Hidden History of the Bayeux Tapestry by Andrew Bridgeford
24. Bosworth 1485: The Psychology of a Battle by Michael K. Jones
25. Classic Video Games: The Golden Age, 1971-1984 by Brian R. Eddy

September
26. The Geeks Shall Inherit the Earth: Popularity, Quirk Theory, and Why Outsiders Thrive After High School by Alexandra Robbins
27. Knives on the Cutting Edge: The Great Chefs' Dining Revolution by Bob Macdonald
28. A Hedonist in the Cellar: Adventures in Wine by Jay McInerney

October
29. Wine - a Gentleman's Game: The Adventures of an Amateur Winemaker Turned Professional by Mark Miller
30. Lovesick Japan: Sex, Marriage, Romance, Law by Mark D. West

November
31. The Passage of Power: The Years of Lyndon Johnson by Robert A. Caro

Here is a look at the books I completed in 2011.

You'll no doubt note that the list is dominated by automotive-related books. This is due to the fact I bought a 1965 Mustang during the year, and scored a job lot on an excellent collection of Jeremy Clarkson books (more to come). And what with full-time post-graduate study, I was also rather inclined to keep the reading matter fairly light.

Logbook 2011
The Path to Power (The Years of Lyndon Johnson, Volume 1) by Robert A. Caro
Means of Ascent (The Years of Lyndon Johnson, Volume 2) by Robert Caro
Leviathans of Jupiter by Ben Bova
How to Land an A330 Airbus: And Other Vital Skills for the Modern Man by James May
It's All About the Bike: The Pursuit of Happiness on Two Wheels by Rob Penn
Harry Truman's Excellent Adventure by Matthew Algeo
Collector's Originality Guide Mustang 1964 1/2 - 1966 by Colin Date
Car Fever: The Car Bore's Essential Companion by James May
My Other Wife Is a Car by John M. Wright
I Am Ozzy by Ozzy Osbourne and Chris Ayres
A Week at the Airport by Alain de Botton
101 Whiskies to Try Before You Die by Ian Buxton
Jeremy Clarkson's Motorworld by Jeremy Clarkson
Clarkson on Cars by Jeremy Clarkson
Born To Be Riled by Jeremy Clarkson
The World According To Clarkson by Jeremy Clarkson
I Know You Got Soul by Jeremy Clarkson
And Another Thing... by Jeremy Clarkson
Don't Stop Me Now!! by Jeremy Clarkson
For Crying Out Loud! by Jeremy Clarkson
How Hard Can It Be? by Jeremy Clarkson

You're probably too busy to post in multiple groups, but you might also want to keep an eye on the Non-Fiction Challenge / Journal group.

Well why not? NF is my thing after all! Copied and pasted :)

It's nice to see you here, Peter!

Thank you Cait :)

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I must confess a certain degree of embarrassment as I read over my threads of years past. As every new book passes through my hands, unbridled ebullience invariably replaces common sense as I slip between the hard covers and passionately declare myself enthralled and captivated before being seduced by the sweet promises of the next pretty dust jacket that catches my roving eye. I'm nothing but a bookshop trollop! A doxy, a harlot, a hussy! I have learnt my lesson. So, here is a list of recent aquisitions (in no particular order) which may or may not be read this calendar year as per my whim.

IQ84 by Haruki Murikami
Murikami and I go back a long way although I didn't read Kafka on the Shore, but found the first chapter of this to be quite engaging at the airport recently.

The Captains: The Story Behind Australia’s Second Most Important Job by Malcolm Knox
A great title and a fascinating look at Australian cricket through the prism of its captaincy.

Tintin: the Complete Companion by Michael Farr
Missed out on this when it was originally published in 2001, then saw the prices of out-of-print copies soar.

Australians: Origins to Eureka by Thomas Keneally
Australians: Eureka to the Diggers by Thomas Keneally
Volume 1 and 2 of Keneally's new history of Australia, albeit in parts lifted from previous works.

Hitler's Hangman: The Life of Heydrich by Robert Gerwarth
Heinrich Himmler: A Life by Peter Longerich
Published within a week of each other, these new biographies have been reviewed very favourably.

King's Counsellor: Abdication and War: The Diaries of Sir Alan Lascelles edited by Duff Hart-Davis
Promises to be a very interesting look at Churchill's relationship with the King.

Winston S. Churchill, Volume 1: Youth, 1874-1900 by Randolph S. Churchill (Hillsdale College Press edition)
Thought it was about time to tackle the huge, many-volumed official biography... one book at a time.

ANZAC Fury: The Bloody Battle of Crete 1941 by Peter Thompson
Another in Thompson's FURY series, and one I wanted to read given my own research into the ANZAC experience in Crete in 1941

What It Is Like to Go to War by Karl Marlantes
Have Malantes' fictional Matterhorn: A Novel of the Vietnam War, so thought it worthwhile to grab his recent NF effort as he comes to terms with the whole experience.

Terrific to see you here! I just simply avoided the 75ers last in an effort to not get overwhelmed, which meant I lost track of many great threads, but your does stand out as very much missed. Looking forward to following along here this year. Best of luck with the post-grad and the Mustang.

I thought that Martin Gilbert's life of Churchill was the 'official one.' Note the scarequotes; I'm not exactly sure I know what that means. I think I got the notion from William Manchester's two volumes on Churchill.

Robert

#7 Daniel - Long time no hear! Don't worry, you haven't missed much. Last time we chatted I was living in Japan and easily completing 75+ books a year. Then, in 2011, we moved back to Australia, where I started my Graduate Diploma in Education, and reading dropped down to under 25 books per annum. I graduated last month, and tomorrow we hop on an airplane so I can take up my new position as a senior physics and science teacher at a high school in a medium-sized rural town. I'm looking at maybe 25 books again this year, but it wil be nice to do it in the cozier confines of Club Read :)

#8 Mr.Durick - Martin Gilbert took over from Churchill's son, Randolph S. Winston, after Volume 2 of the 'official' biography Randolph was writting. The first volume was published in 1966, and many are now out of print and can be expensive to acquire. However, praise those wonderful people at Hillsdale College Press, who, starting in 2006, set out to publish the complete 30 volume set. The majority of these are companion volumes of letters and other Churchill corrospondence.

For a one volume biography Martin Gilbert has given us Churchill: A Life. For those who don't want to read the 8-volume 'official' bio., we have William Manchester's "The Last Lion" trilogy. The first two are The Last Lion: Winston Spencer Churchill, Visions of Glory covering 1874-1932, and The Last Lion: Winston Spencer Churchill, Alone covering 1932-1940, and are widely considered to be excellent. Manchester died in 2004 before he was able to finish the third and last volume in the triology, The Last Lion: Winston Spencer Churchill, Defender of the Realm covering 1940–1965, but it is now being completed by his friend Paul Reid, and is apparantly due for publication in 2012.

Completed

Fried Twinkies, Buckle Bunnies, & Bull Riders: A Year Inside the Professional Bull Riders Tour by Josh Peter
If I had to name one of my guilty little pleasures, it would be sitting down in front of the television on a weekend and watching the PBR tour; so this little gem from sports jornalist Josh Peter really clicked with me. And together with his easy-going prose it proved to be a lightning quick read. As the blub says: "Josh Peter captures the high drama of the sport and introduces readers to a culture that's rife with colorful characters: the courageous riders chasing their dreams, the scouts, breeders, love-struck groupies, and a few of those very angry bulls." My only criticism is that despite the title he didn't profile any buckle bunnies to gain some insight and perspective there. Whether you follow the PBR tour or not, this book deserves your attention.

You can read excerpts online at the book's homepage: http://www.friedtwinkies.com/

10: Oookay, I'll let that be one of the many things in this big wide world that aren't for me.

Happy New Year!

Welcome to the group, Peter! I'm glad that you've decided to join us here, and in qebo's Non-Fiction Challenge.

#11 qebo - Happy New Year. Indeed, Happy New Year to all :)

#12 Darryl - Glad to be here. I see you're reading 1Q84. I'll watch with interest as this is also marked as my next read (read below).

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Was all set to read 1Q84 after "Fried Twinkies" (see #10 above), but my sister (visiting from the UK for New Year), knowing how much I enjoyed the recent BBC2 series The Trip starring Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon, gave me a copy of Rob Brydon's autobiography, Small Man in a Book, published in October 2011 (Fans of Brydon will understand the title). I've loved Brydon's work for some time now, so was thrilled to get this. In fact, it went straight to the top of pile TBR! Two chapters in and, as you might guess, I'm loving it!

Deeply Impressed...........

1. Saw the 2005 french film "13 Tzameti" yesterday and was deeply impressed.

2. Enrolled the elder of my two boys in a private Catholic school today. Something I never envisaged doing, but after touring the school and talking with the principle I was impressed - deeply!

3. Will finish Small Man in a Book by Rob Brydon tonight or tomorrow, and have been.... yep!.... impressed in a way that is quite deep.

#14 - My two oldest girls go to private Catholic school as well and while we like the school we continually go back and forth about them continuing there. Sometimes I miss the days when the only decision I had to make was what kind of beer to buy for the weekend.

Hi Peter! Hope you enjoy this group. I too am a mostly nonfiction reader, but my list is quite different from yours. But that shouldn't surprise in view of the thousands of choices out there. At any rate, welcome!

I agree with you on "13 Tzameti" and how much better it is for being shot in black and white.

#15 Mike - "Sometimes I miss the days when the only decision I had to make was what kind of beer to buy for the weekend"

I feel a song coming on. Sing with me Mike :)

"Once upon a time there was a tavern
Where we used to raise a glass or two
Remember how we laughed away the hours
And think of all the great things we would do

Those were the days, my friend
We thought they'd never end
We'd sing and dance forever and a day
We'd live the life we choose
We'd fight and never lose
For we were young and sure to have our way..."

#16 Suzanne - Thank you for the welcome. I've just been visiting your thread and you've got quite a list. Different from mine, but fascinating none the less. Will be keeping an eye out for your reviews.

#17 baswood - All the better for being in B&W too. I'm saddened to see the 'Hollywood' version (2010) is in colour. Reviews I've read support my suspicions that it just doesn't have the atmosphere of the original. Being rather partial to French films, I saw another just last week - Pierre Salvadori's Hors de prix (Priceless). A wonderful romantic comedy from 2006 starring the delectable Audrey Tautou. As a fan of Breakfast at Tiffany's this really was a treat. Still to watch in my French collection, I have the following films: Michael Haneke's Hidden (2005), Antony Cordier's Cold Showers (2005), Jean-Paul Rouve's The Easy Way (2008), and Philippe Claudel's I've loved you so long (2008). Tried to watch Claude Chabrol's Inspector Bellamy (2009) the other day - not my thing, didn't finish it!

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Completed Small Man in a Book - small review pending (no pun intended - ho, ho), and was about to statt 1Q84, but a little thing called a New Year Resolution kept nagging at me, which was - "I will finish the books I've already started." So, I am currently a quarter the way through The Checklist Manifesto by Atul Gawande, which I'm really enjoying and can't quite understand why I didn't see it through to begin with. After that, I'll finish off another delightful little book, which lends itself to pick-up-put-down reading: Stuff Parisians Like: Discovering the Quoi in the Je Ne Sais Quoi by Magny Olivier.

Hollywood remakes rarely improve on the original. I think I might have seen Hors de Prix recently, but I am never too sure. I watch the french films in their original language and as my french is not great I miss some things, but I love the way they look.

Fellow Australian science teacher says G'day. Good luck with the new job. May all your students be interested and enthusiastic!

#19 baswood - I like to flatter myself that I can understand without subtitles, but if anyone tested me I'd soon be found out!

#20 pamelad - Thanks :)

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Enjoying The Checklist Manifesto and should be finished tomorrow. In my effort to finish all the books I never finished (unless it was because they were crap!), I'll have to start unpacking boxes. Trouble with this is - in six months time we're moving. Again! Now we've had time to explore the area, we've discovered a picturesque little country town about 30 minutes away that immediately screamed 'home.' I'm more than willing to drive the extra hour each day and use that time constructively - audiobooks!

Completed

Small Man in a Book by Rob Brydon
English comedian Rob Brydon leads us through his struggles to become a popular comedy actor. From stops and starts in radio to shopping channel host to warm-up man to successful voice over artist, Brydon, yet unfulfilled, finally made it in comedy through his masterful impersonations and his skills as an observer of the human condition. Success also relies on just a little luck, and there's a bit of that as well. But what shines through most of all is Brydon's sheer perseverance. If you're a fan, you'll love it. If you've never heard of Brydon, you might just become enamored enough to hit YouTube after (or even before) reading this. I loved it (but I was a fan to begin with!).

The Checklist Manifesto: How to Get Things Right by Atul Gawande
Author of Complications: A Surgeon's Notes on an Imperfect Science and Better: A Surgeon's Notes on Performance, Atul Gawande leads us through the art and benefits of the 'checklist'. Through his remarkably successful work worldwide with WHO in developing checklists to reduce the risk of complications and death in the operating theater or as a result of surgery, Gawande is well placed to explore the way in which checklists can benefit everyone; with stories from the aviation industry, finance, and of course medicine. Eloquent is the only word to describe Gawande's writing. This book will have you thinking how you can incorporate checklists in your life.

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Now reading: Stuff Parisians Like: Discovering the Quoi in the Je Ne Sais Quoi by Magny Olivier

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Stalled books still to come (maybe*):
- Master of the Senate: The Years of Lyndon Johnson by Robert Caro
- Christianity: The First Three Thousand Years by Diarmaid MacCulloch
- Hell's Gate: The Battle of the Cherkassy Pocket, January-February 1944 by Douglas E. Nash

* There is the little matter of a new job to contend with, starting next week, and a conference to fly to this weekend. Reading is about to sloooooooooooooooooooooooow down considerably. Eek!

Saw a Crested Hawk today - a first for my Australian bird list. A beautiful raptor, and quickly and easily identified with the help of my 1980 hardback edition of A Field Guide to the Birds of Australia by Graham Pizzey, given to me by my dearly departed grandfather in 1981. There is a new edition out now. It differs in that the pictures, maps and descriptions appear opposite each other throughout the book. My old copy has all the pictures confined to a central group of plates - a format I much much prefer and the reason (other than sentimental) I keep this book as my primary, in fact ONLY, Australian bird guide.

Also visited a nearby wetlands bird reserve this afternoon, driving my trusty little hatchback down dusty corrugated dirt and gravel roads, through a small stream that crossed a dip in the road; passing through the gates to the reserve, open in spite of the signs declaring the reserve as closed for the wet season. I thought it worth checking out anyway. Satisfied with my explorations, imagine my shock on the return journey to find that same gate closed and locked with large chains and padlocks. Sticking a foot through a cattle grate as I wrestled with the locks, I now had a muddy, wet sneaker as well. With my older son, who doesn't deal well in situations like this, crying his poor heart out, I tried the mobile phone, but got no reception. So, heading off into the bush, one foot squelching, both turning black with soot from a recent bush fire, past the towering termite mounds, I thought I would follow the new barbed wire fence in the hope of finding a less substantially secured exit (to no avail). Some distance later, with the cries of my wife carried faintly to me on a hot summer breeze, I rushed back. A large 4WD had arrived (a local) and had unlocked the gates for himself (and us). Luck! Embarrassing!

I was duly lectured by my dear wife to never ignore "closed for the wet season" signs again, but my mother-in-law, visiting from Japan, was happy to have seen her first wild Emus and Black Swans. My son is still traumatized by the whole experience.

Great story peter,

A great story. I'll bet your son remembers this one. : )

Recent reads completed:

Stuff Parisians Like: Discovering the Quoi in the Je Ne Sais Quoi by Magny Olivier
Sommelier, TV presenter, best selling author and small business owner, Magny Oliver, has written a book full of biting wit and cutting humour that disects and lays bare what it is to be Parisian. Originaly published in French as Dessine moi un parisien, you can expect the occasional odd turn of phrase but this does not detract from the enjoyment this book provides the dedicated Francophile. Each 2-3 page chapter examines some aspect of the Parisian's character, ending with a French phrase to help you sound more Parisian, and a word of advice from the author. Great book!

The Memory Chalet by Tony Judt
I loved this book! A different type of memoir presented as a series of essays, arranged in parts according to theme. Perhaps at it's most powerful when he explores themes of education, austerity and identity. Judt was paralyzed when he dictated this book, having since died of the terminal disease ALS that had made him a prisoner within his own body. Judt talks about this as well and you can't help but be moved. This is a book I know I'll be coming back to again and again. My copy is already bristling with bookmarks indicating passages worth remembering. Highly recommended.

The Memory Chalet has been sitting on my wishlist for about a year now. Thanks for reminding me that I should really go out, get it and find a time to read it.

Stuff Parisians like sounds like good fun. I am so much a Francophile I have ended up living in the country, not in Paris though.

Stuff Parisians Like sounds like a good book for me to read before I (finally) go there later this year. Onto the wish list it goes.

The Memory Chalet was one of my favorite books from 2011. I haven't read anything else by him yet, so thanks for the reminder to revisit him.

#27 Daniel - I was surprised at how quickly I got through The Memory Chalet and recommend you elevate this one up the reading list.

#28 baswood - As one Francophile to another - I am seriously jealous!

#29 Darryl - A book like Stuff Parisians Like is always going to suffer from generalisations, but I did find it enlightening, but more importantly: entertaining!

As for Judt, I have his books Postwar and Ill Fares the Land; and I was convinced I had Reappraisals: Reflections on the Forgotten Twentieth Century, but for the life of me - I CAN NOT FIND IT! It's driving me crazy!

Tony Judt's final book (with Timothy Snyder) Thinking the Twentieth Century will be released Feb. 2nd. Needless to say - I'll be geting it :)

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Lucky the computer has batteries - We've been in a blackout for over 1 hour! Such is the wet season here in Far North Queensland.

HEY HEY - just as I finished that sentence the lights came back on.

Stuff Parisians Like sounds like I book I would enjoy. Thanks!

Your comments about The Memory Chalet remind me of that movie a couple of years ago The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, based on a book by a Frenchman, Jean-Dominique Bauby. Are you familiar, and any similarity?

#31 Poquette - I'm sorry to say I'm not familiar with the book or movie, but I've just been reading a few reviews and I certainly try and get myself a copy.

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Completed: The Battle for Iwo Jima by Robert Leckie
A fairly short book, so it doen't go too deeply into any person's or unit's story, but as an overview it's a very worthy read. I have most of Robert Leckie's books on the Pacific War, but this is the first I've read. As for other books on Iwo Jima in my possession (aslso unread), I have Nightmare on Iwo Jima: A Marine in Combat by Patrick F. Carus, and The Quiet Hero: The untold medal of honor story of George E. Wahlen at the Battle for Iwo Jima by Gary W. Toyn. As for books that cover Iwo Jima, amongst other Pacific War battles - too many to mention.

Started: Paris, Paris: Journey into the City of Light by David Downie
Another one for the Francophiles, and another collection of essays (see Stuff Parisians Like above), but with a different flavour and focus. Lyrical, reflective, reverential are just three adjectives to describe Downie's tours of Paris which take on a slightly different air to the standard tourist spiel. I've only gotten through work these last few days knowing this book was waiting for me at home :)

Ongoing: Winston S. Churchill: Youth 1874-1900 by Randal S. Churchill
If you're a fan of Churchill like me, then you'll love this book. Nuff said!

Browsing: The Gargoyles of Notre-Dame: Medievalism and the Monsters of Modernity by Michael Camille
A fascinating look at the modern 'medieval' gargoyles of Notre-Dame.

Just joined this group, so going way back to # 14, 17 and 18, Tzameti 13 was an incredible movie and it is so good to find other people who have actually seen it, let alone enjoyed it. On a much lighter note, but also a good film, La Femme Nikita also should never have been Americanized, if that is a word.

#33 SassyLassy - Welcome to the group! When I think back on all the 'americanized' versions of foreign films I've seen, there isn't one that stands out in my mind as being worthy of the original. More often than not it's the spirit / atmosphere of the original that suffers most -even those employing the original director!

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Currently halfway through both Winston S. Churchill: Youth 1874-1900 and Paris, Paris: Journey into the City of Light.

The David Downie book is fantastic.. . it has me biting at the bit to revisit every one of the locations I thought I knew prety well! Now, as a rule I don't read fiction, but Downie has convinced me to try Emile Zola, so I've picked up a book (the only one I could find locally) in the Les Rougon-Macquart series; namely the Oxford edition of The Belly of Paris as translated by Brian Nelson (former professor of French Studies at Monash University, Melbourne). Acording to wiki, Nelson is currently translating the first book in this series, The Fortune of the Rougons, also for Oxford World's Classics.

Such is the rate that I buy books that I often forget what I actually own (since getting the Kindle I usually add between 5-10 books a week to my collection!). And as I haven't uploaded 99.9% my collection into LT, I'm totally reliant on memory as to what I do have. Normally, my memory would be aided by a quick glance at my bookcases, but with all the moving, 99.9% (again) of my collection is still in boxes (or on disk). So, having recently read David Downie's chapter on Coco Chanel in Paris, Paris: Journey into the City of Light, I was left with the nagging suspicion that I had, late last year, purchased a bio on that very same fashion icon, but couldn't be absolutely sure.

Digging through the ceiling high piles of boxes this evening, I discovered TWO! Then I remembered... after reading the fascinating December, 2011, article in The New York Times, The Many Faces of Coco, I'd ordered both Sleeping With The Enemy: Coco Chanel's Secret War by Hal Vaughan, and Coco Chanel: An Intimate Life by Lisa Chaney. I didn't bother with the third book in that article, Coco Chanel: The Legend and The Life by Justine Picardie.

The books hadn't even been opened - straight from mailbox to packing box - we were just about to move to take up my new job. So, when will I read them? Who knows... when I retire?... but tellingly, I have left Vaughan's book by the bedside table.

>35 petermc: Such is the rate that I buy books that I often forget what I actually own

This is exactly why I was so excited to find Library Thing. I had been thinking it was time to catalog my books because I had just found not one, but two titles of which I had exact duplicate copies. And I know what you mean about the Kindle. I have more than 150 books on mine — most of which were free downloads from Project Gutenberg, but it is getting ridiculous!

Sounds like you are the go-to man for info on Coco Chanel. ;-)

I have two French films about Coco Channel on my hard drive.

#35 - very entertaining post. I picture you drowning books...of course, in my image, the electronic books take on some kind of physical form.

>35 petermc: I sympathize completely. During one really hectic work period, I bought the Ho Chi Minh biography in two different cities within three weeks, each time thinking wow, what a great find. It's not everyone you can palm the second 750+ page copy off on. Not nearly as glamourous as Coco, whom I sure lots of friends would appreciate!

Hey guys - glad to see I'm not alone :)

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Having just completed Paris, Paris: Journey into the City of Light by David Downie, I thought I'd take a break from France and open something completely different. So today, not being well and having taken a day off work, I spent the whole day in bed with Jeremy Clarkson!

Having read most of his books (see the list below - all completed last year), I was thrilled to have recently taken delivery of two more; namely Driven to Distraction (2009) and Round The Bend (2011). I've started with Driven to Distraction and am enjoying it immensely. In fact, as soon as I've posted this I'm going straight back to bed... Jeremy's waiting to tickle my funny bone :o

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Clarkson books completed in 2011...

Jeremy Clarkson's Motorworld (1996)
Clarkson on Cars (1996)
Born To Be Riled (1999)
The World According To Clarkson (2004)
I Know You Got Soul (2005)
And Another Thing... (2006)
Don't Stop Me Now!! (2007)
For Crying Out Loud! (2008)
How Hard Can It Be? (2010)

Completed both Driven to Distraction by Jeremy Clarkson, and Winston S. Churchill: Youth 1874-1900 by Randal S. Churchill.

Am expecting volume 2 of the Churchill bio any day now, and I can't wait! Meanwhile, I'm getting my Clarkson fix with his latest collection of Sunday Mail automotive columns in Round the Bend which picks up were Driven to Distraction left off.

In other news, the book buying goes on unabated. For example... recently picked up Napoleonic Friendship: Military Fraternity, Intimacy, and Sexuality in Nineteenth-Century France, which got interesting reviews in the journals Modern & Contemporary France (Volume 20, Issue 1, 2012), and French History (Volume 25, Issue 3, 2011).

Curious what you'll find in Napoleonic Friendship.

#42 - Myself included ;)

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Well, volume 2 in the 'official' Churchill biography landed on my doorstep yesterday, as well as two volumes of the accompanying 'Documents' series, which contain the full length documents (letters, articles, etc...) that are quoted only as extracts within the biographical volumes. As the 'documents' series are massive tomes in their own right, and as I intend to read every one, the complete 30-volume set (bio's and documents) is going to be a labour of love that will see me through many a late night for a year (or more) to come.

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As for my reading over the last few days... Contemplating a new pre-loved car to add to my stable, and have spent much of my time pouring over car reviews. I'll need to take a break however, as I'm completely smitten by the Range Rover Vogue, and am no longer thinking objectively!

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My son, now in Prep., has finally started bringing home books from his school library. I'm afraid however that his latest choice The Wishing Cupboard by Libby Hathorn, did not float my boat at all.

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The Good Book: A Humanist Bible by A. C. Grayling, is a book recently added to my collection. The concept is intriguing...

"...a non-religious Bible, drawn from the wealth of secular literature and philosophy in both Western and Eastern traditions, using the same techniques of editing, redaction, and adaptation that produced the holy books of the Judaeo-Christian and Islamic religions."

Unfortunately, I'm finding the whole think just a little too gimicky and may need some time to come around.

Glock: The Rise of America's Gun by Paul M. Barrett
Being in the market for a new handgun, and considering one of the fourth generation Glocks, I just had to read this... and I'm glad I did! There are plenty of reviews out there on this book, so I'm not going to waste valuable reading time writing another one. Instead, I'll point readers to Our Favorite Weapon (fom The New York Times Sunday Book Review), which is excellent at capturing the book's strengths and weaknesses. Despite whatever weaknesses this book has however, it's Barrett's reporting on the corporate shenanigans and human dramas that make this book a fascinating and compulsive read.

... and do I still want to buy a Glock after reading the book? Hmmmm.... I've wavered, but in a strange way, when all is said and done, the gun's history has somehow added to its allure!

Note: When this book was published (January, 2012) the court case against former Glock executive Paul Jannuzzo was still pending. The case has now been heard (it ended last week), and Jannuzzo has been found guilty of racketeering and theft. As he awaits sentence - a possible jail term of up to 30 years - this book has never been more timely. To find out more about the case you can read the following article which appeared in Corporate Counsel yesterday (March 9, 2012): Jury Foreman Explains Glock GC Guilty Verdict.

I was unaware of all the background stuff going on at Glock, I'll have to take a look at this book.

I've been carrying a Glock for almost 22 years and have nothing bad to say about it, so I guess you can consider that an endorsement.

Peter, it would be unusual to own a handgun in Australia. Do you have to be a member of a gun club? What are you going to use it for?

#45 Mike - I'll take that as an endoresement :)

#46 pamelad - Yes, you're right. Laws, attitudes and gun culture are all vastly different here in Australia than in the USA. I've been a member of gun clubs (on and off) since junior high school, starting off with rifles and then moving on to handguns. Now that I'm back in Australia (after a 10-year gun-free life in Japan), and having finally settled into my new job, I've been itching to get back into the sport! Seems as good a time as any. And yes, it's target shooting all the way.

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True to my new-year resolution to finish off half-completed books, I've picked up where I left off (chapter 24) in volume three of Robert A. Caro's The Years of Lyndon Johnson series, Master of the Senate: The Years of Lyndon Johnson. I put this book aside when I was packing for the trip home from Japan. As such, it's been in a packing box for over a year, but it only feels like days! Looking back over the previous chapters, I find I remember them almost perfectly. If that isn't a testament to the quality of the book, then I don't know what is. I loved the first two volumes, and I'm truly reveling in my return to volume three.

You're the first person I've "met" who has also read the Caro series. You're right; it is excellent and they are books I keep returning to for reference when reading other books about this period.

#48 SassyLassy - You know, there are very few books in this world to which I could genuinely say to have felt "privileged" to read. Caro's "The Years of Lyndon Johnson" series is one!

GREAT NEWS - Volume 4, The Passage of Power: The Years of Lyndon Johnson, is due to hit the shelves soon - May 1st. This will cover the period 1958 to 1964. Volume 4 has been a long time in the making - decades! The first volume was published in 1982. Let's hope and prey that the fifth (and final) volume will not be far behind. According to this news article, we may have only 2 or 3 years to wait :)

And while I wait... I have Taking Charge: The Johnson White House Tapes 1963-1964 to sate my appetite, and when I finish that, Reaching for Glory: Lyndon Johnson's Secret White House Tapes, 1964-1965!

#49 - I guess I better get started on the first book.

>49 petermc: That is great news and thanks for the link! It is amazing to someone following US politics from the outside, how things went from a Senate like Johnson's to the current situation. It just makes you keep following things to see what will happen next.

#50 Mike - No hurry. Personally, I'm glad I didn't discover this series back in 1982 with the publication of volume 1. It would have been too long between drinks.

#51 SassyLassy - Amen!

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My son brought back a delightful children's book from the school library on Friday. Are we there yet? by Alison Lester is a superbly written and illustrated book following a family's camping holiday around Australia. For anyone who's traveled Australia, this book will bring back a flood of memories; and for my son, it has instilled a desire to follow 8-year old Grace's example and see the country for himself. And I was only too eager to agree - I've promised to get the Range Rover I've been drooling over and hit the road when he's turned 8 himself; while my wife is rejoicing (rather too much I think) in the idea of taking a 2-month break from all of us - she doesn't do road-trips! :)

P.S. The book also features the small country town we currently live in, which thrilled my little guy no end!

53 Interesting Things to Do in Your Lectures (5th Edition) Revised and updated by Anthony Haynes and Karen Haynes
Being a classroom teacher, books like this one tend to come across my desk every now and again. Most I flick through, but this one, being short (138 pages) and to the point (each of the 53 items being only a page or two long), made me want to take it home.

This is actually an 'old' book, first published in 1984, but now fully revised and updated for 2012 (5th Edition) by Anthony Haynes and Karen Haynes of The Professional and Higher Partnership Ltd. The publisher's forward says it all...

Now that the original authors have retired from teaching, we are very pleased to have acquired from them the rights to this and other titles from that series. Much of the original material remains fresh and helpful. We have, however, revised and updated the text where appropriate. In four places (items 10, 14, 30 and 36), the original text has been replaced wholesale.

Each of the 53 "intersting things" are arranged within 8 chapters that are structured logically and build upon each other. Namely...

Chapter 1 Structuring the process
Chapter 2 Improving students’ notes
Chapter 3 Using handouts
Chapter 4 Structuring and summarising content
Chapter 5 Linking lectures
Chapter 6 Holding attention
Chapter 7 Active learning during lectures
Chapter 8 Checking on learning

And all 53 points, while not being revolutionary (you've heard them all before at some stage) make good and practical sense! While the way the book is laid out, gives the reader a wider, more holistic, understanding of the bigger picture. Of course, to implement them, and give maximum benefit to your students, will take time and effort. But all worthwhile things do.

I enjoyed this book, but was shocked by just how few of these "worthwhile" ideas I was actually implementing! So I have embarked, with firm determination, to putting many of the items into practice; linking lectures and transitioning between activities were personal weak points that I've definitely improved upon as a result. I should also point out, that although I'm only a high school teacher (not the tertiary education lecturer this book may have been aimed at), the issues and ideas covered in this book are just as pertinent.

Other books in this series are...

53 interesting things to do in your seminars and tutorials
53 interesting ways of helping your students to study

I look forward to reading those as well.

Could do better then peter

>53 petermc: Nice review, Peter. I'll look for this book, as I give 1-2 90 minute lectures to the first year physician assistant students at the medical school every year, and would like some tips on how I can improve my talks.

#54 baswood - Yep (hangs head in shame). There's always room for improvement!

#55 Darryl - Thanks. Defintely worth a look, if only to get you thinking more critically about your own teaching.

Still reading Master of the Senate by Robert A. Caro, and after completing his empassioned chapter on slavery and the civil rights movement I just had to elevate The Race Beat: The Press, the Civil Rights Struggle, and the Awakening of a Nation by Gene Roberts up the reading list, and with it: Slavery by Another Name: The Re-Enslavement of Black Americans from the Civil War to World War II by Douglas A. Blackmon.

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As I prepare my physics lessons for the new term, I've been spending a lot of time with my nose stuck in 21st Century Astronomy (Full Third Edition) by Jeff Hester et al. A great book at many levels, as is another (more mathematically focused) favourite (affectionately known as the Big Orange Book), An Introduction to Modern Astrophysics (2nd Edition) by Bradley W. Carroll and Dale A. Ostlie.

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Curently reading my son Mr Chicken goes to Paris (Monsieur Poulet va a Paris) by Leigh Hobbs. A delightful picture book that was shortlisted for the Children's Book Council of Australia (CBCA) Picture Book of the Year 2010. My son is now proudly practicing his new (albeit limited) French vocabulary at every opportunity :)

Hi, Peter! Sounds like the 53 Interesting Things to do in your Lectures was a really useful read!

Slavery by another Name is one that's been on my "to read" list for a while. I'll be interested in your comments when you get to it.

>57 petermc: I read Slavery by Another Name earlier this year and thought it was an incredible, although disturbing book. I will look forward to your comments on it.

#58-59 - Thanks for dropping by! You know, I first came across Slavery by Another Name while commuting to work in Tokyo. Every morning, an African-American gentleman would board the same carriage I took, often sit opposite me, and read this book. I always wanted to ask him what his thoughts on it were, but I never had the courage.

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Today, I've been reading the February 2012 edition of Classic and Sports Car magazine from the UK, which has always been a favourite, and is only one of two magazines that I buy on a regular basis (the other being Mustang Monthly from the USA). If I have any spare cash, I'll occasionally fork out for the UK edition of Top Gear magazine, if only for the columns written by Clarkson, Hammond and May.

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Am currently on page 770 of Master of the Senate

Downloaded Portrait Of Myself by Margaret Bourke-White. Published in 1963, this is available in the public domain. As "the first female war correspondent and the first woman to be allowed to work in combat zones during World War II," this should make for interseting reading.

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Bought my son How Big is Big? by Gretel Watson & Yr 1-2 Curl Curl North Public School. I instantly fell in love with this book, and while it contains some concepts way beyond my prep-aged son, he loves it too. Plus, it was only $3.99 from QBD - Bargain!!!!

Alice Through The Alphabet by Timothy Webb, is another absolute bargain (also from QBD). Amazing illustrations with anyone who's anyone in the Disney stable landing a supporting role. For every letter there is a double page spread (with the story told in rhyme and it's facing corrosponding illustration); the majority of the rhyme for each letter starting with that letter (e.g. For S: "A sudden stir had surfaced where the Seven Drawfs had slept.")

The Art of Coarse Moving by Michael Green
In 2008 Christopher Fowler of The Independent started a series of articles on "Forgotten Authors," which make for fascinating reading (see links below) and will eventually appear in book form. Today, I want to highlight Forgotten authors No 53: Michael Green.

When and how the 1977 TV tie-in* paperback of Michael Green's book The Art of Coarse Moving came into my possession is a complete mystery to me; but I know it must have been in the late 70s, and I know I have always counted it amongst my favourites in the humour genre. Well, a few days ago I rediscovered this 'forgotten' gem in one of my old boxes (unpacked since leaving home in the mid 80s) and idly started rereading it. I was hooked (once more), and find it all the more humourous now as my wife and I are also looking to get out of the rent rut and into our own home!

Presented in diary format, this book follows the traumatic experiences of a 40-something newspaper editor and his wife as they make the momentous decision to get out of a lifetime of rental accommodation and buy their own home**, dealing with the frustration of bureaucracy, dodgy builders, and heartless banks. Has anything changed since this book was first published in 1969?

I remember when I read it all those years ago that I just had to read the rest of the books in Michael Green's "Coarse" series (see list below), but in the pre-internet age if it wasn't in the local book shop or library then that was it! Needless to say, I found none of his books in my local book shop or library. Now, thank goodness for Amazon, AbeBooks and their ilk!

My advice - search out these old classics. The once prolific Michael Green deserves to be removed from the forgotten authors list.

* The BBC One 8-episode television adaptation "A Roof Over My Head" (Michael Green & Barry Took) was first broadcast on April 5th, 1977.

** Note that the 'forgotten authors' article gets this detail wrong.

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Links:
- Forgotten authors No 53: Michael Green at The Independent
- "Invisible Ink," a series by Christopher Fowler, published in The Independent at The Neglected Books Page
- Invisible Ink at Christopher Fowler's Blog
- A Roof Over My Head at The British Comedy Guide

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The ‘Coarse’ Series (from wikipedia):
The Art of Coarse Rugby, Hutchinson, London, 1960
The Art of Coarse Sailing, Hutchinson, London, 1962
Even Coarser Rugby, or what did you do to Ronald?, Hutchinson, London, 1963
The Art of Coarse Acting, or how to wreck an amateur dramatic society, Hutchinson, London, 1964
The Art of Coarse Sport, Hutchinson, London, 1965
The Art of Coarse Golf, Hutchinson, London, 1968
The Art of Coarse Moving, Hutchinson, London, 1969
The Art of Coarse Drinking, Hutchinson, London, 1973
The Art of Coarse Cruising, Hutchinson, London, 1976
Even Coarser Sport, Hutchinson, London, 1978
The Art of Coarse Sex, Hutchinson, London, 1980
The Art of Coarse Office Life, or 'He's just popped out', Hutchinson, London, 1985

Lots of little accomplishments these last few days...
- polished all the chrome bits on the Mustang (can't drive in sunlight now - blinding!)
- finished marking papers from last term (now have to file them - boring!)
- updated the apps on my iPad (Adobe Reader finally works - brilliant!)
- paid off the credit card (and the interest - bastards!)

...and bought a couple of books at a mall book sale :)
- Essays in Love by Alain de Botton (also called On Love: A Novel)
- Fromelles by Patrick Lindsay (or to give it its full title, Fromelles: The Story of Australia's Darkest Day: The search for our fallen heroes of World War One)

Imagine having Alain de Botton and Kevin McCloud over for dinner and a bottle of fine french wine! I'm a huge fan of them both. I have Kevin McCloud's Principles of Home: Making a Place to Live and many of de Bottons books... The Architecture of Happiness is a must read; How Proust Can Change Your Life is pure poetry; The Art of Travel is one of the most beautifully written books I've ever read; and A Week at the Airport is vastly under-rated (while The Pleasures and Sorrows of Work is rather over-rated). So, when I saw Essays in Love sitting lost under a stack of trashy novels, I just had to have it. All my current reads have been cast aside until I finish this one :)

Patrick Lindsay's Fromelles promises to be a fascinating read (see Lindsay's website for details), and timely with ANZAC Day just around the corner (April 25); and I note there is now an abridged version, Our Darkest Day, which focuses on the battle while also updating the ongoing investigations detailed in the two unabridged editions.

Hi, Peter! Those little accomplishments can make one's day, can't they? Mall book sales can be a real picker-upper, too! Enjoy your finds!

I agree wholeheartedly with your assessment of The Art of Travel by Alain de Botton. What an absolutely delicious book! Haven't read any of his other books, but that one is a jewel.

Essays in Love by Alain de Botton
This is not laziness I assure you, but I'm not going to write a review on this one. I feel that the one-paragraph reviews from Publishers Weekly and Library Review, as found on the Amazon website, are difficult to better. I've copied and pasted key parts (below) for your convenience...

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"Chloe and Alain meet in a plane flying from Paris to London and fall in love. Their romance lasts only about a year, and after they have parted the narrator/author uses scenes from their time together as illustrations of his philosophical anatomy of romantic love. Chapters are formed of numbered paragraphs so that the book resembles a classical philosophical disquisition, and it's on this level that it reads best. ...dozens of sentences glisten with aphoristic insight--but neither Chloe nor Alain really engage our interest, and their story seems too slight to support all the heavy philosophizing." - Library Review

"The novel's action is minimal; the balance of the book is given over to the narrator's obsessive analysis of his relationship with Chloe.... The book was likely intended as a Barthesian look at that peculiar heart condition called love, but the overblown and pretentious writing obliterates any comparison, peppered as it is with such winking turns-of-phrase as "cartographic fascism."" - Publishers Weekly

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We must remember that this was Alain de Botton's first book, and not the one that made him famous. So, I find the following excerpts interesting in light of what we now all know.

Publishers Weekly stated, "The author is clearly intelligent and well- read; perhaps some day he will put those assets to good literary use."

He certainly did!

Library Review wrote, "Recommended only for sentimental young romantics with a penchant for philosophy, readers who thought Nicholas Baker's Vox ( LJ 11/15/91) was profound, and writing teachers who need an example of what happens when you write a novel before you have much life experience."

I think Alain de Botton's decision to part with novels and focus on non-fiction was his wisest move, although this book does read more like non-fiction.

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Overall... I'm glad I read it. My admiration for the author is undiminished, and I'm absolutely itching to read his latest book, Religion for Atheists: A Non-believer's Guide to the Uses of Religion, despite the very mixed reviews.

I'm in a strange place right now. I have a stack of amazing "must read" books by the bed. My wish list is heavier than my bank balance, while my book cases, and kindle, groan under the weight of another 3000+ books that I've still to read, yet...

...all I feel like doing is playing sudoku on my iPad!

I've been there as well. Although for me it's Freecell.

:)

I am giving Alain de Botton another try reading The Art of Travel, which I could buy relatively cheaply the other day in a bilingual edition published in China.

I loved the first book I read by De Botton, nl The Romantic Movement. Sex, shopping and the novel which I read in 1996. But I was very disappointed by subsequent books, notably Kiss and tell and How Proust can change your life.

What all these books seem to have in common is that they are reflective essays or essay-like fiction. It does not seem very original, all a bit tiresome, really.

It must be the season for reading funks, Peter. I'm reading, but having trouble with substance.

#70 edwinbcn - Good luck with The Art of Travel :)

#71 Daniel - My situation exactly! I decided the other day that I needed a book that wouldn't pull a brain muscle, so I picked out Mrs. Kennedy and Me: An Intimate Memoir by Clint Hill, and I'm really enjoying it. A bit of blurb on Clint Hill below from Amazon...

"Clint Hill is a former United States Secret Service agent who was in the presidential motorcade during the John F. Kennedy assassination. Hill remained assigned to Mrs. Kennedy and the children until after the 1964 presidential election. He then was assigned to President Lyndon B. Johnson at the White House. In 1967, when Johnson was still in office, he became the Special Agent in Charge of Presidential protection. When Richard Nixon came into office, he moved over to be the SAIC of the Vice Presidential Protective Division. In 1972, Hill as promoted to the position of Assistant Director of the Secret Service, responsible for all protective forces. He retired in 1975."

I look forward to your review of the Clint Hill memoir, Peter. I had heard about it recently, and it sounded good.

#73 Darryl - I wish I were reading it right now, but I'm stuck in front of the computer constructing a series of lessons on stellar evolution for my physics students. This is proving tough - some of my students have been recognised nationally for their abilities in physics (one internationally), and they regularly catch me out with some amazingly perceptive and difficult questions. Groan... back to work...

Wow, Peter, sounds like your students are giving you a workout!

I can relate to your post 67 -- though, like Mike, my brain candy game tends to be Free Cell. (This has not been a good reading month for me, for a variety of reasons.)

#75 Terri - I must admit, there's a fair bit of free-celling going on to!

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Up to chapter 22, "That Day in Dallas," in Mrs. Kennedy and Me: An Intimate Memoir by Clint Hill. I'll reserve judgment until I finish the book, but I'm enjoying it.

Apart from The Last Campaign: Robert F. Kennedy and 82 Days That Inspired America by Thurston Clarke, I have read very little on the Kennedy clan, but have several books on the topic which I look forward to reading one day.

These include...
Jacqueline Kennedy: Historic Conversations on Life with John F. Kennedy by Jacqueline Kennedy,
An Unfinished Life: John F. Kennedy, 1917-1963 by Robert Dallek,
Kennedy and the Berlin Wall: A Hell of a Lot Better than a War by W.R. Smyser,
Kennedy's Kitchen Cabinet and the Pursuit of Peace: The Shaping of American Foreign Policy, 1961-1963 by Philip A. Goduti,
The Making of the President 1960 by Theodore H. White, and
The Kennedys Amidst the Gathering Storm by Will Swift.

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On the topic of US politics, saw a frightening 2011 documentary tonight, called "Sarah Palin: You Betcha!"

On the topic of documentaries, saw a fascinating 2010 documentary on Donna Leon last night, called "Donna Leon: Crime Novels from Venice". Worth seeking out if you're a fan.

saw a frightening 2011 documentary tonight, called "Sarah Palin: You Betcha!"

IMHO, frightening is a word I tend to associate with anything about Sarah Palin. I find that lady really scary.

Mrs. Kennedy & Me is one that I'm really interested in. I look forward to your comments after you've finished it.

Donna Leon just crossed my radar screen a couple of weeks ago for the first time after having seen an old German dramatization of one of her Brunetti books. So that documentary sounds very interesting indeed. I'll see if I can locate it. Thanks!

Mrs. Kennedy and Me: An Intimate Memoir by Clint Hill
I've seen this book described as a "love letter" from Mr Hill to Mrs Kennedy, and I can well understand why. Former secret service agent Clint Hill's memoir of his assignment to the protection of Jacqueline Kennedy is not one of those tell-all books that promise to reveal the principal actors' dirty laundry, while hiding safely behind their tombstones. Rather, Mr Hill, looks back at his time with America's First Lady through a soft focus lens, always maintaining the discretion one would expect from someone in his profession; displaying all the elements of a man clearly bewitched. Despite this however, the book is a genuine page turner, nowhere more so when we reach that inevitable chapter "That Day in Dallas."

If there are any faults in the book, it is in what Mr Hill doesn't say - not about Mrs Kennedy, but about himself. Early in the book he talks about the impact of his new assignment on his family. They are rarely mentioned again. In the acknowledgments he only hints at the devastating impact JFK's assassination had on his life, as well as how this book had helped bring him out of his "emotional prison" where had "languished for years." One could argue that the book would not be about "Mrs Kennedy and me" had he talked about these impacts on his private life. Maybe so, but as it stands it still feels like we are losing an important and very human side to the story.

Coauthored by Lisa McCubbin (of The Kennedy Detail), her voice never dominates except perhaps in the feminine fixation Mr Hill seems to have on the smallest details of Mrs Kennedy's many outfits worn to parties and dinners. Overall however, a good book, giving another valuable (albeit often peripheral) perspective on the Kennedy family.

Peter, enjoyed your review.

Thanks Daniel. To follow up I'm currently reading Jacqueline Kennedy: Historic Conversations on Life with John F. Kennedy by Jacqueline Kennedy. I'm about halfway through and overall I'm finding it pretty disappointing from a number of aspects.

Hi Peter--I haven't commented on your thread in a couple of years (since just after your second son was born I think), but I've enjoyed reading through this.

I've just started the Robert Caro LBJ biographies (Vol. 1), and am enjoying it immensely.

I agree with your thoughts that it would have been interesting to see what effect the job has on a Secret Service agent's family life. I can't imagine that it would be positive.

I see you have repatriated to Australia. I had an opportunity to visit last October (Melbourne, Alice Springs, Uluru, Cairns, and Sydney) and loved it. I'd like to get back someday--especially to the West Coast.

#82 Deborah - Long time no hear, and thanks for reconnecting :)

I'm currently reading Chapter 38 of Caro's LBJ bio., volume III, and still loving it. Really looking forward to volume IV.

I'm hoping (in vain I think) for Clint Hill to write of his experiences with LBJ. That's a book I'd buy in a heartbeat!

Having been born on Australia's west coast I highly recommend a visit. The South West region of WA is especially beautiful, and a producer of great red and white wines, but I might be biased - this is where we honeymooned.

Hello again Peter

Love the idea of Clint Hill writing about LBJ, but agree with the thought that the hope is in vain.

Just got volume four of the Caro series on the weekend and looking forward to some serious reading time with it. I hope you can get to it soon.

#84 SassyLassy - Hi! Should finish volume III tonight. The last several chapters have been gripping stuff.

Was reading Amazon reviews of volume IV the other night and noticed a sharp divide between the 1 and 5 star reviews. The 1-star reviewers (many who loved the first 3 volumes) take Caro to task for ignoring the large volume of literature that points to LBJ as being complicit (at various levels) in JFK's assassination, as well as some of the more unseemly aspects of LBJ's personal life. Not being someone who thrives on conspiracy theories this doesn't worry me a great deal, but I'd hate to think that Caro's admiration for LBJ has gotten in the way of his objectivity. It certainly seems to me that over the course of the first 3 volumes Caro has become less and less critical of LBJ. I'd love to hear your thoughts on this.

That's really interesting about the conspiracy theories and LBJ. I didn't realize they were still around, although they certainly appear to have flourished in earlier periods. My own personal conspiracy favourites are all fictional: Don DeLillo's Libra, Norman Mailer's Harlot's Ghost and Oswald's Tale and James Ellroy's Underworld trilogy,(not for everyone), so I guess I don't really believe in any real life ones. Conspiracy theory as a social behaviour does really intrigue me though.

I will certainly look for the conspiracy aspect and the decline in objectivity as I read. I should be starting it this weekend.

Master of the Senate: The Years of Lyndon Johnson by Robert A. Caro
Well, this is volume III of the 5-volume biography of Lyndon Baines Johnson (5th volume still to be published), and the question is: how does it stand up to the first 2 volumes? "Brilliantly" is the answer!

This volume deals with LBJ's senate years, beginning with a 100-page introductory history of the senate. Was that particularly necessary? No. Did it really add to the biography of Lyndon Johnson? Some may disagree, but I didn't think so. But that is a minor quibble. As is Caro's wont, there are the usual side tracks into the lives and careers of those who played important roles in LBJ's political life, and passionately lyrical side histories that add flavour and pathos. And as usual, if it's possible to say something in a few sentances, you can rely on Caro to say it in a few pages; but such is his skill with the pen that it rarely grates.

As the title suggests, this volume is quite focused on Johnson's senate experience, and there is relatively little on his private life and family compared to previous volumes. However, if you are after a detailed exploration of Johnson's experiences as a freshman senator, majority whip, minority leader, and eventually majority leader; his bid for the presidential nomination in 1956; his role in the 1957 Civil Rights Act; and much besides; then this is the book for you. And what's more, it can be read as a single volume.

Highly recommended.

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Some interesting links:

The Big Book - Feature article on Robert Caro, on the publication of his latest volume, from the May edition of Esquire

You Can't Take A Lifetime To Get It Done - WSJ Book article on the death of multi-volume biographies

My interest in LBJ probably doesn't go quite that deep, but I'm happy to have read your review. Well done.

Thanks Daniel.

Now.... While awaiting the arrival of Caro's latest volume, I've picked up After Words: Post-Prime Ministerial Speeches by former Australian Prime Minister Paul Keating (1991-1996). A long time between drinks, this is Keating's first book since Engagement: Australia Faces the Asia-Pacific in 2000, which I also have and highly recommend. As you might guess, I'm a huge admirer!

Link:
- Paul Keating interviewed at the recent Sydney Writers' Festival (14th - 20th May 2012) (YouTube)

Nice review of Master of the Senate, a book I've had for quite awhile but haven't read yet. I received The Passage of Power this week, which will be one of my hefty summer reads.

Thanks Darryl. Look forward to hearing your thoughts on The Passage of Power, and let's all wish Caro long life and good health so he can finish volume 5. After all, he's stipulated in his will that should he die before its completion, it is not to be completed by another or be published - and that would be a sad day indeed.

Good review of Volume III. I think the history of the Senate may be helpful to some outside the US, especially the background on where it was when Johnson started his career there, so they could see the evolution through his time there.

Reading about a master like LBJ raises the question how the Senate got to its current dysfunctional state.

Maybe interest in the Caro books will spur someone to write a good biography of Sam Rayburn. That would be something to look forward to.

#92 SassyLassy - I'll second the Sam Rayburn book!

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It's been a little over a year since our return to Australia from Japan, and I miss it terribly. In fact, I miss it so much it hurts. I even miss the 2-hour commutes that took me from home to work and back each day. Two hours of pure audiobook pleasure. I'm afraid the 5-minute commute I have now doesn't quite cut it in audiobook terms. Having amassed not an insubstantial number of audiobooks while in Japan, they now consequently languish 'unread' on some forgotten segment of my ipod's hard drive. Things need to change!

The recent arrival of The Amateur by Edward Klein, the new book on Barack Obama, has ben the impetus for that change. Before I read The Amateur I thought it was high time to listen to my copy of The Audacity to Win by David Plouffe. So, time normally spent sleeping is now being appropriated for more cerebrally stimulating activities, and I'm finally spending some time on a post-60s president.

Another recent purchase, vis-a-vis presidents, is the book The Presidents Club: Inside the World's Most Exclusive Fraternity by Nancy Gibbs and Michael Duffy - couldn't resist the Amazon Best Book of the Month of April billing!

Meanwhile, I'm really enjoying Paul Keating's After Words: Post-Prime Ministerial Speeches - I like to read at least one or two speeches a day.

I'm in that place again that I promised myself I would not go.... more than three books on the go at once!

Currently reading:

After Words: Post-Prime Ministerial Speeches by Paul Keating
Started off great, but some themes becoming repetitive. Not entirely sure I agree with the organisation of the speeches either. However, I will stick with it.

The Audacity to Win by David Plouffe
Put aside Plouffe's hero worship - of Obama and himself - and there's a fascinating inside look at what goes on behind the whole presidential campaign process.

Absolutely Small: How Quantum Theory Explains Our Everyday World by Michael D. Fayer
I don't read a lot of popular science books, but as someone who teaches Quantum theory I thought this might be interesting. While I'm not learning anything new, I'm always looking for ideas I can use to interest the less scientifically-adept students I teach.

The German Genius: Europe's Third Renaissance, the Second Scientific Revolution, and the Twentieth Century by Peter Watson
This book is the reason I'm moving far less quickly through the books listed above. Can't take my nose out of this one!

I read Watson's Ideas: A History From Fire to Freud, and found it very interesting, if ultimately disappointing. I think he bit off a bit more than anyone could reasonably chew, so despite an engaging topic, he ended up irritating me with his reductive views on the humanities. Maybe The German Genius is a more tightly-focussed book.

Completed the pro-Obama The Audacity to Win by David Plouffe, and have started the anti-Obama The Amateur by Edward Klein.

Completed...

After The Audacity to Win: The Inside Story and Lessons of Barack Obama's Historic Victory by David Plouffe, I needed something a little less saccharin. Enter The Amateur: Barack Obama in the White House by Edward Klein. Wow! Tell us what you really think Mr Klein! If I was running against the current incumbent, I'd be sending a complimentary copy of this book to every voter in the country. I'm hoping my recent pickup, The Obamians: The Struggle Inside the White House to Redefine American Power by James Mann, will be a little more balanced.

Took a while, but finally completed Mustang Genesis: The Creation of the Pony Car by Robert A. Fria. While Mr Fria may not be the most inspiring of authors, he certainly knows his stuff, and fills the book with enough fascinating facts to make this a must-read for Mustang enthusiasts everywhere. The chapter on the marketing leading up to the official release of the Mustang on April 17, 1964, was, I thought, the most interesting.

Completed...

Carrying forward the automotive momentum, just completed Burning Rubber: The Extraordinary Story of Formula One by Charles Jennings. I really enjoyed this book by journalist and author Charles Jennings. Sure, Senna fans have bagged it because he doesn't quite see Senna in the same golden hues they do; while others decry Jennings rather unashamed pro-British outlook; but he never fails to back up his claims with examples or qualify his reasoning. F1 can be a little dry to watch, but this informal and chatty book is anything but dry to read. Great fun, and a fantastic introduction to the characters and cars that have made Formula 1 one of man's greatest sporting spectacles!

Sometimes I find it hard to let go of a theme I'm passionate about. This is one such time.

"Burning Rubber" (see post above) has been replaced by Once Upon a Car: The Fall and Resurrection of America's Big Three Auto Makers--GM, Ford, and Chrysler by Bill Vlasic.

After that.. American Icon: Alan Mulally and the Fight to Save Ford Motor Company by Bryce G. Hoffman

I may keep an eye out for Burning Rubber. As a fan of Team McLaren (and Lewis Hamilton in particular, these days), I won't mind the pro-British outlook one bit!

ETA to add Added to my Ever-Expanding List! Once Upon a Car was already noted on the list -- available to me as library e-book download.

Completed...

Once Upon a Car: The Fall and Resurrection of America's Big Three Auto Makers--GM, Ford, and Chrysler by Bill Vlasic
Centred around the people and events leading up to and following the 2008 government bailout, this must surely be one of my favourite reads this year. Couldn't put it down. Vlasic, an "award-winning business reporter for The Detroit News specializing in coverage of the automotive industry," not only knows his subject inside and out, but is a master of the traditional narrative history genre. Finish this book feeling like an industry insider. Highly recommemnded.

#101 Wondering where the book begins, time-period-wise. I just read a very curious essay that focused on the contradictions that were Henry Ford (in an old issue of The George Review, spring 2000).

Daniel - Good question. The book's focus is centred around the people and events leading up to and following the 2008 government bailout; essentially starting in 2005. I've ammended my review to clarify this point.

Currently reading American Icon: Alan Mulally and the Fight to Save Ford Motor Company by Bryce G. Hoffman, which is proving an excellent read and the perfect companion to Once Upon a Car.

Peter, I just wanted to know that your comments about Burning Rubber made me really want to read it. I just purchased it -- my first purchase of a Kindle book for my new iPhone's Kindle app.

Terri, I sincerely hope you enjoy it. Pop back and let me know.

Completed... American Icon: Alan Mulally and the Fight to Save Ford Motor Company by Bryce G. Hoffman

Commenced... 1066: the Hidden History of the Bayeux Tapestry by Andrew Bridgeford

Completed... 1066: the Hidden History of the Bayeux Tapestry by Andrew Bridgeford

Commenced... The Time Traveller's Guide to Medieval England: A Handbook for Visitors to the Fourteenth Century by Ian Mortimer

Having just completed 1066: The Hidden History in the Bayeux Tapestry by Andrew Bridgeford, I thought The Time Traveler's Guide to Medieval England: A Handbook for Visitors to the Fourteenth Century by Ian Mortimer, might be a bit of fun. Unfortunately, despite the promising beginning, it soon all boils down to being a compendium of facts (overviews) that, if you've read widely on the medieval period, do little to edify or engage. Don't get me wrong, I like the book but agree with the comments of readers who gave this a 3-star rating on Amazon.

As someone interested in the medieval period, but not sure where to start, I'd like to ask you what suggestions you might have. I've seen The Time Traveler's Guide, but not much else in the shops.

Peter, what got you interested in the Bayeux Tapestry? Was the book worth the read? I suspect it was as you went on to the Time Traveller, but I would like to know more.

Is Piers Ploughman a good place to start the medieval England read?

SassyLassy: It has been many years since I read a version of William Langland's The vision of Piers Plowman. I can't remember whether it was the A, B or C text; but I do remember it was an untranslated version with no annotations. As a result, it was hard work at times and I was left a little lost whenever Langland slipped into Latin. I now own several Latin textbooks (e.g. Wheelock's), and there are plenty of critical editions of the poem out there, as well as modern English translations, so perhaps this is a book I should consider revisiting. I'd recommend it as a classic piece of English literature.

As for my interest in the Bayeux Tapestry - that just stems out of my interest in the period in general, and that interest stemmed out of research into my family tree, which I began over 25 years ago. I can trace my direct paternal pedigree back to 1301; and through various strategic betrothals, multiple lines of descent from the Plantagenet Kings and William the Conqueror himself. However, I was also intrigued in the book's premise - a reinterpretation of the widely held view that the 'tapestry' celebrates the Norman point of view. Bridgeford certainly paints a convincing picture, but does not explore other theories in any depth that would allow the reader to weigh the evidence and come to his/her own conclusions. But to be fair, this is not what the book is about. Overall, it's very readable and I recommend it.

dmsteyn: The Time Traveler's Guide is a good a book as any to start. There are several other books I can recommend, but I'll have to rummage around in some of my boxes to give you the exact titles (stay tuned). I have several reference volumes from the English Historical Documents series, such as English Historical Documents 1327–1485 (volume IV), which are great, and there are several other books in my collection specific to various aspects of life during the period (diet, sexuality, prose, dress, family life, etc...).

Because the medieval period covers such a long time period, 5th-15th century, right across Europe, it's a huge subject to tackle. It therefore pays to focus on one area of interest. My interest is England as it impacts on my own family history, but soon I look forward to extending my knowledge further with Chris Wickham's The Inheritance of Rome: Illuminating the Dark Ages, 400-1000.

Two new books added to the collection this weekend...

- The Taste of War: World War Two and the Battle for Food by Lizzie Collingham
- Bosworth 1485: The Psychology of a Battle by Michael K. Jones

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Hmmmm... The Time Traveler's Guide is one of those books I find very easy to put down, but a bit of an effort to pick up again. I'll see it through, but only after I've finished a far better read in Lords and Lordship in the British Isles in the Late Middle Ages by Rees Davies and Brendan Smith.

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I was very sad to hear of the recent passing of art critic and author Robert Hughes. I've always been interested in what he has to say after reading The Shock of the New: Art and the Century of Change many years ago. Tonight, a screening of his documentary "The Mona Lisa Curse" (read more) reminded me why.

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Logged on to LT this evening and was a greeted by a yellow box saying I had a new comment. How joyful I thought, It's been over 6 months since I've had one of those... Nothing there! Perhaps the sender decided to delete it.

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Read In the Bush: Our Holiday at Wombat Flat by Roland Harvey, to my 5-year old tonight. This is our second Roland Harvey book, the first was At the Beach: Postcards from Crabby Spit, and my son loved them both. I see he has a few more books out there, such as In The City: Our Scrapbook of Souvenirs, To the Top End: Our Trip across Australia, and his latest "All the Way to W.A.: Our Search for Uncle Kev". Must hunt these down. Roland's web site: http://rolandharvey.com.au/

111: Nothing there! Perhaps the sender decided to delete it.
Perhaps the sender was deleted? I got a spam comment yesterday and deleted it, was just passing through so didn't take the time to figure out where to report it.

>111 petermc: A lot of us received spam messages yesterday from ipadwinwin, who was quickly flagged and removed from LT.

112/113 - Thanks guys, that explains it :)

Thanks for your response. I am also mostly interested in medieval England, particularly as pertains to its literature.

Peter - I'm interested in the Bosworth book - I walked the battlefield & consequently read up on the battle itself, not long after arriving in the UK. haven't come across the Jones book though, so look forward to your thoughts on it...

Oh, I got one of those yellow boxes without a comment there, either. Glad to have the explanation.

BTW, Peter, I am loving the Formula 1 history Burning Rubber you recommended!

117 Terri - So glad!

116 Zeromax - Am 100 pages into Bosworth 1485: The Psychology of a Battle by Michael K. Jones, and am loving it. No time to comment more right now - about to go into a meeting - but am adding this to my list of 'must haves.'

Bosworth 1485: The Psychology of a Battle by Michael K. Jones
Shakespeare's Richard III has largely coloured our view of Richard III, King of England (1483-85), since it was written circa 1591; a prime example of a hugely effective Tudor propaganda campaign. Using the play as a starting point, Michael K. Jones looks to dispel the myths surrounding Richard III by looking at the world from Richard III's perspective. This means looking at the medieval world view; Richard's formative years; the legacy his father had left and how Richard came to identify with him; the role of his formidable mother, Cecily; his martial self-image; the rivalry between the Plantagenet siblings; Henry Tudor; and the Tudor manipulation of Richard's image in the years that followed Bosworth. Ultimately, Jones poses a radically different interpretation of the battle itself, and offers an alternative site for the engagement.

As the title suggests, this is a psychological examination, and as such is largely speculative; however, Jones' arguments are coherent, well supported, and altogether convincing. The narrative is well written and difficult to put down. Those looking for detailed battle plans with maps aplenty will be disappointed, but also unrealistic - much of what we know of the actual battle is purely speculative, and as stated above even the traditionally accepted location of Ambion Hill is open for debate. Highly recommended.

Good review of Bosworth: The Psychology of a battle. This will interest me.

#120 baswood - Thanks.

The Bosworth book has been replaced by Fighting for the Cross: Crusading to the Holy Land, in which Prof. Norman Housley "draws on extensive research and on a wealth of surviving contemporary accounts to recreate the full experience of crusading, from the elation of taking up the cross to the difficult adjustments at home when the war was over."

Classic Video Games: The Golden Age, 1971-1984 by Brian R. Eddy
As someone who grew up during "the golden age" of video games, there are a number of books in my collection that celebrate the cult of the arcade machine; such as Replay: the History of Video Games by Tristan Donovan, 1001 Video Games You Must Play Before You Die by Tony Mott, and The Ultimate History of Video Games by Steven L. Kent. This short (64-page) paperback "charts the evolution of arcade video games" by looking at the games that introduced key developmental innovations; and has been penned by Brian Eddy, "former executive director, producer, and programmer for Midway Games." It's a trip down memory lane and full of trivia to test your fellow gaming geeks with. Does it provide an "inside look at the stratospheric rise--and collapse--of the industry," as the blurb states? Hmmmm... had hoped for more. Anyway, a great rainy day read!

Completed volume 4, The Passage of Power: The Years of Lyndon Johnson, in Robert A. Caro's magnificent series on LBJ. Now, have to bide my time (impatiently) waiting for the 5th and final volume. Meanwhile, have just started Taking Charge: The Johnson White House Tapes 1963-1964 ed. by Michael R. Becschloss, which is the perfect companion piece to Caro's volume. As is, http://millercenter.org/scripps/archive/presidentialrecordings/johnson

Been awhile. :-)

Glad you're back and congratulations on finishing the latest Caro, which I haven't yet. What an amazing archive that link is. Thanks for providing it.

#124/125 - But for that four letter word beginning with W! ....work

Super-quick reviews of other books read since my last post in August...

- The Geeks Shall Inherit the Earth: Popularity, Quirk Theory, and Why Outsiders Thrive After High School by Alexandra Robbins
3/5 - Interesting

- Knives on the Cutting Edge: The Great Chefs' Dining Revolution by Bob Macdonald
2/5 - Self-indulgent

- A Hedonist in the Cellar: Adventures in Wine by Jay McInerney
3/5 - Engaging

- Wine: A Gentleman's Game: The Adventures of an Amateur Winemaker Turned Professional by Mark Miller
4/5 - Nostalgic

- Lovesick Japan: Sex, Marriage, Romance, Law by Mark D. West
5/5 - Insightful

Strikingly quick reviews. Glad to see you posting again Peter.

#127 - Thanks Daniel. With the end of the school year only 2 more weeks away, I hope to have a little more free time to visit, roam and comment on LT :)

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Am approx. 110 pages into Taking Charge: The Johnson White House Tapes 1963-1964 edited and commentry by Michael R. Becschloss, and highly recommend it!

I see that for the true LBJ fanatic, there are currently 8 volumes of LBJ's secretly recorded telephone calls transcribed and available in The Presidential Recordings: Lyndon B. Johnson series.

Namely...
- Volumes 1-3 (slipcased) - The Kennedy Assassination and the Transfer of Power: November 1963 - January 1964
- Volumes 4-6 (slipcased) - Towards the Great Society: February 1964 - May 1964, and
- Volumes 7-8 (slipcased) - Mississippi Burning and the Passage of the Civil Rights Act: June 1964 - July 4, 1964

I can not even begin to tell you how much I'd love these babies on my bookshelf, but the wife's withering look when I casually mentioned them in conversation the other day has made it quite clear to me where these not inexpensive volumes sit in our current list of priorities. One day....

Quick update... now 346 (of 546) pages into Taking Charge: The Johnson White House Tapes 1963-1964, and loving it!

Now that I've finished writing 200+ reports and planning for the 2013 school year, I have 6 glorious weeks in which to read something other than textbooks, curriculums and work programmes :)

Leave today (it's after midnight now) on vacation and am picking out a few books to pack. Started browsing Papa Hemingway: A Personal Memoir by A.E. Hotchner; and now - a chapter down... I'm hooked... into the bag it goes!

Must say however, worth keeping an internet connection open nearby when reading this. Hotchner doesn't footnote or always explain the who, what and why behind Hemingway's references. A bit of googling along the way makes this a much richer and rewarding read. I've already downloaded a number of articles for background reading (PDFs - straight to the iPad)!

A few small unexpected pickups today...
- Japan's Longest Day by The Pacific War Research Society
- Sandakan: The Untold Story of the Sandakan Death Marches by Paul Ham
- Recollections Of A Bleeding Heart: A Portrait of Paul Keating PM by Don Watson

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Loving Papa Hemingway: A Personal Memoir by A.E. Hotchner. Hard to put down.

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Anyone interested in the Vietnam War should really consider looking at Taking Charge: The Johnson White House Tapes 1963-1964. The tapes of Johnson discussing the development of the Vietnam conflict with his advisors is fascinating.

Not sure I'm up to reading about Johnson in such depth, Peter. I'll have to rely on your commentary. Curious about, and horrified by Sandakan.

Daniel - Paul Ham was the author of Vietnam: The Australian War, which was one of my stand-out reads of 2010, so I'm looking forward to reading his latest. I'd also like to pick up his previous book: Hiroshima Nagasaki.

Link: Paul Ham’s SANDAKAN (book review)

Peter,
Just wanted to wish and your family a happy holiday. Enjoy your six weeks of free reading.

Mike

Wishing you Happy Holidays and safe travels, Peter!