John Simpson 'Strange Places, Questionable People'
The eminently readable memoirs of BBC correspondent John Simpson. This book covers his childhood through to 1999. Chapters topics vary from South Africa, the fall of the Berlin wall, a trip up the Amazon, and just about every major political event throughout the 1980's and 90's. I found the book well written and surprisingly gripping. Each chapter just about the right length for a train journey. If I have any criticism it would be that more historical background and political analysis could be given, but I guess that's the nature of a first-person perspective such as this. All in all, an excellent read.
556 pages, published by Pan Books.
Stephen Baxter 'Space'
A true Sci-Fi epic of space & time. It begins with the discovery of alien life here in the solar system and follows the adventures of a group of characters as they travel further and further into a distant and violent future, exploring along the way the evolution and environmental impact of intelligent life on a, literally, universal scale. I believe that Baxter is a physicist by training and the book abounds with the kind of physics-based speculation that can make this sort of book fun. Unfortunately, things like pacing and characterization seem to be left out of the equation. Bluntly, I thought that the book was much too long for the material with the same vision of environmental over exploitation and the transient nature of life repeated a few times too often. This one is for Sci-Fi diehards only.
454 pages, published by HarperCollins.
Euripides 'Bacchae' translated by Frederic Raphael & Kenneth McLeish
Euripides was a Greek playwright who lived at the end of the golden age of ancient Greek culture. Born about 480 BC he saw the power of Athens rise and then disastrously fall. His plays, although apparently about mythological subjects, are frequently clear and powerful commentaries about politics and morals. Bacchae, his last play, first performed in 405 BC, presents the struggle between Pentheus the king of Thebes and the god Dionysos. In trying to stop the ecstatic revels that Dionysos is inducing in his people Pentheus walks a path that can only lead to his destruction. I found the translation powerful and direct, cleanly outlining the arguments of the protagonists, and preventing the piece descending into melodrama. So powerful is the writing that I was able to enjoy the play even while sitting in the airport!
72 pages, published by Nick Hern Books.
Ernest Hogan 'Smoking Mirror Blues'
This is a 'fast moving' 'rip roaring' cyberpunk Sci-Fi adventure. Set in a Los Angeles of the near future it tells what happens when technology resurrects the Aztec god Tezcatlipoca, who promptly sets about taking control of world chased by a colourful bunch of adversaries. The book is very fast paced with lots of short scenes and fast cuts, but despite this the story is clearly and entertainingly told. If you want to read something a bit different, I highly recommend this.
211 pages, published by Wordcraft of Oregon.
Andrew Robinson 'The Man Who Deciphered Linear B, the story of Michael Ventris'
In 1900 Arthur Evans discovered the Cretan Palace of Knossos, home of the legendary King Minos. Amid the ruins he found tablets inscribed with an unknown script, Linear B. It was not until half a century later that the enigmatic script was deciphered and not by a professional but by an amateur, Michael Ventris. In this interesting and readable book Andrew Robinson tells Ventris's story from childhood until his tragic death at the age of 34. Understandably the decipherment of Linear B receives a lot of attention and for me that was the highlight of the book; at the time of writing I was even able to hold forth not only on the differences alphabetic and syllabic scripts, but on the differences between open and closed syllabaries!
168 pages Thames & Hudson
Liz Lochhead after Euripides 'Medea'
An extremely powerful adaptation of Euripides's play. Probably the most disturbing theatre piece that I have ever read. In a sense Lochhead has moved the location from Greece to Scotland, with foreign Medea speaking English and the rest of the cast having Scottish accents of various degrees. It sounds contrived but once you learn to read it, it works brilliantly. I have to say that I have always steered clear of the original play, this adaptation leaves me enthused to read the original.
47 pages, published by Nick Hern Books.
Peter Mansfield 'A History of the Middle East'
From ancient times until the present day the middle east has long been a flashpoint for conflict. If you are interested in the origins of the present middle eastern situation then I highly recommend this book. It covers in detail the period from 1800 until the present, clearly outlines the politics and the personalities, and shows how the present sits in the lap of the past.
373 pages, published by Penguin
Michael Costin and David Phipps 'Racing and Sports Car Chassis Design'
First Published in 1961 and reprinted in 1969 this book spans a period of major change in competition car design. In 1961 engines were mostly at the backend, at least in Europe, spaceframe chassis were the norm and engines were almost never to be stressed. By 1969 engines were certainly at the back, monocoque chassis's (or unitary as this book calls them) were very much the norm in high end single seaters and engines could be stressed. The book was clearly mostly written towards the beginning of this period with the spaceframe being the accepted norm, so this is definitely not a book for someone interested in modern F1 technology. Having said that, I thought the book was excellent, clearly written with subjects like load transfer clearly explained; far better than some modern books on the subject (particularly the terrible 'Competition Car Suspension' by Allan Staniforth). So, if you are interested in the principles of chassis design and car handling I can recommend that you try to get hold of this book. A couple of days ago looking at the spaceframe construction of a US style stockcar I realized that much of this book is far from out of date.
147 pages, published by Batsford, currently out of print
Heather Pringle 'The Mummy Congress'
A chance visit to the Mummy Congress in Arica northern Chile sends scientific journalist Heather Pringle on a global odyssey in search of mummies and the people who study them. Her journey takes her from Chile to Egypt, to Russia and Japan, and the mummies range from ancient Egyptians to European bog people, from the controversial Caucasian-looking mummies of China to self-mummifying monks of Japan. This is a fascinating book, written with a very light touch making even the most unpleasant details of such and such parasite or the ghoulish description of rotting flesh seen almost light and airy. The book uses the researchers themselves as a framework for each chapter and this gives the book a human quality. This is not the most profound book available on mummies, but for me at least, certainly one of the most enjoyable.
368 pages, published by Theia New York
Jeanne Cavelos 'The Passing of the Techno-Mages: Book I Casting Shadows', 'Book II Summoning Light', Book III Invoking Darkness'
'Who are you?', 'Want do you want?', 'Who do you serve and who do you trust?'
It is November 2258 and dragons, angels and shooting stars fall from the sky of the planet Soom; the techno-mages are gathering. One of their number, the apprentice Galen is about to make a terrible discovery which will cause him to challenge everything that he has been led to believe and shake the foundations of his order.
These are the final three spin-off books from the TV series Babylon 5 and for fans of the show they make required reading. Skilfully woven in and out of several episodes of Babylon 5 and Crusade they fill in much of the background of techno-mages particularly Galen and Elric. Having finished the series, I understand much more about where they fit into the scheme of the things. But ultimately, I found the books frustrating, they spend too much time and effort filling in events of the TV series rather than adding to the overall story. By far the best bits were those outside of the TV series, Galen's relationship with Isabelle (although that is shown in passing in Crusade) and the death of Elric. What I wanted was not more detail of events already known but more new material, particularly more of Crusade. Still the final optimistic pages do make a suitable way to round up the whole Babylon 5/ Crusade story, apparently there will be no more.
336 pages, 356 pages, 357 pages, published by Del Rey
Michael Moorcock 'The Dreamthief's Daughter, a tale of the albino'
More adventures of Elric the albino prince of Melnibone (not the one mentioned above). Set in World War two and with the main character being an avatar of Elric, Count Ulric von Bek, this is something of a departure from the other Elric stories I've read. As long as it stayed away from Moorcock's usual 'dreamland' material I enjoyed it, but once our heroes arrive in Hameln and pass into another world, I felt that Moorcock was back to the old tried and trusted formula and my interest waned rapidly. For Elric fans only!
342 pages, published by Simon & Schuster
Simon Singh 'Fermat's Last Theorem'
xn+yn=zn: no solutions
'I have discovered a truly remarkable proof of this, but I can't write it now because my train is coming.'
Graffiti on New York's Eighth street subway station.
The equation xn+yn=zn looks pretty straightforward. After all n=2 is the classic Pythagoras theorem, but for any value of n greater than 2 there are no whole number solutions. Around 1637 Pierre de Fermat discovered this and mentioned it as a margin note along with the enigmatic remark that would haunt mathematicians for three centuries to come 'I have a truly marvellous demonstration of this proposition which this margin is too narrow to contain'. It was another 358 before the English mathematician Andrew Wiles could finally prove Fermat's proposition. This book is the story of Fermat's last Theorem, from its origins in ancient Greece, through to its final solution. Although covering some rather complex, indeed mind-boggling ideas this book is an excellent read. Rather like 'The Mummy Congress' it laces the academic material with colourful sketches of the personalities involved. For the more mathematically minded there are a series of appendixes illustrating various proofs. My favourite was Bertrand Russell's paradox of the meticulous librarian who discovers in his library a number of catalogues of catalogues. He creates two additional catalogues one listing those catalogues that list themselves and one those which do not, and then become stuck on the question 'should the catalogue that lists all catalogues that do not list themselves be listed in itself?'
362 pages, published by Fourth Estate
Will Willis, David V. Watts, J. Peter Bruzzese 'Windows 2000 Directory Services'
One of the 'Exam Cram' series covering MCSE Exam 70-217. Considering that this material can be made very confusing and extremely dull (try some of Microsoft's offerings!) this makes an excellent read. Split up into 15 short chapters followed by a series of questions it explains the material very well and uses the questions to reinforce the learning. My only criticism is that it tends to gloss over certain practical points; for example, if you want to use Intellimirror to deploy software you will need something much more detailed. Although, considering the scope and aims of this book this is understandable. I was also interested from reading the questions that Keith Jarrett moonlights as a system administrator!
425 pages, published by Coriolis
Fiona Maddocks 'Hildegard of Bingen, The Woman of Her Age'
Although known today primarily as a composer, Hildegard of Bingen was a major figure in twelfth century Europe. Her writings cover subjects ranging from the natural world and medicine to poetry and apocalyptic visions.
This book covers her life and work and puts them into a historical context. Unlike a lot of modern books on Hildegard, this one tries very hard to be objective; if there is doubt about any point, then it is made clear. I felt that this made the book seem truthful, but also robbed it of a certain drama. Concerning her visions, I would also have preferred more interpretation; although it is probably better to be scholarly, as in this book, than over the top. For me, the most interesting section of all was the second appendix, an interview with a nun living in the St Hildegard Abbey at Eibingen. I felt that this reached closer to the faith that motivates both a modern nun, and perhaps Hildegard as well.
332 pages, published by Review
Ray Bradbury 'From the Dust Returned'
Not quite a new novel as the cover promises, but certainly worth reading. I read a lot of Bradbury as a teenager but have hardly touched his work since. Picking up this book I wondered how I would like Bradbury after such a long break. Well, I'm happy to say that I really enjoyed it. Some of the material has appeared before, and I think that it would be true to say that the earlier material is generally better than the more recent. Despite a few slight misgivings it was a pleasure a meet the Elliot family again and to share in their strange adventures.
204 pages, Earthlight
Don Alexander 'Stock car driving techniques'
As the title says this book covers stock car driving, from driver motivation, through learning tracks, qualifying, racing, car set-up and final safety. If you ever thought that US style stock car racing looked easy, this is the book to persuade you otherwise. As a keen 'NASCAR 2002' player I can say that the book has improved both lap-times and overall performance. The book is full of useful advice; for example, where the driver should be looking at different points around the track, and how to set priorities during a race. Technical details of car handling and set-up are clearly explained, right down to several pages dealing with example tire temperature profiles. If you want to know more about how to drive or set-up stock cars this is the book.
191 pages, MBI Publishing Company
Julian Richards 'Blood of the Vikings'
Before reading this book I was pretty ignorant about the Vikings. Although I didn't quite picture them as thugs in horned helmets running around raping and pillaging, I didn't know much different. This book has definitely enlightened me. It tells the history of the Vikings, mainly as seen from a UK perspective, in an interesting and straight forward way. It pulls together archaeology, historical documents, literature and even population genetics to weave a compelling story. I had never realized for example that England was essentially divided in two in the 9th century; I also now know where Kings Alfred and Cnut fit into British history. Although intended as the accompanying book to the BBC2 TV series of the same name it stands up perfectly well on it own. As someone who is more interested in ancient history I was surprised how even in 'historical' times the contemporary documents need to be correlated with, and frequently contradict' the archaeological evidence. As the book notes, history tends to be written by people with their own agenda.
244 pages, Hodder & Stoughton
Howard Goodall 'Big Bangs'
The 'Big Bangs' in question are discoveries or inventions that changed musical history. Beginning with the invention of 'modern' musical notation by Guido of Arezzo, the book moves through such subjects as the invention of Opera and the development of temperament, and ends with recording, an invention which may change music as radically as Guido's 1000 years earlier. Interspersed with these are chapters on other musical matters of concern to Goodall. These I found much more variable than the 'Big Bangs'; the chapter on the role of Jews in European history seemed poorly written, whilst in contrast, the chapter describing Goodall own experiences while composing a major choral piece was both interesting and strangely moving. A common thread throughout the book is Goodall's passion for the subject matter; music matters to him and that comes over. Each topic gets its own self-contained chapter and the book is fast paced, so even if the current chapter is not too interesting, it'll quickly be replaced by the next.
238 pages, Vintage
Pete Lyons 'Can-Am Photo History'
This is the sequel to Lyons earlier 'Can-Am', and like that book it makes an excellent read (assuming that you're interested in US racing cars that is). It covers the first Can-Am series which ran from 1966 to 1974. There is a chapter for each year, following the format of a brief outline of that year's events followed by one or more interviews, all generously illustrated with excellent photos. The interviews make up the meat of the book, with contributions from most of the major players; the only major omission being Roger Penske. My only criticism of the book is that, rather like the Cam-Am, it just ends. It would have been nice for there to be a final chapter summing it all up. However, that is a minor issue and I strongly recommend this book to anyone interested in US racing history.
192 pages, MBI Publishing Company
Curtis Frye 'Microsoft Access Version 2002, plain & simple'
The title says it all! Aimed at users with some experience of Access, the book covers most areas that a user will need and explains how to do such things as beautifying forms and reports, importing data from Excel, etc. Not a book to use to learn Access, but a useful reference book for first level user support.
225 pages, Microsoft Press
Elizabeth Cook 'Achilles'
A kind of prose poem retelling the life of the Greek hero Achilles. Often powerful, occasionally brutal, this is certainly an interesting book. But, I found myself continually comparing it to Christopher Logue's excellent series of Homer adaptations and finding it wanting. Although very reminiscent of the 'War Music series' I found it lacked the sparse power of Logue's work. The best bits, particularly the eerie account of Odysseus' journey to the underworld, are very good, but I suspect that I'll be rereading this book less often that Logue's series.
116 pages, Methuen
David B. Fogel 'Blondie24, Playing on the Edge of AI'
This is the story of Blondie24, a checkers playing computer program. Unlike conventional checkers programs Blondie's programming told it (her?) nothing about checkers, instead Blondie learned to play through practice. By using an evolutionary technique Blondie evolved from a total beginner to an expert. Throughout the book Fogel compares the evolutionary approach used in Blondie with the rule based systems used in other programs and although he certainly presents a slightly one sided case, he does so very compellingly. The technical details of the various approaches are well presented and there is extra material contained in the lengthy appendix. Interestingly and refreshingly Fogel directly addresses questions and criticisms raised by various academic referees. I recommend this book to anyone interested in AI, or indeed checkers.
404 pages, Morgan Kaufmann Publishers
Emily Brontë 'Wuthering Heights'
Although I had no clear idea of what this book would be like before starting it, I was nether the less surprised. I found Wuthering Heights to be dark and brooding, almost like a Greek tragedy in the inevitable way that the plot moved forward. After so much darkness the end came as a real twist. This is a gripping and powerful book, well worth reading.
279 Pages, Penguin Popular Classics
Christopher Logue 'War Music'
I think that this book is wonderful! It is a modern adaptation of Books 16 to 19 of Homer's Iliad, and along with it's companion books 'Kings' and 'Husbands', is one of my favourite books. Homer is adapted into a sparse prose poem; violent and strangely delicate. Comparing Logue's adaptation with a true translation shows that much of text is hugely condensed, but without seeming to trivialize it. War Music is in three contrasting sections. The first, 'Patrocleia', tells the story of the death of Patroclus, the second 'GBH' describes the fight around his body, and the third 'Pax' the reconciliation between Achilles and Agamemnon. In atmosphere the three sections go from epic, through extreme violence and end in a nervous stillness anticipating more violence. Very highly recommended.
83 pages, King Penguin
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle 'The Hound of the Baskervilles'
This is another classic book that I've finally got around to reading. I don't know if it was spoilt by seeing a TV adaptation in the middle of reading it, but I'm afraid to say that I was rather disappointed. I suppose I had expected more of a 'who done it', perhaps I read it too soon after 'Wuthering Heights' and 'War Music', or perhaps I just wasn't in the right mood. There was nothing wrong with the book, it just didn't seem to grip me.
174 pages, Penguin Popular Classics
Philip Pullman 'Northern Lights'
The first thing that I did when I finished this book was to order it's two companion books to complete the trilogy 'His Dark Materials'. The second thing was to write this review...
Northern Lights is one of the best pieces of fantasy fiction that I've read. Although written for young adults I found it gripping, from the first I was hooked. It tells the story of a young girl, Lyra, who lives in a world both similar and very different from our own. Her curiosity leads her to overhear her Uncle Lord Asriel telling of his expedition to the north, of a strange city in the sky glimpsed through the aurora and of the mysterious Dust. Then children start to disappear, and Lyra's adventure begins.
I came across Northern Lights when I heard an interview with the author on Radio 4's 'Devout Sceptics' in which 'His Dark Materials' was compared with C.S. Lewis's 'Chronicles of Narnia'. It seems that Philip Pullman does have a message to preach, although one quite different from C.S. Lewis, and one that apparently may upset more religious readers. So be warned.
399 pages, Scholastic
John Milton 'Paradise Lost'
Milton's epic was first published in 1667 and tells the story of Man's fall from grace and of the revolt of Satan against God.
Reading Paradise Lost reminded me of a quote about Wagner's operas as having wonderful moments but bad quarters of an hour. When Paradise Lost is good, it's very good; and when it's bad... Apparently the critical community has always been divided about the works virtues and I'm afraid that I end up siding with the critics. Why, for example does Milton include endless classical illusions, frequently at the cost of dramatic flow? And what about the justifications of God actions? Part way through I wondered who's side Milton was on! To be fair, I think that Milton was attempting the impossible. God in Paradise lost is omniscient and omnipotent, and either evil was created by God, or the whole thing is a mystery beyond understanding.
So, after a month of struggle I would say that Paradise Lost is worth reading, if only for the dubious reasons that it is very well known and that the best bits are jolly good.
Philip Pullman 'The Subtle Knife'
This is the second part of 'His Dark Materials'. It continues the story of Lyra and introduces a second major character in the form of Will a twelve-year-old charged with finding his lost father and guarding his paranoid mother.
If anything, this is better than 'Northern Lights'; the story is deepening and becoming more and more interesting. I was struck by how well thought through the story is, and how lean is the story telling. There is no flab, everything seems to be introduced for a reason and ties in latter on. On several occasions I re-read sections until I was certain that I'd picked up the nuances. There is one surprising moment of the 'Ensign Red Shirt syndrome' when a character is introduced only to be killed off immediately after, but apart from that the writing is excellent. I look forward to reading the next part with impatience.
Scholastic, 341 pages
Mike Pitts 'Hengeworld'
Over the years I have been to many of the places in the book. I remember driving up from Stonehenge to look at the concrete marker posts that is all there is to see at nearby woodhenge, then going on to Durrington, where despite the map showing a huge earthwork all I could see were Army buildings. Then there was the creepy Knowlton rings, and the magnificent Avebury. I guess being a bit of a henge freak I should have loved this book, in fact I nearly gave up reading it part way through...
This is a popular book and just tries too hard to be popular. I hated the way that chapters would begin on one tack and then suddenly and often crudely, change direction, this is a work of fact not fiction. Finally, about half way through the book settles down and tells a more or less continuous narrative and a very interesting one at that. I was fascinated to learn that 'lost' Beckhampton Avenue at Avebury has been found and amazed at the ambiguity of radiocarbon dates. Next time you see a radiocarbon date branded about ask to see the standard deviation.
Century London, 404 pages
Philip Pullman 'The Amber Spyglass'
So, the final chapter of 'His Dark Materials'. Did I enjoy it as much as the others? Well, yes and no. During 'The Subtle Knife' I developed a very strong idea of where the story was going and so I found it difficult to take 'The Amber Spyglass' on its own special terms. Looking back from end, I think it's a superb book and a wonderful end to the journey. Lyra's decision, on which so much depends, arrives so subtlety and seemed so natural that I almost missed it, surely Philip Pullman's point. Lyra's growth is painted with great skill and I found the final image of Lyra, no longer a child and not yet a woman, turning to face the future, very moving. In fact, after finishing the book I lay awake of ages thinking about it. Although I’ll certainly read 'His Dark Materials' again, I suspect that I'll reread 'The Amber Spyglass' sooner rather than later. 'His Dark Materials' is one of the best pieces of stony telling that I've come across, I can't recommend it highly enough.
Scholastic, 550 pages
Jules Verne 'Around the World in Eighty Days'
I must say that a rather enjoyed this. The book is a true classic and although it comes over as a bit of a travelogue in places it is easy to read, entertaining, and even educational. There is plenty of fun poked at national stereotypes, particularly the stiff upper lipped and laconic Englishman Fogg and this excitable French servant Passepartout, who actually has most of the adventures. All in all, a fun book.
Penguin Popular Classics, 245 pages
Bertolt Brecht 'The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui'
This is a slapstick comedy charting the rise of Chicago gangster Arturo Ui. Through extortion, violence and the weakness of others, particularly the upright and honest Dogsborough, Ui moves inexorably onwards and upwards, until at the end he dominates Chicago's greengrocery trade and starts exporting his business to nearly Cicero. Especially amusing is the scene in which Ui hires a Shakespearian actor to coach him in public speaking. In fact, much of the play brought a wiry smile to my lips, but the slapstick has a point; the piece isn't about Chicago gangsters, it's about the rise of Hitler. Between scenes notices outlining historical events are shown to put the savage satire into context. I did not know very much about the history of Hitler's rise to power and so found these extremely important in appreciating Brecht's parable. The introduction and notes are also excellent in placing the piece in it's historical context. Well worth reading.
Methuen, 123 pages
John K. McDonald 'House of Eternity: The Tomb of Nefertari'
The marriage of Rameses II and Nefertari is often presented as one of the ancient world's great romances. Although, in fact, it is almost impossible to separate fact from propaganda, when you look at the tomb Rameses gave to his Great Wife it is hard not to believe the popular story. Nefertari's tomb is an absolute gem, a masterwork of ancient Egyptian art. Sadly it is also in great danger and parts of it are already lost for ever. Since before its discovery in 1904 the tomb is been decaying; salt crystals drawn out of the rock, perhaps by water in the original plaster, have been slowly growing and forcing the plaster away. Between 1986 and 1992 and Egyptian Antiquities Organization and the Getty Conservation Institute made a major effort to conserve the tomb and preserve it for the future. This beautiful book comes from that work. Stunningly illustrated it places the tomb in its historical context and takes the reader on a journey into the tomb. The text is well written, extremely informative and never dry. Through clever use of sidebars, the tomb's complex images are explained without becoming over burdened with technical terms and much of the translated inscriptions are included. My only criticism is that the chapter dealing with the burial chamber is a bit too short, rather as if the tour guide were hurrying up the party to make way for the next group!
Thames and Hudson, 116 pages
Gordon Kirby 'Mario Andretti A Driving Passion'
I suppose that like a lot of European motor racing fans I have two main memories of Mario Andretti, firstly as the winner of the 1978 F1 world championship, a title supposedly tarnished by team orders and by the fact that Mario drove the best car by far, and secondly as Nigel Mansell's fading team mate in the US in 1993. This book, which covers Andretti's whole career, does not duck these issues. The general view seems to be that by 1993 Mario was past his best, in fact he retired at the end of next season. The 1978 World Championship however is a different story; although team orders did exist; Mario's team mate Ronnie Peterson was to race with and pass Mario if he could, but was to let Mario back into the lead at the end of the race, if Mario had a clear lead in the World Championship. This of course did not cover practice, where the results show that Andretti out qualified Peterson 9 to 5. Even more tellingly the fastest race laps show that Andretti set a best lap faster that Peterson on 8 out of 12 occasions. Away from all the noise that the British press made about the team orders back then I can see how unfair my assessment of the 1978 World Champion was; sure on a couple of occasions Peterson had to run behind Andretti, but on most occasions Mario was just plain faster. And so what if the Lotus 79 was the class of the field, much of its dominance was due to Mario's abilities as a tester and sorter out of cars. An interesting anecdote in this book describes how Mario would sort out rear tires of slightly different sizes to enable him to fine tune the car to each track.
All in all, this is an interesting and well written assessment of Andretti's long a varied racing career and is liberally pepper with quotes from many sources. I particular liked Mario's description of McLaren's might M20 Can-Am car as 'having more power than God' but 'it had tremendous throttle lag. You had to go flat on the throttle 50 yards before the corner so that you had boost pressure to come off the corner. But down the straightaway, man, that thing flew!'. In summary I greatly enjoyed this book and can recommend it to all fans with an interest in motor racing history.
Oh, and by the way, I forgot to mention that as well as the 1978 F1 World Championship Andretti won the Daytona 500, the Indy 500, was sprint car champion and Indy Car champion, and nearly won at Le Mans.
David Bull Publishing, 251 pages
Norman Lebrecht 'Mahler Remembered'
This is a series of reminisces about Gustav Mahler, written by the famous (for example Freud and Schoenberg) and by the obscure, from intimates of the composer inner circle, to casual acquaintances (the most causal must be that of Sir Rudolf Bing who described a childhood meeting with Mahler 'thrashing though the woods, singing, looking almost demented'). Interestingly Mahler's widow Alma, the source of much sometimes questionable biographic material, is deliberately underrepresented. With this type of material there are obviously contradictions, for example one source (Alma in this case) says that Mahler would never play her unfinished pieces, whilst a few pages later another reports how Mahler overcame his reluctance and played her some of an unfinished piece. Mahler himself comes over as an intense and driven man, unable to accept anything less than the ideal, to paraphrase one source 'an angel and a devil in one'. As a fan of Mahler's music (why else would I read this book) I was interested in the descriptions of his performance of his own works, and by a description of the conducting of Bruno Walter as 'coming near to it' (Mahler's performance), but lacking 'Mahler's intensity and breathtaking power in building up a climax'.
Faber & Faber, 322 pages
Alberto Siliotti 'Guide To The Valley Of The Kings'
As well as covering the Valley of the Kings this book also covers the Valley of the Queens, various mortuary temples, the workers village of Deir El-Medina and associated necropolis and a number of private tombs. The subjects were chosen for inclusion based on artistic merit and public accessibility. Each is illustrated with photos, maps and some excellent 3D drawings. Visually the book is rather lavish. But the text...
From the credits I suppose that the book has been translated into English. Or rather into a language which uses the same words as English but has different grammar. Sentences are endless, clause after clause after clause. It is normally possible to figure out who is doing what to whom, but it makes very tiring reading. For example a figure legend reads as follows, "One of the members of the Italian Archeological Mission, headed by Schiaparelli, at work in the tomb of Nefertari (QV no. 66), Ramesses II's 'Great Royal Bride’, discovered in 1904". See what I mean? Also, the figure legends frequently repeat verbatim the main text, and very irritatingly follow a different layout to the images.
So, in summary, not recommended! Definitely not worth £20!
George Weidenfeld & Nicolson ltd. Orion Publishing Group, 168 pages
Gerald Donaldson 'Gilles Villeneuve'
It's the 31 May 1981, it's my A-level physics exam the next day, time to take a break, the Monaco GP on TV. Villeneuve in second place, driving like a madman, his Ferrari hanging at wild angles only inches from the barriers. Leader Jones falters, Villeneuve is through in an instant with fractions to spare on either side, a brilliant win... It almost a year later, 7 May 1981, my first year at University, chatting to flat mate, someone else comes in 'Have you seen the news, a Grand Prix driver just bought it', 'Who?' 'Villeneuve'.
I always think of Gilles Villeneuve as one of the greatest drivers ever to drive a Grand Prix car, and his two wins in that final full season of 1981 as two of the best that I've ever seen. Reading this book 22 years on brought all the magic back again. I found the book captivating. Villeneuve is drawn warts very much and all, although obviously in awe of Villeneuve the driver, Gerald Donaldson also describes Villeneuve the man. Any sportsman capable of reaching such heights is not always going to be easy on those around him and in his unsensationalist way Donaldson does not hide this.
This is an excellent biography, highly recommended. And by the way, when Villeneuve first tested the F1 Ferrari he was four seconds slower than his team mate, even sublime talent needs to practice.
Virgin, 320 pages
Rick Shaffer 'CART Official History 1979-1998, The First Twenty Years''
The key to this book is 'Official History', and CART is obviously afraid of upsetting anyone. I can only suppose that the book was produced as a big, glossy (and expensive) advertisement to be given to friends, family and prospective sponsors! Anything that might be even slightly controversial is removed. For example in 'Mario Andretti A Driving Passion' the early stages of the Lola T700 are described in some detail, the car was '..horrendous-looking' and 'already ten years out of date', on its first lap of testing the rear suspension collapsed! Here the story is rather toned down ''.. it wasn't any good at the beginning. But we made consistent progress during the year and eventually won a couple of races'. That sums this book up, it's bland. It reads like one long publicity article, why else would a whole page be devoted to the PPG Pace Car Program? But why PPG stopped being the series sponsors? not a hint. You would look hard in this book for any of the politicking and self-serving which has been so much a feature of the management of this series. The book ends with an upbeat view of the future; sadly very wrong. Five years later CART is nearly bankrupt, most of the big teams and drivers are gone. Now how CART got into this state, that would make an interesting book!
Hazleton Publishing, 224 pages
Philip Pullman 'The Ruby In The Smoke'
Meet feisty Sally Lockhart, sixteen years old, totally ignorant of literature, history and the arts, but she can run a company, make sound investments and shoot straight. With her father drowned under mysterious circumstances during an investigation in the South China Sea she has been thrown onto her own, very considerable resources.
This book lacks the depth of 'His Dark Materials' but is never-the-less a jolly good read; a real 'ripping yarn' in fact. Like all of Pullman's books it is very well plotted with no dangling threads and no slight-of-hand. Excellent escapism, I highly recommend it.
Scholastic, 207 pages
C.P. Taylor 'Shadowmancer'
This is a Christian sword and sorcery fantasy and there is nothing wrong with that except that the author doesn't let you forget it for a moment. The religious aspects are not lightly applied, but laid on with a shovel endlessly, over and over again! Philip Pullman said words to the effect that 'If you want to preach, find a pulpit.' I believe that C.P. Taylor is in fact a priest. Sadly, it seems that when he wrote this he was at this pulpit! Not recommended
Faber and Faber, 300 pages
Christopher Logue 'Kings'
This is the second volume of Logue's Homer adaptation, and like its predecessor 'War Music' it is simply stunning. It adapts the first two books of the Iliad to make a wonderfully evocative prose-poem that tells of the dispute between Achilles and Agamemnon over the girl Briseis. Perhaps it's best to let it speak for itself; the opening in which Achilles runs to the sea to talk to his mother Thetis:
Think of the east Aegean sea by night,
And in an open bay before that sea
Upwards of 30,000 men
Asleep like spoons among their hightailed ships.
Now look along the moonlit beach, and note
Among the keels that hatch its western dunes
A ten-foot-high reed wall
Faced with black clay and split by a double-doored gate;
Then through that gate a naked man,
Whose beauty's silent power stops your heart,
Half run, half trot, face wet with tears, out past its guard,
And having vanished from their sight
Run with what seems to break the speed of light
Across a mile of dry, then damp, then sand invisible
Beneath inch-high waves that slide
Over each other's luminescent panes;
Then kneel among those panes, beggar his arms, and pray:
'Out of humiliation, Source, I cry,
Source, hear my voice, and with your presence
Bless my supplication.'
Faber and Faber, 86 pages
Peter L: Bernstein 'Against the Gods, The remarkable story of risk'
Nature has established patterns originating in the return of events, but only for the most part.
Leibniz, 1703
Risk is very much part of life, be you a compulsive gambler or strongly risk adverse, risk is impossible to get away from. As the quote above says the past can be a guide to the future, but how good a guide? If it happened yesterday and the day before, will it happen again tomorrow? This book charts the increasing understanding of probability and management of risk from ancient times to the present day; from dice games to derivatives. How ideas developed for games of chance became applied to life insurance and economics, and on to increasing complex questions about how people actually react to risk. All-in-all this is an interesting and highly readable book, but how much better it would have been if it had included more maths. Clearly the approach of discussing mathematics without actually showing it has been taken very much to heart. The story, told through the lives and ideas of the discoverers, is very interesting and well told; but much of this story is about mathematics, and at least for me the book would have been so much better if more of it had been shown. Still a book well worth reading.
John Wiley & Sons, 384 pages