time to go and play

Discussion in 'UK Motorcycles' started by Andy Bonwick, Feb 4, 2011.

  1. Really, really good books on war, that count as 'literature', are
    surprisingly few. I'll add All Quiet on the Western Front, which blew me
    away when I first read it, The Last Enemy and Alamein to Zem Zem. Oh,
    and Sagittarius Rising.

    An honourable mention for The Cruel Sea.
     
    The Older Gentleman, Feb 5, 2011
    #21
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  2. Andy Bonwick

    Pete Fisher Guest

    In communiqué <1jw7iw9.1b34takyu4dz0N%>,
    "Birdsong", gets my vote.

    --
    +-------------------------------------------------------------------+
    | Pete Fisher at Home: |
    | Aprilia Shiver Yamaha WR250Z/Supermoto "Old Gimmer's Hillclimber" |
    | Gilera GFR * 2 Moto Morini 2C/375 |
    +-------------------------------------------------------------------+
     
    Pete Fisher, Feb 5, 2011
    #22
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  3. Andy Bonwick

    M J Carley Guest

    Guests of the Nation, Frank O'Connor; A Private Affair, The Partisan
    Johnny, Beppe Fenoglio; not really a `war' book, but Turbulence, Giles
    Foden, is very good. I'd also add Starship Troopers, Robert Heinlein.
     
    M J Carley, Feb 5, 2011
    #23
  4. Andy Bonwick

    Thomas Guest

    Johnny Got His Gun by Dalton Trumbo. "a young soldier serving in World
    War I, awakens in a hospital bed... He gradually realizes that he has
    lost his arms, legs, and all of his face (including his eyes, ears,
    teeth, and tongue), but that his mind functions perfectly, leaving him
    a prisoner in his own body. He has been reduced to an armless, legless
    man who is blind, deaf, and mute. " Trumbo was one of the Hollywood
    Ten - scriptwriters who were blacklisted because they wouldn't kowtow
    during the McCarthy witch hunts.

    War and Peace by Tolstoy. Yeah, it's a great book, but it has its
    faults. One problem is the translation. The new one by Pevear &
    Volokhonsky has been wildly praised, but I think it's unreadable
    compared to the old Maude translation. P&V may be more accurate, but
    it's lost the soul of Tolstoy.
     
    Thomas, Feb 5, 2011
    #24
  5. Andy Bonwick

    Nige Guest

    I saw 'em on a flight from Finland once, bloody nice they are, too :)

    --


    Nige,

    'That's shot the fox'

    Eunos Roadster (for summer)
    Grand Cherokee (for winter)
     
    Nige, Feb 5, 2011
    #25
  6. Andy Bonwick

    TMack Guest

    Saw them once or twice as a kid when we were living north of Aberdeen.
     
    TMack, Feb 5, 2011
    #26
  7. Fond of reading fiction written by fascist kiddie fiddlers are you?
     
    steve auvache, Feb 5, 2011
    #27
  8. Andy Bonwick

    M J Carley Guest

    It's a good book. If we start saying books are no good because we
    don't like the author, we'll have very short bookshelves.
     
    M J Carley, Feb 5, 2011
    #28
  9. Andy Bonwick

    crn Guest

    And a renewed recommendation for Green Beach.
     
    crn, Feb 5, 2011
    #29
  10. Ah yes. Forgot that one.
     
    The Older Gentleman, Feb 5, 2011
    #30
  11. Yes, some of those early colour sets were dreadful.
     
    Grimly Curmudgeon, Feb 5, 2011
    #31
  12. Must find 'Chickenhawk' again.
     
    Grimly Curmudgeon, Feb 5, 2011
    #32
  13. Andy Bonwick

    Scraggy Guest

    My Furthest Point North tour with viewing was here;

    http://maps.google.co.uk/?ie=UTF8&h...89186,20.409164&spn=0.13937,0.441513&t=h&z=11

    It was complete with self-catering Recce vehicle, ca -25 IIRC and full
    displays of the lights. Useful they were for the II sights.

    The real beauty was the totally still waters of the fjord acting as a
    mirror. A huge pity that digital cameras were still some way off.
     
    Scraggy, Feb 5, 2011
    #33
  14. Andy Bonwick

    Adie Guest

    for the granddaughter? only if you can get past the daughter...or is
    it til the wife is passed it?
    --
    Adie
    (replace spam with nickname to reply)

    UKRM FAQ: http://www.ukrm.info/faq/

    YZF-R1 : FZ1N : RD350LC
    (anyone would think I was partial to Yamahas)
    keeper of the FAQ for my sins
    MRO#11 BOTAFOF#7 BOTAFOT#130 DIAABTCOD#17 MIB#24 YTC#16
    BOB#15 ex-UKRMMA#22 BOMB#11
     
    Adie, Feb 5, 2011
    #34
  15. Andy Bonwick

    zymurgy Guest

    I read that 'til about half way through, then I accidentally left it
    on a train a couple of years back. Now i'm gonna have to start all
    over :-(

    Paul.
     
    zymurgy, Feb 5, 2011
    #35
  16. Andy Bonwick

    Jérémy Guest

    (The Older Gentleman) wrote in
    Seven Pillars of Wisdom!
     
    Jérémy, Feb 7, 2011
    #36
  17. Oh, blimey, yes.
     
    The Older Gentleman, Feb 7, 2011
    #37
  18. Andy Bonwick

    DozynSleepy Guest

    He wrote two of my favourite books, "Time enough for love" and "Stranger
    in a Strange land". Probably his treatment of "sexual issues" which made
    them compelling reading as a teenager.

    You've prompted me to start reading "Time enough for love" again. Wonder
    if it'll still have the same resonance with the passing of 28 years ?
     
    DozynSleepy, Feb 7, 2011
    #38
  19. Andy Bonwick

    tim Guest

    tim, Feb 7, 2011
    #39
  20. Andy Bonwick

    davethedave Guest

    I started with "Friday" and proceeded to obtain pretty much everything he
    has written. I quite enjoyed his books, with them being the old friends
    I return to on the book shelf when new materiel is scarce or I can't raise
    the required effort for a new one.

    One complaint though. They made cheap paperbacks much better in the 50's
    to 80's. The Heinleins have been through many owners and lasted nigh on
    thirty years yet I am halfway through Dan Browns latest brand new
    whatever and pages are dropping like flies already.
     
    davethedave, Feb 7, 2011
    #40
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