Faster! Louder! (Boff Whalley)

Boff Whalley

Faster! Louder! How a punk rocker from Yorkshire became British Champion Fell Runner

A very entertaining story about a punk rock fell runner which highlights the similarities between the two lives lived although at times it is a bit tenuous. Nevertheless an excellent read with some great memories for an ageing punk including the notorious Christmas on Earth festival in Leeds in the snowy winter of '81. God that sounds like an old timer reminiscing about the gold rush - back in '81. The other link for me is to where Gary grew up and trained around Otley where my mates Ramsay and Jo live. Probably why they gave me this book of course! Boff was in Chumbawamba and lives in Otley. Although I was one of the cross country runners at school who slouched behind to have a smoke and take short cuts watching the "winners" (not that we thought of them as that) reach the finish line it still made me think "why didn't I go hill running" as I did quite like running down slopes and screes. Just not running up them I guess. Anyways, a great read and classic pictures.

I don't usually include gratuitous images but what a line-up hey...

,,, ho let's go

Our Mutual Friend (Charles Dickens)

Charles Dickens

Our Mutual Friend

An epic tale of love, avarice and betrayal which has two distinct but intertwined stories each worthy of a novel of it's own although the intertwining makes this greater than two could ever be. The last of Dickens novels is a masterpiece with surprises til the end. The love stories are of the true love of self sacrifice offset but the love of obsession and wanting possession. Part of the beauty of the novel is how these two are switched by more than one of the characters. Dickens also gives a decent dose of humour and sensitivity whilst railing against the poor law, the attitudes of those who are rich and in power and in the bigoted attitude towards Jews. I won't give spoilers and no few sentences can do the book justice but a highly recommended read. What I don't understand is how such a complex and rich story could have been read in monthly installments without the readers forgetting the characters and plot of the previous month. If it were me I'd have to read all previous installments when I receive the next. Maybe that's my age or in the 1850s people had less to fill up their minds not having the endless stream of drivel we enjoy from the internet and TV. Or maybe they did but had a better memory than me. Read.

README.txt (Chelsea Manning)

Chelsea Manning

README.txt

A brilliant account of Chelsea's life and incarceration and release. It's a great mix of her struggles with family and ability to demonstrate her sexuality; life on the edge of society; lifting the lid on how wars are fought by the USA (and presumably other large powers) and her arrest and treatment. I had a tangental brush with Wikileaks in a previous job In some ways an inspirational story that ends with release both from prison and also being able to transition into a woman. On the other hand knowing that what Chelsea revealed is still going on and she was fortunate to get a commutation by Obama. It's unlikely that his successors would have done the same and likely that Chelsea would still be in prison.

Racing Through the Dark (David Millar)

David Millar with Jeremy Whittle

Racing Through the Dark: The Fall and Rise of David Millar

Published in 2011 so before Lance Armstrong was stripped of his Tour de France and other titles and his subsequent admission to doping. Along with others. This gives a heartfelt and fascinating account of David Millar's rise in pro cycling, his descent into doping and subsequent arrest. Then him pulling himself back onto the bike and becoming a vociferous mouthpiece against doping. At times I wonder if he was a much a victim as he makes out but the reality was that you were at a massive disadvantage if you didn't dope. David's actions and words since he was arrested are certainly consistent with him being truly sorry for his doping and much of that because of how he failed his fans, family and friends. A great read combining cycling, doping, personal struggles and the wider context. However, doping and being on the edge of the rules continues to dog cycling including the "clean team" Sky and the accusations of the dishonest use of TUE (banned substances allowed for certain medical conditions). David's dismissal of Bradley Wiggins' chances in the tour seem premature given that he then won it. But again, what was in the jiffy bag? Overall a great read about professional cycling and the ongoing problems it faces. But as David points out, cycling has more testing than any other sport so it's not surprising more dopers are found in cycling. 

God Dies by the Nile and Other Novels (Nawal El Saadawi)

Nawal El Saadawi

God Dies by the Nile and Other Novels

Three stories about life as a woman in Egypt written in the 70's and I think 80's. The author couldn't publish in Egypt and so I'm not sure if they were written beforehand and published outside Egypt at later dates. I guess I could investigate. The stories are all disturbing and show how badly treated women are in Egypt at least in the part of society that the author describes. Mistreatment and rape are covered the latter in an oblique although certain manner which I assume was needed when published otherwise could face wider bans for being supposedly salacious. The stories are all in a different in style too. God Dies By The Nile is a sorry story about male dominance, rape and pregnancy facilitated by the power wielded by local authority figures, the submissive nature of the general population and the non existent rights of women. It's well written very descriptively in a traditional narrative way. Searching is a strange tale of a woman trying to find her lover who has simply disappeared and who has a dead end job. Her education drives her to strive for a better and more interesting life. The Circling Song is a disturbing story of the rape of a child and the father setting the twin son to go after her with the intent of an honour killing due to the disgrace of her being pregnant. Her flight to Cairo is met with similarly horrific treatment. Up until now the narrative is fairly traditional but then the story goes into a bit of a strange non-narrative stream of consciousness a bit like Kerouac or Joyce. You get the gist of what's going on but the story line is hard to follow and maybe you're not meant to as the two children, for that's what they really are, merge into one and the same. All are interesting and as I say disturbing. I won't comment on the social and religious forces that allow these stories to continue to mirror real life as I am not from that society and my views on any religion would offend many. Suffice to say that the author was stripped of a prestigious career post due to her writing and activism, was imprisoned and then forced to flee Egypt as her life was in danger. A truly brave woman in stark contrast to those who she railed against.

Let Me Take You by the Hand (Jennifer Kavanagh)

Jennifer Kavanagh

Let Me Take You by the Hand: True Tales from London's Streets

A seemingly fairly random number of conversations with people who work or live on the street. It supposedly updates Mayhew's reporting but doesn't come close. And the song reference is misleading. It's very patchy and often shows that the author really doesn't know London but is dipping in and out. Seems like she thought it was a good project but really lazily executed. I did find some of the anecdotes interesting but it wasn't gripping and I gave up half way through having been subjected to a racist rant by an Australian rickshaw cyclist with no commentary or view expressed by the author. Summing up the lazy attitude to the subject. This is the second book I've read about London lives that seems targeted at those who are interested in the cosmopolitan nature of London but turn out to be channeling the right wing conservative reactionary press.

Lucky Breaks (Yevgenia Belorusets)

Yevgenia Belorusets
Lucky Breaks

An interesting collection of, well, anecdotes, stories, musings, thoughts, observations on people. Not sure exactly but a very readable collection. It's written in the aftermath of the 2014 Russian invasion of Ukraine a the collection is all about women who are caught up in the conflict whether still living in the area invaded by Russia or under pro-Russian separatists, or those who have located to other areas of Ukraine. Some of the stories seem fantastical, others about mental wellbeing and others that seem to be about the author. I saw this on the off chance in Foyles. Whilst published in Russian (there's a bit about why in the afterword) the English translation was published in 2022. The author is a well known photographer, artist and write. Well worth a read. As published before the 2022 Russian invasion across the whole of Ukraine it reminds you that western governments and press really don't care about Russia's abuses of strength unless it directly affects their interests. Chechnya?

Butcher’s Crossing (John Williams)

John Williams

Butcher’s Crossing 

A truly great book by the author of Stoner which I loved. This is entirely different in it's subject matter but has the brilliant descriptive writing that really evokes the situations written about. Given that not many of us will have experienced the content of the novel Williams' ability to transport you there is brilliant. I'm sure he never experienced what he's written about either which makes it even more impressive. Highly recommended and I wont try to summarise the plot suffice to say it's about relationships and survival. Human fanaticism and self contemplation. How people react to extremes. Ultimately what drives us. The plot is brilliant too with majorly significant story lines. As a side note, in the 1800s bison in USA dropped from over 50 million to under 500. Killed for hides, for farmland and also culled to push native Americans out of their traditional lands. The novel is a brilliantly depressing read.

A Fine Thing Chance (Oliver Popplewell)

Oliver Popplewell

A Fine Thing Chance

Interesting collection of stories all based in "what if" scenarios some of which are all based on chance and others not quite so. Many relate to legal criminal cases as Popplewell was a judge.

A Bit of a Stretch (Chris Atkins)

Chris Atkins

A Bit of a Stretch

Very interesting and disturbing account of someone who spends time in Wandsworth Prison for fraud. The conditions are terrible and most prisoners who should be treated as medical patients are locked up seemingly until the authorities wait for them to self harm and are suicidal. Liz Truss, our short term PM who screwed the economym, comes under special criticism for either incompetence or deliberately using prisoners as political pawns. The cynical side of me thinks that any politician who seems incompetent actually knows exactly what they are doing to screw whatever line they are responsible for. In Truss's case I tend to think she really is incompetent. At best negligent. Which is the authorities answer to running law and order in this country. The book makes very clear that the prison system does more to encourage reoffending than to reduce crime levels. Although a tough read it is readable and has moments of comedy. Albeit dark.

All Our Yesterdays (Natalia Ginzburg)

Natalia Ginzburg

All Our Yesterdays

Excellent tale about two familys and other friends as the nazis take over in Italy and as they enter the war through to it's end. As reading I thought it was a modern novel but then found out it was written in the 50s so would have been when the trauma of the war was still pretty raw.

London, Burning (Anthony Quinn)

Anthony Quinn

London, Burning

Another very readable story set in late 70s London against the backdrop of industrial unrest, leadup to Thatcher's election and punk so a lot of cultural references that were right up my street. Follows 4 people who's lives interconnect related to crime, terrorism, relationships and power. A good read.

The Gardener (Salley Vickers)

Salley Vickers
The Gardener

A very readable story about change and moving into a new life and relationships against the backdrop of nature and plants. Very gentle and just the thing to read whilst whiling away a time in Venice.

We Move (Gurnaik Johal)

Gurnaik Johal
We Move

This is a pre-release book with a blank acknowledgements page lent to me by a friend who I used to work with with a shared love of literature. So I can't publish this until April 2022. It's a debut novel by a very promising young author. The book is a number of short stories with common themes some of which are tied up at the end. Most characters are Sikh and although you can guess the meaning of a lot of the Punjabi (I assume it's that language) words I did find myself Googling them to get the exact meaning. If I were to be critical it's that this does seem like a collection of very short stories and the characters are not very developed especially little about what they look like and for most not a lot of character depth. It feels a little like the author has put a lot of his ideas for story lines into his first book and to be honest I feel that there is a lot more that could be developed as the stories have a lot of potential. There again I'm not a writer. I wonder if the stories will be more fully developed in the future. A lot of the book is tied together with the Sikh massacre in 1984 and also a thread about whether what we do is predetermined or whether we are subject to fate. Along those lines seems to be a thread about how decisions taken, or forced upon us, or a path followed, lead to major effects in our lives. Funny as I've now started a book about mid life crises which also has that "what if I did that when I was 30" theme common to many who re-evaluate their lives.

I Dreamed I Was a Very Clean Tramp : An Autobiography (Richard Hell)

Richard Hell

I Dreamed I Was a Very Clean Tramp : An Autobiography

A very interesting read of Hell's life in NYC from early 70s onwards and his involvement in the start of the punk scene. He makes out that he virtually created the punk look, attitude and sound. Whilst he does acknowledge others he does seem a bit full of himself. An unsavoury aspect is his dismissive attitude to women who he always sleeps with and indeed I can't remember him mentioning any who he doesn't. It's always in the context of them letting him do whatever he wants to them which he makes out is consensual but doesn't really read that way as he often says that these women are pretty strung out and have a lot of mental health issues. Hell then goes on to say that the British have an unsophisticated and childish attitude to women seemingly because when on tour with punk bands the blokes don't view all the women around as sex objects. It's not unsophisticated Hell, it having respect for women as humans not just someone to bed, The book then goes into Hell being addicted to heroine and to honest the book sort of descends into an excuse for his behaviour whilst addicted. The book does read a bit like therapy for Hell where he's excusing exploitative behaviour, having rants at those he doesn't like and retrospectively framing everything he's done in the context of a predetermined poetic artistry. It's difficult to tell if what he writes is near the truth or just plain bullshit. Not having lived in NYC in the mid 70s it's difficult for me to tell but some of what he says about Britain is obviously bull. Yes we like potatoes but even back in the late 70s you could buy more than fried potatoes in town centres. I think that this is written for the American audience which makes me wonder if the whole lot is bull as the number of people reading who were into the early punk scene in NYC would be very small. Also John Lydon stopped using the moniker Rotten in 1978 so not sure why Hell, who obviously wanted to keep his adopted surname I guess cos otherwise people wouldn't know who he is, refers to him as Rotten. Having said all this it's a good read souring somewhat at the end. And the albums he made with the Voidoids and with music and lyrics that good I can forgive a few irritations in his book. As if Hell will ever know and as if he would even care.

A Significant Other (Matt Rendell)

Matt Rendell
A Significant Other: Riding the Centenary Tour De France with Lance Armstrong

An interesting read if you like cycling. It covers the centenary tour of 2003 from the point of view of one of Lance Armstrong's team (domestiques) the Colombian Victor Hugo Pena. Chapters alternate between Rendell's very interesting explanations of bike racing strategy and techniques, and history of le Tour, and then various stages of the 2003 tour from Victor Hugo's viewpoint (I think through Rendell's interviews with him). Being a domestique is a tough job with little glory although Victor Hugo did wear the yellow jersey for a few days which, as he says, is more than many greater riders who came before him and who will come after him. Victor Hugo's viewpoint covers the pain of riding and also his personal history. It's also very interesting as written before Armstrong's accusations of serial doping and subsequently being stripped of all his Tour titles which also showed how dominant and bullying he was within his team and across the entire peloton. As I say, an interesting read given history since the book was written. 

As an aside. The 6 tours that Armstrong won (1999-2005) were stripped from him and not awarded to the 2nd placed rider (as happened in other years) as there was so much (known) doping going on. Jan Ullrich came 2nd in 4 of those but was also shown to be doping. The 2006 tour was stripped from Floyd Landis for the same reason. So whilst the original official results show no winner for 1999-2005 the official le Tour web site now has the 2nd placed shown, without mention as to why there is no 1st placed, including Ullrich. As if Armstrong and the doping at the time are airbrushed from history. Now, drug taking and chicanery have always been part of cycling and whether or not you believe it's now a "clean" sport may or may not mar your enjoyment of the spectacle. It was definitely exciting at the time and only in retrospect do you feel slightly cheated. But there are times when you think "are they really that good without drugs" such as Chris Froome's 50 mile solo mountain break in the Giro d'Italia whilst he was embroiled in his own drugs accusations. There again part of me thinks that I don't think anything less of a Nik Turner sax solo just cos I know he was probably off his head on drugs. Or am I mixing my entertainments?

Bel Canto (Ann Patchett)

Ann Patchett

Bel Canto

Apparently Bruce likes more than the Dutch House but I didn't. Too many characters with lazy ethnic descriptions and unlikely plot development. Feels a bit contrived even for fiction. I won't spoil the read, although the author tells us what will happen anyway, but the ending is abrupt and corny. Disappointing to be honest although I guess readable enough to get to the end.

The Odyssey (Homer)

Homer

The Odyssey

A fantastic read of which you can see the roots of many other stories. I meant to read after the Iliad and seeing as that isn't reviewed in this blog I must have read that 10 years ago at least. About half the time that Odysseus spent returning from Troy. I won't analyse whether he was just a wanderer adventurer or really wanted to get back to his wife and kid, the ending leaves him open to wandering inland with an oar, as those more educated in the classics will have published works on this book. But do like me and just read as a great story. Matt would have been proud of me. May you be resting peacefully in Hades Halls.

Tunes: A Comic Book History of Rock and Roll (Vincent Brunner)

Vincent Brunner

Tunes: A Comic Book History of Rock and Roll

Not so much a comic book history of rock and roll but more a dip into a few dozen bands seemingly selected at random (probably the ones the editor's mates liked) with a very brief history in text, a few record recommendations and then a short comic strip involving (sometimes very casually) the band or artist. Some of the information is inaccurate but as a bathroom book to dip into it serves an idle purpose.

London Fields (Martin Amis)

Martin Amis
London Fields

A nasty little tale based on utter contempt for those not given Amis' opportunities in life, hideous racist caricatures and misogyny throughout. The main characters are what you might find in a right wing cartoon strip and the supporting ones have even lazier descriptions. I got half way through having been told by a couple of friends that it was a great book. I have tried to read other Amis books and had the same feelings. I gave up on this one too. In addition to all that the plot is meandering and at times absurd and none of the characters likeable. The way that Amis dismisses off hand violent rape including that of children is hideous. As I say, a nasty tale best avoided.

The Uncomfortable Truth About Racism (John Barnes)

John Barnes
The Uncomfortable Truth About Racism

An extremely thought provoking book that tackles (no pun intended) racism from an angle that is not necessarily the norm. I hesitate to summarise such an in depth and well thought through book but in essence John's view is that we need to tackle the societal roots of racism, and other forms of discrimination, rather than lambast scapegoats. His question is why do those people have their views and if from society does it help in persecuting them whilst we ignore the wider societal reasons for racism. Which are to keep the foundations upon which the rich and powerful maintain power. They are happy to throw crumbs to those who they exploit, whatever their race, gender, religion etc. etc. etc. as long as they maintain their power. They even let a few folk rise to near the top to prove that their system is not racist, sexist, homophobic etc. etc. etc. But the truth is that they will not allow equality in society so they can maintain their power and wealth. Sound like modern capitalism? Yep. The answer being true socialism? Yep. Although John does say that socialism is a pipe dream. He also has a lot of thought provoking and cogent views on the white working class. Now I have summarised a lot and probably some of it misrepresenting John. I don't agree with all in the book but if I did I guess I would be JB himself as we all have differing views. One thing it has made me consider in more detail is my unconscious, and some of my more conscious, bias. Go read. Now.

Lonely Boy (Steve Jones with Ben Thompson)

Steve Jones with Ben Thompson
Lonely Boy

A surprisingly frank life story by the brilliant Sex Pistols guitarist. Steve goes through the good the bad and the very ugly times of his life and throughout recognises that he's not been the most pleasant of people to meet. He doesn't make excuses for himself but you can see how he got where he got to. It's a very entertaining and fascinating account of his childhood up until creating the Pistols, their brief couple of years of infamy and collapse and then what he's been up to afterwards. A great read whether you are an ageing punk or just intrigued in reading a very interesting autobiography. Highly recommended.

The Escape Artist (Matt Seaton)

Matt Seaton

The Escape Artist

A thankfully short and succinct book (see last one I read) which gets to the point clearly and quickly. A quick run through is man becomes cycling obsessive, finds how to fit in with partner, eventually has kids which stymies racing, starts cycling again, wife is terminally ill and how cycling fits into that, new partner and older kids leads to cycling again, briefly. The interest is in the description of both being an amateur racing cyclist and also how it interferes with the rest of life. Or rather how the rest of life interferes with cycle racing. Very interesting as a cyclist and probably for those who aren't. Written with honesty, a lot of humour and an obvious passion for cycling. And the rest of life too. I wonder what my wife Debbie will think of it. Although she cycles I'm not sure "cyclist" would be top of her descriptions of herself. Probably in the top 3 for me.

The Last Man (Mary Shelley)

Mary Shelley

The Last Man

I thought I'd read this having gone through Covid which is no means as bad as this plague book. Mary describes the slow descent of the human race being killed off by plague until, well you've guessed it. The interest is in the human stories of how folk cope. Having said that it reads as if it was written by a monarchist sexist rather than the daughter of feminist and anarchist philosophers. It goes on about how the heir to the thrown and other well born men are the only ones with leadership qualities and that the common people are just sheep and not very intelligent ones at that. Women are ideally those who dote on their husbands and children at any expense of their own welfare or happiness. My dodgy Amazon copy (not the one in the pic) ran to 400 pages and to be honest the story could have been written in about 100 without significantly reducing it's appeal. The wording is very wordy with extremely long descriptions often repeating themselves over and over. I usually like a bit of meandering but this was way too much. However despite all this I persevered and got through to the end with the LAST MAN (as my edition put it). Oh, of course he was English as the only nationality worth saving and the rest of the nations were killed off. I'm sure there is a lot to read into the novel if you are an expert on Byron and Percy Shelley but I'm not so maybe a lot was lost on me. Even so strange read really and not as good as Frankenstein by a long long way.

Heart of Dart-ness (Ned Boulting)

Ned Boulting
Heart of Dart-ness: Bullseyes, Boozers and Modern Britain

An excellent personal run through of the world of darts with an interesting twist with Ned being Marlow and Eric Bristow as Kurtz. Full of great anecdotes about interesting players and some of the fans. A good and funny read.

Salt On Your Tongue (Charlotte Runcie)

Charlotte Runcie
Salt On Your Tongue: Women and the Sea

A rambling book about pregnancy and the sea which has a lot of interesting stories within but after a while all the meandering gets a bit tedious. A bit too much detail of the author's personal life which is unremarkable. Fair enough but not great reading. Having said that I did want to finish it and did make me remember that I've not read Homer's Odyssey which I meant to after reading Iliad.

Palmares (Gayl Jones)

Gayl Jones
Palmares

A rambling though interesting, entertaining and thought provoking story of a young woman's life from being a slave girl in Brazil and her escape, or rather capture, to one of the escaped slave and others communities where she meets her husband. After the community is attacked by the Portuguese the story is her search for her husband. Along the way she meets many adventures and people and in some ways the book is a series of such that don't add to the overall plot but are interesting nonetheless. She also has powers of healing which are partly her knowledge of plants and partly a more mystical element. This is handed down by her grandmother and by a couple of people she meets along the way. It's not all straightforward though and one thing that shines through is her determination to take her own path. The story has rather an abrupt end which surprised me as there were a few pages left but left blank. I wonder if this was intentional? The author has had an interesting life worth a quick search too.

White Line Fever (Lemmy with Janiss Garza)

White Line Fever
Janiss Garza and Lemmy

A very readable and enjoyable romp through Lemmy's life. You're not sure you'd really want to hang out with him for all sorts of reasons but it would never be dull. A series of anecdotes and thoughts on life hanging off his chronological life story which are very interesting for a Hawkwind and Motorhead fan (sorry, I do just like the 1st 2 albums - see his views on that!) but I suspect a good read for anyone. To be fair he doesn't stick the knife in to anyone (well, a few record execs) but there again he does dismiss many in his anecdotes with some ruthlessness. 

St. Pauli – Another Football is Possible (Carles Viñas and Natxo Parra)

Carles Viñas and Natxo Parra
St. Pauli – Another Football is Possible

A run through of the history of FC St Pauli and it's relationship with the local community in particular the autonomous squatter movement in and around the Hamburg red light district and port where St Pauli is based. Much more than a book about a club it's a run through of pre and post war German politics within the context of football, Hamburg and St Pauli (the club and urban area). Shows that another football is possible, i.e. isn't all about the money and sponsorship or even winning, although the pressures on the club to embrace the commercial / capitalist world are great in order to survive financially and improve league table wise. An excellent read if you are interested in football, politics and society. Surely that's everyone then.

Out of Time (Miranda Sawyer)

Miranda Sawyer
Out of Time

As the author says not a self help book but her experiences. The plus sides are shared experiences as to what life was like when we were younger and what it's like moving into middle age with long term relationships, responsibilities and kids. The downside is that it feels a little bit smug about what a great time Miranda used to have when young and I feel a bit of that smugness too. I don't necessarily agree with the basic premise of mid life crisis books as they all assume that we all have some frustrated objectives in life. Many of us just live it and what comes with it and never did want to trek up Killamanjaro as part of a Price Waterhouse Coopers sponsored charity event. I know Miranda and can imagine her telling these anecdotes. She's the chair of the Catholic school where I'm a governor (the only non Catholic) and as such is now a converted Catholic. Maybe that's how she's come to terms with death which she devotes a fair bit of time to. On that note... the remarks about the nurses who looked after her gran are way way out of order. Don't blame the hospital staff for how this country treats those who are near death. They are doing their jobs under very difficult circumstances especially if it was an NHS hospital. That ruined the book for me and made the smugness seem more like expected privilege. 

What Really Happened in Wuhan (Sharri Markson)

What Really Happened in Wuhan: a Virus Like No Other, Countless Infections, Millions of Deaths
Sharri Markson

Fairly interesting angle on Covid-19 about how it leaked from a Chinese lab rather than being a naturally occurring jump from animals to humans. The latter was the general scientific community's line with anyone suggesting a lab leak being labelled a conspiracy theorist. On the author's side of the argument there are a lot of things leading to a lab leak not least that there is a lab looking at coronaviruses right in the middle of Wuhan. With the Chinese government's secrecy and the wider world's shutting down of anything related to Covid that isn't the general opinion (i.e. WHO) then the conspiracy theory seems plausible. Like so much to do with Covid we are being kept in the dark and lied to by scientists and politicians, with social media companies actively deleting posts that go against the general opinion. Obviously much of this is unravelling including the value of general population lock downs and Covid origins. The downsides of the book is that it's far too long, repeats a lot, has a lot of irrelevance (describing dinner parties) and nearly all sources are either anonymous or rabid right wingers with an axe to grind. The arguments are greatly diminished by being put forward by Trump supporters although to be fair the author does blame the scientific community's dislike of Trump to bad mouth anyone who supports his questioning as to whether it was a lab leak. Why would you believe an ex head of MI5 an organisation that exists solely to deceive and spy on other nations? The final straw is in acknowledgements where the author thanks Rupert Murdoch (who pays her) for running media organisations that are completely independent and don't support particular political parties. Just goes to show that you cannot trust either side in the Covid crisis and it's very difficult to sort out what is right and what is wrong. Not recommended as you could find out a much more balanced view given half hour on the internet. 

Face It (Debbie Harry)

Debbie Harry
Face It: A Memoir

A very readable and interesting account of Debbie's time in early 70s New York and the start of the punk scene. As much about her feelings and looking back from the present as about the facts of what went on. Written in anecdotal form starting way back as an adopted child. A lot more interesting that I thought it would be as I guess I never realised quite what her background was and to be honest not really followed her since the late 70s. Maybe I should have. The only time I saw her was relatively recently at Glastonbury as I passed Blondie playing on one of the stages. Well worth a read.

Lady Susan (Jane Austen)

Jane Austen
Lady Susan

An interesting tale about a near shameless woman who neglects her daughter, indeed seems to dislike her, and plays men, and women, off against each other with skill and selfishness helped by her charm and extreme good looks. It's another in the long line of stories about women and what they have to do to survive especially in times when it was extremely hard to without a man by your side. All the more interesting as Jane was very young when this was written (thought to be 19) although it wasn't published for over 50 years after her death. Possibly because it seems to not to make a moral indignation about Susan who is treating people badly and having an affair with a married man whilst stringing others along. My theory that. A great short story.

The Gambler/Bobok/A Nasty Story (Fyodor Dostoevsky)

Fyodor Dostoevsky
The Gambler/Bobok/A Nasty Story

Three different angles of Dostoevsky. The Gambler is a long story about addictive gambling with the highs and lows that it brings. Brilliantly written. Bobok is a strange little tale listening in on the dead whilst A Nasty Story is just that. An excellently written piece about good intentions, albeit extremely condescending, gone wrong in spectacular fashion. Three good reads.

Woolwich Arsenal FC: 1893-1915 (Tony Attwood, Andy Kelly, Mark Andrews)

Tony Attwood, Andy Kelly, Mark Andrews

Woolwich Arsenal FC: 1893-1915 (The Club That Changed Football)

One for die hard Gooners no doubt but nevertheless very interesting as the club moved from amateur status to professional, moved grounds ultimately to north London and whilst being the first London club to join the League proper being promoted to the top flight and then demoted for the only time which is unique. Those who aren't Gooners may be interested in how many players came from up north and Scotland, partly due to the armaments factory and partly as professional players, and the life expectancy which was pretty high all things considered. A good read for the fan.

The Dutch House (Ann Patchett)

Ann Patchett
The Dutch House

Very engaging story of siblings who... spoiler alert... have a mother who leaves whilst they are young, a father who dies when still children and a step mother who kicks them out and ensures that they don't get anything from the sizeable will. It's convoluted so I won't try to summarise further except to say that it's funny and sad and makes you think about life and relationships. A good read with a few twists in the tail.

The Periodic Table (Primo Levi)

Primo Levi
The Periodic Table

I can't believe I've not read this before given it's fame. A very readable and interesting series of anecdotes each related to a chemical element. If that seems a bit contrived it doesn't read like that in any way. It's broadly a biography very much focussing on his feelings and skirting around his time in a Fascist Nazi concentration camp which he's documented elsewhere. There are a couple of other stories thrown in for good measure. I'm entirely sure why except that they are interesting. Excellent book.

Barnaby Rudge (Charles Dickens)

Charles Dickens

Barnaby Rudge: A Tale of the Riots of Eighty

The "other" of Dickens historical novels set in turbulent times following a range of folk with their turbulent and antagonistic lives intertwined with the turbulent and antagonistic times culminating in a very vivid description of the storming and firing of Newgate Prison. The plots of personal and public life follow each other in a way that is fascinating. Of course Dickens' descriptions of people and place are brilliant and amongst the seriousness of the story's threads there is the usual humour in characterisations pointing out flaws, and strengths, which resonate as much today as they would have when written. How people could wait a week between each installment I'll never know. Maybe that's a reflection of our instant gratification times.

Sweet Thames Run Softly (Robert Gibbings)

Robert Gibbings

Sweet Thames Run Softly

Book that was at the place Debbie and I stayed at Dorchester on Thames that I thought I need to read and finish before I left. A journey in a small boat down the Thames with observations on wildlife and people, history of places and generally interesting anecdotes. And a bit of fantasising about female swimmers although maybe he wasn't and more went on that he could publish when this was. And he was married at the time. A good read to have by the Thames where it meanders through the English countryside.

Year of the Monkey (Patti Smith)

Patti Smith
Year of the Monkey

A strange and lovely book of a year in Patti's life with both personal and societal trauma. This edition has the start of the Covid epidemic and lock downs. It's a mix of autobiography (albeit just a year or so) with dreams and fiction and fantasy thrown into the mix so you're not too sure where you are but it doesn't matter as it's readable and what's going on in Patti's head anyway. I wonder how the last 18 months have been for her.

Night Boat to Tangier (Kevin Barry)

Kevin Barry
Night Boat to Tangier

A book I bought for Simon as we'd spent time in Algeciras in the 1980s waiting for a ferry to Maroc. We weren't there for the same reason as these guys and were taken under the wings of 4 Moroccan guys who on the other side of the waters helped us negotiate travel between the Spanish enclave and Morocco proper. And one then took us to stay with his family in Casablanca. Such hospitality. For that little adventure see here: https://sites.google.com/site/funkingpunker/home  Anyway Barry's story is of two guys waiting at the port looking out for a certain girl whilst reminiscing about their lives which have been, umm, let's say interesting but you wouldn't've wanted to be part of their lives. Well I wouldn't've. No more spoilers as it's a compelling and fascinating read darkly funny at times. As they are the same age as me, give or take, a lot of the cultural references are of my time which makes it more readable. This edition has an extra short story Old Stock which is more descriptive than a plot but nonetheless enjoyable. 

The Mill on the Floss (George Eliot)

George Eliot
The Mill on the Floss

Epic tale of morality and the conflicts between differing views of that nebulous and changing concept. And with a bit of love and lust thrown in for good measure to mix it up and confuse the outlook of the main characters. There are many strands throughout the story running alongside our main character the beautiful and troubled Maggie. Bookmarked by the power of water firstly being under the influence of man and lastly of a higher power. This edition is part of The Great Writers Library and it certainly meets the criteria.

Soho in the Eighties (Christopher Howse)

Christopher Howse
Soho in the Eighties

Not really about Soho but about 2 pubs and a bar that the author hung out in. Interesting as they are pubs that I frequented when meeting friends, The Coach & Horses and the French House, usually before going to a club. The Coach is the famous Jeffery Bernard pub of Private Eye's The Regulars comic strip. Although some interesting anecdotes about artists, journalists and hangers on you get the feeling that they are mostly alcoholics and either too pissed or too interested in getting pissed to notice anything else going on around them in Soho. They come over as a self centred and argumentative lot which addicts often are and people you wouldn't really want to hang around with. By descriptions of the Coach you'd think that the regulars described lauded it over the place but I never really noticed the goings on when I drank there. Another irritation is Howse constantly going on about how poor they all were and therefore how bohemian - despite most of them going to public schools and Oxbridge and coming from rich families. And they all seemed to write for (mainly) right wing papers such as the Times, Telegraph and Spectator. The overall impression is that most of the people mentioned are slumming it in Soho and either died through alcoholism and it's physical or mental health affects or got out when they reached a certain age to settle down in to normal society. I would imagine that if I had noticed them in the Coach or the French House I'd have thought what a bunch of sad wankers.

Lady Sings the Blues (Billie Holiday)

Billie Holiday

Lady Sings the Blues

Written with William Dufty. Autobiography of the famous jazz singer packed full of anecdotes and her life's path which was not easy by any means not least as a black woman plying her trade in America. In some ways what Billie had to put up with seems like another world - in many ways probably not a lot different to today. One very interesting piece is about when Billie toured Europe and how we back in the 50s apparently treated drug addicts as medical cases with doctors giving addicts what they needed and governments putting addicts through the health service rather than the prison service. Billie talks about how many drug users are in American prisons and what a waste it is and with no proper rehabilitation many will go back on heroin. Also making the point that addicts buy drugs on the black market which are unpure leading to deaths and also very expensive leading to robberies. She hopes that in time, perhaps not her lifetime, that America will take up the European model. Unfortunately the opposite is true with America jailing more and more about half being for drug offences. Until the mid 70s the incarceration rate for American males was 200 per 100,000 population. That has gone up five fold. So for every 100 men 1 is in a federal prison. Half for drug offences. For the population those under "correctional supervision (probation, parole, jail, or prison)" it's nearly 3% of the population. One in three black boys born today will go to prison. Although drug use among African Americans is much less that amongst white Americans. It would break Billie's heart. Although the book ends on a very optimistic note about being clean and with a loving man she died a few years after it was published having been abused by her man, back on drugs and virtually penniless. A great read by a beautiful Lady with a tragic life story.

Moll Flanders (Daniel Defoe)

Daniel Defoe

Moll Flanders

Hardly the racy novel that I was expecting as the descriptions of sex are not graphic by any means. In some ways this is a precursor to later novels of the trials of a woman, or girl, left destitute in the world and how she makes her way. The difference between much later novels is that the morality of prostitution, or at least promiscuous living, and theft is put forward as inevitable in order to survive which is exactly what Moll (Defoe) tells us. The critical analysis at the start of the novel, note it's a real spoiler, as is the introduction by Defoe to be honest, puts this in the context of political upheavals of the time and are interesting. The novel is a good read and although not particularly descriptive of people or things has enough detail to bring you nearer to the early 18th century.

Olive, Again (Elizabeth Strout)

Elizabeth Strout
Olive, Again

... the sequel I read straight away and by the end of it realised that it's not the stories as such that are the point here but the feelings and small actions of the characters which is the point of the novel, and the first, and once I realised this I could float along on the descriptions of people, place and feelings without anticipating and action or wrap up of loose ends. Enjoyable, again.

Olive Kitteridge (Elizabeth Strout)

Elizabeth Strout
Olive Kitteridge

A very readable novel which I bought Debbie on a whim, along with the sequel. It's a very American novel in the intense descriptions of place and people and therefore very engaging. Follows one person, Olive, and her relationships with others but jumps around a lot going off at tangents about others' lives which you think will be tied together by the end but really aren't. No spoilers but a couple of incidents you really want to know the outcome. Maybe in the sequel...

Renegade: The Lives and Tales of Mark E. Smith (Mark E. Smith & Austin Collings)

Mark E. Smith & Austin Collings
Renegade: The Lives and Tales of Mark E. Smith
 

An amusing book of anecdotes and vitriol which is hardly surprising. You wonder if he really was this moody or it's partly a front. Probably not. A great read but like so many other (auto)bigraphies (of genius) you feel that you really wouldn't've wanted to know him.

The Turn of the Screw (Henry James)

Henry James
The Turn of the Screw

A book I decided to read as I've not read any Henry James and he's mentioned in the The Man in the Red Coat book I recently read. Is meant to be the best horror story ever written but I really didn't feel that as it meanders about and when afterwards I read summaries of it, thinking I really must have missed something, didn't go any further as to why.