[ebooktalk] Re: NON-FICTION
- From: "Elaine Harris \(Rivendell\)" <elaineharris@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <ebooktalk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 1 Jul 2013 22:15:23 +1000
I have read a few musical and entertainment/acting biographies; yes, some
better than others. The unauthorised ones vary in quality quite dramatically
and, as pointed out, some of the autobiographies can be overly
self-indulgent.
Roy Hattersley's family histories read like novels and his book on his
political years is also excellent though years since I read it and cannot
recall its title.
And of course the Jennifer Worth books on which the "Call the Midwife" TV
series was based are also essentially non-fiction. She has written more
based on her hospital nursing years.
Take care,
Elaine
-----Original Message-----
From: ebooktalk-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:ebooktalk-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]
On Behalf Of Ian Macrae
Sent: Monday, 1 July 2013 5:47 PM
To: ebooktalk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [ebooktalk] Re: NON-FICTION
that's a book I'd very much like to read Trish. Is it text or audio?
The thing about political diaries is that they are often not that political.
Clark's for instance are evidently the diaries of a hugely self-obsessed man
and full of his ailments, trivialities, day-to-day drudgery, gossip and
minutiae of his life. Tony Benn, on the other hand is very concerned with
the political environment and landscape and his place in it which, from his
point of view, is usually at the centre. His account of the internecine
strife in the Labour party during the early 1980s is unintentionally funny
with the benefit of hindsight. For instance, there was a group of the left
called the Rank And file Mobilisation committee.
Some musical biographies and autobiographies are more enjoyable than other.
I remember trying to plough through the Jefferson airplane book but just got
fed up of it as largely an account of who was shagging whom in and out of
the band. I'm not generally a fan of sports books, but I very much enjoyed
a couple by Leo McKinsry, not normally a journalist with whom I sympathise.
His books on sir alf Ramsey and The Charlton Brothers, both unauthorised,
are excellent.
I also like history, am about to embark on a history of the crusades as I'd
like to understand more about the tensions which exist between Christianity
and Islam, neither of which I espouse. Anthony Beaver has written some
magnificent
historical accounts of wars and battles, in particular Stalingrad, The Fall
Of Berlin, The Battle for spain and the latter days of the war in Normandy.
On 30 Jun 2013, at 23:41, Trish Talbot wrote:
But one area where I've yet to find satisfaction is World War 1. Can anyone
recommend a a good history, in particular, of the Western Front?
> Well, at the moment, Ian, I'm reading "Bright Lights, Dark Shadows", the
biography of Abba. Not quite Alan Clark's diaries, but still very
interesting. It's a very in-depth biography, detailing the lives of each
member of the band and of their manager.
>
> Trish.
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Ian Macrae" <ian.macrae1@xxxxxxx>
> To: <ebooktalk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Sent: Sunday, June 30, 2013 10:15 PM
> Subject: [ebooktalk] NON-FICTION
>
>
> I notice that no-one else has included any non-fiction in their book
choices. I'd have thought that Pele, for instance,might well have included
a sports biography or autobiography? I was quite tempted to adding to alan
clark Leo McKinstry's biography of Alf Ramsey. does anyone else choose to
read non-fiction of any kind?
>
>
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