Books      

Being a book fanatic I always tend to acquire books at a much faster rate than I read them. Here, however, are some that I have read recently and some authors who have made a lasting impression.

What I am reading at present

Omaha Beach: A Flawed Victoryby Adrain R. Lewis
Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, J. K. Rowling.
The Closing of the Western Mind: The Rise of Faith and the Fall of Reason, by Charles Freeman.

Recent acquisitions (the yet to be read pile)

The System of the World by Neal Stephenson - the last volume in his Baroque trilogy!
The Secret River, Kate Grenville.
The Disciplined Mind - What All Students Should Understand, Howard Gardner.
Austerlitz by W. G. Sebald.
The Last Kingdom by Bernard Cornwell is the first is his new sequence of novels set in Saxon England.

Books I've Read Recently

Tobruk, Peter Fitzsimmons.
By Tank into Normandy, Stuart Hills.

Fantasy/Sci-Fi

Neal Stephenson wrote the stunning novel, Cryptonomicon that deals with code-breaking, the Second World War and the modern day search for hidden secrets. His earlier novels, Snow Crash and The Diamond Age are well worth reading. Quicksilver, a "precursor" to Cryptonomicon is the first in his Baroque trilogy series, followed by The Confusion andThe System of the World.

Robert Holdstock is author of numerous fantasy works including those based around Mythago Wood. The first novel in this series has some powerful imagery and is thought-provoking. He develops his themes further in susequent novels such as Lavondyss. I am yet to start his Merlin Codex sequence of novels but look forward to them.

H. G. Wells was an author, historian and visionary. Sharing a birthplace (Bromley in Kent, U.K) with him has alwyas resonated with me and his short stories were an excellent starting point for a young reader interested in ideas. Although his utopian vision has not come to pass, much else of what he wrote about has. His famous novel The War of the Worlds is available free online and makes relevant reading during this year of spaceprobes visitng Mars.

One of the most prolific and inventive authors around must be Michael Moorcock. His ideas are dazzling and have had enormous influence on others. Elric is a creation of epic concept whilst his development of the multiverse is one of creative genius. A useful site is Moorcock's Weekly Miscellany created by the author himself. My favourite chapter title of all time comes from his Dancers at the End of Time series; The Quest for Bromley, where my rather unassuming birthplace becomes the focus of an epic quest by a time traveller searching for H. G. Wells.

Useful Book Links

Abbey's Bookshop, has excellent astronomy and history sections plus all the CUP books.

AbeBooks.com is an excellent way to source second hand books from around the world.

Berkelouw Books, a second-hand and antiquaran seller has shops in Paddington, Leichhardt and Berrima. Online search facilities.

DA Information Sources is an excellent Australian source of scientific and technical books. Online ordering available.

The Folio Society produce wonderful books.

Gleebooks is a wonderful independent bookstore in Glebe that also has an online store.

Napoleons of Sydney Military Bookshop

The Complete Review, A Literary Saloon and Site of review has links and summaries of reviews of over 1000 current books.

Author sites

Bernard Cornwell, author of the Sharpe series and more.
Robert Holdstock
Michael Moorcock
Neal Stephenson

 

Page last updated:

20 November, 2006

   
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