Member: Macbeth

YUM!

My copy of "Sumption III" just arrived! Perfect timing too! I just finished a book last night and am more than ready to dive into the 100 Years War! I was really amazed to see it is the hardcover! O Joy O Joy! For the price I paid I would have thought it would be a paperback... but hey, I'm not complaining! Even the dust jacket looks and feels luxurious! With the unaccountable exception of several greasy-goopy finger prints which luckily have washed off just fine. Fourteenth Century here I come!

posted by Hoagy27 at 12:48 pm (EST) on Oct 13, 2009

Thanks for the tip! I'll get right on it!

posted by Hoagy27 at 9:18 pm (EST) on Oct 2, 2009

LOL.

I'm already at the piles stage. Didn't take much for me did it ;-p

By the way thanks also for the tip about "The Wrinkle in Time"

posted by KimB at 2:46 am (EST) on Sep 24, 2009

Thanks for the heads up about the bookfair this weekend.

I'm thinking will I go or won't I.....where do I store them all???!!! ;-)
My TBR pile is getting crazier and crazier.

posted by KimB at 1:46 am (EST) on Sep 24, 2009

Ahh it works! Yes I am still around. My work is seldom sitting at computers
so I am a face to face type these days.

my proper, long-term email is rmoriarty@adam.com.au

I will try the DBA calendar email before this post hits some sort of limit...

posted by cremorn at 11:53 pm (EST) on Sep 2, 2009

Hello Macbeth, If only I could have a library like yours, LOL. You seem to like the same sort of books as I do, and thanks to you, you've given me plenty of ideas.
Happy reading! For me, it sure it will be.
Thanks,
Liliane

posted by Calimera at 8:26 am (EST) on Aug 29, 2009

Hello Macbeth, Thanks for your message. Life was a bit too "interesting" altogether in 2008 (see blog for a few highlights). There've been a few bumpy bits this year, but busyness in other things & restraint in bookquisition has mainly kept me from LibraryThing. Once I'm back home out of the bedsit, there may be a big book box unpacking, tho'.

I'm glad the "Face of Sydney" & its related area Faces are still around. You can see how I can truthfully say that my face is in that image :)

Hope all is fairly well with you & yours,

Mrz

posted by Mezz at 4:29 am (EST) on Jul 22, 2009

Hi
Just got your message, pretty funny, because I'm just entering my mini bookfair booty right now!

I didnt find it too bad for a mini bookfair at all :-)

Thanks for thinking of me tho'.

I was thinking of you to and left you a few historical fictions there ;-)

Happy Reading

Cheers
kim

posted by KimB at 12:58 am (EST) on Jun 27, 2009

Onward & upward ...I've finished creating and/or upgrrading my Late Imperial Romans, Early Franks, Bavarians, and Picts; next up Saxons & SubRoman Brits (rebasing & adding Splintered Light Miniatures)...
after that I'll redo Macbeth's army..whew! If you havn't, take a look at Splintered Light, very interesting. Have a great weekend, A!

posted by Ammianus at 7:12 am (EST) on May 15, 2009

I posted this on Fanticus:

Long ago I built a Prefeudal Scots army using mostly Feudal Castings. I'm currently building some new armies & upgrading my old with "the dip method" and Litko bases etc. I'm not happy with my Scots. Most of their competition are OG & Essex alongside which they look like ill-fed teenagers. Maybe Old Glory Saxon fyrd & Viking spearmen? I don't know. I've got figures for skirmishers & mounted elements as well as those wild Galwegians so what I need is thegns & spearmen. I see Essex has army packs but I can't find pictures anywhere of the figures. Your esteemed advice is welcome.

posted by Ammianus at 12:23 pm (EST) on May 9, 2009

Nice catch with War in Peace. Brings back memories, I imagine!
I got your campaign write-ups ok, though I haven't had time to go through them in any real detail yet.
Cheers
Donogh

posted by Donogh at 5:22 am (EST) on Apr 30, 2009

Hi Mac
I'd love to get on your e-mail list for that campaign (and the old stuff as well)
My e-mail address is on my profile.
Cheers
Donogh

posted by Donogh at 4:08 am (EST) on Apr 16, 2009

I have to see ow I can get myself invited to give another lecture in Australia so I can explore more of your fascinating country. It was overcast the entire week I was in Melbourne, so I never got a good look at the stars in the southern hemisphere!

I just subscribed to a new UK journal, Ancient Warfare. Heard of it? Lovely articles.

posted by jmulick at 2:13 pm (EST) on Apr 9, 2009

Hi Mac,
So nice to hear from you...
I saw you had that book when I entered it- heh. Well, I got the first one for one dollar at this bookshelf selling used books at work - and then I mooched the second one; so I don't mind if they are not all that good! At least I haven't spent a lot of money on them. I didn't realise it was a series at first so I was pleased to get the second one. I liked Shanghai Girls, which I got free, as an advanced reader from the publisher, (aren't I doing well with her books; I liked that a lot. I got interested in Lisa See with Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, and seeing a review about it from one of my LT friends, and which I haven't read yet, of course. :) But I learnt an awful lot with reading Shanghai Girls too - my Asian history is very bad - and I liked her writing - so I got the others. The blurb looked interesting... oh well. I won't expect too much and may be pleasantly surprised.

How are you all - did you get lots of rain too? I can't believe it is April! It is going to be a wet April I think - it is raining quite heavily again as I write this. At least some of it is over the dams! I have been reading a lot lately, and working, and that is about it! It has been very nice to be able to spend so much time with my nose in a book. I have been reading some good ones too - and I have been trying not to buy so many. The last month I managed to mooch quite a lot too - most of the ones I added were not bought, for once! I haven't been spending as much time on this site in order to read more. LOL!

And I am hoping to get lots of reading in over Easter too - what are you up to?

~Lyn

posted by Lman at 6:36 am (EST) on Apr 1, 2009

Thanks for the heads up on Art of War, I'll have to check it out. Yes, I am a miniature wargamer. I'm pretty addicted to America's wars 1775-1865. I really enjoy the painting, and getting together with the guys.

Are you a DBA person, or have you caught the Fields of Glory bug?

K

posted by ksmyth at 10:11 am (EST) on Mar 31, 2009

Good morning from misty, wet Maryland,
hope you enjoy the Low trilogy as much as I did. Wonder what he'll write next? Congrats to your daughter. Lol, at your DBA remarks, I'm FINALLY forcing myself down to the basement to FINALLY paint my Old Glory/Pass of the North Late Romans. I probably will attend Historicon it's a short drive from Annapolis. I wish you luck at Wollongong, may you roll sixes! (I hate painting, especially horses, but even worse, that first phase where I'm trying to glue the guys to their stands--ugh! I usually glue all my fingertips together!) When I become wealthy I'll never paint another.
Hope you have a nice what's left of the weekend. Time to go do my laundry.
Cheers
A

posted by Ammianus at 7:46 am (EST) on Mar 29, 2009

Good balance keeping everyone happy on the weekend MacBeth.
Congratulation to your daughter on the silver.
You did better than me price wise. I spent just a little bit more than that...
I'm known for under-exaggerating. :-)

posted by KimB at 1:55 am (EST) on Mar 23, 2009

Hey Macbeth
Went to the bookfair today and had a ball!!!!
But that's just me :-)

I didnt have a really good look at the historical fiction but picked up The Coffee Trader amongst other gems I've been after.

Hope you can get there and find some gems for yourself

Cheers :-)

posted by KimB at 3:41 am (EST) on Mar 20, 2009

Hey, thanks for accepting! I was recently in Melbourne to lecture at a disability conference. Nice place! Sorry to hear about the fires they have been having down there. I felt very much at home in the city. I never had a chance to go off by myself to see the countryside.

posted by jmulick at 10:15 am (EST) on Feb 23, 2009

War in Peace brought back some childhood library-visit memories as well for me. I just had to pick it up when I saw it on BookMooch. I'm sure it's terribly outdated now!

posted by Donogh at 11:21 am (EST) on Feb 10, 2009

Hi Macbeth,

I noticed you have been putting up some interesting books lately! I'm jealous!

We had a recent cold spell here in Alabama, but it is warming up nicely now. We never get much snow, so we tend to complain a lot when it gets cold. I actually quite like it, though, because I'm a runner (sort of!), and it's much better to run in cold than in hot. We had -10C temps for a few nights, but now it is back to 15C during the day. We do frequently get temps as high as you are having in July and August, though, with high humidity! Miserable running weather...

posted by dkhiggin at 3:39 pm (EST) on Feb 6, 2009

Saw a great teaser post on CanCon over at the "Yours in a White Wine Sauce" blog
Had a good game over the weekend myself
http://donoghmccarthy.blogspot.com/2009/...
Cheers
Donogh

posted by Donogh at 9:45 am (EST) on Jan 27, 2009

GOOD LUCK for tomorrow!
Have lots of fun too - knock 'em out! Is that too wrong a phrase? :)

~L.

posted by Lman at 6:36 pm (EST) on Jan 24, 2009

Macbeth,

Apologies for the belated reply. I've been under the weather. I'm on the rebound with a copy of Sacajawea in my hands. Have you read it? The advertising says it was on the NYT best seller list for 8 months when it first appeared in the late 1970s.

Thanks for all the book recommendations. I've read several of the authors you mention, but not their latest books. Looks like I have some catching up to do.

I hope things ease up for you and yours during 2009. Here's a virtual toast to peace and quiet.

LM

posted by ladymacbeth1 at 3:29 pm (EST) on Jan 10, 2009

Sounds great - I've a couple of conventions coming up myself
Running a game of Peleliu 1944 at the end of the month and then an experimental WWIa aviation game of Zeppelin vs. Fighters in February
My wife and little one will be sent across the Shannon for both weekends!

posted by Donogh at 4:46 am (EST) on Jan 9, 2009

Hope you had a good one - what's on the wargaming agenda for 2009?

posted by Donogh at 10:39 am (EST) on Jan 6, 2009

Thirty C!!! Whew, I much prefer it cold. Even to the point of being snowed in. Then I have an excuse for sitting by the fire all day with a warm cat and a good book or movie! I’m currently about two thirds of the way through the Civil War history. A tasty new biography of Abe Lincoln just arrived in the mail and I’ve loaded the anthology “The Hard SF Renaissance” on my mobile. I spent a few days bracing up on King Lear because I got the Russian film version on a DVD for my birthday and the damned thing makes no sense if all you have to go by is the subtitles!

posted by Hoagy27 at 5:59 pm (EST) on Jan 3, 2009

Hi David, happy new year to you and yours as well. Here's to another year full of great historical fiction reads!

posted by ariadne02 at 11:29 pm (EST) on Jan 1, 2009

If I listed an author in my library, here, it means I probably have most, if not all, other books by that name, since I only included my topnotch favorite writers in the bunch - the titles listed are not necessarily the book I liked most, but the one I could lay hands on quickest - I've always loved Morgan Llywellyn's books - whether or not they were historical.

I have enjoyed all of Dunnett's books for her ability to create atmosphere and make it feel authentic.

Did you ever read Joseph Kessel's The Horsemen - it takes place in Afghanistan, and mingles some very old values in juxtaposition, where modern values are sort of seen through the wrong end of a telescope, as less important - and the story is superb in a raw cut sort of way.

Recently I have enjoyed Goring's Scotland, An Autobiography, which has pastiches of writings from history by people who were contemporaries, not all of them historical figures. My favorite histories (nonfiction) from Scotland were John Prebble's, who did a book on the Massacre at Glencoe and Culloden - with the same solid research and insights that Dee did, with Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee.

My husband is a Cornwell fan, and also, Patrick O'Brien, so I've heard a lot of those on tape, as we drive long distance. I loved O'Brien's characters, but as a person who's done extensive sailing, I felt his research in the nautical bits - something of the live action feel was just missing, even if the details were in place.

As an oddity - did you ever read Killer, by David Drake and John Wagner? It's quite a wierd little take - about a truly vicious alien set loose on Earth in Roman times, that tangles with the beast catchers who trap stuff for the arena - and the havoc it starts to cause in Rome when the murders begin...sort of detective fantasy with a SF twist, well done, thrilling, and I have heard - the original inspiration for the movie Predator. David Drake also did a really truly ironically funny Arthurian, in which Merlin and Arthur are both mad, Launcelot is a drill sergeant bully, and two guys with tough fists from Ireland get "drafted" and the "legend" is seen through their somewhat rough and tough, cynical eyes - I enjoyed the bizarre, nontraditional take. I can dig up the title if you like.

Happy 2009!

posted by JannyWurts at 12:26 pm (EST) on Jan 1, 2009

Oh, I hope Alison is OK now???

Too funny - HAPPY NEW YEAR!!, I feel I can write this as we have reached it now!

And even funnier: I have to ask which far-away beach will they be banished to; please make sure they have enough sunscreen and water to last!! LOL! That is a great way to spend our patriotic (unless you are indigenous) day - especially as it conveniently falls on a Monday for a legitimate long weekend - huh?! Good luck, just in case I don't get back to you in time...

I have, of course, been noticing all your additions - you are on my list to show on my home page, of course, and I often smile to myself at your titles. One day I am going to fall off my chair in shock - and then maybe not! :)

One of my resolutions (I only make resolutions about books and reading BTW) is to read the two books from you this year - then I will feel much better; though it is nice to have them waiting too... if that makes any sense!

So, to another lovely book (and war-gaming) year!

~Lyn

posted by Lman at 11:30 pm (EST) on Dec 31, 2008

And a very very happy new year to you too!
It has snowed here today, and it is now windy and bitterly cold. I guess it is quite different from there ;-)
I hope the new year will bring you whatever you wish for plus tons of books.
Happy reading.

Paola :-))

posted by aluvalibri at 7:41 pm (EST) on Dec 31, 2008

Happy New Year to you as well! Hope 2009 will bring you lots of opportunities for good reading!

posted by baileysgran at 3:25 pm (EST) on Dec 31, 2008

Happy New Year straight back!

Noting your enjoyment of historical fiction, and Scotland in particular, are you familiar with Dorothy Dunnet's title, King Hearafter?

posted by JannyWurts at 11:04 am (EST) on Dec 31, 2008

Happy New Year!

posted by scribe77 at 10:22 am (EST) on Dec 31, 2008

Macbeth,

A third volume of Sumption's history would, indeed, be eagerly awaited! Meanwhile, we gave Xmas a pass this year due to the economic climate. Also because we were snowed in for about a week with one of the most unusual snow storms in Seattle History! Luckily I had the larder stocked so we kept the home fires burning, the cats warm, and the pages of the books turning.

Happy New Year!

Hoagy

posted by Hoagy27 at 9:02 am (EST) on Dec 31, 2008

Happy New Year to you as well, David, thanks! I hope it will be a grand one for reading as well as health and prosperity.

I'm so looking forward to both "The Snow Empress" by Rowland and "Under Vesuvius" by Roberts, but I must catch up on the latter series, as I'm slightly behind on that -- only up to SPQR VIII at this point. The earlier books were not easy to find in order and I prefer paperbacks, so I had to compromise somewhat with bargains and hardcovers there. But I was fortunate with Christmas gifts and will be able to shop more now!

Good reading,
Janice

posted by mcfitz at 7:53 am (EST) on Dec 31, 2008

Thanks for the Happy New Year greetings.

A Happy New Year to you to.
Here's to many great reads in 2009!

:-)

posted by KimB at 7:17 am (EST) on Dec 31, 2008

Hi David,

Sending Alison, and you, and the girls lots of cheer this festive season. Hope the gaming, and the reading are going well! And I hope the weather isn't too bad too!

And I hope Santa brought you lots of goodies too - I know he brought the girls HEAPS!!!!! I wanted to send you a cute eCard and then I realised...no email. SO this will have to do!

Take care - and Happy New Year too.

~Lyn

posted by Lman at 11:36 pm (EST) on Dec 24, 2008

Hello - a very late response to your query! I tackled my husband and asked him if he'd read it but he hasn't - one of many to read in his retirement. What did you think of it? I would imagine that real future war might be all over in a couple of seconds whereas I imagine medieval battles might have been long and gruesome.

posted by alexdaw at 5:27 pm (EST) on Dec 22, 2008

Youre welcome!:-)

Greetz
Neurasthenio

posted by Neurasthenio at 4:21 am (EST) on Nov 26, 2008

Hello David,

How very remiss of me to take so long to reply - or send you a hello! I am not sure exactly where the time goes - never enough for reading is for sure.

So, a belated 'well-done' at the tournament! I think you were being quite modest. I laughed at the torch thought - not good when we know our opponents personally.

Like you I manage to keep up with adding and reviewing on here, and I have also managed to snag some great books on Bookmooch; and, believe it or not, I have been trying to prioritise my time for reading! LOL! I see you have had a little run of adding just lately - maybe the books from ABE. I found two books by a German author, which are hard to find, even new, here, on a site which links to other book sellers - and found one in Sydney, and one in UK. The one in Sydney cost me more to get!! The exchange rate has stopped me going mad now - a good thing, but I am glad I bought the ones I did when I did.

Otherwise I have been quite busy at work, and have had extra seminars and course to go to, and now I been co-opted to give the students, at one university, tutorials for their course. Which have all eaten into my reading time as they are have been out of hours!! How rude!

This weekend has been very warm - not a good thought for the coming summer; I think it may be a hot one.

I am still looking for the Jean Plaidy books for you - so let me know if you manage to snag any. I am disappointed with my continued lack of success - are they all out of print? And I keep looking at the books you gave me and smiling - that was such a nice gesture and I wish I had thought to do the same. I have one of them in mind to READ soon!

There is a book The Dragon Waiting: A Masque of History by John M. Ford that has popped into my member recommendations, and you have it - is it good? It looks interesting - as if I need another book!!!

Take care, and I promise to keep in touch more timely!

L.

posted by Lman at 2:31 am (EST) on Sep 14, 2008

Thanks for the recommendations. I've already read the Crowner John series (pretty good), but I will definitely check out the Sylvian Hamilton series. Currently I have been spending more time in the Victorian era (Anne Perry's Thomas and Charlotte Pitt murder mysteries - kind of feminist, so I don't know if guys would enjoy them). I like to immerse myself in a time period for awhile and then take a breather. Good reading!

posted by lanegs1 at 2:32 pm (EST) on Aug 18, 2008

So glad to hear you're enjoyed Lady Macbeth. It remains one of my favorite reads this year!

I just received an ARC of Sharon Kay Penman's Devil's Blood. I started it yesterday and so far, so good!

LM

posted by ladymacbeth1 at 9:59 am (EST) on Aug 10, 2008

Hi David,

How are you all surviving winter? It has been a tad cold in the morning, up your way lately, I noticed on our news! Brrr! Guess you are used to it!

How did Ashleigh and you go with your war games? I hope neither of you wiped out each other - hehe. It would have been a hoot though.

Well, I bit the bullet and ordered a copy of The Egyptian from TBD - it had been unavailable through them; and I have to say, fairly difficult to come by anywhere else too; so when it appeared again I felt compelled (driven; forced against my will, even) to get it. I am looking forward to reading that one - I have heard it is good.

You didn't like Bulldancers all that much did you? I read it so long ago, and it was one of the first books of that subject I had ever read - and I loved it! But I can't even remember when that was - years and years. Honestly, I can't even remember the story all that much, I just remember being bewitched with those ancient days. I wonder what I would think if I read it now?! It connected us anyway...

Hope you are all well, and happily reading. How did Prince Caspian turn out? And the movie - did you go see that?

Take care,

Lyn

posted by Lman at 3:01 am (EST) on Jul 21, 2008

Thanks for the additional information about Under the Hog, Macbeth. I'm not surprised to hear that it's sympathic toward Richard. I'm going to try to get to this in the coming weeks.

I really enjoy perusing your library!

LM

posted by ladymacbeth1 at 9:43 pm (EST) on Jul 2, 2008

Hi Macbeth,

Good to hear from you. I hope your trip went smoothly.

Thanks for your thoughts on Under the Hog. I've got a few library books out I'm trying to finish, but I'll pick up this one soon.

I read, or tried to read, some of the books my LT friends are suggesting. I remember The Golden Warrior as rather dry reading. I much prefer Harold the King by Helen Hollick. I'm not able to see your rating for it, assuming you've read it, because LT is blitzing out on me.

Oh, well.

Welcome back!

LM

posted by ladymacbeth1 at 2:54 pm (EST) on Jun 24, 2008

Hi David,

Thanks for an enjoyable evening and chat! I hope you didn't fall asleep in your course the next day. I had to go to Basement Books today and get the Elizabeth Peter's books (YAY!) plus a few others. At least it is far enough away for it not to become too regular on my schedule. Great place though. and they have very few fantasy or science fiction in paperback, so that removes a great temptation. All the Manga look fabulous - I am so glad I don't collect them too.

You should be safely home now, hope all your girls liked their presents.
Enjoy your weekend,

L.

posted by Lman at 8:43 am (EST) on Jun 20, 2008

I look forward to your comments about Under the Hog when and if you have a chance to read it. I haven't heard of Glen Pierce's King's Ransom, so I look forward to tracking it down.

I enjoyed Sharon Kay Penman's The Sunne in Splendour, although her characterizations are romanticized. The Seventh Son was a more objective portrayal.

Have you read Paul Murray Kendall's Richard the Third? I really enjoyed this biography. Kendall leans more toward the Ricardian viewpoint than Weir, but he cites his sources. I'm old-school enough to prefer that. :)

LM

posted by ladymacbeth1 at 8:43 pm (EST) on Jun 16, 2008

LOL! It must have been your Macbeth/Thorfinn comment I read. Thanks for the heads up, and for the book suggestion.

I have a question for you. I see Under the Hog in your library, but it's not rated. Since you rate most of your books, does this mean you haven't read it yet?

I recently came upon a copy at a decent price. I had been searching for more than a year. I was just wondering what you thought of it. I haven't read it yet, but I plan to get to it soon.

LM

posted by ladymacbeth1 at 4:36 pm (EST) on Jun 16, 2008

Dunnett's Macbeth the King is also a wonderful story but I was always thrown by her decision to combine the characters of Macbeth and Thorfinn.

Good point. I read a review that said much the same thing. Maybe it was yours! :)

Thanks for the NF referrals as well. I'll keep my eye out for them. I go to lots of book sales. I think fully half the fun of reading is in the hunt.

LM

posted by ladymacbeth1 at 10:09 am (EST) on Jun 14, 2008

I tried to read Tranter's Macbeth. I only got halfway through it. It was a little too slow for me. I read and enjoyed The Bruce Trilogy, though, so maybe my mood was just off.

I've got Dunnett's Macbeth on my TBR list for the summer.

posted by ladymacbeth1 at 8:18 am (EST) on Jun 12, 2008

Hello Macbeth,

You have a very interesting collection! To answer your question about the book, Lady Macbeth, I thought it was really well done. Far and above the historical research I would expect from a romance author. I think Susan Fraser King now falls firmly into the historical fiction category. LOL!

It provides a different perspective of story of Macbeth - Lady Macbeth's POV. Similar to the Ricardians' Richard III, LM was nothing like the character portrayed by Shakespeare. I think SFK makes a good case for the woman she might have been through the available evidence. I'd like to think that Macbeth and his lady had a love match. That's the author's take, and I like the story.

I have a whole shelf of Richard III materials that I haven't loaded into LT yet. I also have about 4 bookcases of books that haven't made it on yet. So give me time ...

Have a great day!

Ladymacbeth1

posted by ladymacbeth1 at 1:03 pm (EST) on Jun 10, 2008

Greetings again from Texas,
Just thought you might want to check out Highlander99 here on LibThing -- a very interesting guy with one heck of a catalog and some writing under his belt that looks awesome, too. I wish I could visit his library over the border in person, but I'd need a few weeks to peruse...

Keep looking for those P.F. Chisholm books, they are something you would really enjoy. I am encouraged by your enthusiasm for adding your list to the site. I should really do more with mine but so much else comes along!
Later,
mcfitz

posted by mcfitz at 11:42 am (EST) on May 25, 2008

P.S. Forgot (as usual *sigh*)

How are the new bookshelves? Wow!! How many books did that hold? I am so jealous!! I got all these new shelves about a year ago, filled them almost immediately and now I am up to doubling books onto them. I have to stop buying books; bit like stopping breathing!

:)

L.

posted by Lman at 2:50 am (EST) on Apr 24, 2008

Hi David, oops, sorry ROCKDADDY!,

How gorgeous - we girls are just too cute for you boys, aren't we?

Don't worry about the 'silences' - I haven't seemed to have had much time lately either. It is nice to catch up on books when one can, without troubling reading time either. I hope your mum-in-law is better.

Quick update on the Plaidy books - they are on a list at one of my stores and they promised to check out their warehouse but, knowing them, it will take a while. I am so disappointed I haven't found any. I had no idea how many books she wrote!! But they did say they had seen a couple on your list so I am keeping hopeful.

I have been keeping away from this site more, and hence have been reading more! I am reading a really delightful book now and then I am trying my first Ishiguro. I am considering reading some more Laura Joh Rowland too. Or start on the I.J. Parker ones - I am missing some ancient Japanese flavour!

I have had the lucky opportunity of a four-day weekend this weekend so, as it is still raining (we are officially in a record period of number of continuous days of rain in 80 years!!) I am going to read and read, watch some AFL (go Swannies!) and read. Bliss!.

Enjoy yours too,

Lyn

posted by Lman at 2:46 am (EST) on Apr 24, 2008

We're back to sharing 80 books alright - I did add a slew of sci-fi, fantasy and historical fiction, which explains the jump from 76 - I just noticed on the Bug Collectors Group that the Books you Share feature was having problems
I'll try that ABC site again re. HMAS Sydney
Thanks
Donogh

posted by Donogh at 4:35 am (EST) on Apr 21, 2008

Somehow LT only says we share 1 book, although subject-wise we have a lot of overlap.

Unfortunately the link to that HMAS Sydney documentary (you left on Ammianus' page) won't work for me (outside Australia)

Cheers
Donogh

posted by Donogh at 9:06 am (EST) on Apr 18, 2008

Thanks forthe SYDNEY note, sounds like what I read in "The raider Kormoran" by the captain Theodore Detmers. Well, hopefully, folks finally have some closure. Regards fm Maryland, A

posted by Ammianus at 7:01 am (EST) on Apr 16, 2008

Wow! Over 1000 entered now! I blinked and you had entered so many! And we are still the only members with Bull Dancers - or with taste. :) That is a really good read too, IMHO.

Haven't found any Plaidy books yet :( I am doing the rounds of my stores this week so I will check them out; I will ask if they come in much and may put them on a waiting list. Such fun - I love searching for books for others as much as for me. Trouble is, I look in different sections of the store and find all these interesting books I would never have noticed before - and have to get them too! Even more fun!

It is getting cold now; not as cold in the morning as Canberra though. Brrr!

Lyn

posted by Lman at 7:13 am (EST) on Apr 7, 2008

Hi Mac
I see yall've put a judge on the case of the HMS Sydney. Interesting! Cheers, A

posted by Ammianus at 5:26 pm (EST) on Mar 31, 2008

OK - I am making a list and I will look out for them. I am not sure if any of those were there, but I will look around my other stores too. What fun!!!
If you don't look you won't find - or some such profoundly appalling cliché :)

I am watching out for The Hell Screen too; I check The Book Depository avidly each time I visit, even though I know it is not coming out for a few months (sad - huh). I got my last two I.J. Parker books from there at a very reasonable price. Hope the exchange rate sticks too. I'm still confused about the order in which to read them though - have you read them yet? They are a definite for me for this year!!! And it is nearly April!

I'll let you know immediately if I find one of these books - more excuses to go looking in book shops; as if we need one??!! I am not sure if I will find any, so don't be disappointed...

L.

posted by Lman at 1:38 am (EST) on Mar 26, 2008

BTW, I have seen lots of Jean Plaidy books in a cheap book store near me (new). If there are any you are having trouble finding send me a list and I will see if they are available; and then I can get them for you. Please don't worry about money or such, just let me know and I will look for you.
L.

posted by Lman at 11:20 pm (EST) on Mar 21, 2008

Hi David,

Happy Easter!!

How was the book fair? I was jealous when I read that - and how wonderful getting hold of the Children's Encyclopaedia too. I love finding books from my childhood as it makes me realise that my joy now is a direct result of that. And now your daughters will have it too! I have a Treasury of Children's Poetry which takes me back and revives my dwindling memory of the classics...and my Winnie the Pooh books. I'm a 'Pooh" child!!!

As to all things 'Samurai' - I'm fast becoming a fan!! I check out your library quite a bit to get some ideas on those.

Was the finding of the HMAS Sydney significant to you war-gamers? I'm glad that it was found - especially for the relatives of the men on board. And to add to the knowledge of WWII.

Enjoy the weekend,

Lyn.

posted by Lman at 11:13 pm (EST) on Mar 21, 2008

hiya: when reading Catain Detmers The RAIDER KORMORAN, he and his officers seemed amazed that the Sydney would approach close enough for them to engage. Sounds like torpedoes to the bow did her in. Ugh, too bad. Regards fm windy as heck Maryland!

posted by Ammianus at 3:32 pm (EST) on Mar 20, 2008

I admire your incredible use of tags, but after seeing your profession, that is more understandable! (grin) We share quite a few books, as I have listed only my historical mysteries online, and I will DEFINITELY be scrounging your list for more historical fiction (and non-) and fantasy. Some may be difficult to come by here in the US, however, as are some of the UK books I look for and the (Australian) Arthur Upfield mysteries I like. We (hubby is also a huge Scottish history fan) love Dorothy Dunnett, Bernard Cornwell, the late GM Fraser, and especially Nigel Tranter. The latter is often very hard to find here, and we usually have to order from the UK.

I note you do not have the P.F. Chisholm series about Sir Robert Carey during the border wars, starting with "A Famine of Horses." You would enjoy them very much, I believe. On our latest trip to Scotland in December, I visited the Armstrong museum in Langholm and was able to relate a lot of what I'd read about the Reivers to the items there. Excellent place.

Thank you for sharing your library,
mcfitz

posted by mcfitz at 12:34 pm (EST) on Mar 16, 2008

Hi
Thanks for the tip on the bookfair, I thought it was next weekend for some reason!
I went today and was a bit disappointed on the historical fiction front.
Did you get all the good ones yesterday?! Just stirrrrring.
I did pick up a few...my husband briefly put the full green bags on the back of the wheelchair, almosted tipped over backwards, i could picture myself stranded like a turtle on its back :-)
Just exhausted myself with the LT entering.
Enjoy it on Sunday if you go....

Cheers
kim

posted by KimB at 4:21 am (EST) on Mar 8, 2008

Hi Macbeth

This winter have been fairly "warm", 3-8C usually, it dipped below zero tonight.
No snow to speak of this year, but lots and lots of rain.

Yes I agree that the Persians for various reasons was unable to develop heavy infantry that could slug it out with the hoplites, but they should be able to do something about it.
Ie light infantry with heavy javelins, throwing sledges, spikes thrown on the ground in front of the phalanx, anything to break up their formation.
They usually outnumbered the opposition but repeatedly failed to make an impact when faced with heavy infantry.I just find it a bit strange.

Ardagor

posted by Ardagor at 9:36 am (EST) on Mar 3, 2008

Hello David,

I see your catalogue is increasing nicely - how many Samurai books have you got - hey? :)

We now share one more book as I finally got Bridge of Birds today. I am so excited as I didn't think it was ever going to come. That may be the first and last order from Betterworld for me! I stuck my nose in the first few pages - always a fatal flaw in my character - and was intrigued so much I had to force myself to stop as I want to finish the book I am reading and I have very little to go. As it is 1440 pages long I think you may understand where I am coming from here...

BTW, have you been watching Underbelly? I am not a big fan of Channel 9 shows but this is intriguing, especially as it is still playing out in the courts; not so much ancient history, but very much local history, yes? (Sigh, there is always a smart Alec around)

I hope you are well and all your girls, happy Autumn - bloody hell! Already!

L.

posted by Lman at 4:32 am (EST) on Feb 29, 2008

Hi Macbeth

I like Shadows in the Desert. Very interesting and literally packed with information. Take some time to digest it all.
Strange how similar in some cases the situation for the mongols and ancient persia (ca 500 BC) was. Both relied heavily on very good organization and massed archery, winning countless victories. And both fell apart when their tactic did not work anymore.
I wonder why the Persians did not develop some way to handle the Greek heavy infantry. They must have realised their favorite tactic or showering the enemy with arrows simply did not work against the bronze armor and solid shields of the hoplites.

Yours Ardagor

posted by Ardagor at 3:26 pm (EST) on Feb 27, 2008

Yep,the life line book fair is the go, I'll be trying hard to get there :-)

posted by KimB at 8:56 pm (EST) on Feb 21, 2008

Hello David,

Yes, I was fast getting them on. I just placed most of my Medieval books since I am still thinking over becoming life member. I would hate to do all that work and the program cease to exist. Is there some way to download ones' collection to save it? The fact that I had already begun listing my books with Mirocsoft Works made it was easy to transfer into librarything.

I see you are a wargamer. I have been wargaming for some time myself. I enjoy a few periods including Medieval, WWII, and Napoleonics. I would be interested in some ancient games. What rules do you find best?

Take care David...you have a very impressive collection and I envy you.

Cheers
Gary

posted by gihk at 7:38 am (EST) on Feb 19, 2008

I agree that the knights of islam was very good.
I do not think it was lack of horses that defeated the mongols at Ayn Jalut, their small steppe ponies could only keep up in combat about 8-10 minutes and not carry a fully armored warrior.So they had to remount in battle, every warrior was supposed to have 5 horses. They plundered grain from local farmers when not enough fodder was available, this worked for a season or two at least.
So they rained arrows upon the enemy and fell back when necessary to resupply and remount, then close for the kill when the enemy was a mess. This worked wonders against all other enemies. The mamelukes was different, they was excellent bowmen themselves and heavy cavalrymen. They could inflict more damage on the mongols from range then they got in return and was completely superior in close combat. That is the impression that I got anyway.

posted by Ardagor at 12:52 pm (EST) on Feb 13, 2008

Hi. It's currently snowing, again, in Nova Scotia. More snow is coming on the 10th, so I'm quite tired of winter and waiting hopefully for spring.
I'll be sure to check out your catalogue for those historical novels.

posted by scribe77 at 9:59 am (EST) on Feb 7, 2008

Hi David,

Thought I would wait a little to update you about Betterworld - have to say I am not sure if I would recommend them as much as "The Book Depository" as I am still waiting for my book to arrive. :( But the exchange rate is so good at the moment that it is hard NOT to buy from overseas!

I am like you though, I had three great used book stores which kept coming up with my 'genre' books, with a condition like new, and half the price. So I rarely bought from anywhere else. But then my favourite closed and everyone else, in all likelihood, found the other two - so it was harder to find books I wanted. And then I found all these on-line sites which gave me books at similar prices, but brand new. I highly recommend "The Book Depository" as they have the British versions and FREE shipping. So, if the pound is on a good exchange they are fabulous. I have found a few of my most wanted there too, though not always. The URL is www.bookdepository.co.uk. And I belonged to TSP until Doubleday snaffled them, and then I hated it and left!! I still buy a lot from my 2 used shops.

I am glad you didn't get the Massey books as I am not sure they are all that good. I am getting the first one soon but I have a few others (like a 1000) that I want to read first!!

Are you getting drowned up your way? It is raining and raining and raining here... talk about extremes. I hope it is falling over the rivers and catchments areas too.

I looked up Maureen Ash - by the sounds of your note it seems like her books are good. It is a quandary we face: once liking an author who writes copiously, it is then hard on the pocket book; no? Not a bad quandary really...

Take care, stay dry,
L.

posted by Lman at 6:08 am (EST) on Feb 4, 2008

RE Tamburas & Renault: Sheesh, looking at your added titles is like a walk down Memory Lane! I remember finding TAMBURAS in an old drug store when I was a kid, great read! Renault's FUNERAL GAMES remains one of my favorite titles. REgards from Maryland! A

posted by Ammianus at 8:03 am (EST) on Jan 29, 2008

Hello Macbeth

A little late, 4 months or so...
I bought Knights of Islam because i have been interested in the Mamelukes for a long time due to their strange political organization and solid military, in terms of training, equipment and organization.

Yours Ardagor

posted by Ardagor at 5:33 am (EST) on Jan 27, 2008

Hi David,

How are you? Me? I'm so happy; I just ordered a copy of "Bridge of Birds" (thanks to this site, the talk threads and one of your friends, aluvalibri) for a quite reasonable price. I wanted my own copy and now I can look out for the other two. I think the second is harder to find but then I was having trouble finding the first. BTW I got it off this site BetterWorld.com which has gasp second-hand books too! The exchange rate against the USD is good at the moment so that helps and you can get a feed to check if a book you want has come in. Brilliant. You probably already know about this site but I was very pleased to find it.
Then I can chat about one of your favourite books with you, err..once I have read it. I think it may rise to the top of my TBR list.

Between that and the Book Depository and my used book shops I'm not going to be able to stop buying books, am I. *head droops in despair*

*heart and soul is very happy*

Hope you are well and it is not too hot. Huh - summer sure has arrived!

L.

posted by Lman at 9:10 pm (EST) on Jan 12, 2008

Thanks for accepting my friends invitation.
You wanted to know what prompted me to add you as a friend? Well, we have similar interests. We both like the same history, and I noticed you have several books on King Arthur in your library. Arthurian legends are a big interest of mine. I'm actually writing a fiction book based on the legends.

posted by scribe77 at 9:34 am (EST) on Jan 9, 2008

Nothing...that is what I can tell you about Sujata Massey! I think they are probably more about the last 100 years than medieval Japan - too early for your tastes perhaps? I got 'Samurai's Daughter' as I thought it was a stand alone - sigh. But of course not...AND I think the books need to be read in sequence as the plot follows on. Thus I am hunting a series once again; and I have no idea if I will even like them all. The weird thing is that her books keep coming up on the suggestions from this site for Rowland books and some others of mine. Now you know why I smiled to myself about your Jacq comment. We all do it - though I seem to do it repeatedly, but then I usually enjoy the books; so alls well that ends well.

Enjoy your the rest of your weekend. It is raining here - there goes the cricket.

posted by Lman at 2:37 am (EST) on Jan 5, 2008

Thanks for your kind wishes.

Hope you had a very merry chrissy and all the best for the new year.

Hope you find many wonderful books to read.

:-)

posted by KimB at 6:09 pm (EST) on Jan 4, 2008

Thank you for your greeting. I hope you had a good Christmas, and also offer my best wishes for you & yours in 2008. I've had yet another health problem rear up, which has kept me from getting much done, so my hopes for the New Year have already had a bit of a setback. Rather disappointing.

posted by Mezz at 8:27 am (EST) on Jan 3, 2008

Happy New Year to you and your family too David!

Santa was good to you too. I love finding a bargain, with rewards or whatever, in this country-of-over-priced-books. I had to look up those books - totally ignorant about this genre - but I am learning fast, thanks to you! I see some very interesting books here in your catalogue.

I was considering reading the Kylie Chan trilogy soon - they look interesting and she is Australian also. Have you read any of those? I have started collecting Sujata Massey books now. Have you heard of her? I seem to be mad for books about medieval Japan???!!! What is that I wonder? I was recommended those because of a Laura Joh Rowland query. The Viking Empires sounds fascinating though. Maybe you can write some reviews; we have so much spare time in our lives, NOT - as neither of those have one.

BTW - I laughed more at the beer joke as I hadn't heard that one before. Very clever. Probably true. Ooops! Oh, and I'm not sure why you keep buying Christian Jacq books either - but I do things like that all the time!
:)

posted by Lman at 5:08 am (EST) on Jan 3, 2008

Hi Mac! Sounds like your weather's as crazy as ours; wind blew today like crazy (or Kansas). Looks like you did well for Xmas!!! I'm hoping that rain there is a good thing? I;m slugging away with 6th ARMY GROUP (not like to win a Pulitzer). Regards, A

posted by Ammianus at 8:49 pm (EST) on Jan 2, 2008

Hi David,

Bloody hell! I've got a huge list from you now! :) I really want the Hughart books, they sound so interesting. I find it interesting also that, even if I have absolutely no knowledge of the subject, how a well researched book comes across so much better; subconsciously we must realise the underlying truth??? I like seeing a bibliography to validate the story - but then I'm a bit weird that way! And I find fantasy has to be the same to have a plausible concept.

I enjoyed Shinju very much - clever writing too, in painting a picture of the society through all the inhabitants of the book, and in stunning detail. I couldn't tell you if it is a true picture but it was fascinating. I am looking forward to the rest of this series, if I can find some time to read!

Bendigo boy huh? Or is that the in-laws? Nice place - don't know it well but all the people I have met from around there are very nice. Can you tell me the Queensland joke too please?

Forget Santa - I bought myself some books for Xmas!! Such a good excuse!

I hope you get lots too - wherever they come from. After all these years getting a book as a gift has never failed to excite me. Whatever, I hope you have a lovely holiday time. Please stay safe on those roads, and as I'm sure you have been a good boy (giving me all those wonderful suggestions), Santa should have lots of nice presents with your name on them.

Merry Christmas and may 2008 find you and your family happy, healthy and yur shelves full of books!

~Lyn

posted by Lman at 5:26 am (EST) on Dec 18, 2007

Hi David

Hope you have a wonderful Christmas too - thanks for the good wishes!

all best, Sarah

posted by ariadne02 at 9:25 pm (EST) on Dec 17, 2007

Dear David,
thanks for the wishes!
The very best to you and your loved ones for a wonderful holiday season and a new year full of happiness, health, and prosperity.

Paola :-))

posted by aluvalibri at 9:31 pm (EST) on Dec 16, 2007

Hi David,

Luckily I live in the Eastern suburbs of Sydney and we missed out on all the hail this time - last time Sydney had a comparable storm (1999) we did cop it. I got a brand new car body out of that!

I don't know Barry Hughart, but I'm checking him out now!! Is he one of your favourites or is 'Bridge of Birds' the only one of his to read? I have a coupon from Borders - a good one - so I am looking for that this weekend. One of my other friends on LT loves Terry Dowling too - hmmm - I am seriously being pushed in that direction now.

I have read a few of Christian Jacq but not his latest - are they good too? I am reading 'Shinju' and it is brilliant. My aim is to finish it this weekend while watching the cricket - BLISS!!! And then I can start the next one.

I have read the first three of The Otori and I am looking forward to the last two. I enjoyed them very much but I do like stories with ancient cultures or similar plot basis, especially when they are well researched and thus very believable. I loved Kerry Greenwood's Phryne Fisher series because she researched Australia in the 1930s and I learnt so much about our country, which interested me as much as the story!! I'm sadly lacking in historical knowledge due to an emphasis on Geography NOT History in my schooling. That is regretful now.

Enjoy your weekend - hopefully you are not working.

Lyn

posted by Lman at 6:24 am (EST) on Dec 14, 2007

Thanks for the heads-up. I'll check it out. You probably already know that "Tom Rynosseros" is from "Tom O' Bedlam" a poem the Wikipedia says "is the name of a critically acclaimed anonymous poem written circa 1600 (it can be definitely dated back to 1634) about a Bedlamite."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_O'Bedlam

posted by Hoagy27 at 9:32 am (EST) on Dec 9, 2007

Hi David,

LOL!! I thought you would think I am mad and never want any contact again!!! And now you want to befriend this mad woman!! Hmmm. Seriously that was lovely.

I want to read the Hugh Cook books again and finish the series since you have refreshed my memory. I just loved the convolution (?) of those stories. And you haven't read our shared book! Isn't it wonderful having all these books still to read - and now I want to read books I have already read. But I have decided on Shinju next. I will now be checking out your library for books similar to Bull Dancers - I wish I had studied Ancient History at school and then gone on to mythology and Greek and Roman interesting stuff (technical term there)as I find it intriguing.

Did you like Lian Hearn's books? I did!

Bye for now - look forward to more chats...

Lyn

posted by Lman at 4:31 am (EST) on Dec 7, 2007

Forget that bit about new member, and Happy First Anniversary instead!!! THAT was a 'senior' moment.

And I have just realised why your name was familiar - I loved The Bull Dancers of Knossos - I love those sort of books. Alas it is still just you and me...

posted by Lman at 4:37 am (EST) on Dec 6, 2007

P.S> - forgot to answer your question (old age creeping in - again)

I read the Hugh Cook books a long time ago - found them very interesting and altogether totally different to anything else I had read then (or since for that matter). I am still not sure I understood them and I'm not sure if I finished them - I think I got the last two a while later. They are on my 'to-be-read-again-one-day' list definitely as I may enjoy them more in my dotage and I would like to finish the series(??).

NO ONE I knew ever liked them or understood them. What about you?

L.

posted by Lman at 4:13 am (EST) on Dec 6, 2007

Well hello MacBeth!

Your suggestion is quite eerie as I have been contemplating what to read next. I was given the Rowland books by a friend in the States (DerBuecherwurm on LT)- ALL TEN!! We have a book "club" and read books together (send each other books we can't find in our respective countries) and she has read the first three, so I was wanting to catch up so we could read the rest together.
Now, with your encouragement, I have decided it will be 'Shinju' next, and probably a few more after!

I see you have only recently joined this illustrious site: so welcome! I hope you enjoy it as much as I do - I will let you know what I think (I am writing a review for each book I read now too). It is lovely to find fellow Australians here too!

Any other suggestions are very welcome...

Lyn

posted by Lman at 4:05 am (EST) on Dec 6, 2007

Hiya pal, see my Antietam note in American Civil War group. Cheers, A

posted by Ammianus at 6:48 am (EST) on Nov 19, 2007

Hi Macbeth,

Thank you! I took a look at the titles we have in common, and there are some semi-obscure ones in there - the two by Alan Savage, some of the PC Dohertys, and a couple novels about Japanese history. Judging by your ratings, I think it's fair to say you've read more of your library than I have of mine!

Sarah

posted by ariadne02 at 9:17 pm (EST) on Oct 19, 2007

Thanks for your comment, Mac. You have an impressive list of history books (one of my general interests) there. I do like the historical detective stories too, but a) I'm trying to not collect too many books & other 'gomi' (libraries have been very useful); b) there is only just so much time we all have to live (something that my nose has been rubbed in since the turn of the century). So I am trying to specialize to some extent in local and Australian history, plus some things that might help understand how the world runs in general. My interest in things mediaeval does sneak in, however, dating from a childhood fascination with the times of the Wars of the Roses.

Altho' I read The Guns of August many years ago, the book that spurred my interest in looking through Barbara Tuchman's other work was The March of Folly. Very highly recommended. It's a shame she's not around to bring some of her insight into more recent history.

I have wondered if I should try to have a special tag for library books I've read but don't own. For example, I've read the first 3 or 4 of Colleen McCullough's Roman books, which I see you have some of. (My Amazon wish list is here, and I worry it's deceptive to see them in the listing.)

posted by Mezz at 11:47 am (EST) on Sep 19, 2007

Macbeth,

I see you've recently added Black Lotus (A Sano Ichiro Mystery) Laura Joh Rowland. I've never heard of Rowland or the series but I see you've marked it 5 stars and selected Googled reviews seem to like it. Do you think it's something I could recommend to my mother-in-law who is an avid reader of mysteries? I, on the other hand am not a huge fan of the mystery genre... I like mysteries fine but I don't chew up one after another like she does. I'm sure she's never read any of these (she keeps a list so she doesn't read the same book twice). What would you suggest I tell her about this that might peak her interest?

Regards,

hoagy27

posted by Hoagy27 at 9:15 pm (EST) on Jul 31, 2007

Macbeth,

So that's what Sumption’s been up to. When I read his books I had a hard time believing that the guy who wrote such good history could do anything other than study history all the time! Guess I forgot about John Buchan.

All this socializing is new to me. Librarything is the only "social website" I do and that only because it is such a great way to catalogue my library. I’ll get used to this “friends” concept.

BTW: I liked your “Queensland” joke so well I’ve told it several times. Come to think of it, I better ask you what it is about “Queensland” that makes is a foreign country from the rest of Australia.

Hoagy

posted by Hoagy27 at 11:23 am (EST) on Jul 28, 2007

Hey I just ordered 'Shadows in the Desert' from Amazon. I have been looking to sink into some good Persian history for a while so the recomendation was very timely. Plus I just got a new job and have plenty of subway reading time now. Thanks!

posted by gradvmedusa at 3:40 am (EST) on Jul 26, 2007

Mac,

I got hooked on Barbara Tuchman’s writing with The Guns of August. I devoured her next two books as soon as I could get my hands on them and when she published A Distant Mirror in 1978 I was overjoyed! The combination of Tuchman’s lucid prose and the history of the 14th century was right up my alley!

I enjoyed the narrative nature of Norwich’s Byzantium books. Since I had been reading several books written by historians who eschew the narrative approach his trilogy was like a blast from the past. I was thrilled when an aunt (who writes historical fiction) told me that Norwich had written a history of the Normans in Sicily. I could hardly rest until I tracked down a copy.

But, as they say, you can’t win ‘em all… I really hated Rathbone's The Last English King. I simply cannot abide the jokey, elbow-jabbing, anachronisms that proliferate in his work. I wanted to enjoy it but I just couldn’t finish it. The final straw was the appearance of the Bob Dylan cipher-character. Groan!

While we were in Scotland, we visited friends who live in the Outer Hebrides. The people and geography of the islands were wonderful! I highly recommend including them on any itinerary… but then there is so much see and do!

So Border Reivers in your family history ‘eh? …and Kerrs to boot! I see you and I share Frazer’s Steel Bonnets. I made sure I read it before we went to Scotland.

Regards,

Hoagy27

posted by Hoagy27 at 11:33 pm (EST) on Jul 19, 2007

Mac,

I really enjoyed reading the first two volumes of Sumption's 100 Years War history and was very please when I saw the Wikipedia article about Sumption that mentioned the third volume.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonathan_Su...

I see you have The Normans in Sicily by John Julius Norwich, I’d be interested to know what you think about it. I’d also like to know what you thought about The Last English King by Julian Rathbone.

So have you visited Scotland? My wife and I visited a few years back and loved it. It is where much of my ancestry comes from.

Hoagy27

posted by Hoagy27 at 11:16 pm (EST) on Jul 18, 2007

You mentioned in the Historical Fiction: Roman Empire discussion that Iron Hand of Mars is your favourite Falco. You might be interested to know that BBC Radio is broadcasting a dramatised version over 6 weeks from April 6th. I assume the broadcast will be available over the internet.

posted by Robertgreaves at 8:37 am (EST) on Mar 25, 2007

I'll finish Graff up this evening and on the whole I found it well worth my time. There's a nice balance between military details and operations, the social context of the period, and historiographic analysis of the sources.

posted by Shrike58 at 7:41 pm (EST) on Mar 15, 2007

Just had a look at your collection, very nice. Lots of interesting titles on Byzantium that I will look into adding to my reading list.

posted by gradvmedusa at 6:37 pm (EST) on Feb 19, 2007