Family History

Yeh, so I've started researching my family history. And would you believe that I've managed to get back to a wedding in 1707!!! I'm really enjoying it, and I'm going to go into the library to do a bit more work soon because apparently they have free access to all these online databases of births, deaths, marriages and census records. And if anyone knows anything about a commercial traveller called Robert Hardacre born in Yorkshire who moved across to Lancashire...

College has finished!

I can scarcely believe I've been at college for a full school year and that I finished on Friday. It feels like I'm just having a week off before it's back to work. But no, it's two whole months! The last day was pretty good fun, it has to be said. Did half an hour of sociology, went and read, watched videos in history, made origami stuff in maths, and then did a quiz in English Language and that was it, finito. So I have a nice long summer break to enjoy. I'm going to read, read, read a bit more, write a lot, build some more models, and research my family history, which I started on Saturday. More on that shortly...

Crimean War

The Channel 4 version. Yeh, I am so behind with this. I have a list in front of me with fifteen books on it, not counting this one. And this was a little while ago--before my history exam. So I'm behind. A lot. Anyway, it was okay, but it didn't really say anything particularly noteworthy and I mostly skimmed it. I suppose it'd make a good introduction, but when you decide to start reading around the subject, you rapidly come to the conclusion that there are loads of books out there which say basically the same thing and use pretty much the same sources. I thought the Crimean War was supposedly the first major war where loads of documentation survives... Maybe it's just that people can't be bothered reading the whole pile.

Dead Man's Journey

Yeh, another Western. Although I don't know that I'd term this one a Western. I suppose, technically, books set shortly after the American Civil War involving the gold rush and all of that are Westerns, but it didn't feel like that. The main character had fought for the South in the Civil War, and lost an arm in the process. Returning home, he discovered his house destroyed, his family killed, and nothing to live for. The only thing he owned was a deed for a mining property in Colarado. So he determines to see what this place is, because it's something for him to do. He falls in with a wagon train and travels there, hating himself all the way for his disibility. And when he gets there, he discovers someone else on his claim. Beaten up and in love with the woman who saved him, he starts to realise that he isn't half a man. A heart-warming feel good story with a nice ending and a pretty good cast of characters. Don't be put off by the fact it's a Western, it's actually pretty good.

Madigan's Sidekick

Since the first Western I read went so well, I figured I'd read this one too. About a US Marshal called Madigan, who finds himself lumbered with a new recruit, who he doesn't want. But Madigan decides to make the most of it and he and Kimble find themselves getting on better than Madigan anticipated. Not that he'd admit that to anyone. It wasn't as good as the other, but the action was pretty good fun. A light read, not particularly literary or sophisticated, but sometimes it's nice to have a book you can actually just read.

The Boer War

This one was by David Smurthwaite, and it was very good--one of the best on the topic that I've found. Comprehensive, and it didn't have any horrible patronising bits where the author explained why all previous historians have got it horribly wrong and their theory is the best. Because it was composed almost exclusively of source material, written by those who were there at the time, in the form of letters and diary entries. Fascinating, and laden with pictures that highlighted various aspects of the struggle. Even better, it didn't just cover the fighting and the military stuff. There was all sorts in there, and it followed the whole course of the war. Where it was narrated, it was more to provide the context of the letters/documents included, and it flowed surprisingly well given that it was made up of dozens and dozens of composite bits.

Shoot out at Corpus Christi

Yes, it's a Western. I decided to read a Western. Well, there was an author at Freckleton (I think it was there anyway...) library the other week, and I went along, and she said there was a real market for Westerns. So I figured well, I'd read one. And, I loved it. I picked it virtually at random, mainly because it said 'Corpus Christi', and that's a college in Cambridge. Yes, that has to be about the randomest reason for choosing one book above another. Anyway, it was very enjoyable. The main character was interesting, well constructed, and fascinating. The plot was great too. A bounty hunter, on the trail of a notorious band of robbers and murderers, who've been painting Texas red. Brilliantly well written, gripping... It really made me want to go grab a few more Westerns and start reading them straight off, although the others I've read since then haven't really been on quite such the same level enjoyment wise. By Tom Calhoun, it's the first book in the Texas Tracker series, and I really wish I could find the rest of them.

Forgotten Victory

This book, by Gary Sheffield, kept popping up as a source in our text books. I read it half hoping it would show up on the exam. No such luck, but it was an interesting evaluation of the First World War, and included a look at the 'myths' that have sprung up about the conflict, and where they came from. I had expected it to be a little biassed, but at times it was so even-handed as to say almost nothing. The section on the Battle of the Somme was particularly interesting, as it examined the campaign as a whole, rather than just stopping with the disastrous first day. An interesting book, even if it was a little dry. A good introduction to the revisionist perspective on the First World War I guess.

My Story

It says on the Blogger Buzz thing that Google wants us all to talk about why we blog and how it's affected us, since Blogger is soon to turn 10. Well, I've been blogging for about a year and a half now. It started out as something to replace my diary, which I'd become increasingly bad at writing in. Shortly after, my mum was diagnosed with cancer, my dad had been suffering with stress, and exams were soon to set in. Needless to say, it was a pretty tough time in my life. So it helped sometimes to just be able to sit down at a computer and just write whatever came out, whatever my feelings were at the time. I survived my exams, and then had a long summer holiday stretching away in front of me, and no real prospect of a holiday like I'd been expecting, since my mum was still pretty grim a lot of the time. So I decided to write a review of every single book I read over the summer holiday. I'm not entirely sure that I managed all of them, but it was certainly a large percentage. I've kept on with that now, and I'm getting better at doing it. Although it has to be said that I do make a note of what I read and write the reviews later, not necessarily straight away. My mum's very much on the mend, and I've now done almost a full year at college. Can't believe how fast the time has gone. And I've actually managed to keep my blog (mostly) up to date with what I'm doing, which is more than I ever really managed long term with a diary.

So happy birthday blogger, and that's my story.

Swaledale Marathon!!!

I can't believe I didn't post about this! Last Saturday, I was in the Yorkshire Dales, to do the Swaledale Marathon. Apparently it's one of the hardest walks there is, and I can well believe it. There are three official climbs, but there are more hills than that. I counted an extra two. I didn't manage to finish it, but I did do 17 miles out of 24, which included two of the official climbs. Really enjoyed it, even if it was utterly exhausting. The countryside round there is so beautiful. It was almost like stepping back in time, the only signs of human habitation were often dry stone walls, even when we were way up on a hill. And one of the most incredible bits was right at the beginning. We were about half an hour into the walk, going up this massive hill (which we'd been walking up from the start...), and I turned round to grab a bit of breath back, and I looked down and way way below I could see the car park where we'd left from, and the cars were so small they looked even smaller than my brothers toy cars, like they were about a centimetre long each. It was stunning to see just how small we really are when you put us into context against nature. Absolutely awesome.

Atlantis

I'm pretty sure I've reviewed this before, but it's worth mentioning again, and I did reread it. I love this book! It's the first book I read in what I would call the 'archaeological thriller' genre, and it's probably why I love that genre. Whether or not anyone else agrees that genre exists is another matter, but still. It has a brilliant historical plot underlying the main narrative, an underlying current of discovery just verging on occurring. The underwater scenes inside the citadel of Atlantis are vivid and stunning, as is the description of the mountain top sanctuary. The historical backdrop is believable and interesting, and the technical detail is there without being too obtrusive and all consuming. There are fun gadgets which enable things to work, but they're within the realms of plausibility too. But what makes the quest for the lost city of Atlantis all the more exciting is the fact that modern day artefact thieves are interested in the site too. And as it lies underwater, outside the jurisdiction of any nation in particular, the archaeological team are on their own. David Gibbins creates tension remarkably well. A showdown in a nuclear submarine, explosions, dramatic escapes... They turn Atlantis from a wildly speculative bit of random fiction into a brilliant 'archaeological thriller', laden with excitement both in discovery and in the attempts to protect that discovery and fight against corruption and to save friends. A brilliant book, I'd highly recommend it.

Cuba

Having just written about how much I enjoyed Forest Mage, I now have to admit I really don't know why I bothered to finish this book. It merits maybe half a star only by virtue of the fact it was an interesting idea. It looked like the sort of thing that could challenge Tom Clancy as master of the political thriller type things (you know, the ones that deal with the fates of nations, large scale thrillers). Cuba's dictator was dying, did die in fact. There would be a power vacuum. People were vying to fill it. There was gold involved, and a character who should have proved a heck of a lot more interesting than he did. I've complained about the fact that I sometimes feel a bit cheated by the way Tom Clancy has used Mr Clark (as a chauffeur!!!). Well, I felt very cheated by the way this CIA, supposed hero was used. Oh, the biological weapons were interesting, and should have provided a brilliant plot. Unfortunately, there were too many random characters who really served no purpose other than to bulk up the rest of the narrative. That guy's brother, the baseball player? What was all that about? I'm afraid I can't even remember his name. In fact, I can't even remember the CIA guy's name. I was incredibly disappointed in this book, and in the poor characters. I'm afraid I honestly didn't care when the CIA guy got killed (nowhere near the end, I'm not spoiling anything--not that there was anything to spoil in the first place). My only concern was that now my only hope of a nice juicy bit of action to redeem things was gone. Humph. And I found the ending idealistic and unrealistic. So, steer clear. I have to admit, I've seen one of Stephen Coonts other books in the library, and been tempted, but given how disappointed I was with this, I honestly don't think I'll bother. Once bitten twice shy and all that. The overall conclusion? Just don't bother even picking up this book. You'll end up reading it because it has potential, unfortunately the potential never gets realised.

Forest Mage

This is the second book in the Soldier Son trilogy by Robin Hobb, and wow is it good. I was up late reading this, despite the fact I had an exam the following day. So if I fail, I'm blaming this book. It really is fantastic. It takes the story onto a whole knew level as Nevare finds himself disgraced and forced to flee from everything he thought would be his, attempting to live out the life the Good God ordained for him, whilst fighting against the unwanted magic which is trying to claim him for its own. Alone, with nobody he can rely on, and the magic working against him to force him into its will, Nevare is desperate to escape its clutches and return to what he thought his life would be, before being forced to come to the conclusion that it is too late. Stunningly well written, vividly portrayed, I thought the Farseer trilogy was good. This just proves that Robin Hobb is perfectly capable of writing another trilogy of similar epic proportions. I think that's the only warning I'm forced to give about this book. It is long. Weighing in at nearly seven hundred pages, it is a big book (even by my standards). It is very descriptive. If you're not prepared to be totally immersed in a world, in a book filled with fantastic description of nature and you can't stand a main character who is afflicted with disease and does get depressed, steer clear. But this is a fantastic book for anyone who enjoys discovering a new world that is so well created it seems almost more real than this one, someone who wants to see nature's beauty, and who is ready for another look at magic. A magic the like of which I've never before encountered, it has to be said. So I found this book fantastic. Looking at reviews on Amazon while trying to find the page count (I borrowed it from a friend), they were mixed. It has been criticised for being too descriptive. Personally, I think that's rot. Action driven it isn't; at the heart of this piece is the character, and that is what makes it so utterly gripping. I have to be honest. Looking at the blurb made me feel slightly dubious about whether I'd enjoy it, but the book had me hooked from the start, and the ending's left me desperate for the next book. So I'll just have to hope Hil hurries up and reads it fast!

Nick Stone series

I am so far behind it's ridiculous. I'm afraid I can scarcely remember what happened in the individual books, which is why I'm going to lump Dark Winter, Brute Force and Deep Black all together. It seems a shame, because I did really enjoy them. If you want evidence of that, how about the fact that I read them all within a few days of each other, which takes serious dedication to a series. And also a succession of libraries which have those books in. They kept me up late a couple of times, and the description and action really is thrilling. For me, these are just about the best spy books you're likely to find. They're gritty, down to earth, and have such a realistic feel that it's hard to stop reading, and you sometimes have to remind yourself it's FICTION. So I would highly recommend this series. At times terrifying, others heart-wrenching, but mostly just utterly thrilling, they really are fantastic books, and if I hadn't got a list in front of me of eighteen other books I have read in the past few weeks that I need to get on with reviewing, I would certainly devote more space to them.

Last Exam!!!!

So, I had my last exam yesterday. Maths decision. Yay! There was a monster of a last question though, involving a simplex algorithm where you had to repeat the same row twice. (For those of you who don't have a clue what a simplex algorithm is, you basically use it to work out how to maximise profit from a given set of variables. This question involved a badge factory; one of the other really nasty bits was that it asked you to work out what the question was...). I was a little annoyed to get to maths today and discover we were starting a whole new topic. Simpson's Rule. Thankfully we had a nice, rather amusing powerpoint to explain it, which involved multiple pictures of various Simpsons, and some music from the shows.

Form is so annoying though. Argh! Turned up today, to try and discover exactly what we have to do for this stupid cope thing, only to find out that not only is that due in in less than two weeks, we also have to write our personal statement for UCAS by next week! Why they couldn't have given us a little more warning, I don't know. Still, I suppose it could be worse. I could be doing general studies.