What is ED reading?

[barrymarshall]

The thread just started about Turkey and terrorism made me think of a book I just finished about al Qaeda, which I wanted to recommend. Anyway, the book is called "The Looming Tower: al Qaeda's Road to 9/11" by Lawrence Wright.

Wright is a New Yorker jounralist who tells the story of al Qaeda from the early days of Said Qtub and his reaction against 1950s American society, through to the terrorism in Egypt, the Mujahideen and so on, up to Osama bin Laden and the formation of the modern al Qaeda network.

He is particularly good on the story of bin Laden's family (whose company was, and is still, involved in most of the civil engineering sector in Saudi Arabia) and his wives and children. Wright is good at portraying the 9/11 attackers as nihilistic terroists who got lucky.

The other half of the story is an account of the intelligence serivce operatives who were on the trail of OBL and co and who were thwarted at every turn by their superiors.

I havce been recommending it to everyone. You think you know the story, but this meticulously researched book shows that you really don't.

I am looking for something else to read now - anyone any ideas?

[Ant]

I'm not reading anything at the moment so hopefully I'll be able to get a good idea for something new as this thread grows.

I've just finished reading Art Photography Now and Image Makers Image Takers. Two very beautifully illustrated books focusing (boom boom) on contemporary photographers, finding out what makes them tick. Great stuff and very inspiring if you like that kind of thing - as I know a few of us here do.

[mockney piers]

If you like politics then thoroughly recommend Robert Fisk's tome, The Great War for Civilisation.

After the last one you may want a more lighthearted read though. Have recently enjoyed Francis Wheen's How Mumbo Jumbo Conquered the World.

Cerebus the Aardvark's very good too!

[Rolo Tomasi]

Just started Better Than Sex - HST

[mockney piers]

On the subject of photogrpaphy I read Don McCullin's autobiography not too long ago. Very sad story all told, but no less fascinating and admirable for it.

[david_carnell]

I am currently readin Mimi and Toutou Go Forth by Giles Fodden (who also wrote the Last King of Scotland which became the film by the same name). It describes the ludicrously jaw-dropping expedition during the First World War to haul two warships hundreds of miles overland through Southern Africa to Lake Tanganyika and engage the Germans who were controlling it at the time. The man leading the party was Lt. Commander Geoffrey Spicer-Simpson - a man court-martialled for wrecking his own ships, an inverterate liar and a wearer of skirts!

Makes you wonder how we ever won anything in the field of combat.

More recently I have finished:

Ranulph Fiennes' autobiography which is compelling but makes one feel that you haven't achieved very much in your life by comparison.

War of the World by Niall Ferguson - an erudite investigation into the bloody 20th Century and its winners and losers

And next up I'm reading Exploration Fawcett - an account of early 20th century exploration in South America. Percy Fawcett never returned from his travels but the book is written by his son from is diary accounts. Great pic below:

http://www.don-mcduck.de/bilder/charaktere/fawcett01.jpg

[Jah Lush]

Recent reads have been:-

Been Down So Long It Looks Like Up To Me - Richard Farina

Groupie - Jenny Fabian and Johnny Byrne (for research purposes).

A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian - Monica Lewycka (hilarious)

The Book Of Dave - Will Self.

I've got two on the go at the moment:-

Au Bonheur des Dames - Emile Zola and the new Ronnie Wood autobiography.

[Brendan]

Jasper Fforde - Lost in a Good Book

That and a Preacher comic.

[mockney piers]

I read the book of Dave not so long ago. I really liked it. The satire stuff ran out of steam quite badly but the tale of Dave was very honest and quite touching.

[capt_birdseye]

CJ Sansom - Winter in Madrid. Quite good so far.

[Keef]

Jah I'm glad you liked "A Short History of Tractors in the Ukraine"!

I was sat reading that at the MCG in Melbourne during the Ashes last year whilst England wre being soundly beaten in the 3rd day of the test to take Australia to 4-0 in the series. The book at least made me smile!

I've been very slow with reading lately, need to find something to inspire me.

[Ladygooner]

I can highly recomment Khalied Hosseini (The Kite Runner fame) - A Thousand Splendid Suns. Half way through The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai - finding it very hard going!

[Michael Palaeologus]

Terry Pratchett: Making Money - usual disc-worldly-ness

Before that Martin Gilbert's First World War - the Balkans and the Middle East - history is simply repeating itself

[Asset]

Brendan - I've read that and his other ones. I think they are great.

[SeanMacGabhann]

Brendan slipped in :

And is therefore officially given a free pass to heaven

At the moment I am reading "Small Island" by Andrea Levy which is excellent but I'm not sure if it's breaking my heart or warming it

Review Me Do

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

Am reading "Emotionally Weird" by Kate Atkinson. It was hard to get into at first but I'm glad I persevered - it is very funny. .

Also dipping into Ian Botham's biography which is good for the odd 10 minute read.

Got both at the Book Swap so do come along to the next one peeps.

ps - loved "Short History of U. T"; also enjoyed "Small Island" but it left me slightly wistful by the end.

[Cassius]

I would recommend anything by Orhan Pamuk - just finished Snow and read My Name is Red earlier in the year, next is his Istanbul - which are memories of the city.

[Ladygooner]

SeanMc - enjoyed Small Island but don't bother with the rest of her books - they are too much alike

[SeanMacGabhann]

really LadyG? That was the problem I had with the Ukrainian Tractors follow up as well

Shame - but thanks for the heads up

[Jessie]

I found Ukranian Tractors really quite dull. Am loving Tove Jansson's THE SUMMER BOOK and looking forward to when my son's old enough to be introduced to the Moomins

[luddite]

any one fancy swapping books for free i have boxes and boxes to swap everything from paul auster to helen dunmore

from kurt vonnegut to john banville .

it would be a great kind of recycling ....have any of you read about book dropping a new fad to sweep the smoke ? leave your book on the bus or tube with a post it note 'saying take me im free :)'

[Asset]

there's a book swap at the George Canning on Monday 29th.

[barrymarshall]

I'd be up for book-swapping!

But how would the book-swap work at the Canning? Would you just bring a book and stick it in a general pile for people to pick through, or swap with someone/thing specific?

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

Hi Barrym

At the last swap we started quite orderly, said a few words about the books we'd brought to those nearest us and offered them up - not for a direct swap, just whoever fancied it. By the time the free wine was flowing everyone just nattered about anything and sauntered round the table helping themselves as they pleased. Enormous fun and nothing formal. I even forgot for an hour and a half that I am a heavy smoker! Do come along, everyone welcome.

Steve puts the left over books on a shelf in the pub with a charity tin next to it or you could take them back again if you prefer.

[barrymarshall]

Free wine?! I'm there!