Tag Archives: Britain

Munich

Posted on January 14, 2018 by smellincoffee

Munich© 2018 Robert Harris354 pages By this time tomorrow, Adolf Hitler could be dead… The year is 1938, and Europe is again sliding into war — a war that only one man wants.  The man is Adolf Hitler, who is … Continue reading →

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Fools and Mortals

Posted on January 12, 2018 by smellincoffee

Fools and Mortals© 2017 Bernard Cornwell384 pages Brevity is the soul of wit, so here’s an attempt at a quick  review.  Bernard Cornwell usually writes war novels, and he’s magnificent at it. But he surely gets tired of it, and … Continue reading →

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Down and Out in Paris and London

Posted on December 7, 2017 by smellincoffee

Down and Out in Paris and London© 1933 George Orwell224 pages “Have they no refuge or resource?” cried Scrooge. “Are there no prisons?” said the Spirit, turning on him for the last time with his own words. “Are there no … Continue reading →

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The Dragon Seekers

Posted on October 31, 2017 by smellincoffee

The Dragon Seekers: How An Extraordinary Cicle Of Fossilists Discovered The Dinosaurs And Paved The Way For Darwin© 2009 Christopher McGowan272 pages Ancient bones and magnets were both known to antiquity, but not until the 19th century did their importance … Continue reading →

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Rousseau and Revolution

Posted on August 2, 2017 by smellincoffee

Rousseau and Revolution© 1957 Will and Ariel Durant1092 pages “…little did I dream that I should have lived to see such disasters fallen upon her, in a nation of gallant men, in a nation of men of honor, and of … Continue reading →

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The Adventure of English

Posted on May 17, 2017 by smellincoffee

The Adventure of English: The Biography of a Language© 2011 Melvyn Bragg336 pages In The Adventure of English, Melvin Bragg delivers a mythic history of the language that treats our lingua franca as a living personality — battered and now … Continue reading →

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Departing England

Posted on May 1, 2017 by smellincoffee

From the cover of Commodore Hornblower Yesterday we bid goodbye to April, and thus for me, to Read of England 2017.  I believe I found a good balance between literature and history, though next year I may mix in a … Continue reading →

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The Canterbury Tales

Posted on April 30, 2017 by smellincoffee

WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! *ahem* If you’ve ever glanced at my Classics Club list, you’ll see Canterbury Tales sitting there, and I’ve regarded it as one of the tougher ones on my list — in the same tier as the Russians,  April is the … Continue reading →

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1066: A New History

Posted on April 28, 2017 by smellincoffee

1066: A New History© 2009 Peter Rex The list of English kings begins with William the Conqueror, but such a list is really a thing of propaganda; although England’s patchwork of ancient kingdoms were slow to be united against threats … Continue reading →

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Sense and Sensibility

Posted on April 25, 2017 by smellincoffee

Sense and Sensibility© 1811 Jane Austen409 pages Sense and Sensibility is the story of two sisters, Marianne and Elinor,  who are left to live on a fixed income after their father perished and the law forced him to leave all … Continue reading →

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