What book ?

[NottinghamWhite]

Just dropped some stuff off at the local charity shop & found this book on CB Fry, possibly the greatest sportsman to ever live. He batted in cricket alongside WG Grace & captained England without losing a Test. He played football for England & reached the FA Cup final with Southampton. At rugby union he played for Oxford, Blackheath & the Barbarians & turned down the chance to play for England. He missed out of winning any medals in the 1896 Olympics, he didn't know they were taking place. In 1900 he broke the world long jump record & was hurdling into his 50's.

Away from sport Fry won a major scholarship at Oxford. He wrote several books including a novel as well as a brilliant but selective autobiography ge went on to become one of the most successful & influential journalists of his day. He was close friends with many Liberal & Labour MP's. His undoing in politics was he flirted with fascism meeting Hitler in 1934. He was offered the throne to Albania. A truly remarkable man. He was also at the centre of a major sex scandal & had several extra marital affairs.

This should be a good read

[NottinghamWhite]

Haven't read a book for ages so just bought Peter James's latest Dead If You Don't which features Brightons Detective Superintendent Roy Grace. After this I'll be up to date with him. Any recommendations for authors of this ilk, prefer them to be British. Also like Peter Robinson, Minette Walters & Elizabeth George.

[Deleted User 728]

I'm a quarter of the way into Frankenstein having only read Dracula for the first time last year and being blown away by it.

This one .. hmmmm .. not so much, yet.
The first few chapters are a bit of a ramble, setting the scene for the young scientist and how he came to be so enraptured by chemistry and biology. As he takes his place at university, he finds himself working day and night on his theories, soon surpassing his teachers.
Then he discovers the secret to life itself although he won't actually tell the reader, simply stating by the end of his tale it would be apparent why not .. which strikes me as one hell of a cop out by the author.
Two pages later, the creature itself is up and about, scaring the bejeeesus out of its creator, who turns tail and runs from the house ..

It's all a bit "sudden" and throughout those last few pages I just couldn't shake the googly eyes of Marty Feldman from my mind, although there was absolutely no mention whatsoever of any kind of henchman or the stealing of cadavers or any of the usual stuff associated with the story.

I'm going to finish it, but it's not a patch on the superbly detailed and wonderfully vivid Dracula.

[johnh]

Halfway through 'The Gigante'. Really excellent read. Some serious research gone into this. Acknowledgements to our own ANS

[Another Northern Soul]

Halfway through 'The Gigante'. Really excellent read. Some serious research gone into this. Acknowledgements to our own ANS

Your payment of a pint for that is in the post, mate, thank you

[johnh]

Halfway through 'The Gigante'. Really excellent read. Some serious research gone into this. Acknowledgements to our own ANS

Your payment of a pint for that is in the post, mate, thank you

I thought we'd agreed a dram of single malt?

[Another Northern Soul]

Halfway through 'The Gigante'. Really excellent read. Some serious research gone into this. Acknowledgements to our own ANS

Your payment of a pint for that is in the post, mate, thank you

I thought we'd agreed a dram of single malt?

We did but so did the postman and he had yours, sorry!

[kk white]

... only read Dracula for the first time last year and being blown away by it...

One of the greatest reads of all.

[PockWhite]

Started reading 'Animal Farm' by George Orwell last night.
Must be 40 odd years since I first read it and just fancied giving it another whirl.
Also got a copy of '1984' to read next, similar sort of timescale since I first read that anorl.

[Another Northern Soul]

Halfway through 'The Gigante'. Really excellent read. Some serious research gone into this. Acknowledgements to our own ANS

Hi all, I've been quiet about this because I don't want to bring myself in to 'disrepute' on here with advertisements for it etc . However, it'd be a bit ignorant of me not to mention it at all so just to let you know that we're having a launch for it next Wednesday at the John Charles Centre for Sport in LS11 - please let me know on here or better still by email on robert@endeacott.com if you'd like to attend. Spaces are limited but it hasn't been 'advertised' publicly yet.

And if anyone wants a copy of The Gigante hand-delivering (in the Peacock) on Saturday before the match, I can oblige, or I can post too but cost is slightly higher that way . Thanks for your interest, as always. (It's available in the LU Store too and online, and book shops or directly from the publishers, Ockley Books.)