Listening to a load of Sherlock Holmes stories.

"Weavers, scribes and Kings" by Amanda Podany.

Looking at life in ancient Sumer through the writings that have survived on the clay tablets they used. A fascinating* look at the lives not just of the great and the good but also the less prestigious members of society who also left their thoughts imprinted in clay.

For the historians and archaeologists among you Amanda Podany is part of the team that brought the ancient Mesopotamian city-state of Hana from obscurity to history. 

For music buffs, as a student Amanda Podany was one of the founder members of the band that eventually became The Bangles. If they are playing near where she is she still joins them onstage!

From Rock to rocks!

"Walk like an Egyptian Mesopotamian!" 


*Well, fascinating if Ancient Mesopotamia is of interest to you.

QuoteListening to a load of Sherlock Holmes stories.

These ones: BBC -  Sherlock Holmes Short Stories ?

Not as such, as far as I know.🤔.a lot of them were free CDs that came with one paper, or another, YEARS ago.

Others were ones bought as 'sets'.. e.g.. "The return of Sherlock Holmes".I

All read by Derek Jacobi...I'll have to check out the BBC ones.....Thanks !!😀

Youtube is your friend, Techno. Lots of audiobooks for free.

Thanks, Nobby !  

QuoteAll read by Derek Jacobi...I'll have to check out the BBC ones.....Thanks !!😀

These are read by Hugh Bonneville.


Can't see anyway to download them to listen to while I'm offline, which is annoying. 

Brave New World (for the second time!)

Aldous Huxley

One of the OG sci-fi works of the 20th century. I just found out the other day that there is a drug called soma on the market. Some guy was very proud of himself for that.

Finished "Fighting In The Dark: Naval Combat At Night, 1904-1945" edited by Vincent P O'Hara and Trent Home. 7 chapters by different authors detailing night combat from 190-4 to 1944: Russo-Japanese War, WWI German and British night combat, WWII Italian, Japan, US Navy and British combat in various areas.

Well written (and very enjoyable after my last fiasco read). Obviously mainly destroyer action so well presented for wargame scenarios at that level.

Recommended.

Have to agree 100% with Kipt about O'Hara's various naval books. Well researched and easy to read. His stuff on WW2 naval actions in the Med is very good indeed.

I have used them as the basis of quite a few GQ 1/2 scenarios that we have played over the years. 

Finished a novel that has been laying around for a bit, "A Damned Fine War: May 1945. Hitler is dead. Stalin's Red army is about to conquer Europe: Only one man stands in his way..." by Bill Yenne.

That man is Patton, who does not die in a car crash (at least not then).  Patton's daring and audacity stymies Zhukov and other Russian marshals.  Love story thrown in as well as an ending made for Hollywood (or maybe Bollywood).

Fun, quick read.

Finished "Opening Manassas: The Iron brigade, Stonewall Jackson, and the Battle on Brawner's Farm, August 28, 1862" by Lance J. Herdegen and Bill Backus.

A brief history about both sides units and detail about the Iron brigades first real battle.  The authors each write about one side; Lance for the Union and Bill for the Confederates.  Several maps showing the routes taken to this battle and battle dispositions for the Brawner's Farm fight.

The Confederate detailing is more comprehensive than the Union side, but the two authorship works well.

Finished "The Eastern Fleet And The Indian Ocean 1942-1944: The Fleet That Had To Hide" by Charles Stephenson.  Discusses the various actions Admiral Somerville had to go through to keep his fleet in being.

When the Germans sent U-Boats into the south reaches of the Atlantic and around the tip of South Africa many of his ships were sent to the west.  Until he got American planes for his carriers, he was totally outclassed and out ranged by the Japanese.  A time of frustration but he keep his fleet "a fleet in being" which the Japanese could not totally ignore.

Finished "The Civil War In Coastal North Caroline" by John S. Carbone.

The state had a lot of Union leaning people, particularly in the coastal regions.  General Burnside did the first attack and took Roanoke Island,  From there, many forays attacked inland, primarily on raids.

The battle at Fort Fisher was portrayed in the movie about the 54th Massachusetts, a black regiment.

Many black slaves escaped t the Union held territory, as well as whites for the Union.  The whites that joined up were called Buffaloes by the Confederates, and sometimes were executed if captured.  Black regiments were also raised and faced murder if captured.

This book could make some interesting small scale games, both on land and also naval.  Quick read.

Finished an absolute great book "Gamble In The Coral Sea: Japan's Offensive, The carrier Battle, And The Road To Midway" by Michal A. Piegzik.

What makes this book great is that the author, a Pole, decided the existing books on the battle really only used information from the American side.  Piegzik decided to learn Japanese in order to better document the existing information.  He lived in Japan for a time and was able to search the Japanese archives and also interview several people involved.  In some cases he did not get permission to use family remembrances so left that out.

The book delves into the planning, the moves the mistakes,and the successes for both sides.  I do have two other books by this author on the Japanese Eastern naval campaign against the British.  After reading the current title I bought tow more books on the Aleutian campaign.

Many maps, photos and tables showing aircraft strikes with pilot names and planes.

Great book!

I got those two books by Piegzik about the attack on Ceylon on your recommendation and agree that his approach and use of primary Japanese source records made them very worthwhile purchases. 

Sounds like the Coral Sea one will be worth looking into too.

Thanks for continuing to post your book reviews Kipt   

You are welcome.  I am always looking for good books with something specific.

Finished Issue 73 of the "Gettysburg Magazine".

Articles include
Robert E. Lee, Food, and the Gettysburg Campaign,
Compromised Command: Sleep Deprivation and Decision Making at the battle Of Gettysburg,
Holding the Line: The 17th Connecticut Infantry on July 2, Lee's Feu D'Enfer: Robert E. Lee and His Expectations for Confederate Artillery Preceding Pickett's Charge,
as well as others.

Published twice a year.

Finished "Admiral Arleigh Burke" by E.B. Potter.

A biography of 31 Knot Burke; the nickname earned when he commanded a destroyer squadron in the Pacific during WWII.  He became chief of staff to Admiral Mitscher, CO of Carrier Division 3 and CO of Fast Carrier Task Force.

After the war he became involved in the Korea action and talks with the North Koreans. He ultimately became CNO for at that time an unprecedented three terms.  He was dedicated to the Navy and did  much to keep it thriving when certain defense acts try to consolidate the various armed forces.

Good book but long.

Finished volume 1 of "Napoleon Soldier Of Destiny" by Michael Broers.  this volume early life up to the  crowning.  Large book; over 500 pages, but I am recommending this book as a more in depth discussion of Napoleon and his times. Great discussions on Napoleon's thinking and pursuit of power, as well as his innovations in government and reforms.  His understanding of people is very well developed.

Very well done and easy to read. Starting volume 2 shortly (a book on the Vermont units in the Civil War needs to be finished).