UKC

Currently reading: Provided You Dont Kiss Me (Brian Clough) , and the Storm (Vince Cable) Ordering Dead Lucky by Lincoln Hall on Amazon, (Dead Lucky about Lord Lucan is a cracking read)

In reply to Blizzard: the good book,our holy bible offers guidance and is tremendously comforting.Have you let Jesus into your heart?

In reply to Blizzard:

Are you looking specifically for biography recommendations? If not, what sort of thing do you like?

In reply to Blizzard:


Have you read "The Damned United"?

In reply to hokkyokusei:

Yeap. I just want a damn good read. Dont tend to do fiction. Have read loads of climbing books, loads.

In reply to Blizzard:

Have you read 'A Voyage for Madmen' by Peter Nichol? It's about the 1968 round the world yacht race and it's a fantastic read. I'm still a bit haunted by some of the tales.

In reply to Tall Clare:

Nope

In reply to Blizzard:

Give it a whirl. Every time I see a yacht now, I think about it upside down in the middle of a very remote bit of ocean :-/

In reply to Tall Clare:
Sounds good, reserved at the library.

On a similar nautical disaster theme - "Left for dead: 30 years on - the race is finally over: the 1979 Fastnet Race - one man's epic story of survival"
And a bit different on a diving theme - "Raising the dead" - Finch, Phillip

In reply to Blizzard: Concertina: The Life and Loves of a Dominatrix is cracking! true story of a Mistress and sundry shenanagins!!

In reply to Blizzard:

Lords of Finance. Financial history and biography of the bankers involved in events that lead to the first world war, great depression and sowed the seeds for the second world war. Brilliant read.

From the Holy Mountain. Dalrymple tells a history of Christianity in the middle east through the retracing of retelling of the journey of a couple monks from Greece to Eygpt. Hilarious, incite-fully contempary & also brilliantly written.

D

In reply to Blizzard:


http://www.amazon.co.uk/Loch-Green-Corrie-Andrew-Greig/dp/1847249965

In reply to Tim Chappell:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Short-Walk-Hindu-Picador-Books/dp/0330266233

In reply to Tim Chappell:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Time-Gifts-Constantinople-Holland-Middle/dp/0719566...

In reply to Blizzard: Life and Limb - Jamie Andrew. A must read

In reply to Blizzard:

The unnatural history of the sea

In reply to Blizzard:

The Sisters Brothers for a quirky cowboy story
The Quantum Thief - good modern sci-fi with a nod to traditional SF
Genus - Jonathan Trigel readable dystopian future
J G Ballard - most of his books

In reply to David Hooper:

Is this a keyhole procedure these days?

In reply to Tall Clare:

Just finished reading this, its hard to believe its a true story. Highly recommended even for non nautical folk like myself.

In reply to Mike_Watson_99:

Was that the race when Donald Crowhurst went round in circles?

In reply to Blizzard:
Cool. Just bought 'A Voyage for Madmen' after reading this thread. Recently finished Minus 148 and was looking for another read.

In reply to tony:
Dont spoil it for everyone!

In reply to Mike_Watson_99:
Near the end of this now. Moitessier is an inspiration and the xxxxxxxxxx (don't want to spoil it for another reader). Its an enriching story and great to hear of the comraderie among some of the competitors.

In reply to Blizzard:

Another vote for A Voyage For Madmen. I have no interest in sailing or any sort of competitive racing, yet I still adored this book! Tall Clare first recommended it to me on these forum pages

Would be interesting to read it alongside (quite coincidentally another TC recommendation) Andrew Smith's "Moon Dust" as the events in each book are sort of contemporary, and the characters involved are as fascinating and diverse as each other (OK none of the astronauts were QUITE as bonkers as certain of the sailors...)

In reply to Blizzard:

The Alan Bombard story

In reply to Blizzard: If its football you're after, A Season With Verona by, I think, Tim Parks is ace.

Fiction: Sacred Games by Vikram Chandra is so rich, colourful and exciting, you could dissapear into it for weeks.

In reply to Blizzard:

Did your mountaineering reading include Gordon Stainforth's 'Fiva'? Great narrative drive makes it difficult to put down but at the same time I didn't want it to end. Am currently re-reading it with a bit more attention to detail! Definitely recommended.

In reply to Blizzard:

The best non-fiction book I've read recently is 'Moondust' which traced the stories of the 9 astronauts who walked on the moon and the effect it has subsequently had on their lives. Very thought-provoking, fantastic read.

In reply to Blizzard: I can certainly recommend All Hell Let Loose by Max Hasting's.

In reply to Blizzard: read Eric Cantonas biography last year superb and I aint a great football fan

In reply to dannorris:

Just read a couple of William Boyd books whic I enjoyed; Restless and Waiting for sunrise - one based on run-up to WW1 the other to WW2 - very readable

In reply to Blizzard:

Cairngorm John -John Allen

(Former leader of the cairngrom MRT)

A fantasic account of one mans life and how he and the mountains seemed to be symbiotic. Well written, emotive, educational and at times tragic, but a tremendous must read IMHO.

Cheers

Mark

In reply to Blizzard:

I'll second NWClimber's recommendation for Fiva - gripping and pacy, written in a self-effacing way. An excellent read.

Also, Mark Radtke's Canvas of Rock is one of the best climbing autobiographies I've read in years. Genuine insights into the psyche of climbing and risk-taking, the spooky phenonemon of 'intuition', as well as giving a fresh account of hard trad from the 70's to the 90's.

In reply to Blizzard:

Forgot to add another - 1000 years of Annoying the French, by Stephen Clarke. Informative and funny.

In reply to Blizzard: I'm halfway through The Psychopath Test by Jon Ronson, bought at Tesco when I was away for a night with nothing to read. And a good choice too, amusing and illuminating. Recommended.

T.

In reply to Blizzard: The Moon's a Balloon.

In reply to Blizzard: Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy was a great read that I was reminded of by the film being in the spotlight so read it then watched the film. It was tricky to read with so many characters and keeping track of whose who, but better than the film which I also enjoyed. But then books capture feeling and what's going in the head way better than a film.

Currently on 'Man's Search For Meaning' by Viktor Frankl a pyschological survival book by a guy who survived the Nazi concentration camps.

Like the look of Journey for madmen and still dipping in and out of poetry.