A jolly good read?

[PPB]

My Grandmother Asked Me To Tell You She's Sorry.
My Grandmother Sends Her Regards And Apologies.

Both by Fredrik Backman, both enjoyable, fun,and parts of them may remind us a bit about our own Grandmothers, and that all Grandmothers are ace.

 

[Quirkafleeg]

Just started to read Dune. Been wanting to get into this for years.

 

[lemonjelly]

I'm currently reading The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins.
It's ace.

 

[Tredman]

Just started to read Dune. Been wanting to get into this for years.

You lucky bugger. I love Dune and reading it for the first time was brilliant

Might be wise to stay clear of any of the Kevin J Anderson spin off shite though.

 

[FrankMunro-371]

You lucky bugger. I love Dune and reading it for the first time was brilliant

Might be wise to stay clear of any of the Kevin J Anderson spin off shite though.

Dune was indeed brilliant, though I must admit I found it hard work to begin with, but once I got into it I couldn't put it down.

 

[FrankMunro-371]

A Broken World by Sebastian Foulks.

Simply one of the best books relating to the letters, diaries and memories of the men and women who served on the western front during the First World War. To call it stunning does not do it justice.

 

[FrankMunro-371]

Red Baron Combat Wing by Peter Kilduff.

Excellent from start to finish

In my opinion the most informative book about Manfred von Richtofen.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

The Norman Conquest - Marc Morris

Excellent stuff and really interesting. There is so little I knew about our early medieval history. After this I would love to get the book on Edward I by the same author and the book on the Plantagenets by Dan Jones. I must confess I do love history texts, but they can be so intriguing.

 

[FrankMunro-371]

Sadly my knowledge of medieval history is very basic. And of course once you get interested in history, then where do you draw the line. In depth study of just one conflict has proved extremely time consuming.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

I know exactly what you mean. My areas of good historical knowledge are classical Greek and Roman, and especially Napoleonic era Europe as well. I really should have done Ancient History in hindsight. But even with the Greek and Roman stuff I do know there are so many other areas I want to get into. I have just picked up a very nice looking book on Ancient Babylon that I am looking forward to, and I have been promising myself some stuff on the Ancient Persians so I can marry it all together and meet at the Alexandrian Wars of Succession.

And now I want to get into the pre-Wars of the Roses British stuff. Going to need some bigger book shelves...

 

[Parkins left foot]

Read a lot of historical stuff - main interests being Napoleonic period & 2nd WW

Would like to get some more factual stuff on the struggle between Saxons & Danes/Vikings during the 9th & 10th centuries - have read various fiction books on this period (which are heavy on symbolism, but stretch the truth somewhat), but very little factual stuff. Any recommendations greatly received.

It was a period during which we could have all ended up as part of greater scandinavia & speaking Danish as a first language

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

It was a period during which we could have all ended up as part of greater scandinavia & speaking Danish as a first language

[languagenerd] Would have been Old Norse in that case [/languagenerd]

 

[FrankMunro-371]

I know exactly what you mean. My areas of good historical knowledge are classical Greek and Roman, and especially Napoleonic era Europe as well. I really should have done Ancient History in hindsight. But even with the Greek and Roman stuff I do know there are so many other areas I want to get into. I have just picked up a very nice looking book on Ancient Babylon that I am looking forward to, and I have been promising myself some stuff on the Ancient Persians so I can marry it all together and meet at the Alexandrian Wars of Succession.

And now I want to get into the pre-Wars of the Roses British stuff. Going to need some bigger book shelves...

You will have to buy a library....

Seriously though I have restricted myself to World War One, the battle of Bosworth, the Crimean War, and the Zulu Wars. On most other conflicts I have a rudimentary knowledge. There is just not enough time to gain sufficient knowledge on other wars, unless our 24 hour day can be expanded significantly.

Though ancient Persian warfare is something I would like to improve my knowledge of.

 

[Parkins left foot]

[languagenerd] Would have been Old Norse in that case [/languagenerd]

Pedantic - true, but pedantic :icon_biggrin:

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

Read a lot of historical stuff - main interests being Napoleonic period & 2nd WW

Would like to get some more factual stuff on the struggle between Saxons & Danes/Vikings during the 9th & 10th centuries - have read various fiction books on this period (which are heavy on symbolism, but stretch the truth somewhat), but very little factual stuff. Any recommendations greatly received.

It was a period during which we could have all ended up as part of greater scandinavia & speaking Danish as a first language

Well this Norman Conquest book I am reading seems promising. It doesn't start with 1066 January 1st.

I am only a few chapters in but there has been Aethelstan, Aethelred the Unready (that name is wrong - it should be the "badly advised" - who knew?), Cnut, Harold Harefoot, Harcathcnut and now heading toward Edward the Confessor. Really good stuff.

There is a new book in the English Monarchs Series on Cnut that is coming out on 7th February in hardback. Probably won't be cheap. Otherwise there is Cnut, England's Viking King by M K Lawson by the look of it.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

Also - looks like it might be worth checking out Queen Emma and the Vikings.

 

[Parkins left foot]

Well this Norman Conquest book I am reading seems promising. It doesn't start with 1066 January 1st.

I am only a few chapters in but there has been Aethelstan, Aethelred the Unready (that name is wrong - it should be the "badly advised" - who knew?), Cnut, Harold Harefoot, Harcathcnut and now heading toward Edward the Confessor. Really good stuff.

There is a new book in the English Monarchs Series on Cnut that is coming out on 7th February in hardback. Probably won't be cheap. Otherwise there is Cnut, England's Viking King by M K Lawson by the look of it.

Would probably want to go a bit further back to try to define where the idea of a a united England (well before a combined UK) came from - Wessex was clearly the dominant 'English' realm, but to move from that into the rest of the country was a seminal decision.

Alfred (his brothers & father Ethelwulf) are a big part of this story

 

[Keef]

I think Ethelred the unreadys daughter was wulfruna,who gives her name to Wolverhampton

 

[FrankMunro-371]

I think I am out of my depth here. It might be better if I stuck to World War One...!

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

I think Ethelred the unreadys daughter was wulfruna,who gives her name to Wolverhampton

Close. Lady Wulfruna was granted a charter by Ethelred and that was over lands that became the city.

EDIT - However something I definitely didn't know until a quick google was that her granddaughter Aelgifu was the first wife of King Cnut.