City Travel Guides > Books > Contemporary Fiction: 1970 Onwards

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.Azincourt
City Travel Guides > Books > Contemporary Fiction: 1970 Onwards
by: Bernard Cornwell

October 01, 2008
It probably comes as no suprise to anyone who saw Bernard Cornwell's glowing comments on the front of Juliet Barker's excellent history book 'Agincourt', that Cornwell turned his attention Henry V's famous, almost miraculous, victory over the French. The problem is how to make such an extraordinarily well known story - thanks to Shakespeare and numerous histories - seem fresh and exciting. Thankfully, we are in the hands of a master at this sort of thing.

His story of Nick Hook, an English longbowman, does more than simply tick the expected boxes. It successfully puts the victory at Agincourt into perspective both politically and socially. It does so by bringing us firmly into the lives of the people. These people realised ... Read More:
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.The Road Home
City Travel Guides > Books > Contemporary Fiction: 1970 Onwards
by: Rose Tremain

June 12, 2008
There are some writers who just create seamless prose that reads like it's always been there on the page and they just traced over the words. Well, for me, this was one of those books. I loved it from beginning to end. It tells the story of Lev, an "economic migrant" from the East, and his search for work, and life. It is probably a little too rose tinted to be real, and I doubt there are many migrants so lucky as Lev, but I so wanted him to succeed.
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.Stephen Fry in America
City Travel Guides > Books > Contemporary Fiction: 1970 Onwards
by: Stephen Fry

October 01, 2008
So I found myself in Terminal 5 at Heathrow last week and in the process of getting psyched up for my week long European tour of my companies offices I decided to take Mr Frys book with me as a companion.

And, well, its a rather bitter sweet sort of read, leaving you simultaneously amused but short changed.

You see, the author delights you with a wonderful 7 page prologue, dripping in his trademark whit and informed conversation and you're set for the great mans perspective on all things american.

Except its exactly that same dialogue that is actually missing from this book.

What you get is 5 or 6 pages per state, usually with Mr Fry having some form of meal with "typical" residents of the State ... Read More:
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.World Without End
City Travel Guides > Books > Contemporary Fiction: 1970 Onwards
by: Ken Follett

October 02, 2008
I have been waiting for this book for years.... and now when I have read it, I hope it was never written. IT does not at all live up the the Pillars of earth. Neither does it compare to some of the other good books Ken Follet has written. 150 pages less and it might have been ok. I try to end all the books I start, but this was heavy. The story line was light, some of the "histories" within the story are totally out of scope (like nuns in french war). I read 6 books in my vacation. This was the worst.
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.Seven Troop
City Travel Guides > Books > Contemporary Fiction: 1970 Onwards
by: Andy McNab

September 12, 2008
After reading Bravo Two Zero and Immediate Action a long time ago as a young soldier, I still cannot bring myself to read a fiction book from Andy McNab; not because they might not be good but because of the first two books being non-fiction. However, as soon as I discovered that he had created a new book of his personal stories I broke my pledge of "no more war stories" and bought it.

The book does build upon Immediate Action but it has an underlying and consistent message, one that I unfortunately witnessed in some ex-Falkland paras. Without telling the lay of the book and thereby removing the enjoyment for other readers, what I will say is that the story follows a young trooper meeting "brothers in arms" and what can result from years ... Read More:
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.QI: Advanced Banter
City Travel Guides > Books > Contemporary Fiction: 1970 Onwards
by: Stephen Fry, John Lloyd, John Mitchinson

October 02, 2008
Ever stumbled a cross a quote or saying that rang so true, you've decided to write it down and tuck in a pocket for future reference? Well, this book's full of them.
Quotes are powerful things. They can make us happy, sad, laugh, cry, can comfort us, annoy us...the list goes on. As such, this book is a rollercoaster of opinions and witticisms, some of which are infamous, some of which are lesser known.
It's difficult to review such a book because...well...it's a bit of a nothingness. It is, quite simply, a collection of quotes from famous people, A-Z by subject. That's it. The overall product feels rushed, too - on my first thumb through, I noticed 3 spelling errors! - and I don't appreciate having the QI brand slapped on it. A foreword ... Read More:
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.Heart and Soul
City Travel Guides > Books > Contemporary Fiction: 1970 Onwards
by: Maeve Binchy

October 02, 2008
Ever stumbled a cross a quote or saying that rang so true, you've decided to write it down and tuck in a pocket for future reference? Well, this book's full of them.
Quotes are powerful things. They can make us happy, sad, laugh, cry, can comfort us, annoy us...the list goes on. As such, this book is a rollercoaster of opinions and witticisms, some of which are infamous, some of which are lesser known.
It's difficult to review such a book because...well...it's a bit of a nothingness. It is, quite simply, a collection of quotes from famous people, A-Z by subject. That's it. The overall product feels rushed, too - on my first thumb through, I noticed 3 spelling errors! - and I don't appreciate having the QI brand slapped on it. A foreword ... Read More:
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.What I Talk About When I Talk About Running
City Travel Guides > Books > Contemporary Fiction: 1970 Onwards
by: Haruki Murakami

August 07, 2008
Anyone who knows anything of Murakmi's work should be aware that a book about running written by him won't just be a book about running. Short, but never slight, the book muses on many subjects from memory, to why he started writing, perfecting a swimming technique, to some of the best music to run to. All written in Murakmi's own distinctive voice.

Whatever he writes about this is Murakami's voice you're hearing. There is insight into the kind of person he is and also the kind of person runners are. There is plenty of running here and at times it does almost feel like the book has been written at the pace of a long run as its energy is brisk yet economical. For anyone looking for a big novel, it's not here. For anyone who wants a look into ... Read More:
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.The Road
City Travel Guides > Books > Contemporary Fiction: 1970 Onwards
by: Cormac McCarthy

June 01, 2007
An unnamed man and his sun struggle through a post apocalyptic American wasteland. As they struggle towards the coast, they have to deal with cannibals, with disease, thieves and above all the simple day to day challenge of staying fed and sheltered in a scorched earth where ash rains from the sky.

Everything in this unrelenting book is beautifully structured. The title is perfect, it is a "road" book, the journey is the story and the story is the journey. The blasted sparseness of the landscape is reflected in the sparseness of the prose. The characters are flattened, their dialogue is terse and emotionless, the palate in which the world is painted is flat and monochrome, all colour and life crushed out by the terrible grey, fatally wounded world.
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.When Will There be Good News?
City Travel Guides > Books > Contemporary Fiction: 1970 Onwards
by: Kate Atkinson

August 14, 2008
As usual, a brilliant turn from Ms Atkinson. Her book are always unputdownable - my only complaint is that I get through them too quickly.
Someone should go through this book and count the number of bodies - it must number in the hundreds! This book has a much darker tone than her previous two crime novels.
I loved the character of Reggie but did find her story rather far-fetched - how many unusual things can happen to one person in one day? And I also found the conning of Jackson at the end a bit far-fetched and unbelievable. He just doesn't seem the type to marry someone after just four months.
Can anyone help me with a loose strand of the plot that I can't tie up: Dr Hunter gave Andrew Decker the gun and persuaded him somehow to commit suicide, but ... Read More:
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