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Call for the Dead
John leCarre'
This is leCarre's first book, written in 1961 which introduces us to George Smiley. He interviews a person reported as being communist. Routine interview... nothing really there, but everything has to be followed up on. The next day the man is dead from an apparent sucide.. While speaking with the widow the dead man receives a wake up call. While everybody wants to put this one away.. Smiley has doubts about it.. and keeps poking into it.
I really enjoyed this book.. and am almost through my next LeCarre book. I was worried after reading A Small Town In Germany.. than maybe I was mistaken about leCarre.. this is not the case. I read an article about leCarre, who actually was a British intellegence officer.. that when he started writing Ian Flemming and 007 were very popular.. yet Bond is not what an intellegence officer should be.. so he created Smiley to show what intellegence work is really like.. always to blend in and not be noticed.. not to be flashy and stand out. So in many ways Smiley is the antithesis of James Bond.
Tuesday, May 30, 2006
Thursday, May 25, 2006
McNally's Secret (33)
McNally's Secret
By Lawrence Sanders
I bought this book years ago new, started it and never finished it. At the time I was not impressed by the lead character Archy McNally... Sort of typical of many of Sanders characters.. rich.. carefree life.. very sort of prim and proper...
As I read it now.. the character is not quite so abrasive.. and I actually see many similiarities to The Tomorrow File which is my favorite Sanders book, and one of my very favorite books.. The relationship he has with his parents especially his mother is almost the same as Nicholas Flair in TF. There are even some similar words...
Actually this turned out to be quite a good mystery.. starting with a simple theft and resulting in dead people and all sorts of twists and turns with the characters.
By Lawrence Sanders
I bought this book years ago new, started it and never finished it. At the time I was not impressed by the lead character Archy McNally... Sort of typical of many of Sanders characters.. rich.. carefree life.. very sort of prim and proper...
As I read it now.. the character is not quite so abrasive.. and I actually see many similiarities to The Tomorrow File which is my favorite Sanders book, and one of my very favorite books.. The relationship he has with his parents especially his mother is almost the same as Nicholas Flair in TF. There are even some similar words...
Actually this turned out to be quite a good mystery.. starting with a simple theft and resulting in dead people and all sorts of twists and turns with the characters.
Thursday, May 11, 2006
Tales of the Dark Knight (32)
Tales of the Dark Knight
By Mark Cotta Vaz
This book about Bat Man was written in 1989 on the 50th anniversary of the character. The book was surprisingly good.. looking at many different aspects of BatMan. Starting with Bob Kane and the beginning of the character. The book contained many comics to support the book, including many from the "golden age of comics" ie.. the late 30's and early 40's. It was interesting to see differences in the comic.. Batman looked roughly the same.. but the car was a 40's type car with a bat mask on the front.. the dialog was different also.. Robin often said 'thats a corker'.. whatever that means - lol.
This also dealth with a lot of the behind the scenes work of the artist and writers, and what they were trying to do with the comic.
During the war the comic was heavy on the propoganda.. buy war bonds, and Batman was fighting the Nazi's... The 50's brought hard times and a bit anti-comic book movement that made the quite bland.. this continued well into the 70's... During the 60's the TV show really boosted the popularity.. but also made it very campy... It wasn't until the 80s that BatMan returned the the dark brooding character that has been is orgins.
The book also looked at the adventures of BatMan from his comics, looking at his emenies, the Bat Cave, love interest, time travel, monsters etc. etc.
Over all this was a very enjoyable book.. I have always like BatMan but realized much of what I know about him comes from the more recent Bat Man animated TV show that started in the early 90's.
By Mark Cotta Vaz
This book about Bat Man was written in 1989 on the 50th anniversary of the character. The book was surprisingly good.. looking at many different aspects of BatMan. Starting with Bob Kane and the beginning of the character. The book contained many comics to support the book, including many from the "golden age of comics" ie.. the late 30's and early 40's. It was interesting to see differences in the comic.. Batman looked roughly the same.. but the car was a 40's type car with a bat mask on the front.. the dialog was different also.. Robin often said 'thats a corker'.. whatever that means - lol.
This also dealth with a lot of the behind the scenes work of the artist and writers, and what they were trying to do with the comic.
During the war the comic was heavy on the propoganda.. buy war bonds, and Batman was fighting the Nazi's... The 50's brought hard times and a bit anti-comic book movement that made the quite bland.. this continued well into the 70's... During the 60's the TV show really boosted the popularity.. but also made it very campy... It wasn't until the 80s that BatMan returned the the dark brooding character that has been is orgins.
The book also looked at the adventures of BatMan from his comics, looking at his emenies, the Bat Cave, love interest, time travel, monsters etc. etc.
Over all this was a very enjoyable book.. I have always like BatMan but realized much of what I know about him comes from the more recent Bat Man animated TV show that started in the early 90's.
Tuesday, May 09, 2006
Spy Story (31)
Spy Story (31)
By Len Deighton
The story of Patrick Armstrong.. but you were well into the book before you learn his name. He works at a 'war games' section of govt. But we learn that he, nor many of the other people around him are quite what they seem. From his friend Ferdy, to his boss the Col. from USA. The book sort of draws you in.. you learn things in bits and pieces.. often to figure out important parts after they have happened.. And much like leCarre the point is something that is happening in the background of the story.
It is interesting to look at the ending and see their reasoning on why German could not be reunited and how if they did it would lead to the end of western civizilation.. the thing that all these writers missed in the 60's & 70's was the idea that the Soviet Union would crumble and impolde.. nobody saw that one coming... even after the fact it is hard to believe it happened... :)
By Len Deighton
The story of Patrick Armstrong.. but you were well into the book before you learn his name. He works at a 'war games' section of govt. But we learn that he, nor many of the other people around him are quite what they seem. From his friend Ferdy, to his boss the Col. from USA. The book sort of draws you in.. you learn things in bits and pieces.. often to figure out important parts after they have happened.. And much like leCarre the point is something that is happening in the background of the story.
It is interesting to look at the ending and see their reasoning on why German could not be reunited and how if they did it would lead to the end of western civizilation.. the thing that all these writers missed in the 60's & 70's was the idea that the Soviet Union would crumble and impolde.. nobody saw that one coming... even after the fact it is hard to believe it happened... :)
Monday, May 08, 2006
The Discovery of the Tomb of Tutankhamen (30)
The Discovery of the Tomb of Tutankhamen
By: Howard Carter, A. C. Mace
I actually finished reading this book several weeks ago. But in the end were a number of pictures with descriptions that I had never gotten though.
This book written in 1923 (republished in 1977) describes some of the background of archeloegy in the Valley of the Kings in the 1800's and early in 1900's. It talks about Carter's work and his frustration.. then of the discover of the step.. and what they found afterwards. I was surprised how readable this book was.. I was expecting it to be thick.. but written with a sense of wonder and explaination for the average person. Includes information on the discover, as well as problems with guests, cataloging and moving the items, and preserving them.
This was evidently the first book (of several?) This only covers the first season.. so it covers mostly the antechamber. They talk about looking into the tomb room, but do not go into much detail.
This is the first of several Tut books I will be reading this year getting ready for the exhibit opening in Chicago later this month!
By: Howard Carter, A. C. Mace
I actually finished reading this book several weeks ago. But in the end were a number of pictures with descriptions that I had never gotten though.
This book written in 1923 (republished in 1977) describes some of the background of archeloegy in the Valley of the Kings in the 1800's and early in 1900's. It talks about Carter's work and his frustration.. then of the discover of the step.. and what they found afterwards. I was surprised how readable this book was.. I was expecting it to be thick.. but written with a sense of wonder and explaination for the average person. Includes information on the discover, as well as problems with guests, cataloging and moving the items, and preserving them.
This was evidently the first book (of several?) This only covers the first season.. so it covers mostly the antechamber. They talk about looking into the tomb room, but do not go into much detail.
This is the first of several Tut books I will be reading this year getting ready for the exhibit opening in Chicago later this month!
Dear George (29)
Dear George
By George Burns
This book written by George Burns in 1986 when he was 89 years old. The book takes the format of an advice column. A loose plot of one person who writes for advice about buying his wife a car... this person keeps writing back and is upset when Georges advice seems to upset his wife. The book is full of pictures including one segment which I thought was particuallary good. He went though and listed many old Vaudville perfomers, with pics and some information about them and their acts.. many of the names are familar, some are not.. some I had hears of, but never seen pics of.. Over all I thought that was a neat tribute, and enough of a reasont to check out the book.
By George Burns
This book written by George Burns in 1986 when he was 89 years old. The book takes the format of an advice column. A loose plot of one person who writes for advice about buying his wife a car... this person keeps writing back and is upset when Georges advice seems to upset his wife. The book is full of pictures including one segment which I thought was particuallary good. He went though and listed many old Vaudville perfomers, with pics and some information about them and their acts.. many of the names are familar, some are not.. some I had hears of, but never seen pics of.. Over all I thought that was a neat tribute, and enough of a reasont to check out the book.
Monday, May 01, 2006
The Hunted (28)
The Hunted
Elmore Leonard
I have not read a Leonard book since January. This one had a different setting (Israel) but the same type of characters.. Davis, the Marine, Rosen, the hunted, Tali, the girl. A basic scam.. a bit slow in developing.. because you are not sure what the motivation of the bad guys is.. and there is a lot of money involved which skews everything.
Not a bad book, but not his best eith... an enjoyable read through....
Elmore Leonard
I have not read a Leonard book since January. This one had a different setting (Israel) but the same type of characters.. Davis, the Marine, Rosen, the hunted, Tali, the girl. A basic scam.. a bit slow in developing.. because you are not sure what the motivation of the bad guys is.. and there is a lot of money involved which skews everything.
Not a bad book, but not his best eith... an enjoyable read through....
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