Tag Archives: history

“Inside Story” by Chapman Pincher

Posted on December 22, 2014 by Houyhnhnm

(Only read a few chapters) I used to love reading my Dad’s old red hardback copy of Chapman Pincher’s collection science columns for the Express called It’s Fun Finding Out – a title eclipsed on his shelves only by Romping Through … Continue reading →

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Leon Uris: “Exodus”

Posted on September 22, 2014 by Houyhnhnm

Fascinating. Published in 1959, not long after the events it describes, this self-proclaimed epic novel tells the story of the foundation of the state of Israel in 1948. It claims all the ‘events’ are true, but the characters are fictional, and … Continue reading →

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“Diamond Street” by Rachel Lichtenstein

Posted on April 13, 2014 by Houyhnhnm

An excellent London book, focusing on Hatton Garden, but ranging pretty widely around, and combining the author’s personal reminiscences with deep research. You learn a lot from this book, painlessly. It’s pushed me now several times to the area, listening … Continue reading →

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“The Sense of an Ending” by Julian Barnes & “The Reader” by Bernard Schlink

Posted on January 27, 2013 by Houyhnhnm

Strange how things fit together by chance. I read these two back to back with no thought of connections. Both are short novels, novellas, intellectually “about” “history”, and written by male narrators each looking back over a relationship with a … Continue reading →

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“In Defence of History” by Richard Evans

Posted on November 25, 2012 by Houyhnhnm

Evans seems at first to imply he’s replacing, and steering midway between, E.H. Carr and Sir Geoffrey Elton, and defending History against all things post-modern, but ends up steering midway between post-modernism and ‘traditional’ history. The Afterword, added for this … Continue reading →

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“Hans Keller and Internment” by Alison Garnham

Posted on December 26, 2011 by Houyhnhnm

Garnham’s book ‘tells’ (see below for more on how) the story of the Austrian émigré musician, writer and broadcaster Hans Keller from his beginnings in pre-War Vienna to his bursting onto the British musical scene in the late 40s. She … Continue reading →

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