history

The Secret Rooms

This was an absolute gem of a find. Bought from a local bookshop in Wiltshire, I liked the look of it but was also aware it could be a gamble. Thankfully it was one that paid off. This is a superbly written account of an aristocratic world of old that doubles as a moving and detailed account of the 1st world war to boot. It flows brilliantly and it really does read a bit like a thriller as the author leaves her finds in the titular secret rooms of an enormous castle as tantalisingly hanging at the end of the chapters.

An insight into a real life Downton Abbey sort of thing (I’ve not actually watched it but I think that’s a fair thing to say), I would thoroughly recommend this book.

History

Love Miles Jupp. Love history. Love History.

This was a scenic walk of a book. Lighthearted, funny, (twice quite literally lough out loud), and also very perceptive. In short exactly what one might imagine a book by Miles Jupp about a history teacher at a private school in Wiltshire would be like. I would thoroughly recommend this.

Chernobyl

I have had this book on my shelf for well over a year I think and there never seemed a good time to pick it up and read it. It looks potentially a bit boring. It is, however, not so. Extremely readable and, though very detailed, it is written in such a way that is does not become a trial to plough through. I had specifically avoided watching the tv series, which I feel like everyone in the world has watched, until I read this. I suspect the tv series will be even better now I have a bit of background to it.

The History of the Twentieth Century

This door stopper took me a while but was a real pleasure to read. I have not read a Martin Gilbert one before and was impressed with the way he writes. Very easy to read. More to the point, the content was really useful. Although I have covered much of the content before, it gave great context to stuff I have heard or read about in isolation before. It was a bit like fitting the puzzle blocks into the correctly shaped holes in some cases.

What struck me most was how full of conflict the twentieth century was (the two world wars aside) and how similar the issues we face now are to a hundred years ago. We really do learn nothing do we. As interesting as it was depressing.