Sir Furboy's 75 Books in 2019 - Part 2

Time for a new thread and an update map of my virtual walk:



The source Google Map is here.

I have been walking through East Frisia this week, which is a province of Germany.



The area is quite agricultural and has a lot in common with neighbouring Groningen province in the Netherlands. There is also an East Frisian language, however things get a little complicated here. If I have understood this rightly (and please correct me if you know better) the East Frisian language that was of the true Frisian language group is almost extinct, and there is another language dialect spoken here that is East Frisian Low Saxon, and related to other low German dialects moreso than to Frisian, although it has Frisian influences. Trie East Frisian is restircted to a few places, such as the island of Wangerooge (which I did not get close to on the virtual walk). There is also another dialect of East Frisian known as Saterland Frisian or Seeltersk, with just 1000 speakers remaining.

Happy new thread, Stephen!

East Frisia, or more precise the German North Sea coast, is on our list to visit someday. I know next to nothing about languages spoken in Germany. It is sad some languages get lost in time.

Happy new thread, Stephen!
Our favourite holiday area is close by - North Fiesian Islands!
The sky! The sea! The food!

Happy new thread!

Happy New Thread, Stephen!

Happy New Thread, Stephen!

>1 sirfurboy: Love that picture.

Have visited the dutch wadden islands of course, but would love a visit to the German and Danish ones.

The language thing is complex I guess. I grew up in West-Friesland, part of the province of North-Holland, but a 1000 years ago part of Frisia. So people would have spoken Friesian. Then the Zuiderzee separated West-Friesland from Friesland, and West-Friesland was conquered by the count of Holland. Now people sprak the West-Fries dialect, which is dutch with a twist. Similar stories go in East- Frisia I guess.

>2 FAMeulstee:, >3 SirThomas:, >4 drneutron:, >5 ronincats: Thanks.

>6 EllaTim: Ah, I was confused about where you meant by West-Friesland then. But of course, this makes perfect sense. A lot of Friesland was lost with the encroachment of the Zuiderzee.

43. Het achterhuis - Anne Frank (The Diary of Anne Frank)



I knew how this story ended before I began reading, of course, but that didn't make it any less sad. This is an amazing account of people living in terrible circumstances, but still living, making do, carrying on. Anne Frank's account is very human, exposing human weakness, describing her inner thoughts, her adolescent angst, he dreams and fears as she grew up hiding from the Nazis in a secret annex of an Amsterdam office.

What was especially poignant was how we saw the war progressing. The D Day landings took place, and Europe was slowly being liberated. Anne was looking forward to returning to school in the autumn. And then, through a cruel twist of fate, their hiding place was discovered and Anne and her family and friends were sent to concentration camps where all but one of them died - some of the last people in their position so to suffer.

The diary is in Dutch but with snatches of German and English too. It was a powerful and historic document to read, but still very sad.

>43 sirfurboy: Yes it is a very sad book, Stephen, and an important read.

Happy new(ish) thread Stephen.

>10 PaulCranswick: Thanks Paul

44. Aberdulais Falls: A case study in Welsh heritage - Open University



A short course from OpenLearn and a free accompanying ebook looking at how the Aberdulais falls were acquired and developed as a heritage site by the National Trust. Some interesting comment but this one was a bit short. I felt like it could have brought in more source material to increase the educational offering.

45. Prosperity Theology and the Gospel: Good News or Bad News for the Poor? - J. Daniel Salinas (Ed) et al.



The Christian gospel is supposed to be "good news to the poor", but as this book ably shows, the prosperity gospel (also known as the Word of Faith movement and New Apostolic Reformation) is anything but good news. Indeed, it is bad news.

The book is broken into four sections and written by a number of authorities. The first section looks at the history and hallmarks of the prosperity theology, both in North America and Africa. There is a biblical critique and he quotes a wide range of well known Christian leaders to make his point. I liked the prominent quote from Gordon Fee in this section which was unequivocal (despite the fact that Fee is himself a pentecostal).

The second section looks at historical, sociological, and ethical perspectives, and dispels myths while surveying Old Testament literature utilised by these preachers.

The third section looks at three case studies from around the world. The Latin American perspective allows this tehology to be measured against South American liberation theology, and prosperity teaching comes up wanting.

Finally the fourth part of the book looks at a way forward, arguing that there is a better message for the church than this morally bankrupt theology.

A timely book for all those in parts of the church that are being infected by the word of faith movement/new apostolic reformation. This book does not attack for the sake of it. It makes a case for a better biblical Christianity.

46. French Experience 2



I have been on an Upper intermediate French course this year, and this was the course text, now completed. It is designed for classroom use but links into other materials, including a series of programmes that were broadcast on the BBC to go with it. The programmes are all available on Youtube. The series is from the 1990s, so a little dated now, but the book has been updated.

The audio CDs are a little expensive, but essential if you want to use this book outside of a classroom. The book contains the transcripts, but listening to the French is a major part of teh learning experience of this book.

47. Beginners' French: A trip to Avignon - Openlearn



In addition to the course I was on this year, I have been following some online courses. This one was largely revision for me, but a good French course for beginners level or those needing tourist level French to navigate a trip to France. The book is free on Amazon, and the audio and course activities are free on the Openlearn website.

>16 EllaTim: Always nice, these free sources. It takes time to really learn a language, and reviewing helps a lot. Do you plan on taking more courses?

>16 EllaTim: Yes I think I will. I would like to get my French up to advanced level, but I would also like to make progress in some other languages. Sadly there are no Dutch courses here though.

48. Arthur: A Pilgrim = Arthur Blessitt



I was reminded recently of Arthur Blessitt, a man I have never met, and only know by reputation. He is famous for carrying a Christian Cross on a pilgrimage all around the world. I went to his Wikipedia page and it was not the most informative of pages. I corrected one clear error and had my change quickly reverted... which is fighting talk :)

So I went off to learn as much as possible about Blessitt, and have been updating the Wikipedia entry. This book is Blessitt's autobiography, and thus clearly an excellent source for biographical information. I found a copy of OpenLibrary at archive.org and borrowed it (if you want to borrow it, I shall be returning it soon).

To be honest, this biography is a mess. It is not really in any clear order, skipping backwards and forwards through the timeline. It is a set of recollections of the author, up to the 1985 publication date. It is, however, interesting and an honest account. I was able to verify parts of the account from other sources and the author's recollection does appear to be very similar to the other accounts.

Blessitt refers to God talking to him a lot, and speaks of an actual encounter with God at one point. You can take those accounts how you wish, but it remains an interesting account.

>18 sirfurboy: Looks like an interesting book - I wonder whether he had trouble in islamist countries bearing his cross?

>19 PaulCranswick: He says he didn't, surprisingly.

Summer has caused me to fall behind on my threads but I have a few books to post up. I won't do them all at once.

49. Violent Borders: Refugees and the Right to Move



An excellent look at the whole issue of why we even have borders. "Borders are not natural divisions between people or benign lines on a map. They are mechanisms for some groups of people to claim land, resources, and people, while fundamentally excluding other people from access to these places."

The book looks at borders through history and argues well that the fortified borders of today are not the natural state of these things. Do we need them at all? The book definitely poses that question without conclusively answering it, but it is a clarion call for a rethink about what borders are for, and the misery, violence and death they cause.

Sadly this becomes more topical by the day. An important contribution to a debate that many people may not have even realised that they need to have.

I have a questionbefore updating my walking progress. I have a choice of changing path and heading North towards the north of Norway, or staying on European path E9 through the Baltic states to the end. Does anyone wish to express any preference? I may or may not reach either destination by the end of the year.

With Denmark in the news as the U.S.A. prepares to expand its borders,
it would be welcome to learn more of this mother country.

>21 sirfurboy: Sound good. I was so surprised when I found that before WWI people could travel all over the world without papers. Borders weren't like these days back then...

>22 sirfurboy: A slight preference for the Baltic route, maybe you can continue around the Baltic sea to Norway from there?

>21 sirfurboy: A very interesting and worth reading book.
>22 sirfurboy: Both are very nice routes I would like to learn something about. The choice is difficult for me.
I tend a bit more towards >23 m.belljackson:.

Thanks all, so currently it is 2 votes for the Nordic route and 1 vote for the Baltic/Slavic route. Unless I get two more comments soon to change that, then the majority rules (sorry Anita).

Well, I'll be difficult and express a preference for the Baltic/Slavic route, as I have ancestors from northern Germany and would be glad to see that.

>27 ronincats: Lol! Well now we have a tie!! Hmm, anyone want to cast a deciding vote?

>27 ronincats: I would have plumped for the other one, but cannot oppose dear Roni.

Boris has shown his hand for the end game. Any forecast on the outcome Sir. F.?

>29 PaulCranswick: A tacit vote for the Baltic route, so I have started plotting the Baltic route now. I will write some updates shortly. Apologies to the two who asked for the Nordic route - I will do that when I finish the Baltic one, but probably not this year.

On Boris: no final predictions, but some analysis of Boris' plan:

1. Boris, from the start, has been angling for an early General Election, but also not one that he calls. He wishes to play the blame game, blaming the EU for not caving in to his demands, and parliament and some "traitorous" tories for bringing down the Government. He wishes to cast himself as the "man of the people"\sic\ fighting those nasty elites. Because he, Jacob Rees Mogg and all his other Eton college friends have impeccable credentials as men of the people!

2. Boris was aware that there was enough time in parliament for a no deal alliance (a clear majority of MPs) to legislate in a manner that forced him to request an extension (or even cancel the A50 notification) if the alternative was no deal on October 31. This could happen before a vote of no confidence that will succeed, but is fraught with danger that no new government would be in place to request an extension. This is why he has cynically prorogued parliament in a manner that is very deliberately designed to frustrate those plans. Any legislation that does not receive royal assent before the prorogation falls. Thus MPs have precisely 7 working days before prorogation to:

a. seize control of parliamentary time (takes at least a day to effect and requires scheduling which might take several days)
b. legislate (usually takes months, although the commons did show that it could be done in a day for all readings - to the anger of many)
c. pass the legislation through the Lords (easily slowed down so could take several days)
d. receive royal assent (supposed to take several days because the act must be written on vellum. Not sure what the shortest time for royal assent is, but must be at least a day)

Because of the need to first seize the agenda and then timetable the debate, Boris knows that there is just not enough time for legislation before the prorogation, so he has not just wasted a month, he has wasted 6 weeks of parliamentary time. Also, the Queen's speech and so forth waste more days when the commons returns.

After the Queen's speech, there are a couple of days before the final EU summit. After that there is maybe enough time to legislate, but even then it is tight. There are 10 full days of parliamentary time to fit the above timetable into. Andrew Adonis believes there is sufficient time - Boris may be hoping there isn't if he can furher frustrate things by wastibg time on the parliamentary agenda such that no legislation is passed. (You need either legislation to attach riders to, or to find a way to introduce a non government bill to parliament, and Johnson will hope to avoid both). There is not then enough time for a General Election though - no confidence would be off the table at that point.

So... Boris' gambit is this: having frustrated opposition plans to prevent no deal, he is looking for and expecting the vote of no confidence, playing in to 1. above. That is his aim. He is daring people to vote down his minority government in the hope of using that to cast himself as the "hapless victim of circumstance"\sic\ who is forced to go to the people.

He thinks he can win that. The cynical Tories who all know he is an amoral mendacious power hungry clown think that too, which is why they chose him.

So my prediction remains what it was when he was appointed/selected: we are going to have a general election. Yet I am less sure of that prediction now, because MPs could face down this ploy. Prorogation could be reversed in the courts, or they could attempt to seize control of the parliamentary agenda in October. MPs know what Boris is up to and may choose to throw him a curve ball. He may not get his general election.

Incidentally, Europe knows what he is up to also, which is why Angela Merkel and Emanuel Macron brilliantly played him on his European trip. "Yes, we will listen to your new proposal that no one has thought of to remove the backstop. Come back to us in the next 30 days and we will happily talk".

Boris was relying on Macron to say "non".

It is not insurmountable for Boris. He will just tell everyone that Europe said no anyway. The Boris playbook is simply to make stuff up, delivered with a mischievous smile, and it always has been.

How it ends? I don't know.

Not that it ends on October 31 anyway. Even if Britain falls out of the EU, we have years of this to look forward to, almost certainly ending with Britain rejoining (although sadly not on the advantageous terms we now enjoy).

>30 sirfurboy: If we come out, I don't see us being allowed back in. We would have the De Gaulle veto situation all over again. Both sides are playing for high stakes and it will be interesting to see what happens, especially now that the Speaker John Bercow has nailed his colours so manifestly to the mast.

>31 PaulCranswick: I am pretty sure that we would be allowed back in. It would be in everyone's interests. However, one of the terms they would insist on would almost certainly be "no more referenda".

>30 sirfurboy: >29 PaulCranswick:

Ah well, my vote was cast Nordic because of my Alsace Lorraine ancestry which
the 20th century gave me enough of with father fighting for Allies in World War II.

Hi Stephen! I would have chosen the Baltic route as well. I have never been there myself, but a number of my friends have been going that way recently, often to sing. So much to see over there, and so much history. Have fun plotting your route.

>32 sirfurboy: So am I, Europa has changed a lot since De Gaulle.

Brexit and Boris continue to dominate the headlines. This is going to end up at the ballot box and has the possibility breaking the mould in British politics. My own party is as muddled as ever under Corbyn and I sense that the only way to beat Boris is for the opposition to tactically combine to defeat him. One of the basic problems is that that opposition couldn't stomach Corbyn and there is clearly the possibility of inroads, serious inroads by Swinson's LibDems and the Greens if tactical voting does work out. I hope at the same time the libs and labour combine to rout the SNP whose constant sniping about another Indy referendum is as helpful as more sand in the desert.

Boris and Farridge are likely to work together implicitly so it is going to be hugely interesting.

So I am a bit behind still on my updates, but on 22 July my walking tour took me to Stralsund, a Hanseatic city where it is possible to cross to the German island of Rügen. Located in the East of Germany, this is a beautiful island that my walking route did not actually take me over, and the Rügenbrücke itself is for motor traffic only, although a second Stralsund crossing caters for other traffic.

Here is an image of sailing off Rügen



And here is one of the bridges:

50. The Immoral Majority - Ben Howe



This book was recommended by someone I know. Well, when I say "recommended", I really mean that he panned it as being terrible, biased, weak and liberal. He really really hated it (despite never having read it). I read the book to see what could possibly have been so bad about it.

The book purports to explain why evangelicals overwhelmingly voted for Donald Trump - a man so far from supposed Christian values as to be completely antithetical to them.

Written by someone who is himself a right wing American evangelical, I think what people hate so much about this book is that the author achieves what he set out to do. He points exactly at why people traded political power for Christian values, shows exactly, with plenty of sourced material, why they were so hypocritical to do so, and shows exactly what is wrong with what they have done. He does so in a way that is sensitive to their actual concerns, but shows no mercy for the hypocrisy of their leaders.

He discusses the neo-evangelicalike theology that they have created, and then pulls it apart forensically.

And yet, he also pinpoints genuine causes for concern and shows how a polarised political system could be utilised by those pushing a political agenda at the expense of the evangelicals. He also notes with sadness how evangelicals will themselves be casualties of this short term powergrab.

The person who anti-recommended this book had his own theories as to why evangelicals vote for Trump (which boiled down to 1. lesser of two evils. 2. the neo-evangelicalike King Darius theology and 3. prophecy). Had he actually read the book, he would have found all the positions argued extensively and dismantled. He didn't read it and he probably won't - and that is a pity.

>37 sirfurboy: We hope to visit Rügen someday, it is a famous holiday destination.

I approve of your Baltic states route as we had a very successful holiday last year in Estonia and Latvia, and it's an area I'd like to explore more of.

>38 sirfurboy: Nice review, Sir F. The lesser of two evils? American politics is a scary business isn't it? What an unpalatable choice they had last time out. The Democrats are now going to put up Biden who seems muddled and ill half the time. Really they have learned little.

>39 FAMeulstee: I would love to visit there too. So many places to visit, and so little time.

If you go there, post pictures :)

>40 SandDune: Thanks, it will be an area I will probably learn a lot about as I don't know much about those states other than what was in the news over the years.

>41 PaulCranswick: Indeed. I don't know a great deal about Biden but the politics just look so polarised.

I took my eldest daughter to King's College, London this weekend where she will be reading Liberal Arts. Seems like only yesterday we were sitting on her bedroom floor reading books together.

51. Polaris - Michael Northrop



A 19th century expedition to the Amazon turns to disaster. The landing party comes back to their sailing ship in haste, one crew member clearly sick. Then there is a mutiny. The captain is killed, and the mutineers, instead of taking the ship, abandon it and try to blow it up.

But the ship's boys are still on board, and save the ship. They decide to sail it home themselves, and make a few discoveries along the way (such as not all the boys are boys!)

The problem is, they are not alone on the ship after all. There is something scary in the hold.

Written for mid grade readers, this is a grand adventure in a great tradition. An enjoyable easy read. Sailing and monsters.

52. Early Riser - Jasper Fforde



Roni read this earlier this year and recommended it. I reserved the library copy and read it in August. Another great recommendation from Roni.

Charlie Worthing is about to embark upon his first year working with the winter consuls in an alternative Wales where the climate is much colder and more extreme, and where humans hibernate through the long, cold winter.

This book is quirky and original. It is hard - impossible perhaps - to pigeonhole in any one genre. It is filled with humour and plenty of cultural references. The alternative Wales still has the Tom Jones. The Chuckle Brothers are still there. The story begins at Cardiff central station, and all other places mentioned exist. Yet Snowdonia is glaciated, people and society are quite different, and so on. Attempts to square this in some kind of consistent logic would miss the point. The book is allegorical, or even satirical. It is not comedy because there is an excellent story in there too, and yet many scenes are indeed very comical.

A very enjoyable read.

By early August on my walking tour I reached the island of Usedom.



Usedom is an island in the Baltic Sea, the second largest Pomeranian island after Rügen. After the war, in 1945, the island was divided between Germany and Poland, and I reached the border on August 9th.

The island is nicknamed Sonneninsel as it averages the most sunshine each year anywhere in Germany (or Poland). Four fifths of the island are German.

I have copied the below paragraphs on history straight from Wikipedia:

Settled since the Stone Age, the area was probably inhabited by Germanic Rugians, before the Polabian Slavs moved in during the fifth, sixth, and seventh centuries. Around the island, Wendish/Scandinavian trade centres such as Vineta/Jomsborg and Menzlin were established. In 1128 the Slavic Pomeranian Duke Wartislaw I was converted to Christianity through the efforts of Otto of Bamberg. In 1155 the Premonstratensians established a monastery in Grobe, generally known as Usedom Abbey, which in 1309 was moved to the village of Pudagla. In the meantime, a Cistercian nunnery was founded in Krummin and soon almost the whole island was in the possession of one or the other of the ecclesiastical orders. During the Reformation, ownership passed to the Slavic dukes of Pomerania, who took over the island.

During the Thirty Years' War, on June 26, 1630, the Swedish Army under King Gustavus Adolphus landed in the village of Peenemünde, located on the Peenestrom strait. Usedom was annexed by Sweden after the war for almost a century, until in 1720 it was sold for 2 million thalers to Prussian King Frederick William I. In 1740 Frederick the Great of Prussia developed a seaport in Swinemünde.

The small village of Peenemünde came to prominence again during World War II. The Luftwaffe tested missiles and rockets, including the V-1 and V-2 nearby. Germany used thousands of slave laborers on Usedom during World War II.

In 1945 the eastern part of the island, together with the city and port of Swinemünde (now Świnoujście), was assigned to Poland under border changes promulgated at the Potsdam Conference, and the surviving German inhabitants of the town were expelled to the west. The territory was repopulated with Poles, most of whom had been expelled by the Soviets from what had been eastern Poland.

>46 sirfurboy: There has been a lot of change in the borders on this part of your route. Looking forward to the next!

>52 sirfurboy: Early Riser looks great fun!

>47 FAMeulstee: Yes, indeed. Thanks

>48 SandDune: Yes, it was not my usual thing but a good read.

53. The Time Travel Diaries - Caroline Lawrence



Caroline Lawrence is author of the best selling "Roman Mysteries" series. She is a teacher and a classics scholar, and as a result is able to create well researched, intelligent yet enjoyable stories set in Roman times for mid grade children. This book was published this year and appears to kick off a new series. This one was set in Roman London, and explores characters around actual Roman finds there.

Solomon Daisy is a billionaire who desperately wants to unravel unanswered questions about Roman finds in Britain, and particularly the skeleton of a blue eyed girl. He has used his wealth to commission and invent a time machine (as you do) but there is a problem. Time travel is hard on the body, and can only be undertaken by children. Thus he recruits Alex Papas, a twelve-year-old boy who knows Greek from his grandmother (who he lives with, being an orphan) and is a keen member of the school Latin club.

Alex must dodge a school bully as he prepares to go back to Londinium through a portal in London's Mithraeum (an actual site) and find out all he can about the blue-eyed girl.

You just know it is not going to go to plan though! And the ensuing adventure is everything you expect from Caroline Lawrence.

A very enjoyable read.

54. The Red Necklace - Sally Gardner



Yann is a gypsy boy who can throw his voice, read minds and even see into the future on occasion. Sidonie (Sido) is the daughter of a Marquis, trapped in a suffocating world of privilege in a time of turmoil (the French Revolution). This book has magic and history all thrown together, but does it quite well. The characters are well done - Yann is an engaging character, whereas Sido is insipid and annoying - but maybe that is what the author intended for the unloved daughter of a rich and out of tuoch Marquis intent on saving his own skin.

Maybe "insipid" is wrong because on the night that Yann and Sido first meet, Yann is working as a magician's apprentice, performing for the Marquis and other members of the French aristocracy, including the sinister Count Kalliovski. When the magician is murdered by Kalliovski, Sido shows courage in helping Yann escape a similar fate, thus throwing them together for a series of adventures that uncover intrigue, betrayal and deception.

The historical setting is well done. Yet I don't feel inspired to read the sequel, sorry.

55. Wilder Boys - Brandon Wallace



This is a charmingly preposterous wilderness adventure for children of maybe 9 and up. Jack and Taylor are two brothers with a nasty stepfather, called Bull who we are quickly given to believe is a low level criminal. When they come home to find their mother being taken to hospital, unconscious at Bull's hands, they take off across America, into the wilderness, in search of their father.

Shades of "Hatchet" and other wilderness adventures come together as the boys do many brave but stupid things on their incredible adventure. They meet a couple of interesting characters, and overcome some hardships. They learn bushcraft skills in record time when given the opportunity, and you can probably guess how it all ends.

For anyone who wants believable books, this one is not for you. Hatchet is believable - this one requires willing suspension of disbelief.

However, the intended audience is boys of 9+, and they may well love it. It is in a grand tradition of boys own adventures, and is a perfectly good example of that genre.

56. The First World War: A New History - Hew Strachan



This is a first class history of the First World War, written by an Oxford academic with real knowledge and insight, but still managing to condense the huge sweep of history into a single accessible volume.

Obviously there is much more to be said on the matter than he could put in one book, but if you only read one book on the war, this would be an excellent candidate to be that book. From a British point of view, Strachan manages to lift the narrative beyond the usual focus on the Western Front alone, and shows why this was a World War, and not just a single bloody and deadlocked struggle in the mud of Flanders and the Somme.

He argues that the war was more than just a mishap of a web of treaties by great powers involved in the Great Game. Instead he argues that there were legitimate war aims (and illegitimate ones that were nevertheless very real). He argues that the war was not a war to end all wars because it showed that war works.

Of course there is much more that could be said, particularly if you concentrated more on the many characters in the war, but this still manages to cover a huge amount of ground.

>53 sirfurboy: That sounds good, added to the ever growing TBR.

Some good reading going on here, Stephen, and a few book bullets as well. Finally catching up with you!

>54 FAMeulstee: and >55 ronincats: thanks for stopping by and glad you found some book bullets.

57. The Secret or Turkeyfoot Mountain - Eda Szecskay Crist



An American children's book from the 1950s.

Tow teens hunt for ginseng growing in the swampland around Turkeyfoot Mountain, in rural Pennsylvania.

Ron wants to find the precious root, rumoured to sell at very high prices, so that he can buybuy a flock of sheep, finish high school and go to college. With his friend, Alex, the boys go hunting despite various trials and scares. They also try to track down the hidden cache of a hermit hidden somewhere and for which they must track down some clues.

This is a kind of boy's own adventure. The writing is a little dated but quite charming, and it has a kind of feel good nature about the whole work. The book is nicely illustrated by the author's husband.

>53 sirfurboy:

Adam Hochschild's SPAIN IN OUR HEARTS is powerful reading for the next often forgotten war.

Oh thanks, yes, that is definitely one I would like to read (especially after reading Black Bread ). I shall grab a sample for my Kindle.

58. The Secret Path (Spooksville Book 1) - Christopher Pike



12 year old Adam has moved to the town of Springville from Kansas. On his first day he meets Sally, who informs him that the town is really known as Spooksville on account of being severely haunted, and that many kids go missing there. She is full of tall stories, but these get partially confirmed when Adam stops a shopping trolley running into the car of the town's witch, who informs Adam that he should not believe half the tales Sally told - but the other half he should probably believe.

They meet up with another boy, called Watch and then go hunting for a secret path that will lead them to other Spooksvilles in other dimensions. Why they just decide to do this is not too clear, to be honest, but the tale is a fun and spooky one, and the characterisation of Sally is particularly engaging.

Nothing very deep but a fun children's tale. One for Halloween maybe.

59. The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood



I have never read anything by Margaret Atwood and have not seen the TV adaption of this story, but enough people have spoken of it as a modern classic that I decided to give it a go. I wanted to be able to love this story, but I am sorry to say that I didn't.

That is not to say it is bad. It has some real strengths. Offred is a handmaiden in a dystopian future, the Republic of Gilead, located in what is now Massachusetts. She is essentially enslaved by the circumstances she finds herself in, valued only for her reproductive potential. A woman with no rights in a fundamentalist religious republic that affords no rights to any women. The premise is the kind of scary dystopian future that is the mainstay of so much sci-fi and speculative fiction. This book has shades of 1984, and bears comparison with Orwell's work.

The writing limits itself deliberately to Offred's first person point of view. We have her narrative voice, are privy to her thoughts and share her limited perspective, which is clever writing.

Yet the writing is also clunky and that narrative voice became wearing. The book is filled with run on sentences. I don't know whether that was deliberate to give character to Offred, or whether it is Atwood's normal style, but it did make the reading frustrating. Also the limited POV kept so many questions about the story logic out of view, which was also somewhat frustrating. That almost certainly was deliberate.

The plot contains holes. We might as well be honest about that. The idea that president and all of congress could be so casually wiped out, and that the rule of law would so quickly fall apart, and then that women would just blindly accept the sudden and out of the blue creation of a religious state in modern America makes little sense. Yet maybe in this case Atwood gave too much plot background. In 1984 we don't really know how things slipped so far so quickly, whereas Atwood's description of the fast descent into Gilead just leads to more questions. On this I think willing suspension of disbelief should be allowed. A great deal of dystopian fiction has these issues, so no need to single out this tale on that point.

The book may not describe something that will actually happen in America, and yet there appear to be places around the world where just such things are happening, so the message of the book is powerful on those points.

Yet I still felt that there was a lot of nuance missing in the characters of this story. Too many of the characters seemed to be flat and one dimensional. Also, when reading of actual societies that were as constricting as this one in history (e.g. Ancient Sparta) we get hints that human nature always wins out over the structure (apparently there was no Spartan soldier that would not take a bribe, for instance).

We get a little of that in this book, but I just felt that the characters were flat and uninteresting in places, and I had to force myself to finish the book.

Many people will love this book, and that is fine. I understand why they will love it. For me it was one I am happy to have read but it will never be a favourite.

>60 sirfurboy: Spectacularly good review, Sir F and pretty much encapsulates my own views on the book. Can see its obvious merit but it didn't work for me as a story.

>61 PaulCranswick: Thanks Paul :) Also I am glad to see you were of similar opinion.

60. The Centurion's Wife - Janette Oke, Davis Bunn



Someone recommended Davis Bunn as a writer to me, so I downloaded this book to try him out as an author. My first disappointment with the work was to discover that the primary author was not Davis Bunn at all, but Janette Oke. Not to worry though. In either case I was trying a new author.

The story is set in 33 AD , just after the crucifixion of Jesus, and focuses on Leah, niece of Pontius Pilate, and Alban, the Roman centurion whose servant Jesus healed in the Bible narrative. Both are separately tasked with discovering what happened to the body of Jesus. The Bible narrative is wrapped up in a blossoming romance and a character study - a retelling of the story from a fresh point of view.

As a genre I would have to say this is Christian romance, or perhaps Christian historical romance. The characters are not perfect but they are wholesome and you don't have to worry about the content of this book - but romance is not a genre I would normally dip into. I was hoping for historical fiction, but this one isn't that.

Having said that, the history is well researched and we are presented with loads of information - in fact way too much information - about life in Judea in the period. Yet I was never entirely convinced that this was being presented to me authentically. The research by the authors is impressive, but the overall character of the place did not accord with histories I have read. That could be my own wrong presuppositions, though. Yet even some of the biblical references were messed around with a little, so I was not wholly convinced that this was a truly authentic account.

The story was also choppy. A big reveal explaining one character would have worked better with some earlier hints or foreshadowing. The plot drifted along slowly, and any development that there was could be found simply by reading the Bible narrative. Beyond the romance, there was no grand plot here. It was very much a character story.

Characterisation was pretty good once the story settled down, but I think the only people who will love this story are readers who are already familiar with the characters portrayed from the Bible accounts.

It was not a terrible work, but it has not persuaded me to read more in this genre or by this author.

>60 sirfurboy: Interesting review. It's a long time since I read this book, but I was thinking of doing a reread. I had some issues with it as well, feeling the writing was a bit stilted. Maybe the writing and the story itself were less important to Atwood than getting her ideas across?
I am still thinking of that reread, and of reading the sequel.

>64 EllaTim: I will look forward to seeing what you think of the sequel if you do read it. Thanks.

61. If Only They Didn't Speak English - Jon Sopel



George Bernard Shaw apparently once said: "The United States and Great Britain are two countries separated by a common language."

In this book, by BBC Washington Correspondent, Jon Sopel, we see that statement unpacked. His argument is that if the Americans didn't speak English we would understand them better, and the reason for this is we do not actually realise how different their culture is.

The book ranges freely over politics, religion, healthcare, guns and other issues. On politics he describes how Trump has sidestepped the traditional media, and sold an idea that accounts for how people could be taken in by his "alternative facts", and all the other oddities of his chaotic administration. Sopel gives credit for Trump's successful and manipulative communications agenda, whilst clearly not being so taken with the actual policy direction of the man.

Some truly scary facts and figures regarding guns make interesting reading, but are widely known elsewhere. Similarly on healthcare, although he is right to call out the aggressive promotion of drugs by pharmaceutical companies in the US, which is something that smacks you in the face if you visit the country. Scary stuff.

He also speaks about how religious the country is. Again, this was not new to me, and reminds me of the book "God is Back" which argues this is because the US was established as a secular state. Still, Sopel is right to point out that it would be inconceivable that a professed atheist could become president in today's America.

The book has plenty of humour and wry observations, and is insightful, if not altogether new. It is definitely recommended though.

62. Effortless Conversations - Lukas van Vyke



This is an excellent book by someone who has struggled with learning languages and learned a lot in the process. He shows why so much modern language learning falls short and how to do better. The book is a little repetitive in places, and it is not completely revolutionary either. However it focuses heavily on "chunking" which is clearly an important and under-appreciated area of language learning. The idea of chunking is not to learn just vocabulary, but to learn stock phrases and language in context.

There are other hints and tips, making this a good and interesting work. The writer also makes the case for language learning being fun.

Some virtual walking updates. I spent August and the first half of September walking through Poland along the Baltic Coast.

By 19 August I reached the polish town of Kolobrzeg, founded in the middle ages and later joining the Hanseatic League



It withstood Polish and Napoleon's troops in the Siege of Kolberg. From 1815, it was part of the Prussian province of Pomerania. After the Nazis took power in Germany, the local Jewish population was subject to the Nazi genocide. In 1945, Soviet troops seized the town. The remaining German population which had not fled the advancing Red Army was expelled. Kołobrzeg, now part of post-war Poland and devastated in the preceding Battle of Kolberg, was rebuilt but lost its status as the regional center to the nearby city of Koszalin.

Similar stories can be told of several other towns I passed through. As Anita said, this is an area that saw many fluctuating borders.

By the end of August I reached the Słowiński National Park, most notable, it seems, for its sand dunes and wetlands.



The original idea of creating a preserve here came out in 1946, at a conference in Łeba with scientists from Poznań and Gdańsk. The park, however, was created 21 years later, in 1967

I didn't go to Hel, as it is along a peninsula that would force me to backtrack, but Gdynia was my closest point to it. Here is a view of Hel:



Hel may have no fury, but it does have a lighthouse:



Hel is a town in Puck County, Pomeranian Voivodeship, Poland, located on the tip of the Hel Peninsula, some 33 kilometres (21 miles) from the Polish mainland.

>68 sirfurboy: Somehow I feel atrackted to that lighthouse, I would like to visit Hel someday. As that is how you spell Hell in Dutch ;-)

>69 FAMeulstee: Yes, and it does look like an attractive place to visit.

63. Escape from Rome- Caroline Lawrence



Caroline Lawrence begins a new series set in Roman Britain during the reign of the Emperor Domitian.

The year is AD 94. When the evil Emperor sends soldiers to seize his family's home in the middle of the night, twelve-year-old Juba must escape with his brother and sisters, and journey to distant Britannia on the edge of the known world.

What follows is another exciting tale filled with detail about Roman life and practice, set in real places (Rome, Ostia, London, Fishbourne - all of which have Roman archeological remains). The story contains hardships and this author never covers those up, but tackles them head on. We see the return of two characters from the Roman Mysteries series in this book.

Some aspects of the story may seem a little improbable, but this is a book for children, so I would give these a pass. Ultimately a great start to a new series. Touches of the Famous Five, transported into a Roman setting.

64. The Art of the Biblical Narrative - Robert Alter



This is a book that is excellent in many ways, although not in every way, and I am not sure it was quite as revolutionary as the author claimed. For instance, his assertion that scholars who have taken a conservative approach to the authorship and interpretation of the Bible did not therefore see the Bible as literature seems to be belied by the fact that many Bible scholars for many centuries have argued that it *is* great literature. When we see Alter's method, he is bot brilliant and Fresh in his interpretations and lessons he draws, but still not the first to have found such literary connections in the Bible narrative.

Despite those criticisms, though, there are revelations on every page of this work. The writer shows very great understanding of the Bible text, and draws out many lessons. He successfully argues his case that the Biblical narrative should be treated as literature. I enjoyed insight into how the Bible uses dialogue so successfully to advance the story. I liked how he could draw out grand themes (such as the reversal of primogeniture in Genesis), and one of his major contributions in this field appears to be his understanding (and discussion) of type scenes, and showing how the type scenes recur.

This is definitely a book that rewards the reader, with insight after insight - but like so much (perhaps everything) in this field, it needs to be read critically and considered carefully.

Virtual walking update - on 16 September I reached Gdansk



Gdańsk is the capital and largest city of the Pomeranian Voivodeship. It is Poland's principal seaport. The city is situated on the southern edge of Gdańsk Bay on the Baltic Sea. It lies at the mouth of the Motława River.

The city's history is complex, with periods of Polish, Prussian and German rule, and periods of autonomy or self-rule as a free city state.

In the early-modern age Gdańsk was a royal city of Poland. It was considered the wealthiest and the largest city of Poland, prior to the 18th century rapid growth of Warsaw. In the late Middle Ages it was an important seaport and shipbuilding town and, in the 14th and 15th centuries, a member of the Hanseatic League.

In the interwar period, owing to its multi-ethnic make-up and history, Gdańsk lay in a disputed region between Poland and Germany, which became known as the Polish Corridor.

In the 1980s it would become the birthplace of the Solidarity movement, which played a major role in bringing an end to Communist rule in Poland and helped precipitate the collapse of the Eastern Bloc, the fall of the Berlin Wall and the dissolution of the Soviet Union. This struggle also brought one of its citizens, Donald Tusk, to prominence. Donald Tusk is now president of the Council of the European Union.

Catching up ...

>38 sirfurboy: Thanks for the recommendation on this. I grew up in an evangelical family which leaned toward conservative politics, but made politics secondary to concern about personal faith and morals. I broke with that faith tradition decades ago so my seat is an outsider's one, but from family and friends I've wtched trends in evangelicalism that I find bewildering and barely consistent with the faith I remember. After I read your review, I found this interview with Howe in the Atlantic, which makes me think he has a better sense of what's happening than some other commentators. I've requested his book for further insights. Thanks for the rec!

>74 swynn: Oh thanks for letting me know. I look forward to hearing your view on the book too.

Thanks also for the interview link.

>72 sirfurboy: The library has this so I've ordered it out to my local branch, Stephen.

>73 sirfurboy: Gdansk or Danzig as it once was has a tremendous history and a portentous one in terms of the 20th Century with the Polish corridor being one of the disasters of the Post 1918 settlement and then the "uprising" of the Solidarity movement which in part paved the way for more openness in the ex-Warsaw Pact countries.

The great Gunter Grass was born in Danzig (Gdansk).

Have a great weekend and I look forward to seeing how Mr. Tusk, Mr. Juncker, Mr. Barmier (ok Barnier) get on with Boris and his boys this coming week. Squeaky bottom time on all sides, I think.

>76 ronincats: Great, I hope you enjoy it.

>77 PaulCranswick: Oh yes, how could I forget Günter Grass? Thanks for adding that.

Another virtual walking update.

On 22 September I entered the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad Oblast, passing the city of the same name by the end of the week.

Kaliningrad is not the first part of my walk to lie outside of the EU - Monaco was also not an EU member state - but this is the first part of the walk that could not be done physically without obtaining a visa or a Facilitated Transit Document.

The exclave was carved out of the territory of Poland and Lithuania by Russia in the post war period, partly to separate the Baltic states from Europe, but also because of the strategic importance to Russia of creating a port there that remains ice free year round (it is the only such Russian port).

Despite being part of Russia, it is completely surrounded by EU countries, all NATO members too.



During the Middle Ages, the territory was inhabited by tribes of Old Prussians (Sambians) in the western part and by Lithuanians in the eastern part. The tribes were divided by the rivers Pregolya and Alna. The Teutonic Knights conquered the region and established a monastic state. On the foundations of a destroyed Prussian settlement known as Tvanksta, the Order founded the city of Königsberg (modern Kaliningrad). Germans resettled the territory and assimilated the indigenous Old Prussians. The Lithuanian-inhabited areas became known as Lithuania Minor. Speakers of the old Baltic languages became extinct around the 17th century, having been assimilated and Germanised.



Much of the virtual walk crosses this very long spit:



Total walking at this point, this year is 3237 KM
Total walk since I began in Sicily on 1 January 2017: 11547 KM

This is actual distance I have covered in real life, as measured by my Fitbit, and then applied to the European long distance paths.

65. Factfulness: Ten Reasons We're Wrong About the World – and Why Things Are Better Than You Think - Hans Rosling



Before reading this book I took the Gapminder test on their website and scored 100%. The questions in the Gapminder test are the questions used in this book too, so I might have argued that I was not wrong about the world (as per the title), but I would not be so bold!

Indeed I only scored 100% on the test because I have been following Hans Rosling for many years. If you have not found them yet, check out his TED talks, which are probably the best TED talks you will ever see. He also showed up in many other places, such as the BBC Radio 4 More or Less programme.

And mentioning that, here was the first point that this book showed me I was wrong about the world, because Hans Rosling's hypothesis as recounted on More or Less was something he now modified.

Here is the problem: When asked a series of questions about the state of the world, people of all walks of life, in all countries, and all levels of education, consistently score (on average) so badly on the test that their answers are worse than chimps answering questions at random by some kind of banana selection mechanism. If that is so then there is systematic bias. In the past, Rosling felt people were using out of date information to form their preconceptions. Now, however, he incorporates more behavioural psychology into his thesis, making this a new and enlightening work even for people, like me, who have read or listened to a lot by him in the past.

And if you have never discovered Hans Rosling, then this book will be an absolute treat for challenging misconceptions and showing that what we think we know about the world is often very inaccurate. It is a must read book.

Hans Rosling also is an engaging and enjoyable speaker and that translates into an interesting written account too.

The only poignant thing is that the author wrote this after a terminal cancer diagnosis. He says up front this would be his last work, and there is a beautiful afterward from members of his family who worked with him. Hans Rosling died in 2017, before the book was published.

It is sad there will be no follow ups to this book, yet if it is read carefully and understood properly, perhaps no follow up is needed.

This is a great work, very highly recommended.

>79 sirfurboy: Thank for taking us to Kaliningrad, it was a long way from Sicily :-)

>80 sirfurboy: BB, added to my library wishlist.

>80 sirfurboy: When I add a book to the Someday Swamp only to find it's already there, I guess it's time to read it. Thanks for the rec!

>81 FAMeulstee: and >82 swynn: I hope you both like it as much as I did.

Virtual walk update - on the 7th October, I left the long and narrow spit of land that runs along the Kaliningrad coast and all the way into Lithuania, and arrived at Klaipėda - a Lithuanian city.

Klaipėda is an important port for the same reason Kaliningrad is - it remains ice free during the cold Baltic winter. This was a German city until the 1919 treaty of Versailles, and it was annexed by Lithuania in 1923. I am not quite sure what it was in the intervening 4 years.



The Lithuanian coast is not long, although it is certainly scenic. Klaipėda is already roughly the halfway point between Kaliningrad and Latvia.

>80 sirfurboy: Okay, that is a strong recommendation and the library has 50 copies (only 25 of which are checked out) so that one is also now on its way to me.

Your walk is turning out very interesting Stephen!

>84 sirfurboy: Lovely pictures!

>85 ronincats: I hope you enjoy it, Roni.

>86 EllaTim: Thanks :)

66. The Iliad - Homer



Although about the Trojan war, this book could equally be called something else, such as "the Wrath of Achilles" or similar. It focuses on events towards the end of the Trojan war, and ends after the death of Hector but just prefiguring the death of Achilles and the eventual fall of Troy. The story focuses on the rift between Agamemnon and Achilles, and its disastrous consequences.

There is little I can add by way of review that has not already been said. This is a classic work of literature, dating from at least the 8th century BC. It speaks of a conflict that happened in the region of the 13th century BC. Despite its age it is still readable and interesting, although there is a great deal of fighting and killing, and it can take some effort to work out who is who - especially as the Greeks don't get called Greeks!

I found the OpenLearn free introductory course quite helpful as a pre-reading:

https://www.open.edu/openlearn/history-the-arts/introducing-homers-iliad/content...

It was definitely helpful to understand the context, structure and scope of this work prior to reading it.

>88 sirfurboy: Indeed everything is said about The Iliad, Stephen, I couldn't add much either after reading last year.
I hope to read The Odyssey next month.

>89 FAMeulstee: Thanks Anita. I look forward to seeing what you make of it.

67. Falcon of Sparta - Conn Iggulden



Conn Iggulden does it again, with another superb narrative about real historical figures in real historical events, written with great ability, passion and a careful eye to good storytelling. His battle scenes are first rate, and he does not neglect characterisation either/

This is Xenophon's story, of how he took command of the 10,000 - a Greek army that became stuck deep inside enemy territory in the Persian empire of Artaxerxes II. Deceit and treachery by the Persians placed the army on what looked like a hopeless position, but Xenophon undertook a rearguard action that literally created the rules by which all such actions have been undertaken ever since.

Set in a turbulent and vitally important period of Greek history, Xenophon is known to history both as a great general, but also as a writer. He wrote histories, and also gives us much of what we know of the philosopher Socrates.

I am no expert in the history of the period, but this author is quite up front about making small changes to the historical record to suit his narrative. Don't hold that against him though, because his narrative is always excellent, and all the major events and themes of this amazing period of history can be found in this book.

Walking update and this week I reached Ventspils in the Baltic state of Latvia.

Ventspils is the sixth largest city in the country, although the population is only some 40,000 people. It is situated on the Venta River and the Baltic Sea, and has an ice-free port year round. The city's name literally means "castle on the Venta", referring to the Livonian Order's castle built alongside the river. Ventspils was historically known as Windau in German.

Once part of the Hansiatic league, it came under the influence of the Russian empire in the 18th century. In the 1990s, after independence, money was spent to beautify the city so as to attract tourists.

>91 sirfurboy: If it wasn't on my list already I would put it on the list after your review.
I loved Iggulden's books about Ceasar. Sadly only the first book of his Conquerer series was translated.

>92 sirfurboy: You are walking fast, already in Latvia!

>80 sirfurboy: Thank you so much for recommending this book, Stephen. I agree with you that it is a very important book.

>93 FAMeulstee: That's great Anita. And yes, Latvia already. Lithuania's coast is short relative to the size of the country. However I have just measured what I have left. I was hoping to reach the end of the route at Narv by 31 December, and as it stands, if I don't take any shortcuts, I am going to have to up my walking a little for the rest of this year to make it. It is not impossible - but I may fall a little short.

>94 ronincats: I am glad you liked it Roni.

68. Don Quixote - by Miguel de Cervantes, John Ormsby (Translator)



Another classic read. This one took a while because it is very long! Yet it was surprisingly funny and a good story. It has been called the first modern novel, and you can see why.

This is the story of a man who is so taken by books romanticising knight errantry that he decides to go off and become a knight himself, and from the start the images are hilarious, with many amusing incidents, one after another. Sometimes the comedy is almost slapstick, but it is often subtle. There are the famous scenes of course (such as the tilting at windmills), but so many more episodes I had no idea that were in there. There are layers and depths to the novel too, of course, and I doubt I did more than scratch the surface of these in my reading, but you can see social commentary and other points being made. I was aware that this author had been captired and ransomed by barbary slavers, so mention of these and the galley slaves had special pertinence in this story.

The book is over 400 years old, and it would be wrong to judge it by modern standards, but one thing that was off putting to me was its excessive length. The story is episodic, and you could easily dip into particular chapters and then leave the book alone. Reading it through from start to finish felt a little like binge watching two or more seasons of a TV series.

And that is perhaps an interesting point. 400 years ago this would indeed have been consumed in chapters and episodes in much the same way we watch a TV series now. And like a good TV series, there is progression in the episodes but each can be taken on their own too. They didn't have TV then, but understanding Don Quixote in this way might help in the reading of it.

So don't binge read it. Take your time and the book is probably funnier and more interesting.

69. DEV1AT3 - Jay Kristoff



I picked this up in the library, without immediately noticing it was book 2 in a series. I read it anyway, and tried to forgive the way it drops you into a scene without much background because clearly I would have understood the background much better had I read book 1. So no problems with that. This is a post apocalyptic young adult adventure with robots. A nice mix of tension and humour, with some plot twists (a big one clearly having occurred in book 1). My biggest problem with this story is that all the characters are split up and have to find one another again, and so viewpoint jumps around a lot. Again, I should be careful not to criticise too strongly for that as the characterisations would be more solid had I read book 1, but I was not passionate about this story.

A good fun read for young adults or older children. Of more limited interest to readers who do not like that genre.

Walking update: My virtual walk is taking me around the Gulf of Riga and I am just short of Riga itself, so will mention that next week.

The gulf of Riga was the scene of a fierce first world war naval battle between Russian and German forces. The Russians mined the gulf but the German mine sweepers cleared these and overpowered the Russian navy. However the allied forces navy came to the relief of the Russians, forcing the Germans out.

Riga is in Latvia but there are three major islands in the gulf, all belonging to neighbouring Estonia.



My virtual walk does not take me to any of the islands, but the largest of these, (Saaremaa) is notable for having a cluster of nine meteorite craters. The meteorite cluster that impacted the island is estimated to have hit some 6,000 years ago (but estimates vary, with some suggesting it may have occurred as recently as 2,600 years ago). Although these were small meteorites, the impact would have been devastating, with the force of a nuclear attack and leading to the destruction of vast tracts of forest (evidence suggests a 6km radius of forest was destroyed).

70. Trollhunters - Guillermo Del Toro



An enjoyable romp. Children go missing in a town in Californian in the 1960s, the last of which is Jim Sturges Jr.'s uncle Jack. His father was almost taken too, but escaped, never to be the same again.

Now Jim lives in a virtual fortress with state of the art and over the top security systems, a curfew and strict instructions to come straight home from school. He does not understand the paranoia. At least, not until the night everything changes and he discovers trolls are real.

Plenty of good humour, aimed at mid grade children I think. They will enjoy it. Nothing too deep, but a good fun adventure with some humour, and some gruesome bits thrown in too.

71. Defying Hitler: A Memoir - Sebastian Haffner



This is a powerful personal account of one man's struggle as he grew up through the First World War, and the German Weimar republic and into the rise of Hitler and Nazi Germany. Written in about 1940 and then forgotten about until after the author's death, it is an incredible firsthand account that seeks to understand how it could be that a man like Hitler could be allowed to come to power at all.

The book is getting great attention now, because the rise of populism as seen in Trump's America and Boris Johnson's Britain, but also in Erdogan's Turkey or Viktor Orbán's Hungary and many other places around the world. Many comparisons are made between what is happening now in so many places and what happened in Nazi Germany, and this book should be an education for both those who see the new populists as successors of the Nazis and those who do not.

Why? well because this history will teach those inclined to see Nazis everywhere that Hitler's regime was much darker and more obviously and deliberately belligerent and racist than we now remember or would even believe is possible. It was a certain and peculiar set of circumstances that led to Hitler, and history is unlikely to repeat itself just so. Trump's America is flawed in so many ways, but it is nowhere near the point where people are being rounded up and routinely "shot whilst trying to escape".

Yet to those who think there is no problem with the new populists, or the "alt right", there are lessons here too. Because this book will challenge that way of thinking, and there are indeed some very clear parallels between populism in 1930s Germany and populism now.

But ultimately Haffner did not write the book to tell us about the world today. He wrote it to explain how he thought the Nazis could have gained power when you would think it would be impossible. He succeeds in providing an explanation, and although I was not always convinced about his theories about the German people as a whole, you can see the truth of his recollections and the understanding he has brought to the subject. When he responds to men demanding if he is an Aryan, he says yes, and then berates himself because he realises that the very reflection on the question forces him to collaborate with the assumption that non-aryans are not allowed in the building he is in. Insights like these are some of the author's most powerful.

Some quotes:


Men who have experienced the reality of war tend to view it differently. Granted, there are exceptions: the eternal warriors, who found their vocation in war, with all its terrors, and continue to do so; and the eternal failures, who welcome its horrors and its destruction as a revenge on a life that has proved too much for them. Göring perhaps belongs to the former type; Hitler certainly to the latter.

While Hitler wanted to bring about the millennium by a massacre of all the Jews, there was a certain Lamberty in Thuringia who wanted to do it by folk dancing, singing and frolicking. Each saviour had a style of his own. No one and nothing was surprising; surprise had become a long-forgotten sensation.

Hitler himself, his past, his character and his speeches were still rather a handicap for the movement that gathered around him. In 1930, he was still widely regarded as a somewhat embarrassing figure with a dismal past: the Munich saviour of 1923, the man of the grotesque beer-cellar putsch.

It was then that the real mystery of the Hitler phenomenon began to show itself: the strange befuddlement and numbness of his opponents, who could not cope with his behaviour and found themselves transfixed by the gaze of the basilisk, unable to see that it was hell personified that challenged them.

Besides, he promised everything to everybody, which naturally brought him a vast, loose army of followers and voters from among the ignorant, the disappointed and the dispossessed.

Then there was a peculiarly German line of thought: ‘All the predictions of the opponents of the Nazis have not come true. They said the Nazis could not win. Now they have won. Therefore the opponents were wrong.


And many more, but especially:


The first country to be occupied by the Nazis was not Austria or Czechoslovakia. It was Germany.

>72 sirfurboy: Unfortunately my library only had the original publication, not the updated and revised one. That turned out to be quite fascinating in itself, but I do wonder what changes were made in the new one.

>100 sirfurboy: Interesting book, and good review Stephen!

Virtual walking update, and I reached Riga on 15 November.



Riga is the capital of Latvia and home to a third of the country's population. It is also the largest city in any of the Baltic states. Founded in 1201 as a member of the Hanseatic League, the city centre is a world heritage site renowned for its architecture. Take a look at this example:



Before the founding of the city, Riga was on the Viking trade route to Byzantium, and occupies an enviable position at the heart of the gulf of Riga.

Riga was annexed by Germany during the First World War but was able to claim independence, along with the whole of Latvia, in 1918. Then, of course, came the Second World War and annexation into the Soviet Union until the break up of the same.

>103 sirfurboy: Beautiful views, both of them. Surprising contrast!

Viking trade route to Byzantium?

>101 ronincats: I am glad you enjoyed the book, Roni. I saw the four stars you gave it on Goodreads :)

>102 EllaTim: and >104 EllaTim: Thanks Ella

On the Viking trade route:

I read a Stephen Lawhead book, Byzantium, about the establishment of that trade route. Although his novel may be heavily fictionalised, it was based on a very real route (or routes) established in about the 9th century. Rosemary Sutcliffe's Blood Feud also fictionalises it, and no doubt there are many other books based on it.

Wikipedia has a page on the subject here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trade_route_from_the_Varangians_to_the_Greeks

72. The Wizards of Once - Cressida Cowell



A delightful tale of a long ago time when there were wizards and giants and pixies and sprites in the land, but also non magical warriors who fought with magic quenching iron, and where there had been evil and dangerous witches, feared by everyone, but reputedly extinct. That is, until the day a misfit warrior princess, accompanied by an illegal magical spoon, and a long suffering young bodyguard with a penchant for falling asleep at the sight of danger, met a misfit wizard boy searching for elusive magic that he did not possess. Add in a sword with a mind of its own, the return of a witch, and a gorgeous baby sprite called Squeezjoos and you have all the elements for a wonderful, slightly eccentric, funny and intelligent tale for mid grade children.

A followup to Defying HITLER would be It Can't Happen Here by Sinclair Lewis.

Readers can see the ways IT has already begun in the United States.

>106 sirfurboy: Your review would be guaranteed to put this on my wishlist if Amber and Chelle had not already done so last year! I do need to get around to it, and the library has it.

>107 m.belljackson: Now added to my TBR, thanks.

>108 ronincats: I am sure you will love it.

A brief walking update: My virtual walk has now taken me into Estonia, still following the Baltic coast. Indeed, sill working my way around the North of the Gulf of Riga

Here is a random image from Estonia:



And a random fact:

The territory of Estonia has been inhabited since at least 9,000 B.C. Ancient Estonians were some of the last European pagans to be Christianized, following the Livonian Crusade in the 13th century.

I have had to up my walking in recent weeks as I am hoping to reach Narva-Joesuu at the other end of Estonia by the end of the year (as it is also the end of the European long distance path, and the border with Russia). Last week I walked 114 km which was 2km more than my previous best week this year. Now if I can walk 100KM a week for the rest of the year, I will make it.

73. The Darkdeep - Ally Condie



A good and solid tale of kids doing dangerous and unsupervised things. There is a class bully, an unfair vendetta, rich people using their money to walk over people, a boy who likes a girl, and (of course) a mysterious island with a dangerous and highly magical secret.

Good stuff. Nothing ground breaking or breathtaking, but a good read for children and young adults.

This weeks virtual walking update and I passed the seaside town of Haapsalu in Estonia this week.



The town is known for warm waters and mud baths. It dates back to 1279, when it was chartered and became the centre of the Bishopric of Ösel-Wiek, which it remained for the next 300 years. Buildings from those early days remain today, including an episcopal castle which has the largest single-nave cathedral in the Baltic states, Haapsalu Castle.



The name of the town means "aspen grove". It is set in beautiful countryside, and offshore are various straits and a number of Baltic islands.

>112 sirfurboy: Wonderful pictures again, Stephen.

>110 sirfurboy: Good luck! 100 km a week is a lot of walking, but when you have already managed 112 km it should be doable. Not by me, though.

Lovely pictures of Estonia, Stephen.
I must admit not knowing much about the Baltic states, so I am happy with all snippets of information :-)

Wonderful pictures again, Stephen.


I wish you and yours a Merry Christmas and a peaceful time.

And I wish you all the best for your way to 75!

>113 EllaTim: Thanks. I am nearly there. I have 88 km to go and 8 days left (counting today) to do it. This is usually a low mileage week for me, but I am hopeful I will hit the target.

>114 FAMeulstee: Thanks Anita.

>115 SirThomas: Thanks Sir Thomas.

Happy Christmas, Vrolijk Kerstfeest and Fröhliche Weihnachten to all of you.

74. Shiang: Empire of Salt book II - C F Iggulden



Conn Iggulden has written some great historical novels. He did Julius Caesar, Genghis Khan, and the War of the Roses among others and every time I have been in awe of his story telling ability. He is not averse to playing with the history to make the story flow better, and usually admits to this in his epilogues, but he must have decided that making up history had its own special attractions, because he began this fantasy series with Darien which I read over a year ago now. I enjoyed that book as much as any of his stories, so I was happy to get hold of this second in the series.

The story shifts from the city of Darien to another great city far to the east. Shiang is known for its swordsmen, but in this city there is magic as well as the city of Darien. Not as much magic, and perhaps not so well understood, but it is there, and its use by one ambitious doctor leads to some terrible consequences that will reverberate across both the city of Shiang and also Darien.

Great story telling, plenty of invention, some good characterisation. A fresh fantasy from an excellent writer.

Here's a fitting book to wish you a Very Merry Christmas!



Happy Christmas, Stephen.

Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Solstice, some other tradition or none at all, this is what I wish for you!

Thank you for keeping me company in 2019.......onward to 2020.

>117 sirfurboy: I agree, Stephen, Conn Iggulden is a fine writer. I have read the Julius Caesar books, the first Genghis Khan book (others not translated) and The Falcon of Sparta last week. Always a good story and a joy to read.
I hope these will come available in Dutch translation.

>118 EllaTim: Perfect :) And season's greetings to you.

>119 ronincats: Thanks Roni. Have a wonderful New Year

>120 PaulCranswick: Thanks Paul. Have a wonderful New Year

>121 FAMeulstee: Thanks Anita, and best wished for the New Year.

In the week before Christmas my virtual walk took me to Tallinn, capital of Estonia.

This was the most fitting photo of Tallinn that I found (Wikimedia again, so it is creative commons licensed):



Nearly half a million people live in this beautiful city on the shores of the gulf of Finland. It is only 80 KM from Helsinki. and also has close ties to Stokholm and St Petersburg in Russia. The Old Town is a UNESCO world heritage site and and excetionally well preserved medieval town centre. See for instance:



There is an art museum in the beautiful Kadriorg Palace:



Indeed Tallinn has a total of some 60 museums in all. It is also home to the Estonian song festival among other cultural events.

In food, the maritime nature of the town makes fish important, of course, but Tallinn is also known for its long tradition of marzipan production. Both Tallinn and Lübeck, members of the Hanseatic League, have a history of marzipan production dating back to 1695.

75. The Golden Goblet - Eloise Jarvis McGraw



I read a book by this author many years ago called Master Cornhill and liked it very much. Nevertheless her other works were not readily available at the time, and I forgot about her until I came across this old library copy of another of her works. The book is a Newbery Honor book published originally in 1968. Some of the language used perhaps shows the book's age a little, but otherwise the story is a timeless one and so well written that it could easily be enjoyed by mid grade children and above now.

Ranofer, son of Thutra, has fallen on hard times since his father, a talented goldsmith, died. Now he lives with his nasty half brother, Gebu, who refuses to let the boy continue his studies as a gold smith, beats him regularly, barely feeds him and takes every penny he earns. But worse than that, Gebu is a thief.

This is a lovely and touching story that thoroughly deserved its Newbery Honor. Set in ancient Egypt, it contains good historical detail and captures the reality of a long passed way of life too.

And that completes my 75 books for 2019. Just in time!

Congratulations, Stephen!

>125 EllaTim: Thanks :)

And another achievement to tick off. About an hour ago I completed the distance on my virtual walk to take me to journey's end:

Narva-Jõesuu

The name of this town means "mouth of the Narva," the river that constitutes the border between Estonia and Russia. This is the end of the European Union long distance path E9.



Narva-Jõesuu is ethnically more Russian than Estonian, although it lies within Estonia. The town is small, with some 2,600 residents. It is a popular tourist destination as it has an 8 km white sand beach bordered by pine tree forests. At this time of year I doubt anyone will be dressed as per the above picture.

I began my virtual walk in Palermo, Sicily on 1 January 2017. Since then I have walked, according to my FitBit, 12896 km (8013 miles), taking me all around the coast of Europe through Italy, France, Spain, Portugal, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Poland, Kalingrad, Lithuania and Estonia. I have also gone through four FitBits. The Fitbit Ionic is sadly very buggy and three times it just stopped working at all under warranty. FitBit were very good and replaced the device each time, but it never worked as it was meant to, so I bit the bullet and got an Apple Watch for Christmas. I shall thus be retiring my Fitbit from service next year.

You can see the complete route map here (click it to go to the actual google map):


European Long Distance Path Virtual Walk

>124 sirfurboy: Congratulations on reaching 75, Stephen!

>126 sirfurboy: And you finished an amazing walking accomplishment, wow!!!

Another resolution is to keep up in 2020 with all my friends on LT. Happy New Year!

Congratulations on reaching 75, Stephen.

That's hitting the 75 book mark just in the nick of time, Stephen! Congrats!!

Congrats!

Congratulations for reaching the magic 75, Stephen - and the best wishes for 2020!