This is the first, most famous, volume of Maya Angelou’s autobiography. She describes what it was like to grow up as a black girl in the US in the 1930s. Continue reading Maya Angelou “I know why the caged bird sings” – book review
My least favourite part of “Sapiens” were Harari’s predictions about the future: and here was a book that consisted solely of his predictions of the future. Continue reading Yuval Noah Harari “Homo Deus” – book review
“It was the most terrible conflict that anyone could remember. Entire kingdoms were mobilized for combat. Slaughter fit to stupefy poets was visited on the ranks of the rival combatants. The memory of it would long endure. (…) “Æðelstan cyning lædde fyrde to Brunanbyrig”: Athelstan the king led the levy to Brunanburh. (…) At stake, though, was not just the future of Athelstan’s kingdom. Beyond the world … Continue reading Tom Holland’s “Athelstan” – book review
For a book to become a relic, it had to be something very special indeed… Continue reading Christopher de Hamel “The Book in the Cathedral: The Last Relic of Thomas Becket” – book review
The first thing to note is that “Acting with power” is not necessarily meant as “behaving with power”. Gruenfeld does genuinely mean “acting” in the same way as Judi Dench would do. Continue reading Deborah Gruenfeld “Acting with Power” – book review
I love the Very Short Introduction book series. Some are worse, some are better : but they often provide a concise overview of a complex subject and an in-depth reading list for those who want to learn more. Boden’s Artificial Intelligence is a particularly good example of A Very Short Introduction. Margaret A. Boden is a recognized expert in the field of artificial intelligence. I’ve … Continue reading Margaret A. Boden “Artificial Intelligence: A Very Short Introduction” – book review
I’d been planning to read The Mysteries of Udolpho ever since I had first read Northanger Abbey. Continue reading Ann Radcliffe “The Mysteries of Udolpho” – book review
I decided in this particular case not to do a proper review. I read this book with a pencil in hand, and so I underlined many of the passages that I found intriguing. My notes are in bold. I was feeling a bit snarky… Continue reading Friedrich Nietzsche “Beyond Good and Evil” – quotes and comments
Belinda is caught between her loyalty to lady Delacour, her wish to do what is right, and her fascination with the young and gallant Clarence Hervey. Continue reading Maria Edgeworth “Belinda” – book review
This book was published in 2019 when John Le Carré was 88 years old. One can only hope to be in such great mental form at his age. It appears there’s nothing like writing a spy novel to keep your brain sharp. Agent Running in the Field is not Le Carré’s best novel: but then, Le Carré at his best is very good indeed. This … Continue reading John le Carré “Agent Running in the Field” – book review
