Gestapo by Lucas Saul [Book Review]
Gestapo by Lucas Saul My rating: 2 of 5 stars Gestapo by Lucas Saul is a reasonable summary overview of the Gestapo, but didn't quite have enough detail for me. If you didn't know anything about the Gestapo before then it might be an OK place to start, although wikipedia would be cheaper. Gestapo by Lucas Saul Gestapo by Lucas Saul doesn't quite live up to the promise of the blurb. What I was hoping for was some analysis of how the Gestapo was formed, where its staff came from and why they joined up. Plaque on former gestapo and communist secret police building, Łódź 7 Anstadta Street (Photo credit: Wikipedia) What you get with this book is a rough chronological history of the Gestapo, and their involvement in the atrocities commited by the nazi state. You also get a series of dramatis…
Auld Lang Syne compiled by Karen Dolby [Book Review]
Auld Lang Syne: Words to Songs You Used to Know compiled by Karen Dolby My rating: 4 of 5 stars This is a song book of many of the songs that you've probably heard growing up, or maybe down the pub if you frequent that sort of pub. Auld Lang Syne compiled by Karen Dolby Auld Lang Syne is a collection of songs organised by theme. They're not quite folk songs, but popular implies the wrong thing. These are songs that ordinary people sing, rather than professional musicians (although many have been recorded by the latter). Each song has its lyrics, and is followed by notes on when it was written, who has recorded it and what the tune is. There are also notes explaining the context of some of the songs. The sections are: country life thoughts of home love and…
Lucy’s Bookshelf – Bookshelves Abound = #Shelfie 04
This week Lucy's Bookshelf continues the series of bookshelf postings. This is one of two bookshelves that Lucy has books on. The other will feature on its own post another time. Lucy's Bookshelf Lucy's bookshelf in her bedroom This is Lucy's bookshelf, it's in her bedroom and as well as books it also has a small menagerie of stuffed and plastic animals on top of it. Like most of our bookcases this one came from Ikea. Unlike most of them it is small and white so that it matches the rest of Lucy's bedroom furniture. This is not unique as Lucy's bookshelf (there is another downstairs in the living room and we regularly swap the books around so that she has a chance with them all). The downstairs bookshelf will feature another time so that you can see that too. Lucy…
Competition to Win Themself in Paperback
Front cover of Themself by James Kemp I'm running a competition to give away a free copy of Themself in paperback to one of the subscribers to my mailing list on 31 October. Competition If you would like a copy then please make sure that you are on the list. In parallel I'll also be giving away an ebook version to everyone on the mailing list too. You can increase your chances of winning by tweeting the link to this post, or sharing it on facebook. I'll announce the winner in my 31 October post. Don't forget to sign up to my mailing list using the both below! Sign up to Win! E-mail: About the Mailing List If you want to keep up to date when James Kemp's books are released, or special offers on the existing ones then subscribe…
Duke of Piraxis – SciFi draft on wattpad
working cover for Duke of Piraxis Over the last couple of weeks I outlined a science fiction story with the working title Duke of Piraxis. It's about a new colony in the early days of human deep space travel. Despite the name Duke of Piraxis doesn't feature nobility. The Chief Executive is called Duke. They decided to call the colony Piraxis. Hence Duke of Piraxis as he's the primary point of view in what I've written so far. Inspiration for Duke of Piraxis So what inspired me to write the story was a TV programme where Michael Portillo visited Romania. At the beginning of the 20th century the Romanians got themselves a King. They built railways all over the country and also a fantastic palace. It made me think of some of the fantasy steampunk stories. Then I thought, maybe…