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RADIAH'S 50 BOOKS READ IN 2017
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JANUARY1.
by Stephen Tanner (no photo)Finish date: January 2017
Genre: History; Military History
Rating: A
Review: I truly admire any Western writer who wishes to write about the complicated and convoluted history of the middle east. The values the people of the region live by are incomprehensible to many, but Mr. Tanner makes quick work out of it.
The book traces the military history of Afghanistan from as far back as before the Persian Empire was established and tells the story of a small, almost uninhabitable area in a part of the world which has been subject to countless jostling for control from empires that rose and fell. I was particularly interested in Alexander the Great's conquest of Afghanistan and the legacy he left. The story of Afghanistan is truly unique and I applaud Mr. Tanner's efforts. Must-read for anyone interested in the military conquests of the area.
FEBRUARY2.
by
Peter FrankopanFinish date: February 2017
Genre: History
Rating: A
Review: This was a beautifully written piece of work. Epic in scope and it certainly kept me engrossed for hours. Peter Frankopan broke down the important bits of the history of the silk roads, making it easy to digest.
What makes this different from other histories of the silk roads is that Mr. Frankopan writes of historical events that would lead to massive change and upheaval in the area up to the modern era; to the founding of black gold (crude oil) and the power jostling for control over that resource from Western powers - of their policies which would lead to complete chaos as the natives revolted.
This was certainly an eye-opening read and this book is now a valuable part of my library.
Radiah wrote: "JANUARY1.
by Stephen Tanner (no photo)Finish date: January 2017
Genre: History; Military History
Rating: A
Review: I truly admire any Western writer..."
Yet another book for my TBR list
Mod
MARCH3.
by
Trevor NoahFinish date: March 2017
Genre: Biography / Humour
Rating: B
Review: I was first introduced to Trevor Noah through a friend from Africa close to 4 years ago. She showed me a few of his stand-up comedy videos, and I thought that he related his memories of Apartheid in such a congenial manner that it was more palatable.
Fast forward a few years, and he is now pretty famous in the U.S. and decided to write a book describing where he had come from. This book was an interesting read about his youth, having been born technically, a crime (the product of a relationship between a Caucasian man and a native woman) in South Africa's late Apartheid era. He is humorous in the book, as expected, but I could not help but be astonished by his outlook and his wisdom. An inspiring story.
4.
by
James A. MooreFinish date: March 2017
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: B
Review: Interesting new fantasy world with a race of humans who live by a strange philosophy. The author draws the reader in with the new race, and twists that in the end.
5.
by
James A. MooreFinish date: March 2017
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: B
Review: Exciting sequel to the first book.
6.
by
Conn IgguldenFinish date: March 2017
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: A
Review: The story is incredible and I could not stop talking about it. Genghis Khan and the Mongol conquests of the middle east is one of my favourite subjects. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this take of his early life and the amount of detail the author paid to Mongolian life and the impact of tribal life on Mongol culture. I certainly can't wait to read the next book.
7.
by
Conn IgguldenFinish date: March 2017
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: A
Review: I jumped straight into this second installment of the Conqueror series and enjoyed it even more than the first. This book traces the Mongol conquest as they made their way to China. The description of the Battle of Badger Mouth's Pass in particular was immersive and the writer certainly made us feel as if we were right there witnessing the carnage. Rather interesting was how Genghis' sons grew and by the end of the book, Jochi, whose paternity was in doubt his whole life, started to come to his own in the book. I'm certainly looking forward to his struggles with Temujin in the next few books.
8.
by
Conn IgguldenFinish date: March 2017
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: B
Review: I was slightly disappointed with this one. Lords of the Bow was a great read, this one was a little bit of a downer, especially the taking of the Assassin's fortress in Iran and the event at the end seemed a little anti-climactic. It felt a little rushed and was inaccurate in a few ways. The writer lumped all the nations of the Middle East under the category of Arab, when clearly they were of different ethnicities; merely bound by a common faith. Perhaps to make it easy for the reader to digest.
Genghis Khan's conquest of the Middle East had repercussions that would be felt generations later. I wished, or perhaps was expecting that it would somehow be communicated through this book, but perhaps there was just too much to condense in a single book.
The decimation of the towns of Bukhara in Uzbekistan and Herat in Afghanistan in particular were rushed, even though it had a horrifying death toll. The significance of Bukhara, a city which had produced renowned Islamic scholars was reduced to almost nothingness after the Mongol invasion, felt like it was glanced through here. The descriptions of Samarkand were interesting though, as was the defeat of the battle at Pashwar. I hope the next one is better.
9.
by
Conn IgguldenFinish date: March 2017
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: A
Review: The fourth installment of this series was pretty satisfying. It now traces the rule of Ogedai, the building of Karakorum and the effects of the presence of alcohol now freely flowing into the Mongol lands for a people who were not used to strong drink.
Most interesting was how the Uriankhai strategist, Tsubodai was potrayed. Without him, the Mongol horde would possibly not have swept through Russia, taken Kiev nor eliminated a Hungarian army estimated to be 40,000 strong, yet he is not remembered in the history books as well as Genghis and his grandsons. I'm glad the author featured him prominently in the stories.
We are also introduced to the upbringing of Kublai and the struggles of Batu, who will feature largely later in the future of the Mongols. Overall, a great take on the Mongol exploits.
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Bentley wrote: "You are very much into this series - great progress"It is SO good :)
APRIL10.
by
Conn IgguldenFinish date: April 2017
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: A
Review: This last book was entirely enjoyable. It follows more of the genius of Kublai Khan and it is much much better than the 3rd book. The Mongol civil wars following the death of Genghis were rather destructive, however, it did not really stop Kublai from conquering parts of China and establishing Xanadu. The way the author wrote the end was rather lovely however much of Kublai Khan's contributions to science (other than the improvements, via Persian scientists, of weaponry use) were not mentioned. In a way, it was good for Kublai to have center stage, though, Batu himself deserves a book as well and numerous other characters who made such contributions to the Mongol nation.
11.
by
James A. MooreFinish date: April 2017
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: B
Review: Is it just me, or, does the story get draggier and then just as you want to give up, something happens and the story progresses further. This book was alright, and I'm moving onto the next just to see what happens to the city at war.
12.
by
James A. MooreFinish date: April 2017
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: B
Review: This book finally raises more questions about the gods in the series and their motives. Should be interesting to see what happens to the characters if the series continues.
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13.
by
Steven EriksonFinish date: April 2017
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: B
Review: This is the first book in a massive epic grimdark fantasy series that is known to be confusing, and that was exactly what I found. I was not able to keep the amount of characters straight in my mind. Furthermore, I found that it plodded along until right up towards the end when something substantial finally happened. Perhaps I am just being impatient - the series does span 8 books. The writing I felt was a little weak, overall. It was interesting, frustrating, confusing and admirable at the same time. I think I might keep reading it to see what happens to some of the characters.
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MAY14.
by
Steven EriksonFinish date: May2017
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: B
Review: This book was so much better than the last. But, I am beginning to see that the slow pace of the book might be deliberate. I am not sure if I will continue the series. I have seen many reviews saying it is worth it, but I'm still deciding.
JUNE 15.
by
C.A. BaylyFinish date: June 2017
Genre: History / Military History
Rating: A
Review: Quite simply one of the best gifts I have ever received. It is harrowing, and brutally honest about the shortfalls of the British administration in the lead up to and during the events of World War II in Asia.
From India, Cambodia, Malaysia and Singapore, due diligence was given to meticulous research on Asian culture, Asia's multitude of races and the British relationship with them. This is a magnifying glass on what was overlooked and where it all went wrong for the British administration and the countless locals who fought with or without a uniform for freedom of their land.
16.
by Tim Bryars (no photo)Finish date: June 2017
Genre: History
Rating: A
Review: Remarkable book of maps and the stories they tell. The writer uses the maps to explain historical snippets of an era in time or an event (such as the luftwaffe bombings) in time. I found it fascinating and an interesting approach to learning history.
JULY 17.
by
Terry JonesFinish date: July 2017
Genre: History
Rating: B
Review: May I say that I wish all history books were written like this. This book was truly enjoyable; entertaining yet loaded with so many facts about the false Roman view of barbarianism. Terry Jones lends his brand of humour to a potentially dry but very interesting subject. He ridicules the Romans through the book, but has the evidence to back them up. He brings up the Goths, the Vandals, the Visigoths, the Persians and finally, the mistaken assumptions about the Huns.
He doesn't go so far as to apologise for them or make excuses, however, he sheds a different view on the accepted norm. History is written by the Victors, but aren't we all fortunate to have men like Jones who take the time and effort to portray a different view.
18.
by
James ClavellFinish date: August 2017
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: C
Review: A well-written historical fiction story on medieval Japan. The story is well-written, however, it got draggy halfway through. The tension between Catholics and Protestants is palpable in the story, and the struggle between the Franciscans and the Jesuits was interesting. There were a few things wrong with the story - the Samurai in the story seem to want to fall upon their sword way too often. The principles of Bushido in the story at times made me cringe. Read with a heap of salt.
19.
by
Giles KristianFinish date: August 2017
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: C
Review: I was wondering if this was really that worth reading, the reviews seemed good, and I was pleased to find that it was enjoyable though it could feel a little flat at times. The main protagonist is multi-faceted and the story had enough twists that it kept being interesting. This is new territory for me - besides Beowulf, I don't believe I have read much fiction about the Vikings or Norse culture, therefore this is rather interesting.
20.
by
Robert E. HowardFinish date: August 2017
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: C
Review: The story was so enjoyable and I wished there was more of it - this is one of the stories of Conan the Barbarian, who was certainly a hero of a different age.
21.
by
Robert E. HowardFinish date: August 2017
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: C
Review: Another Conan the Barbarian story - this one had a rather interesting antagonist - a witch Princess left for dead in the desert, come to have her vengeance.
22.
by
Thomas MoreFinish date: August 2017
Genre: Fiction
Rating: B
Review: So much can be said about Utopia, but this quote says it all...
“For if you suffer your people to be ill-educated, and their manners to be corrupted from their infancy, and then punish them for those crimes to which their first education disposed them, what else is to be concluded from this, but that you first make thieves and then punish them.”
Seen from the context of Thomas More's time, this was veiled political critique. However, I felt a good portion of what he wrote in this ideal society was ludicrous, condescending (perhaps this came through in translation and wasn't present in the original Latin text) and could never work with human beings being complex creatures with complex motivations. Parts of it sounded like it should be in the Communist Manifesto.
Imaginative, certainly - and his wish for a better society was palpable. Regardless, his work had an impact which is felt centuries later.
23.
by
Zlatan IbrahimovićFinish date: August 2017
Genre: Autobiography
Rating: A
Review: I gave this an A because it was so honest and forthright that it had an impact on me. Not sugar-coated, Zlatan definitely wrote this himself - the grammatical errors were not edited out. A self-confessed dropout who emphasised learning from his mistakes, he was entirely honest about himself, his motivations, his weaknesses, his adrenaline junkie tendencies, etc. I could hardly put his book down. I'm not such a Zlatan fan, but as one of the most valuable players in the world who came from a ghetto born to refugee parents of the Yugoslav war, it is interesting to read from him what drove him. Highly recommend.
SEPTEMBER24.
by
ArrianFinish date: September 2017
Genre: History, Military History
Rating: A
Review: Arrian compiled this book about 400 years after Alexander the Great and compiled it from various sources and it was a pleasure to read. Describing Alexander's battles, his perceived motivations, the progressions of his conquests of Asia, the book has numerous footnotes, references to earlier works, and beautiful maps. What I like about this book is that Arrian doesn't make his opinion of Alexander come through strongly in his writing - he presents Alexander in an objective manner.
25.
by
Robert E. HowardFinish date: September 2017
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: C
Review: Conan is back with another damsel to rescue, and a monster to defeat.
26.
by
Robert E. HowardFinish date: September 2017
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: C
Review: Conan is back again, this time kidnapping a queen and killing a band of magicians - reminiscent of the elimination of the Assassins' sect in Persia by the Mongol horde.
27.
by
H. Rider HaggardFinish date: September 2017
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: C
Review: Reading this now, you can see the plot twists coming from a mile away. However, at the time it was written, this is a marvelous adventure story. Exotic and mysterious. The only issue I had was that I felt Otter, the sidekick should have been the Hero - he certainly rescued the Hero and at times, thought strategically for the Hero.
28.
by
Graham HancockFinish date: September 2017
Genre: Alternative History
Rating: C
Review: I am conflicted about what Graham Hancock presents – suggesting that there was an advanced civilization which existed 15,000 years ago or more had influenced other cultures and peoples - “civilizing” them. I had to read this with an open mind, and what Mr. Hancock put together was surprising, yet I couldn’t help but wonder if it was a case of 2+2=5.
In general, the book was clearly written though a little meandering and he also included personal travelogue, which I could do without.
Great progress :) I really enjoy your reviews :)
Lina wrote: "Great progress :) I really enjoy your reviews :)":) Lovely of you to say so.
29.
by
Keith R.A. DeCandidoFinish date: September 2017
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: C
Review: I saw the movie and had the urge to read some more of the Warcraft universe books. This story was rather interesting, though I do have to say that Christie Golden's books are highly entertaining in all of the novels of the Warcraft universe.
30.
by
Richard A. KnaakFinish date: September 2017
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: C
Review: An enjoyable read, and Iiked reading about the dwarfs.
31.
by
Christie GoldenFinish date: September 2017
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: C
Review: Enjoyable read - Thrall has a girlfriend and the Prince of Stormwind comes into his own.
OCTOBER 32.
by
Richard A. KnaakFinish date: October 2017
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: D
Review: This was a slow unexciting read at times - the characters were trapped in a nightmare world and I have an aversion to reading books where the characters are trapped in dreams.
33.
by Chris Wright (no photo)Finish date: October 2017
Genre: Non-Fiction
Rating: B
Review: Most of us live our lives striving for something. A goal, a dream; an intention. Unfortunately, some of us will never achieve it. I’m not referring to the modest goals, of course, such as setting a goal of reading 50 books a year.
These are goals of a different nature, goals of a magnitude that the common man would not dare to even dream of. This book is about 16 people who have reached that goal…and what became of them after that. Some set out specifically in that direction, and some stumbled into it. The book is very easy to read and the writer’s self-depracating humour is evident throughout, as well as his impressions of the various personalities featured.
Particularly fascinating to me was a Sandakan survivor (a POW horror in South-East Asia during WWII) who found his way out of his personal nightmares and went on with his life – an enormous effort and one echoed almost continually with all POWs from Asia. His story though, is slightly different, as the Sandakan march had very few survivors to tell their story and a secrecy policy practiced by the British government which kept their experience from being told until much later. These are names who defined their generation and provided a benchmark for the next generation.
34.
by
Newt ScamanderFinish date: October 2017
Genre: Fiction
Rating: B
Review: A humorous, light-hearted read from the brilliantly imaginative mind of J. K. Rowling. I had been waiting to read the book before I watched the movie. Apparently, there were hints in the book which would feature in the movie - and I completely missed it.
35.
by
J.K. RowlingFinish date: October 2017
Genre: Fiction
Rating: B
Review: So enjoyable, I wished she had written more tales. She can give the Grimm brothers a run for their money.
36.
by
Simon MurrayFinish date: October 2017
Genre: Non-Fiction / Military History
Rating: A
Review: Strange... it is not a great work of fiction or non-fiction, it is not particularly well-known, and yet, this is one of the few books where I can honestly say, I did not want to put down and I continued reading till well past my bedtime.
Simon Murray was a recruit and promoted to Corporal during a period of upheaval in the FFL. His motivations for wanting to be a Legionnaire are a little vague (besides a broken heart), but recognisable among all of us who have had the urge sometimes to test our limits and to leave everything behind and take off into the great unknown. The romance of the Legion is quickly debuffed through Murray's writing. His observations were, at times, hilarious and sometimes chilling, and he certainly makes it clear that the FFL is no place for weakness.
NOVEMBER37.
by
Joe AbercrombieFinish date: November 2017
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: B
Review: Finally got my hands on Joe Abercrombie's newest installation in the First Law world. I certainly enjoyed this one with its introduction of new characters, re-introduction of old characters and we find out what happened to Monza Murcatto!
DECEMBER38.
by
Anthony RichesFinish date: December 2017
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: B
Review: I know for the most part this book has some good reviews but to be honest, I couldn't get into the characters. The plot twist is pretty engaging as are the action scenes, but for some reason, the characters fell a little bit on the flat side for me. I doubt I will continue reading the next book in the series.
39.
by
David EddingsFinish date: December 2017
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: C
Review: I had read the first installment in the series years ago, and thought to at least try to complete the series, in memory of Eddings, who had passed years ago. He had authored some of my favourite fantasy series when I was a teen and I thought to try to finish reading all of his books. His Belgariad, Mallorean and Elenium series was thoroughly enjoyable, and in comparison, this was difficult to read. He recycled a few characters, the storyline was more or less repeated and the characters were perhaps trying to be witty to the point of absurdity. That aside, I will be hoping to finish the series regardless. I hope the story gets better.
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The History Book Club
Books mentioned in this topic
The Treasured One (other topics)Betrayal (other topics)
Sharp Ends (other topics)
Legionnaire: Five Years in the French Foreign Legion (other topics)
The Tales of Beedle the Bard (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
David Eddings (other topics)Anthony Riches (other topics)
Joe Abercrombie (other topics)
Simon Murray (other topics)
J.K. Rowling (other topics)
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Please follow the standard required format below - I hope you enjoy your reading in 2017. Here is also a link for assistance with the required guidelines:
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JANUARY
1.
Finish date: January 2017
Genre: (whatever genre the book happens to be)
Rating: A
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