So... what are you reading?

[macwilkin]

Re-reading Lonesome Dove at the moment; at times in my life where my spirit is at its lowest, the philosophical musings of Gus McCrae help so much. Also reading a book about the British Flying Training School at Terrell, Texas during the Second World War.

[GMan]

Ulysses by James Joyce.

[Mike_Oettle]

Currently busy with Rivonia’s Children, by Glenn Frankel (published by Jacana Books). It follows the lives of the plotters arrested in 1963 on the farm Lilliesleaf in Rivonia (now a suburb of Johannesburg) for planning the overthrow of the apartheid régime through sabotage and other means, as well as their children and how they coped when their parents were detained.
The author is an American Jew (probably from the same left-leaning, secular Jewish background as the Jews who were prominent in the violent faction of the anti-apartheid movement). Almost all the white people involved at Rivonia were Jews of this type (from families originating in the Baltic states).
Unfortunately Frankel is biased in favour of this violent faction, and totally dismissive of those who opposed the régime but chose to express that opposition through legal political channels.
Like the current South African government (African National Congress), Frankel refuses to concede that the non-violent faction actually achieved something in the process that led to democracy in this country.
Helen Suzman – also Jewish – was for 13 years the sole parliamentary representative of this side of resistance, which operated under the name of the Progressive Party. Its modern-day successor is the Democratic Alliance.

Previous to this I was reading Into the Hitherto Unknown, subtitled Ensign Beutler’s Expedition to the Eastern Cape, 1752, published by the Van Riebeeck Society.
Beutler was an ensign in the army of the Dutch East India Company, and the first leader of an expedition that reached the part of South Africa where I now live from Cape Town. The original text (in Dutch) appears on the left-hand pages of this edition, with an English translation (sometimes somewhat lacking) on the right hand.
While the expedition was condemned by the governor at the time as being a failure, it is an important record of historical detail. The original document has been consulted extensively by scholars, but this is its first general publication.
The publishers’ website states: “The Van Riebeeck Society was founded in 1918 with the purpose of making primary sources available in a readable and enjoyable form to anyone interested in Southern African history. Since then a volume has been published every year, with very rare exceptions.”

[mookien]

There's an interesting article in the Telegraph, about how those bones may not be Richard III's. The mitochondrial DNA is from the Plantagenet line, but the Y DNA is not. Also the DNA points to a blonde haired, blue eyed person and he had black hair and brown eyes.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/history/1...rong-body.html

Just read the following article which is relevant to the comments above. Personally, I think Richard III was an impostor, not a Plantagenet at all, but a Plantagenetic.

http://www.livescience.com/50253-inf...mily-tree.html

[OC Richard]

Just finished a re-read of Caen: Anvil Of Victory.

Plenty of Scottish troops, Highland troops, involved.

It's the story of the Allies being bottled up far longer than planned near the D-Day beaches, and the desperate struggle to break free. Fascinating.

[GMan]

False Papers by Andre Aciman

[David Maxwell]

Recently purchased a bunch of vintage books about Scotland: Song, Fiction, Non-Fiction, etc. Started reading Scotland's Story last night. Published in 1906. Very interesting to see where myths, and reality merge.

[Dughlas mor]

Hey @David Maxwell, if you are interested in some Scottish border history, my favorite on the subject is " The Steel Bonnets" by George MacDonald Fraser. The border clans have their own very fascinating history that is definitely worth learning about.

[ThistleDown]

And speaking of Fraser, as soon as you have the chance, read "Quartered Safe Out Here", his personal recollection of life (and death) of the Cumberland borderers who were Nine Section of the 17th Black Cat Division during the war in Burma. Brilliantly entertaining, as would be expected of Flashman's creator.

[Dughlas mor]

I`ll be looking for that one, thanks.