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Praetorium Honoris

Wednesday, November 16, 2016

Nothing Like A Good Book

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Especially when it is part of a series by the incomparable Bernard Cornwell.

I think this is my third trip through the series. Yes, I did watch the BBC series of the same name, and am re-watching it again on Netflix. Now I understand that the Beeb has washed their hands of this series, not to worry though, Netflix has decided to do the second season themselves.

Anyhoo, I am heartily sick of the wailing, rending of garments, and gnashing of teeth (yes, in my head that sounds like "ga-nashing") from one side of the political spectrum and the chest thumping and howling at the moon from the winning side is almost as galling.

So, rather than go on about that, I'm going to read. Well, yes, write as well. Here. For whatever that's worth.

In other news today, woke up Monday night at the crack of midnight. Could not get back to sleep. So I finished this book...

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Had it all wrapped up by one in the morning, at that point I felt as if I could go back to bed. Which I did. Didn't awaken again until 0400 local. Feline staff member Sasha thought it great fun to poke me in the face accompanied by her most plaintiff mew.

I let her know that the mess hall was not (under any circumstances) going to open before six so she should just cool her jets and let the alleged master of the house go back to sleep. I say alleged as The Missus Herself really runs the joint. I'm like the King of England, on holidays she lets me stand on the deck and wave decorously to the various and sundry passers-by. As we live on a cul-de-sac there aren't many passers-by to speak off. Most tiresome that is! (Really I just wanted to use the word cul-de-sac. I really like that word. Has a certain panache I think.)

So, no doubt you would like to know how that second book is, quite good if you're interested in the British Army of the Peninsula during the Napoleonic Wars. The 95th Rifles (now known as simply "The Rifles" after yet another shrinking of Her Majesty's forces) was a magnificent unit of whom I shall one day write. Not today though, as The Last Kingdom isn't going to read itself. If it could I'd be done with it already. And where's the fun in that?

So to those who view the recent election as a loss, chill out, the world is not going to end just yet (I have this from Higher Authority). To those who view the recent election as a win, sit down, shut up and get back to work, no one has time for your gloating and preening.

And if you're watching the news?

Turn off the set and go read a book. Or play with your kids or grandkids. What they're peddling isn't really news. It's entertainment meant to sell products.

That is all...




16 comments:

  1. Oopps, that comment on kingship would have elicited the most important frown, from the Queen of the homestead. But my dog would have understood.

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    1. Yes, we're not supposed to talk about that.

      If this gets back to her, I'm doomed.

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  2. I was fortunate enough to live in a benevolent dictatorship.
    Herself was perfectly willing to rule by saying things like, "I have an idea!" and "You know what we ought to do."

    Much better than the first time around IYKWIM

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  3. Sarge,
    I've read most all of Cornwell's books. I agree with you. Have you ever read anything by Parke Godwin. I very much enjoyed his take on the Arthurian legend, "Firelord" . . . but it's sequal, "Beloved Exile," is the better of the two books. The story is of Guenevere after the death of Arthur.

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    1. I have not read Godwin. Sounds like an author I need to check out. Thanks for the tip, Snuffy!

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  4. I just got turned on to some WWII Tommy Tales and am very much enjoying "Recollections of Rifleman Bowlby."

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    1. Sigh...

      Another book I need to track down.

      So many books, so little time...

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    2. Could you provide some more information on this book-Recollections of Rifleman Bowlby-. I could not find it in any of the three counties' libraries in which I searched.

      Paul L. Quandt

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  5. Really enjoy your postings as well as those of your other contributors. As an aside I read somewhere on the Internets today that the Royal Navy is cutting missiles from their weapons list on their warships because of cost-cutting.... sad to see such a proud service reduced the way they are going.

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    1. I read that too. It is sad, very sad.

      Thanks for reading!

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  6. A suggestion on books (Tell me if you already know this): Georgette Heyer, the Regency romance author, wrote some pretty good action as well. The Spanish Bride, a novel about the very real Captain Harry Smith and his wife, starts with a harrowing account of the storming of Badajoz. It alternates accounts of camp life and travels with those of more battles (Salamanca and others). You might well like it. An Infamous Army features a stormy and tortured romance but ends with a slam-bang, knock-down and drag-out description of the battle of Waterloo from the viewpoint of a staff officer delivering messages all over the battlefield ( a pentathlete!). Just if you run short of reading.

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    1. I know of Capt Smith, he was with the 95th. I didn't know of those two books, I may need to expand the reading list even further. (In reality, there is always something which I haven't read, which I want to read. So the list will continue to grow in perpetuity!)

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    2. Yes. The list of books I have read increases arithmetically; the list of books I realize I need to read increases exponentially; the time I have for reading doesn't seem to increase.

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    3. We have a common problem then, ah well, better than not having anything to read!

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Can't be nice, go somewhere else...

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