Latest book received

[Captain Blood]

Young Stalin, by Simon Sebag-Montefiore - and currently just £4.99 GBP from Amazon...

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Young-Stalin-Simon-Sebag-Montefiore/dp/0753823799/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1213310584&sr=8-1

Essential reading for Back of Beyond fans. Never mind RCW and WWII lovers. The thrilling tales of the young Stalin's impossibly, implausibly, colourful, swashbuckling, murderous youth as a brigand, pirate and revolutionary, all set against the swirling backdrop of the turn of the 20th Century Caucasus, is pure 110% BoB porn. Fabulous stuff.

The second half of the book, where he begins his political ascent is a bit heavier-going, and knowing the utter monster he became, responsible for the deaths of so many millions it's a guilty pleasure.

But his early adventures really are completely astonishing. If you made a movie about it, it would never be believed. But just for the descriptions of the wild, lawless world of Georgia, Baku, and so on - well it justifies the cover price on its own.

Widely regarded as one of the best historical biographies for many years. Super-highly recommended.

[Malamute]

Sharp Practise from Two Fat lardies. 

[Mo]

Got this for Father's Day...



Really, Really comprehensive 'making of' for all 4 of the Indiana Jones films. Well over 300 pages with just tons of pictures.  What has been fun is all the aborted ideas and revisions of screenplays that there have been. Tons of good ideas in there and a fun book for any IJ super geeks like me!

Marc

[Aaron]

Here is my Fathers' Day swag:

Tigris River Gunboats: The Forgotten War in Iraq 1914-1917 (as suggested by LAF'ers)
http://www.amazon.com/Tigris-Gunboats-Forgotten-Iraq-1914-1917/dp/1861763085/ref=wl_itt_dp?ie=UTF8&coliid=I10LG0KGSMERTQ&colid=1IDW0OHAJTMUR

and some Inspector Montalbano to lighten (?) the mood! http://www.amazon.com/Voice-Violin-Inspector-Montalbano-Mysteries/dp/0670031437/ref=rcx_ser_title?ie=UTF8&s=books

[Hammers]

My copy of Boris Mollo's The Indian Army was waiting for me when I got home from work yesterday. Unfortunately a one-year-old with a fever was also waiting and 20 minutes after I walked in the door the power went out! Needless to say I only got the briefest of looks at it, but it appeared to be well worth the $10 USD. Not only was it heavily illustrated, but the text looked to be very informative.

I got this one now to. Lovely. I was surprised to see there were Baluchi remgiments serving on the british side.

[WillieB]

David Gemmels' Troy trilogy.
Highly recommended.
My eternal Cornwell hero Derfel has been joined by Helikaon, Kalliades and Banocles.

[Poliorketes]

Young Stalin, by Simon Sebag-Montefiore

I've been very tempted by this book, but between Young Stalin and Stalin there seems to be a gap - the crisis years of the revolution and his defence of Tsaritsin, exactly the period I'm most interested in.

[knoxville]

The summary sounds promising, anyone read it already?

[Poiter50]

Risings & Rebellions by Foundry through Book Depository. At their prices, the best way to go.

[Poliorketes]

The Brusilov Offensive arrived today, fresh from the printers

[JollyBob]

Just picked this up for a couple of quid:




Looks like I'm getting infected with BoB and RCW like everybody else. 

The book itself look pretty good as a primer, not very in depth from first glance, but plenty of pictures and maps. Should be an interesting read.

[Poliorketes]

Could you tell us what disaster the books about? The winter battle in the carpathians mountains?

[archangel1]

Here's a heavy one! Over 500 pages, most of them in colour, and weighing nearly 14 pounds! It's a slipcased three volume set of superb lithographs done by David Roberts in 1838-39 of scenes from Egypt and the Holy Land.  Great reference for ruins and desert costumes from the mid-19th Century.  Modern comparison photos show the massive changes at the various sites over the last 160-odd years.  Some of the Egyptian ruins were apparently still showing original colours at the time of his visit.  I'm going to have to consider doing some of my Hirst Arts Egyptian pieces with colour tints instead of the usual browns or greys we use when we normally paint ruins.  An exquisite set of books!



 

[JollyBob]

Could you tell us what disaster the books about? The winter battle in the carpathians mountains?

As far as I can tell from what I've read (not much as yet), it's a description of the Carpathian campaign under General Brusilov in 1916, which apparently lead directly into the Army declaring for the Bolshevik cause the next year.

From what I gather, even though the campaign was successful, it stretched the already underfed, undersupplied and underequiped troops to breaking point and they decided they'd had enough.

I may be wrong, but from a quick glance through that's how it seems to me. I'll let you know how mistaken I am when I read it properly. 

[white knight]

'nuff said.