Frank S. wrote:"Assassin's gate" is by George Packer. Very good book.
David Fromkin's brother, Michael, has an interesting lego-political blog there: http://www.discourse.net/
OK Frank, how about "The road less travelled" by M Scott Penn?
Amazon.co.uk Review
"By melding love, science and religion into a primer on personal growth, M. Scott Peck launched his highly successful writing and lecturing career with this book. Even to this day, Peck remains at the forefront of spiritual psychology as a result of The Road Less Travelled. In the era of I'm OK, You're OK, Peck was courageous enough to suggest that "life is difficult" and personal growth is a "complex, arduous and lifelong task". His willingness to expose his own life stories as well as to share the intimate stories of his anonymous therapy clients creates a compelling and heartfelt narrative"
Els van Diggele: People who live apart:Jewish identity and future of israel
-informative book about the problems of israel since its begining, helps to understand more about what's happening now (and possible:why).
And to add some XX. century phylosophy amongst the classicals:
Nietzsche: The Geneology of Morals
J-P Sartre: Being and Nothingness
Unamuno: Tragic sense of life
Bergson: Time and Free Will
Derrida: The politics of Friendship
Lyotard: The postmodern condition
Another really good book is A Savage War of Peace By Alistair Hornes. Its about Algeria in the 1950's and 60's where France found themselves in a similar position to that in Iraq today.
Also The Ends of the Earth by Robert Kaplan. Kaplan travels from West Africa, through the Middle East, Afghanistan, India, Pakistan, South East Asia, The Cauasus and finally China. This are will probably be the most strategically important in the forthcoming years and his prognosis is pretty bleak.
Just read Lance Armstrongs two books, the first one called its not about the bike and the second one i forget, very motivational stuff about his battle against cancer and his winning of 5 Tours. Well written and very easy to read, made me laugh and bought a tear to my eye on occasions.
Funnily enough a lot of it is about never ever quitting no matter how hard things get, hving been through the mill a bit lately I found it a real help. Finished the second one early this morning, felt motivated to go for a good ride on my mountainbike, firstly my dog had chewed my riding gloves (F factor no1), then on my way into town, about 9 klicks, I was flying, really good pace and felt fit, jumped a curb, caught rear wheel as i landed, boom blow out ( F factor no2), didnt take my daysack with me as i was gonna just go round town and back home, no tools no pump, ( F factor no3), had to make a diversion to bike shop to buy new inner, 1 k walk pushing bike which i felt like chucking over the nearest hedge and saying sod it, then going back to bed, got to said bike shop and bought inner, not allowed to fix it there on premises due to insurance ( F factor no4), shop keeper an unhelpfull wan+++, 500 m to petrol station with wheel, swapped inners over. walked back to bike shop and realised i had forgot guys tools they were lying back a t petrol station, trogged back to petrol station saying fook a lot, Got back on bike. Pedalled like a mad dog for a while. Felt better. Didnt let the annoying start to my day bother me I just had to laugh about it. Nothing will ever be as easy as you think it might be......but never quit and dont let the F Factor bother you !
For those who dont know the F Factor is the thing that come along and makes you go ' Ah f@#k iT.' Dont let it beat you !
I am going to recommend my latest book "Honourable retribution"- then you can be the judges? (unlike many who have ghostwriters!)
"Honourable retribution" is based around a Royal Marine Corporal.
It is a story based on my experience and those who I worked with. We can all get physically fit! but can we always stay mentally fit?
The ending is how a trained Commando can take the law into his own hands and get aware with it?
Heres a bit of the press release:
"Honourable Retribution educates the reader, in a compelling fictional format, as to the reality facing returning soldiers in Britain today. It also addresses other crucial issues facing contemporary Britons; the truths of a war that damages our sons and brothers for no clear purpose; the social chaos that has invaded our cities and towns and the difficulties inherent in finding an identity and place in the world even as society changes beyond recognition. The novel’s hero is not just a soldier struggling to come to grips with PTSD; he is also Everyman, lost and alone in a culture that he no longer recognises. The chilling climax set in Manchester serves as a poignant, disturbing reminder that solutions can be almost as destructive and violent as the situations that called for them.
Honourable Retribution should be read by anyone who asks him or herself what it means to be British, where our society is going, and whether our government is really doing all it can for its citizens, its public servants, and the foreign citizens whose interests it claims to hold dear. "
"Heres what a few bootnecks have written"
Has anyone else on this site had a chance yet to read 'Honourable Retribution' by Simon Bywater?
Before anyone starts banging on about trying to 'plug' books, this is not a PR exercise that I've been put up to by Mr Bywater or even Steve Preece come to that.
It follows a Royal Marine corporal settling back into civvie street after service in Afghanistan and Iraq, and can probably be best described as fact/fiction.
I won't give the story away to those of you who haven't read it and are planning to, I just wanted to tell people how good I thought it was!
Although it was easy reading, I found the hairs on the back of my neck standing up a few times and I couldn't put it down. It's a well written book that has been written by somebody who has actually been there and done it - not a McNab or Ryan by any means.
If Simon Bywater can write a novel as powerful as that then I can't wait to read his auto-biography - perhaps someone can tell me if that's any good?
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His auto is worth the read.
Rob
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Shagnasty, it is a very well written book. I was lucky enough to review the raw manuscript. I also jacked up a radio interview for him this weekend and apparently it went very well. The story, I feel, is excellent and it would be good to see more from him in the future.
Simon unfortunately suffered from PTSD and wrote about it in Forced OUT. This current book is his Novel way of dealing with it.
Good luck Simon.
Steve Preece-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Regards
Simon Bywater www.forcedout.co.uk
