I picked up this book by Geoff Dyer not because I love his other books –
I hadn’t read any of them at the time – but because Where Eagles Dare
was one of my favourite films when I was a boy. In England, at least, in the
days of three TV channels, before the internet or even video, it was a
Christmas treat to watch old war movies.
Broadsword Calling Danny Boy accidentally brought back tons of childhood
memories, but it’s a brilliant stand-alone essay, even if you have never watched
the film or don’t know who Richard Burton or Clint Eastwood are.
I know Dyer
had legions of fans before me, but after reading this hilarious romp of a read, he has one more. Quick and thoroughly enjoyable.
A Telegraph, Evening Standard and Daily Mail Book of the Year
From the acclaimed writer and critic Geoff Dyer, an extremely funny scene-by-scene analysis of Where Eagles Dare - published as the film reaches its 50th anniversary
A thrilling Alpine adventure starring a magnificent, bleary-eyed Richard Burton and a coolly anachronistic Clint Eastwood, Where Eagles Dare is the apex of 1960s war movies, by turns enjoyable and preposterous. 'Broadsword Calling Danny Boy' is Geoff Dyer's tribute to the film he has loved since childhood: an analysis taking us from its snowy, Teutonic opening credits to its vertigo-inducing climax. For those…
Born in England to Irish parents, I didn’t grow up learning Irish but
discovered a love of foreign languages – mainly Arabic – when I moved abroad. So,
this might seem an odd choice for someone with no Irish language skills
whatsoever, but what a great read it was!
Spoken for almost 3,000 years, it should come
as no surprise that the landscape had such an impact on the language, and this
book weaves together countless tales of both, plus nature notes, mythology, and
more.
And the 32 words for field Magan tells usthe Irish
language has? They include Geamhar – a field of corn-grass; Tuar – a field for
cattle at night; Réidhleán – a field for games or dancing; and
Cathairín – a field with a fairy-dwelling in it.
The Irish language has thirty-two words for field. Among them are:
Geamhar - a field of corn-grass
Tuar - a field for cattle at night
Reidhlean - a field for games or dancing
Cathairin - a field with a fairy-dwelling in it
The richness of a language closely tied to the natural landscape offered our ancestors a more magical way of seeing the world. Before we cast old words aside, let us consider the sublime beauty and profound oddness of the ancient tongue that has been spoken on this island for almost 3,000 years.
I never read new fiction these days, but then I saw this intriguing title
in a book review, and was hooked. I bought the book and read it in a single
sitting.
Set in 1413, it is a fictionalised
account of two major figures of English letters and mysticism from the period. Margery Kempe, a mother of
fourteen, is troubled by visions – are they from God or the Devil? – and goes to
speak to Julian of Norwich, a celibate, walled-in anchoress of 23-years
standing, who is troubled by visions of her own.
It might sound odd, and
perhaps it is, but it is also an extraordinary read and has rekindled a love
of contemporary fiction.
An astounding debut, both epic and intimate, about grief, trauma, revelation, and the hidden lives of women - by a major new talent
'Miraculously conjured ... Brilliantly done' THE TIMES, Book of the Month
'A beautiful book ... It warmed my heart' MAX PORTER
'Electrifying ... A pocket epic' GUARDIAN
'The best first novel I've read in years ... So full and so vivid; it is amazing' RODDY DOYLE
'A vibrant portrait of female courage' OBSERVER
In the year of 1413, two women meet for the first time in the city of Norwich.
Margery has left her fourteen children and…
The Middle East in the 20th Century is a marvellous introduction to the history of the Middle East and North
Africa region, and while its focus is the Twentieth Century, there is a great
deal more here than just 100 years of history.
Written and delivered by
best-selling author and Arabist Eamonn Gearon, these 24 enlightening lessons
bring clarity to an otherwise convoluted, multifaceted, and often confusing set
of stories
Starting from the dawn of the Twentieth Century and
taking us through the First World War, the end of the Ottoman Empire, the
Second World War, the creation of Israel, and on to the Arab Spring and its
aftermath, this is an absolute must for anyone who wants to understand our
world today.
My son
loved The
Girl Who Rowed the Ocean, a gripping read that
had him begging for “one more chapter” every single bedtime.
Based on
the author’s own experiences, it’ll inspire you to think about planning your own family
adventures! Lucy is a great female hero, and we learnt a lot about life on
and in the ocean, from shooting stars to bioluminescence, sea turtles to
dolphins and whales, and storm petrels to storms. Also, we bought discounted copies directly
from the author for every classmates’ birthday… they all loved it too!
SHORTLISTED : ESTWA Children's Travel Book of the Year 'An inspirational ocean adventure'- Bear Grylls; Lucy wants to explore the world, and do something daring and difficult. But people laugh at her when she hatches a plan to row across the Atlantic Ocean. So her family rallies round to help prepare for the journey, loading her boat with supplies for 3,000 miles of rowing. Her school friends follow her from afar, learning about the ocean, its wildlife and pollution. Alone at sea, Lucy faces seasickness, storms and a very sore bottom, not to mention close encounters with ships and a…
A great
mystery that my son loved trying to solve as we read along, as well as
well-rounded characters, including Harrison Beck – boy detective and hero
of the Adventures on Trains series – and we also loved the Scottish
setting and the stuff about trains too… we learnt a lot!
And if you like
this one, there are five or more others in the series, set in California,
southern Africa, Germany, and elsewhere.
Winner of the Book of the Year, Children's Fiction at The British Book Awards Winner of the Books are My Bag Readers Award, Children's Fiction Shortlisted for the FCBG Children's Book Award
Adventures on Trains is a major mystery series for young readers, from bestselling authors M.G. Leonard and Sam Sedgman. Beautifully illustrated by Elisa Paganelli.
First stop is The Highland Falcon Thief, a breathless train journey full of deceptions, puzzles and clues to solve.
Harrison Beck and his Uncle Nat are enjoying the final journey of the Highland Falcon, Britain's most famous steam train. But when a precious jewel…
Spark is
a story with a mystery at its heart, but also a lot of out-doors stuff,
not least because the lovable hero – Twitch – is a keen bird watcher (who
isn’t?!), and brings his schoolmates along with him.
A second book by M.G.
Leonard, I know, but we read a load of books by her this year because she
writes consistently great books that our son can’t stop reading, alone or
with us.
1
author picked
Spark
as one of their favorite books, and they share
why you should read it.
This book is for kids age
9,
10,
11, and
12.
What is this book about?
M.G. Leonard, internationally bestselling author of Twitch, Beetleboy and Adventures on Trains, is back with the second thrilling wildlife mystery for birdwatching detectives The Twitchers!
>> Shortlisted for the CRIMEFEST Award for Best Crime Novel for Children 2022 >> Longlisted for the 2023 James Cropper Wainwright Prize for Children's Writing on Nature and Conservation >> "A clarion call for environmentalists everywhere." Rob Biddulph on Spark
When Jack rescues a wounded cat, he quickly suspects foul play. Could there be a wildlife criminal on the loose in Briddvale?
Jack rushes to investigate, determined to catch the culprit, only to stumble into…
