Pierke

Ik heb dit boek geluisterd als jurylid voor de Hebban Luisterboek Award 2018.

Het bijzondere levensverhaal van Sonja Barend, op een heel nuchtere wijze verteld. Ik heb niets met Sonja Barend, ben geen televisie kijker en al helemaal geen kijker van praat programma's, maar na het lezen van dit boek vind ik het jammer dat ik sommige van haar programma's niet gezien heb. Het boek gaat trouwens weinig over haar tv carrière, maar over haar jeugd, haar fijne huwelijk met A. (en zijn kinderen die haar in de schoot worden geworpen), over drie keer kanker krijgen, en de verstandhouding met haar moeder. Haar leven word beheerst door het feit dat haar Joodse vader in de oorlog vanuit huis wordt opgepakt en nooit meer terug komt. Ze verteld uitgebreid over haar zoektocht naar wat er precies met hem gebeurd is. Een bevredigend antwoord heeft ze echter nooit gevonden.

A very well written biography about the life of Margot Asquith during the Great War. It was the enthusiasm of the author for her subject and the historical background that she described so well, that kept me reading and engaged till the end. But alas, I couldn't find much love or sympathy for both Margot and Asquith.

If you are interested in the history of China in the 20th century or Chinese art, or both, you cannot pass up this book. In a very enjoyable narrative style and evidently very meticulously researched, this book tells the story of the wanderings of the Chinese national art collection from The Forbidden City, during the Second Sino-Japanese War and the Second World War. Besides, amusing anecdotes the author provides insight into the political history of the time in which the story takes place. The narrative style is very reminiscent of Simon Winchester. Even the reading of the audiobook by the author himself is evocative of Winchester. The book ties in well with [b:National Treasures: Saving The Nation's Art in World War II 58933891 National Treasures Saving The Nation's Art in World War II Caroline Shenton https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1630910485l/58933891.SY75.jpg 92873581] and is a fantastic addition to [b:The Man Who Loved China: The Fantastic Story of the Eccentric Scientist Who Unlocked the Mysteries of the Middle Kingdom 2763494 The Man Who Loved China The Fantastic Story of the Eccentric Scientist Who Unlocked the Mysteries of the Middle Kingdom Simon Winchester https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1348219384l/2763494.SY75.jpg 10010357]. I am half way through now, but trying to slow down, so that the pleasure of reading will take longer.

Even if not all the facts are correct, as stated by a reviewer on Amazon.com, this is a compelling read. It is an evenly paced, extremely well written story that obviously needed (re)telling, as MacArthur's astounding achievements in Japan are today largely forgotten. My knowledge about MacArthur, gleaned from reading about the Pacific theater, was of an accomplished general, but a flawed, vain and self-centered man. This book changed my perception about him completely. I certainly am going to read more about MacArthur and I hope I can find more biographers like Mr. Morris, who give MacArthur the credit he is due.

As the audio book preceded the print edition, I listened to the audio book first. The audio book is read by Charles Constant, who gives an outstanding performance. As I wanted to re-read certain passages I bought the Kindle e-book as soon as it became available. The Kindle e-book didn't have a linked index ( a lot of epubs have beautifully linked indexes nowadays), but as the e-book boasts of having page numbering corresponding with the hardback book this shouldn't be a problem, where it not that the layout of the index is totally ruined by sloppy formatting. The index is an unreadable, useless mess. I should have checked my eagerness for the ‘printed' page and ordered the hardcover instead.

A delightful group biography of Diana, Nancy, Jessica, Unity, Pamela and Deborah, in short: The Mitford Sisters. I have read most of Nancy's work in the 70's and recently re-read the Pursuit of Love. It lost nothing of its charm. Being familiar with Nancy's novels and Jessica's ‘fictionalised' memoir Hons and Rebels, makes the reading of Laura Thompson's book a much richer experience. But even newcomers to the subject will find it an interesting portrait of an era and the six sisters' role in it.

Thompson places the girls in their impoverished aristocratic background, paints a portrait of the marriage and parents of the brood – there also was a brother Tom -. She goes onto describing each girl's debutants ball and then devotes the rest of the book to what happened when those girls entered English society, at a time when the world around them slowly, but irreversibly descended into World War II.

Thompson tells their story with verve and objectiveness, never trying to exonerate their choices. The background information the reader needs to navigate the lives of these girls, is seamlessly woven into the story. For her research she interviewed the two then living sisters Diana and Deborah and some of the Mitford sister's children. She makes use of these interviews by incorporating them in the story, together with quotes from the copious correspondence between the sisters. This enlivens the text with gems of Mitford witticisms.

The book makes for compelling reading and I would recommend it to anyone even slightly interested in the Mitfords.

Using the epub version of the book, I was rather disappointed with the index and the notes. The index was a perfect but unlinked back-of-the-book index. The notes had the same problem, they were not linked to the notes at the back of the book and if you forgot to bookmark your page, it was a hassle to get back to the page you were reading.

The audio book is read by Maggie Mash, who has a very pleasant voice. I found some of her impersonations a bit over the top.

When reading the sub-title of the book, my first thought was: someone has come up with another far-fetched idea for an angle on Churchill. After reading the book, however, I have to confess there is nothing fanciful about the idea. Thomas Maier's book is a sound study of the influence Churchill had on JFK, how this came about and its influence on history.

The book focuses first on the two family patriarchs, Winston Churchill and Joe Kennedy. It tells of their shady dealings at the end of the Prohibition era in America, when with the help of Franklin Roosevelt oldest son, Joe brokered a deal to import British liquor to the US. Winston obtained some lucrative stock in two companies controlled by Joe. From that moment onwards the lives of the two families intertwine. Joe and Winston becoming divided over America's entry into World War II. In the end these isolationist views will cost Joe his is political career. The spotlight shifts to the next generation, on the political rise of JFK and the tragic decline of Randolph Churchill into alcoholism, after he tried in vain to hold his own in the shadow of his overpowering father. Maier superbly dissects the role women played in the lives of these powerful man, be it as wives or mistresses. There are vivid profiles of colorful figures like Bernard Baruch, Evelyn Waugh, Aristotle Onassis, Averell Harriman, John Winant and Edward R. Murrow. Although the book is a bit gossipy now and then, it certainly is an important addition to the written history of both families.

I have bought the e-book version when the book became available, together with the audio version. The e-book was a big disappointment, in that the book didn't have any index. How publishers think a reader will be helped by a search function in a book of 714 pages, is beyond me. Can you imagine how many hits there are for Winston? Still more of a problem where the notes. Notes occupy more than 100 pages, but their numbers are not in the text. So while reading a passage you haven't any idea there's a note on the subject. For a well-researched book like this, a sad omission.

The audio book was read by Malcolm Hillgartner, who did a superb job. When a narrator is able to retain your attention for 22 hours, he's certainly doing it right.

It's part memoir, part self-help, but I wonder if it was also a kind of self-help for Hunter Davies to write this. Of course, nothing wrong with that, as it provided me with several pleasurable hours reading it. I have to read the first part of his autobiography now as well, so on to [b:The Co-op's Got Bananas: A Memoir of Growing Up in the Post-War North 28512136 The Co-op's Got Bananas A Memoir of Growing Up in the Post-War North Hunter Davies https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1452529834l/28512136.SY75.jpg 48668890]

After[a:Jacqueline Winspear 5023 Jacqueline Winspear https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/authors/1272389408p2/5023.jpg]' Maisie Dobbs series and [a:Charles Todd 131 Charles Todd https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/authors/1251728768p2/131.jpg]'s Bess Crawford series (I know there's a new one coming out next week), I was afraid I wouldn't find a heroine in the same mold or a series with the same kind of atmosphere, but I think I found a new favourite. I put off starting on [a:Nicola Upson 984417 Nicola Upson https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/authors/1400494637p2/984417.jpg] Jospehine Tey series although I knew the Scottish connection would suite me very well. I was afraid my admiration for Jospehine Tey and her books (my favourites are [b:The Daughter of Time 77661 The Daughter of Time (Inspector Alan Grant, #5) Josephine Tey https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/books/1394326949s/77661.jpg 3222080] and [b:The Franchise Affair 243401 The Franchise Affair (Inspector Alan Grant, #3) Josephine Tey https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/books/1435079717s/243401.jpg 1620751] of which I own much thumbed 50's Penguin pockets) would somehow be tainted by reading about her fictional counterpart. As the first book has as a backdrop the very successful play Richard of Bordeaux, with which I have no bond at all and the second book only mentions the start of the writing process of a new undistinguishable mystery novel, there's little here that could mar my idea of the real writer and her stories. Josephine is depicted as intensely private, as she was in real life, but that doesn't detain her from putting her nose into other people business, to help her friend Archie Penrose solve several murders. In the first book [b:An Expert in Murder 2444787 An Expert in Murder (Josephine Tey, #1) Nicola Upson https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/books/1356455991s/2444787.jpg 2753859] I found that Tey didn't emerge very clearly, but in the second book her character is more defined. In both books the plots are well constructed, although the second one was a wee bit far-fetched. Nevertheless, it kept me on the edge of my chair till the end. I am looking forward to reading the rest of the series and see Tey grow into a more distinct figure.

In all honesty, it should be four stars because for a romance novel it is very well written and full of humour. After seeing the Netflix series of the first Bridgertons book I was intrigued into giving the series a try. That I completed this one says a lot about its quality, but romance novels are certainly not my thing. It is much better to look at all the colourful dresses and magnificent decors than reading about it.

Very clear, concise and, as far as I can judge, an impartial account of the Queen's life. For me as an outsider, it was very enlightening, not only about the Queen but also about the Commonwealth, the honours system and the rules governing the Royal House.The audiobook is very nicely read by the author himself.

It's always such a pleasure to be around Tony McLean, his colleagues and friends, that I try to read slowly and savour every minute of it. But as the books are also very suspenseful this is a difficult task. This book was no exception to the rule. I am already eagerly waiting for the next installment and hope that Emma will play a bigger part in that one. I missed her.

Although I am a huge fan of Ann Cleeves' Vera Stanhope and Shetland stories, I couldn't get drawn into this one. I can't put my finger on it. It could be the reader of the audiobook, it could be that I just wasn't in the mood, but somehow the main characters didn't strike a chord. Halfway through the book, I abandoned it.