A Max Hastings classic. Recounts the March of the Das Reich Panzer Division from the Dordogne to Normandy on early June 1944 along the way perpetrating the massacre at Oradour Sur Glane, one of the worst outrages of the Western Front.
Interesting discussion too on Montgomery’s view on Sinn Feiners and comparisons with the French Resistance.
Anything on the makeup of the das Reich by nationality?
Mostly German mate.
Agassi’s autobiography is a great bit of stuff
And check out this book review from that staple of pseud’s corner
" Divided in three sections – “The Return of the 70s”, “Hauntology” and “The Stain of Place” – the book opens with a bravura genealogy of the titular 1981 song by art-glam band Japan, which would later echo in the “darkside jungle” music of the 90s that Fisher feverishly celebrates (“a libidinisation of anxiety itself… a kind of sonic fictional intensification and extrapolation of the neoliberal world’s destruction of solidarity and security”), and in the muggy, cannabinoidal, gender-melting music of Tricky. A sublime piece on Joy Division perceives in that endlessly mythologised band the terrible culmination of rock’s death-drive, their music a Schopenhauerian conduit leading beyond the Veil of Maya to a dread realm of absolute truth"
On another man’s wound
I should have got that alright. I’m 50 pages into the biography half written by his son and it reads like it was written by an excitable 12 year old, it’s very simplistic.
That’s probably the best autobiography written about the Independence era. Great book.
On both of your recommendations I’ll definitely get that now. He’s a fascinating character.
@Fagan_ODowd I finished the Ferriter book - A Nation and not a Rabble: The Irish Revolution 1913 - 1923.
I know you’re not a fan of his and he’s not the most interesting of writers, but it’s a good book, without any real agenda.
The latter part deals with commemoration and it would be interesting to se an updated version after this year to reflect on the last few years commemorations.
The last part is a passionate (by his standards) defence of history as a school subject and I can only agree with him.
You’ll have even more disdain for Kilkennyites after you read the O’Malley book.
Ferriter writes history books that can be enjoyed by the man on the street, I think he’s a brilliant writer, almost a national gem
Brilliant is a bit of a stretch, functional would be a more apt description.
His strength is his research and the perspectives he presents.
I likes doing reading with his books
Yep- good one about Peadar O’Donnell aswell
@backinatracksuit - I can’t find the post but I just finished reading Running with the Kenyans on your recommendation. Very enjoyable read. Just downloaded 2 more books by the same author on Ultra Running and some Japanese crowd he followed who do ultra endurance running
29:00 onwards. EO’M might have been a good writer but he was full of it as regards Kilkenny.
That’s a good one alright, the Japanese one isn’t as good as it but it’s very interesting, the Ekiden races are fascinating, explains why there’s such an abundance of elite Marathon runners in Japan.
You’d love ‘Two Hours’ by Ed Caesar, that’s a brilliant book about marathon running
I have it downloaded to read, along with another one about a lad who goes and lives with the Ethiopians which I’ve just started
