White Eagle, Red Star: The Polish-Soviet War 1919-20 by Norman Davies Paperback
16 Oct, 2022
The definitive account
Absolutely first rate, unbiased,account of the campaign and politics surrounding it. Only drawback is that it is a pre-digital publication so that thew quality of reproduction of maps and photos looks poor compared to a 21st century publication.
The Levanter: 1 (No Exit Press 18 Years Classic),Eric Ambler
22 Dec, 2023
Excellent thriller set in familiar Arab-Israeli conflicts
This is one of Eric Ambler's best and, decades on, resonates remarkably well as the Israeli/Palestine struggle erupts yet again. The depiction of the main wily character is absolutely first class. A thoroughly well-crafted and enjoyable read.
Rob Roy Macgregor: His Life And Times (Canongate)-W.H. Murray
09 Sep, 2022
Fascinating reality of clan politics
Murray mined a surprisingly large amount of source material to explore the reality of the man and his environment. Before the Scottish enlightenment, the country outside the cities was pretty feudal and clan relationships paramount, which explains the shifting loyalties of the times.One is left with the author's genuine respect for Rob Roy as a man of strong character, despite the shenanigans he got up to - the deathbed confession to his priest (a late conversion, typical of his shrewdness) must indeed have been quite a tale!