mort Posted April 2, 2013 Share Posted April 2, 2013 Threads merged. Please don't start multiple threads on the same subject Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 2, 2013 Share Posted April 2, 2013 Sorry had more interesting replies in main room than here. ... Might have helped if you'd started off by specifying what subjects you are and aren't interested in... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikem8634 Posted April 2, 2013 Share Posted April 2, 2013 Thanks. Checked this out. Buying. Happy to help - it's heartbreaking. Very different but also a good one is Hell's Angels by Hunter Thompson "California, Labor Day weekend...early, with ocean fog still in the streets, outlaw motorcyclists wearing chains, shades & greasy Levis roll out from damp garages, all-night diners & cast-off one-night pads in Frisco, Hollywood, Berdoo & East Oakland, heading for the Monterey peninsula, north of Big Sur...The Menace is loose again." Thus begins Hunter S. Thompson's vivid account of his experiences with California's most no-torious motorcycle gang, the Hell's Angels. In the mid-60s, Thompson spent almost two years living with the controversial Angels, cycling up & down the coast, reveling in the anarchic spirit of their clan, &, as befits their name, raising hell. His book successfully captures a singular moment in American history, when the biker lifestyle was 1st defined, & when such countercultural movements were electrifying & horrifying America. Thompson, the creator of Gonzo journalism, writes with his usual bravado, energy & brutal honesty, & with a nuanced & incisive eye; as The New Yorker pointed out, "For all its uninhibited & sardonic humor, Thompson's book is a thoughtful piece of work." As illuminating now as when originally published in '67, Hell's Angels is a gripping portrait, the best account we have of the truth behind an American legend. http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10882.Hell_s_Angels Personally I prefer Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas but that is not exactly factual. My wife also says that you can't go wrong with David Niven's autobiography The Moon's a Balloon but I've not got around to it myself. http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57778.The_Moon_s_a_Balloon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mister M Posted April 3, 2013 Share Posted April 3, 2013 I'm not a huge fan of factual books much prefer novels, but of the ones I've read a few stand out: The Way Things Work, David Macaulay. I've not got a scientific or logical mind but this book explains a lot in a simple straightfoward way (with good illustrations too)! Who Runs This Place: The Anataomy of Britain in the 21st Century, Anthony Sampson. A clear and concise guide to The Establishment. He's been writing about the various movers and shakers for the last 40 years, very knowledgeable. Ways of Seeing, John Berger. Based on the BBC TV series of the same name, a bit dry but increadibly influental and rewarding Flyfishing, JRR Hartley Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allen Posted April 3, 2013 Share Posted April 3, 2013 If you fancy a novel based on fact, among the millions out there try any of the ""Dick Francis" books most are based on fact, or WW11 again "Sven Hassel" WW11 from the other side, though a little further from the actual events (I think) I've read many of "Dick Francis" books and doubt they are based on FACT. Yes, a good read, always with a background of horse racing..... based on life experiences, but not truely factual. The same can be said about the many "Catherine Cookson" books. Based on life experiences in the deprived North at the time, but still a good read. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WeX Posted April 3, 2013 Share Posted April 3, 2013 A brief History of time? Some of the Egyptian mystery books are pretty interesting. The history of Ramses II is very good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jfish1936 Posted April 3, 2013 Share Posted April 3, 2013 I enjoyed "Our Kind" by Marvin Harris "Who we are, where we came from & where we are going" "The evolution of human life & culture" It starts with evolution of humanity, and proceeds to examine how cultures and civilisations developed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quisquose Posted April 3, 2013 Share Posted April 3, 2013 Only sorta factual, but enjoyable nonetheless: An Utterly Impartial History of Britain: (or 2000 Years Of Upper Class Idiots In Charge) John O'Farrell Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gnvqsos Posted April 3, 2013 Share Posted April 3, 2013 Ian Duncan Smith-Down and out in Mayfair and Picadilly. The story of one mans attempt to buy three square meals in this district in a single day with a mere £53.There are original menus and bills included as evidence.You may find the evening meal rather moving as the Quiet Man has to leave the table with neither the cheeseboard nor the coffee and After Eights,with just 33 pence left to tip the sedan chair carriers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alchresearch Posted April 3, 2013 Share Posted April 3, 2013 Pies and Prejudice by Stuart Maconie. Makes you proud to be Northern. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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