Poll

"Patrick Leigh Fermor: An Adventure by Artemis Cooper"

^ I've got hold of this book and have just started it. About 90 pages in and it is wonderful. A perfect BYT read.

#pollwatch

Not looking good for Paddy is it? I may switch my vote. My second choice would be either Alec Waugh or Graham Greene, and it's currently not looking so good for either of them either.

And talking of Paddy...






The Patrick Leigh Fermor Appreciation Society

I started "The Patrick Leigh Fermor Appreciation Society" after reading A Time of Gifts and around a quarter of Patrick Leigh Fermor: An Adventure by Artemis Cooper.

I am already in thrall to Patrick Leigh Fermor.

There seems to be so much to admire about the man: enthusiastic, tolerant, charming, open minded, heroic, passionate, erudite, educated and a great writer. I am sure he had his less attractive qualities however, so far, I am captivated by his many positive characteristics. Whilst I know very little about him, I am already set upon reading all his books and others associated with him and his era and exploits.

If you feel the same, or think you might, then please come and get involved.

Click here for "The Patrick Leigh Fermor Appreciation Society"

While Black Diamonds looks really interesting, my library doesn't have it, so I hope The Last Kaiser stays in the lead!

Seems to be the opposite for me, Jennifer! I think The Last Kaiser might be hard for Brits to get hold of - I just checked Amazon and it is out of print here by the look of things. It's also not on Kindle and used copies start at around £15 including postage - my local library doesn't have it either. It does sound interesting and I'd like to join in if it wins, but just wondering about availability? Has anyone else in the UK had better luck with this one?

My local library only has one copy of Black Diamonds, but that one is on Kindle and in paperback so wouldn't be so difficult. (I did nominate it but am happy to read either!)

PS, it's just struck me that, if The Last Kaiser wins and I can't get hold of it, I could always read a different book about the Kaiser instead and join in the discussion that way - it would be interesting to see how different biogs of him vary.

If it comes to that Judy, there's Kaiser William II by Christopher Clark on kindle for 6.64 (sorry no pound key) and with better ratings than the Last Kaiser. Haven't read it but it looks good. Of course, I'm sure there are many others as well.

It's funny how readily available it is in the US and how difficult to get in the UK. MacDonogh is a British author after all!

Black Diamonds is coming out in the US in paperback and Kindle in December. The only currently available copies here are British imports that are a bit pricy.

It's annoying when the books we want aren't available. I know people are having problems finding Arctic Summer. I bought an expensive copy that turned out to be an uncorrected proof "not for sale." Ha!

Thanks, Barbara, that book by Christopher Clark sounds great and there are some others which look good too, so I would probably take a peek inside before deciding which one to read.

I've done a bit more searching around and have now noticed that an older edition of MacDonogh's book was published in the UK under a slightly different title - 'The Last Kaiser: William the Impetuous'.

This one is out of print too, but a couple of used copies are available much more cheaply at Amazon, starting at only about £3 including postage, so that would be an alternative. It is odd that it isn't more readily available in the UK, as you say!

Barbara, apologies re Black Diamonds - I thought that I'd checked the US Amazon site to make sure it was available, but I must have failed to spot that the copies there were imports. Assuming it doesn't win, I'll renominate it some time next year after it is published there too!

My library has a copy of 'The Last Kaiser: William the Impetuous'. I looked at the catalogues for some other UK libraries and they have it under that title too. None of them have it under The Last Kaiser: The Life of Wilhelm II, so it may not have been released under that title in the UK. (Try searching on author or partial title and it may be there.) It does not seem to have been released in kindle or other ebook format.
Both the leading books look interesting, but it would be better to save Black Diamonds: The Rise and Fall of an English Dynasty for later, when it is available in the US.

Thanks Val, I've searched my local library system under author and sadly they don't have it under either title, but it's good news that some others do. Unfortunately it looks as if both leading titles are likely to cause problems for some members this time round, but maybe the Kaiser will be the less problematic of the two.

Judy wrote: "Barbara, apologies re Black Diamonds - I thought that I'd checked the US Amazon site to make sure it was available, but I must have failed to spot that the copies there were imports. Assuming it do..."

Judy--no apologies necessary. It happens. I'm really looking forward to reading Black Diamonds.

Actually, every one of our nominations this month sounds very interesting. I wish there were more reading time available...

Thanks for that, Barbara. It's true they all sound interesting - I read the Graham Greene book not so long ago, and it is excellent, so I'm sad to see it at the bottom of the poll. A pity we can't all buy some extra reading time from the bookshop!

^ The solution is staring us all in the face.


If everyone changes their vote to.....



"Patrick Leigh Fermor: An Adventure by Artemis Cooper"

...we can all read a great book that is readily available in both the US and the UK.

http://www.amazon.com/Patrick-Leigh-F...

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Patrick-Leigh...

:-)))

In all seriousness, it's a great book. I'm over halfway through. Lots of cross-references to people and events that we've come across in other BYT books we've read together.

#sorted #noneedtothankme #patrickleighfermor #perfectbytbook

^




Patrick Leigh Fermor: An Adventure by Artemis Cooper

Click here for a fantastic (and accurate) review of "Patrick Leigh Fermor: An Adventure" by Artemis Cooper from the Daily Telegraph and written by Jan Morris

He was a good, kind sort of hero anyway, and his life did end on a gentler note, spent largely with his beloved Joan in the house they had built beside the sea in the southern Peloponnese. When she died he divided his time, as was only proper, between Greece and England, and gradually his splendid body failed him. He lost part of his sight, part of his hearing, and in his 96th year he went to his rest beside his wife in Worcestershire.

He is justly commemorated in this magnificent biography, and will surely be remembered for ever as one of the very best of men.


I'm over halfway through now and thoroughly enjoying it - as Jan Morris suggests in her review, this marvellous book is less a mere life story of and more of an evocation.

Nigeyb wrote: "^ The solution is staring us all in the face.


If everyone changes their vote to.....

"Patrick Leigh Fermor: An Adventure by Artemis Cooper"

...we can all read a g..."

Nice try, but no luck, my library doesn't have that one, either! ;)

^ Plenty on Amazon though Jennifer including some reasonably priced second hand paperbacks :-))

It's worth every cent

My library doesn't have The Last Kaiser: The Life of Wilhelm II by Giles MacDonogh. I have found one reasonably priced second hand copy of "The Last Kaiser: William the Impetuous" on Amazon. Is it the same book? Are there any differences?

That does seem to be the title it was published under in the UK Nigey.

Great. Thanks. Not totally sure I'm going to read it. I may focus my attention on the November fiction choice. That said, if I can squeeze this one in as well then I'll go for it. I'd like to find out more about Kaiser Wilhelm II.