Happy Birthday: Nina Simone (born Eunice Kathleen Waymon; February 21, 1933 – April 21, 2003) was an American pianist, singer, songwriter, and civil rights activist. Her music spanned styles including classical, folk, gospel, blues, jazz, R&B, and pop. Her piano playing was strongly influenced by baroque and classical music, especially Johann Sebastian Bach, and accompanied expressive, jazz-like singing in her contralto voice. Rolling Stone named Simone one of the greatest singers on various lists.

The sixth of eight children born into a respected family in North Carolina, Simone initially aspired to be a concert pianist. With the help of a local fund set up in her hometown, she enrolled at Allen High School for Girls, then spent a summer at the Juilliard School of Music in New York City, preparing to apply for a scholarship to study at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia. She failed to gain admission to Curtis, which she attributed to racism. She remained musically active until her death in 2003, a day or two after the institute awarded her an honorary degree.

Early in her career, to make a living, Simone played piano at a nightclub in Atlantic City. She changed her name to "Nina Simone" to disguise herself from family members, having chosen to play "the devil's music" or so-called "cocktail piano". She was told in the nightclub that she would have to sing to her own accompaniment, which effectively launched her career as a jazz vocalist. After making her debut with Little Girl Blue in 1958, she went on to record more than 40 albums up to 1974. She released her first and biggest hit single in the United States in 1959 with "I Loves You, Porgy", which peaked inside the top 20 of the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Simone became known for her work in the civil rights movement during the 1950s and 1960s, and she later left the United States and settled in France following the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. in 1968. She lived and performed in Europe, Africa, and the Caribbean throughout the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. In 1991, Simone published her autobiography, I Put a Spell on You (taking the title from her famous 1965 album), and she continued to perform and attract audiences until her death.

[I *think* I 'discovered' her - and fell in love with her amazing voice - when watching the Luc Besson French noir thriller La Femme Nikita as the assassin was obsessed with her music and played it LOUD all the time. Brilliant.]

Just Finished Reading: Spartacus by Lewis Grassic Gibbon (FP: 1933) [237pp] 

Italy, 73BC. As soon as Kleon heard the news he knew exactly what to do. Taking a knife, he went into his master’s bedroom and calmly slit his throat. Leaving the house and the city he made his way south meeting up with other runaway slaves who were all searching for one man – Spartacus. Even if it was a dream, it was a dream worth having. They were free. For how long no one knew. It would only be a matter of time before the masters came to reclaim their property or, more likely, to kill them all and to destroy for ever the very idea that mere slaves could revolt without paying the ultimate price. Spartacus the man was almost a myth already – the gladiator who had stood against Rome itself. But he was far from alone. The slaves who gathered around him were far from the rabble portrayed across Italy. Many had fought in the arena and many more were both prepared and able to train to fight. It wasn’t long before the slave army had become the Free Legions and had won their first battle against a hastily put together Roman force. Now with more confidence, more weapons and more recruits they needed to decide what to do next. Would it be crossing the border into freedom or an attack on Rome itself? Only Spartacus could decide. 

As a fan of Spartacus himself (mostly because of the badly aged Kirk Douglas film to be honest) and having read a few history books about the fabled slave revolt I jumped at this fictionalisation of the events back in the Roman Republic. Finding out its age and classic status (completely unknown to me) made me want to read it all the more. I was not disappointed. Despite being slightly slow at times and, at least at times, feeling slightly oddly written – I did wonder if the author was going for a mix of ‘modern’ and classical style – this was both a fun and fascinating read.  

Told from several perspectives (mostly from the Free Legions sub-commanders as well as Spartacus himself and the Roman generals who opposed him) this gave a rounded – if fictional – interpretation of events. Interesting for such an old novel there was a ‘meta’ moment were some of the characters wondered how the revolt would be seen in the future and how much of reality would survive the inevitable mythologisation that was already happening! I found that musing, between battles, quite fascinating and mused on it quite a bit. Although there were a handful of battles described – very well I thought – there was much more going on. We saw various nationalities discussing their gods and other beliefs, and we saw friendships form and relationships develop. All of the main characters were well drawn and believable which certainly helped with immersion into the story. Being the time and event in question there are more than a few moments of violent death which might disturb some readers. Whilst not particularly graphic the narrative doesn’t pull every punch so be prepared for more than a little blood and people being nailed to trees. Recommended for any fans of the classical world or of the slave revolt itself. 

Looks like a *mixed* relationship... Not sure if that'd work!

Just Finished Reading: Chickenhawk by Robert Mason (FP: 1983) [399pp] 

Robert Mason wanted to fly for as long as he could remember. Gaining his civilian pilot's licence as soon as he could he still wasn’t satisfied. He wanted to fly helicopters but the only way he could afford that was to be trained by the Army, so he joined up. Despite the worsening situation in SE Asia, he never expected to be sent to Vietnam. That, among other things, just showed his lack of understanding about the world. Within weeks of getting his helicopter pilot's licence he was on his way overseas with a new type of combat unit – the 1st Air Cavalry. For the next 12 months, from August 1965 to July 1966, he would fly over 1,000 combat missions delivering troops into hot LZs (Landing Zones), returning later to pick up the survivors, the wounded and the dead, he would deliver ammunition, food and other supplies to artillery units on lonely hilltops, and he would fly top brass and reporters across the jungle to ‘assess how things were going’. Apart from being an effective member of his squadron and not letting the guys down he had only one driving ambition – to survive his tour (despite everything) and return home to his wife and child. He did (no spoiler here as he wrote this book!) but as a changed man plagued by nightmares and increasing addicted to alcohol and drugs. 

This was a mistake. I had thought, going in, that this was a novel so I could add another Vietnam entry into my fictional world tour. The book turned out to be, however, a personal account of the authors experiences as part of an experimental tactical unit expected to win the war in Vietnam in a matter of months. This was, in many ways, an impressive work. Not only did the author (not a professional writer in any way) convey the reality of modern warfare – the chaos and incompetence at all levels was honestly shocking – but did so in such a way that you could almost imagine sitting in that helicopter with him throughout the narrative. No doubt he pulled his punches from time to time to reduce the grimness of the tale, but what he did end up conveying was bad enough.  

The new ‘Air Cav’ system was expected to be a true war winner. Afterall, the most powerful military in the world was fighting (if you could use that word) a bunch of guys in sandals carried AK-47s, right? How could they possibly lose? Yet much to the surprise of the top brass (although quickly understood by the men on point) not only did the Vietcong not quickly go down to defeat and despondency they not only fought back but fought back effectively – and the US military had little response except more and more troops and more and more firepower. Looking at it with 60 years of hindsight it's easier to see why they failed. Firstly, it was all (effectively) new to the Americans despite their experiences in WW2. On top of that they were trying out, with great hopes, their new lethal toys against a supposedly primitive enemy. Their (actually warranted) arrogance wouldn’t allow them to see problems before they arose or solutions once the problems morphed into an intractable mire. The author related a simple but significant fact – before flying into his first combat zone he, and other pilots and gunners, were promised body armour. This finally arrived SEVEN months into a twelve-month deployment. Apart from logistical incompetence the reason I think this happened was because no one believed that they’d still be involved in the war for 6 months, never mind in excess of 16 YEARS. This level of over confidence (or arrogance) resulted in a lot of unnecessary deaths on all sides.  

I’d read a bit about this war before, watched movies and documentaries and actually remember watching it on the nightly news growing up, but this account was a real eye-opener to the reality on the ground. If you want to be exposed to how things where ‘in country’ from a first-hand perspective this is a very good place to start. Definitely recommended and more from this combat zone to come. 

[Highest page count of the year so far: 399pp][+17pp]

It's all a Fantasy.... 

Despite being originally very much a fan of Science-Fiction, I did periodically dip my toe into the Fantasy realm and I liked it (mostly). Although tales of dragons and swords didn’t manage to push all of my buttons they certainly pushed enough to get me coming back for more. But, over time, I slowly lost interest. But lately I’ve been thinking of trying again – at least to venture into a few books (or even series) per year.  

Fortunately, just as I had been expecting, The Matrix was listening – as it always is – and I was recently presented with a long-form YouTube video where the presenter outlined his plans to read the best 500 Fantasy books of all time. Attached to the video was the list he was intending to work from which I downloaded. Running through it I removed those I’d already read and didn’t want to re-read plus a handful that I have no intention of reading. It still left quite a LOT. Obviously, I have zero intention of working my way through 400+ works of Fantasy, but it has given me some very good ideas of where to re-start my quest. 

Added to this motivation I’ve had a few recent re-encounters with Michael Moorcock and Ursula K LeGuin. I used to be a HUGE Moorcock fan back in the late 70’s/early 80’s and was looking through my paperback collection just yesterday to re-discover what I own. I have three complete trilogies/series of his ready to go as well as most of the Elric and Jerry Cornelius books. I’ll see if I do in fact have the missing books somewhere else, but I might end up going incomplete. I’ve also never read the LeGuin Earthsea books which I’ve heard are highly praised. As a BIG fan of her other work I thought I’d give it/them a try too. 

I’m not expecting a sudden significant influx of Fantasy titles so don’t expect that! I’ll aim at three this year not including Alice in Wonderland which I was already scheduling. I’ll probably start off with something short – and maybe just short stories to be honest – to begin with to see if my desire for more catches fire. We’ll see.    

Happy Birthday: Lucrezia de' Medici (14 February 1545 – 21 April 1561).

[I was struggling to find a birthday person this week until I came across this tragic creature.]

She was a member of the House of Medici and by marriage Duchess consort of Ferrara, Modena and Reggio from 1558 to 1561.

Married to the intended husband of her elder sister Maria, who died young, her marriage was short and unhappy. The Duchess died of pulmonary tuberculosis, but almost immediately after her death there were rumors that she had been poisoned on the orders of her husband. That suspicion inspired the English poet Robert Browning to create a dramatic monologue in verse "My Last Duchess" (1842).

Born in Florence on 14 February 1545, Lucrezia was the fifth child and third daughter of Cosimo I de' Medici, Duke of Florence (and from 1569 Grand Duke of Tuscany), and Eleanor of Toledo. Her paternal grandparents were the famous condottiere Giovanni delle Bande Nere and Maria Salviati (granddaughter of Lorenzo the Magnificent). Her maternal grandparents were Pedro Álvarez de Toledo, Viceroy of Naples, and Maria Osorio, 2nd Marchioness of Villafranca del Bierzo. Lucrezia was named after her great-grandmother Lucrezia de' Medici (1470–1553) (mother of Maria Salviati).

From childhood, Lucrezia's parents sought suitable marriage candidates for their daughters. From 1549 to 1550, it was planned that Lucrezia would be married to Don Pedro de Aragona y Cardona, 3rd Duke of Montalto. Then in 1552 she was betrothed to Fabio Dal Monte, a nephew of Pope Julius III, but the engagement was canceled after the death of the Pope in 1555.

In 1557, as a sign of reconciliation between Ercole II d'Este, Duke of Ferrara (who held a pro-French position), and King Philip II of Spain, it was decided that Alfonso d'Este, Hereditary Prince of Ferrara, would marry Maria de' Medici, the eldest daughter of Cosimo I, an ally of Spain. However, Maria died shortly thereafter and Lucrezia took her place.

Once in Ferrara, the already frail Duchess spent almost all her time in her rooms. Less than a year after her arrival, on 21 April 1561, she died, after suffering a month of fever, severe weight loss, constant coughing and a permanently bleeding nose. According to Dr. Andrea Pascvali, sent from Florence to the Duchess by her father, Alfonso was concerned about Lucrezia's state of health during the entire period of her illness. An autopsy by the same doctor revealed that the Duchess had died of "putrid fever"; modern historians believe that her death was caused by pulmonary tuberculosis. Despite this, after her death, there were rumors that she had been poisoned.

Shocked at the death of the young Duchess, Bronzino dedicated a posthumous sonnet to her. Lucrezia is also the heroine of the dramatic monologue in verse, "My Last Duchess" by Robert Browning, first published under the title "Italy" in 1842, and under the more well-known title in 1845. She is also the subject of the 2022 novel The Marriage Portrait by award-winning author Maggie O'Farrell. Inspired by Browning's poem, her marriage to Alfonso is the subject of Gabrielle Kimm's 2010 novel His Last Duchess.

Happy St Valentine's Day.... Go hug a loved one!

Happy World Radio Day... Tune in and drop off... 

Just Finished Reading: Three Tang Dynasty Poets [53pp] 

I wasn’t expecting to review a booklet of 8th century Chinese poets today. What I was expecting to review was a short selection of avant-garde works by Gertrude Stein on Food. But just a few pages into that I decided that it was essentially unreadable, or at least that I valued my time/effort in excess of what was required to power my way through her (very) short work. Life is too short and my review pile too small for that sort of thing – so here we are. I had promised myself that I would read ALL of the Penguin short classics, but I have failed. [sobs] Life, and reading, however, goes on. 

THIS short booklet held the works of three poets (from 8th century China) and broke down into three main themes – nature, the missing of/longing for a separated loved one and a few tales of combat from this rather violent age. Generally, I much preferred the nature poems. 

I think the one I liked best was actually the first one – Song of the Peach Tree Spring – where a fisherman stumbles upon an idyllic hidden community and is so entranced that he decides to live there permanently only to discover he can’t find his way back.  

As I’ve said several times now, poetry just isn’t my thing. There has been a vanishing few that have captivated my attention (some of which I memorised, at least in part, decades ago and can still recall with a bit of effort) but generally I see them – much like comic books – as just too short or ephemeral to appreciate. I guess my brain just doesn’t work that way. 

No doubt in either of the boxsets I’m presently working my way through there will be more poetry works to try to engage with. I wonder if any of them will ‘stick’?     

Translated from the Chinese by G W Robinson and Arthur Cooper 

Erm.... 'Drama free'? I really don't think this person has had a cat in their life before......... 

Just Finished Reading: 1946 – The Making of the Modern World by Victor Sebestyen (FP: 2014) [382pp] 

The celebrations were short-lived. The war was over but the dying, the hunger, the desperation continued. Across Europe, especially so in Germany, much had been destroyed. Many houses had fallen, power where it existed at all was intermittent at best, sewers had been smashed, hospitals lay in ruins and roads were only slowly becoming passable. As if the populations of central Europe needed any additional suffering, they realised all too well that winter was coming. Meanwhile, in vast areas of the devastated Soviet Union, millions had died and millions more did not know if they would survive to see years end. In the Far East, fighting continued in China in a resurgent Civil War whilst the survivors of defeated Japan struggled with food shortages and the shame of defeat. The global war was over but things, if anything, had gotten worse for many. 

A world war may have ended in 1945 but a new world, the world we live in today, began for many in 1946. With the battered but triumphant Soviet Union taking control of its occupied territories the conditions we now know as the Cold War began to take shape. US President Truman was becoming aware that America falling back into glorious isolation was not an option as the Soviets pushed forward at every opportunity and the Europeans had little power to resist. The US also saw that it could not, and would not, simply abandon Japan to its fate especially with the Soviets and now the Chinese becoming threats to US power projection.  

In the Middle East the Jewish settlements in Palestine were advocating for more say in their future and for unrestricted Jewish immigration especially with the growing realisation of the enormity of the Holocaust. Some groups advocated for independence and were both able and willing to use violence to achieve it. The British, meanwhile, had neither the resources nor the stomach for a fight. Likewise, in India, the British were determined to leave with almost unseemly haste to save money and its shrinking Imperial reputation. Many would die in the process of creating the three nations of Israel, India and Pakistan and the consequences of those fights would still be with us more that 70 years later. 

I had a fair idea that the end of the Second World War was bad and that the recovery was both long and hard. I had little appreciation of the levels of suffering – globally – of SO many people as the political and geographical tectonic plates shifted into a world more recognisably modern. The fact that MILLIONS of people in Europe alone (mostly German) were forced from their homes at gunpoint and at very short notice, pointed towards the border and told to leave or die is enough to give anyone pause. The fact that many thousands of people were housed in the concentration camps they had so far survived in because the Allies had nowhere else to put them again gives you pause. The best thing that could be said is that at least they got better food if not always better conditions and that it was ‘temporary’. The word GRIM just doesn’t do it justice. 

World War Two may have officially ended in 1945 but the suffering continued LONG after the guns finally stopped. The results in Europe, the East, the Middle East and the Far East still live with us today in the memories of those who lived through it and the headlines we see every day. This was an awesome work of modern history. Not only did I learn a great deal (I’ve hardly touched on much of the book) but it reset some of my thinking about the aftermath of the war. I’ll definitely be reading more about the post-1945 period and more by this excellent author. I already own his work on 1956 Hungary and will be collecting his other works too. Very Highly recommended and a highlight of the year. 

I was going to be jumping ahead to the 1960's next but plans change! so, on to the 1970's....

[Highest page count of the year so far: 382pp][+9pp]

Happy World Pizza Day...! Go get a slice!

7 Things I LOVE about Books 

Marian, over @ Classics Considered, has ‘challenged’ me to list 7 (oddly specific!) things I love about books. After MUCH musing on the topic as well as sleeping on it here they are: 

1. As a lifelong fan of the English language – the only one I can read in – I do love discovering new words. Mostly I can get them from context and their similarity to other, known, words but sometimes I need to look them up and LEARN things! FUN. 

2. One of the pleasures of reading Classics is coming across ODD spellings of words and realise that the accepted spelling of things is a VERY recent phenomena. That alone is interesting to contemplate. 

3. Most of the time characters in books are there to move the story, the narrative, forward and that’s about it. Even when they excel at this function, they’re pretty much pawns being moved around the board by the author who, to mix my metaphors here, are clearly pulling their strings. But sometimes, rarely, you come across a REAL character who is clearly above the string-pulling business and is, mixing again, the captain of their own ship/story. It's as if the character is living the adventure and the ‘author’ is simply documenting it. I LOVE that so much it's difficult to put into words and I’ve probably only come across that sort of thing a handful of times.  

4. One thing I discovered recently – this year in fact – was how much I really enjoy animal characters in novels. I don’t mean in Fantasy or even SF where the animal is a character in the story just like the humans (and aliens) around them, but an animal as we would recognise them. In both Death and the Penguin by Andrey Kurkov (where the penguin - Misha - was an important plot element) and The Half Life of Valery K by Natasha Pulley (where the octopus – Albert – was very much a side character) I loved the way that the creature was a REAL person despite not being human and being mute. Both characters had personality and a well-earned place in the story.  

5. As I’m always looking for things to learn and new avenues to explore, I always like it whenever a novel presents a person, place or event that was previously unknown to or unconsidered by, me so I’m prompted to dig in the archives looking for non-fiction books on the subject/topic. It's ONE reason why my TBR is HUGE.  

6. I’m one of THOSE people who will drop a quote at the drop of a hat. Which means that I look out for them and ‘collect’ them whenever possible. Sometimes they’re from movies but also from books – fiction & non-fiction. Then all I need to do is wait for the appropriate moment and DROP it.  

7. I suppose, like most people, I often think that my ideas and perspective on the world is unique to me. Afterall, I’m unique, right? So, when I read a passage in a book that I could well have written which EXACTLY matches my beliefs, my thoughts and my deepest philosophical ideas it knocks me – metaphorically at least – off my feet. There’s almost nothing better than to discover that an author who might be LONG dead, from another country, has had the very same thought as you and that it has come into your life. LOVE it. It almost makes you believe in Fate. 

Happy Birthday: Charles John Huffam Dickens (7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English novelist, journalist, short story writer and social critic. He created some of literature's best-known fictional characters, and is regarded by many as the greatest novelist of the Victorian era. His works enjoyed unprecedented popularity during his lifetime and, by the 20th century, critics and scholars had recognised him as a literary genius. His novels and short stories are widely read today.

Born in Portsmouth, Dickens left school at age 12 to work in a boot-blacking factory when his father John was incarcerated in a debtors' prison. After three years, he returned to school before beginning his literary career as a journalist. Dickens edited a weekly journal for 20 years; wrote 15 novels, five novellas, hundreds of short stories and nonfiction articles; lectured and performed readings extensively; was a tireless letter writer; and campaigned vigorously for children's rights, education and other social reforms.

Dickens's literary success began with the 1836 serial publication of The Pickwick Papers, a publishing phenomenon—thanks largely to the introduction of the character Sam Weller in the fourth episode—that sparked Pickwick merchandise and spin-offs. Within a few years, Dickens had become an international literary celebrity, famous for his humour, satire and keen observation of character and society. His novels, most of them published in monthly or weekly instalments, pioneered the serial publication of narrative fiction, which became the dominant Victorian mode for novel publication. Cliffhanger endings in his serial publications kept readers in suspense. The installment format allowed Dickens to evaluate his audience's reaction, and he often modified his plot and character development based on such feedback. For example, when his wife's podiatrist expressed distress at the way Miss Mowcher in David Copperfield seemed to reflect her own disabilities, Dickens improved the character with positive features. His plots were carefully constructed and he often wove elements from topical events into his narratives. Masses of the illiterate poor would individually pay a halfpenny to have each new monthly episode read to them, opening up and inspiring a new class of readers.

His 1843 novella A Christmas Carol remains especially popular and continues to inspire adaptations in every creative medium. Oliver Twist and Great Expectations are also frequently adapted and, like many of his novels, evoke images of early Victorian London. His 1853 novel Bleak House, a satire on the judicial system, helped support a reformist movement that culminated in the 1870s legal reform in England. A Tale of Two Cities (1859; set in London and Paris) is regarded as his best-known work of historical fiction. The most famous celebrity of his era, he undertook, in response to public demand, a series of public reading tours in the later part of his career. The term Dickensian is used to describe something that is reminiscent of Dickens and his writings, such as poor social or working conditions, or comically repulsive characters.

Impressive from Ukraine (no surprise) and Finland.... I thought Poland would be higher though...

Just Finished Reading: Paris Noir – Capital Crime Fiction edited by Maxim Jakubowski (FP: 2007) [332pp] 

As a LONG time fan of noir movies, I couldn’t help but pick this one up. That plus I’m a confirmed fan of French classic crime novel and am quite fond of the city in question too! This was a collection of 18 short stories all based in and around the city of Paris. Being noir (dark!) and modern they contained a wide range of crimes, drugs, some (not too explicit) sex and a scattering of swear words (again nothing particularly outstanding). The general tone was oppressive, hopeless, dark – as you might expect.  

We have racist cops beating up immigrants in ‘Bar Fight’ by Jason Starr, teenage drug gangs fighting over turf in ‘The Lookout’ by Marc Villard, another group of teenage buskers getting in way over their heads in ‘New Shoes’ by John Williams, secrets left over from the Occupation in ‘The Redhead’ by Cara Black and sleazy business deals in ‘Paris Calling’ by Jean-Hugues Oppel. 

By far the strangest story – and I have no idea how (or why) it made it into the collection – was ‘The Flaneur of Les Arcades de I’Opera’ by Michael Moorcock. Although, largely, based in Paris this didn’t really (at all!) fit the noir definition. It was, indeed, far more fantasy with just a hint of science-fiction. Those familiar with Moorcock’s work would have immediately recognised a host a familiar avatar of Elric (complete with possessed sword) and Jerry Cornelius. The plot revolved around a group of Nazi terrorists – the survivors of the failed invasion of Poland – attempting to regain power using supernatural objects taken from various places in the larger Multiverse. So.... a VERY different and unexpected story from the rest of the collection. I couldn’t help but wonder if the editor knows Moorcock or if he was under some kind of contractual obligation to him to explain its insertion. However, apart from being a fun (if rather ODD) story it did prompt me to look at my own Moorcock collection and muse on re-reading some of them. I’d also been thinking recently about getting back into the fantasy genre so this might be an opportunity to do both. We’ll see how it goes! Maybe its the Universe/Multiverse trying to tell me something.... [grin] 

Overall, this was a solid collection of (mostly) crime related stories in a much darker ‘City of Light’. He’s apparently collected a similar set of tales based in London and I’ll be looking out for that. I’m also aware of a whole set of classic and modern tales of crime from cities across the world which could be an easy win for my fictional travel project [muses]. Again, we’ll see. Recommended if you’re looking for a bit of darkness in your life.  

Seems OK to me....!

Absolutely PERFECT!