|
Post by biffa on Jun 11, 2008 21:15:37 GMT 1
Totally why I joined NFOE all those years ago, I read Mont and Wolf then the entire Eckert series, I found at one point I was reading one page an hour just to string them out. The best review I can give them is this: The fiction is only fictional in so far as cement in a brick wall isn't the bricks. The solid, true and brilliantly researched and documented personal details and accounts used in the book (bricks) are strung together by the clever use of fiction, usually that is only a bit of a switch in time or the reflections or actions of an individual when there is no historical accounts or witness testimonal. Some of his accounts of individuals span gaps of decades but still he manages to write a sub story about them that is consistent, immersive and interesting. I found them utterly compelling, the last time I read them I found no serious bending of the truth, though I did read them almost 10 years ago, but even now I remember how much of an impact they had on me. From a cold start the series converted me from someone who honestly found the whole French accendancy peroid totally boring to an avid fan who would prefer to reenacted this peroid rather than any other.
|
|
|
Post by Lucille on Jun 24, 2009 11:06:50 GMT 1
'Louisbourg Portraits, Life in an eighteenth-century garrison town' by Christopher Moore (Macmillan of Canada, 1982).
One for my fellow Frenchy-philes! It's absolutely jam-packed with fascinating info...note to self, must start bringing salted cod and sapinette 'spruce beer' to events. oh, and watery wine, too! Yum!
|
|
|
Post by Admin(Lepoir) on Jun 25, 2009 16:29:32 GMT 1
We never quite manage to find enough water to put in our wine, shame. Also we seem to live mainly on Pork in various forms in the Artillery camp. Salted cod may improve our trigonometry homework
|
|
|
Post by Lucille on Jun 27, 2009 12:37:50 GMT 1
Well, when water's as bad as it is...you'd be daft to start meddling with your wine; it'd be suicide! Anyway, doesn't wine count towards your five a day?
The listed ingredients for spruce beer includes a generous glug of brandy (must be the French version). I don't remember that bit from when Steve, Span and I made spruce beer at Gilbert White's. Even more reason to join the Frenchies then! Yippeee!
|
|
|
Post by Admin(Lepoir) on Aug 14, 2009 12:33:05 GMT 1
On the trip over to Quebec we were pretty dissapointed by any publishing frenzy to cash in on the 250th anniversary and found that there really aren't that many books that they bother to publish in English!
However I did pick up Levis journals (in French) and an excellent lavishly illustrated hard back on Coureurs de Bois (in French).
The pick of the English books were Quebec 1759 by CP Stacey. This was published in 1959 for the 200th anniversary and is thoroughly researched from primary sources and goes along way towards cutting through the bull and myth of Victorian historians. Well written without waffle and with extra material in this 2006 edition, the author is an army historian and draws a lot of valuable parallels to his army experience. A good light read but crammed with useful info is Alan Greer's People of New France. Written as an undergraduate text book. Don't let that put you off though it is written in a lively fashion and gives a good overview of the social strata with special emphasis to the clergy, women and native peoples within New France. Both are available from Amazon at probably a lot less than I paid for them over there!
|
|
|
Post by steve stanley on Aug 14, 2009 20:24:08 GMT 1
Still got a Stacey I picked up in a library sale years ago...... Steve
|
|
|
Post by Braddock on Dec 1, 2009 21:29:51 GMT 1
Hi!
As a Birthday Present, my workmates bought me a copy of "Death or Victory" by Dan Snow (Harper Press).
Opinions, anyone?
|
|
|
Post by jfdiow on Dec 2, 2009 10:25:24 GMT 1
It was on John Rawlinson's desk at Quebec House (signed copy) so I'm presuming it's not bad, and Dan Snow includes a lot of sources. All reviews I can find are positive.
Hope that helps! (and your workmates are a good bunch)
Judith
|
|
|
Post by redders on Dec 2, 2009 12:41:59 GMT 1
Look out for when the latest Dan Snow documentary airs I'm looking forward to getting the book )
|
|
|
Post by tod on Dec 2, 2009 16:27:16 GMT 1
I've heard that the French in it are very good.
|
|
|
Post by redders on Dec 3, 2009 11:34:22 GMT 1
Troublemaker!!!
|
|
|
Post by tod on Dec 3, 2009 12:10:17 GMT 1
You called?
|
|
|
Post by markp on Dec 3, 2009 13:33:27 GMT 1
Hi! As a Birthday Present, my workmates bought me a copy of "Death or Victory" by Dan Snow (Harper Press). Opinions, anyone? I read it on holiday last month and thought it was a good book.
|
|
|
Post by Braddock on Dec 3, 2009 21:59:47 GMT 1
Cheers chaps; Ill get stuck in!
Any other new releases worth reading?
|
|
|
Post by markp on Dec 3, 2009 23:06:52 GMT 1
|
|