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A giant work

This might be the greatest book in American literature but for me (as a modern writer) it falls short of that preposterous title.

What this work can claim to be is an incredible effort by the author to encompass and represent everything it was ever worth knowing about whaling voyages and on the way, make very lucid observations on mankind.

My only problem, and hence the four stars instead of five, is with the subject matter. The exploitation and destruction of whale populations is one of man's many shameful acts. I was so pleased when Moby Dick won the battle in the end, and in taking down the ship, got revenge for the millions of his kind that perished.

I realise I'm approaching this with an ecological mind which did not exist when the book was written, but I can only be here and now.

If you like a lengthy read with lots of description, then this will be for you. It is indeed a classic in so many ways.

I wasn't impressed with the cover of my paperback.  A humpback whale on a book about a sperm whale.  Annoying.

Educating and entertaining.

This is in an depth study of the birds. Recommended if you want to know more than the obvious basics. The pictures are large and colourful. Educating and entertaining.

It was published in 1990 so it lacks recent information on conservation and the increasing perils faced by climate change but it is a perfect record of the natural history of prey birds as well as a complete record of all that happened to that date.

Read and learn.

Challenging

I really wanted to read this to try to get a better perspective of sexual abuse in an era so complicated by hype. I was not disappointed. The author has put great effort into getting balance and in so doing has captured the incredible complexities.

These felt like real characters, you can understand them and at the same time be perplexed. This is how I am about people in general. This book highlights how flawed we all are, constricted by history and convention, to ready to slap on labels without proper understanding.

It makes you think a lot about your own attitudes and how you might react in the same circumstances. Unfortunately, the answer is a little uncomfortable to face.

I'd mark this as an essential read for anyone but be warned. It challenges your assumptions and there is no simple, happy conclusion.

Why I wrote Seven Days

The idea behind my book 'Seven Days' started when I decided to set myself the challenge of creating a gripping tale in a short timescale after the near century I covered in the previous book.

I also wanted the story to centre on one small community to add to the intensity.  I opted for a strong, young female lead who blamed themselves for the crisis and had an interesting mix of confidence and naivety.

If you want to find out more this is the link to the book. 
https://www.chriscloake.co.uk/seven-days

A colourful journey

Stephen Fry takes us on a colourful journey through the tales and myths of ancient Greek heroes. Some of the stories I knew, or thought I knew. Others were an incredible surprise.

The text is lifted by his superb grasp of the English language. At no point does the book drag or merely seem to be telling us stuff for the sake of it. I will admit to getting confused and have trouble remembering all the names and places. He alludes to the problem himself and has included a comprehensive list of characters at the back.

There appears to be nothing the gods and heroes weren't capable of. Incest, infanticide, murder, bestiality come at you thick and fast.

I would recommend this for entertainment alone but is also a great source of ideas and inspiration for your own stories. And so much of what went on has been carried down in names and sayings into our media fixated society. Long live the legends!

A lot more to learn

Everyone at some point has stood under the stars and wondered about our place in it all.

This book helps with that journey. The universe is incredible and our fascination since we first began to evolve has grown. Now we are discovering more and more, opening doors held closed by outdated theories and the constraints of religion.

I loved how the harder scientific aspects were made easier by great graphics and photographs. A companion to the tv series, I would recommend watching the matching programme after each chapter.

A must in these radical times of personal focus. It's a big universe. Look up from the phone and search for some answers.