The War At Troy/ Lindsay Clarke

A most intricate and detailed telling of the Trojan War. Mr Clarke sure knows his Homer and you will really get to know those fabled mortals and gods that masterminded and acted this drama.
The problem of that pesky Golden Apple* that Eris, sister of the war god Ares, sent to the wedding feast of Peleus and Thetis as a gift (*the inscription was "To The Fairest" and it caused no end of problems and arguments in Olympus) because she alone was not invited comes into play as Paris is asked to make judgement as to who is the fairest among Hera, Athena and Aphrodite. All three goddesses made promises to Paris to induce him to chose but it was Aphrodite who showed him the face of Helen of Troy - and so was beguiled by her. The Story of the war and of Odysseus’ Trojan Horse has been told many times but the detail and background of the characters is fascinating: Helen - when Zeus saw the wife of the king of Sparta, Leda, Zeus changed into a swan, seduced Leda and sired the beautiful Helen. Paris - also beautiful is the son of Priam and Hecuba and brother of Hector and the dire forecaster, Cassandra. Because of a message from the gods, Paris ,an infant, was left to die in the woods but was suckled by a she bear and lived to eventually claim his birth right. Achilles, Menelaus, they are all there and we have a lively story. It is interesting that Alessandro Baricco (author of "Silk") wrote "An Illiad" not too long ago.

The Ghost/ Robert Harris

A very interesting and sometimes exciting novel about a British writer who is cajoled into "ghost writing" the biography of the very recently retired Prime Minister, Adam Lang, after the man originally hired to do the job is found dead from drowning under what might be considered mysterious circumstances. The author, clearly, has Tony Blair in mind as he deals with the question of why the Prime Minister embraced the Bush administration’s policies at every turn at great political risk to himself and to the dismay of the people of Great Britain. In his novel, Harris echoes those who think there might have been some obligatory reasons for the Prime Minister’s persistent allegiance to the US and he attempts a somewhat sinister motive that involves the American CIA.

The new ghost writer tells the story in first person; Lang and his wife have secluded themselves (with security and entourage) at Martha’s Vineyard in the home of a wealthy publisher to work on his memoirs. He has been offered the unheard of sum of ten million dollars for the finished product. Soon after our new ghost writer and narrator arrives at the estate , the International Criminal Court of the Hague announces to the world that they have indicting evidence to support an investigation into the former Prime Minister’s collusion with the CIA in the capture and mistreatment (torture-water boarding) of some terrorist suspects. While this would seem to put the memoirs into a cocked hat, the publisher, seeing a marketing opportunity, puts pressure on the writer to finish his work even sooner than planned.
The Lang team persuades Lang to go to Washington to seek support from powerful congress people and the administration. This turns out to be a bad move in the eyes of the Brits who think he should have come home and seek the support of his own people.

The ghost writer has now examined the notes and research of his predecessor and has interviewed Lang and his wife. There are things that need explaining; when he finds, on the back of a photograph, the cell phone number of Lang’s most critical and dangerous political opponent, he violates the neutral position a ghost writer must take and begins an investigation. The investigation and subsequent interviews reveal Lang’s close association with the CIA, and the writer begins to suspect that the former writer was following the same trail and was killed because of the things he learned. So the novel works it way on to a thriller with a tidy and interesting climax. In this story, the PM has an affair with a member of his cabinet and the PM’s wife has a one night stand with our ghost writer

I think it was a good read; Harris was politically involved with Tony Blair as he rose to become Prime Minister.

Biking and Swimming Stats

It has been some eighteen months, now since I had my knees replaced and I am pleased that I have pedaled 800 miles in mostly 10 to 15 mile trips. I achieved my goal of a 30 mile ride: I am swimming 1200 yards and set a goal for 1750. The new knees are part of me now so there will be no need to talk about them further. I am most grateful to Doctor Craig Ferrell , as fine a surgeon and human being I ever had the pleasure of knowing and those who supported me through the recovery.

Those Three Remain/ Pamela Aiden

I am posting this as a reference for a fellow Jane Austen admirer

Ms Aidan is a librarian and long time fan of Jane Austen. So much so that she wrote a trilogy
giving more color and depth and history to the characters of "Pride and Prejudice" and even made up a few more people. As usual, I found and read the last in her series subtitled "Fitzwilliam Darcy - Gentleman".

This novel picks up the story when Mr. Darcy makes his horribly stupid proposal to Elizabeth Bennet and he is, of course rejected. Darcy decides that he must change his attitude and ways and become a person that Ms Bennet could admire and, perhaps, love. The novel is fair and faithful to Jane Austin’s work and includes many of the original, poignant passages but it also creates some reasonable scenarios and details relating to what Darcy actually did to help the Bennet family (all for the love of Elizabeth) and gives plausible answers to questions one might have about what went through Darcy’s mind. I enjoyed it a lot probably because I liked the original novel so much. I will not, however, go back to the earlier novels of the trilogy.

The Desert Crucible/ Zane Grey

After finishing my last post about "Lonigan" I want to tell about another Western author who is another favorite. You, really, should read "Riders" first

After the wild success of "Riders of The Purple Sage", Zane Grey was asked to write a sequel. He did so in 1915 but his publishers edited the story and removed parts that they thought would offend certain readers or, perhaps, outside groups put pressure on them. (Political correctness in 1915?) Zane Grey had some extremely harsh things to say about the Mormon religion which showed in "Riders". The idea of the Mormons kidnaping young girls and hiding them away as "sealed wives" was an abomination to Grey and he had equal opinions about the way missionaries and priests tried to take away the religion of the Indians and replace it with something completely foreign to them.

This book was published several years later ; exactly as Zane Grey wrote the original.
We left "Riders" after the wonderful ride through the plain and after Lassiter pushed the huge rock that sealed him and Jane Withersteen and the young child Fay Larkin in "Surprise Valley".
Bern Venters, Jane’s hand at her ranch and his wife Bess moved on to Illinois and met a man called Sheffield. Sheffield was a troubled minister who lost his faith in the traditional religion and was kicked out of his church. He was befriended by Venters who told Sheffield the story of Lassiter, Jane and Fay. Sheffield became intrigued with the story and made his mind up to find "Surprise Valley" In his travels he heard another story that chilled him; the Mormons who Lassiter and Jane were escaping from never gave up their hunt for them and years after they sealed themselves in "Surprise Valley" the Mormons found a way into the valley and they forced young Fay to go with them, become a Mormon and a "sealed wife" on the threat that they would hang Lassiter and kill Jane who they called an atheist. Sheffield vowed to rescue them. The adventures were many; hardships on the trail and mixed joy when he finally found and rescued Fay. He met many people and made good friends among them an old Indian who helped Sheffield get his mind and spirit together. The Mustangs played an important role in the story. He made enemies that he had to fight. He found a religion.

Zane Greys wonderful descriptions of the land, the mountains and colorful valleys, his imagery of the Grand Canyon and the Colorado River and the "Rainbow Bridge" surely indicate his love for the West. This is another great story; a moral play without preaching.

Lonigan/ Louis L'Amour

A collection of short stories reflecting the movement of cattle (cattle drives)from Texas to the various shipping points in Kansas, the lives and nature of the men who drove the cattle, their lives in the bunkhouse,on the range, in the saloons and in the towns.
L’Amour’s heros are always strong, polite to women, hard fighters and handy with a gun. They take no nonsense from bullies or hardened cowboys looking for mischief. His women are, also, strong and independent, able to live in the rough country and although they usually dislike their hero at first, the learn to admire and love him.
Louis L’Amour has written over 100 tales of the West, they all reflect his love of the country and the people. More of a formula writer than Zane Grey but his tales capture good and the bad in moving and exciting adventures. I have been reading him for a long time and when I find one I have missed I know that I will have an exciting couple of hours immersed in his adventure.

The Archer King/ Reyna Thera Lorele

A pagan Robin Hood. An interesting retelling of this favorite adventure.
Robin of Loxley returns to England with close friend, Wlll Scarlok, tired and disenchanted with the years wasted in killing and plundering doing "Gods duty" in the holy lands. The whereabouts of King Richard are unknown and he finds his lands confiscated by the Holy Church and learns that his father was burned as a heretic.
John, Richard’s brother is exploiting the people aided by the church and the evil sheriff of Nottingham The beautiful Maerin is in a convent awaiting marriage to an obnoxious underling of the King. She will be sorely tested when she meets Robin after many years because she was raised in the church and he follows the Wiccan ways and the rituals of the Druids. They love one another but they have these obstacles to overcome
So it is off to the forest where Robin joins others who are hiding from John’s law. The names are a bit different but it is the same familiar group doing much the same thing but some of the scenes are more "R" rated than one might be used to in the older stories. Robin’s death is centered around a pagan blood ceremony; it was never witnessed by Maerin who, after Robin told her of a dream relating to his death, left him and returned to the convent.
I think that after growing up on Earl Flynn as Robin Hood this version was not really to my Liking.