Last weekend, Christmas arrived in the Cuff house with the erection of a festive tree procured from the local garden centre. There is no escape now. Christmas is on all our doorsteps. Plus, with rise of Netflix and Amazon there seems to have been a proliferation of low budget Christmas movies. Now every waking hour of the day can be spent in some kind of festive lock in.
For those like me wishing to escape even for a few hours the bedlam of Christmas, I have compiled a list of my five fave books of 2018. Whether it’s a couple of hours here and there over the festive period, or a day or two of solitary confinement (more me), hopefully the recommendations from below will offer some inspiration. Enjoy:
- A Certain Idea of France: The Life of Charles de Gaulle, Julian Jackson
With Brexit bubbling away, there’s no better time to get under the skin of one of our oldest allies and foes then this book. This is without a doubt the best biography I have read in 2018 and tells the story of De Gaulle and France as he led his country out of the War and France’s reestablishment as a great nation.
France is a country with a fascinating history of achievement, strife and cultural advancement. This book covers the many challenges it faced and gives a warts and all assessment of De Gaulle, a man who was considered by some a genius, and by some, a mad man. I’ll let you decide!
His complex relationship with Churchill, who often backed him despite his better judgement, is fascinating. You’ll come out more knowledgeable about France and its place in the world: guaranteed.
- Gambling for Life: Harry Findlay, Neil Harman
For sports lovers and punters, this book about Harry Findlay is a great read. Findlay is perhaps best known for his role as pundit cum greyhound owner.
His rise, fall and rise again is well documented in this entertaining canter through his life as a full-time sports enthusiast who bet on most things involving a moving object. A light read which will bring back some great sporting memories from the last ten to fifteen years.
- WTF, Robert Peston
Probably not for those seeking to have a break from the torrid state of current affairs, but I enjoyed Robert Peston’s latest book which seeks to make sense of Brexit, Trump, the rise of social media and what happens next. Peston looks on as the world with sheer bewilderment at times but asks some fundamental questions of society and where it is in heading.
- To Capture a King, Charles Spencer
I picked this up in the sales the other week and was glued. Some of you will be familiar with the original great escape: that of Charles II’s dash through England after the Royalist failure at Worcester. Many more will be faintly aware through the many pubs christened the Royal Oak dotted about the country. A well written and fast paced account of a resourceful King who by luck and judgement avoided detection of an entire army.
- The Sparrow, Maria Doria Russell
Now for something completely different. In my humble opinion, the Sparrow is probably one of the best and most intelligent books in the science fiction genre that I have read; an excellent choice for escapist holiday reading. The book deals with first contact and the myriad of unintended consequences and unforeseen events this can bring. A thought provoking book and a riveting read. Try it if you want something a bit different.
