Currently Reading

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tennisman
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Re: Currently Reading

Post by tennisman »

Carlos J wrote:And also on that link:

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Autobiography completed in 1966 one year before he died on Mont Ventoux, but after becoming the first Brit to wear the yellow jersey and win a world championship.

Short as well, 180 pages, but also piles on the pace. Simpson as a northerner not big on waffling, brusque and to the point. Not afraid to give criticism, but also admit his immaturity in racing and his impetuousness of youth. He did think he'd win the world championship before he was 21, but achieved it at 27. Had a good career, won a few classics but tactics, he again regrets and lots of accidents cost him more titles.

Interesting is his going up Ventoux in a previous tour and barely managed it. No mention of doping, which he was speed loaded when died.

Quite fascinating as a picture of the time as a struggling pro, barely seeing his new wife and kids and having to race whenever for contracts to get coin, criteriums, six days and racing the day after the Tour finished elsewhere.

A Carlos 7/10.


A very good read, Carlos;


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Carlos J
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Re: Currently Reading

Post by Carlos J »

tennisman wrote:
A very good read, Carlos;


Yeah. Going to pick that up from the library soon, TM. :smt023
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SeanNW8
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Re: Currently Reading

Post by SeanNW8 »

Just finishing Paul Vassen's book, 'Stuck in a moment'.
Sobering reading. Club did try to look after him but fear he was beyond help.
Played in an era when we were going nowhere as a club.
Remember going to games on my own as a 13 year old and the ground was full of anger and resentment.
I guess watching the likes of Devine, Talbot, Caton and Hawley had that effect on people.

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Panbaams
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Re: Currently Reading

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Jonathan Rendall’s excellent This Bloody Mary is the Last Thing I Own. He was a journalist, and effectively this is a collection of loosely connected longish articles about boxing. For a time he was also Colin “Sweet C” McMillan’s manager, so he has an insider’s view of that world, and it’s utterly unglamorous. I’d recommend it.
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Carlos J
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Re: Currently Reading

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Panbaams wrote:Jonathan Rendall’s excellent This Bloody Mary is the Last Thing I Own. He was a journalist, and effectively this is a collection of loosely connected longish articles about boxing. For a time he was also Colin “Sweet C” McMillan’s manager, so he has an insider’s view of that world, and it’s utterly unglamorous. I’d recommend it.

Looks interesting, Panbaams, and wow to see you back. :)
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Panbaams
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Re: Currently Reading

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Panbaams wrote:Jonathan Rendall’s excellent This Bloody Mary is the Last Thing I Own. He was a journalist, and effectively this is a collection of loosely connected longish articles about boxing. For a time he was also Colin “Sweet C” McMillan’s manager, so he has an insider’s view of that world, and it’s utterly unglamorous. I’d recommend it.

In deep in his second book, Twelve Grand. The publisher gives him, well, twelve grand as an advance to spend on gambling and write about it. The actual book weaves a fictional story in around the bets. It works well. (After the book was originally published, Channel 4 gave him another twelve grand to bet with and made a short series out of his adventures. It’s on All 4 and there are clips on YouTube.)
Last edited by Panbaams on Sun Mar 03, 2019 7:06 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Carlos J
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Re: Currently Reading

Post by Carlos J »

Thanks, Panbaams. Rendall's first has arrived so on a shortish to read list. Then maybe the next.
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Panbaams
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Re: Currently Reading

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Carlos J wrote:Thanks, Panbaams. Rendall's first has arrived so on a shortish to read list. Then maybe the next.

Blimey. Enjoy the book, Carlos J!
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Re: Currently Reading

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Three-quarters of the way through this Rendall binge: Garden Hopping, where he goes in search of his birth mother as his adoptive family, and his own family, disintegrates. A sobering story.
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Re: Currently Reading

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Now on Jonathan Rendall’s final book, published posthumously, and it’s a return to boxing: Scream: The Tyson Tapes.
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Re: Currently Reading

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Gave up on Paul Morley’s The Age of Bowie, so have moved on to Tim Marshall’s Prisoners of Geography.
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kevin04
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Re: Currently Reading

Post by kevin04 »

I got the Harry Redknapp book (A Man Walks On To A Pitch) at Christmas as a stocking filler - probably thanks to I'm a Celeb - and I'm too soft to not read it or charity shop it especially as it was a gift, so I've been reading it at work/insomnia times.

He basically picks his favourite XI players from the 50s to the 2010s. He will write at max, 4 pages about a player - although he'll talk about his experience with them or even often go off the cuff and talk about himself. I have opened it at a random page 182 - Kevin Keegan and here's the first bit : "I was watching a game down at Bournemouth when I first saw Kevin Keegan in action and my first instinct was to telephone Ron Greenwood and recommend him to West Ham. I knew Bournemouth couldn't afford him....''

Its pretty funny - lots of yer Da jokes ; its about 3-4 years old and Redknapp getting every single prediction wrong e.g the EPL has changed so much that unless a Sheikh Abrahmovich comes in and I kid you not he uses Leicester as an example, they could never win the league ; Gareth Bale will go on to be the best player at Real Madrid. There were others, tons of them but I cannae mind the noo, but lots of ''I tried to sign him'', ''He's a top lad,'' etc.

He did mention Marshy a few times though.

Anyhoos, ahem/cough etc, this is what I am REALLY reading as well.

10 very different Native-Americans all meeting up at a Pow-Wow and their life.

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Royal24s
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Re: Currently Reading

Post by Royal24s »

What an interesting thread. I don't think I've noticed it before. Paged back a bit and there's very little on here that I've read other than a mention of Huxley and Orwell by Carlos.
Strange because I read a lot.
I'm always on the look out for new books though, so I shall have to monitor it. Anyone ever read Patrick Mercer's books ?
'"Beauty is truth, truth beauty,
That is all ye know on earth, and all ye need to know".

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Carlos J
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Re: Currently Reading

Post by Carlos J »

Royal24s wrote:What an interesting thread. I don't think I've noticed it before. Paged back a bit and there's very little on here that I've read other than a mention of Huxley and Orwell by Carlos.
Strange because I read a lot.
I'm always on the look out for new books though, so I shall have to monitor it. Anyone ever read Patrick Mercer's books ?

It's a great thread, Royals. I've found a lot of new books here that would never have thought of reading here.

But also a bad thread. As a bibliophile and charity shop junkie, the worst place to look. Probably got over a hundred books on all subjects to read

Currently struggling through this. A hard read and not for bedtime snoozing. 'The New Pearl Harbour' was interesting, Griffin has gone into ultra-detail and no flow . And of course, everything he says is right. :roll:

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Want some easy Elmore reading for snoozing next:

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Royal24s
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Re: Currently Reading

Post by Royal24s »

Yeah, I'm careful what I pick up because I'll get stubborn and persist with it even if it's crap.
The only book I ever gave up with was "The Road to Wigan Pier" , which was just too negative. I tend to like to read fiction because I somehow feel I should be either getting paid or likely to receive a qualification for reading non fiction.
Have you tried Maurice Druon ?
'"Beauty is truth, truth beauty,
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