Non-fiction
Peter Ackroyd - London: A Biography
There is a vast proliferation of histories of London; indeed, at the end of this book, a whole and substantial chapter is devoted to them. Ackroyd is clear and up front about this: this book, he says, is not a traditional history, and it's not linear: it is intended to give an anthropomorphic view of London, following the tides of history in a general sense - the story begins in pre-Roman times, and ends in post-war suburbia - but seeking out threads and commonalities, and following them where they meander. This gives rise to a colossal - 800 pages - work, and one which gives the impression of an anthology. But it diminishes the work to dip into it; it ought to be read through in order to assimilate Ackroyd's vision of London as a living, growing thing. His contentions may be a little strained at times - the reason that Roman street plans survive to the present day is not some mythical property of the 'body civic'; it's a function of each generation bilding upon the last, and those devastated by fire or bomb being determined to replace what has been lost, and carry on in defiance - it is a human trait.
But it's the mystical stuff which gives this story cohesion - there are common themes running through the city's history; and they do repeat across the generations. If Ackroyd is a little over fond of descriptive quirks like 'noisome', it is because London has the capacity to overwhelm the senses, and leave only the overpowering. Impeccably researched, and beautifully written, it has a place all its own in the canon; one might cavil at the fact that it takes 700 pages to venture south of the river, and a further 50 to reach the world beyond the cities of London and Westminster, but this, too, is a function of London itself - most of what has happened has taken place within an astonishingly small area, and there is so much of it.
In short, this is a definitive work on the creases and folds in London's history - it won't replace the traditional history, but it does tell its own story powerfully and truthfully.
Richard P. Feynman - Surely you're joking, Mr. Feynman!
Scientific books can be forbidding things: these days, they're all attractively packaged, with arty covers and witty titles, but enticing the layman is one thing; getting him to read all the way to the end is quite another. No such problems for Dick Feynman, a natural raconteur and adventurer - the layman is in wonderfully safe hands, and even the bits of quantum physics which are slipped into the narrative can be digested quite easily. And probably while laughing out loud - Feynman is a natural comic, and had the kind of life which would be dismissed out of hand if offered as the plot for a Hollywood movie. Amid the jokes and high jinks, however, there are some serious issues addressed.
The treatment of scientists throughout the 20th century gives pause from time to time - Feynman was treated badly by the army, and indeed by some of his early employers - there seems to have been a determination that anyone nonconformist would have to be reformed. Feynman, of course, would have none of this - his attitude to any situation was 'why not give it a try?' In addition, there are plenty of insights into the strange way in which we tend to teach our children - every 11 year-old ought to be issued a copy of this book, and told 'you can do anything you want, and in any way you choose.' But it is as a sparkling memoir that this book deserves to be remembered - the tales of safecracking at Los Alamos, or bongo playing in Brazil are alone worth the price of admission - combined with Feynman's wit and enthusiasm, they make an unbeatable package. Hugely recommended.
Fi Glover - Travels with my Radio
Beware the travel book. Sage advice; I have started many gimmick-driven travel books, only to weary of the premise after only a few pages. Travel writing is an underrated skill - one has to be a wonderfully descriptive writer without being bogged down in detail; one has to have something to say; and on top of that, one has to have had experiences worth writing about. So Fi Glover has my unending admiration simply for trying it. She is a clever and engaging broadcaster with a genuine feel for radio, and I have to say I approached this with a certain trepidation in case she couldn't carry it over to the page. But I need not have worried - GLover is a natural - she clearly has the broadcaster's knack for getting people to do and say interesting things around her, and she has enough of the intrepid traveller in her that this is never a simple litany of 'places I went while my publisher paid for it'. She is at her most confident in the early stages, describing working with her regular colleagues covering the Euro 2000 football tournament; her trip to Lebanon is convincingly edgy - although she never seemed to be in real danger - and her description of how Radio Montserrat kept that ravaged island functioning is genuinely moving, and a real testament to the power of radio in this over-technological age.But I wish that there was a little less trawling around America - the impression I got was that she was visiting these places because it was easy, and everyone spoke English, rather than because there was a good story to be had. But even here, she keeps a tight rein on her narrative, and there are plenty of amusements to entertain us on the way. As travel books go, this one never takes itself too seriously, and keeps the attention right to the end. Very sloppily proofread, though - Russ Limbaugh, anyone?