Books and Media

my book reviews - ramblings of a pathologically eclectic generalist
a film diary - with brief comments and the occasional review
Australian bookshops and publishers
rec.arts.books.reviews - book reviews on Usenet
Reading Notes - including Harry Potter criticism.

Support my book-buying habit by buying books - or music, etc. - from Amazon

Links and News

How to Drive a Nuclear Reactor [my review]

Children of Mars: The Origins of Rome's Empire [my review]

"The Roman Republic was a federation of elite families who worked together for mutual benefit, but in a highly competitive environment"

a nice combination of broad themes and illustrative details, in their social and political contexts Religions of Early India: A Cultural History (Richard H. Davis) [my review]

a novel of an alpine village the mountain above it Great Fear on the Mountain [(my review)]

How Amsterdam Became the Cycling Capital of the World Bike City Amsterdam [my review]

"the interaction of the city's geography, planning and politics with its cycling culture, people, and infrastructure"

short historical essays accompanied by poems The History of Wales in Twelve Poems [my review]

A New History of the Thirty Years War Europe's Tragedy

"a long and involved, but rewarding, account of one of the most traumatic periods in European history"

oral history integrated into a compelling narrative Revolusi: Indonesia and the Birth of the Modern World [my review]

a journalist takes a hare on a romp through rural Finland The Year of the Hare [my review]

one space or two after full-stops? Atlantic

the Smurfs' communist roots Guardian

Spatial History of a Marvellous City A Millennium of Amsterdam

(For more, see my blog Pathologically Polymathic or the latest book reviews.)

Other Resources

I don't really follow the publishing industry, or the latest in book gossip - I prefer to wait till five or ten years after a book's publication, when the fuss has died down a little and a longer-term perspective is available. If you're after book news I recommend the Complete Review's Literary Saloon, which also has links to other literary weblogs.