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Sean Farrell (9 KP) rated Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania in Books

Mar 15, 2018

Erik Larson has done it again. One of our time's finest writers of non-fiction has once more taken a page from our history and turned it into a most compulsively readable book. This time telling the tale of the sinking of the luxury liner Lusitania by the Germans during World War I, the narrative follows everyone from the passengers and crew of the ill-fated ship, to the men on the U-boat that fired the torpedo, to the British and American officials monitoring the situation and making the decisions about how to respond. Mr. Larson provides a stunning amount of detail, enough to make one feel as if they had actually spent time aboard the opulent liner with its travelers, but at no point does it seem as though the details are bogging things down. To the contrary, events move along at a brisk pace as they head towards their tragic end. It is a sad but fascinating tale, handled here with aplomb, in what is sure to wind up on many year-end best lists.

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Deborah (162 KP) rated Emily Goes to Exeter (Travelling Matchmaker, #1) in Books

Dec 19, 2018

Hannah Pym has worked her way up to the top of the servants pile, making it as Housekeeper to Mr Clarence. When her employer dies Hannah is shocked and delighted that he has left to her the remarkable sum of £5,000! What to do with such riches? Hannah decides to set out on adventure by boarding the Exeter Fly, a stagecoach that she has watched every day passing by her employers home - I suppose it's the Regency equivalent of wishing you were on a plane off to somewhere exotic!

Hannah's adventures are written in a light and entertaining style. The coach is first held up by a highwayman and later the passengers are all stranded at an inn in thick snow where Hannah really comes into her own! The eponymous Emily does deserve seeing a bit of cold hard reality, as one does quite want to slap the silly young thing to start with! Of course all's well that ends well and the romantic entanglements are resolved!

I look forward to reading the rest of the series!

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JT (287 KP) rated The Taking Of Pelham 123 (2009) in Movies

Mar 10, 2020

The late Tony Scott was one of my favourite directors, his films deliver on great action sequences and tense drama. However on this occasion with The Taking of Pelham 123 he left something out, oh that’s right a decent ending.

A group of hijackers led by Ryder (John Travolta) take control of a New York subway train and demand $10 million or they’ll start killing passengers. Dispatcher Walter Garber (Denzel Washington) has to deal with the day’s events and avoid the worst.

I’ve not seen the 1974 original starring Walter Matthau and Robert Shaw so I cannot make any real comparison, but what I would say is the 2009 remake lacked any real sparkle. Washington and Travolta put in good performances, especially Travolta who seems to revel as the stereotypical villain. But you can’t rely on screen chemistry to get you through.

The ending was a disappointment and while you expect a twist that will leave you wanting more, it never comes. If you’re fans of Washington and Travolta then this one’s for you, however don’t expect too much near the end.