Smashbomb

Search

Search results

All (2929)

Content

David McK (3425 KP) rated Lord Hornblower (Hornblower #10) in Books

Feb 21, 2021

Chronologically the 10th Hornblower novel but the 5th published, this one has a definite air of finality about it, with Hornblower pulled off the invalid list to deal with a mutiny on board another British ship in the Bay of Seine in the year 1814.

Yes, just one year before the end of the Napoleonic Wars and Napoleons final defeat at Waterloo in 1815.

This novel also takes place over that year, from his (successful) completion of that mission, to a landing in the port of Le Havre, to the conference of Vienna where the victors carve up Napoleon's empire, to Napoleon's return and to his final defeat - admittedly, the decidedly not perfect Hornblower may not be personally involved in all those latter events, but they do impact upon him as he is away visiting old friends (from a few novels back) in France when Napoleon returns.

And, I have to say, he has a very lucky escape indeed!

Only 1 more novel to go now to complete the set ...

Kudos

Bobby Gillespie recommended Maggot Brain by Funkadelic in Music (curated)

Maggot Brain by Funkadelic

1971 | Rhythm And Blues

9.3

(3 Ratings)

Album Favorite

"George Clinton is very important to us. In fact, George, Sly Stone, Miles Davis and Curtis Mayfield are all people we're inspired by and look up to. I'm lucky to have become friends with George. We played a show last year with his band in London and he's just an amazing guy. I remember getting this album, listening to it and thinking, "Free your mind and the rest will follow." It's free, psychedelic, sexualised funk. Also, there are incredible lyrics. George is a great lyricist, one of the best. On one track, George was told to play a guitar solo and imagine that he was just told that his mother had died. Funkadelic can go from real, emotional, plaintive with a song like 'Maggot Brain' to a big, acoustic funk track. The message from the band is that you can do anything. George had many great musicians in his band and he changed it around, you just never know who was going to play on the track. It always sounds like Funkadelic because of George's vision."

Source

Kudos

Hazel (2934 KP) rated The Stranger (Jude Lyon) in Books

Sep 19, 2020

The Stranger (Jude Lyon)

Simon Conway | 2020 | Crime, Thriller

8.5

(2 Ratings)

Book Rating

Complex, tense and gripping

I was lucky enough to be invited to read "The Stranger" by Hodder & Stoughton after having read and reviewed other books from their catalogue in the past. I haven't read anything by Simon Conway despite this being his fifth book and, if I'm honest, I hadn't heard of him before either but he is definitely on my radar now.

This is a complex tail involving terrorists, spies, lies and subterfuge within the murky world of MI6. I admit that it took me a while to get into it but once I did, I couldn't put it down. The characters are believable and interesting and the plot is complex, tense and gripping and, unfortunately, not beyond the realms of reality.

This is a very well written and researched spy thriller and I would definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys this genre.

Thank you to Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for my copy in return for an unbiased and unedited review and for introducing me to yet another great author.