My local paper has asked me to list the top 10 books I read this year. Here they are:
Non-fiction:
Denis Alexander, Rebuilding the Matrix: Science and Faith in the 21st Century (Lion, Oxford). A scholarly and readable account of the relationship between religious faith and science. Along with much else, the author shows that the persecution of Galileo had far less to do with religious dogma than with the political intrigues of the day. The thoughts of other great scientists on religious matters collected here are fascinating and enlightening.
Cyril Ayris, All the Bull's Men (privately printed, Perth). This account of the almost mythically heroic guerrilla campaign waged by the men of the largely West Australian 2nd/2nd Independent Company in Timor in World War II after they had been written off as lost should be read by every West Australian. One of WA's leading writers brings this truly inspiring and thrilling story vividly to life.
Gonn Iggulden and Hal Iggulden, The Dangerous Book for Boys (HarperCollins, London). This has been a surprise best-seller but deservedly so. Presented like an old-style boys' annual, it instructs modern boys in such skills as knot-tying, water-bombs, succeeding with girls, building tree-houses, sending secret messages, Morse code, famous historical events and the lives of inspiring figures like Douglas Bader. Adults will also find it full of useful and fascinating information.
Peter Mullens The Politically-Correct Gospel (Social Affairs Unit, London). The author, a London Chaplain, is one of the Anglican Church's most brilliant, outspoken and controversial writers. This extended satire, in the tradition of Dean Swift, tears into the dogmas of bossy bureaucrats who would turn political correctness into a new religion and re-write the Gospels in accord with a political agenda.
Rodney Stark, The Victory of Reason: How Christianity Led to Freedom, Capitalism, and Western Success (Random House, New York). An enthralling and enlightening book. The author argues, with a wealth of detail from various fields of study, that Western Christianity has historically been the religion most friendly to Reason, and this has led to the scientific and technological pre-eminence, wealth and high living standards of Western Europe and the US.
Mark Steyn, America Alone: The End of the world as We Know It (Regnery Publishing, Washington, USA). A brilliant but alarming book from this phenomenally prolific and versatile commentator. Along with the sheer stylistic pyrotechnics which make it a delight to read there is a very serious message: Europe, with its one-child and no-children families, is a dying civilization that has lost the will to defend its traditions and values or even to have a future.
George Weigel, The Cube and the Cathedral: Europe, America and Politics Without God (Gracewing, Herefordshire). The author looks at the post-Christian fads and superstitions sweeping modern Europe. The 19th-Century atheists who thought the overthrow of religion would usher in the age of reason never foresaw this. Statistics on the number of people believing in irrational conspiracy theories are among the things making this disturbing but important reading.
Fiction:
Paul Chafe, Destiny's Forge (Baen Books, New York. As an author in the shared-universe science-fiction series The Man-Kzin Wars I greatly enjoyed this rousing and epic contribution to it - at about 200,000 words the longest single tale in the series so far - by Canadian Paul Chafe. The archetypal myth of the young prince driven into exile who returns to overthrow the usurper is re-told with non-stop action in the grand style with many insights into the life of the felinoid aliens.
Bernard Cornwell, Sharpe's Fury (HarperCollins). Another must-read for devotees of the tough, rough-diamond ranker promoted to officer of Wellington's Army. Former soldier Cornwell writes with expertise and realism, treading deftly between dwelling excessively on the horrors of 19th Century warfare and glamorising it. A rousing tale of battle and intrigue with a believable and human hero.
J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Half-blood Prince (Bloomsbury, London). Some envious writers grudge Harry Potter's success. I am not one of them. The books are becoming more sophisticated and complex as the characters mature, but retain their other-worldly excitement, unique blend of magical and familiar and great readability. This is a long book but many readers - children and adults - will still find it too short.
[Ends]
Non-fiction:
Denis Alexander, Rebuilding the Matrix: Science and Faith in the 21st Century (Lion, Oxford). A scholarly and readable account of the relationship between religious faith and science. Along with much else, the author shows that the persecution of Galileo had far less to do with religious dogma than with the political intrigues of the day. The thoughts of other great scientists on religious matters collected here are fascinating and enlightening.
Cyril Ayris, All the Bull's Men (privately printed, Perth). This account of the almost mythically heroic guerrilla campaign waged by the men of the largely West Australian 2nd/2nd Independent Company in Timor in World War II after they had been written off as lost should be read by every West Australian. One of WA's leading writers brings this truly inspiring and thrilling story vividly to life.
Gonn Iggulden and Hal Iggulden, The Dangerous Book for Boys (HarperCollins, London). This has been a surprise best-seller but deservedly so. Presented like an old-style boys' annual, it instructs modern boys in such skills as knot-tying, water-bombs, succeeding with girls, building tree-houses, sending secret messages, Morse code, famous historical events and the lives of inspiring figures like Douglas Bader. Adults will also find it full of useful and fascinating information.
Peter Mullens The Politically-Correct Gospel (Social Affairs Unit, London). The author, a London Chaplain, is one of the Anglican Church's most brilliant, outspoken and controversial writers. This extended satire, in the tradition of Dean Swift, tears into the dogmas of bossy bureaucrats who would turn political correctness into a new religion and re-write the Gospels in accord with a political agenda.
Rodney Stark, The Victory of Reason: How Christianity Led to Freedom, Capitalism, and Western Success (Random House, New York). An enthralling and enlightening book. The author argues, with a wealth of detail from various fields of study, that Western Christianity has historically been the religion most friendly to Reason, and this has led to the scientific and technological pre-eminence, wealth and high living standards of Western Europe and the US.
Mark Steyn, America Alone: The End of the world as We Know It (Regnery Publishing, Washington, USA). A brilliant but alarming book from this phenomenally prolific and versatile commentator. Along with the sheer stylistic pyrotechnics which make it a delight to read there is a very serious message: Europe, with its one-child and no-children families, is a dying civilization that has lost the will to defend its traditions and values or even to have a future.
George Weigel, The Cube and the Cathedral: Europe, America and Politics Without God (Gracewing, Herefordshire). The author looks at the post-Christian fads and superstitions sweeping modern Europe. The 19th-Century atheists who thought the overthrow of religion would usher in the age of reason never foresaw this. Statistics on the number of people believing in irrational conspiracy theories are among the things making this disturbing but important reading.
Fiction:
Paul Chafe, Destiny's Forge (Baen Books, New York. As an author in the shared-universe science-fiction series The Man-Kzin Wars I greatly enjoyed this rousing and epic contribution to it - at about 200,000 words the longest single tale in the series so far - by Canadian Paul Chafe. The archetypal myth of the young prince driven into exile who returns to overthrow the usurper is re-told with non-stop action in the grand style with many insights into the life of the felinoid aliens.
Bernard Cornwell, Sharpe's Fury (HarperCollins). Another must-read for devotees of the tough, rough-diamond ranker promoted to officer of Wellington's Army. Former soldier Cornwell writes with expertise and realism, treading deftly between dwelling excessively on the horrors of 19th Century warfare and glamorising it. A rousing tale of battle and intrigue with a believable and human hero.
J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Half-blood Prince (Bloomsbury, London). Some envious writers grudge Harry Potter's success. I am not one of them. The books are becoming more sophisticated and complex as the characters mature, but retain their other-worldly excitement, unique blend of magical and familiar and great readability. This is a long book but many readers - children and adults - will still find it too short.
[Ends]
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Interesting
Interesting, I do not recognise a single book, except of course JK Rowlings. This must be a horrible commentary on my lack reading of late.
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