#270 The Honicknowle Book of the Dead (2009)

Author: Kenny Knight
Title: The Honicknowle Book of the Dead
Genre: Poetry
Year: 2009
Pages: 100
Origin: bought from the library for 50p
Nod Rating: 2 nods out of 5

 

The Worm first read about this intriguing book in a local paper a few years ago; the Worm was especially thankful for Kenny Knight referencing the interesting Lobsang Rampa. So, when a copy was stumbled on in a library book sale, fifty pence was eagerly parted with in order to obtain it. It held a particular fascination with the Worm due to the local dimension, especially with the area of Honicknowle residing within the Worm’s hometown.

Kenny Knight is a poet of talent, and for the first third of this book he held the Worm’s attentions. The local aspect was trumpeted up with the connection of memory, rock and roll and the monarchy; the childhood of the poet was brought to life in a surreal manner. However, when the collection of poems failed to expand from this premise it became a dull and incredibly self-involved read. The narrative kept repeating the same old themes and ideas, especially the referencing of The Honicknowle Book of the Dead time and again!

“Yes,” you may say, “of course poets are self-involved! That is the very nature of their work and it springs forward truth and honesty.” That may be true, but at least new ideas need to be explored. As it stands, The Honicknowle Book of the Dead may have served better as a longer, single poem. However, the Worm is still thankful for the poet bringing forth the history of Lobsang Rampa. If you do not know this person, please use Wikipedia immediately.

#267 Doctor Sleep (2013)

Author: Stephen King
Title: Doctor Sleep
Genre: Novel
Year: 2013
Pages: 500
Origin: read on the Kindle
Nod Rating: 2 nods out of 5

 

‘The shining was back, and strong. The question was, why now?’

Back in 2013 the Worm read Stephen King’s novel The Shining. Having grown up with the impressive Stanley Kubrick film, the novel offered a different interpretation on the story (King’s definitive version, it could be said). The Worm wanted to know what happened after the final scenes; in particular, what happened to little Danny Torrance. So, the author’s follow-up to the novel – more than three decades later – promised to be an interesting one.

Doctor Sleep shows us an adult Danny (now named Dan) who has come to terms with the demons in his life, both mentally and physically in the form of the Overlook Hotel as well as his alcoholism. ‘You take yourself with you, wherever you go,’ King writes. Dan befriends a girl – Abra – who displays the gift of the shining to a greater extent than himself. However, Abra unwittingly invites the attentions of the True Knot, an odd gang who travel across America looking for kids who have the shining in order to feed off their energy. As King writes, ‘America is a living body, the highways are its arteries and the True Knot slips along them like a silent virus’. Dan Torrance becomes involved with defending Abra, leading him back to the grounds of the Overlook Hotel.

All of this sounds like positive sparks ready to explore. However, the experience of reading this overly long novel was a different one that the synopsis suggests. Some of the Worm’s chief complaints include pacing issues (a drawn out introduction and not enough time given to the book’s climax at the Overlook), tiresome action scenes, as well as some incredibly dull characters. Furthermore, the characters who could have injected a bit of energy into this novel – those of the True Knot – were completely underused. This includes the character of Andi who was given attention in the beginning, and then neglected for the remainder of the novel.

The biggest complaint comes in the form of King’s fairly standard writing. This is regrettable to say, as the Worm has long been a fan of Stephen King (in particular many of his short stories). However, Doctor Sleep lacks spark and imagination. Rather than suspense, it plodded along in a harmless manner.

Although it was nice to check in on Danny after decades of the original novel, Doctor Sleep is - like the horrors of the Overlook Hotel - best left alone. It adds nothing new to the myth of “the shining”, and is a wasted opportunity to really explore the meaning behind the apparent gift. The Worm will return to Stephen King in the future, but he may just stay away from his recent publications.

#258 Tales from the Secret Footballer (2013)

Author: Anon
Title: Tales from the Secret Footballer
Genre: Sport
Year: 2013
Pages: 250
Origin: read on the Kindle
Nod Rating: 2 nods out of 5

 

The Secret Footballer found (slight) fame in a series of articles published in The Guardian. The column promised to lift ‘the lid on the world of football’, with topics ranging from what happens in the changing rooms, to motivations of players and how they deal with the press and agents. Such was the popularity of the regular column that it led to a couple of books; Tales from the Secret Footballer is the second to be printed.

Clearly, this read is only suitable for those with an interest in football. But in terms of the usual tosh spewed out by publishers on various sports, Tales from the Secret Footballer is actually entertaining. Blessed with anonymity, the author is able to openly discuss (and deride) former bosses and team-mates in small chapters. He also floats various ideas of working in other football related industries, from coaching to taking up opportunities in China.

Of course, the biggest entertainment factor is in the guessing as to who the Secret Footballer actually is. Various names have been suggested, including Phil Neville, Danny Murphy and Leighton Baines (if none of these name ring a bell with you, then this review is really not your cup of tea… in which case, why are you still reading this?). The biggest culprit, however, appears to be Dave Kitson. Yes, that house-hold name of a player.

Tales from the Secret Footballer is a light-weight read, never threatening anything more than to engage the interest of its reader for a short-time. But for football fans it makes the perfect stocking-filler at Christmas time. To be fair, the book has no pretensions on anything greater.

Read more about the Secret Footballer here

#251 Young Henry (2011)

Author: Robert Hutchinson
Title: Young Henry
Genre: History
Year: 2011
Pages: 330
Origin: bought from the Works
Nod Rating: 2 nods out of 5

 

Henry VIII remains a popular figure, both for historians and readers of history and fiction. It is easy to see why: a large man in both stature and life, full of drama and explosive events that include death and intrigue. Few English monarchs can rival him in terms of theatrics. Therefore, he is a figure – alongside his daughter, Elizabeth – in which historians can find a warm home. Robert Hutchinson is another one who has followed a well worn road.

The book’s intention is to chart an outline to the rise of power of the young Henry. Much information is given on Henry’s childhood: living with his mother and sisters, the death of his older brother, and then the coming to the throne on the death of his father in 1509 when in his eighteenth year. As a fully paid up member of the Tudor Enthusiasts, Hutchinson does an adequate job of painting a picture of those times in the early years of the sixteenth century.

However, there is little in terms of a clear structure. The reader is invited to ramble through Henry’s childhood, ambling through various areas of early Tudor life with no real force; all before being bolted headlong into the political intrigue of Henry’s early years as king. The concluding chapters do not feel like any real conclusion at all, with various characters foisted on the reader with no end goal in sight. Perhaps the reason for this lies in the intention of the book: where does the historian cut the dividing line between Henry’s younger years and those of his elder self? Furthermore, for the reader, the drama comes in full force in those latter years, particularly from 1530 onwards.

Young Henry is a book that strives to bring the younger prince to life. But the truth is that this period has been done to death by many historians; in many cases, it has been achieved with greater success. Therefore, there is little need in anyone picking up a copy of Hutchinson’s book in a hurry.

#250 A Brief Guide to Star Wars (2012)

Author: Brian J. Robb
Title: A Brief Guide to Star Wars
Genre: Sci-Fi
Year: 2012
Pages: 250
Origin: purchased for £2.50
Nod Rating: 2 nods out of 5

 

The Worm, it seems, is a sucker for cheap unauthorised guides on science fiction TV shows. Furthermore, these particular cheap books need to be authored by one man: Brian J. Robb. The Worm has admitted such an addiction having scooped up this book – A Brief Guide to Star Wars (the subtitle bearing the confidence lowering words ‘the unauthorised inside story’) – whilst soon realising that he had been in the same reading-position before. Yes, this previous book was Brian J. Robb’s A Brief Guide to Star Trek. So, with the two rival fictional galaxies lining up against one another, what could be the result?

A Brief Guide to Star Wars is an inoffensive and forgettable read: it charts the birth of the idea of Star Wars and the early career of George Lucas, before giving a run-down of tid-bits of information regarding the original trilogy of films. The book embraces the second – less loved and vilified – trilogy, with time spent providing information on special effects, all before charting Lucas selling out to Disney and taking his mitts off his creations once and for all.

The segments of greater interest for the reader are those that centre on the period between Return of the Jedi in the early 1980s and The Phantom Menace in the late 1990s. This includes the ill-fated and pathetic Ewok spin-offs, and the incessant need of the creator to continue retouching previous works.

As can be expected by an ‘unauthorised inside story’, there is a complete lack of fresh commentary. Brian J. Robb has done an admirable job of trawling the internet and other books for quotes to pepper with his narrative, but the read is all fairly pedestrian. All of this corresponds to the earlier review of Robb’s ‘unauthorised’ take on the Star Trek universe.

So, what next for the Worm? Are there are any other long-standing cheap unauthorised guides on other Sci-Fi series…. Battlestar Galatica, perhaps? Who knows what the crazy book-reading future will hold.

Buy it here

#249 Alex Ferguson - My Autobiography (2013)

Author: Sir Alex Ferguson
Title: My Autobiography
Genre: Autobiography
Year: 2013
Pages: 390
Origin: bought in Waterstone’s
Nod Rating: 2 nods out of 5

 

‘Football, bloody hell!’ – Alex Ferguson

The man, the myth, the legend. This is true to the many millions who support Manchester United. The agitator, the crook, and the villain to countless others. There is no doubt that Sir Alex Ferguson is a divisive person; for three decades he has watched over and commented on football and been a looming figure. His retirement in 2013 marked the end of an era, whilst his autobiography was released a handful of months later to loud noises within the book publishing community.

It is rare for the Worm to part with his coins of gold and silver for a newly printed hardback book. For a long time the Worm has preferred the cheaper paperbacks, due to their lighter weight for transportability issues. Therefore it is a testament to the legend of Ferguson that seventeen gold coins was exchanged in the counter of Waterstone’s, just so the Worm could get his mitts on what promised to be the definitive autobiography.

Yes, definitive. This is because due to the longevity of his career Sir Fergie has released several books at various points of success in his career (notably in the early nineties and then after the 1999 historic treble). Because of these earlier incarnations the earlier years of Ferguson’s life is given short regard (with a brief chapter on his Glasgow roots). The real story begins in the 2001-02 season when Ferguson first made the announcement that he was to retire, something deemed a great mistake by the manager. So, rather than autobiography of his entire life, it is in fact the final decade – or so – of his managerial career.

Treated with chapter headings of their own are the likes of Beckham, Ronaldo, Keane, Van Nistelrooy, and Rooney. Space is also dedicated to his managerial rivals, such as Mourinho, Wenger, and Benitez (although the latter does not warrant a chapter title… a final dig?). The main momentum of the book is about Ferguson’s building of a final great team at the Theatre of Dreams, a team that was take in a further five Premier League titles, a Champions League (in 2008, as well as a further two finals), as well as an assortment of other cups (such as the badly-treated League Cup and the odd sounding and perceived Club World Cup).

Although newspapers and websites were eager to report on the “truth revealed” between the bust-ups behind the scenes, the reality is a little different. There is no in-depth assessment of his relationship with his key players, rather reminiscing that appears slightly disjointed. Unfortunately, then, for United fans, there is no engaging reveal of the end of Roy Keane’s time at Old Trafford, of the boot that cut Beckham’s face, nor of the building resentment between himself and Wayne Rooney.

Like him, love him, or (as is more probable) loathe him – none can deny Ferguson’s place in the history of football and indeed all of British sport. The game (and clearly United themselves) are all the poorer without him. Unfortunately, this autobiography did not live up to such lofty expectations. Perhaps it was unrealistic of the Worm to expect otherwise when one considers the speed that it was released after his retirement from the sport: a mere matter of months. Will there be a later, fully detailed autobiography from the great man yet? The Worm, of course, will be there ready to part with his gold coins again.

Buy it here

#244 A Brief History of the Future (1999)

Author: John Naughton
Title: A Brief History of the Future – The Origins of the Internet
Genre: History
Year: 1999
Pages: 320
Origin: bought in a charity shop
Nod Rating: 2 nods out of 5

 

A Brief History of the Future is about a brief history of the recent past. It is just one of many congratulatory books on the benefits and wonder of the internet. Why so many books? The reason is sound: the internet has been deemed by a considerable many as one of the greatest inventions in the history of humankind. This current information revolution is comparable to that of the Industrial Revolution and earlier invention of the printing press. It is a breakthrough in which everyone is keen to wax lyrically: Eric Schmidt believes it is the ‘the largest experiment in anarchy that we have ever had’, whilst Clifford Stroll has compared it to a ‘telephone system that’s gotten uppity’. It has expanded knowledge and mayhem, a ‘Wild West’ in which there are no rules.

Clearly, such a source is a fantastic home for reading material. Interestingly, Naughton’s own book is much earlier within this revolution. Printed in 1999, the author speaks of the wonder of the dial-up sound and of speeds that are easily out-gunned in the sparkling future of 2014. What is the Worm doing with such an out-of-date book, you might ask. In truth, the Worm took pity on it. Such was its promise – a combination of humour and insight – that it was impossible to leave it on the forgotten book shelves of charity shop. After all, its only crime was that the source had evolved beyond all imagination.

If anything the spotting of the differences between today and the late 1990s (a mere fifteen years) was one of the highlight’s of the read. Naughton is a warm host, taking the reader through a succession of advances in technology. Each small area is discussed and then connected to the greater whole of the story: that of the internet’s triumph. In a Bryson-esque manner (O yes, that’s right, the Worm has created a term in honour of his long-standing hero Bill Bryson) Naughton keeps the story a human, rather than science/technological affair. The inventors’ lives are described in a humorous and lively style. Indeed, Naughton brings in much autobiographical material; the opening chapter of the book outlines the author’s very own love affair with the internet and its possibilities.

As Naughton notes in the book’s epilogue – paraphrasing Churchill – ‘this is not the beginning of the end; but it is the end of the beginning.’ 1999 was a year in which the internet’s potential was still in its infancy. But we, the smug people of 1999’s future, are not at the end-point of the internet revolution. If anything the Worm chances that we are its adolescents. The future has a long road to chart yet.

Buy it here

#241 England: The Autobiography (2005)

Author: John Lewis-Stempel (ed.)
Title: England: The Autobiography
Genre: History
Year: 2005
Pages: 420
Origin: a Christmas present
Nod Rating: 2 nods out of 5

 

The tagline for Lewis-Stempel’s edited collection of sources boasts: ‘2,000 Years of English History By Those Who Saw It Happen’. For the pedant – of which club the Worm is a firm member – it is noticeable that many of these accounts are not contemporary: some being written many years later after actually occurring. However, the Worm will let the editor off of such minor faults; it is (a) Christmas (book), after all!

England: The Autobiography is an interesting idea. The gathering together of snapshots from English history cannot – surely – go wrong. It begins with Julius Caesar’s account of invading Britain in 55 BC, and concludes (rather disappointingly) with the 2005 cricket Ashes win. O, how history unfolds. For the most part the book travels a well-trodden path: the Battle of Hastings, the signing of Magna Carter, the Black Death, the Armada, the English Civil War, Waterloo, the Diamond Jubilee, the World Wars, the 1966 World Cup, Churchill, and Thatcher. How very ordinary, you may claim.

Luckily, the editor sees fit to expand on this. Particularly within the entertainment and sporting sectors: the Beatles, the Sex Pistols, Wimbledon, and the birth of football. As well as – more interestingly – the various taboos of history: Richard I massacring his Muslim prisoners, an anonymous court recorder from 1300 noting sex in the country, the torture of a Jesuit priest in the Tower of London during the close of the Elizabethan period, public executions at Tyburn, as well as the combination of prostitutes and peers in a gin-palace from 1800s London. Yes, much better.

History is – as they say – written by the winners. For the most part this signifies that English history is that of upper-class aristocrats and the gentry. Thankfully, Lewis-Stempel references the rise of the “common folk”, as shown in the Victorian period: the injustice of factories, the Peterloo massacre, the Manchester slums, and the Chartist movement. All of which serves to make this collection a well varied and balanced one.

Writers within this book range from George Orwell to Bede, from William Shakespeare to Sir Isaac Newton, from Guy Fawkes to Friedrich Engels, from Samuel Pepys to Max Hastings. Therefore, the reader is (mostly) in good company. All in all, England: The Autobiography is an interesting read and worthy of a place on any bookshelf. It should be relied upon as a reference book, rather than anything more. Lewis-Stempel has chosen some wise passages, if on the whole most being particularly uninspiring.

Buy it here

#240 Trelawny of Trelawne: The Prophecy (1884)

Author: Anna Eliza Bray
Title: Trelawny of Trelawne: The Prophecy
Genre: Novel
Year: 1884
Pages: 180
Origin: downloaded and read on the Kindle
Nod Rating: 2 nods out of 5

 

Whilst researching an ancestor the Worm came across this curious book. Written by Anna Eliza Bray, it takes a family story that once happened (as shown by existing diary extracts) before adding that element of dramatic fairy-dust in order to bring to life a novel that could be enjoyed by the good reading public. Unfortunately for the Worm, he began reading extracts of Bray’s book in bewilderment… thankfully, the secret was eventually revealed to him.

Bray was a famous novelist from the Victorian period. Her works are now little known; mostly they can be found on west-country book shelves due to their focus on this part of the world and in particularly on local principal families. The Trelawnys – what with their interesting characters and generational feuding – fitted the bill perfectly of novel-fodder for Bray to embrace.

This Cornish family owned much land in east Cornwall, whilst one of their members – Bishop Trelawny – became involved in national affairs during 1688 when he refused to endorse or support the reigning monarch of the time, James II. Such was his unpopularity, James was forced to abdicate, leaving the throne for William III in what has become known as the Glorious Revolution. Such was the local support for Bishop Trelawny, the Cornish were expected to rise in rebellion. This theme was later used by Robert Stephen Hawker in his Cornish Anthem The Song of the Western Men:

‘And shall Trelawny live?

Or shall Trelawny die!

Here’s twenty thousand Cornish men

Will know the reason why!'

Bray’s tale concerns a branch of this family. The Bishop’s daughter, Letitia Trelawny desired to marry her cherished love (and first cousin) Harry Trelawny. Their love was forbidden, leading to Harry attempting to prove himself by taking part in a rebellious action. Bray mixes reality (the young pair’s match was at first snubbed) with fiction: the dates are moved out of synch with actual history, whilst other events are added in order to up the drama-factor. The novel is outplayed in the form of letters between the central characters, a well established method for the Victorian novel (and one that, unfortunately, has gone largely out of favour today).

For the Worm The Prophecy was a note-worthy book. For anyone else, the Worm suspects it is largely pointless and useless. Bray’s time – and fame – has mostly past. The subject matter of her historical novels, the gentry families of the West Country, have also long past into dusty history books on forgotten shelves in public libraries. However, the Worm enjoyed the book whilst it lasted, largely as a personal curiosity more than anything else.

 

Read it here

#238 The Ancient Greeks For Dummies (2008)

Author: Stephen Batchelor
Title: The Ancient Greeks For Dummies
Genre: History
Year: 2008
Pages: 320
Origin: read on the Kindle
Nod Rating: 2 nods out of 5

 

The Ancient Greeks For Dummies is the third of the For Dummies books consumed by the Worm during the summer of 2013. As with the other books, let us not kid ourselves that we are entering upon a highly enlightening read deserving of richly plump nods. 2 nods is all that is to be dished, as previously. But this is not to say that this book is not a worthwhile read.

The author – Stephen Batchelor – is a man who knows his ancient Greeks. He is a fitting guide through hundreds of years of dense history, highlighting the key areas and events. These range from ancient history and prehistoric civilisations (such as the Minoans and Mycenaneans), the onslaught of the Persians, the rise of Athens, the life-style of the Spartans, as well as the conquests of Alexander. As with the other For Dummies books, information moves beyond the narrative of history, with focus on other areas. This includes the home and family, architecture, as well as the famous Greek gods.

This completes the (un)holy trilogy of the For Dummies books (Tudors and Ancient Egyptians for the earlier two). The Worm feels as if he is repeating himself: nice reads, good for an introduction, but completely lacking in substance. It is another well eared 2 nods for the series, with no threat of taking any more. As for the Worm, he intends to go For Dummies hiatus for the remainder of the book-reading season. Overviews are all well and nice: but the real meat of words are needed to be ingested if he hopes to survive the coming winter.

Buy it here

#230 The Tudors For Dummies (2010)

Author: David Loades & Mei Trow
Title: The Tudors For Dummies
Genre: History
Year: 2010
Pages: 360
Origin: read on the Kindle
Nod Rating: 2 nods out of 5

 

The Dummies series of books is seemingly everywhere. The trademark and standout yellow of its covers can be found in all good – and bad – bookshops, from high cost to the bargain basement. They have found success is taking dense subject matter and breaking it down for the unwashed masses in the hope of enlightening us all. There are around two-thousand (yes, two-thousand!!) titles in the series. It is a surprise to the Worm, then, that he has not gotten his mitts on one of them.

This all changes with The Tudors For Dummies title in the series. At the helm of this book is a duo authorship of David Loades and Mei Trow. Loades is well known in Tudor-reading circles as a man who has researched and written heavily on the Tudor monarchs Henry VIII and Mary. Less well known to the Worm is Mei Trow: a historian and novelist who has appeared on documentaries as both expert and presenter. A dream-team of Tudor history? Let us find out.

The Tudors For Dummies devotes sections to the “Big Tudors” (Henry VII, Henry VIII, and Elizabeth), as well as one on the “Little Tudors” (the ill-fated Edward VI and Mary – deemed by the authors as the ‘Forgotten Tudors’). Furthermore, the book – like others in the Dummies series – devotes a section to ‘The Part of Tens’. This is a countdown list of ‘Tudor people’, of architecture, events, and other ‘Tudor firsts’.

The proceedings are all as to be expected: the Battle of Bosworth, the troubles of Henry VII’s reign with imposters and pretenders, the passing of the baton to the next generation, and his son’s desire to become a king feared by all. The section on Edward and Mary are of interest, with the author duo feeling enabled to go off the script and pick out some intriguing snippets of detail. But the main action is resumed with the section ‘Ending with Elizabeth.’ The reader is treated to her battles with religion and then the greater threat of the Spanish and their Armada fleet. The book is neatly wrapped up, with a short examination of the Tudors’ lasting legacy to Britain.

Although there is minimal detail, luckily the book is spruced up with anecdotes and appealing facts; all of which makes the reading experience a pleasurable one. Furthermore, Loades is unshackled from his usual academic sphere, adding a sense of personality to the chief Tudor protagonists. For example, how about this on Henry VIII: ‘Henry began his reign promisingly enough as a handsome, talented Renaissance prince with a 19-inch waist, but he became a bloated monster who terrified his subjects and whose soul the pope sent to hell’. Furthermore, we are also treated to the humour behind the relationship of Henry and Anne Boleyn: ‘Henry certainly fell for Anne, the daughter of a Kentish knight, longing, in his own words, to “kiss her pretty dukkys”. Dukkies meaning – of course – her breasts.

This is the first For Dummies read for the Worm. Although it failed to deliver the dizzy highs of inventive and authoritative history writing, it entertained and filled in gaps of knowledge. It is not comprehensive, but serves as a solid introduction to the Tudors of the sixteenth century. Therefore, the Worm will be back for more reads in the For Dummies series.

 

Buy it here!