James A. Fergus

The question of what was actually real toward the end of the book was a nice twist.

Revisado: 05-01-25

Honestly, the story starts promisingly, but then begins to drag. The whole storytelling thing really didn’t work for me, and I found myself getting a bit bored. The narrator’s deadpan delivery also rather contributed to that.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

What?

Revisado: 02-02-25

She lost me at Waterloo. General Picton was in charge of the 5th Division, made up primarily of infantry. The Riyal Scots Greys were part of the Union Brigade, cavalry commanded by Ponsonby. And if the charge of the Greys overwhelmed the 45eme Regiment d’Infanterie de Ligne at a brisk walk as she describes, then they were even more remarkable soldiers than we knew. But then again, according to Taylor the French soldiers, Oompa Loompas all, even standing on tiptoes and with a musket and bayonet still could not reach the Scottish cavalrymen on their enormous horses!

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Meh

Revisado: 10-03-23

Meh. Sort of interesting, but never much more than that. Felt like I ought to finish it, but found myself bored and decided that I had better things to do and read.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

A book about Wales read by an Englishman

Revisado: 05-17-22

Seriously, how can you have a book which revolves around the disaster at Aberfan (a Welsh mining town pronounced “AberVan”), near Pontypridd (a Welsh town pronounced “Ponteepreeth”) read by an Englishman who doesn’t bother to correctly pronounce the Welsh words in the book? It’s lazy and disrespectful to those who died, and EASILY corrected by a decent editor/producer.

It’s an interesting book, but every time the narrator said “Aber-Fan” it just made me thoroughly pissed off.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 3 personas

Manly men and the end of the World

Revisado: 01-26-22

Interesting story with some sound physics and possible insights into Govt planning. But the pacing of the book, and repetition of information, left me anticipating the final destruction of mankind with impatience rather than dread.

And, then there are the manly military men (and the single female honorary manly military man). All these tough, square jaws could have been put to to build a protective wall to shelter everyone from the sun.

In summary, a bit cheesy, a bit long winded and repetitive, but free to me. If I had bought it I would have been upset.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

The man can write, but he shouldn’t read!

Revisado: 12-23-21

As someone considering a through trek of the AT I enjoyed this story of a total neophyte New Yorker out in the wilds. Except… the author really is not a good narrator. He gets better as he gets further into the book, but reminds me of a high school student asked to read out loud in front of the class.

Don’t get me wrong. I really like this book. But I wish someone had found a better reader to do it justice.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Faux British reader distracts from an interesting story

Revisado: 11-08-21

It really would have been worthwhile for the reader to check on the pronunciation of British place names and common terms such as “three pence” (pron. “threppence”). Or maybe an editor? It is jarring to hear a British army officer’s memoirs disturbed by some very un-British pronunciations.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 2 personas

And now, the News

Revisado: 05-19-21

As much work as Clive Chafer has apparently had as a narrator it is odd that his performance is not any better. In short, he reads this book as if he were reading the News on BBC Radio 4, occasionally breaking the pattern when he is required to voice a particular character. Very odd, and rather intrusive.

This book is a historical document, recording in sometimes graphic detail the wartime experiences and thoughts of a young bourgeois French poillou reluctantly fighting on the Western Front from 1915 to 1918. It is at times startlingly misogynistic, but, again, it is a historical document from a time and place where women were far from equal. Overall a very interesting, engaging read, and an illuminating view of the war from a soldier who was willing to break with the norm of the period and admit openly that his time at the front was indeed terrifying and ruled by fear.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Just not that funny

Revisado: 11-12-20

Kept listening with the expectation that maybe the next story would be funny. It wasn’t.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Runcible, Runcible, Runcible

Revisado: 01-25-20

I bought this book because someone suggested that Neal Asher’s work would be a good follow-on to Iain M Banks’ Culture books. It is not.

Two other things:
1/ The word “Runcible” used so frequently as to be laughable.
2/ Hilarious mispronunciations of words - such as Occam’s Razor pronounced as if the razor belonged to an Irishman!

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña