TSF Book Club
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<p>that's what i did. once i had them all, i read them from the start. It's a mission. </p>
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<p>Everest - The First Ascent: The untold story of Griffith Pugh, the man who made it possible</p>
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<p>Well written and interesting subject. This from Amozon explains it well</p>
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<div>On 29 May 1953, the summit of Mount Everest was finally reached. The achievement brought fame and honours to many involved - except the man who made the ascent possible.</div>
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<div>Now, for the first time, drawing upon previously unseen diaries and letters, rare archive material and interviews, Everest - The First Ascent tells the remarkable story of Griffith Pugh, the forgotten team member whose scientific breakthroughs ensured the world's highest mountain could be climbed. A doctor and physiologist, Griffith Pugh revolutionised almost every aspect of British high-altitude mountaineering, transforming the climbers' attitude to oxygen, the clothes they wore, their equipment, fluid intake and acclimatisation.</div>
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<div>Yet, far from receiving the acclaim he was due, he was met with suspicion and ridicule. His scientific contributions were, quite simply, at odds with old-fashioned notions of derring-do and the gentlemanly amateurism that dogged the sport.</div>
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<div>This insightful biography shows Pugh to be troubled, abrasive, yet brilliant. Eight years in the writing, closely researched, and told with unflinching honesty by Pugh's daughter, Harriet Tuckey, Everest - The First Ascent is the compelling portrait of an unlikely hero</div>
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<p>Made me think about all the other brilliant minds that are behind the praise we heap on those that fulfil the task while ignoring the 'backroom boys'.</p>
<p>There's no doubt that Hillary's doggedness and skill went a long way toward getting to the top. He more than proved afterward that he was a man worthy of being looked up to, but Pugh's contribution in helping him (and Tenzing) make it was immense and made the key difference between Hunt's expedition and those that went before it.</p>
<p>Of course the climbers got the credit but it certainly sad that Pugh's contribution was lost in the clamour and old boys club bullshit.</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="mariner4life" data-cid="452781" data-time="1411601602">
<div><br><p>The best fantasy saga i have read was the Malazan books. 10 real big fuck off fantasy books, with a thousand characters, and a ton of story arcs. And while main people died, and story arcs sort of disappeared (seriously, what happened to Karsa?) there was always someone to root for, someone you had invested time in. And there was an eventual tie in for some of the arcs. Right now it looks a lot like Martin is painting himself in to a corner, and he's fast running out of hero-figures. </p>
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<p>Bit I liked there too was Ian C Esselmont started writing add ons that cleared up a lot of stuff - like Night of Knives that tells you what happened just prior to the series starting. I must have read books 1-3 3 or 4 times each as I kept having to re-read to remember WTF was going on. In the end I waited & re-read all 10 in one go, plus about 4 of the Esslemonts. Took about a year.</p>
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<p>After reading Malazan it always makes me laugh whenever anyone says Game of Thrones is complex, has a lot of characters & doesn't hand-hold the reader.</p> -
I remember halfway through Gardens of the Moon I actually checked to make sure I hadn't missed a book
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<p>Barbarians at the gate<a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.amazon.com/Barbarians-Gate-The-Fall-Nabisco/dp/0061655554'>http://www.amazon.com/Barbarians-Gate-The-Fall-Nabisco/dp/0061655554</a></p>
<p>A group of really appalling people try and get a hold of two long established companies [who had merged] off the group of appalling people who already own and are trying to buy it themselves so they can be even more wealthy. It happened almost 30 years ago but you can how easily it was for the GFC to occur with deadshits like these in charge of billions of dollars. Well worth a read.</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="jegga" data-cid="452848" data-time="1411635398">
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<p>Barbarians at the gate<a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.amazon.com/Barbarians-Gate-The-Fall-Nabisco/dp/0061655554'>http://www.amazon.com/Barbarians-Gate-The-Fall-Nabisco/dp/0061655554</a></p>
<p>A group of really appalling people try and get a hold of two long established companies [who had merged] off the group of appalling people who already own and are trying to buy it themselves so they can be even more wealthy. It happened almost 30 years ago but you can how easily it was for the GFC to occur with deadshits like these in charge of billions of dollars. Well worth a read.</p>
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<p>Read Smartest Guys In The Room too - the Enron guys, same sort of thing. I love both those books. Its just utter douche bags behaving like utter douche bags.</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="gollum" data-cid="452861" data-time="1411642233">
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<p>Read Smartest Guys In The Room too - the Enron guys, same sort of thing. I love both those books. Its just utter douche bags behaving like utter douche bags.</p>
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<p>Good call, I'll add that to the list. You might want to watch this too <a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margin_Call_(film'>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margin_Call_(film</a>) just really awful people getting huge bonuses for being deceitful. </p>
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<p>One of the main people in the book -Ross Johnson has a son who ends up in a coma just before the LBO kicks off. Does that make him take a look at his priorities decide he already has ten times more money than most people earn in a lifetime and spend time at his bedside? Hell no , he remains obsessed with getting RJRNabisco at the cheapest possible price while still keeping the massive fleet of corporate jets, apartments, golf club memberships etc. What a prize piston wristed gibbon.</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="gollum" data-cid="452844" data-time="1411632249">
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<p>Bit I liked there too was Ian C Esselmont started writing add ons that cleared up a lot of stuff - like Night of Knives that tells you what happened just prior to the series starting. I must have read books 1-3 3 or 4 times each as I kept having to re-read to remember WTF was going on. In the end I waited & re-read all 10 in one go, plus about 4 of the Esslemonts. Took about a year.</p>
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<p>After reading Malazan it always makes me laugh whenever anyone says Game of Thrones is complex, has a lot of characters & doesn't hand-hold the reader.</p>
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<p>I'm on the fence with Esselmont, NoK was ok but quite different to Erickson's writing style. In saying that Return of the Crimson Guard is bloody awesome.</p>
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<p>The Malazan books are a big commitment in time but well worth it. The latest book in his Kharkanas trilogy is primo as well, very cool to read about the history between Rake and Brood. Looking forward to the next book. </p>
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<p>Dogmeat, the last book is well worth a re-read of the series, one of the better conclusions to a series I've read. Something I'm having a bit of doubt about with Game of Thrones. Still can't quite see how he'll pull everything together without resorting to some deus ex machina magic etc. </p> -
<p>Oh I'll get around to it one day. Its just finding the time to read - what 5,000 pages?</p>
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<p>I try and read for enjoyment every day but its usually done either as I drop off to sleep or in the middle of the night when I can't sleep. Neither are ideal scenario's to read something as layered and complex as Erikson.</p> -
<p>the only time i get to read is just before sleep, so books take a loooong time at the moment. </p>
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<p>and get woken by kindle falling on floor or else I wake at 3.00 am and cant get back to sleep, but in that circumstance it needs to pretty garbagy</p>
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<p>Reading Glen Cooks Instrumentalities of the Night currently. That meets the definition. OK but formulaic. Sort of part way between Wheel of Time and Malazan</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="dogmeat" data-cid="452904" data-time="1411688072">
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<p>and get woken by kindle falling on floor or else I wake at 3.00 am and cant get back to sleep, but in that circumstance it needs to pretty garbagy</p>
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<p>Reading Glen Cooks Instrumentalities of the Night currently. That meets the definition. OK but formulaic. Sort of part way between Wheel of Time and Malazan</p>
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<p>I really liked that series, gritty and some great politics/characters. </p>
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<p>Any of you guys read the Deathstalker series? ultra violent and a pretty easy and entertaining read.</p> -
<p>How many of you have pre-ordered...?</p>
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<p>Should be hitting the stores any minute . . .</p>
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<p><img src="http://www.sarugbymag.co.za/images/made/images/uploads/pages/John_Mitchell_book_cover_620_431_s.png" alt="John_Mitchell_book_cover_620_431_s.png"></p>
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<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:'Times New Roman';font-size:medium;"><span style="font-size:24px;"><strong><u>Mitch: The Real Story</u></strong> </span></p>
<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:'Times New Roman';font-size:medium;"> </p>
<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:'Times New Roman';font-size:medium;text-align:justify;"><span style="font-size:14px;">He is one of the most highly regarded coaches in international rugby, but also one of the most controversial. Now you can read why…<br><br>
John Mitchell’s rugby-coaching career spans many years, several teams and various countries. He was assistant to Clive Woodward, who spearheaded England’s 2003 World Cup–winning campaign, for four years in the pioneering days of professional rugby coaching, and he took charge of the All Blacks and the Chiefs in New Zealand, the Western Force in Australia and the Lions in South Africa. Indisputably one of the most experienced coaches on the circuit, he has arguably also been one of the most controversial. For although he made a success of all his tenures, he has challenged the structures and powers-that be, resulting in several premature departures. This book reveals why, and also why Mitchell has successfully defended every disciplinary hearing he has been subjected to. <strong>For the first time, the rugby public will learn the truth behind the newspaper headlines: from his painful axing as All Black coach</strong> to his fall-out with the Western Force and his disciplinary hearing at the Lions, whom he had guided to a Currie Cup trophy, Mitchell sets out the reasons for his successes as well as his failures, and gives his opinion on what the future holds for South African rugby. <br><br>
Honest, gripping and revealing, <span style="color:#ff0000;">this book is a must-read for every rugby fan</span>.</span></p>
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<p><a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.randomstruik.co.za/books/mitch-the-real-story/5586'>http://www.randomstruik.co.za/books/mitch-the-real-story/5586</a></p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="red terror" data-cid="455131" data-time="1412748543">
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<p>How many of you have pre-ordered...?</p>
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<p>Should be hitting the stores any minute . . .</p>
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<p><img src="http://www.sarugbymag.co.za/images/made/images/uploads/pages/John_Mitchell_book_cover_620_431_s.png" alt="John_Mitchell_book_cover_620_431_s.png"></p>
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<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:'Times New Roman';font-size:medium;text-align:justify;"> </p>
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<p><a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.randomstruik.co.za/books/mitch-the-real-story/5586'>http://www.randomstruik.co.za/books/mitch-the-real-story/5586</a></p>
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<p>My journey towards finding it in the bargain bin for $3.99 starts now.</p> -
<p>Just finished Conn Igguldens Field of Swords, great historical recount of Caesars journey through Europe! </p>
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<p>Enjoyed it as I have all his works so far. </p>
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<p>Taking a break from the historical fiction and picked up Duncan Falconers book on his SBS experience '<span style="color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">First into Action: Dramatic Personal Account of Life Inside the SBS' before I pick up his fictional works which I expect to be popcorn action!</span></p>
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<p><span style="color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">First thing that struck me was the obvious SBS v SAS stuff, although he does go on to say that the Units do work closely together despite the assumed superiority and public view of the SAS.</span></p> -
<p>Ray Avery, rebel with a cause. <a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.randomhouse.co.nz/books/ray-avery/rebel-with-a-cause-9781869793913.aspx '>http://www.randomhouse.co.nz/books/ray-avery/rebel-with-a-cause-9781869793913.aspx </a></p>
<p>This guy is an absolute legend, I've loaned the book to two other people and like me they started reading it and couldn't put it down and finished it pretty much in one sitting.The saddest part apart from the story of his childhood is the things he talks about at the end that the various agencies like WHO completely fuck up in the third world.</p>
<p>This is the sort of stuff Avery and co do. <a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11349633'>http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11349633</a></p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="taniwharugby" data-cid="457801" data-time="1414221291">
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<p><span style="color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">First thing that struck me was the obvious SBS v SAS stuff, although he does go on to say that the Units do work closely together despite the assumed superiority and public view of the SAS.</span></p>
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<p>Considering that the SBS selection process is every bit as tough as the SAS one there are no grounds for a pissing contest anyway</p>