“Thud” is thirty-fourth novel in Terry Pratchett’s hugely popular Discworld series, was first published in 2005 and is the seventh to focus on Sam Vimes and Ankh-Morpork’s City Watch.

Sam is the Commander of the City Guard, and – having married Lady Ramkin – a member of the nobility. He’s also recently become a father and has made reading “Where’s My Cow” to his son every evening at six o’clock his top priority. Despite being a devoted father, however, he mightn’t necessarily be considered a typical hero : he doesn’t like Assassins (they keep trying to kill him), Kings (it’s an old family traditions : even in chess, he supports the pawns) and the Undead (particularly vampires).

For the most part, Ankh-Morpork’s ethnic groupings are already well-represented in the Watch. Sam’s most capable officer is Captain Carrot – who was born human, although raised as a dwarf. Carrot is an incredibly innocent and very honest character and is widely believed to be Ankh-Morpork’s rightful King. (Sam has – to date – refrained from beheading him). Carrot’s girlfriend, Angua, is also a member of the City Guard – though, being a werewolf, she also shares Sam’s misgivings about vampires. Sergeant Detritus, a troll who deals roughly with troll drug-dealers, seems a natural – not to mention likable – cop, though Sergeant Colon and Corporal Nobbs (a confirmed slacker and probably human) are the most experienced officers. Cheery Littlebottom is an ex-alchemist dwarf, who more or less founded forensics department. (Cheery left the Guild of Alchemists after, accidentally, blowing up the Guild Council). However, for the first time, “Thud” sees a vampire apply to join the Watch. The vampire in question, Sally von Humpeding, is fortunately a Black Ribboner – meaning she abstains from drinking blood. However, her presence naturally makes a few people uncomfortable – most notably Sam and Angua.

The Battle of Koom Valley was fought many years ago between trolls and dwarves and is quite possibly unique – in that both sides were ambushed by the other. Although there is always a certain amount of tension between the two species throughout the year, things tend tend to become a little worse as the battle’s anniversary comes around. Things have been even worse recently, though with the arrival of several Grags the previous month. A Grag is a deep-downer and a master of dwarfish lore – naturally, they are very influential in Ankhh-Morpork’s dwarfish community. One of them – Grag Hamcrusher – has naturally been stirring up a great deal of trouble. Naturally, when Hamcrusher is murdered, Sam feels it’s the City Watch’s responsibility to investigate. The dwarves, who are quite happy to blame a troll, don’t agree.

As is things weren’t difficult enough, “The Battle of Koom Valley” by Methodia Rascal is also stolen from the Royal Art Museum. The (incredibly detailed) painting itself is priceless, despite the fact that Rascal was somewhat insane. (He believed he was being relentlessly pursued by a chicken). There are also rumours of a mysterious Mr Shine amongst the trolls – a diamond geezer, if the graffiti is to be believed. Worst of all, the Patrician has unleashed a government inspector – Mr A.E. Pessimal – on the Watch.

Another cracking book from Pratchett – as usual there’s plenty of humour and with a great storyline ‘underneath’ it all. Excellent stuff, highly recommended !

2003 saw the 100th birthday of the Tour de France, the world’s most famous bike race. This book was released at the beginning of the centenary year as part of the race’s birthday celebrations.

The race was created by a newspaper called L’Auto, the forerunner of today’s sports newspaper L’Equipe. The race’s organisers worked closely with L’Equipe in the production of this book. Thanks to L’Equipe’s involvement, the book had the pick of a huge amount of material dating back to the Tour’s inception. The collection of photographs used is incredible and is the main strength of the book. The Tour is a tough enough race today, but being able to see what sort of conditions and equipment the cyclists had to endure in the early days…..well, phrases like ‘seeing is believing’ and ‘every picture tells a thousand stories’ could’ve been formed with these pages in mind. It was also nice being able to finally put a face to some of the famous names – the likes of Coppi, Bobet and Anquetil.

Essentially, the book begins in 1903, and has something similar to a chapter for each edition of the race. The level of detail varies from year to year – the years where there was a ‘big’ story are generally given the luxury of an extra couple of pages. These would include, for example, 1998’s Festina Affair, Merckx’s and Hinault’s first wins (1969 and 1978 respectively), the deaths of Tom Simpson (1967) and Fabio Casartelli (1995) and the completion of the race’s first hat-trick by Philippe Thys in 1920. Inevitably, some races are comparatively skimmed over. It would’ve been nice if, for example, the 1960 race had been given some extended coverage also, when Roger Reviere crashed in the mountains and broke his back.

For the most part, the writing centres on the battle for the yellow jersey. L’Auto was responsible for the creation of the famous yellow jersey. In 1919, it arranged for a special jersey to be presented to the race leader so spectators could easily identify him. As the newspaper was printed on yellow paper, they chose yellow as the colour for the jersey. Of course, this would’ve done no harm to the newspaper sales either.

Little is said, however, about the battles for the race’s other jerseys. The King of the Mountains (polka dot) jersey was introduced in 1933, while the Sprinter’s (green) jersey was introduced 20 years later, in 1953. They are given some coverage in the stats section at the back of the book, but really only mentioned in passing throughout the book. The combined and red jerseys that were formerly a part of the Tour don’t even get a mention in the stats section – though the combined jersey, at least, does make an appearance in one or two photographs. These are only minor quibbles, it has to be said. These omissions are understandable, given all that has happened in this race over the years, and that there was always going to be a limited amount of space available ! This is an incredible book, one that should be owned by anyone who is even vaguely interested in sport.

n 2002, soccer’s World Cup Finals were played in Japan and South Korea. Following a two-year qualifying campaign, thirty-two countries were involved. While countries such as Brazil and France were among the pre-tournament favorites, the Republic of Ireland had qualified for only the third time in their history.

Ireland’s team captain leading up to the finals was Roy Keane, considered by many to be the country’s greatest ever player. While soccer is a team sport, Ireland simply wouldn’t have been capable of qualifying for the Finals without him. Keane, like all the other members of Ireland’s squad, has spent the bulk of his playing career in England – where he has won the Premiership and the F.A. Cup (English soccer’s top competitions) several times. He also has a winners medal from the Champions League (Europe’s top competition) in his collection. A very focused and determined player, he believes it is necessary to train, eat and rest properly to perform at the highest level.

The events that led up to the World Cup Finals that year, however, must have left him feeling disillusioned with the international set-up. The FAI (the organisation in charge of Irish soccer) had decided that Saipan would be used as the pre-tournament base. After all, it had a very nice hotel. Unfortunately, the team arrived to discover the FAI had brought no soccer balls or training gear – which made training a little difficult. Furthermore, Keane, as captain, wasn’t too impressed with the attitude of some of his team-mates; there have been suggestions of late nights and heavy drinking (and I don’t mean isotonic fluids). Furthermore, when the training equipment finally arrived, he was unhappy that some were allowed to skip the scheduled training sessions. Keane’s anger at what was happening around him led to a huge argument with the squad’s coach, Mick McCarthy. It seems that McCarthy found Keane’s attitude unacceptable and reservations without foundation; as a result, he dismissed Keane from the squad and sent him home.

The story was huge, and Ireland was divided. A large part of the Irish population bizarrely agreed with McCarthy. Vilified by many in the media, Keane was labelled a traitor. Some made claims about what he’d said to McCarthy. He denied making the most controversial remark, a denial supported by Niall Quinn – another player who’d actually backed McCarthy’s position. Keane, however, did have his supporters – among them, the population of Cork City and Conor O’Callaghan. In this book, O’Callaghan looks back to the events of Saipan, the reaction of the Irish people and its effect on him. He was involved in any number of arguments defending Keane – his barber was one of his favorite sparring partners – while the situation left his seven-year-old son thoroughly confused. Like Steve Staunton – who was appointed Ireland’s captain after Keane was dismissed – O’Callaghan was brought up in Dundalk. Staunton, who is now the Ireland manager and an unmitigated disaster in the role, was another player who’d backed McCarthy at a press conference. One of the funniest incidents takes place at a street party after his neighbour returned home – O’Callaghan made sure his neighbour knew not everyone was happy with his role.

I enjoyed this book quite a bit, but I’d imagine it has a limited appeal. There’d need to be some interest in soccer, and it will mean more if the reader followed the 2002 World Cup. (Having said that, it probably won’t be enjoyed so much by those who supported Mick McCarthy). If you’re interested, other books that cover the events of Saipan include “Laptop Dancing and the Nanny Goat Mambo: A Sports Writer’s Year” by Tom Humphries and the autobiographies of Niall Quinn and Roy Keane.

If Nelly Furtado were a beer, she’d be Super Bock. (Portuguese and tasty).

It is also , apparently, Wayne Rooney’s favourite beer.

10 years of hits from the very gorgeous Australian.

Even better, the version I picked up came with a bonus DVD of her videos. Oooooooooooohhhhhhhhh, yesssssssssssssss.

“The Rotters’ Club” was first published in 2001, and went on to win Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Prize. It’s set in 1970s Birmingham, and incorporates a number of real-life people, places and events into the back-story – including the Birmingham Pub Bombing (which led to the imprisonment of the Birmingham Six), the infamous British Leyland plant, the Unions and the inevitable strikes, Enoch Powell, the National Front and various other similar factions and the changes in musical fashion – most notably, from prog to punk rock.

The book tells the story of Ben Trotter’s life at secondary achool, and opens in 1973. Ben has one older sister, Lois, and a younger brother, Paul and all three attend King Williams School – quite a prestigious establishment, though seen as a school for “toffs” by the city’s working class. Of Ben’s two siblings, Lois is much more likeable – and, as it turns out, a great deal more unfortunate. She starts dating Malcolm – generally just referred to as ‘Hairy Guy’ – shortly after the book opens. (Hairy Guy proves to be a big influence on Ben’s musical taste). Paul, Ben’s younger brother, generally tends to be a poisonous, spiteful brat. Among Ben’s friends at school are Philip Chase, Duggie Anderton and Sean Harding. Like Ben’s father, Duggie’s father also works at British Leyland. However, where Ben’s father is management, Duggie’s father is a shop steward for the Union and a committed socialist. Ben, like every other boy at school, is hopelessly in love with Cicely Boyd. It’s a pity, really, as he would have been much better off with the very likeable Claire Newman. (Meanwhile, Claire’s sister – Miriam – is having an affair with Duggie’s dad as the book opens).

The story is mostly told by Sophie – Ben’s niece and Lois’ daughter – looking back to the 1970s. Occasionally, some of the characters tell part of the story in their own words – a short story by Ben himself, a speech given by Duggie, sections of Lois’ diary, the editorials of the school newspaper – even, at one point, a letter written to Ben by another character. On the whole it is a very readable, very enjoyable book – the only sections that didn’t work for me were the introduction and the conclusion – featuring Sophie and Patrick. (In fact, the introduction was so bad I nearly didn’t bother with the rest of the book). The book also, apparently holds the record for the longest sentence in English literature – Coe would’ve been better off just using punctuation, and forgetting about the record books, but it’s not really that big a deal. Good enough for me to keep an eye out for its sequel – “The Closed Circle”, which was released in 2004 and picks up the story in 1990s.

RL Stevenson was born in 1850, and died in 1894. “Treasure Island” was first published in 1883, though was originally written for the amusement of Stevenson’s stepson, Lloyd Osbourne.

Set in the 1700s, the book’s hero is Jim Hawkins. Jim is, apparently, an only child whose parents run the Admiral Benbow – a quiet inn, though with a good reputation, not far from Bristol. His troubles begin with the arrival of a mysterious sailor – a rather intimidating, poorly dressed and generally filthy character, though not one who was short of money. He’s reluctant to give his name, though claims to hold the rank of captain, and he generally says little. However, occasionally his tongue is loosened a little by his fondness for rum – upon which he would either burst into song or tell the most terrifying stories. At the mysterious sailor’s request, meanwhile, Jim keeps an eye out for another salty old sea dog the nameless captain seems keen to avoid : the unwanted visitor’s most notable feature is his one leg.

Things change with the arrival of an even nastier sailor named Black Dog. He’s obviously acquainted with the Admiral Benbow’s resident sailor – whose name, Billy Bones, is soon revealed – though they’re not on the best of terms. Things turn nasty, one thing leads to another and before you can say “oh, arrr”, Billy has died of a stroke. Jim and his mother quickly rifle Billy’s sea chest – he’d left a substantial bar bill, and Mrs Hawkins meant to collect payment – though among his possessions they also find a mysterious sealed packet. When eventually opened, the packet proves to hold treasure map of a notorious pirate called Captain Flint. Shortly afterwards, Jim joins Squire Trelawney and Dr Livesey on a mission to retrieve the treasure. Unfortunately, their ship proves to be manned by a crew of treacherous pirates – including the one-legged Long John Silver…

A very easily read, enjoyable book and one that (presumably) has had a huge impact on how we still see pirates : treasure maps where X marks the spot, one-legged salty old sea dogs with parrots that scream “pieces of eight”. Highly recommended.

Iain Banks was born in Scotland in 1954 and published his first book – “The Wasp Factory” – in 1984. In the years since, he’s won critical acclaim, topped best-seller lists and has even written Science Fiction books under the cunning nom-de-plume ‘Iain M. Banks’. “The Business” was first published in 1999, and is his tenth non sci-fi book.

The origins of the Business predate Christianity, and it – technically – owned the Roman Empire for an exceptionally short spell. (It turned out to be something of a mistake, and is considered to be the Business’ most public mistake). The world headquarters re at Chateau d’Oex, in Switzerland, where there are – allegedly – some rather interesting items in their vaults. (These are rumoured to include a book that might just have made it into the Bible and some rather erotic doodlings sketched by Michelangelo). Although the Business has ‘understandings’ with several states and regimes, it is now planning to ‘buy’ its own country – allowing for a seat on the United Nations and diplomatic immunity for its senior executives. Officially, the country being considered if Fenua Uans, a small island in the Pacific.

Kate Telman is senior executive officer, third level with the Business. She started with Security, though has been keeping an eye on technology trends in recent years – luckily, her suggestions on where to invest have been paying off significantly. (As a result, she reached Level Three a good deal more quickly than she had dared hope). Kate is thirty eight years old and was born in Scotland, but holds joint British – US citizenship. Although she is currently on sabbatical, she has been with the organisation since she left school. She had been effectively groomed for the Business by Elizabeth Telman since childhood, following a chance meeting on the roadside in 1968. Elizabeth adopted Kate after her natural mother died, four years later. Now, with Elizabeth also dead, Freddy Ferrindonald is the closest thing to family she has left. Freddy, a step-brother of Elizabeth’s, is also a high-ranking Business employee, not to mention exceptionally rich and just a little odd. He lives at Blysecrag House, which might just qualify as a stately home. (It has three hundred rooms and its cellars extend for two miles). The pair certainly get on very well together, and Kate admits to being very fond of Freddy.

Blysecrag is soon to be playing host to a very high-level meeting and some general hedonism – Kate is rather excited (and relieved) to have been invited. Unffortunately, Prince Suvinder Dzung from Thulan will also be among the other guests. Suvinder is a noted admirer of Kate’s, but the admiration is entirely one way. Kate prefers Stephen Buzetski, another Business executive – unfortunately, he is proving to be stubbornly loyal to his wife. Events at Blysecrag lead to Kate doing a little more travelling and attending a few more meetings – leading to an offer she never seriously expected and didn’t necessarily want. However, as time goes by, she becomes increasingly suspicious that the more senior executives are not being entirely straight about things…

Generally, I’ve found if a book has the name “Iain Banks” on the cover it’s well worth reading. “The Crow Road” and “Whit” would both safely be included in my “10 Favourite Books of All Time”, while “Canal Dreams” and “The Wasp Factory” would probably be knocking loudly on the door. In all those books, Banks has developed a strong ‘lead’ character whose past has contributed as much to the book as the ‘current’ events of the story. In comparison, “The Business” is a little weak : Kate’s past isn’t developed in the way Prentice McHoan’s or Frank Cauldhame’s are developed, while the story’s ‘current’ events – meetings, parties and sightseeing – aren’t quite as absorbing as the events of “Whit” and “Canal Dreams”. However, “The Business” is still an Iain Banks book : even on an off-day, he’ll tell a story a good deal more readable and a great deal more enjoyable than your average writer is capable of producing.

“Roadkill” is Kinky Friedman’s tenth novel and and was first published in 1997. As with his other books, Kinky has cast himself as the amateur-PI hero – though he doesn’t take too many liberties. The book’s Kinky (unsurprisingly) is a cigar-smoking, cat-loving, espresso-guzzling, whiskey-drinking, ex-country and western performer. As usual, Kinky isn’t the only ‘real’ person to appear in the book : Rambam, Ratso and McGovern – Kinky’s ‘Village Irregulars’ – have all been based on actual friends. While the Village Irregulars turn up in most of Kinky’s books, “Roadkill” provides one very notable, non-recurring guest star : Willie Nelson.

As the book opens, it’s clear that Kinky is just not going to have a good day. The fact that his career as a PI has taken a slight downturn, not to mention the continuing absence of Stephanie Dupont (she’s on silent running in Florida), is causing the Kinster a certain amount of misery. However, it’s the conversation he has with Antonio the Indian that adds a healthy dose of panic to his misery. Antonio, who is looking out of the mirror that Kinky is looking into, suggests that now is perhaps the right time for taking a little trip. (Given that Kinky’s talking to a figment of his imagination, this isn’t necessarily bad advice…even if it’s the figment of his imagination who’s providing the advice). Not long afterwards, Kinky receives a phone call from his old friend Willie Nelson. Spookily, Willie is phoning from his tour bus and wants the Kinkster to join him on his travels. Naturally, Kinky packs his bags and hits the road…though it soon becomes clear that Willie’s life is in danger and he might just need the services of a skilled PI.

“Roadkill” is a very enjoyable, easily read book. Like everything else I’ve read by Kinky, it’s not an entirely serious ‘whodunnit’ and it includes plenty of the trademark one-liners. However, he does occasionally wander off-topic and it’s maybe a little more introspective in places than usual. Nevertheless, the book is anything other than a disappointment – if you’ve enjoyed any of Kinky’s other books, you should also enjoy this one.

The second part of The Bartimaeus Trilogy, “The Golem’s Eye” continues the story began in “The Amulet of Samarkand”. Like the first instalment, the majority of the action is set in a mostly recognisable London – admittedly, with a few noticeable changes. The Empire (which still exists), having already defeated the Czech Republic, is now considering war with the North American colonies. All the same, some Czech spies are still operating in England, and the Czech immigrant community is viewed with suspicion. Magicians have been the ruling class since Gladstone’s time, holding all positions of power. Rather than wands and potions, these magicians derive their power from their ability to summon and control a variety of demons – for example, afrits, djinn and imps. Meanwhile the non-magical human masses are referred to as commoners – some of whom have formed a very troublesome resistance.

Nearly three years have passed since the events of “The Amulet of Samarkand”. Nathaniel (more widely known as John Mandrake) is now apprenticed to Jessica Whitwell, the Security Minister, and works at the Department of Internal Affairs. His boss, Julius Tallow, is a typical magician : cruel, arrogant and self-serving, he would happily throw another (such as Nathaniel) to the wolves if it meant saving his own hide. (These same qualities, with extra ambition, have also become more pronounced in Nathaniel). However, since Tallow has more problems than he’s aware of, Nathaniel’s main rivals are the Chief of Police (Henry Duvall) and his assistant (Jane Farrar).

Nathaniel has been put in charge of pursuing the Resistance, a group of commoners who oppose the Magicians’ Rule. Generally, their attacks have been limited to small-scale thefts, nothing that would’ve left Nathaniel under any great pressure. However, the night before Founder’s Day (Gladstone’s Birthday), a number of shops are attacked and practically destroyed. Policemen were killed, while a number of demons and search spheres used in investigate are missing. However, there are no indications the attack involved the use of magic – although Nathaniel is far from convinced, the Resistance are the most obvious culprits. Under no illusion that results are required, he realises he has to summon Bartimaeus again.

Bartimaeus (the fourth-level djinn summoned by Nathaniel) is caustic, irreverent and hopelessly vain – he boasts about the walls he built at Uruk and Karnak, but never mentions his work at Jericho. While he wasn’t too fond of Nathaniel when they first met, he is even less impressed with his master in this book : in fact, he is determined to let Nathaniel down whenever and wherever possible. The last time the duo worked together, they briefly stumbled across three of the Resistance’s members – a small group, led by a girl called Kitty. In this instalment, they share the spotlight with Kitty – a commoner with a limited natural resistance to magic.

While Kitty’s introduction reduces the amount of time Bartimaeus features, it gives some indication of how the commoners are treated and why there is a Resistance. It means fewer wisecracks (Bartimaeus is the book’s funniest character), but it adds to the story and action significantly. The focus from one chapter to another switches between the characters, though the story never stalls. Stroud writes Nathaniel’s and Kitty’s stories (“Kitty and her parents watched him in silence”), while the djinni tells his own (“I could tell it was Prague as soon as I materialised”). “The Golem’s Eye” is very easily read and very enjoyable – but I would recommend starting with “The Amulet of Samarkand”.