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Book help - 6/4/2012 6:40:37 PM   
camille65


Posts: 5746
Joined: 7/11/2007
From: Austin Texas
Status: offline 		I didn't want to hijack the current book thread, so I'm hoping some of you can help me here.

My dad is an in depth fiction reader, preferring books where he learns new things such as: the history of the sugar cane industry, tracing the provenance of artwork, early timber industry of the US but all couched within a fictional novel.

Older favorite authors of my dad: James Clavell (Sho-Gun series), occasional Mitchum, LeCarre, DeMille (esp The Charm School).

Hopefully I've been able to describe the flavor, but who knows lol. Fathers Day and his birthday are coming up rapidly and... well..

I'm tapped out! He is a voracious reader so sadly older books have usually already been read and he just will not read a book more than once. Although I'm happy to do so!

I've combed through book review sites, Amazon, local bookstores etc.

Thank you in advance!

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RE: Book help - 6/4/2012 6:48:08 PM   
lazarus1983


Posts: 828
Joined: 2/25/2006
Status: offline 		The Rum Diary, by Hunter S Thompson
The Coldest Winter, by David Halberstam (nonfiction, but still an excellent compelling read)

Would your father enjoy alternative history books? What If novels?

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RE: Book help - 6/4/2012 6:48:55 PM   
punisher440


Posts: 4122
Joined: 4/10/2011
Status: offline 		Has he read any of Louis L'Amour? I mean the ones like "Jubal","Haunted Mesa",and the "Walking Drum".These three and several others of his are a lot different than most Westerns that he wrote.

< Message edited by punisher440 -- 6/4/2012 6:50:07 PM >

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RE: Book help - 6/4/2012 6:55:54 PM   
lazarus1983


Posts: 828
Joined: 2/25/2006
Status: offline 		Just remembered,

North Dallas Forty, by Peter Gent.

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RE: Book help - 6/4/2012 6:58:47 PM   
camille65


Posts: 5746
Joined: 7/11/2007
From: Austin Texas
Status: offline 		I will look into those titles, I did try his typical westerns many years ago and they were found wanting. Thank you!

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RE: Book help - 6/4/2012 7:06:00 PM   
camille65


Posts: 5746
Joined: 7/11/2007
From: Austin Texas
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: lazarus1983

The Rum Diary, by Hunter S Thompson
The Coldest Winter, by David Halberstam (nonfiction, but still an excellent compelling read)

Would your father enjoy alternative history books? What If novels?



He would not like Thompson, alt history would get a huge eye roll (I happen to love it, and sci-fi as well) and I've written down the Halberstam.
:)

Apologies if I end up saying "nope, nope" to a lot of suggestions, he is very picky and reads quite a bit.

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RE: Book help - 6/4/2012 7:18:31 PM   
peppermint


Posts: 5171
Joined: 10/18/2005
From: Montana
Status: offline 		John Jakes wrote a whole series of books about the formation of the US starting with the book The Bastard. It was one of my favorite series, similar to the Sho-Gun books. There is an older book he may not have read yet is an excellent book about Native American Indians just as they contact the white people. Actually the book centers more around their customs. It's called Hanta Yo by Ruth Beebee Hill. The book was very controversial when it was published. Then there are the Jean Auel Earth Children series but the main character throughout the series is a woman so that might not appeal to him. It's about perhistoric man.

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RE: Book help - 6/4/2012 7:24:53 PM   
LadyHibiscus


Posts: 27124
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From: Island Of Misfit Toys
Status: offline 		Dick Francis. Fast reads, about people who are passonate about whatever their 'thing' is.

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RE: Book help - 6/4/2012 7:37:04 PM   
lazarus1983


Posts: 828
Joined: 2/25/2006
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: camille65


quote:

ORIGINAL: lazarus1983

The Rum Diary, by Hunter S Thompson
The Coldest Winter, by David Halberstam (nonfiction, but still an excellent compelling read)

Would your father enjoy alternative history books? What If novels?



He would not like Thompson, alt history would get a huge eye roll (I happen to love it, and sci-fi as well) and I've written down the Halberstam.
:)

Apologies if I end up saying "nope, nope" to a lot of suggestions, he is very picky and reads quite a bit.


The Rum Diary is early Thompson, it's worth looking into.

_____________________________

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RE: Book help - 6/4/2012 7:50:12 PM   
camille65


Posts: 5746
Joined: 7/11/2007
From: Austin Texas
Status: offline 		Peppermint yes he has read Jakes, I enjoyed the series (although I never finished it).

LadyH he is a fun read isn't he? Too lightweight for my dad but I think I've read all of his books (not including with the son). Now a meaty well written book about the inner workings of Churchill Downs might be something intriguing. Or something about the seamy side of the horse world.

I always have a tough time describing the types of books I'm looking for beyond 'in depth fiction'.

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RE: Book help - 6/4/2012 8:00:24 PM   
RemoteUser


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Joined: 5/10/2011
Status: offline 		How is he for "fictional history" instead of "alternate history"? There are several books to be read about the growth and periods of several countries where the facts are real but the characters, exaggerated.

Example: "The Colony of Unrequited Dreams" by Wayne Johnston is about a real Canadian, "Joey Smallwood", with fictionalized drama surrounding his personal life.


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RE: Book help - 6/4/2012 8:08:49 PM   
camille65


Posts: 5746
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From: Austin Texas
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: RemoteUser

How is he for "fictional history" instead of "alternate history"? There are several books to be read about the growth and periods of several countries where the facts are real but the characters, exaggerated.

Example: "The Colony of Unrequited Dreams" by Wayne Johnston is about a real Canadian, "Joey Smallwood", with fictionalized drama surrounding his personal life.




Okay now those sound like they'd be up his alley. Those are definitely on my list, with my appreciation.

Few more authors I know he has read: Edward Rutherford, Ken Follet, Umberto Eco (not sure if he liked any of his or not).

Last years Fathers Day was what I thought was a very cool book. Called The Fruit Hunters it was about how the black market world of fruit is run, and yes there really is a black market for fruit lol. Unfortunately the reviews were more exciting than the book, I knew it was non-fiction but I was hoping it was less dry than it turned out to be. Had it been fiction and well written I'd have scored well. Alas.

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RE: Book help - 6/4/2012 8:14:22 PM   
slaveluci


Posts: 4294
Joined: 3/2/2007
From: Little Rock, AR
Status: offline 		If he likes John Le Carre, he may also enjoy Graham Greene, Ted Allbeury, Len Deighton, Charles McCarry, Daniel Silva (also recommended for Nelson DeMille fans), Charles Cumming and/or Alex Carr.

If he likes Nelson DeMille, he may also enjoy Christopher Dickey, Brian Haig, and W.E.B. Griffin.


Recommend for anyone who enjoyed DeMille's "Charm School":
"The honor of spies" - W. E. B Griffin
"Covert warriors" W.E.B Griffin
"The killing ground" - Jack Higgins
"A devil is waiting" - Jack Higgins
"Robert Ludlum's the Bourne sanction" - Eric Lustbader
"Robert Ludlum's The Bourne dominion" - Eric Lustbader
"The Rembrandt Affair" - Daniel Silva
"Portrait of a Spy" - Daniel Silva

Hopefully he'll like some of these authors/titles............luci






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RE: Book help - 6/4/2012 8:50:09 PM   
Iamsemisweet


Posts: 3651
Joined: 4/9/2011
From: The Great Northwest, USA
Status: offline 		Andrew vachss is an amazing author. He writes these really gritty semi detective novels, only the "hero" is a hardened criminal. I have never read anything like it. James Lee Burke also writes these lyrical novels with lots of history thrown in. He writes about a former Texas ranger turned lawyer in one series, and a New Orleans cop in another.

Those are two of my favorites.

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RE: Book help - 6/4/2012 9:04:27 PM   
camille65


Posts: 5746
Joined: 7/11/2007
From: Austin Texas
Status: offline 		Oh I like James Lee Burke! It might be time to read him again, I know he has had several books out since I last visited. My dad might like the first one, formulaic writing irritates him so its rare that a series grabs his attention.

The name Andrew Vachss feels familiar but I can't call anything to mind, so his name is down as well.

At the very least I'm getting a nice list together for myself

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RE: Book help - 6/4/2012 11:33:10 PM   
DaNewAgeViking


Posts: 1009
Joined: 4/29/2004
Status: offline 		While it's nonfiction, strictly speaking, I recommend "The Making Of The Atomic Bomb" by Richard Rhodes. It goes into fascinating detail about the discovery of the atom and the process of atomic fusion set against the background of late 19th and early 20th century Europe - including how Hitler's racial policies drove hundreds of scientists out of Germany, where they wound up doing great work for the Allies, including the Manhattan Project.

I can also recommend "When The Earth Almost Died", which goes into epic detail about the Permean Extinction some 250 million years ago which all but left earth sterile, and led to the rise of the dinosaurs.


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RE: Book help - 6/5/2012 3:20:37 AM   
areallivehuman


Posts: 277
Joined: 1/16/2010
Status: offline 		For some non-fiction/history, he may enjoy something by David McCullough, excellent, well researched, in depth. There are a couple of great biographies of John Adams and Harry Truman, as well as a fascinating look at the building of the Brooklyn Bridge. I'm waiting to read the latest, the history behind the construction of the Panama Canal.

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RE: Book help - 6/5/2012 6:18:16 AM   
JstAnotherSub


Posts: 6174
Status: offline 		The Foxfire Series is one that I have on my shelf, and read often. Not sure if it fits your bill or not though.

http://www.foxfire.org/index.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foxfire_%28magazine%29

< Message edited by JstAnotherSub -- 6/5/2012 6:20:21 AM >

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RE: Book help - 6/5/2012 8:14:14 AM   
kalikshama


Posts: 14805
Joined: 8/8/2010
Status: offline 		Shibumi has been around for a while so he may have already come across it.

Colleen McCullough's Morgan's Run about the life of an English prisoner driven to the first penal colonies in Australia in the 18th century or her Masters of Rome series (think a more in depth Tom Clancy spanning January 1, 110 BC to January 16, 27 BC.

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RE: Book help - 6/5/2012 10:24:21 AM   
LadyHibiscus


Posts: 27124
Joined: 8/15/2005
From: Island Of Misfit Toys
Status: offline 		Neal Stephenson is our modern day Tom Pynchon... and that might take him out of the running for your dad. But, Quicksilver and its attendant volumes, and Cryptonomicon, are both about science, history, and computers. LARGE books, lots going on. REAMDE is also about computers and computer games, and while harder to follow, it does have a Tom Clancy-ish feel.

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