November 2003 Archives

One of my favourite books of the year.

I had to ration my reading as this was one of only 2 books I took to last me through 4 weeks travelling in Chile. It got me through the flights from London to Santiago (I'm not at my most relaxed at 36,000 ft), and a cold and rainy afternoon in Puerto Natales.

Kate Adie is a TV News Reporter I remember well from my teenage years - she always seems so cool, calm and collected in the most amazing situations - and her "From our own correspondant" programme on Radio 4 is one that I often find myself trying to organise my Saturday mornings around. In fact, I frequently find myself envying her and her job, which has taken her to so many far flung places and into many of the 20th century's key events. All the more so after reading this autobiography, learning more about her early years in the BBC, and of her encounters with politicians and world leaders - official and unofficial - over the past 4 decades.

Buy it: Amazon link

I cadged this from Phil after picking it up at his after finishing Ann Tyler ahead of schedule (aka without having another book with me to move on to for the morning commute - disaster!). A fascinating read, albeit rather dated. Still, most of the films William Goldman discusses are familiar blockbusters of yesteryear, many of which stand the test of time - Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid for example - and it is fascinating to learn about the history of their making, from the germ of the idea to the on-going success (or failure). And it is equally interesting to read about the role of the screenwriter, and the other job titles that appear in the ever-growing list of credits that roll at the end of films.

For me, the book could have lost the final section, where William Goldman talks you through creating and analysing a screenplay, but I can imagine that readers who do want to become screenwriters will find it a useful and probably unique section.

Buy it: Amazon link