March 2004 Archives

Hot on the heels of John Simpson's A Mad World, My Masters, I've turned to a autobiography of another british TV/Radio journalist. Whilst a familiar name, John Sergeant didn't register as having quite the same high profile, which having read as far as I've got I'd say reflects the facts that (1) John Sergeant is a political reporter, whilst John Simpson is a foreign correspondent; and (2) the differences in their egos! It reads as a very personal autobiography, with a balance between personal and professional life that I suspect reflect the balanced individual himself.

Buy it: Amazon link

A Christmas present from TJBR and another good read from John Simpson, with tales of his adventures in lands afar and encounters with the good, the bad and the ugly of the 20th century. I particularly liked that way the stories were grouped by theme, rather than chronologically, and it's always fascinating to catch a glimpse behind the scenes of history.

Buy it: Amazon link

09 Jan: Just started this travelogue of Colin Thubron's visit to China in 1986 - after China had re-opened its doors to the West, but before Tiannamen Square. Good so far.....

... and finally finished it in March. Not that it wasn't a good read, I just hit one of those patches where you don't really get into anything. Still, with The Mapmakers having snuck in and revived my reading appetite, I rattled through this during commutes, and moved on to John Simpson.

Buy it: Amazon link