My web site contains pieces I've written, talks I've given, reviews of books I've read, and information about things I'm interested in. Like me, it's somewhat chaotic, but if you dig around a little you will, I hope, find some interesting material. Most of the stuff on the site is written for the non-specialist; if you find something that isn't very clear drop me a line and I'll try to clarify things. The address to write to is alan@ibgames.com and if you include the word 'fed2' in the subject line my spam filter will pass it by on the other side and not junk it!
I also produce a free weekly newsletter, called Winding Down, which features information, reviews, and analysis on computers, the Internet and society. It's available via an e-mail list, and you can get the subscription details here.
You can find more detailed information about me here.
Recent Reading:
Armageddon by Max Hastings. Pan Books
This is a war book with a difference, covering the last eight months of the Second World War in Europe. Unlike most of its peers it is a story not just of generals and battles, but of the suffering that goes with modern warfare, and an assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of the various armies.
If you want a blow-by-blow account of the various battles of this period, Arnhem, the Oder crossing, the Battle of the Bulge, and lesser known, but no less lethal affairs such as Hurtgen Forest, then this is not the book for you. If you want to get some idea of what it was like to live and fight in northern Europe in the last months of the war, then I can't recommend a better book.
The book makes extensive use of eyewitness accounts from the civilians, soldiers, airmen, and prisoners to build a portrait of suffering that I have rarely previously encountered. As a game designer who has previously had a war game published, I've always worried about the inability of computer games to give an indication of what modern warfare means in human terms. This book brings it home in no uncertain fashion.
The book also makes an interesting assessment of how the different armies fought, and why they fought in the fashion they did. I don't necessarily agree with the conclusions, but I think they represent an important contribution to a debate that deserves more airing. Having said that, there is a definite tendency to preach. Hastings has a very clear set of political views, and in this aspect of the book he is clearly wants his view to prevail. Even so, as long as the reader is aware of this, Hastings' contribution to the debate is very valuable.
Recommended.
Colour: Travels Through the Paintbox by Victoria Finlay. Sceptre
I got this book in a special hardback edition as part of my membership of the Folio Society, but the text is the same as the commercially available edition.
This isn't a book I would have bought unless I happened to find it while browsing in a bookshop, and I started reading it in the rather desultory way in which one does when given a book for free.
It didn't take long to get hooked! It's a collection of stories about the author's search for how the natural colours used for dye are made - going through each colour of the rainbow in turn.
The first synthetic dyes were invented 150 years ago and, as Ms Finlay discovered, that's long enough for the making of the original, organic dyes to have died out. However, in most cases, persistence paid off and she was able to visit the original sources and discover the stories behind the processes.
I learned a lot from this book, which is one you can either just dip into for individual tales, or read at length straight through. I would be happy to recommend it to anyone with an enquiring mind.
More Recent Reading
|
Aspects of Developing with, and Using, Open Source Software
Computers and Society
Crystal Falls
Notes for a history of online games
Reviews: books and software
Technical Topics
Winding Down
About Alan Lenton
If you have any questions or comments about the articles on my web site, click here to send me email. |
