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Andersonville is a mammoth book (not literally, there are no furry elephant-like creatures present). Apparently 25 years in the making, the Pulitzer prize-winner is set in and around a prisoner of war camp in Georgia during the US Civil War – a gritty, heart-wrenching story. I sought it out after reading in Christopher Frayling’s superb book on Spaghetti Western film director Sergio Leone (positioned right) that the Italian had worked on adapting the book for the big screen. The mind boggles.
A hefty collection of historical World War Two accounts jostle for position on my shelves. The highlights being anything by Anthony Beevor (Stalingrad) and the majority of the works of the late Stephen Ambrose (Pegasus Bridge; D-Day). I was also in awe of Utmost Savagery – roughly the description of the Pacific equivalent of D-Day – with the accounts of a handful of heroic soldiers heavily influencing the naming of my first born.
I revel in James Ellroy’s gritty, deeply dark, noir-like crime tales (LA Confidential et al) – each of which are guaranteed to never, ever pull a punch. Likewise the works of original granddaddies of hard-boiled detective stories Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler, whose tales ooze attitude, machismo and some of the sweetest clipped prose you will ever read.
The screenplays of Porridge: Ronnie Barker, a true comedy genius. Likewise, Stewart Lee (How I Escaped My Certain Fate): one of the most intelligent, shrewd, and deceptively thought-provoking comedians working today. He seems a nice bloke, too. Signed my copy of his book at least.
In a separate kitchen locale I have far too many cook books for someone who isn’t in the business. Some food-related autobiographies do make it on my main shelves though. Kitchen Confidential is the rock’n’roll style account of American chef Anthony Bourdain, who dishes up a candid insight into the restaurant business Stateside. There’s an equally frank recollection by Marco Pierre White (The Devil In The Kitchen) on his career – at the time, he became the youngest chef ever to win three Michelin stars.
I saw this bookshelf in the Guggenheim in New York. The background was plain and colourless, but I used an app called stackables which lets you layer colours, gradients and textures on top of a photo. There are lots of apps like this. I produced something I like moderately, but I'm really not sure what the point is. Perhaps it just doesn't fit with how I think about photography.
My books are organised based on the love I gave or received while reading them. We start from the center, where there are the long best givers, to the sides where I haven't read them yet or those I read in a bad mood but didn't save my life.
Phrenology was the study of the shape of the skull, which was thought to influence personality—a precursor to psychology.
The Hobbit
The Day of the Jackal
The People Collection
Puckoon
The Da Vinci Code
Digital Fortress
Angels and Demons
Icon
You Only Live Twice
The Jungle Book
Ring for Jeeves
And Then There Were None
A Bridge Too Far
... the bookshelf and five books, including the michelangelo one
incomplete list at: books.google.com/books?uid=17349515860274771514
Hurrah, my CD cabinet finally came from Best Buy! I had kind of a hair-raising experience putting it together, and it's a little bit more rickety than I'd like it to be, but it stands, and it holds everything, so I'm satisfied. It's starting to feel like I actually live in a real big boy's room now (and if I get a chance to buy the bookshelf and chest of drawers I want tomorrow, then I'll have all my essential furniture handled)...
The books are in the study as the nursery is about to disappear, so this is a short-term arrangement. I hate - HATE - that they're not alphabetical, the anal-retentive in me is going mad. Still, it's short term. Soon it will be arranged my way, at least until the babies can reach for things and demolish them for me.
I started off with only a few books, but with huge thanks to folks who sent me books, to my ebay purchases, and to my folks whom we jokingly call "our mules" who brought over many books this past visit (including all of the Dr. Seuss), I think we're getting there.
November 20, 2014. Today was an indoor day. I worked on my server migration, did some office work, caught up on email, and took this photo of books on the bookshelf I built a few years ago. I would feel guilty having a few slow days like this, but I know how busy it has been, and will be, so I'm just enjoying coasting for a bit.