‘Blackadder goes forth’ or ‘How I learned to enjoy ‘rat au van’

It is 7 November 2009, I’m enjoying a glass of Pedro Ximinez sherry after a delightful dinner while listening to the ticking of an early trench watch (dated from 1919). I am pondering Armistice Day and today’s subject, Blackadder Goes Forth. The First World War was ‘The Great War’ and ‘The War to End All [...]

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Charlotte Gray by Sebastian Faulks

Commemorating Armistice Week Having seen the film based on this book last winter, I wanted to reread the novel to compare them. The film, directed by Gillian Armstrong and starring the luminous Cate Blanchett had a haunting atmosphere, emphasized by the landscape and colors. The movie focuses on the personal stories, skimming over the airplanes [...]

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Armistice Week on Vulpes Libris

To mark Armistice Week Vulpes Libris is running a series of five features and reviews linked by the common theme of  ‘war’ – followed on Saturday by a little light relief from the final frontier  … ~~~o~~~ Opening the week on Monday, Jackie contemplates love and loss in wartime France in Charlotte Gray by Sebastian [...]

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Hidden Conflict: the highs and lows of historical GLBT war fiction

I must say straight up that Bristlecone Pine Press who kindly sent me the eBook version of Hidden Conflict for review also publish two of my own books in e-format so you must judge my prejudices as best you may. I shall endeavour to be impartial. I’m also pleased to report that I read this [...]

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Medina Hill by Trilby Kent

In the interests of a totally transparent review, I’m stating up-front that Trilby is a fellow Bookfox.  I’m also going to admit that I read a very early draft of Medina Hill a long while ago, although as in all early drafts the book is much changed now. Whew… now that’s done, I can get [...]

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The Firemaster’s Mistress by Christie Dickason

Celebrating Guy Fawkes Night In America, Nov. 5th is just another day. That’s why I was partway through this book before realizing it was about the events leading up to what the British celebrate with bonfires. To be fair, though, Guy Fawkes is a secondary character who rarely appears. Set in the London of  1605, [...]

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Red Dust by Ma Jian

Review by Sam Ruddock The essence of good travel writing lies in duality: in the balance between the external journey through a physical landscape and the personal journey which takes place alongside it. It is not enough simply to travel through a country meeting people and visiting places, then recounting anecdotes so as to shed [...]

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The Glorious Day: In Conversation with Stephen Greif

Comrades!  Today Bookfox Kirsty is joined by an honoured guest indeed:  actor Stephen Greif. Stephen is a familiar face (and voice) to generations of TV viewers, cinema fans, theatre goers and audio book listeners.  His screen credits range from Citizen Smith and Blake’s 7 through Eastenders and Holby City to Casanova and Boogie Woogie.  On [...]

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Red Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson

This novel is the first in a trilogy about the colonisation and settlement of Mars. It is somewhat out of my comfort zone; I prefer fantasy and paranormal fiction and the science fiction I have read has been mostly Earth-based, for example, PD James’ The Children of Men. I approached Red Mars with a certain [...]

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Coming Up on Vulpes Libris

We’re seeing red as VL  heads into an explosive week. We have Stephen Greif and Guy Fawkes, war and Wall Street. Plus, adventures in China and on Mars. November on VL starts with a bang. Monday- Sharon enjoys a literary visit to the Red Planet. Tuesday- Kirsty talks movies, mobsters and Mensheviks with distinguished actor [...]

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