The best books you read in 2008

[David Flower]

"The Sword and the Cross" by Fergus Fleming

this is terrific. Fleming writes exciting to read historical accounts rather in the style of Peter Hopkirk's various books around the secret service battles between Britian and Russia for India, the jewel in the crown. Notably "The Great Game" .
Sword and the Cross is about the differing (French) military and Christian attempts to influence and colonise the deep Sahara around 100 years ago. Mostly doomed to failure, and it's required reading if you want to know more about the Touareg's extraordinary story of resilience. The French spent decades trying to link their colonies in North Africa with the Sudan to the south, and the Touaregs just had them for breakfast every time until....

Good looking list of recommendations Eleanor

[EleanorT]

Sword and the Cross is about the differing (French) military and Christian attempts to influence and colonise the deep Sahara around 100 years ago.

Yes, I wanted to learn something about Charles de Foucauld and his time in Tamanrasset, and I really appreciated this book as written from a non-French, and thus neutral stance, unembroiled in the complex and guilt-ridden relationship the French have with both the church and all things Algerian. The portrait of Henri Laperrine, on the military side as creator of the méhariste camel corps, was also fascinating.

About the Touareg, I've another book lined up that I've not yet read: "Sahara Man" by Jeremy Keenan. Hope to get to it in 2009. And I'll try and look out for "The Great Game".

[David Flower]

another leading on from that is "The Golden Trade of the Moors" by
E. W. Bovill. Andy Morgan put me on to this amazing history of the golden age of Saharan trade. Gold, salt and much much more. One assumes it's all accurate even though the British writer never went to Africa!
I thought it was out of print but it seems there is a paperback edition now

[EleanorT]

another leading on from that is "The Golden Trade of the Moors" by
E. W. Bovill.

Thanks for this suggestion. Looks just up my street, and not one I'd come across. Am I right in thinking that Ibn Battuta, the IVth century traveller, is one of sujects he covers in the book? That's someone else that I'll eventually read about for sure.

And whilst on the subject of the Sahara, if you can read Spanish, you may wish to take a glance at the blog of a Spanish photographer who's followed the ancient salt route on a previous trip, taking him through the half-buried hamlet of Araouan -mentioned in Monod's book - his photography is often inspired by literature (especially Portuguese language): http://www.jmnavia.blogspot.com/

and that of another Spaniard who's out there right now: http://janafeni.blogspot.com/

[Rob Hall]

I'm embarrassed to admit that I don't think I've read much more than five books this year, but the best by a long way was Siri Hustvedt's "What I Loved". It came to me highly recommended by a friend and it fully lived up to his praise.

[Des]

[quote="EleanorT
if you can read Spanish, [/quote]

I can hardly cope with English.

This is my current fave:


Worth every penny of 30 quid.

[garth cartwright]

Ned Sublette writes brilliantly on New Orleans and Cuba - music, culture, politics - and has gathered a best books list which mentions a few things I've championed (Junot Diaz, Thomas Brothers) and lots of other fascinating stuff including a Fats Domino biog'.

Okay, here’s the book report, and merry xmas to all. It's great to have friends.

39 of y’all answered the call, and thanks for taking the time. This is a long one this year. I’m fascinated with the selections people came up with.

I asked Constance – who is so methodical that she keeps a log of what she reads – to contribute an essay about her reading this year (some of which overlaps with mine.) So: first my reading list, then Constance’s, then the group. If you come up with one idea for something to read from this long thing, I’m happy. Also, thanks to those of you who indicated The World that Made New Orleans.

First, some books I’m looking forward to in ’09: Ivor Miller’s Voice of the Leopard: African Secret Societies and Cuba, which ought to redefine our knowledge of Abakuá in Cuba and the Calabar region of Africa. Elijah Wald’s How the Beatles Destroyed Rock 'n' Roll: An Alternative History of American Popular Music – and definitely follow the link, which takes you to Elijah’s website, there’s all kinds of fun stuff there. New Orleans Style and the Writing of American Jazz History by Bruce Boyd Raeburn. And, hopefully, Gwendolyn Midlo Hall’s memoir.

At year’s end, I’ve been reading the ever-quotable W.E.B. Du Bois, in the Library of America edition that includes The Souls of Black Folk (1903) and Dusk of Dawn (1940). Though he indulges in occasional high-flown sentimentalism, rhetorical classical allusion, and quotes in German, most of Dubois’s writing is remarkably modern-sounding, about fundamental issues of American society, and his contemporary observations form part of an alternative American history that’s still being written. The final chapter of The Souls of Black Folk is about music, and since I’m the guy who goes around talking about how reggaetón is built on the habanera rhythm, I like his comment about what he called the “sorrow songsâ€

[Des]

....no books about moths then, Garth?

[joel]

Nothing stimulates your understanding of history like travel.

That's hilarious.

[NormanD]

Nothing stimulates your understanding of history like travel.

That's hilarious.

It was Ned Sublette who said that, not Garth. Why is that hilarious?

[Des]

Whoever said it, it's clearly not true.

[joel]

It was Ned Sublette who said that, not Garth. Why is that hilarious?

I figured out that it wasn't Garth. I assumed the author was being humorously and self-deprecatingly ironic in coming across like a 19th century proselytiser fresh off the grand tour.
It doesn't seem quite so funny this morning I admit, or ironic, which is worrying.
By coincidence, I've just finished Amitav Gosh's "In an Antique Land" which was very good indeed, if not exactly a thrill-a-minute read.

[NormanD]

...the best by a long way was Siri Hustvedt's "What I Loved". It came to me highly recommended by a friend and it fully lived up to his praise.

I, too, read this on the high recommendation of a friend (thank you Rob) and approached it with some initial concern and reluctance. The author's name suggested Scandinavian gloom, but please do not let such crass prejudice deceive you. It's a wonderfully engaging book, a piece of contemporary American fiction that covers several bases - a romance, a family saga, an art critique, and a tense thriller. It covers the process of growing old, and growing apart from your kids, and becoming a stranger to your own life. One striking feature is that it is written by a woman, and the protagonist is male. Maybe this device is not unique, but here it's done very well.

[felonious munk]

I'll give another mention to Pete Frame's The Restless Generation, his detailed account of the rise of British rock and roll from the 1950s. It's entertainingly written, with the author's own sarcastic observations frequently adding to the reminiscences and anecdotes that tell the story. Being Pete Frame, the book is meticulously researched, and written, and it is as much a social history as a music book. One thing that does irk, and gets a bit tiresome, is its rather casual homophobia and its accounts of the 'rapacious' gay impresarios, bookers and managers. The similar, and probably greater, exploitation of female artistes doesn't seem to merit a mention.

I'll second that recommendation and that female artistes of whatever era never get much of a mention in most music genre histories.

Pete seems determined to use his book to answer contemporary criticisms and Steve Race's melody maker put downs. they must have really stung him at the time but he does cover the pre Beatles era in a very readable fashion.

[Jamie Renton]

Here's my choice. For some reason, including a lot of stuff set in the early 70s (not sure why)

My Revolutions - Hari Kunzru
The best thing I read all year I think. Dealing with the point where 60s hippy idealism spilled into 70s Angry Brigade violent nihilism, told from the point of view of a middle aged man whose past catches up with him. A page turningly good novel that convincingly evokes the late 60s / early 70s London of squats, political action etc (I'd be very interested to hear what those who were around at the time make of it) while also dealing with questions of identity & morality.

Brother Ray - Ray Charles (with David Ritz)
As well as being a musical genius, he was a junkie, a womaniser & an all round stropbucket, but I kinda sympathised with him ("No stick, no dog, no guitar"). Ritz captures the rhythms of Charles' speach & (as with the Etta James biog) it feels like we're getting the whole story, warts n all.

Such A Long Journey - Rohinton Mistry
Political intrigue & family problems in early 70s india. Mistry's 1st novel & not quite as strong as the subsequent 2 (A Fine Balence & Family Matters), but still blessed with his clarity, insight & unsentimental humanism.

The Dammmed Utd - David Peace
Brian Clough's booze sodden, paranoid 44 days as boss of Leeds United. As with his earlier Red Riding novels (about the Yorkshire Ripper case), Peace's repetitive profane & poetic style managed to get under my skin.

Never Let Me Go - Kazuo Ishiguro
A group of children at a boarding school are being preared to go into life to perform a special function. To say anymore would spoil it. Combines chilling "what if" sci-fi with a study on how societies treatment of "otherness".