Category: Book Reviews

In his book Ghost Empire Richard Fidler tells of gruesome murders, espionage, torture, skulduggery, fierce battles and betrayal, intermingling with them are accounts of loyalty, courage, vision and love. He tells of the birth of a city, and an empire, and its eventual fall. Richard confesses to having learnt nothing about Byzantium when at school. […]

I have to confess that in spite of having been on a short bread making course, and having a grandfather who was a master baker, I am really not very good at making bread. But I am getting better and I am desperate to improve. What was I eating? Learning to make decent bread has […]

South, or to give it its full title South – Essential Recipes and New Explorations is the second book written by the renowned American chef Sean Brock. Originally hailing from Virginia Sean was brought up to eat what his family grew and according to what was to hand and in season. It is a practice […]

So many of the Viking sagas are tales of revenge, death and violence  you could be forgiven  for thinking that Saga Land , the book written by Richard Fidler and Kári Gíslason might be pretty gruesome;  actually, some of it is! Yet there is also something of a dreamlike gentle quality to the book. Maybe […]

‘Menus that Made History’ should come with a warning on the cover; because once picked up and opened it is near impossible to put the book down. Start reading and each menu enticingly leads you to the next rather like the courses of a delicious and skilfully planned and executed meal. We cannot begin to […]

I am just about to start reading Dr Michelle Ulyatt’s book about Theodore Sorensen – one of President Kennedy’s speech writers – for the second time! Even though I have not long finished the first read of ‘Theodore Sorensen and the Kennedys’ I already want to renew my relationship with this man who played his […]