Aces Falling - Peter Hart
The Incredible Adventures of Professor Branestawm - Norman Hunter
Professor Branestawm's Treasure Hunt - Norman Hunter
Rushing to Paradise - J. G. Ballard
Plays seen:
Cabaret at the Churchill, Bromley
Gigs attended:
Bob Dylan at the O2 Dome
Films seen at the cinema:
Zazie dans le Metro at the
Historian Peter Hart raids the archives at the Imperial War Museum for Aces Falling, bringing us first-person accounts of the air war in 1918 from the men who flew, fought and died in it. This rare material, taken from letters, diaries and other documents, is put into context by Hart's factual yet often moving account of the bigger picture.
I'm re-reading the Professor Branestawm books for a fanfic project. I had forgotten quite what a wizard of silliness Norman Hunter was, and how he can be hilariously funny using simple, childsize words and sentences.
I wanted to read some J. G. Ballard after he died, and when I went through my stack I found one I hadn't got round to yet. Bonus! This particular sinister dystopia is an island wildlife sanctuary whose charismatic leader, Dr Barbara, gradually cuts ties with the rest of the world to follow her own loony agenda.