Henrik Meinander, Mannerheim: Marshal of Finland

 I didn't know a great deal about Mannerheim before this, but was intrigued why someone with a German name was the hero of Finnish independence. His story was even more intriguing - a german descended, Swedish-speaking member of the Finnish aristocracy whose first loyalty was to Tsarist Russia. He never learn to speak Finnish properly and was primarily motivated by restoring the Tsar and fighting communism - Finnish independence seems to have been an incidental by-product for him, however airbrushed this was later to present him as a Finnish patriot. An incredible figure though  - a spy in central Asia, the last of the great cavalry officers, a cunning geopolitician and the shaper of the Finnish state. I bored Helen by talking about him until she made me stop.

Andrew Barrow, The Tap Dancer

 Alan Bennett's favourite novel apparently, and it is difficult to think of higher praise than that. It was a very funny book with absolutely no plot dominated by the father of the family, and presumably autobiographical. The family were so incredibly posh, with the most wastrel of the 5 sons getting a job at Harrod's seen as the last resort of a man who has failed at everything. Very sweet and affectionate drawing of a family happy to bicker and snipe but who still love each other.

Eric Foner: The Story of American Freedom

 A superb review of the changing and conflicting meaning of 'freedom' to Americans since independence. I was wondering why I hadn't read it when I was studying the history of the USA, but then realised it was written in 1994 after I finished my course. I think at the time I would have found it a bit to intellectual and conceptual, but Charlie Bourne must have loved it

Julian Rathbone, A Very English Agent

 I've really enjoyed previous books by Julian Rathbone, and not sure why this one passed me by - it's 20 years old now. It's right up my street - a historical novel with a sense of humour, with an unreliable narrator inserted into and influencing major historical events, similar to Flashman. I think many of the nods to history may have passed me by, I don't know the intricacies of the Cato Street Conspiracy or the death of Shelley, and  sometimes I got a little lost, but still enjoyable. today I am back at work following a few days off when the weather has been too miserable to do much. the car is being repaired and is going to cost me a fortune, just waiting to hear back from the garage. got to help out at Forest School with William at least (crikey it was cold), but missed my works Xmas do in Newbury. This meant I could see Libby's musical theatre performance though, so it all worked out well and at least I wasn't one of the parents who got dragged up for the improv bit. Fred had his interview with Woking College yesterday and all seemed to go well - looks like it will be his first choice.

Italo Calvino, Why Read The Classics?

 I've really enjoyed things I've read by Calvino, particularly 'If On A Winter's Night A Traveller. . . ', but he obviously had a brain the size of the planet and this was too much for me. He writes making no allowances for ignorance (and why not?) and assumes his audience has a similar knowledge of literature. At one point he says about Raymond Queneau, who could be completely made up as far as I know, 'the image of this writer is well known to anyone with any knowledge of twentieth-century literature, and of French literature in particular.' I still enjoyed reading it as he is a compelling, whirlwind story teller, but each of the writers and books he is discussing could be as imaginary as his cities in 'Invisible Cities' . I'm still not entirely convinced this isn't all a work of fiction!

Jessie Burton, Medusa

 A retelling of a Greek Myth, which appears to be all the rage at the moment. There was even another version of Medusa in Waterstones when I was browsing there yesterday. A nice short read, not too demanding and lovely Greek island scenery. Fred had his 16th birthday party yesterday, and took 5 friends bowling. I made myself scarce so they could have fun. They are in the middle of their mocks at the moment and looking for colleges for next year. All seems a lot more pressure and stress than when I did it, not sure if that's good or not.

Orlando Figes, The Story of Russia

 Not really a history of Russia, more a history of the story of Russia, and how the myths of the past have been used to construct the world view of Putin and other russian nationalists. The idea of a Greater Russia including all they consider russians, and wider than that a Slavic union dominated by Russia, Russia as defender of the true faith, Russia as the defender of the west against the barbarian east, Russia as the defender of tradition against malign western influence. Even Stalin gets rehabilitated in this version of Russian history as a patriot strongman defending his people from invasion. Very chilling and very timely