Category Archives: Review

Book Review: James O’Brien ~ How they broke Britain (2024)

Posted on April 30, 2025 by odeboyz

James is a superb radio talk show host on LBC. He’s perceptive and insightful and listens to people who are uninformed in comparison to him. Although he’s combative he is prepared to discuss issues. A star no less. His book … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, History, Literature, Politics, Review | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: Alastair Puddick ~ 46% better than Dave (2019)

Posted on March 12, 2025 by odeboyz

In economics ‘Hedonic Treadmill’ explains that people believe who  believe  in recipes for happiness are doomed to failure. They’re on a ‘treadmill’ with entirely illusionary possibilities for happiness. Continuous pleasure-seeking feeds dissatisfaction. At its most extreme it is corrosive creating … Continue reading →

Posted in Humour, Literature, Review | Tagged | Leave a comment

Book Review: Lee Child ~ The Visitor (2000)

Posted on January 29, 2025 by odeboyz

Reacher novels mainline on ‘Smash, Bang, Wallop’. The Visitor is subtle, nuanced and very, very clever. It is the fourth novel in this book-a-year series and appeared before Lee Child transitioned into formulaic sado-porn. There are only two examples of … Continue reading →

Posted in Literature, Review | Tagged , | Leave a comment

David Williams reviews M&S Collection Pieronte Barolo, Italy 2019

Posted on November 13, 2024 by odeboyz

Having had some of the most memorable food experiences of my life in Piedmont during the truffle season, eating al tartufo, made with fresh tarjarin pasta, butter, eggs and shavings of truffle, it’s hard for me to conceive of a … Continue reading →

Posted in Humour, Review, Travel | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: M W Craven ~ Dead Ground (2021)

Posted on October 16, 2024 by odeboyz

This is a marvellous novel. The two principals are Sergeant Washington Poe and Tilly Bradshaw. The first is a no-nonsense *copper*. He’s diligent, very bright, intuitive, a ‘maverick’ and has a history of success. Tilly Bradshaw is from the Lisbeth … Continue reading →

Posted in Literature, Review | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: Roy Keane: the second half ~ Roy Keane with Roddy Doyle (2014)

Posted on September 4, 2024 by odeboyz

Two Irish giants coming together to translate the spoken word into an autobiography should end up with something great. Keane was a superb footballer playing at the highest level for 12 years at Manchester United. Roddy Doyle is an outstanding … Continue reading →

Posted in Autobiography, Literature, Review, Sport | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Book Review: Juan Gomez-Jurado ~ Red Queen (Translator Nick Caistor) (2023)

Posted on August 7, 2024 by odeboyz

Ever since the Skandi-noir books of Stieg Larsson1 there have been *seriously clever female heroines*. Antonia Scott is a Spanish super genius. The scene is set on the first page, “…in three minutes – Antonia is capable of calculating: The … Continue reading →

Posted in Literature, Review | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Book Review: Sue Townsend ~ Adrian Mole and the Weapons of Mass Destruction (2004)

Posted on July 17, 2024 by odeboyz

Unlike Amazon second hand bookshops are a thing of joy and wonder.1 They don’t have brutal efficiency but their customers happily browse. Titles, long forgotten, catch the eye and stimulate the curiosity bud. Was that book as good as remembered? … Continue reading →

Posted in Humour, Literature, Politics, Review | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: Richmal Crompton ~ William: The Gangster (1967)

Posted on June 12, 2024 by odeboyz

I read the William books in 1950s Leeds. Leeds was grey, grim and far, far away from William’s world. There were no Vicar’s wives calling round for tea. No maidservants, no summer house, barns or fields. And there definitely weren’t … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Humour, Literature, Review | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: Michael Dobbs ~ The Lords’ Day (2007)

Posted on May 29, 2024 by odeboyz

Michael Dobbs is famous for The House of Cards, which has an international audience. A British and American TV series marks its acceptance as a definitive political novel. This is a red-blooded thriller: A Harry Jones1 novel. Jones has the … Continue reading →

Posted in Literature, Politics, Review, War | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment