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  Wild Wales

  George Borrow

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  Wild Wales: Its People, Language and Scenery is a travel book by the English Victorian gentleman writer George Borrow (1803–1881), first published in 1862 and now a classic travel text on Wales and the Welsh. The book recounts Borrow's experiences, insights and personal encounters whilst touring Wales alone on foot after a family holiday in Llangollen in 1854. Although contemporary critics dismissed its whimsical tone, it quickly became popular with readers as a travel book and more importantly as a very lively account of the literary, social and geographical history of Wales. Borrow’s engaging character comes across especially in his meetings with various itinerants – mostly native and peasant – along the muddy Welsh path. Borrow’s keen ear for dialogue may remind us of a Dickens or Trollope, and like the latter his wit and wisdom are rarely absent. Indeed the author has been described as an "eccentric, larger-than-life, jovial man whose laughter rings all through the book". Borrow makes much of his self-taught Welsh and how surprised the natives are by his linguistic abilities – and also by his idiosyncratic pronunciation of their language. He loves to air his knowledge of Welsh culture, especially the Bardic tradition. And like his contemporary, William Wordsworth, he has a habit of quoting verses to the heavens as he walks. As the author finally reaches South Wales towards the end of his account, we meet for the first time evidences of modern industrialism, introduced to the reader in the form of a Dante’s Inferno of coal mines and iron foundries. Today, most will remember and value the book for these and other vivid nineteenth-century landscapes – along with Borrow’s gallery of fascinating, human characters. (SUMMARY BY STEVE GOUGH BASED ON WIKIPEDIA)

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  Even the Bad Times Are Good -...

  Zofia Puszkarow

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  Memoirs which cover three decades of the second half of the twentieth century, and the first years of the new millennium. Private life of the people in their thirties, their ways to earn money abroad and in Poland, their family ties, and their loved ones. The book describes the changes Poland underwent in the decades from the 1970-ties to the turn of the century.   
  The principal characters include the authoress and her friends, many of whom she has known since her childhood, their boyfriends and families. The historical background describes the birth of the Solidarity movement, martial law, and the peaceful transition from communism to democracy in Poland.  
  The real-life episodes include many funny situations. They describe our efforts to earn enough money to buy a new car, a Fiat 126 p, which was a great challenge in those days, turning one gas ration card per buyer into a thick pack which supported our driving free as often as we wished and as far as we needed, and a variety of jobs we did to get paid in "real" money" abroad.  
  The countries we found seasonal jobs in included Sweden, Switzerland and England. One of us worked in the USA. Fortunately, working abroad did not mean "sweat and tears" only. It also gave us a lot of opportunities to do the sightseeing and visit many places of interest and tourist attractions. It happened in Sweden, thanks to picture selling business, for example. 
  Bruce Miller, a professional reviewer, wrote at the beginning of his review: "Five Stars  
  I enjoyed reading "Even the Bad Times Are Good” by Zofia Puszkarow and in my opinion, this author has created a very entertaining compilation of true-life stories in Poland during the last three decades of the 20th Century that are captivating, intriguing, humorous, emotional, and remarkably entertaining.

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  My Secret Life Vol 5 Chapter 14

  Dominic Crawford Collins

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  My Secret Life is the longest erotic autobiography ever written. Penned anonymously during the 1800s by a wealthy English gentleman called Walter, it offers an eye and thigh opening account of life behind closed doors in the Victorian era. Banned from publication for its extreme and explicit content for nearly a century, My Secret Life has now come to life in the 21st century as an immersive audio book, narrated and scored by film composer Dominic Crawford Collins.Vol. 5 Chapter XIVThoughts about myself, my skin and prick • At a Swiss village. • The hotel full. • A thin partition. • An amorous couple. • Ach mein Liebchen. • The chambermaid listens. • Consequences to her. • Against the window ledge. • The maid's occupation. • The loft. • A splintered foot. • A peep-hole made. • Young ladies bathing. • Three times a day. • Departure.

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  Saint Guru Ravidas

  Saurabh Kumar

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  This book presents the life and a summary of the teachings of Guru Ravidas who who gave the Hindu social structure new vigour and vitality.

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  Admiral Byng - His Rise and...

  Chris Ware

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  Born the son of George Byng, a favorite of the king and himself an admiral and member of the admiralty board (and later First Lord of the Admiralty), John Byng seemed destined for a shining career in the Royal Navy. He saw his first fleet action at Cape Passaro, the elder Byng's finest hour, as a Captain's Servant, aged just 14. He qualified as a lieutenant at 19 years old (although the minimum age was 21) and was Post Captain at 23.  By the outbreak of the Seven Years' War he had risen to Admiral of the Blue.  Then it all went wrong with the Battle of Minorca (20 May 1756), where his failure, or rather the nature of it, earned him accusations of cowardice and a court martial. His trial and execution were the hottest topic of the day, the media lampooning him mercilessly and his reputation has never recovered. Chris Ware reassesses Byng's whole career and carefully untangles the politics surrounding his final days to see how far his poor reputation is justified. This is a valuable and long overdue addition to the literature of the Georgian navy.

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  Why Patti Smith Matters

  Caryn Rose

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  Patti Smith arrived in New York City at the end of the Age of Aquarius in search of work and purpose. What she found—what she fostered—was a cultural revolution. Through her poetry, her songs, her unapologetic vocal power, and her very presence as a woman fronting a rock band, she kicked open a door that countless others walked through. No other musician has better embodied the “nothing-to-hide” rawness of punk, nor has any other done more to nurture a place in society for misfits of every stripe. 
   
  Why Patti Smith Matters is the first book about the iconic artist written by a woman. The veteran music journalist Caryn Rose contextualizes Smith’s creative work, her influence, and her wide-ranging and still-evolving impact on rock and roll, visual art, and the written word. Rose goes deep into Smith’s oeuvre, from her first album, Horses, to acclaimed memoirs operating at a surprising remove from her music. The portrait of a ceaseless inventor, Why Patti Smith Matters rescues punk’s poet laureate from “strong woman” clichés. Of course Smith is strong. She is also a nuanced thinker. A maker of beautiful and challenging things. A transformative artist who has not simply entertained but also empowered millions.

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