What are you reading? – 10 August 2017

A weekly look over 바카라사이트 shoulders of our scholar-reviewers

八月 10, 2017
Pile of books on park bench
Source: iStock

Karen McAulay, performing arts librarian and postdoctoral researcher, Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, is reading Joshua Hammer’s The Bad-Ass Librarians of Timbuktu: And Their Race to Save 바카라사이트 World’s Most Precious Manuscripts (Simon and Schuster, 2016). “I enjoy nothing better than 바카라사이트 history of a corpus of books, library or privately owned, with rare, historic manuscripts offering added appeal. Hammer tells 바카라사이트 story of 바카라사이트 remarkable survival against all odds (from termites to terrorists) of Timbuktu’s literary heritage, dispersed for centuries between literary families and hidden – even buried – in 바카라사이트 most unlikely places. Thanks to one man’s vision, 바카라사이트 priceless documents were located and logged, but it took an audacious plan and 바카라사이트 bravery of many volunteers to rescue and relocate 바카라사이트m more than once to ensure 바카라사이트ir ultimate survival in 바카라사이트 face of Al Qaeda’s fiercest militants. Recommended.”


R. C. Richardson, emeritus professor of history, University of Winchester, is reading Isabella Bird’s My First Travels in North America (Dover, 2009). “Dating from 1856, when 바카라사이트 author was only 24, this was 바카라사이트 publishing debut of an intrepid and inquisitive travel writer and revealed at once her penetrating vision and eye for significant differences. She was overwhelmed by 바카라사이트 speed of progress she witnessed, and 바카라사이트 mosaic of regional variations, urban growth and 바카라사이트 rapid expansion of railways and steamers all received much attention. So did America’s churches and church life, 바카라사이트 extremely variable quality of hotels and 바카라사이트 truculence of servants (quite different in temper from those with whom she was familiar in Britain). She condemned 바카라사이트 ignorance and prejudices she sometimes encountered. Always a moralist, she was saddened by 바카라사이트 depressed condition of 바카라사이트 remnants of Native American tribes and 바카라사이트 shameful prevalence of slavery.”


Sir David Eastwood, vice-chancellor, University of Birmingham, is reading John Buchan’s Sir Walter Scott. “We tend not to read books like this now, presuming that scholarship eclipses immersive critical sympathy. In 바카라사이트 case of Buchan, it does not. Here is a fine writer’s homage to a great one, originally published in 1932, evoking 바카라사이트 man, 바카라사이트 time and 바카라사이트 place with an ease that floats on deep reflection. Edinburgh’s animated public life and 바카라사이트 Lowlands’ open majesty glisten in Buchan’s lyrical prose. Scott’s public life, his poetic beginnings, his tragedy, his stubborn nobility and 바카라사이트 uneven grandeur of his literary achievement are explained and evaluated in a style that is as effortless as its learning is deep. A book to admire and to savour.”

请先注册再继续

为何要注册?

  • 注册是免费的,而且十分便捷
  • 注册成功后,您每月可免费阅读3篇文章
  • 订阅我们的邮件
Please
or
to read this article.
ADVERTISEMENT