STAFF PICKS

GEOFF'S CHOICES

ALISTAIR MACLEAN

Alistair MacLean is recognised to be the outstanding writer of our time in his own genre, which is novels about the Sea. He joined the Royal Navy in 1941 and served during the war years. After the war he became a schoolmaster until writing success made him a full time writer. Alistair MacLean has written over 30 books most of which have been world bestsellers. Devonport Vintage Bookshop has over 20 of his titles.

A selection is:
HMS Ulysses, his first and one of his best known books, is the story of a ship in time of war, engaged in the most hazardous of all duties, the perilous convoy to Russia through the Northern seas. It is the story of a ship's company driven to the limit of human endurance and beyond, battered by the elements, sought and fought by the enemy with grim resolution.

Floodgate is a gripping adventure story of bombing and blackmail set in the Netherlands, a country vulnerable to flooding. A terrorist group threatens to reduce the country to a state of fear and helplessness by destroying strategically placed dykes. It is Lieutenant Peter van Effen's mission to sabotage their plans. A tense and compelling novel, a masterpiece of contemporary suspense.

In Santorini, Alistair MacLean's thirtieth book, the frigate Ariadne patrols the Aegean sea. Officially a hydrographic survey ship, unofficially she is a spy ship. Danger and death is what Ariadne finds when she responds to a nearby yacht that is on fire and sinking fast. Minutes later a four engined aircraft crashes into the sea. Investigating the two tragedies the Ariadne uncover a diabolical plot involving drugs and terrorism, that leads to the heart of the Pentagon. A first rate story of high drama.

WILBUR SMITH

A master storyteller, Wilbur Smith has an abiding concern for the peoples and wildlife of his native continent, Africa, where many of his novels are set. He became a full time writer in 1964 and has since written over 30 books. Devonport Vintage Bookshop has over 15 of his titles. A selection is:

River God, set in Ancient Egypt, tells the story, through the voice of Taita, a wise and formidably gifted eunuch slave, of Taita and his associates, Lostris, daughter of Lord Intef, beautiful beyond her fourteen years, and Tanus, proud yound army officer, who has vowed to avenge the death of his father, at Intef’s hand, and seize Lostris as his prize. A magnificent, richly imagined saga that explodes with the drama, mystery and rage of a bygone time.

Birds of Prey, set in 1667, and the naval war between the Dutch and the English still rages. Sir Francis Courtney and his son Hal are, in their fighting Caravel, are on patrol off Southern Africa, lying in wait for Dutch East India company Galleon returning from the Orient laden with spices, timber and gold. A colourful and exciting tale, crackling with tension and drama, that builds toa stunning climax.

The Triumph of the Sun, set in the Sudan, where decades of brutal misgovernment precipitate a fierce and bloody rebellion led by a charismatic religious leader, the Mahdi. The British are forced to intervene in an attempt to rescue the hundreds of British subjects stranded in the country. Amongst them is British trader Ryder Courtney, trapped in the capital, Khartoum. There he meets Captain Penrod Ballantyne of the 10th Hussars and the British Consul, David Benbrook. Against thevivid and bloody backdrop of the siege of Khartoum, these three powerful men fight to survive. Rich with vibrant historical detail, this is Wilbur Smith at his masterful best. 

ANNA'S CHOICES

ENID BLYTON

(11 August 1897- November 28 1968)

With an estimated 800 plus books, Enid Blyton is one of the world's most loved Children's writers. Her most famous is the Noddy's series; however she wrote many series books, including Secret Seven, The Magic Faraway Tree, Malory Towers, Mary Mouse, The Naughtiest Girl, Wishing-Chair and St Clare to name some. Blyton could write an amazing 10,000 words a day and while she has sold more than 400 million books she continues to be a favourite amongst our customers and myself.

My favourite series is The Famous Five, for many reasons, a major one being George (who Blyton said she based on herself) a spunky, intelligent young tomboy who lived for the next big adventure. A young role model I could relate to and wanted to be just as blunt and tough as she was. (I also very much wanted a dog, like Timmy). 
 

Historical Fiction

I have a confession to make.  I didn’t really pay attention in Social Studies at school.  Hindsight is a beautiful thing and I have since developed a love for history.  So, even though they are 82.5% fictional, historical novels are my new education and I seem to be devouring them regularly. 

I’m currently reading Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks, about the plague.  Her subsequent novel, March got me hooked on her as an author and I haven’t really looked back.   The winner of a little award they call the Pulitzer, March is the story of the absent father from Little Women, whose character Brooks bases loosely on Louisa May Alcott’s own father.  It gives great insight into the American Civil War.  Brook’s novels are meticulously researched and her latest offering, People of the Book, is one of the best books I have read in a while.  Similar to the da Vinci Code by Dan Brown, this story is about an ancient Jewish manuscript called the Haggadah and all of the mysteries it holds.  Saved from the Inquisition, wars and book burnings, the manuscript is a source of mystery and intrigue.  This was a thoroughly captivating read. Other authors who do the historical genre well are Philippa Gregory (The other Boleyn Girl) and Tracey Chevalier (The Girl with the Pearl Earring.)  I’m quite grateful for The da Vinci Code for spurning so many beautiful new historical novels, many of which are based around art.  Next on my reading list is Painting Mona Lisa by Jeanne Kalogridis. 

ALEX'S CHOICE

JANE AUSTEN

(16th December 1775 - 18 July 1817)

Austen was a sharp-tongued, romantic, who never married, even though her characters did. She died aged 41 with some unfinished works and six novels. Northanger Abbey, Sense and Sensibility, Mansfield Park, Emma and Persuasion. Her most famous book, which was voted by Britain in 2003 as their Best Loved Book, was Pride and Prejudice. Even though it's a total cliché to love this book, I do!

The way Austen explains her characters in such a way that makes them feel real and there is always something new, exciting and astonishing on every page. I could never stop reading Jane Austen. . . (now that's love!).