DYING FOR A LIVING - Milton Kiri

The helicopter live capture game was a no holds barred raw industry.  Milton Kiri became legendary in venison recovery in the late 70's and 80's.

Milton pulls no punches in his autobiography- it is what it is- some good, some bad and some downright unbelievable.

I have been friends with the author for over thirty years so I may be a bit biased about this book  but its genuinely good fun and there's lots and lots of truth to all the tales.

I have met many of the characters in this book and characters are what they are, very hard men who earned a very dangerous living ignoring other peoples rules.  Those that didn't die young are now getting on a bit and I would imagine these survivors consider them selves fortunate.  These are men that are as far away from bearded,check shirt wearing , bicycle riding safe room using snow flakes as you can imagine.  Thankfully this type of person still exists in New Zealand but only in small pockets.

When the live capture industry was in full flight society in general wasn't under scrutiny like it is today.  None of the events that are recounted here would occur today, there's too much technology, too many rules but this book adds to what is now a very good group of histories of an industry that really could only have happened in New Zealand.

So, I'm pleased Milt has written it, he started talking about it about ten years ago and its great to see it on our shelf.

As stated this is a good read

THE LOST WORLD - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Two academics, an adventurer and a newspaper reporter travel to a remote South American plateau to confirm the existence of prehistoric animals.

This is genuinely exciting, you just suspend belief and follow the adventure.

Good fun and remarkably undated.

THE AMATEUR CRACKSMAN - E.W.Hornung

A collection of stories featuring  A.J. Raffles, gentleman thief and his associate " Bunny". the antithesis of Holmes & Watson

This collection was published in 1899 and is light and entertaining.  Hornung was Arthur Conan Doyle's brother in law and you can see the similarity in the setup.

Good innocent fun

CHINAMAN'S CHANCE - Ross Thomas

No one before or since Thomas has written a 'caper' like him.

His characterizations are brilliant, dialogue sharp as a tack and the stories are pretty good as well.

To be re-read over and over.

HOW TO TRAVEL WITH A SALMON & other Essays - Umberto Eco

Another collection of essays from the genius that was Umberto Eco.  Very insightful, very funny, with the good news I can even understand some of these.

How To Play Indians-  (in a movie)

e.g.
BEFORE ATTACKING
1. Never attack immediately; make yourself visible at a dsitance a few days anhead of time, producing easily observed some signals, thus giving the stage coach or the fort ample time to send word to the Seventh Calvary.

2. If Possible, appear prominently in small groups on the surrounding hills.  Set up sentinels on totally isolated peaks.

ATTACKING THE STAGECOACH

1. In any attack on the stagecoch, always follow the vehicle at a short distance or, better still, ride along side it to facilitate your being shot.

And so on, absolutely hilarious.

THE MALTESE FALCON - Dashiell Hammett

A treasure worth killing for.  Sam Spade, a slightly shopworn private eye with his solitary code of ethics.  A perfumed grafter named Joel Cairo, a fat man named Gutman, and Bridget O'Shaughnessy, a beautiful and treacherous woman whose loyalties shift at the drop of a dime.

The original noir private eye author at the top of his game.  Most will have seen the film but the books streets ahead.

MADE IN AMERICA- Bill Bryson

In  Made in America, Bryson de-mythologizes his native land- explaining how a dusty desert hamlet with neither woods or holly became Hollywood, how the Wild West wasn't won......as well as exposing the true origins of the G String, the original $64,000 question and Dr Kellogg of cornflakes fame.

As always great entertainment, the history of lots of words and places and his usual digressions.  Fantastic.

THE DAIN CURSE,THE GLASS KEY & STORIES- Dashiell Hammett

Two of his novels along with four short stories that are connected and could have been a further novel.

Hammett is the original hard boiled detective writer.  Chandler may have had better plots but wasn't as consistent and certainly his dialogue was as sharp, and anyway states that he owes Hammett and acknowledges him as the master.

Hammett, the first and the best.  You can re-read him as much as you like and it doesn't get old.

If you like crime you read these stories and most other stuff you read pales.

THE BODY - Bill Bryson

'

















The latest offering from Bryson doing for the body what he did for the universe a few years ago.

Full of facts and figures that just make you shake your head.

Many writers would make all this information snore inducing but as always with his humour and self depreciation it is a delight to read

A SHORT HISTORY OF NEARLY EVERYTHING - Bill Bryson

I read this often, absolutely full of interesting facts.  I always find myself giggling reading the first few chapters when trying to comprehend the numbers involved in space.

Accessible knowledge with Bryson's humour ,always a bonus.

CAPTAINS COURAGEOUS - Rudyard Kipling

A boys adventure but an excellent read whether you are 12 or 60.   Interesting in its depiction of fishing on the Grand Banks. 

OUR MAN IN HAVANA - Graham Greene

This is very funny, ludicrous in parts but if you have read the accounts of Philby and co. the incompetence of the British Secret Services is not exaggerated here. A Greene with a reasonably happy ending. 

Loved it, can't believe I left it so long to read again

ROGUE MALE - Geoffrey Household

This a re-read of one of the best thrillers going around.  Very much in the vein of  The 39 Steps but darker.

Track it down and read it.

THANK YOU, JEEVES - P. G. Wodehouse

The first Jeeves and Bertie full length novel.  Its creaks a bit  but as we know he got better at the novels for these two characters.

Wodehouse is an utter delight.  The world would be a much nicer place if everyone read him.

PLAYBACK - Raymond Chandler

This was originally a screen play and then adjusted to novel form.  Its not good and feels like a cash in on Chandlers great novels.

THE LONG GOODBYE- Raymond Chandler

Chandlers last real novel , it follows his formula but as usual a stunning read.  The Marlowe novels are literature and deserve many re-reads