A tale of Two Cities

by Charles Dickens
How good to read this tale of the French revolution again. Different to many of Dickens that I have read. Fewer comic characters-although Cruncher and Miss Pross are magnificent and situated largely out of London it is interesting to try and hear Dickens view of the revolution.
You still get his concern for the working classes and the condemnation of the rich but in a very English way he seems wary of the revolution as a means of solving these problems. I guess history has proved him right with clear social divides still in clear view on the streets of Paris. 9/10

The Order of the Day

by Eric Vuillard
This is a recording of history from the second world war that scarily demonstrates how we can get sucked into the most chilling acts by turning a blind eye. How the outworking of evil can sit next to the most banal acts of everday life.
It is short. It is well researched-the farewell luncheon for Ribbentrop in London could have been (and probably was) lifted straight from Churchill's memoirs of the second world war. It is fascinating 8/10

France-A history from Gaul to De Gaulle

by John Julius Norwich
A gallop through French history from 58BC to the end of the second world war.
Although by its very nature this history omits much of the detail it is a very enjoyable and informative read. His personal asides are amusing without ever diluting his clear love for France and its people. 9/10