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The GOT Book Club

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Fantastic book, couldn’t put it down.

Ex Panorama investigative journalist, John Sweeney, takes an in depth look, at the life and crimes of Putin.

Really well written, with a vein of ultra black humour running all the way through it.

It really opens your eyes, to how Putin fooled the West, through a mixture of cunning, corruption and naivety, whilst assassinating anyone who spoke out against him, no matter what country they were in.

It made me really think about the ownership of Everton too, as every single Oligarch, was used by Putin, to launder the money he stole and continues to steal off the Russian people.

I’m really surprised that Sweeney is still alive tbh.
 
sdk said:
He was a journalist who became well known upon publication of The Best and the Brightest, his study of the foreign policy advisors in the John Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson administrations, who, in the full bloom of their technocratic prowess, proceeded to drive the USA straight into a ditch in Southeast Asia. Elsewhere his topics tended to be in other aspects of recent US history and current events.
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That's a great book.
 
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Iranian-American Ray Takeyh's nuanced look at Iran-US relations from WW2 to the fall of the Shah. He explores the many factors that led to the Shah's fall.
The Shah believed that God had chosen him to rule, not just reign, over Iran. This belief, according to Takeyh, would lead him to choose advisers and ministers based on loyalty instead of merit - this was one of the factors that doomed his regime when it was later confronted by political opposition that could only be defeated by skillful and decisive leadership.

In the 1970s, Tayekh points out how the Shah pursued cultural modernisation and Westernisation within Iran, while simultaneously rejecting political modernisation. This had the effect of alienating Iran’s growing middle class and the more conservative Islamic clerics who were led by Ayatollah Khomeini, his most vociferous opponent, who was exiled abroad.

Takeyh faults successive US administrations for ignoring intelligence warnings of the fragility of the Shah’s rule. He notes that the Carter administration was divided on how to respond; on the one hand proclaiming support for the Shah, while on the other proclaiming a commitment to universal human rights. He doesn't, though, believe that Carter could have done anything to save the Shah or arrange for a pro-US regime to replace the Pahlavi dynasty. Takeyh concludes: “Jimmy Carter did not lose Iran; Khomeini won it.” However, it remains an open question whether different long-term US policy might have led to a different outcome.
 
Looking for a decent football book to read, tend to drift into autobiographies mainly bt havent read a decent one for a while.
Any suggestions? Dosent need to be Everton related

Side note, this was a good read, especially if the 90s were your childhood years

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Just finished James Herbert - Secret of Crickley Hall and have moved back too, once again, the Sword Of Truth series. I have read book one in the 90's and never got round to the rest. I have tried on a few occasions on audible but have had struggles concentrating.

I didn't seem to have any problems during Crickley Hall so going for it from boolk 1 again.
 
Just finished making my way through the entire Bandy papers series, and they're just wonderful. Covering both the first and second world wars told from the first person perspective of Bartholomew Bandy. They're more Blackadder than Flashman in terms of historical accuracy and comedy but just as funny. Most of the books had me laughing from start to finish and even the weaker ones gave me at least one laugh out loud moment. I can't believe that I've never read them before as I've missed out. Its definitely worth checking out if you're looking for something funny and/or good historical fiction. The first book is called Three Cheers for me. I highly recommend them all.
 
COYBL25 said:
I can highly recommend his, Wayward Pines trilogy too, if you haven`t read them.
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LostLegend said:
You know I thought that sounded familiar, I read the synopsis and realised I watched the first series of that years ago, so have probably ruined the big reveal for myself.
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Finally got around to these and am halfway through book 2.
Turns out, having only seen the one series, I’d only spoiled the main reveal of book 1 and am completely blind to the other 2.

Really enjoying them so far!
 

Gwladysstreetlad said:
Just finished making my way through the entire Bandy papers series, and they're just wonderful. Covering both the first and second world wars told from the first person perspective of Bartholomew Bandy. They're more Blackadder than Flashman in terms of historical accuracy and comedy but just as funny. Most of the books had me laughing from start to finish and even the weaker ones gave me at least one laugh out loud moment. I can't believe that I've never read them before as I've missed out. Its definitely worth checking out if you're looking for something funny and/or good historical fiction. The first book is called Three Cheers for me. I highly recommend them all.
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I like the sound of that, going to give it a go.
Been reading 'alone in Berlin '. That was quite good based around a true story, bit grim thoughScreenshot_20230601-073041_Google.webp
 

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