The British Museum

I had a half day of annual leave yesterday (plus I'm off for the rest of the week) so I treated myself to a jolly around London doing a few of my favourite things. I got a hair cut, ate a ridiculous amount of Korean food (at Bibimbap, 37 Museum Street) and visited The British Museum.

The Egyptian mummies tend to grab all the glory, in fairness the displays are fantastic, but they are also very overcrowded. I wandered in for a quick look and was soon irritated by the hordes of inconsiderate school groups. Thankfully the museum has plenty of interesting exhibitions that were practically deserted.

Kitty Hart-Moxon, Return to Auschwitz

When I was at school I had the great privilege to meet Josef Pearl, a survivor of the holocaust, (Faces in the Smoke  is his biography). I don't think it's until you read, or hear the testimonies told by survivors themselves that you can even slightly comprehend the horrors of the death camps.

 Return to Auschwitz is the autobiography of Kitty Hart-Moxon, who managed to live through unimaginable cruelty and barbarism of Auschwitz concentration camp.

Rating: 4/5

Colchester Castle

I've taken some annual leave this week, so we popped over to nearby Colchester for a wander and a look around the castle. Of course, it's school half term at the moment so it was pretty busy.

'comfort women' small webcomic

When I lived in South Korea I had the privilege to go to the House of Sharing and meet the Halmonis (grandmothers) who live there. The Halmonies survived the most horrific abuse during World War II, they were forced into sex slavery during the Japanese occupation of Korea. These remarkably brave women are still campaigning for justice, for the Japanese government to formerly acknowledge, apologise and redress this war crime.

picture source

There is a short webcomic available here, The Story of a Comfort Woman - Tattoo, by Sun-Woong Park I urge you to take a quick look.

I know it's not really something I usually blog about, but its really important to raise awareness.

Please also consider donating to the House of Sharing here

Christmas ideas- Non fiction

One of my new years resolutions for 2014 was to read more non-fiction- I've kind of failed on this one.

Still, here are some non-fiction releases that have caught my eye, and are potential ideas for Christmas presents:-

Lest we forget

Like 4 million other people, I went to pay my respects at the commemorative art installation at The Tower of London.

Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red comprises of 888,236 individually hand-made poppies planted in the moat of The Tower to represent a British military fatality during the First World War.

Clandon Park

We want to get as much use of possible out of our National Trust membership before the properties close for the winter, so this bank holiday we took a trip over to Clandon Park over in Guilford.

wishlist

All though I've only recently gone a book buying splurge (and have yet to read them all) I've already got my eye on some more:-

(picture source: Amazon)

1. The British Witch: A Biography, Peter Maxwell-Stuart 

Using a variety of sources, Maxwell-Stuart looks at the persecution of men and women throughout 500 years of history.
I've had a life-long interest in witches, I have an affinity with outcasts, so this really fascinates me. Published a couple of months ago, there aren't currently many reviews, before spending £17.99 I want to know how accessible the book is.

(picture source: Amazon)

2. The Penguin Book of Myths and Legends of Ancient Egypt, Joyce Tyldesley
Another period of history I've always loved is Ancient Egypt, I went to the British Museum recently and spent hours looking at the artefacts. A lot of my knowledge about the gods, rites and history of  ancient  Egypt comes from a Horrible History book I read aeons ago, so it's about time a read something more in depth.
Penguin really excels at this sort of thing, and the reviews are complementary.

3. Dust and Shadow: An Account of the Ripper Killings, Lyndsay Faye
I've not read any Sherlock Homes, but this novel pits the most famous Victorian detective against the eras most infamous serial killer.
I have huge respect for Lyndsay Faye as an author, she is brilliant at creating atmosphere and making history come alive. See my review of Seven for a Secret here  

(picture source: Amazon)

4. The Virgin of Flames, Chris Abani 
I listened to TED talk that Abani gave online and he really impressed me. The Virgin of the Flames is a novel about misfits, a graffiti artist, a stripper, a tattoo artist and a Rwandan butcher living in L.A. The blurb makes it sound cool and contemporary.

5. The Undertaking, Audrey Magee
This year is the centenary of the First World War, to commemorate I'd like to read some war related books. (see here for my list of 10 must read war novels)
The Undertaking is a novel about ordinary Germans trying to rebuild their lives in the aftermath of World War II

What do you think of my wishlist? Is there anything you'd recommend?

Ightham House (inside)

More pics from my visit to Ightham Mote. If you're looking for something to do this weekend, I'd highly recommend a trip to Ightham. 

The only criticism I have is the cafe is right near to the car park, I think they're missing a trick with this because many people won't bother popping in for a drink as they'll think they might as well wait till they get home.  

Alex Haley, Roots

It took me over a month to read Roots, and consequently I have a rather mixed view about the book. It has some of the most evocative descriptions I have ever read concerning the slave trade and the middle passage, but also some incredibly dull parts about cockerel fighting that I had to skip over.  

The Plot:  Alex Haley traces seven generations of his family history, from the capture and enslavement of his ancestor Kunta Kinte in 1767, through to the difficult lives of Kinte's descendants and their eventual emancipation. Roots took 10 years to research and won a special Pulitzer Prize in 1977.

 The book is not without controversy, Alex Haley was accused of plagiarism, genealogists have disputed Haley's research and critiques have challenged the authenticity of Roots. (if you want to read more about the controversy see here) 

Disputes aside, the story of Kunta Kinte is an incredibly powerful narrative. He remains dignified and defiant throughout even the most difficult circumstances. The chapters concerning Kunta Kinte's childhood and upbringing are a pleasure to read, the inhabitants of Jufureh and village life are credibly retold. Kunta Kinte's fortitude is clearly a testimony to his upbringing.

Kunte Kinta's transportation to America makes for harrowing reading. I learnt about the slave trade in school, but history textbook don't manage to covey the horror as effectively as Roots. Alex Haley manages to invoke the sights, smells and sounds of the journey. Although I can never truly imagine the cruelty and abuse of the middle passageway, Haley's descriptions go a long way in exposing the inhumanity of the traders.

Though Roots is understandably a grim novel, there are plenty of moments of humour and tenderness. The interaction between family members and the sense of community between slaves is lovely and heart-warming. Like any family, there are some eccentrics in Kunta Kinte's descendants. Chicken George is roguish and bombastic, though I do think there are way to many stories about him training cockerels and attending bird fights.  

History

'I prefer my history dead. Dead history is writ in ink, the living sort in blood.' 

- George R. R. Martin, A Feast for Crows 

Wrest Park

Home to the De Grey family for more than 700 years, Wrest Park is currently undergoing an intensive restoration plan by English Heritage. The project is expected to take 20 years and was started in August 2011, so most of the house is off limits, but the gardens are spectacular.

The French style château was built in 1830's by Thomas Earl de Grey a politician and first Lord of the Admiralty (not to be confused with Charles Earl of Grey of tea fame). The house remained in the family until 1917, when the 9th Baron Lucas, a pilot in the Royal Flying Corps was killed in action.  

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Walmer Castle

On another English Heritage visit I went to Walmer Castle, former home of the Queen mother. Built originally by Henry VIII as part of England's coastal defences, the property later became the official residence for the  Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports. The current Queen's mother used to live here. 

Walmer isn't as grand as some of the places I've visited, it was clear that is was built to be a defensive structure rather than a home, the wall are really thick, and there are cannons on the battlements 

English Heritage are a bit stingy on where you can take photographs, but the interior wasn't too my taste anyway. Most of the walls were painted a rather garish blue. Also I don't think the Queen mum was much of a reader, there was no library, which is usually my favourite place to visit when I go on these trip. 

She was in to her gardens though, and Walmer did have some pretty outside space. Prince Charles apparently replanted the garden for his grandmother one year.