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Lily Fairbairn
Half-elven
Apr 22 2014, 2:46pm
Post #1 of 30
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It's the almost Founders Day reading thread!
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Not that I'm going to be here for Founders Day, unfortunately. I'll have to do some serious catch-up reading afterwards.
The Fly on the Wall, Tony Hillerman
I picked up this novel expecting it to be the second of Hillerman's Chee and Leaphorn Navajo mysteries. It isn't. I'm guessing (but it's only a guess) he wrote this book while waiting to see if The Blessing Way, the first Navajo book, was successful enough to justify his going on with the series.
This story centers around John Cotton, a political reporter at an unidentified midwestern state capitol. A colleague of his is murdered soon after uncovering a scandal and Cotton follows up.
While Cotton is a nicely done character, I sorely missed Chee and Leaphorn and the southwestern settings (which appear only briefly). Published in 1971, the story is an intersting time capsule on how reporters worked before the digital age, with Cotton working on a typewriter, using a teletype, etc. And depending on the day's newspaper publication schedule.
It also shows how political cynicism is nothing at all new.
Beyond some nice action sequenes, though, much of the book is the deadly dull exposition of how Cotton works out the scandal, which doesn't even involve, say, interns in blue dresses but highway-building. Yawn.
The ending was supposed to be shocking, I suppose, except I've seen two almost identical patterns played out in TV shows in just the last couple of months, so I'm afraid I greeted the denouement with yet another moderately cynical yawn.
Not a bad book, but not one I really enjoyed, either. I spent most of the time skimming the pages. However, I have Hillerman's A Thief of Time sitting on my coffee table and am anticipating that.
What have you been reading?
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Tintallë
Gondor
Apr 22 2014, 5:06pm
Post #2 of 30
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which is a young adult book recommended to me by my 29 year-old daughter, who found it hysterically funny. It's certainly different from anything I've read before, and the characters are - well, they're real characters. Quite amusing.
Finished Kosher Chinese. the true-life adventures of a Peace Corps volunteer teaching English to Chinese college students and daring to explore their lives and culture in ways he'd never imagined.
Finally, I finally read the "Carlsbad Reads Together" selection for last year, Shanghai Girls by Lisa See. What an eye opener into the travails of Chinese immigrants and the Chinese-American culture! It was not an easy read emotionally, but I'm glad to have read it because it really opened my eyes to an entirely different world than anything I'd envisioned from other descriptions.
Next up: Palisades Park, another "Carlsbad Reads Together" selection, after which I will try to catch up with my fellow Carlsbadians (?) by reading the other community-wide books I've missed - Iron River, Funny in Farsi, Night and Tortilla Curtain.
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Ataahua
Forum Admin
/ Moderator
Apr 22 2014, 7:09pm
Post #3 of 30
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I'm rereading The Many-Coloured Land.
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After mentioning it to Inferno during that evolution thread a couple of weeks back the story has been playing on my mind, so I decided it's time to jump in again. It's been years since I picked it up last so a lot of it feels fresh.
For the first time, I'll be reading the joined series in the order they were intended: The Saga of the Exiles, then Intervention, then The Galactic Milieu series - which has my second-favourite book (after LOTR), Jack the Bodiless. I have *lots* of good reading ahead of me. 
Celebrimbor: "Pretty rings..."
Dwarves: "Pretty rings..."
Men: "Pretty rings..."
Sauron: "Mine's better."
"Ah, how ironic, the addictive qualities of Sauron’s master weapon led to its own destruction. Which just goes to show, kids - if you want two small and noble souls to succeed on a mission of dire importance... send an evil-minded beggar with them too." - Gandalf's Diaries, final par, by Ufthak.
Ataahua's stories
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NottaSackville
Valinor
Apr 22 2014, 7:38pm
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Still on Earth, Air, Fire and Custard
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It's humorous and bizarre - it definitely makes me want to check out more books by Tom Holt.
 Happiness: money matters, but less than we think and not in the way that we think. Family is important and so are friends, while envy is toxic -- and so is excessive thinking. Beaches are optional. Trust is not. Neither is gratitude. - The Geography of Bliss by Eric Weiner as summarized by Lily Fairbairn. And a bit of the Hobbit reading thrown in never hurts. - NottaSackville
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entmaiden
Forum Admin
/ Moderator
Apr 22 2014, 7:47pm
Post #5 of 30
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After years of unsatisfied curiousity,
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I'm trying one of the Star Wars books. I've heard about them over the years, but I was unsure whether they would be any good, and I didn't know where to start. A new friend is a big fan, and she loaned me "Shadows of the Empire" which she said is a good indicator of whether I will enjoy other books.
I'm fascinated by this world - that so many authors willingly participate and have the discipline to avoid conflicting story lines and work in the same sandbox. So far, I'm about 1/3 of the way through and like it very much. The writing is not as strong as I would like and of the humor is rather obvious, but it's fun. I'll see at the end whether I want to continue.
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Meneldor
Valinor
Apr 23 2014, 12:24am
Post #6 of 30
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I didn't care for SotE myself.
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IMO, Zahn's Thrawn trilogy and Stackpole & Allston's X-wing series are better SW reading.
They that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters; These see the works of the Lord, and His wonders in the deep.
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Finding Frodo
Tol Eressea
Apr 23 2014, 4:03am
Post #7 of 30
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It was a re-telling or re-imagining of Snow White. It was interesting. I thought it was going to go really dark, but it took a left turn. It left some loose ends hanging, but I don't mind that.
Where's Frodo?
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Elberbeth
Tol Eressea
Apr 23 2014, 4:07pm
Post #8 of 30
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Finshed the last book in the Dream of Eagles series
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by Jack Whyte. I really, really liked this series, and I'm sorry there does not appear to be another. In this one Caius Merlyn Britannicus returns to Camulod with Arthur, now that Arthur is old enough to take his place in the army, and Caius sends him to live with his father's people (Uther was king of Cambria) to learn enough to be able to rule them. Many battles occur, against long time enemy Ironhair, and the Saxon and Danish invasions, spurred on by Merlyn's need for vengeance, as he changes from leader and protector to become the Sorcerer who became legend. The book ends with Arthur being crowned High King of Britain. Would have loved to see more in another book.
"There are some things that it is better to begin than to refuse, even though the end may be dark."
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Meneldor
Valinor
Apr 23 2014, 11:22pm
Post #9 of 30
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by Douglas Reeman. Late in WW1, a German cargo ship is turned into a disguised merchant raider and roams the Atlantic, destroying Allied ships. I've read about two dozen books by Reeman, and he's the most formulaic author I read. But I like the formula and he writes it well.
They that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters; These see the works of the Lord, and His wonders in the deep.
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Aunt Dora Baggins
Immortal
Apr 24 2014, 7:01pm
Post #10 of 30
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Pirates and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility
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I finished Pirates and Prejudice, which I mentioned last week. It's not great literature, but I enjoyed it a lot. Especially the end, with some of the most erotic hand-holding it's been my pleasure to read about. Very understated and nice.
After all my Austen knock-off reading, I decided to back to the source for a bit. It's been while since I read S&S, so I went with that one. I have to skip the opening, because that unpleasantness at the beginning is just too painful for me to read. But I'm about a third of the way in and enjoying it a lot. I loved the snarky bit about how old and decrepit Col. Brandon is at "five and thirty", and how he might manage to survive another twenty years before dying of old age.
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"For DORA BAGGINS in memory of a LONG correspondence, with love from Bilbo; on a large wastebasket. Dora was Drogo's sister, and the eldest surviving female relative of Bilbo and Frodo; she was ninety-nine, and had written reams of good advice for more than half a century."
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"A Chance Meeting at Rivendell" and other stories
leleni at hotmail dot com
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weaver
Half-elven
Apr 25 2014, 12:36am
Post #11 of 30
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All I've been able to read are FD teaser post replies!
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But it is fun to be back posting again.
Before FD took over, I was reading Joseph Campbell Power of Myth for the second or third time. Good for stirring your mythological soul!
Weaver
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Meneldor
Valinor
Apr 25 2014, 5:30pm
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15th Century Swordsmanship of Master Filippo Vadi. Just what it says on the cover, with period illustrations of his techniques. Mostly two-handed longsword, and clearly developed from the work of 14th century swordmaster Fiore dei Liberi.
They that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters; These see the works of the Lord, and His wonders in the deep.
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Meneldor
Valinor
Apr 28 2014, 2:13am
Post #13 of 30
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by Brian Daley. Classic fun SW adventure. Daley does an excellent job of capturing Han & Chewie's personalities in a quick easy read. The writing is surprisingly good for such a lightweight story.
They that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters; These see the works of the Lord, and His wonders in the deep.
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Ruxendil_Thoorg
Tol Eressea
Apr 28 2014, 2:42am
Post #14 of 30
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I take it you are currently studying/practicing longsword? Do you have a preferred school of longsword that you study/practice (German, Italian...)? And do you do any other fencing/swordsmanship? (I'm guessing sabre, at least.)
I ask out of personal interest, as I've been exposed to some Vadi and de Liberi longsword, back when I used to do classical & historical fencing. Only minimally exposed, though.
During FOTR, the bit with Boromir, leading Merry & Pippin with the "2...1....5...." drill, made me light up with familiarity. I imagine you had a similar reaction.
RIP Bob Anderson.
--RT
Things overheard during games of chess in Middle-earth:
Galadriel (any and every time she advances her pawn to the last row): "In its place you would have a QUEEN!!!!" (thunder booms)
http://newboards.theonering.net/...forum_view_expanded;
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Meneldor
Valinor
Apr 28 2014, 4:43am
Post #15 of 30
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Not currently practicing anything,
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but I used to do rather a lot. I learned a lot of Fiore when I was practicing with Schola St George, along with some MS I.33 sword & buckler. I've also done most forms of SCA heavy fighting (sword & shield, longsword, greatsword, spear, mace & sword, mace & shield) and SCA rapier (single sword, sword & dagger, sword & buckler, sword & baton, sword & cloak, single dagger, dagger & buckler, two sword, two dagger, sword & madu). Many many years ago in college I learned sport fencing, mostly foil, a little epee, and very little saber.
I haven't studied any German longsword, although I've heard a lot about Talhoffer.
Have you ever played with a curved sword? I got one for SCA fencing, and when you figure out how to use it and none of your opponents have fought one before, it has some really interesting advantages. It's possible to use the curve to reach around your opponent's hilt and tag him in the forearm or wrist. And if you get in really close, you can execute a draw cut that goes on forever and ever amen.
Yeah, the hobbits drilling was a good moment. It's sadly rare to see realistic training scenes in movies.
They that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters; These see the works of the Lord, and His wonders in the deep.
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Ruxendil_Thoorg
Tol Eressea
Apr 28 2014, 12:48pm
Post #16 of 30
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Quite some time ago, I took classical & historical fencing at Maestro Ramon Martinez at his academy in NJ/NY, where I did mostly French foil, and then some Italian rapier & dagger, some rapier & cloak, French smallsword, and Italian sabre, and some other tidbits. I've participated in some tournaments and managed placed rather high up with the foil once (only because I did well amongst my fellow beginners).
I've never done SCA, but there was always at least 1 or 2 sallemates who were doing it actively, so I've had a bit of word-of-mouth exposure to it.
We've had Maestro Paul MacDonald come over from his school the Dawn Duelling Society in Scotland as a guest a few times, and I attended his seminar on longsword, which covered Liberi and Vadi. it didn't cover any Talhoffer or other German, which is something I've read about but haven't formally studied. I vividly recall having the honor of fencing rapier&dagger with one of MacDonald's students, and receiving a particularly deadly flying parry with dritto fendente riposte to the top of my mask.    It was refreshing to see that done with a rapier, as the style I had been learning was mostly thrust-based.
I've played about with some curved swords, such as when Maestro Martinez brought in some of his museum pieces, including a Turkish kilij, I think that's what it was. Also I'm well versed with the Chinese dao and with the katana (but in Korean style rather than Japanese), but those are from separate martial arts I've studied rather than from the fencing school. Haven't had the chance to used any on the piste or in the round in a way that would take advantage of the curvature--we haven't had any safe training weapons for that. A shinai for training katana is quite straight, of course. BTW, this probably doesn't count, but there were times when I've used the curve of my foil to score hits around my opponent's parry, which I imagine is something like what you said about using the curve to reach around the hilt.
So, very cool that you've been able to incorporate that in your practice. May I ask, what did you use as your fencing weapon for that, was it wooden? Naturally I'd want to look into getting something like that I could use.
A while back I was thinking it would be good if there were someone with formal training with either sword & shield or longsword who might post something about the type of sword techniques that might have been the kind Tolkien envisioned as used within the story. But utlimately, I don't think I'm the best qualified to post anything like that. I imagine Tolkien would have intended someone to use techniques from the German school, but perhaps the English would have used Italian techniques too. I haven't researched that enough.
Cheers and salute, from one Corvar's Corsair to another! I wonder how many other fellow Corsairs with actual sword training?
Things overheard during games of chess in Middle-earth:
Galadriel (any and every time she advances her pawn to the last row): "In its place you would have a QUEEN!!!!" (thunder booms)
http://newboards.theonering.net/...forum_view_expanded;
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Meneldor
Valinor
Apr 28 2014, 3:42pm
Post #17 of 30
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is not an easy term to work into everyday conversation. I expect that attack with a rapier is rare because most fencing masters taught that the thrust was much more deadly than the cut.
Here's a pic of me holding the quarterdeck of the Briar Rose with my curved blade in my right hand, and a straight blade in my left.
Curved blade in my right hand and madu in my left
Some of my fencing toys
One of my Schola St George classmates and I practicing Fiore at an SCA event. He's the one in tutta porta ferro; I'm in poste di dona.
I've also thought about analyzing Tolkien's fight scenes in terms of period combat schools. But he doesn't offer much detail at all on the cut & thrust of swordplay; I can interpret many of the fights in terms I'm familiar with, and I'm sure swordsmen who have studied other schools interpret the fights in terms & techniques familiar to them. Ultimately, anything I wrote would end up being "I like this technique and I like this character, so I think this character used this technique."
They that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters; These see the works of the Lord, and His wonders in the deep.
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Ruxendil_Thoorg
Tol Eressea
Apr 29 2014, 4:21am
Post #18 of 30
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Thanks for all the photos Meneldor! I'll have to snap some of my weapons, and as soon as I do I'll show you.
I'm duly impressed, expecially with your curved sabre, which appears to be a cavalry (or naval?) sabre, foiled for fencing purposes. I haven't had the opportunity to try one of those before--what's the blade made of? I've only handled a classical (duelling) sabre. That buckler (or targe?) is also quite striking. I have only minimal exposure to fencing with the buckler or targe. I like dagger in off hand.
Yes that fendente I received to the mask was quite unexpected! (BTW I think I was wrong in calling it a dritto--I think it would have been a reverso, thinking about it some more, because it would have followed a flying parry in prima.) What you said about the fendente being rare due to the emphasis on the thrust reflects what I learned as well. The converse, though, is that one might not train for it in the context of rapier, and so if it comes, one might be caught off guard as I was.
You're right about the sparsity of detail in Tolkien's writings regarding the techniques of sword that were used. I tend to think he'd go with whatever was used during the medieval period by English swordsmen, which leaves a lot of room for speculation.
Cheers!
RT
Things overheard during games of chess in Middle-earth:
Galadriel (any and every time she advances her pawn to the last row): "In its place you would have a QUEEN!!!!" (thunder booms)
http://newboards.theonering.net/...forum_view_expanded;
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Meneldor
Valinor
Apr 29 2014, 9:57pm
Post #19 of 30
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The curved blade was manufactured by a company that
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specialized in renaissance reenactment fencing weapons; it's cross section is similar to a modern fencing epee, just wider. It's lighter and more flexible than it looks.
As for the buckler, I won that in an SCA tournament. It's well-built and heavier than the one I had been using, but the way it's curved makes thrusts stick to it like it's magnetized. Still, I prefer a main gauche, or two swords; so much more dashing and swashbuckling! 
Looking forward to your pics whenever you get a chance to share them, RT.
They that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters; These see the works of the Lord, and His wonders in the deep.
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Meneldor
Valinor
May 2 2014, 2:19am
Post #20 of 30
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I think you'll agree this is funny cuz it's true.
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They that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters; These see the works of the Lord, and His wonders in the deep.
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Ruxendil_Thoorg
Tol Eressea
May 3 2014, 3:46am
Post #21 of 30
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Ha, awesome! I hadn't seen that one before! I haven't studied Meyer but the Fiore and Thibault made me laugh!
OK here is where I attempt to load pictures.
I snapped these just now, not sure why the lighting is so bad. It's not my entire collection, just the highlights. I also have an assortment of Asian weapons but I couldn't readily get to them to photograph them.
Hmmm... doesn't seem to be working. ??? Going to post this and see what happens. If it doesn't show, I'll keep trying.
Things overheard during games of chess in Middle-earth:
Galadriel (any and every time she advances her pawn to the last row): "In its place you would have a QUEEN!!!!" (thunder booms)
http://newboards.theonering.net/...forum_view_expanded;
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Meneldor
Valinor
May 3 2014, 5:42pm
Post #22 of 30
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I'm just getting the little black x.
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Did you delete the automatic http:// that the board software automatically inserts in the image location? Sometimes I forget to do that.
They that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters; These see the works of the Lord, and His wonders in the deep.
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Ruxendil_Thoorg
Tol Eressea
May 3 2014, 8:10pm
Post #23 of 30
(176 views)
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OK, thanks for the tip! but it didn't work for me. I was trying to include the photo from hotlink to Facebook by using the "image" markup tags. not sure why it doesn't show.
So here they are as links instead:
https://www.facebook.com/...271&l=eac75ffda0
https://www.facebook.com/...610&l=928eec1f19
Two angles of some weapons in my collection.
From left to right in the first linked photo (from top to bottom in the second linked photo) we have a classical French grip foil with figure eight guard, smallsword, costume swept-hilt rapier & main gauche, fencing cup-hilt rapier & main gauche, and classical fencing sabre.
BTW I have a new Name That Tune game posted on Main, 18 clues. (like golf...) Come try your savvy, maybe see if you can figure out which one was written for Kim.
Things overheard during games of chess in Middle-earth:
Galadriel (any and every time she advances her pawn to the last row): "In its place you would have a QUEEN!!!!" (thunder booms)
http://newboards.theonering.net/...forum_view_expanded;
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Meneldor
Valinor
May 3 2014, 9:47pm
Post #24 of 30
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"This content is currently unavailable."
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You're teasing me, man!
The descriptions sound good. The images in my head are of some very cool swords.
They that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters; These see the works of the Lord, and His wonders in the deep.
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Nice one!
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