I’ve been attacked by a meme sent by James Hamilton.
Number of books I own: Approximately 1200, not including childrens books. OK, 1201, since The Gruffalo is really mine, despite what some other people might think.
Last book bought: Mao – The unknown story by Jung Chang and John Halliday.
Last book read: Stalin by Simon Sebag Montefiore. (Are you detecting a theme?)
Five books that mean a lot to me:
1984 by George Orwell.
Jonathan Livingstone Seagull by Richard Bach. A terrible admission I suppose, and I do wonder about its inclusion. I read it in my youth in one of those difficult periods you look back on and think “What on earth was all the fuss about”. The copy I have is also littered with my cousin’s poetry in neat pencil handwriting and climbing quotations.
Annapurna by Maurice Herzog. An account of the first ever ascent of a 8000 metre peak by a French Himalayan Expedition in 1950. A classic of mountain literature, although there is now evidence it was not an entirely accurate account. Herzog dictated the book from hospital. He was crippled with frostbite, and the end of the book documents his gradual loss of toes and fingers to his friend’s scissors.
“Don’t make such a noise!” he begged me.
“Gently, Oudot, please!”
“I’m being as gently as I can. Look out – does that hurt?”
I braced myself with all my strength to bear the pain, and clenched my teeth:
“It’s all right, I didn’t feel a thing”
“Good!” said Oudot, and gave a great snip with his scissors.
“Ouch!”
I felt a shock all over me and Oudot announced:
“The first amputation! The little finger!”
This gave me a little twinge. A little finger may not be much use, but all the same I was attached to it! Tears were very near. Oudot picked up the joint between his finger and thumb and showed it to me.
“Perhaps you’d like to have it as a souvenir? It’ll keep all right, you know! You don’t seem very keen.”
Terrific bedside manner.
The Russian Revolution 1917-1932 by Sheila Fitzpatrick. A physical link to a book. I took this on my first trip to the Alps. It was read in tents and mountain huts between climbs. Just looking at the spine reminds me that summer. In fact, there’s nothing like the Russia Revolution to take your mind off something scary happening with ice axes. Well, unless you are Leon Trotsky.
If this is a Man by Primo Levi. A book that had a profound effect on me. It should be enforced reading.