It's not funny when one waits for a book for years, only because one loses track after being disappointed with being told it isn't available - and meanwhile, having made advance prepayment on internet, assumes one may believe the assurance that one would receive it automatically as soon as it is available, but doesn't. Apart from the question of whether the vendor did in fact return thst amount, since it's been a few years after the book's publication and no, one did not get it - despote payment and promises - automatically, the not the least detriment from delight in reading it now is having forgotten most of the details, and unwillingness to disturb the order one has arranged the kindle carefully for reading.
If only the house weren't overflowing with books, and the decision to kindle were an option rather than a necessity! Still, if one had to read all the previous volumes - which a few years ago wouldn't have been necessary, since one remembered most of it - having hard copies is not a help either.
What's worse are the glitches in buying a kindle edition on the internet, where one is put through a runaround for seemingly no reason, after having bought well over a hundred books over past few years from the same source that's a giant bookseller on internet and now sells everything including household items.
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This book, volume sixth in series, continues from the cliffhangars where the previous one left the reader. While the court case is taken care of and the corporation proceeds seemingly to next possible point of danger lurking ahead, Harry Clifton the author is challenged by Jacobs the TV host in N.Y. to prove that he did not in fact write, but memorised, the book recited by the cell-mate in Moscow, and wrote it down after leaving Russia. Jacobs gives a first sentence from an arbitrary page and challenges the author to recite the rest, while he holds the page on camera so it's visible to everyone watching tv.
"‘One of the many subjects no one ever dared to raise with Stalin was the role he played during the siege of Moscow, when the outcome of the Second World War still hung in the balance. Did he, like most of the government ministers and their officials, beat a hasty retreat to Kuibyshev on the Volga, or did he, as he claimed, refuse to leave the capital and remain in the Kremlin, personally organizing the defence of the city? His version became legend, part of the official Soviet history, although several people saw him on the platform moments before the train departed for Kuibyshev, and there are no reliable reports of anyone seeing him in Moscow again until the Russian army had driven the enemy from the gates of the city. Few of those who expressed any doubts about Stalin’s version lived to tell the tale.’ Harry looked into the camera and continued to deliver the next twenty-two lines without hesitation."
Thrilling, the recital more than the fact of it.
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"He knew he’d come to the end of the page when the studio audience burst into applause. Jacobs took a little longer to recover his composure, but eventually managed, ‘I might even read this book myself,’ with an ingratiating smile.
"‘That would make a change,’ said Harry, immediately regretting his words, although some of the studio audience laughed and applauded even louder, while others just gasped.
"Jacobs turned to face the camera. ‘We’ll take a short break, and return after these messages.’
"When the green light came on, Jacobs yanked off his lapel mic, jumped up from the sofa and marched across to the floor manager. ‘Get him off the set now!’
"‘But he’s got another three minutes,’ said the floor manager, checking his clipboard.
"‘I don’t give a fuck. Wheel on the next guest.’
"‘Do you really want to interview Troy Donahue for six minutes?’
"‘Anyone but that guy,’ he said, gesturing in Harry’s direction before beckoning Anne. ‘Get him off the set now,’ he repeated."
Clifton showers and changes before walking over to the publisher who's an old friend, expecting to be scolded and packed off to Heathrow.
"Hemingway, Fitzgerald, Greene and Buchan all stared down at him from the oak-panelled walls. Harry stepped inside to see father and son seated opposite each other at the partners’ desk. The moment they saw him they stood and applauded.
"‘Hail the conquering hero,’ said Aaron.
"‘But I thought you’d be—’
"‘Ecstatic,’ said Harold Guinzburg, slapping him on the back. ‘The phone’s been ringing off the hook for the past hour, and you’re set to be on every major talk show across the country. But be warned, everyone’s going to pick a different page after your triumph this morning.’
"‘But what about Jacobs?’
"‘He’s turned you into an overnight star. You may never be invited back on to his show, but all the other networks are chasing you.’"
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Giles Barrington is crossing over to East Berlin in a Mercedes Benz coach and there is description of his seeing the bus ahead soon after his taxi crosses Brandenburg gate, his being taken across a few hundred yards to checkpoint Charlie, crossing, and the bus depositing them at hotel Adlon.
"‘Checkpoint Charlie,’ he said to the driver, who gave him a second look before joining the early morning traffic heading into the city.
"Soon after they’d passed the dilapidated Brandenburg Gate, Giles spotted the white Mercedes coach Walter had told him to look out for. As he didn’t want to be the first person to board, he asked the taxi driver to stop a couple of hundred yards from the crossing point. Giles paid the fare and began to stroll around as if he were a tourist, not that there were any sites to look out for, other than a graffiti-covered wall."
Now the bus takes them to checkpoint Charlie, crosses, and finally they are in East Berlin after their passports have been checked thoroughly at the border.
"Eventually they pulled up outside the Adlon Hotel, but it was some time before they were allowed to disembark. When the doors finally opened, they were shepherded off the coach by a posse of tall uniformed policemen accompanied by snarling Alsatians on short leads. The delegates remained corralled until they had reached the dining room, where they were released into a large pen. The East Germans’ idea of making you feel at home."
Which makes no sense whatsoever as one looks at the map. Unless, of course, the wall was between Adlon and Brandenburg gate, and ran parallel to the road until checkpoint Charlie. Adlon is an easy two minute stroll from Brandenburg gate! Ten, tops, for someone not in good health.
"Giles thought he would burst, and not with applause. How much longer could this rubbish go on, and how many people present were taken in by it? It was an hour and a half before Honecker finally sat down, having delivered a speech that seemed to Giles to rival Wagner’s Ring Cycle in length, with none of the opera’s virtues.
"What Giles hadn’t been prepared for was the fifteen-minute standing ovation that followed Honecker’s speech, kept alight by several planted apparatchiks and henchmen who had probably enjoyed the cake and custard. Finally the general secretary left the stage, but he was held up again and again as he shook hands with enthusiastic delegates, while the applause continued even after he’d left the hall."
It's unclear why Giles was selected by the author to be the noble brother, friend and uncle who's good to everyone but couldn't possibly have a happy marriage or family his own. He falls in love for the third time, with a supposedly half English girl from East Berlin, and manages to smuggle her out, only - wouldn't you know it! - she's a stasi agent after all, and the guy who's supposedly her loving English father is the Russian spy living in Cornwall.
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"‘This isn’t just any old game of cricket,’ said Giles. ‘It’s the opening day of a Lord’s Test match against India, one of our oldest rivals.’"
???????
"‘For the Indians, cricket is not a game, it’s a religion.’"
??????????
" ... I see the Prime Minister is at Lord’s to watch the Test match, where he’ll have an unofficial meeting with Indira Gandhi, so I don’t expect him back at No.10 much before six."
????????
Archer has Sebastian Clifton meet, and fall in love with, an Indian, Priya Ghuman, whose parents are in process of finalising her match; she's whisked away before his parents meet her, but not before they've spent a weekend together, and he goes to Bombay to find her.
Archer seems to want to combine Shame and DDLJ here, although why he chose the Hindu community rather than one of the minorities far more suitable to the kidnapping and enforced wedding scenario, can only be because this way he need not fear for his life.
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Archer names his journalist Samraj Khan, one has to wonder if he's aware he's made up an obviously false name? And why it's obvious?
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Archer has made a ridiculous mistake assuming he can make up flight times to suit his purpose:-
"‘There are two flights out of Bombay today, both of them Air India.’ She glanced down at her pad. ‘One in forty minutes’ time, at 12.50 ..."
He means 12.50 p.m, and as anyone ever flying out of India would know, flights that are serious international ones ones don't begin until about midnight, and go on only until about 3 a.m.; international flights taking off during daytime are not to Europe or Australia or further, but only to West or Southeast Asia.
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Archer intended this as an accusation and indictment against India, and has found it convenient to name and shame Hindu community and religion rather than those who actually do perpetrate the actions he's depicted, since naming those that do such things would get him and his clan severe assaults from them.
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Sebastian arrives for his grandmother's funeral.
"Sebastian had been selected to read the first lesson. During the last verse of ‘Abide With Me’, he walked slowly up to the lectern, no longer trying to disguise a slight limp that had taken longer to recover from than the Indian surgeon had predicted. No one could predict how long it would take to recover from the last funeral he’d attended."
The last sentence is about the funeral of Priya, who - according to Archer - was Hindu, so it wouldn't be attended by general public as such, only males closely related to her; Sebastian couldn't possibly have "attended" that funeral, which would have been within less than twenty four hours of her death, while he was shot by the same guard and was operated on by a surgeon.
It's shameful how Archer is completely unaware of just how glaringly ignorant he is about what he writes about, and pathetic that nobody tells him.
"‘This isn’t just any old game of cricket,’ said Giles. ‘It’s the opening day of a Lord’s Test match against India, one of our oldest rivals.’"
???????
"‘For the Indians, cricket is not a game, it’s a religion.’"
??????????
" ... I see the Prime Minister is at Lord’s to watch the Test match, where he’ll have an unofficial meeting with Indira Gandhi, so I don’t expect him back at No.10 much before six."
????????
................................................................................................
Archer has Sebastian Clifton meet, and fall in love with, an Indian, Priya Ghuman, whose parents are in process of finalising her match; she's whisked away before his parents meet her, but not before they've spent a weekend together, and he goes to Bombay to find her.
Archer seems to want to combine Shame and DDLJ here, although why he chose the Hindu community rather than one of the minorities far more suitable to the kidnapping and enforced wedding scenario, can only be because this way he need not fear for his life.
................................................................................................
Archer names his journalist Samraj Khan, one has to wonder if he's aware he's made up an obviously false name? And why it's obvious?
................................................................................................
Archer has made a ridiculous mistake assuming he can make up flight times to suit his purpose:-
"‘There are two flights out of Bombay today, both of them Air India.’ She glanced down at her pad. ‘One in forty minutes’ time, at 12.50 ..."
He means 12.50 p.m, and as anyone ever flying out of India would know, flights that are serious international ones ones don't begin until about midnight, and go on only until about 3 a.m.; international flights taking off during daytime are not to Europe or Australia or further, but only to West or Southeast Asia.
................................................................................................
Archer intended this as an accusation and indictment against India, and has found it convenient to name and shame Hindu community and religion rather than those who actually do perpetrate the actions he's depicted, since naming those that do such things would get him and his clan severe assaults from them.
................................................................................................
Sebastian arrives for his grandmother's funeral.
"Sebastian had been selected to read the first lesson. During the last verse of ‘Abide With Me’, he walked slowly up to the lectern, no longer trying to disguise a slight limp that had taken longer to recover from than the Indian surgeon had predicted. No one could predict how long it would take to recover from the last funeral he’d attended."
The last sentence is about the funeral of Priya, who - according to Archer - was Hindu, so it wouldn't be attended by general public as such, only males closely related to her; Sebastian couldn't possibly have "attended" that funeral, which would have been within less than twenty four hours of her death, while he was shot by the same guard and was operated on by a surgeon.
It's shameful how Archer is completely unaware of just how glaringly ignorant he is about what he writes about, and pathetic that nobody tells him.
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Incidentally the year of Sebastian financing Priya, travelling to India to bring her back, getting shot by her bodyguard appointed by her father, and her being shot next as she screens him with her body and dying instantly, is all set in 1971 by the author.
But so far there is no mention by the author of events of 1971, which began early in the year, resulting in the war. In fact as one reads on, it's getting to Xmas and related family dinner etc at Barrington family home, so India has defeated the war begun by paki assault against India, and Bangladesh is independent after a year long ruthless genocide by paki military of three million people of East Bengal.
One has to wonder, were everyone in politics in Britain so completely unaware of East Bengal suffering at the time, being butchered by paki military? Or is this studied indifference a la Churchill, telling off readers in India how little West thinks of East Bengal and of India?
"‘I read your speech in Hansard,’ said Harry, ‘and I agreed with your sentiments. Let me see if I can remember your exact words, “Some talk of the economy, others of trade relations, but I will vote for this bill if for no other reason than it will ensure that our country’s youth will only have to read about two world wars, and will never have to experience a third”.’"
Which is ironic, since British policy a launch Macaulay ended up dividing India in 1947 resulting in bloodshed of millions - while British fled in a hurry, leaving pakis free to butcher non muslims freely and unhindered - and further in the racist colonial behaviour of West pakis towards East Bengal, resulting in the genocide by paki military of three million people of East Bengal.
Did the Barrington reflect on any of it while hoping their young wouldn't see another war, or it didn't matter what horrors Britain had wrought by dividing India as long as Britain fled after looting all that could be carried away?
"‘It will take the Americans even longer to elect a woman president,’ said Thatcher. ‘They are still at heart a frontier society. There are only fifteen women in Congress, and not even one in the Senate.’
"‘What about the Labour Party?’ said Emma. ‘Some people are suggesting that Shirley Williams—’
"‘Not a hope. The unions wouldn’t stand for it. They’d never allow a woman to be their general secretary. No, we elected the first Jewish prime minister, and the first bachelor, so we’ll elect the first woman, but not in my lifetime,’ Thatcher repeated.
"‘But other countries have already chosen women to be their PM.’
"‘Three of them,’ said Thatcher."
That would be Israel, India and Sri Lanka.
And while Margaret Thatcher did become PM, as did many other women since in various countries, U.S. is still highly misogynistic.
Incidentally the year of Sebastian financing Priya, travelling to India to bring her back, getting shot by her bodyguard appointed by her father, and her being shot next as she screens him with her body and dying instantly, is all set in 1971 by the author.
But so far there is no mention by the author of events of 1971, which began early in the year, resulting in the war. In fact as one reads on, it's getting to Xmas and related family dinner etc at Barrington family home, so India has defeated the war begun by paki assault against India, and Bangladesh is independent after a year long ruthless genocide by paki military of three million people of East Bengal.
One has to wonder, were everyone in politics in Britain so completely unaware of East Bengal suffering at the time, being butchered by paki military? Or is this studied indifference a la Churchill, telling off readers in India how little West thinks of East Bengal and of India?
"‘I read your speech in Hansard,’ said Harry, ‘and I agreed with your sentiments. Let me see if I can remember your exact words, “Some talk of the economy, others of trade relations, but I will vote for this bill if for no other reason than it will ensure that our country’s youth will only have to read about two world wars, and will never have to experience a third”.’"
Which is ironic, since British policy a launch Macaulay ended up dividing India in 1947 resulting in bloodshed of millions - while British fled in a hurry, leaving pakis free to butcher non muslims freely and unhindered - and further in the racist colonial behaviour of West pakis towards East Bengal, resulting in the genocide by paki military of three million people of East Bengal.
Did the Barrington reflect on any of it while hoping their young wouldn't see another war, or it didn't matter what horrors Britain had wrought by dividing India as long as Britain fled after looting all that could be carried away?
................................................................................................
"‘It will take the Americans even longer to elect a woman president,’ said Thatcher. ‘They are still at heart a frontier society. There are only fifteen women in Congress, and not even one in the Senate.’
"‘What about the Labour Party?’ said Emma. ‘Some people are suggesting that Shirley Williams—’
"‘Not a hope. The unions wouldn’t stand for it. They’d never allow a woman to be their general secretary. No, we elected the first Jewish prime minister, and the first bachelor, so we’ll elect the first woman, but not in my lifetime,’ Thatcher repeated.
"‘But other countries have already chosen women to be their PM.’
"‘Three of them,’ said Thatcher."
That would be Israel, India and Sri Lanka.
And while Margaret Thatcher did become PM, as did many other women since in various countries, U.S. is still highly misogynistic.
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"When he picked up his pen, the words flowed easily, but then he’d waited a dozen years to be given this chance. He read through his statement, made a couple of emendations, then checked he knew it by heart. He stood up, took a deep breath, straightened his tie and walked out into the hall. Markham, who was clearly enjoying every moment of the unfolding drama, opened the front door and stood aside.
"Harry had expected to face a few local reporters but as he stepped out of the door a mob of journalists and photographers surged towards him, all of them shouting at once. He stood on the top step and waited patiently until they’d all realized he wasn’t going to say anything before he had their attention.
"‘This is not a day for celebration,’ he began quietly. ‘My friend and colleague, Anatoly Babakov, is still languishing in a Russian prison, for the crime of daring to write the truth. The Nobel Prize committee has honoured him, and rightly so, but I will not rest until he is released and can be reunited with his wife Yelena, so they can spend the rest of their days enjoying the freedom that the rest of us take for granted.’
"Harry turned and walked back into the house as the journalists continued to holler their questions. Markham closed the door."
One has to wonder - would Archer dare write truth about death of Diana, Late Princess of Wales?
"When he picked up his pen, the words flowed easily, but then he’d waited a dozen years to be given this chance. He read through his statement, made a couple of emendations, then checked he knew it by heart. He stood up, took a deep breath, straightened his tie and walked out into the hall. Markham, who was clearly enjoying every moment of the unfolding drama, opened the front door and stood aside.
"Harry had expected to face a few local reporters but as he stepped out of the door a mob of journalists and photographers surged towards him, all of them shouting at once. He stood on the top step and waited patiently until they’d all realized he wasn’t going to say anything before he had their attention.
"‘This is not a day for celebration,’ he began quietly. ‘My friend and colleague, Anatoly Babakov, is still languishing in a Russian prison, for the crime of daring to write the truth. The Nobel Prize committee has honoured him, and rightly so, but I will not rest until he is released and can be reunited with his wife Yelena, so they can spend the rest of their days enjoying the freedom that the rest of us take for granted.’
"Harry turned and walked back into the house as the journalists continued to holler their questions. Markham closed the door."
................................................................................................
One has to wonder - would Archer dare write truth about death of Diana, Late Princess of Wales?
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"It didn’t take him long to realize that the genial image Stalin portrayed to the world was merely a mask concealing the evil reality that the Soviet dictator was a thug and a murderer, who would happily sacrifice the lives of tens of thousands of his people if it prolonged his survival as chairman of the party and President of the Presidium."
Without contesting any of that, one may point out, so were a great many Brits who were rewarded by British regime for looting India; and Churchill, who deliberately pursued the policy of stealing harvest of India that resulted in death of millions by starvation, was given Nobel prize for literature (only because he couldn't be given Nobel peace prize for winning WWII), but Gandhi was not given Nobel peace prize nor was any Indian, especially anyone Hindu, despite the safe return of British after looting and dividing India.
In short, it's a matter of point of perspective. Stalin in Russia vs British in India, not very different from Mongols across the world.
"While he worked in the Kremlin by day, by night he set down his experiences on paper. He learnt the text by heart, then destroyed any proof his words had ever existed. Can you begin to imagine what courage it took to abandon his lifelong ambition to be a published author for an anonymous book that was stored in his head?"
And here comes the title.
"Quite simply, Anatoly Babakov fulfilled the ancient prophecy: cometh the hour, cometh the man.’"
And that of the volume that preceded it, as well -
"‘Anatoly Yuryevich Babakov, you have proved to every dictator who ever ruled without the people’s mandate that the pen is mightier than the sword.’"
"It didn’t take him long to realize that the genial image Stalin portrayed to the world was merely a mask concealing the evil reality that the Soviet dictator was a thug and a murderer, who would happily sacrifice the lives of tens of thousands of his people if it prolonged his survival as chairman of the party and President of the Presidium."
Without contesting any of that, one may point out, so were a great many Brits who were rewarded by British regime for looting India; and Churchill, who deliberately pursued the policy of stealing harvest of India that resulted in death of millions by starvation, was given Nobel prize for literature (only because he couldn't be given Nobel peace prize for winning WWII), but Gandhi was not given Nobel peace prize nor was any Indian, especially anyone Hindu, despite the safe return of British after looting and dividing India.
In short, it's a matter of point of perspective. Stalin in Russia vs British in India, not very different from Mongols across the world.
"While he worked in the Kremlin by day, by night he set down his experiences on paper. He learnt the text by heart, then destroyed any proof his words had ever existed. Can you begin to imagine what courage it took to abandon his lifelong ambition to be a published author for an anonymous book that was stored in his head?"
And here comes the title.
"Quite simply, Anatoly Babakov fulfilled the ancient prophecy: cometh the hour, cometh the man.’"
And that of the volume that preceded it, as well -
"‘Anatoly Yuryevich Babakov, you have proved to every dictator who ever ruled without the people’s mandate that the pen is mightier than the sword.’"
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