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 Customer Reviews
More quality '...Clue', 26 Oct 2008
I had the tape of this and loaned it to a woman I worked with, she was then suspended from work and in the interim I left my job to go to another one. In short, I would like it back, so if you are reading this (you know who you are!) can you find some way of getting it back to me? I could just buy a replacement couldn't I? Maybe I will. Anyway, this is more good '...Clue', some hilarious moments, particularly on the anniversary show with Stephen Fry (sound charades is among many funny moments). Clue fans will know what to expect and will not be disappointed. I only give it four stars because the first ever show which was broadcast back in the early seventies and included in this collection is not at all funny, and was, I suppose, only included as a curiosity.
This is radio comedy at its best ; a British institution, 14 Sep 2006
I'm probably preaching to the converted, but ISIHAC is intelligent, naughty, fantastic, foolish, sarcastic, and more.
iPod users beware - you simply cannot stop yourself laughing to this.
The radio in my car died and so I dug these out of my cupboard. Haven't enjoyed the commute so much for ages.
Don't miss out.
ISIHAC, 02 Nov 2004
I bought this CD to play in the car. I laughed so much that I missed my turn off.
Never sorry about this., 02 Dec 2003
I loved this. I was stuck in a traffic jam, and have rarely enjoyed an hour-long journey to work so much.
Too young (just!) to have listened to the programme from the start, it was good to hear how it evolved. From the very first episode you can spot all the familiar games, and you cannot imagine anyone other than Humph being allowed to chair it. Oh, and the points system used to work too, although nobody cared!
I'm Sorry I Haven't a Desert Island is also a gem: there I was, listening to the great and good and Neil Kinnock describing their favourite rounds, nodding my head in agreement.
The show has survived the loss of the incredibly funny Willie Rushton. Stephen Fry, Sandy Toksvig and Paul Merton have fitted in well but, for me, Jeremy Hardy will always take a lot of beating, particularly in the music rounds. I do worry for the future though - could they ever manage without Humph? Certainly Samantha would find it tough, sitting on someone else's right hand.
Put this in a box and throw sugar at it if you like. Or better still, buy it and play it again and again until it wears out.
The only trouble with Clue is that now and again you find yourself unable to hum the original words to the original tune. Love me Tender can really only be sung properly to the tune of the Archers...
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Customer Reviews
More quality '...Clue', 26 Oct 2008
I had the tape of this and loaned it to a woman I worked with, she was then suspended from work and in the interim I left my job to go to another one. In short, I would like it back, so if you are reading this (you know who you are!) can you find some way of getting it back to me? I could just buy a replacement couldn't I? Maybe I will. Anyway, this is more good '...Clue', some hilarious moments, particularly on the anniversary show with Stephen Fry (sound charades is among many funny moments). Clue fans will know what to expect and will not be disappointed. I only give it four stars because the first ever show which was broadcast back in the early seventies and included in this collection is not at all funny, and was, I suppose, only included as a curiosity.
This is radio comedy at its best ; a British institution, 14 Sep 2006
I'm probably preaching to the converted, but ISIHAC is intelligent, naughty, fantastic, foolish, sarcastic, and more.
iPod users beware - you simply cannot stop yourself laughing to this.
The radio in my car died and so I dug these out of my cupboard. Haven't enjoyed the commute so much for ages.
Don't miss out.
ISIHAC, 02 Nov 2004
I bought this CD to play in the car. I laughed so much that I missed my turn off.
Never sorry about this., 02 Dec 2003
I loved this. I was stuck in a traffic jam, and have rarely enjoyed an hour-long journey to work so much.
Too young (just!) to have listened to the programme from the start, it was good to hear how it evolved. From the very first episode you can spot all the familiar games, and you cannot imagine anyone other than Humph being allowed to chair it. Oh, and the points system used to work too, although nobody cared!
I'm Sorry I Haven't a Desert Island is also a gem: there I was, listening to the great and good and Neil Kinnock describing their favourite rounds, nodding my head in agreement.
The show has survived the loss of the incredibly funny Willie Rushton. Stephen Fry, Sandy Toksvig and Paul Merton have fitted in well but, for me, Jeremy Hardy will always take a lot of beating, particularly in the music rounds. I do worry for the future though - could they ever manage without Humph? Certainly Samantha would find it tough, sitting on someone else's right hand.
Put this in a box and throw sugar at it if you like. Or better still, buy it and play it again and again until it wears out.
The only trouble with Clue is that now and again you find yourself unable to hum the original words to the original tune. Love me Tender can really only be sung properly to the tune of the Archers...
AGES, 01 Jul 2008
I lose track of age suitability for books for my grandcildren especially as they are in Australia, and other children I buy for, so the mention of ages in other reviews helped me with age suitability.
A funny and charming childrens classic , 11 Jun 2008
Recently reintroduced to Paddington as my 8 year old daughter has been reading it. It made me laugh out loud - highly recommended particularly for young readers who don't like fantasy literature - Paddington is wonderfully real.
A classic childrens book, 08 Dec 2000
This is an absolute classic childrens book. I have been reading it to my three boys aged 8 and 4 each night. They really enjoy it and it is the one sure way to get them to bed with no fuss
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Customer Reviews
More quality '...Clue', 26 Oct 2008
I had the tape of this and loaned it to a woman I worked with, she was then suspended from work and in the interim I left my job to go to another one. In short, I would like it back, so if you are reading this (you know who you are!) can you find some way of getting it back to me? I could just buy a replacement couldn't I? Maybe I will. Anyway, this is more good '...Clue', some hilarious moments, particularly on the anniversary show with Stephen Fry (sound charades is among many funny moments). Clue fans will know what to expect and will not be disappointed. I only give it four stars because the first ever show which was broadcast back in the early seventies and included in this collection is not at all funny, and was, I suppose, only included as a curiosity.
This is radio comedy at its best ; a British institution, 14 Sep 2006
I'm probably preaching to the converted, but ISIHAC is intelligent, naughty, fantastic, foolish, sarcastic, and more.
iPod users beware - you simply cannot stop yourself laughing to this.
The radio in my car died and so I dug these out of my cupboard. Haven't enjoyed the commute so much for ages.
Don't miss out.
ISIHAC, 02 Nov 2004
I bought this CD to play in the car. I laughed so much that I missed my turn off.
Never sorry about this., 02 Dec 2003
I loved this. I was stuck in a traffic jam, and have rarely enjoyed an hour-long journey to work so much.
Too young (just!) to have listened to the programme from the start, it was good to hear how it evolved. From the very first episode you can spot all the familiar games, and you cannot imagine anyone other than Humph being allowed to chair it. Oh, and the points system used to work too, although nobody cared!
I'm Sorry I Haven't a Desert Island is also a gem: there I was, listening to the great and good and Neil Kinnock describing their favourite rounds, nodding my head in agreement.
The show has survived the loss of the incredibly funny Willie Rushton. Stephen Fry, Sandy Toksvig and Paul Merton have fitted in well but, for me, Jeremy Hardy will always take a lot of beating, particularly in the music rounds. I do worry for the future though - could they ever manage without Humph? Certainly Samantha would find it tough, sitting on someone else's right hand.
Put this in a box and throw sugar at it if you like. Or better still, buy it and play it again and again until it wears out.
The only trouble with Clue is that now and again you find yourself unable to hum the original words to the original tune. Love me Tender can really only be sung properly to the tune of the Archers...
AGES, 01 Jul 2008
I lose track of age suitability for books for my grandcildren especially as they are in Australia, and other children I buy for, so the mention of ages in other reviews helped me with age suitability.
A funny and charming childrens classic , 11 Jun 2008
Recently reintroduced to Paddington as my 8 year old daughter has been reading it. It made me laugh out loud - highly recommended particularly for young readers who don't like fantasy literature - Paddington is wonderfully real.
A classic childrens book, 08 Dec 2000
This is an absolute classic childrens book. I have been reading it to my three boys aged 8 and 4 each night. They really enjoy it and it is the one sure way to get them to bed with no fuss
Paddington's adventure brought to life!, 20 Oct 2008
After reading a few paddington books, i decided it may be a good idea to get them on audio. I was going to get them seperatly, but saw this set and worked out cheaper than buying the three seperatly. Stephen Fry is perfect reading paddington and makes his aventures seem real. I loved listening to them when doing the house wrok, but i haven't listened to paddington here and now because i haven't read the book and don't want to spoil any surprises, but when i have read it, i'll listen to it. This is the best way to introduce little ones to paddington and will make sure that a new generation will fall in love with him!
Lovely readings of the bear from darkest Peru , 08 Sep 2008
This is simply wonderful.
It calls itself the best of "Paddington Bear on CD", but at the time of this review, it's the only Paddington on CD.
This 7 disc boxset includes the 3 individually available volumes "A Bear Called Paddington", "More About Paddington" and "Paddington Here And Now"
As much as I don't particularly like Stephen Fry, he's an excellent and entertaining narrator. I loved his readings of Jennings and this is very much the same style. It's simple; but thoughtful and eloquently read.
As a child, the really big things in my (televisual) week were Doctor Who, Batman and $6,000,000 Man. Before I came to ANY of those things I had books about Paddington. These excellent readings take me right back to those happy & carefree times.
Brilliant and enchanting.
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QI: The Sound of General Ignorance
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John LloydStephen FryJohn Mitchinson;
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Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
*Best price found from Amazon Marketplace seller
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*Amazon: £8.98
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Customer Reviews
More quality '...Clue', 26 Oct 2008
I had the tape of this and loaned it to a woman I worked with, she was then suspended from work and in the interim I left my job to go to another one. In short, I would like it back, so if you are reading this (you know who you are!) can you find some way of getting it back to me? I could just buy a replacement couldn't I? Maybe I will. Anyway, this is more good '...Clue', some hilarious moments, particularly on the anniversary show with Stephen Fry (sound charades is among many funny moments). Clue fans will know what to expect and will not be disappointed. I only give it four stars because the first ever show which was broadcast back in the early seventies and included in this collection is not at all funny, and was, I suppose, only included as a curiosity.
This is radio comedy at its best ; a British institution, 14 Sep 2006
I'm probably preaching to the converted, but ISIHAC is intelligent, naughty, fantastic, foolish, sarcastic, and more.
iPod users beware - you simply cannot stop yourself laughing to this.
The radio in my car died and so I dug these out of my cupboard. Haven't enjoyed the commute so much for ages.
Don't miss out.
ISIHAC, 02 Nov 2004
I bought this CD to play in the car. I laughed so much that I missed my turn off.
Never sorry about this., 02 Dec 2003
I loved this. I was stuck in a traffic jam, and have rarely enjoyed an hour-long journey to work so much.
Too young (just!) to have listened to the programme from the start, it was good to hear how it evolved. From the very first episode you can spot all the familiar games, and you cannot imagine anyone other than Humph being allowed to chair it. Oh, and the points system used to work too, although nobody cared!
I'm Sorry I Haven't a Desert Island is also a gem: there I was, listening to the great and good and Neil Kinnock describing their favourite rounds, nodding my head in agreement.
The show has survived the loss of the incredibly funny Willie Rushton. Stephen Fry, Sandy Toksvig and Paul Merton have fitted in well but, for me, Jeremy Hardy will always take a lot of beating, particularly in the music rounds. I do worry for the future though - could they ever manage without Humph? Certainly Samantha would find it tough, sitting on someone else's right hand.
Put this in a box and throw sugar at it if you like. Or better still, buy it and play it again and again until it wears out.
The only trouble with Clue is that now and again you find yourself unable to hum the original words to the original tune. Love me Tender can really only be sung properly to the tune of the Archers...
AGES, 01 Jul 2008
I lose track of age suitability for books for my grandcildren especially as they are in Australia, and other children I buy for, so the mention of ages in other reviews helped me with age suitability.
A funny and charming childrens classic , 11 Jun 2008
Recently reintroduced to Paddington as my 8 year old daughter has been reading it. It made me laugh out loud - highly recommended particularly for young readers who don't like fantasy literature - Paddington is wonderfully real.
A classic childrens book, 08 Dec 2000
This is an absolute classic childrens book. I have been reading it to my three boys aged 8 and 4 each night. They really enjoy it and it is the one sure way to get them to bed with no fuss
Paddington's adventure brought to life!, 20 Oct 2008
After reading a few paddington books, i decided it may be a good idea to get them on audio. I was going to get them seperatly, but saw this set and worked out cheaper than buying the three seperatly. Stephen Fry is perfect reading paddington and makes his aventures seem real. I loved listening to them when doing the house wrok, but i haven't listened to paddington here and now because i haven't read the book and don't want to spoil any surprises, but when i have read it, i'll listen to it. This is the best way to introduce little ones to paddington and will make sure that a new generation will fall in love with him!
Lovely readings of the bear from darkest Peru , 08 Sep 2008
This is simply wonderful.
It calls itself the best of "Paddington Bear on CD", but at the time of this review, it's the only Paddington on CD.
This 7 disc boxset includes the 3 individually available volumes "A Bear Called Paddington", "More About Paddington" and "Paddington Here And Now"
As much as I don't particularly like Stephen Fry, he's an excellent and entertaining narrator. I loved his readings of Jennings and this is very much the same style. It's simple; but thoughtful and eloquently read.
As a child, the really big things in my (televisual) week were Doctor Who, Batman and $6,000,000 Man. Before I came to ANY of those things I had books about Paddington. These excellent readings take me right back to those happy & carefree times.
Brilliant and enchanting.
QI , 08 Oct 2008
I really enjoyed reading this book and found it more than "Quite Interesting". Unfortunately though, if you are an avid fan of the television series like I am it offers nothing new. Most, if not all, of the material is taken from the series.
Perfect bedtime reading, 13 Sep 2008
As has been mentioned before, this loose tie-in to the BBC QI programme feels rather like shuffling through a box of randomly shuffled Trivial Pursuit cards and peeking at the (often surprising) answers.
There is a bit more to it than that though. The subjects are grouped together into some approximation of commonality - the animal world, war, inventors, science, colours etc. and each topic does go into some depth about its subject. Often, and most fascinatingly, this includes exploring how myths have grown around the subject.
Many of the facts will surprise you (one of my eye-openers was that the Celtic ethnicity as we understand it today has only existed since 21st June 1792), whereas many will already be widely known (as one of the non-carnivorous persuasion myself, I sincerely hope this book knocks on the head once and for all the calumnious lie that Hitler was a vegetarian!).
The expectation as you turn the page eagerly awaiting the next topic is palpable! I savoured this book by reading just a half dozen or so facts at bedtime and have genuinely found myself adding some snippets of information from this book into my conversations.
Anything that makes us all a tiny bit less generally ignorant can't be bad!
Great fun for trivia nerds, 05 Sep 2008
This is a very entertaining book that you can pick up and browse for short periods. It helps you to challenge all the things that you assume you know. It delights in debunking popular misconceptions - for example that glass is really a very slow-moving liquid. Glass is a solid. At times it is a little precious and pedantic. I am sure that some of its claims can be challenged. However, it remains one of my favourite bedside books. Recommended.
fun but tedious at times, 31 Jul 2008
This is a fun book to pick up and put down at leisure but it loses something for not being delivered by the dry tones of Stephen Fry. If you are an avid watcher of the series you will have heard most of these entries before but there are still some gems among them. Some of the explanations do go on and there seems to be a fascintaion with space that just doesn't excite me but there were a few chuckles along the way. At the end there is a disclaimer inviting readers to send in alternative answers or explanations which does dilute the whole thing a bit. Good for picking up trivia to delight your mates at the pub.
Not entirely fact..., 26 Jun 2008
It's a good book, easy to read, informative and amusing. In fact, it's so informative that one is tempted to learn parts of it as ammunition for showing off how impressively clever you are to your friends; dismissing common knowledge as fiction is a satisfying thing to do. That is, until you come across something that the book claims to be true which you know in fact to be false (or more likely, not the entire truth). And by "know" I mean parts that cross over with my degree and which I have studied actual research journals on. Once I realised that the book takes liberties for the sake of sounding a bit impressive and sensational, I lost faith in pretty much everything else it claimed to be true. I'm sure alot of it is genuine, but how do you know which bits? And if it's not necessarily true, where's the fun in knowing it?
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The Pillars of the Earth
Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
*Best price found from Amazon Marketplace seller
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*Amazon: £9.09
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Customer Reviews
More quality '...Clue', 26 Oct 2008
I had the tape of this and loaned it to a woman I worked with, she was then suspended from work and in the interim I left my job to go to another one. In short, I would like it back, so if you are reading this (you know who you are!) can you find some way of getting it back to me? I could just buy a replacement couldn't I? Maybe I will. Anyway, this is more good '...Clue', some hilarious moments, particularly on the anniversary show with Stephen Fry (sound charades is among many funny moments). Clue fans will know what to expect and will not be disappointed. I only give it four stars because the first ever show which was broadcast back in the early seventies and included in this collection is not at all funny, and was, I suppose, only included as a curiosity.
This is radio comedy at its best ; a British institution, 14 Sep 2006
I'm probably preaching to the converted, but ISIHAC is intelligent, naughty, fantastic, foolish, sarcastic, and more.
iPod users beware - you simply cannot stop yourself laughing to this.
The radio in my car died and so I dug these out of my cupboard. Haven't enjoyed the commute so much for ages.
Don't miss out.
ISIHAC, 02 Nov 2004
I bought this CD to play in the car. I laughed so much that I missed my turn off.
Never sorry about this., 02 Dec 2003
I loved this. I was stuck in a traffic jam, and have rarely enjoyed an hour-long journey to work so much.
Too young (just!) to have listened to the programme from the start, it was good to hear how it evolved. From the very first episode you can spot all the familiar games, and you cannot imagine anyone other than Humph being allowed to chair it. Oh, and the points system used to work too, although nobody cared!
I'm Sorry I Haven't a Desert Island is also a gem: there I was, listening to the great and good and Neil Kinnock describing their favourite rounds, nodding my head in agreement.
The show has survived the loss of the incredibly funny Willie Rushton. Stephen Fry, Sandy Toksvig and Paul Merton have fitted in well but, for me, Jeremy Hardy will always take a lot of beating, particularly in the music rounds. I do worry for the future though - could they ever manage without Humph? Certainly Samantha would find it tough, sitting on someone else's right hand.
Put this in a box and throw sugar at it if you like. Or better still, buy it and play it again and again until it wears out.
The only trouble with Clue is that now and again you find yourself unable to hum the original words to the original tune. Love me Tender can really only be sung properly to the tune of the Archers...
AGES, 01 Jul 2008
I lose track of age suitability for books for my grandcildren especially as they are in Australia, and other children I buy for, so the mention of ages in other reviews helped me with age suitability.
A funny and charming childrens classic , 11 Jun 2008
Recently reintroduced to Paddington as my 8 year old daughter has been reading it. It made me laugh out loud - highly recommended particularly for young readers who don't like fantasy literature - Paddington is wonderfully real.
A classic childrens book, 08 Dec 2000
This is an absolute classic childrens book. I have been reading it to my three boys aged 8 and 4 each night. They really enjoy it and it is the one sure way to get them to bed with no fuss
Paddington's adventure brought to life!, 20 Oct 2008
After reading a few paddington books, i decided it may be a good idea to get them on audio. I was going to get them seperatly, but saw this set and worked out cheaper than buying the three seperatly. Stephen Fry is perfect reading paddington and makes his aventures seem real. I loved listening to them when doing the house wrok, but i haven't listened to paddington here and now because i haven't read the book and don't want to spoil any surprises, but when i have read it, i'll listen to it. This is the best way to introduce little ones to paddington and will make sure that a new generation will fall in love with him!
Lovely readings of the bear from darkest Peru , 08 Sep 2008
This is simply wonderful.
It calls itself the best of "Paddington Bear on CD", but at the time of this review, it's the only Paddington on CD.
This 7 disc boxset includes the 3 individually available volumes "A Bear Called Paddington", "More About Paddington" and "Paddington Here And Now"
As much as I don't particularly like Stephen Fry, he's an excellent and entertaining narrator. I loved his readings of Jennings and this is very much the same style. It's simple; but thoughtful and eloquently read.
As a child, the really big things in my (televisual) week were Doctor Who, Batman and $6,000,000 Man. Before I came to ANY of those things I had books about Paddington. These excellent readings take me right back to those happy & carefree times.
Brilliant and enchanting.
QI , 08 Oct 2008
I really enjoyed reading this book and found it more than "Quite Interesting". Unfortunately though, if you are an avid fan of the television series like I am it offers nothing new. Most, if not all, of the material is taken from the series.
Perfect bedtime reading, 13 Sep 2008
As has been mentioned before, this loose tie-in to the BBC QI programme feels rather like shuffling through a box of randomly shuffled Trivial Pursuit cards and peeking at the (often surprising) answers.
There is a bit more to it than that though. The subjects are grouped together into some approximation of commonality - the animal world, war, inventors, science, colours etc. and each topic does go into some depth about its subject. Often, and most fascinatingly, this includes exploring how myths have grown around the subject.
Many of the facts will surprise you (one of my eye-openers was that the Celtic ethnicity as we understand it today has only existed since 21st June 1792), whereas many will already be widely known (as one of the non-carnivorous persuasion myself, I sincerely hope this book knocks on the head once and for all the calumnious lie that Hitler was a vegetarian!).
The expectation as you turn the page eagerly awaiting the next topic is palpable! I savoured this book by reading just a half dozen or so facts at bedtime and have genuinely found myself adding some snippets of information from this book into my conversations.
Anything that makes us all a tiny bit less generally ignorant can't be bad!
Great fun for trivia nerds, 05 Sep 2008
This is a very entertaining book that you can pick up and browse for short periods. It helps you to challenge all the things that you assume you know. It delights in debunking popular misconceptions - for example that glass is really a very slow-moving liquid. Glass is a solid. At times it is a little precious and pedantic. I am sure that some of its claims can be challenged. However, it remains one of my favourite bedside books. Recommended.
fun but tedious at times, 31 Jul 2008
This is a fun book to pick up and put down at leisure but it loses something for not being delivered by the dry tones of Stephen Fry. If you are an avid watcher of the series you will have heard most of these entries before but there are still some gems among them. Some of the explanations do go on and there seems to be a fascintaion with space that just doesn't excite me but there were a few chuckles along the way. At the end there is a disclaimer inviting readers to send in alternative answers or explanations which does dilute the whole thing a bit. Good for picking up trivia to delight your mates at the pub.
Not entirely fact..., 26 Jun 2008
It's a good book, easy to read, informative and amusing. In fact, it's so informative that one is tempted to learn parts of it as ammunition for showing off how impressively clever you are to your friends; dismissing common knowledge as fiction is a satisfying thing to do. That is, until you come across something that the book claims to be true which you know in fact to be false (or more likely, not the entire truth). And by "know" I mean parts that cross over with my degree and which I have studied actual research journals on. Once I realised that the book takes liberties for the sake of sounding a bit impressive and sensational, I lost faith in pretty much everything else it claimed to be true. I'm sure alot of it is genuine, but how do you know which bits? And if it's not necessarily true, where's the fun in knowing it?
By far his best, 14 Nov 2008
I find that all of Ken Follett's other books - including World Without End - are simply "holiday reading". However Pillars of the Earth seems almost to have come from the pen of someone else. It is superb on many levels - and would certainly be in my top ten books ever. Thank you Ken!
Interesting historically, workmanlike writing, 14 Nov 2008
Someone else mentioned this, but Follett has the silly habit of summarising the previous few pages at the end of a section. As if we have 5 second attention spans and need to be reminded of what we have just read. It's incredibly annoying and condescending.
The quality of prose is at the level of a teenager. All short sentences, "he said, she said" type of stuff. No long descriptions to befuddle the reader. Some of the set pieces are quite exciting eg the historical Battle of Lincoln and the murder of Thomas Beckett. There are some wasted opportunites however. Eg two of the protaganists take a trip to Santiago de Compostela...quite a trip in those days I'm sure. However the whole trip is glossed over in a few pages.
It's basically an easy read, interesting if you're into medieval England, but in no way thought-provoking or deep. But that's ok, not everybook needs to read like Proust and hence I give it 3 stars!
Do yourself a favour - BUY THIS BOOK, 06 Nov 2008
This book is pretty damn special. A year after it was first recommended to me, I got my act together - even then it was only because the friend who recommended it grew tired of waiting for me to start and bought it for me.
Once I started reading I could not stop: a superb narrative and unforgettable characters. In fact, since finishing this book, I have truly missed them all and kind of wish I had never read the book because then it would mean that I could read it all over again.
Look at things in new ways, 06 Nov 2008
well written, if somewhat rushed as an ending, its a very engaging story. really does make me look at somethings, namely old churches and the love that went into building them, differently. But it is FAR more than a book about building a church.... you'll enjoy it :)
Spell bounding!!, 27 Oct 2008
Never heard of Ken Follett before. Family member recommended this and I took on holiday. What fantastic reading and the story just kept getting better, I just couldn't put it down. The book completely fell apart with the heat of the sun, so couldn't pass this on to my friends. I know many of them will be buying this, so have now started reading all of Ken's books. Well done....
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Customer Reviews
More quality '...Clue', 26 Oct 2008
I had the tape of this and loaned it to a woman I worked with, she was then suspended from work and in the interim I left my job to go to another one. In short, I would like it back, so if you are reading this (you know who you are!) can you find some way of getting it back to me? I could just buy a replacement couldn't I? Maybe I will. Anyway, this is more good '...Clue', some hilarious moments, particularly on the anniversary show with Stephen Fry (sound charades is among many funny moments). Clue fans will know what to expect and will not be disappointed. I only give it four stars because the first ever show which was broadcast back in the early seventies and included in this collection is not at all funny, and was, I suppose, only included as a curiosity.
This is radio comedy at its best ; a British institution, 14 Sep 2006
I'm probably preaching to the converted, but ISIHAC is intelligent, naughty, fantastic, foolish, sarcastic, and more.
iPod users beware - you simply cannot stop yourself laughing to this.
The radio in my car died and so I dug these out of my cupboard. Haven't enjoyed the commute so much for ages.
Don't miss out.
ISIHAC, 02 Nov 2004
I bought this CD to play in the car. I laughed so much that I missed my turn off.
Never sorry about this., 02 Dec 2003
I loved this. I was stuck in a traffic jam, and have rarely enjoyed an hour-long journey to work so much.
Too young (just!) to have listened to the programme from the start, it was good to hear how it evolved. From the very first episode you can spot all the familiar games, and you cannot imagine anyone other than Humph being allowed to chair it. Oh, and the points system used to work too, although nobody cared!
I'm Sorry I Haven't a Desert Island is also a gem: there I was, listening to the great and good and Neil Kinnock describing their favourite rounds, nodding my head in agreement.
The show has survived the loss of the incredibly funny Willie Rushton. Stephen Fry, Sandy Toksvig and Paul Merton have fitted in well but, for me, Jeremy Hardy will always take a lot of beating, particularly in the music rounds. I do worry for the future though - could they ever manage without Humph? Certainly Samantha would find it tough, sitting on someone else's right hand.
Put this in a box and throw sugar at it if you like. Or better still, buy it and play it again and again until it wears out.
The only trouble with Clue is that now and again you find yourself unable to hum the original words to the original tune. Love me Tender can really only be sung properly to the tune of the Archers...
AGES, 01 Jul 2008
I lose track of age suitability for books for my grandcildren especially as they are in Australia, and other children I buy for, so the mention of ages in other reviews helped me with age suitability.
A funny and charming childrens classic , 11 Jun 2008
Recently reintroduced to Paddington as my 8 year old daughter has been reading it. It made me laugh out loud - highly recommended particularly for young readers who don't like fantasy literature - Paddington is wonderfully real.
A classic childrens book, 08 Dec 2000
This is an absolute classic childrens book. I have been reading it to my three boys aged 8 and 4 each night. They really enjoy it and it is the one sure way to get them to bed with no fuss
Paddington's adventure brought to life!, 20 Oct 2008
After reading a few paddington books, i decided it may be a good idea to get them on audio. I was going to get them seperatly, but saw this set and worked out cheaper than buying the three seperatly. Stephen Fry is perfect reading paddington and makes his aventures seem real. I loved listening to them when doing the house wrok, but i haven't listened to paddington here and now because i haven't read the book and don't want to spoil any surprises, but when i have read it, i'll listen to it. This is the best way to introduce little ones to paddington and will make sure that a new generation will fall in love with him!
Lovely readings of the bear from darkest Peru , 08 Sep 2008
This is simply wonderful.
It calls itself the best of "Paddington Bear on CD", but at the time of this review, it's the only Paddington on CD.
This 7 disc boxset includes the 3 individually available volumes "A Bear Called Paddington", "More About Paddington" and "Paddington Here And Now"
As much as I don't particularly like Stephen Fry, he's an excellent and entertaining narrator. I loved his readings of Jennings and this is very much the same style. It's simple; but thoughtful and eloquently read.
As a child, the really big things in my (televisual) week were Doctor Who, Batman and $6,000,000 Man. Before I came to ANY of those things I had books about Paddington. These excellent readings take me right back to those happy & carefree times.
Brilliant and enchanting.
QI , 08 Oct 2008
I really enjoyed reading this book and found it more than "Quite Interesting". Unfortunately though, if you are an avid fan of the television series like I am it offers nothing new. Most, if not all, of the material is taken from the series.
Perfect bedtime reading, 13 Sep 2008
As has been mentioned before, this loose tie-in to the BBC QI programme feels rather like shuffling through a box of randomly shuffled Trivial Pursuit cards and peeking at the (often surprising) answers.
There is a bit more to it than that though. The subjects are grouped together into some approximation of commonality - the animal world, war, inventors, science, colours etc. and each topic does go into some depth about its subject. Often, and most fascinatingly, this includes exploring how myths have grown around the subject.
Many of the facts will surprise you (one of my eye-openers was that the Celtic ethnicity as we understand it today has only existed since 21st June 1792), whereas many will already be widely known (as one of the non-carnivorous persuasion myself, I sincerely hope this book knocks on the head once and for all the calumnious lie that Hitler was a vegetarian!).
The expectation as you turn the page eagerly awaiting the next topic is palpable! I savoured this book by reading just a half dozen or so facts at bedtime and have genuinely found myself adding some snippets of information from this book into my conversations.
Anything that makes us all a tiny bit less generally ignorant can't be bad!
Great fun for trivia nerds, 05 Sep 2008
This is a very entertaining book that you can pick up and browse for short periods. It helps you to challenge all the things that you assume you know. It delights in debunking popular misconceptions - for example that glass is really a very slow-moving liquid. Glass is a solid. At times it is a little precious and pedantic. I am sure that some of its claims can be challenged. However, it remains one of my favourite bedside books. Recommended.
fun but tedious at times, 31 Jul 2008
This is a fun book to pick up and put down at leisure but it loses something for not being delivered by the dry tones of Stephen Fry. If you are an avid watcher of the series you will have heard most of these entries before but there are still some gems among them. Some of the explanations do go on and there seems to be a fascintaion with space that just doesn't excite me but there were a few chuckles along the way. At the end there is a disclaimer inviting readers to send in alternative answers or explanations which does dilute the whole thing a bit. Good for picking up trivia to delight your mates at the pub.
Not entirely fact..., 26 Jun 2008
It's a good book, easy to read, informative and amusing. In fact, it's so informative that one is tempted to learn parts of it as ammunition for showing off how impressively clever you are to your friends; dismissing common knowledge as fiction is a satisfying thing to do. That is, until you come across something that the book claims to be true which you know in fact to be false (or more likely, not the entire truth). And by "know" I mean parts that cross over with my degree and which I have studied actual research journals on. Once I realised that the book takes liberties for the sake of sounding a bit impressive and sensational, I lost faith in pretty much everything else it claimed to be true. I'm sure alot of it is genuine, but how do you know which bits? And if it's not necessarily true, where's the fun in knowing it?
By far his best, 14 Nov 2008
I find that all of Ken Follett's other books - including World Without End - are simply "holiday reading". However Pillars of the Earth seems almost to have come from the pen of someone else. It is superb on many levels - and would certainly be in my top ten books ever. Thank you Ken!
Interesting historically, workmanlike writing, 14 Nov 2008
Someone else mentioned this, but Follett has the silly habit of summarising the previous few pages at the end of a section. As if we have 5 second attention spans and need to be reminded of what we have just read. It's incredibly annoying and condescending.
The quality of prose is at the level of a teenager. All short sentences, "he said, she said" type of stuff. No long descriptions to befuddle the reader. Some of the set pieces are quite exciting eg the historical Battle of Lincoln and the murder of Thomas Beckett. There are some wasted opportunites however. Eg two of the protaganists take a trip to Santiago de Compostela...quite a trip in those days I'm sure. However the whole trip is glossed over in a few pages.
It's basically an easy read, interesting if you're into medieval England, but in no way thought-provoking or deep. But that's ok, not everybook needs to read like Proust and hence I give it 3 stars!
Do yourself a favour - BUY THIS BOOK, 06 Nov 2008
This book is pretty damn special. A year after it was first recommended to me, I got my act together - even then it was only because the friend who recommended it grew tired of waiting for me to start and bought it for me.
Once I started reading I could not stop: a superb narrative and unforgettable characters. In fact, since finishing this book, I have truly missed them all and kind of wish I had never read the book because then it would mean that I could read it all over again.
Look at things in new ways, 06 Nov 2008
well written, if somewhat rushed as an ending, its a very engaging story. really does make me look at somethings, namely old churches and the love that went into building them, differently. But it is FAR more than a book about building a church.... you'll enjoy it :)
Spell bounding!!, 27 Oct 2008
Never heard of Ken Follett before. Family member recommended this and I took on holiday. What fantastic reading and the story just kept getting better, I just couldn't put it down. The book completely fell apart with the heat of the sun, so couldn't pass this on to my friends. I know many of them will be buying this, so have now started reading all of Ken's books. Well done....
Bravo!, 03 Nov 2006
Now, this is a truly wonderful production. From the moment you pop the CD into your player you can tell that this edition of Winnie the Pooh was lovingly made by people who greatly admire England's favourite bear.
Stephen Fry is spot-on as Pooh, Jane Horrocks manages to make Piglet both loveable and adorably selfish, Judy Dench is a perfect Kanga and Geoffrey Palmer is a wonderful Eeyore. In fact, the entire cast does a great job. The adaptation is very true to the original, playful and sincere. The music is lovely and captures the spirit of the books admirably.
This edition of my favourite books inspired a childish joy in me. It's a work of art, beautifully crafted, as are the other three CDs in the same series. If you are Interested in Bears at All, this CD isn't to be missed.
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Birdsong
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Sebastian Faulks;
2007-11-05;
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Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
*Best price found from Amazon Marketplace seller
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*Amazon: £8.97
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Product Description
Readers who are entranced by sweeping historical sagas will devour Birdsong, Sebastian Faulks' drama set during the first world war. There's even a little high-toned erotica thrown into the mix to convince the doubtful. The book's hero, a 20-year-old Englishman named Stephen Wraysford, finds his true love on a trip to Amiens in 1910. Unfortunately, she's already married, the wife of a wealthy textile baron. Wrayford convinces her to leave a life of passionless comfort to be at his side, but things do not turn out according to plan. Wraysford is haunted by this doomed affair and carries it with him into the trenches of the war. Birdsong derives most of its power from its descriptions of mud and blood, and Wraysford's attempt to retain a scrap of humanity while surrounded by it. There is a simultaneous description of his present-day granddaughter's quest to read his diaries, which is designed to give some sense of perspective; this device is only somewhat successful. Nevertheless, Birdsong is a rewarding read, an unflinching war story and a touching romance.
Customer Reviews
More quality '...Clue', 26 Oct 2008
I had the tape of this and loaned it to a woman I worked with, she was then suspended from work and in the interim I left my job to go to another one. In short, I would like it back, so if you are reading this (you know who you are!) can you find some way of getting it back to me? I could just buy a replacement couldn't I? Maybe I will. Anyway, this is more good '...Clue', some hilarious moments, particularly on the anniversary show with Stephen Fry (sound charades is among many funny moments). Clue fans will know what to expect and will not be disappointed. I only give it four stars because the first ever show which was broadcast back in the early seventies and included in this collection is not at all funny, and was, I suppose, only included as a curiosity.
This is radio comedy at its best ; a British institution, 14 Sep 2006
I'm probably preaching to the converted, but ISIHAC is intelligent, naughty, fantastic, foolish, sarcastic, and more.
iPod users beware - you simply cannot stop yourself laughing to this.
The radio in my car died and so I dug these out of my cupboard. Haven't enjoyed the commute so much for ages.
Don't miss out.
ISIHAC, 02 Nov 2004
I bought this CD to play in the car. I laughed so much that I missed my turn off.
Never sorry about this., 02 Dec 2003
I loved this. I was stuck in a traffic jam, and have rarely enjoyed an hour-long journey to work so much.
Too young (just!) to have listened to the programme from the start, it was good to hear how it evolved. From the very first episode you can spot all the familiar games, and you cannot imagine anyone other than Humph being allowed to chair it. Oh, and the points system used to work too, although nobody cared!
I'm Sorry I Haven't a Desert Island is also a gem: there I was, listening to the great and good and Neil Kinnock describing their favourite rounds, nodding my head in agreement.
The show has survived the loss of the incredibly funny Willie Rushton. Stephen Fry, Sandy Toksvig and Paul Merton have fitted in well but, for me, Jeremy Hardy will always take a lot of beating, particularly in the music rounds. I do worry for the future though - could they ever manage without Humph? Certainly Samantha would find it tough, sitting on someone else's right hand.
Put this in a box and throw sugar at it if you like. Or better still, buy it and play it again and again until it wears out.
The only trouble with Clue is that now and again you find yourself unable to hum the original words to the original tune. Love me Tender can really only be sung properly to the tune of the Archers...
AGES, 01 Jul 2008
I lose track of age suitability for books for my grandcildren especially as they are in Australia, and other children I buy for, so the mention of ages in other reviews helped me with age suitability.
A funny and charming childrens classic , 11 Jun 2008
Recently reintroduced to Paddington as my 8 year old daughter has been reading it. It made me laugh out loud - highly recommended particularly for young readers who don't like fantasy literature - Paddington is wonderfully real.
A classic childrens book, 08 Dec 2000
This is an absolute classic childrens book. I have been reading it to my three boys aged 8 and 4 each night. They really enjoy it and it is the one sure way to get them to bed with no fuss
Paddington's adventure brought to life!, 20 Oct 2008
After reading a few paddington books, i decided it may be a good idea to get them on audio. I was going to get them seperatly, but saw this set and worked out cheaper than buying the three seperatly. Stephen Fry is perfect reading paddington and makes his aventures seem real. I loved listening to them when doing the house wrok, but i haven't listened to paddington here and now because i haven't read the book and don't want to spoil any surprises, but when i have read it, i'll listen to it. This is the best way to introduce little ones to paddington and will make sure that a new generation will fall in love with him!
Lovely readings of the bear from darkest Peru , 08 Sep 2008
This is simply wonderful.
It calls itself the best of "Paddington Bear on CD", but at the time of this review, it's the only Paddington on CD.
This 7 disc boxset includes the 3 individually available volumes "A Bear Called Paddington", "More About Paddington" and "Paddington Here And Now"
As much as I don't particularly like Stephen Fry, he's an excellent and entertaining narrator. I loved his readings of Jennings and this is very much the same style. It's simple; but thoughtful and eloquently read.
As a child, the really big things in my (televisual) week were Doctor Who, Batman and $6,000,000 Man. Before I came to ANY of those things I had books about Paddington. These excellent readings take me right back to those happy & carefree times.
Brilliant and enchanting.
QI , 08 Oct 2008
I really enjoyed reading this book and found it more than "Quite Interesting". Unfortunately though, if you are an avid fan of the television series like I am it offers nothing new. Most, if not all, of the material is taken from the series.
Perfect bedtime reading, 13 Sep 2008
As has been mentioned before, this loose tie-in to the BBC QI programme feels rather like shuffling through a box of randomly shuffled Trivial Pursuit cards and peeking at the (often surprising) answers.
There is a bit more to it than that though. The subjects are grouped together into some approximation of commonality - the animal world, war, inventors, science, colours etc. and each topic does go into some depth about its subject. Often, and most fascinatingly, this includes exploring how myths have grown around the subject.
Many of the facts will surprise you (one of my eye-openers was that the Celtic ethnicity as we understand it today has only existed since 21st June 1792), whereas many will already be widely known (as one of the non-carnivorous persuasion myself, I sincerely hope this book knocks on the head once and for all the calumnious lie that Hitler was a vegetarian!).
The expectation as you turn the page eagerly awaiting the next topic is palpable! I savoured this book by reading just a half dozen or so facts at bedtime and have genuinely found myself adding some snippets of information from this book into my conversations.
Anything that makes us all a tiny bit less generally ignorant can't be bad!
Great fun for trivia nerds, 05 Sep 2008
This is a very entertaining book that you can pick up and browse for short periods. It helps you to challenge all the things that you assume you know. It delights in debunking popular misconceptions - for example that glass is really a very slow-moving liquid. Glass is a solid. At times it is a little precious and pedantic. I am sure that some of its claims can be challenged. However, it remains one of my favourite bedside books. Recommended.
fun but tedious at times, 31 Jul 2008
This is a fun book to pick up and put down at leisure but it loses something for not being delivered by the dry tones of Stephen Fry. If you are an avid watcher of the series you will have heard most of these entries before but there are still some gems among them. Some of the explanations do go on and there seems to be a fascintaion with space that just doesn't excite me but there were a few chuckles along the way. At the end there is a disclaimer inviting readers to send in alternative answers or explanations which does dilute the whole thing a bit. Good for picking up trivia to delight your mates at the pub.
Not entirely fact..., 26 Jun 2008
It's a good book, easy to read, informative and amusing. In fact, it's so informative that one is tempted to learn parts of it as ammunition for showing off how impressively clever you are to your friends; dismissing common knowledge as fiction is a satisfying thing to do. That is, until you come across something that the book claims to be true which you know in fact to be false (or more likely, not the entire truth). And by "know" I mean parts that cross over with my degree and which I have studied actual research journals on. Once I realised that the book takes liberties for the sake of sounding a bit impressive and sensational, I lost faith in pretty much everything else it claimed to be true. I'm sure alot of it is genuine, but how do you know which bits? And if it's not necessarily true, where's the fun in knowing it?
By far his best, 14 Nov 2008
I find that all of Ken Follett's other books - including World Without End - are simply "holiday reading". However Pillars of the Earth seems almost to have come from the pen of someone else. It is superb on many levels - and would certainly be in my top ten books ever. Thank you Ken!
Interesting historically, workmanlike writing, 14 Nov 2008
Someone else mentioned this, but Follett has the silly habit of summarising the previous few pages at the end of a section. As if we have 5 second attention spans and need to be reminded of what we have just read. It's incredibly annoying and condescending.
The quality of prose is at the level of a teenager. All short sentences, "he said, she said" type of stuff. No long descriptions to befuddle the reader. Some of the set pieces are quite exciting eg the historical Battle of Lincoln and the murder of Thomas Beckett. There are some wasted opportunites however. Eg two of the protaganists take a trip to Santiago de Compostela...quite a trip in those days I'm sure. However the whole trip is glossed over in a few pages.
It's basically an easy read, interesting if you're into medieval England, but in no way thought-provoking or deep. But that's ok, not everybook needs to read like Proust and hence I give it 3 stars!
Do yourself a favour - BUY THIS BOOK, 06 Nov 2008
This book is pretty damn special. A year after it was first recommended to me, I got my act together - even then it was only because the friend who recommended it grew tired of waiting for me to start and bought it for me.
Once I started reading I could not stop: a superb narrative and unforgettable characters. In fact, since finishing this book, I have truly missed them all and kind of wish I had never read the book because then it would mean that I could read it all over again.
Look at things in new ways, 06 Nov 2008
well written, if somewhat rushed as an ending, its a very engaging story. really does make me look at somethings, namely old churches and the love that went into building them, differently. But it is FAR more than a book about building a church.... you'll enjoy it :)
Spell bounding!!, 27 Oct 2008
Never heard of Ken Follett before. Family member recommended this and I took on holiday. What fantastic reading and the story just kept getting better, I just couldn't put it down. The book completely fell apart with the heat of the sun, so couldn't pass this on to my friends. I know many of them will be buying this, so have now started reading all of Ken's books. Well done....
Bravo!, 03 Nov 2006
Now, this is a truly wonderful production. From the moment you pop the CD into your player you can tell that this edition of Winnie the Pooh was lovingly made by people who greatly admire England's favourite bear.
Stephen Fry is spot-on as Pooh, Jane Horrocks manages to make Piglet both loveable and adorably selfish, Judy Dench is a perfect Kanga and Geoffrey Palmer is a wonderful Eeyore. In fact, the entire cast does a great job. The adaptation is very true to the original, playful and sincere. The music is lovely and captures the spirit of the books admirably.
This edition of my favourite books inspired a childish joy in me. It's a work of art, beautifully crafted, as are the other three CDs in the same series. If you are Interested in Bears at All, this CD isn't to be missed.
Under - welming, 11 Nov 2008
Took this book on a recent 7 day holiday - it looked my sort of stuff.
Read about 40% of it then tossed it onto the holiday home library shelf and selected the best of what had been left.
Birdsong is tedious and poorly written. The characters are not engaging - it's just not worth the eye power in reading it.
A bit like the movie "Atonement" - it's not unpleasant, you could watch it, it will do no harm but there are many far far better films.
Birdsong is touted as a modern classic - it is no such thing.
A slog, 06 Nov 2008
I tried but it just didn't work for me. The descriptive narrative was a lot of effort for little progress.
Brilliant, 12 Sep 2008
This book is amazing. I was so moved by the story, it is so well written it is like you are reliving the experineces of the characters and there with them through their ups and downs. I found it to be emotionally draining in places, but worth every second.
Amazing book. I simply could not put it down..., 04 Sep 2008
Amazing book. I simply could not put it down. It made me cry in places and now my husband is reading it and finding the book equally moving. Stick at it, as its a slightly slow starter, but its worth the wait!
A cracking good read......, 01 Sep 2008
500 pages as a paperback and been out since '94.. Quite meaty, but if you're in the mood for a compelling read I'd thoroughly recommend it. Read it about thrice now in the last ten years... The missus loves it as well, as it's not just the blood, guts, bombs, rotting flesh, rats and mud that was life on the front line during WW1. There's quite a bit of character building and relationship stuff thrown in for good measure. But if you stick with it, that bit fleshes out the story.
The claustrophobic knife edge existence the Sappers had in those days would have you a nervous wreck if it was 500 pages of that from start to finish. Thank God for mobile warfare I say and the fact that 'tunneller' is no longer a job in the British army.
A moving read, especially the Somme battles and you dispair for the callous way that thousands of lives were thrown away on a daily basis. Get yourself a copy and settle yourself down for a cracking good read....
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Paddington Here and Now
Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
*Best price found from Amazon Marketplace seller
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*Amazon: £5.24
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Devil May Care (unabridged)
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Sebastian Faulks;
2008-05-28;
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Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
*Best price found from Amazon Marketplace seller
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*Amazon: £9.99
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Product Description
A variety of authors have written 007 novels since the death of Bond's creator, Ian Fleming -- and the results have been mixed, to say the least. As 'Robert Markham', Kingsley Amis penned the very first post-Fleming Bond, and this attempt by a novelist better known for his 'literary' work was judged a success. Now, after a decade of less successful entries by such writers as John Gardener, we have another serious writer, Sebastian Faulks (author of such acclaimed novels as Birdsong), taking up the challenge. Devil May Care has already collected a jaw-dropping amount of publicity, with even the Royal Navy helping to put the book firmly at the top of the best-seller charts (Bond is, of course, a naval commander), and few books have had such wind under their sails (the relaunch of the movie franchise with the re-make of Casino Royale and Daniel Craig's second Bond film, Quantum of Solace, is all part of the ever-accelerating momentum). Of course, this also gives the book farther to fall if it misses the mark. Faulks' author credit on the book ('Sebastian Faulks writing as Ian Fleming') is both revealing and encouraging - the author has reportedly said that he undertook the task with total seriousness, and he has tried to work within the parameters of the Ian Fleming formula (Faulks re-read all the extant Bond novels and stories) rather than the more glossy film incarnation. Among several very canny moves by the author is his decision to keep his 007 in the 1960s rather than catapulting him into the 21st century (as other ersatz Fleming novels - and, of course, the films -- have done. So how successful are the results? Fleming aficionados can relax - this is a sterling job of recreation, and a novel that functions with total authority in its own right. The evocation of time and place (or places, notably Paris and the Middle East) is impeccable, as are the plotting and detail (as colourful and violent as anything in Fleming); there is a satisfyingly unpleasant larger-than-life villain, Julius Gorner, with a grotesque deformity of the kind Fleming often gave such characters (the chapter 'The monkey's hand' gives this away) and grandiose, evil ambitions. Best of all, this is Ian Fleming's James Bond - not a superman -- worried about his health and his physical powers (which he fears may be on the wane). Delicious stuff in fact. Now... can Faulks be persuaded to write another such novel? --Barry Forshaw.
Customer Reviews
More quality '...Clue', 26 Oct 2008
I had the tape of this and loaned it to a woman I worked with, she was then suspended from work and in the interim I left my job to go to another one. In short, I would like it back, so if you are reading this (you know who you are!) can you find some way of getting it back to me? I could just buy a replacement couldn't I? Maybe I will. Anyway, this is more good '...Clue', some hilarious moments, particularly on the anniversary show with Stephen Fry (sound charades is among many funny moments). Clue fans will know what to expect and will not be disappointed. I only give it four stars because the first ever show which was broadcast back in the early seventies and included in this collection is not at all funny, and was, I suppose, only included as a curiosity.
This is radio comedy at its best ; a British institution, 14 Sep 2006
I'm probably preaching to the converted, but ISIHAC is intelligent, naughty, fantastic, foolish, sarcastic, and more.
iPod users beware - you simply cannot stop yourself laughing to this.
The radio in my car died and so I dug these out of my cupboard. Haven't enjoyed the commute so much for ages.
Don't miss out.
ISIHAC, 02 Nov 2004
I bought this CD to play in the car. I laughed so much that I missed my turn off.
Never sorry about this., 02 Dec 2003
I loved this. I was stuck in a traffic jam, and have rarely enjoyed an hour-long journey to work so much.
Too young (just!) to have listened to the programme from the start, it was good to hear how it evolved. From the very first episode you can spot all the familiar games, and you cannot imagine anyone other than Humph being allowed to chair it. Oh, and the points system used to work too, although nobody cared!
I'm Sorry I Haven't a Desert Island is also a gem: there I was, listening to the great and good and Neil Kinnock describing their favourite rounds, nodding my head in agreement.
The show has survived the loss of the incredibly funny Willie Rushton. Stephen Fry, Sandy Toksvig and Paul Merton have fitted in well but, for me, Jeremy Hardy will always take a lot of beating, particularly in the music rounds. I do worry for the future though - could they ever manage without Humph? Certainly Samantha would find it tough, sitting on someone else's right hand.
Put this in a box and throw sugar at it if you like. Or better still, buy it and play it again and again until it wears out.
The only trouble with Clue is that now and again you find yourself unable to hum the original words to the original tune. Love me Tender can really only be sung properly to the tune of the Archers...
AGES, 01 Jul 2008
I lose track of age suitability for books for my grandcildren especially as they are in Australia, and other children I buy for, so the mention of ages in other reviews helped me with age suitability.
A funny and charming childrens classic , 11 Jun 2008
Recently reintroduced to Paddington as my 8 year old daughter has been reading it. It made me laugh out loud - highly recommended particularly for young readers who don't like fantasy literature - Paddington is wonderfully real.
A classic childrens book, 08 Dec 2000
This is an absolute classic childrens book. I have been reading it to my three boys aged 8 and 4 each night. They really enjoy it and it is the one sure way to get them to bed with no fuss
Paddington's adventure brought to life!, 20 Oct 2008
After reading a few paddington books, i decided it may be a good idea to get them on audio. I was going to get them seperatly, but saw this set and worked out cheaper than buying the three seperatly. Stephen Fry is perfect reading paddington and makes his aventures seem real. I loved listening to them when doing the house wrok, but i haven't listened to paddington here and now because i haven't read the book and don't want to spoil any surprises, but when i have read it, i'll listen to it. This is the best way to introduce little ones to paddington and will make sure that a new generation will fall in love with him!
Lovely readings of the bear from darkest Peru , 08 Sep 2008
This is simply wonderful.
It calls itself the best of "Paddington Bear on CD", but at the time of this review, it's the only Paddington on CD.
This 7 disc boxset includes the 3 individually available volumes "A Bear Called Paddington", "More About Paddington" and "Paddington Here And Now"
As much as I don't particularly like Stephen Fry, he's an excellent and entertaining narrator. I loved his readings of Jennings and this is very much the same style. It's simple; but thoughtful and eloquently read.
As a child, the really big things in my (televisual) week were Doctor Who, Batman and $6,000,000 Man. Before I came to ANY of those things I had books about Paddington. These excellent readings take me right back to those happy & carefree times.
Brilliant and enchanting.
QI , 08 Oct 2008
I really enjoyed reading this book and found it more than "Quite Interesting". Unfortunately though, if you are an avid fan of the television series like I am it offers nothing new. Most, if not all, of the material is taken from the series.
Perfect bedtime reading, 13 Sep 2008
As has been mentioned before, this loose tie-in to the BBC QI programme feels rather like shuffling through a box of randomly shuffled Trivial Pursuit cards and peeking at the (often surprising) answers.
There is a bit more to it than that though. The subjects are grouped together into some approximation of commonality - the animal world, war, inventors, science, colours etc. and each topic does go into some depth about its subject. Often, and most fascinatingly, this includes exploring how myths have grown around the subject.
Many of the facts will surprise you (one of my eye-openers was that the Celtic ethnicity as we understand it today has only existed since 21st June 1792), whereas many will already be widely known (as one of the non-carnivorous persuasion myself, I sincerely hope this book knocks on the head once and for all the calumnious lie that Hitler was a vegetarian!).
The expectation as you turn the page eagerly awaiting the next topic is palpable! I savoured this book by reading just a half dozen or so facts at bedtime and have genuinely found myself adding some snippets of information from this book into my conversations.
Anything that makes us all a tiny bit less generally ignorant can't be bad!
Great fun for trivia nerds, 05 Sep 2008
This is a very entertaining book that you can pick up and browse for short periods. It helps you to challenge all the things that you assume you know. It delights in debunking popular misconceptions - for example that glass is really a very slow-moving liquid. Glass is a solid. At times it is a little precious and pedantic. I am sure that some of its claims can be challenged. However, it remains one of my favourite bedside books. Recommended.
fun but tedious at times, 31 Jul 2008
This is a fun book to pick up and put down at leisure but it loses something for not being delivered by the dry tones of Stephen Fry. If you are an avid watcher of the series you will have heard most of these entries before but there are still some gems among them. Some of the explanations do go on and there seems to be a fascintaion with space that just doesn't excite me but there were a few chuckles along the way. At the end there is a disclaimer inviting readers to send in alternative answers or explanations which does dilute the whole thing a bit. Good for picking up trivia to delight your mates at the pub.
Not entirely fact..., 26 Jun 2008
It's a good book, easy to read, informative and amusing. In fact, it's so informative that one is tempted to learn parts of it as ammunition for showing off how impressively clever you are to your friends; dismissing common knowledge as fiction is a satisfying thing to do. That is, until you come across something that the book claims to be true which you know in fact to be false (or more likely, not the entire truth). And by "know" I mean parts that cross over with my degree and which I have studied actual research journals on. Once I realised that the book takes liberties for the sake of sounding a bit impressive and sensational, I lost faith in pretty much everything else it claimed to be true. I'm sure alot of it is genuine, but how do you know which bits? And if it's not necessarily true, where's the fun in knowing it?
By far his best, 14 Nov 2008
I find that all of Ken Follett's other books - including World Without End - are simply "holiday reading". However Pillars of the Earth seems almost to have come from the pen of someone else. It is superb on many levels - and would certainly be in my top ten books ever. Thank you Ken!
Interesting historically, workmanlike writing, 14 Nov 2008
Someone else mentioned this, but Follett has the silly habit of summarising the previous few pages at the end of a section. As if we have 5 second attention spans and need to be reminded of what we have just read. It's incredibly annoying and condescending.
The quality of prose is at the level of a teenager. All short sentences, "he said, she said" type of stuff. No long descriptions to befuddle the reader. Some of the set pieces are quite exciting eg the historical Battle of Lincoln and the murder of Thomas Beckett. There are some wasted opportunites however. Eg two of the protaganists take a trip to Santiago de Compostela...quite a trip in those days I'm sure. However the whole trip is glossed over in a few pages.
It's basically an easy read, interesting if you're into medieval England, but in no way thought-provoking or deep. But that's ok, not everybook needs to read like Proust and hence I give it 3 stars!
Do yourself a favour - BUY THIS BOOK, 06 Nov 2008
This book is pretty damn special. A year after it was first recommended to me, I got my act together - even then it was only because the friend who recommended it grew tired of waiting for me to start and bought it for me.
Once I started reading I could not stop: a superb narrative and unforgettable characters. In fact, since finishing this book, I have truly missed them all and kind of wish I had never read the book because then it would mean that I could read it all over again.
Look at things in new ways, 06 Nov 2008
well written, if somewhat rushed as an ending, its a very engaging story. really does make me look at somethings, namely old churches and the love that went into building them, differently. But it is FAR more than a book about building a church.... you'll enjoy it :)
Spell bounding!!, 27 Oct 2008
Never heard of Ken Follett before. Family member recommended this and I took on holiday. What fantastic reading and the story just kept getting better, I just couldn't put it down. The book completely fell apart with the heat of the sun, so couldn't pass this on to my friends. I know many of them will be buying this, so have now started reading all of Ken's books. Well done....
Bravo!, 03 Nov 2006
Now, this is a truly wonderful production. From the moment you pop the CD into your player you can tell that this edition of Winnie the Pooh was lovingly made by people who greatly admire England's favourite bear.
Stephen Fry is spot-on as Pooh, Jane Horrocks manages to make Piglet both loveable and adorably selfish, Judy Dench is a perfect Kanga and Geoffrey Palmer is a wonderful Eeyore. In fact, the entire cast does a great job. The adaptation is very true to the original, playful and sincere. The music is lovely and captures the spirit of the books admirably.
This edition of my favourite books inspired a childish joy in me. It's a work of art, beautifully crafted, as are the other three CDs in the same series. If you are Interested in Bears at All, this CD isn't to be missed.
Under - welming, 11 Nov 2008
Took this book on a recent 7 day holiday - it looked my sort of stuff.
Read about 40% of it then tossed it onto the holiday home library shelf and selected the best of what had been left.
Birdsong is tedious and poorly written. The characters are not engaging - it's just not worth the eye power in reading it.
A bit like the movie "Atonement" - it's not unpleasant, you could watch it, it will do no harm but there are many far far better films.
Birdsong is touted as a modern classic - it is no such thing.
A slog, 06 Nov 2008
I tried but it just didn't work for me. The descriptive narrative was a lot of effort for little progress.
Brilliant, 12 Sep 2008
This book is amazing. I was so moved by the story, it is so well written it is like you are reliving the experineces of the characters and there with them through their ups and downs. I found it to be emotionally draining in places, but worth every second.
Amazing book. I simply could not put it down..., 04 Sep 2008
Amazing book. I simply could not put it down. It made me cry in places and now my husband is reading it and finding the book equally moving. Stick at it, as its a slightly slow starter, but its worth the wait!
A cracking good read......, 01 Sep 2008
500 pages as a paperback and been out since '94.. Quite meaty, but if you're in the mood for a compelling read I'd thoroughly recommend it. Read it about thrice now in the last ten years... The missus loves it as well, as it's not just the blood, guts, bombs, rotting flesh, rats and mud that was life on the front line during WW1. There's quite a bit of character building and relationship stuff thrown in for good measure. But if you stick with it, that bit fleshes out the story.
The claustrophobic knife edge existence the Sappers had in those days would have you a nervous wreck if it was 500 pages of that from start to finish. Thank God for mobile warfare I say and the fact that 'tunneller' is no longer a job in the British army.
A moving read, especially the Somme battles and you dispair for the callous way that thousands of lives were thrown away on a daily basis. Get yourself a copy and settle yourself down for a cracking good read....
Very predictable., 13 Nov 2008
Still worthy of a read but nowhere near as good as the original master 'Fleming'. The plot still draws you in but the outcome is predictable! When I bought this I purchased a novel from a new author 'De Marco Empire' and i found this to be much more exciting - on the edge of the seat stuff and definitely NOT predictable ... check it out!
Too much Flemming and not enough Faulks, 09 Oct 2008
It's my own fault that I really didn't enjoy this book. Faulks makes it clear that he is writing as Ian Flemming. Whether he achieves this I will leave to those more qualified than I. However from reading other reviews opinions seem to be mixed. I suppose I had hoped that he would inject a bit of the Faulks magic into Bond.
Devil May Care is almost completely devoid of insight or interesting observation, the plot is thin and unconvincing and place description so cursory you felt you could be virtually anywhere. The characters are superficial and the twist frankly risible.
One might feel that Faulks attempts to rehabilitate Bonds reputation as a sexual predator was worthy except for the way in which he then associates this with a loss of secret agent prowess.
If you are already an Ian Flemming fan then this book might be worth a look otherwise I'd steer clear. Let's hope the fall from the superb Engelby does not do Faulks any permanent damage.
A GOOD READ, 07 Oct 2008
Try not to think too deeply who has written this book; let's face it, Sebastian Faulks is a very good author! This book is pretty close to the Ian Fleming originals and is a good read. It will be interesting how the film franchise adapts this story? A resurgent Iran, drugs from Afghanistan...very current affairs!
A quantum of (enjoyable) nonsense, 24 Sep 2008
Shall we call this a missed opportunity?
"Devil May Care" is a well paced thriller, that's about it.
I've never read Ian Fleming and I'm not a James Bond fan (anymore) but when I was younger I read James Bond and Moonraker (Film-Script Adaptation) and was fascinated (as a kid) by the character's stoic levels of endurance and impressed by the fact that whilst externally cool, internally 007 was in turmoil most of the time. Who better to expand on this theme than Sebastian Faulks post-Birdsong?
Unfortunately the author never really seizes the opportunity although there's the odd moment that comes close (e.g. "the cigar tube"). Maybe he's trying too hard to write like Ian Fleming? If that's the case I wouldn't know (or really care for that matter).
Even more disappointingly the book has just about the same plot as all of the James Bond films: bad guy captures Bond/bad guy tells Bond his plans before killing him (...fatal mistake that - as JB is the most dangerous man on the planet as far as any international criminals are concerned, you'd think they'd take him out without further ado - rather than subject him to the usual contrived attempted execution)/Bond kills bad guy. Plus there's a plot twist at the end that's so obvious it's just not worth bothering with.
Although still flawed, the film "Casino Royale" was a more successful attempt at reinvigorating the James Bond character. This book is much less effective in doing so. It still passes the time though - one for your next aeroplane journey but wait until it's going cheap.
Very fashionable - mostly boring, 16 Sep 2008
This is by far the most tedious book I have read in ages. Where is the action? The dramatic twists and turns? It seems like an ode to food, cocktails, fashion and exotic locations. Bond sat in his room, ordered this drink, had that to eat, wore this and looked out over some or other supposedly amazing view.
It's boring.
And can someone in the literary world please stop this trend of throwing foreign phrases into English books? I do not have a French dictionary on hand to translate 'en fete'. It doesn't make it clever. It makes it incomprehensible.
As for the bad guy - a monkey's paw Mr Faulkner? Really.
I suppose it was the hype that did it in. If you really want the spirit of James Bond, may I suggest you try the Young Bond series by Charlie Higson. It's all action.
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World Without End
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Customer Reviews
More quality '...Clue', 26 Oct 2008
I had the tape of this and loaned it to a woman I worked with, she was then suspended from work and in the interim I left my job to go to another one. In short, I would like it back, so if you are reading this (you know who you are!) can you find some way of getting it back to me? I could just buy a replacement couldn't I? Maybe I will. Anyway, this is more good '...Clue', some hilarious moments, particularly on the anniversary show with Stephen Fry (sound charades is among many funny moments). Clue fans will know what to expect and will not be disappointed. I only give it four stars because the first ever show which was broadcast back in the early seventies and included in this collection is not at all funny, and was, I suppose, only included as a curiosity.
This is radio comedy at its best ; a British institution, 14 Sep 2006
I'm probably preaching to the converted, but ISIHAC is intelligent, naughty, fantastic, foolish, sarcastic, and more.
iPod users beware - you simply cannot stop yourself laughing to this.
The radio in my car died and so I dug these out of my cupboard. Haven't enjoyed the commute so much for ages.
Don't miss out.
ISIHAC, 02 Nov 2004
I bought this CD to play in the car. I laughed so much that I missed my turn off.
Never sorry about this., 02 Dec 2003
I loved this. I was stuck in a traffic jam, and have rarely enjoyed an hour-long journey to work so much.
Too young (just!) to have listened to the programme from the start, it was good to hear how it evolved. From the very first episode you can spot all the familiar games, and you cannot imagine anyone other than Humph being allowed to chair it. Oh, and the points system used to work too, although nobody cared!
I'm Sorry I Haven't a Desert Island is also a gem: there I was, listening to the great and good and Neil Kinnock describing their favourite rounds, nodding my head in agreement.
The show has survived the loss of the incredibly funny Willie Rushton. Stephen Fry, Sandy Toksvig and Paul Merton have fitted in well but, for me, Jeremy Hardy will always take a lot of beating, particularly in the music rounds. I do worry for the future though - could they ever manage without Humph? Certainly Samantha would find it tough, sitting on someone else's right hand.
Put this in a box and throw sugar at it if you like. Or better still, buy it and play it again and again until it wears out.
The only trouble with Clue is that now and again you find yourself unable to hum the original words to the original tune. Love me Tender can really only be sung properly to the tune of the Archers...
AGES, 01 Jul 2008
I lose track of age suitability for books for my grandcildren especially as they are in Australia, and other children I buy for, so the mention of ages in other reviews helped me with age suitability.
A funny and charming childrens classic , 11 Jun 2008
Recently reintroduced to Paddington as my 8 year old daughter has been reading it. It made me laugh out loud - highly recommended particularly for young readers who don't like fantasy literature - Paddington is wonderfully real.
A classic childrens book, 08 Dec 2000
This is an absolute classic childrens book. I have been reading it to my three boys aged 8 and 4 each night. They really enjoy it and it is the one sure way to get them to bed with no fuss
Paddington's adventure brought to life!, 20 Oct 2008
After reading a few paddington books, i decided it may be a good idea to get them on audio. | | |