This post will be written by you!
DCC is gaining momentum and is getting a steady stream of readers so now I am curious….who are you people?
Please answer three simple questions by commenting on this post. You may remain anonymous but do choose a name so others can easily refer to you should they want to and remember, comments are monitored so keep it nice.
Here we go!
1: What is the title of the best book you ever read? This can be of course, any topic. Please include the author’s name.
2: Tell me in three short sentences why I should come and visit your hometown. Feel free to brag!
3: Automatic or stick shift?
I am working on more posts about Tommy Zeigler, going to take a look into the cold cases of Moira Holly Branagan and McHenry Biggers, and of course, I still need to update the post on Hawley Harvey Crippen! Enough work to keep me off the streets!
Have a great day all! Cheers, Vidocq
Categories: Miscellaneous, Vidocq Unscripted
I have no idea which of the many books I devour is ‘the best’ but the one I treasure the most is a First Edition copy of Edward Fitzgerald’s translation of The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam.
My hometown has a loch with uninhabited islands (if you ignore the swans) and a deserted beach and tower with red sands. There are castles and gardens and friendly folk and I grew up secure in the knowledge that everyone there cares for and about everyone else.
My Uncle who trained at Saville Row is a tailor there and can cater for all tastes and needs with bespoke or off the peg clothing for both ladies and gents of a discerning nature and he works alongside my Aunt who has the ladies’ shops again catering for all ladies’ clothing needs from Aquascutum, to Jaeger and beyond.
1) Mind: Candide (Voltaire)
Body: Soulcraft (Plotkin)
Soul: The complete poems of Hart Crane/ anything by Neruda/Oscar Wilde
(Sorry, it’s painful enough just putting three down
2) I live in a bayou, which boasts a lake, a very large park and several of what must be the remaining few dinosaurs on planet Earth. If that doesn’t impress you, my hometown is a stone’s throw away from the hometown of Ali G, which is Chav-tastic. We have the Magna Carta too; oh yeah.
3) Stick shift. Even though I know the old adage that you have more control with the stick no longer applies, I just can’t work to the rhythm of anything automatic. Freudalise that!
Your site is the bizz, V. Keep it up!
1. Hmmm… very difficult question to answer because I cannot honestly say that there is such a thing as the ‘best’ book I have ever read. I have read many books that have completely engrossed me, so much so that I was unable to put them down until I had read the very last page. My taste in books is also eclectic, I read books on almost every topic under the sun. So, with that in mind, the task of choosing the ‘bestest ever’ book becomes, at least for me, impossible. Can everything really be measured on arbitrary scale of best to worst, with no other possibilities inbetween? Perhaps the best approach would be simply to appreciate the inherent value in the thing itself, rather than becoming obsessed with measurements.
However, I will name two books that I have found to be highly enjoyable. The first is Bruce Lee: Fighting Spirit which is a biography written by Bruce Thomas. This is an amazing book and without doubt the best biography of the late great Bruce Lee ever written. The second book is called The 33 Strategies of War and is written by Robert Greene. This is a highly enjoyable read for anyone who has an interest in martial arts or military strategy.
2. Exeter is a city that allows one to escape from the City. Exeter has unrivaled access to great beaches, countryside, and is only a stones throw away from the rolling hills and streams of magnificent Dartmoor. In short, Exeter offers the best possible blend of city and countryside life.
3. Easy answer. Stick shift wins every time! So much more skill and enjoyment in driving a manual car… driving an automatic is like driving a dodgem car at a fairground!
I’ve struggled with all three questions!
1. I like biographies, so far the best I’ve read is Wild Swans by Jung Chang and Princess by Jean Sasson. I’m not well read, and I start a few books at the same time which take me forever to finish. I’ve been reading my latest since last Autumn!
2. My home town has some redeeming features, such as it being cheaper to go to the cinema than in central London, good links to central London, fantastic restaurants, and a lovely river walk. Its diverse and multicultural, and awaits you!
3. Always a manual (stick shift) although I will toy with the idea of buying an automatic when the engine in my runner falls apart. Oh another reason to visit, me as your chauffeur
1) La Société du spectacle by Guy Debord
2) New York City. It’s the capitol of the world.
3) Automatic with optional manual operation. The best of both worlds.
GyrFalcon – your no2 – don’t think so matey!
1) The Road by Cormac McCarthy
2) New York City. The greatest city in the world.
3) Automatic
1. Hemingway, “For Whom the Bell Tolls”
2. St. Louis, MO. Big small town. Home of baseball St. Louis Cardinals.
3. Stick
1. Janet & John ~ primary school book in the year dot, was the start of my reading skills, the most important book. In adulthood I have only ever read three books from start to finish, not worth mentioning. Did I tell you I am very honest?
2. (It’s a village) however ~ Nearby castle. Nearby Saxon Church. Nearby river.
3. Stick, feel the drive. (Kickdown on classic autos is kinda fun).
l) The Bible, of course.
But may I add a second – not necessarily the ‘best’ but a great job of research by Phillip Finch entitled FATAL FLAW, his study of the miscarriage of justice suffered by Tommy Zeigler for the past 34 years. A flawed trial, prejudiced judge, and officials who withheld vital evidence, inappropriate pressure in the jury room, and continuing refusal of the State to examine new evidence.
Tommy has been held on Death Row here in Florida since 1976 having lost everything in life but his faith and integrity. FATAL FLAW is must reading!
2) Bowdon, Cheshire, England. An exquisite corner of the beautiful English countryside. But don’t miss the Cotswolds, either; or the Lake District, or Yorkshire Dales! Or the West country! Lest you think I’m a Brit jingoist, I am an American who has lived in England for the past 44 years, and am still captivated by it!
3) Automatic; I’m too lazy to revert to manual.
1. Can’t think of any…
2. I grew up in The Netherlands – no reason at all to visit ‘my hometown’.
Right now in South Africa – 3 reasons? Sun. Mountains. Me.
3. Stick – but automatic feels ‘luxurious’.