Summary:

My goal for 2024 is to read 24 books. The stretch target remains 36.

Year end review:

At around 25 books read I am slightly below previous years. This is mostly due to busyness in Q3 and Q4. As is typical, I read more non-fiction, but I did enjoy the fiction, especially In Memoriam.

They Called it Passchendaele, Lyn Macdonald

Jan 2024
About the third battle of Ypres and the desperate struggle over a ridge in the natural bog-land around Ypres. Told from the diaries and letters of those unlucky enough to have been there.

How Precision Engineers Created the Modern World, Simon Winchester

Jan 2024
Another Simon Winchester. Going from the origins of the replaceable part, the development of precise machining, through to EUV chip manufacture. Aka Steam to Silicon. The ending pivots to appreciate that whilst great precision and accuracy can be achieved by machines, there is something about hand-crafted products that makes them more alluring.

The Smartest Guys in the Room, Bethany McLean and Peter Elkind

Jan 2024
A well-written and researched book about the rise and fall of Enron. It is an astonishing and detailed story about Enron. Covering the rise of the business, the accounting fraud, and ultimately the collapse of the company.

Extreme Rambling, Mark Thomas

Feb 2024
I picked this up after the Gaza war began. The premise is that Mark and his buddy will walk the wall between the West Bank and Israel. He interacts with both Palestinians and Israeli’s and it is interesting to hear more about the day-to-day stories of normal people in the region.

San Fransicko, Michael Shellenberg

Feb 2024
Having visited San Francisco several times in the last decade the scale of homelessness has always shocked me. Shellenberg argues for a ‘Responsibility First’ approach. An interesting read, although the number of facts thrown in made the going tough.

It’s a hill, get over it, Steve Chilton

Feb 2024
A detailed history of Fell running from its origins in the 1800s and the biggest Fell running races. Several chapters are dedicated to the sport’s greatest athletes like Kenny Stuart and Joss Naylor.

The Ghost Map, Steven Johnson

March 2024
Interesting book about a cholera outbreak in London in 1854 and John Snow making a breakthrough in the understanding of the waterborne spread of the disease. An intriguing final chapter about the growth of city populations and the corresponding social consequences.

Make, Think, Imagine: Engineering the future of civilization, John Browne

March 2024
This book jumped around between the history of engineering and some of the latest developments. The author was CEO of BP and had used this position to secure numerous high-profile interviews.

The Soul of a New Machine, Tracey Kidder

April 2024
Continuing the engineering theme, this was an enjoyable read about Data General developing a new computer. Skunkworks style - the small team design, build, and debug a 32-bit ‘super-minicomputer’.

Sea Sting, Andrew Chatham

April 2024
Fiction. It’s the end of WW2 and a rogue Nazi U-Boat attempts to use V2 rockets to scatter Anthrax over London

Shoe Maker, Joe Foster

April 2024
Joe Foster’s Grandfather, also Joe Foster, became a specialist running shoe provider. Joe sets out with his brother to continue his legacy and founded Reebok. A very interesting story, more enjoyable than Shoe Dog for me. It is surprising the different paths Reebok and Nike took to becoming global shoe brands.

In Memoriam: A Novel, Alice Winn

May 2024
Fiction about two public schoolboys who become officers in WW1 and are in love with each other. A good read.

Crux, Richard Rumelt

May 2024
Find the ‘crux’. Corporate strategy. Told through various anecdotes, which makes the book a relatively easy read.

Chloroform, The Quest for Oblivion, Linda Stratmann

June 2024
In the mid-1800s Chloroform was discovered. This book covered the various early uses of it, primarily as an anesthetic, but also in murder cases.

Fallen Angel, William Fotheringham

June 2024
As a keen cyclist I had, of course, heard of Fausto Coppi, but I had little idea of his life and the drama surrounding it. From WW2 prison camps, to double Giro/Tour victories, and illegal divorces Fausto packed a lot into a life cut tragically short.

Put Me Back On My Bike, In Search of Tom Simpson, William Fotheringham

July 2024
After reading about Coppi I decided it was worthwhile also reading about Tom Simpson. I was already familiar with his death on Ventoux and this book gave a good overview of the great English cyclist from the 60s.

Merckx, Half Man Half Bike, William Fotheringham

Aug 2024
I have gone on a Fotheringham spree. In this latest book moving into the 70s and learning about the Peloton’s strong man Eddy Merckx.

Breaking the Chain, Willy Voet

September 2024
The 1998 Festina affair shocked the world. Willy worked for the Festina team and was the first person to be arrested

Hiroshima, John Hersey

September 2024
The aftermath of the Hiroshima atomic bomb, told through the stories of 6 individuals who survived.

Rain Men, Markus Berkmann

September 2024
The ups and downs, mostly downs, of village cricket through the year.

Taking Risks, the Science of Uncertainty, Peter Sprent

October 2024
A mixture of the mathematics behind statistics that govern risks and how they can be misleading, plus some specific examples in the real world.

Made in Japan, Akio Morita

October 2024
Akio Morita came from a family who owned a Sake brewery, but he was fascinated by Physics. Shortly after his wartime experience helping develop new weapons he becomes one of Sony’s cofounders. The book then focuses on his experience building Sony, the Japanese culture and comparison to the American and European culture when it comes to business.

Ostland, Diana/David Thomas

November 2024
Based on the true story of Georg Heusler who started the war as a hero in Germany for solving a serial killer case, and who has a strong moral compass. He is subsequently assigned to duty in Ostland and, surrounded by the evil and despair in Jewish Ghettos and his involvement in genocide he becomes a brutal murderer. The book asks the question whether anyone can be expected not to crumble in such a terrible situation and, in all, was a pretty horrifying read.

Cilka’s Journey, Heather Morris

November 2024
Sequel to the Tattooist of Auschwitz. Mainly the story of Cilka’s ordeal in the Siberian Soviet Gulag Vorkuta, where she ended up after surviving Auschwitz. It’s hard to imagine a more brutal life to live and between this and Ostland I’ve read enough of the Holocaust and Soviet Gulags for the year.

A Few More Laps, David Schalfen

December 2024
A dive into the UK club running world through David’s decades of experience as an athlete and coach. The ramblings are interesting and his experience in supporting the elite levels was good to read.