Simon Lyall's Blog

Call the Ambulance! by Les Pringle

Stories from a British Ambulance driver in the late-1970s and 1980s. A good range of stories from the funny to the tragic. 7/10

Permanent Record by Edward Snowden

An autobiography by the NSA Whistle-blower. Mostly a recounting of his life, career and circumstances that led up to him leaking. Interesting. 7/10

Life in the Middle Ages by Richard Winston

As the titles describes. Unusually for English Language books it focuses on France. Not much history just daily life & only 5h long. Probably works better with pictures. 6/10

Dr Space Junk vs the Universe: Archaeology and the Future by Alice Gorman

A Mix of topics. Some autobiography & how she worked her way into the archeology of spaceflight. Plus items of Space History & comparisons with earth archeology. But it works 8/10

Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder

Only 3h 40m long and roughly covering a year. The author describes her life (aged 5-6) and her family in a cabin Wisconsin in the early 1870s. 1st in the series. 7/10

Abraham Lincoln: A Life (Volume One) by Michael Burlingame

50h and covers up to his 1st inauguration. Not a good 1st Lincoln bio to read but very good. Some repetition as multiple sources a quoted on some points. 7/10

Exactly: How Precision Engineers Created the Modern World by Simon Winchester

Starting from the early 18th century each chapter covers increasing greater accuracy and the technology that needed and used it. Nice read 8/10

The Secret Cyclist: Real Life as a Rider in the Professional Peloton by The Secret Cyclist

An okay read although I don’t follow the sport so had never heard of most of the names. It is still readable however and gives a good feel for the world. 6/10

Braving It: A Father, a Daughter, and an Unforgettable Journey into the Alaskan Wild by James Campbell

A father takes his 15 year-old daughter for two trips to a remote cabin and a 3rd trip hiking/canoeing along a remote river in Alaska. Well written and interesting. 8/10

The Left Behind: Decline and Rage in Rural America by Robert Wuthnow

Based on Interviews with small town Americans it talks about their lives and frustrations with Washington which they see as distant but interfering. 7/10

World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War by Max Brookes

This was the “almost” full text version. Lots of different actors reading each chapter (which are arranged as interviews). Great story and presentation works well. 9/10

The Story of the British Isles in 100 Places by Neil Oliver

Covers what you’d expect with a good attempt not just to hit the “history 101” places. Author has an accent that takes a while to get used to. 7/10

Death’s End – Cixin Liu

3rd in Trilogy wrapping things mostly up. Just a few characters so easy to keep track of them. If you liked the previous books you’ll like this one. 7/10

Building the Cycling City: The Dutch Blueprint for Urban Vitality by Melissa & Chris Bruntlett

Talking about Dutch Cycling culture. Compares 5 different cities (some car orientated) and how they differ in their cycling journey. 7/10

Scrappy Little Nobody by Anna Kendrick

A general memoir by the actress. A bit disjointed & unsystematic and by no means a tell-all. A few good stories sprinkled in. 6/10

The $100 Startup by Chris Guillebeau

Lots of case studies of businesses built off relatively little capital (and usually staying small). Plenty of good advice although lists don’t translate well in audio. 7/10

Atomic Adventures: Secret Islands, Forgotten N-Rays, and Isotopic Murder-A Journey into the Wild World of Nuclear Science by James Magaffey

A bunch of really good stories from the Atomic age (not just the usual ones) including a view from inside of the Cold Fusion fiasco. 8/10

Off the Rails: A Train Trip Through Life by Beppe Severgnini

A collection of train journey articles (written over about 20 years). A good selection on interesting and amusing. 7/10

Exoplanets: Hidden Worlds and the Quest for Extraterrestrial Life by Donald Goldsmith

A history of the discovery of exoplanets, covering the different groups, techniques and rivalries. Good although I got the people mixed up sometimes. 7/10

Save the Cat! : The Last Book on Screenwriting You’ll Ever Need by Blake Snyder

A guide to screenwriting with a few stories and observations on movies thrown in. Good even if you are just reading it for fun. 7/10

Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End by Atul Gawande

A book about geriatric and end-of-life care and choices. Lots of points about how risking all for aggressive treatment is often a very bad idea. Thought-provoking. 9/10

Ancient Alexandria: The History and Legacy of Egypt’s Most Famous City by Charles River Editors

Just a two hour long overview of the history. Covered the basic stuff and maybe worth skimming before you hit something meatier. 6/10

Vulcan 607 by Rowland White

The story of the long-distant bombing raids during the Falkland’s war. Lots of details on the history of the Vulcan, the crews, background and the actual missions. 9/10

101 Secrets For Your Twenties by Paul Angone

I really can’t remember this book well. I think it was okay but serves me right for getting months behind on reviews. On list for completeness. ?/10

Periodic Tales: The Curious Lives of the Elements by Hugh Aldersey-Williams

Various depths of coverage (usually by interest of the story) of the discovery, usage and literature/cultural impact around each of the elements. 8/10

Born to Run by Bruce Springsteen

Autobiography read by the author. Covers his whole career and personal life. Well written and lots of details and insight. Well read too. 9/10

The Admirals: Nimitz, Halsey, Leahy, and King – The Five-Star Admirals Who Won the War at Sea by Walter R. Borneman

A Biography of the 5 Admirals and the interactions of their careers before and during World War 2. 7/10

Because Internet: Understanding the New Rules of Language by Gretchen McCulloch

I really can’t remember this book (serves me right for delaying reviews). I think it was okay though. [67]/10

The 4% Universe: Dark Matter, Dark Energy, and the Race to Discover the Rest of Reality by Richard Panek

Pretty much what the subtitles says. Worked fairly well at keep the different people distinct and technical explanations made sense. 7/10

The Unopened casebook of Sherlock Holmes written by John Taylor with Simon Callow as Sherlock Holmes and Nicky Henson as Dr Watson

6 audioplay stories. Quality is okay although I detected a theme with the villains. 7/10

Best. Movie. Year. Ever: How 1999 Blew Up the Big Screen by Brian Raftery

A run though of the great (and a few not) movies that came out in 1999. Some backstories on many with industry and world news from the year. 8/10