‘CHERNOBYL PRAYER’ and ‘THE UNWOMANLY FACE OF WAR’ by Svetlana Alexeivich

Chernobyl Prayer by Svetlana Alexeivich So you want to cheer yourself up with a good book eh? Well, if the slow, aching death by radiation poisoning and cancers of both locals and the one hundred and seventy thousand ‘volunteers’ who performed the ‘clean-up’, the loss of livelihood and traditional lands of millions of Belarusians and…

‘THE THIRTY-NINE STEPS’ by John Buchan

Fine japes, what? Bally Jerry picking a bunfight, Yankee spook rumbles the game and tells our man. Seppo ends up tits-up pearside with a dagger in his gusset; framed! Chap ends up jollying orf to Jockland chased by the rozzers. Mmeeeooooowww! What?! That’s not the RAF! Bally Jerries again! Escape! Gent pops orf home for tea…