Author:Al Murray
Al Murray's (AKA The Pub Landlord) musing on his childhood where his fascination with history and all things war began.
Have you ever watched a film with someone who, at the most dramatic scene, argues that the plane on screen hasn't been invented yet? Or that the tank rumbling towards the hero at the end of the film is the wrong tank altogether?
Al Murray is that someone. Try as he might, he can’t help himself.
Growing up in the 1970s, Al, with the help of his dad, became fascinated with the history of World War Two. They didn’t go to football; they went to battlefields. Because like so many of his generation whose childhood was all about Airfix, Action Man and Where Eagles Dare, he grew up in the cultural wake of the Second World War.
Part memoir, part life obsession, this is Al Murray musing on what he knows best. And he’s sure to tell you things about history that you were never taught at school.
Infectious and endearing.
—— Paperback book of the month, Choice magazineBooks of real quality and importance are rare. Norman Davies's history of Europe is one of them. It is a brilliant achievement, written with intelligence, lucidity and a breathtaking width of knowledge... This is a book everyone should read
—— A. C. Grayling , Financial TimesA noble monument of scholarship, and all the more noble because it is so full of surprise and feeling... There are superb assessments of vastly daunting subjects
—— Jan Morris , IndependentMonumental, authoritative... A book for enquiring minds of all ages, it will answer hundreds of enquires and provoke thousands more
—— Noel Malcolm , Sunday TelegraphNo history of Europe in the English language has been so even-handed in its treatment of east and west... Strong characterisation, vivid detail, trenchant opinions, cogent anaylsis all make this tremendous reading
—— Times Literary SupplementA voyage that a malt connoisseur of any level will find as enticing and as warming as that first sip of the nectar that has a history as rugged and unpredictable as Scotland’s enticing and formidable terrain.
—— The AND GuideA beautifully realised fusion of travelogue, social commentary and drinking guide. Scotland's most famous export is decanted into full-bodied, humorous prose.
—— Independent on SundayFiery, variegated, and full of delicious moments.
—— Literary ReviewBanks' finely-honed sense of place makes you want to get on a train, head to the Highlands and never come back.
—— ArenaRaw Spirit charts its own course through the social landscapes of everywhere from Skye to Lothian, where obscure distilleries compete against the world-famous, with a wide cast of characters bringing them - and the liquor - to life.
—— WanderlustThe book I return to most often . . . It's like slipping into a warm bath.
—— James Graham , THE TIMESThiswritten account of aroad-trip around the country’s distilleries in search of the ‘perfect dram’ is thebest substitute for the real deal[…] Filled withinsightful and witty observationsabout the whisky-makingprocess andthe peopleand places encounteredalong the way, this isa rip-roaringand informative delve into the unique history and enduring appeal of this iconic spirit.
—— Visit Scotland...In the final judgement, it does what every good book should manage to do ... and what a hundred other books on whisky (and a thousand other books on Scotland) have signally failed to do: makes you want to go for a drink with the author
—— ObserverStudded with bracing shots of pure insight and eloquence. And he's sound on the scotch as well
—— The IndependentIt’s a very readable and hugely informative book, and Bank’s gentle humour permeates the pages
—— Time OutIt’s an engaging piece of work, part love letter, part memoir
—— EsquireA beautifully realised fusion of travelogue, social commentary and drinking guide. Scotland's most famous export is decanted into full-bodied, humorous prose.
—— Independent on SundayBanks' finely-honed sense of place make you want to get on a train, head to the Highlands and never come back.
—— ArenaA very beguiling fusion of memoir, history and current affairs
—— Glasgow Herald