Jim Paul (1) (1950–)

This review has 'spoilers', but not for Jim and Harry's progress on building the catapult, or anything of that nature, just the kind of catapult they chose to build and the history that is worked through the book.

I read about this book several years ago, and, especially as someone who loves the eras of history during which a catapult was the height of war technology, I thought it sounded interesting. Honestly, I had thought that it would be along the lines of several projects I had followed with interest before - about attempting to recreate some piece of ancient technology or feat of building. It wasn't, but I didn't let that stop me from getting into the book.

The book itself is a bit odd, though perhaps I should have expected that from a book with this title and premise.

I had expected them to build a traditional catapult, from the title, which is what they did. I did not expect such a bit of a run-down on other varieties, including some incorrect imprecations on the trebuchet - which is not, as the book suggested, simply a variety of catapult, but a different type of weapon entirely.

There were some discussions about different interpretations of catapults used by different cultures, and the reasons for those variations, which was compelling, particularly viewed through the lens of Harry's mechanical background.

The pieces of history woven through the story of their own catapult are interesting, and largely to do with the catapult's importance through different wars. I did read with a grain of salt, however, as at least two of the accounts I read in the book referred to things I know from other research to be untrue. (I assume that perhaps history had made some further stretches since this was published, as it was over twenty years ago.)

In fact, I had assumed that the history in the book would exclusively have to do with catapults, in some way. Because of this, coming into a discussion of atomic bombs was somewhat startling, and not a little off-putting - and the rather graphic descriptions of the effects of the atomic bombs when utilised were . . . well, I'm sure you can imagine.

The things that were written about the bombs were largely discussing the process of inventing them, and scientists themselves. There were some very interesting things I hadn't known about some of the scientists' lives and work after the project was disbanded, even, which I was intrigued by, though surprised to find in the midst of this particular narrative.

Nevertheless, though I might not have appreciated the shock of some of the history included, I was happy to have some context included along the process of the expected narrative - it also helped to liven up some parts that were, by necessity, a bit dull.

When I reached the end of the book, it felt a little lacking in some way, perhaps because I had gotten too involved in the project, and the way the book sort of tapered of was not quite the ending I had envisioned or hoped for.

The interactions and dynamic between the two friends on the subject of the catapult were engaging, and occasionally nearing on painful - because it is so easy to empathise with them, and the strain that such a project put upon them and their friendship.

All in all, it was a good, though not enthralling, book. I would recommend it more to people who are interested in the modern mechanics of things than the past application of historical mechanisms.… (mehr)

Here's a book I gave a second chance. I've lived in San Francisco and seen those parrots (cherry-headed conures) in the park. A novel featuring them really intrigued me. The book is about two individuals fascinated by the parrots: a graduate student struggling to locate wild parrots in the mangrove swamps of Ecuador for research, who unwittingly gets tangled up with some illegal wildlife trafficking, and a self-isolated eccentric poet in San Francisco who doesn't like the parrot his father gave him and ends up releasing it from his apartment window. Eventually feeling guilty at letting the parrot go, he explores the city to find dozens of parrots living on Telegraph Hill, reads up about them in the public library, and finally travels to South America in search of the wild flock they must have originated from. While this book got off to a slow start with me- I was at first put off by the frequent use of the past perfect tense, and felt distanced from the characters- I liked reading the details about the city-living parrots. I knew the two people would end up together- the researcher enthralled with parrots from the beginning and frustrated in her efforts to get close to them, and the reluctant poet gradually drawn out of his isolation by a desire to know more about them. Their two stories wove together in a surprising fashion to the final meeting point. The further I read the more I was drawn into this book, until by the end I had difficulty putting it down.

from the Dogear Diary… (mehr)