Book Giveaway 3: Katherine

I have always liked Roald Dahl books - both the children's books (Matilda, The BFG, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) and his adult stories (The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar).  They are witty and amusing with wonderful characters (although there is often a slightly macarbre twist.

Roald Dahl's life itself is also very interesting and perhaps some of the reason that he writes such imaginative books.  He was the son of Norwegian parents who had emigrated to England.  His father dies when he was very young (possibly affected by grief at the death of one of Roald Dahl's sisters a few days earlier), but his mother stayed in England to ensure that Roald Dahl went to a "proper" English school.  Boy (about his life until he left school) and Going Solo are two halves of his autobiography.

Going Solo covers the time from Roald Dahl leaving school to work for the Shell Company in Africa, joining the RAF, flying in the second world war defended Greece (just as it was taken over by the Germans) until he was invalided in about 1942.  It includes stories of encouters with lions in africa, stopping all the Germans escaping Dar Es Saleem (with himself as as the only officer over a troop of askaris) and crashing a plane in the middle of no-man's land in Eygpt.  It is every bit as exciting and bizaare as his stories.

I have one copy of Going Solo to giveaway to someone in Australia.

You will need to leave a comment in this thread by midnight (AEST) 31st October.

Extract From Chapter Flying Training

When flying a military aeroplane, you sit on your parachute, which adds another six inches to your height. (Roald Dahl was 6'6")  When I got into the open cockpit of a Tiger Moth for the first time and sat down on my parachute, my entire head stuck up in the open air.  The engine was running and I was gettting a rush of wind full in the face from the slipstream.

'You are too tall," the insructer whose name was Flying Officer Parkinson said. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

"Yes Please," I said.

"Wait till we rev her up for take-off," Parkinson said. "You'll have a job to breathe.  And keep those goggles down or you'll be blinded by watering eyes."

Parkinson was right.  On the first flight I was almost asphyxiated by the slipstream and survived only by ducking down into the cockpit for deep breaths every few second.  After that, I tied a thin cotton scarf around my nose and mouth and this made breathing possible.

Giveaway Winner

The winner of October Book Giveaway Number 2 is Dave M.  (Pretty much by default as no one else entered.)  I shall send ASAP.

Giveaway number 3 will be appearing soon.

Book Giveaway Number 2: John

I spent my university days studying engineering which meant that my textbooks were about experimental design, computer programming, statistical analysis, thermodynamics, or the "spectrometric properties of chemicals". The type of bedtime reading which would cure most insomniacs.

John, on the other hand, studied modern history and politics as part of his Arts degree. This means that his textbooks (well some of them...) are actually interesting even if you don't need to know the information to pass the exam.

Rise to Globalism: American Foreign Policy Since 1938 is the most interesting book that was on the "required/recommended reading" lists. This book describes and analyses how economic agressiveness, racism, fear of communism, domestic affairs and individual characters have shaped American foreign policy from the early days of WWII to about 1996. Despite it's seemingly dry subject matter it is very easy reading. I suspect this is probably because it was co-written by Stephen E. Ambrose, who wrote Band of Brothers, (about the experiences of Easy Company from the 101st Division, during WWII) which was subsequently turned into a TV series.

Examining American foreign policy is a surrogate for studying world politics as the foreign policies of America influence the other nations - particularly those nations that were/are dependent on American military might or trade. Looking at the events from 1938 also enables a certain perspective on events that are happening in the world now like the (continued) conflicts in the middle east.

What I liked about this book (as someone who hasn't really studied history) was that it very readably described and analysed world events that I had heard of but didn't really know the significance at the time - such as the destruction of the Berlin Wall, which I can remember, but didn't realise how suprising that would have been a mere 5 years earlier. It is also fascinating how decisions which affect large numbers of people (whole countries or people groups) are made on the basis of poor information, (mis) assumptions and by some ... interesting... personalities.

I replaced John's copy of this book for his birthday - the first one was so well read that it had fallen apart.

I have one, brand-new, copy of Rise to Globalism to giveaway (within Australia).

To enter: You will need to leave a comment on this thread before midnight on the 20th October.

Giveaway Winner

Alex pulled the a name out of the hat for the Seven Little Rabbits giveaway,

And the winner is.......

.....


Catherine!

It shall be winging it's way to your mailbox soon.

And for everyone else, do not despair, there is a second book giveaway coming up.

The flowers that bloom in the spring...

Some photos of what we have been up to....

Planting flowers and herbs, that may survive the TLC they get given

Going to Dad's retirement dinner

Setting up a "big, big bed" for Alex - and even sleeping in it ;-)

I love seeing the boys sleeping together - so sweet curled up together, so peaceful and no fears about one about to bop the other on the head....

Birthday flowers

Eating "the house with the star inside". This was on playschool about 3 weeks ago and since then we have eaten many, many apples....

Convincing James that non-liquid food is not evil. He's somewhat keener on the concept when he gets to put the food in his mouth than when one of his parents is wielding the dreaded spoon.

Boys giggling together...

Book Giveaway Number 1: Alexander!

A few months ago Catherine hosted a giveaway for a Arnold Lobel book and a discussion on our favourite children's books. I was rather a bookworm as a child (I was frequently found hiding somewhere reading), but my first favourite book was Seven Little Rabbits by John Becker.

In this book seven little rabbits take one long trip to visit their friend toad, but one by one they find themselves sidetracked by the need for a nap. Fortunately they find a hole (built by a mole) where they can be "tucked in bed" ("sshh don't say peep, s/he's fast asleep"). This was the book I first learnt to read - probably helped by the highly repetitive, rhyming text and the fact that I insisted on having it read to me every night. My parents (and I) can still recite the whole thing!

Part of this books charm is the illustrations (by Barbara Cooney). While the text doesn't imbue much individual character to any of the rabbits (or even the mole), the illustrations and captions impart much needed character to each of the rabbits. When we were a little older (about 6 or so) my sister and I would imagine the back stories about the rabbits and why each of them was tired.

I gave this book to Alex for his third birthday and it has already been read many times. I think we have a while to go before he has it memorized though, but I did catch him reading this to James.

I have one brand-new, unread, hard copy of this book to giveaway (with bonus bookmark!).

To enter please leave a comment below and a favourite bedtime book for a preschooler (3 - 4 year old). If you mention this somewhere else (your blog, facebook, etc) I may even be convinced to give you another entry. Sorry Australian entries only!

Entries will close Midnight Australian Eastern Daylight Saving Time on the Sunday, 10th October.

Book Giveaway Month

In the last few months there have been a few celebrations in our family (three birthdays and father's day). In a belated honour of this I am declaring October to be Book Giveaway Month at Cabbages and Kings. During this month I will be hosting, not one, not two but THREE book giveaways in honour of the three people who've had celebrations recently (James misses out ;-(). Hopefully there will be something to cater for everyone!