Just downloaded Felbrigg's latest, a recording of Volume 3 of Oman's massive history of the Peninsula war. I've enjoyed the first two volumes and I'm about two chapters into the third, which is just as good. Great stuff to listen to while you're painting.
The recording is available via Audible and is about $24, which is around $1 per hour of recording. Good value in any man's language.
For anyone with an interest in the Peninsula war, the Napoleonic period or military history in general, recommended.
Oman is a neglected treasure these days, and I'm genuinely glad that someone is doing this, but I have to say that your "any man's language" reference is unfortunately apt. I found in Vol.1 that the aggressive Anglicisation (is there such a word?) of all possible names and places which happened not to be English was jarring and so over the top that i can only assume it was deliberate. Generals JOONOT and LOYZON and so on. I've observed before in some British military chappies (notably battlefield guides) that all foreign words are corrupted as a matter of obligation - it's kind of expected - Pen & Sword serve as a recent example. The spirit of Wipers lives on. Kwatra Brar. Almeedia. Much, much more. Get a grip, gentlemen.
ReplyDeleteWe've discussed this before - it is an unfortunate but inevitable property of warfare that it involves different nations and therefore different languages - I don't expect any snobbery or stupid affectation, but I do expect presenters and narrators to smarten up and recognise that. I've recently sat through all of the BBC WW1 DVDs, and all Thames TV's WW2 ones, and I have to say that the respective narrators, Messrs Redgrave and Olivier, did a thoroughly professional job, which kind of sets the standard.
With respect, of course. Maybe the later volumes have improved in this respect?
They're about the same. To be honest, it doesn't bother me. I'm very happy that the recording exists at all.
DeleteOverall I agree, Mr Kink. I admit that this is a personal FOYble of mine, and it's not entirely because I'm a prig (though that undoubtedly contributes). When someone reads a book to me, it's nice if I can somehow suspend reality and pretend that the author himself is speaking - Dr Sir Charles Oman (or OMMIN, as we prefer to call him) was certainly an usually highly educated man and it grates a bit when his alter ego on the recording can't handle the words in his specialist subject...
DeleteVol.1 for me was fine, except that I had to keep checking with the book to see who the devil (and where) he was on about. Pity Sir Laurence Olivier [ELEPHANT] was unavailable for the gig.
Regards - MS Fwee