One of the best films I saw this year was Master and Commander, directed by Peter Weir and staring Russell Crowe. After seeing it I quickly did a search on Amazon and found that the story was based on the novel 'Far Side of the World,' the 10th of 20 novels written by 'Patrick O'Brian.'
Now I have some fiction to sink my teeth into, something I have not done for quite a while. O'Brain (it's a pen name, but no matter) is an absolutely smashing prose writer. When he's in a groove, it is amazing to see. It's a bit like Jane Austin for men, even though O'Brian started the books in the late 1960's and 70's. The naval terminology can be overwhelming, but it's not crucial to know a jib from a mizzen to follow along. And the characters! Aubrey and Martin are beyond compare, and I'm being introduced to more - such as Diana Villiers - as I go along.
At the moment I'm only in book two, Post Captain, and I foresee a long period of good reading ahead. I'm happy to recommend the series to anyone who likes historical fiction but finds it hard to find good material.
Makes room for CanWest to join the majors
Kudos to CanWest for calling a terrorist a terrorist . Many, including The Last Amazon , will be happy to hear it. Reuters is among the worst of the major western news services, where I would also place the BBC and the CBC.
Unsurprisingly, Reuters is not happy about the changes CanWest made to Reuters wire stories:
Our editorial policy is that we don't use emotive words when labeling someone," said David A. Schlesinger, Reuters' global managing editor. "Any paper can change copy and do whatever they want. But if a paper wants to change our copy that way, we would be more comfortable if they remove the byline." Mr. Schlesinger said he was concerned that changes like those made at CanWest could lead to "confusion" about what Reuters is reporting and possibly endanger its reporters in volatile areas or situations. "My goal is to protect
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