Book reviews: February 2021
The Deals on Wheels team reviews some of the latest titles to hit NZ bookshelves
A Del of a Life
David Jason
Penguin Random House
$38
There’s no denying that David Jason is an on-screen legend. Through Del Boy, Granville, Pop Larkin, and a host of other characters he has played over numerous decades, the once-popular actor is emblazoned in the minds of anyone aged over 40. However, if you mention his name to anyone younger than that you’re more than likely to be met with a blank stare.
His latest offering is a meandering through his past wins and fails, with the conclusion often connected to a life lesson he’s willing to impart to anyone who wants to listen. More often than not, I felt the author was grabbing at straws to give his content some relevance to the world we live in today, but he did come up with a few gems now and then.
I can’t quite put my finger on why I didn’t gel with the book and can only reason that it felt like I was listening to grandad recount his stories I had heard many times before. Only for the die-hard David Jason fans is my conclusion.
Speed Kings
John Smailes
Allen & Unwin
$36.99
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This is a well-written offering of the many New Zealand and Australians who have a connection with the Indianapolis 500 motor race, dating back more than 100 years.
What makes the book a good read is that a lot of the content comes from the author carrying out real-life interviews. Sure, there are parts where that’s obviously impossible, but where he goes over previously covered topics, there’s a feeling of originality and heart in the writing, not to mention quality information provided.
The content gives us an excellent background to the most famous race in the US and provides numerous connections to the people working in the different teams and the history behind many of those.
Kiwis and their Aussie counterparts have certainly punched above their weight in the Indy 500 and the book is a feel-good reminder of something we should be proud of. It’s definitely worth buying for any petrol-head in your life.
Troy
Stephen Fry
Penguin Random House
$37.00
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Well-known celebrity Stephen Fry pens his account of Helen of Troy. Hers was the face that’s said to have launched a thousand ships after she was abducted from her husband the King of Sparta and taken to the city of Troy by Paris, son of the King and Queen of Troy.
Poor old Paris was only fulfilling a vision he had previously, but in doing so, he kicked off a 10-year war between Sparta and their allies. While the focus of the book is on Helen, the author gives us information on the Greek gods and goddesses, the complexity of which would surely crash the ancestry.com servers. For all the twists and turns, though, it’s all delivered in a manner that’s interesting and reasonably easy to read.
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