Four Weeks in May: The Loss of "HMS Coventry" - David Hart Dyke

Advantages: Inside stories about the television industry and the Gilligan affair.
Disadvantages: Keep your scepticism handy!

...Rat saves sinking ship One morning in May 2003 a BBC reporter, Andrew Gilligan, spoke on-air to John Humphys, presenter of Radio 4's "Today" programme. They discussed claims the government made before the invasion of Iraq about weapons of mass destruction and in particular the suggestion that WMD could be ready for use in 45 minutes. Gilligan went on to say that the dossier covering what the government thought Iraq was up to had originally been a rather tame affair and a source had told him that Downing Street had ordered it to be "sexed up". These words were to result in the suicide of Dr David Kelly, the Hutton report and finally the resignation of Greg Dyke, the author of this book, as Director General of the BBC. The whole episode fascinated me. Sometimes it was difficult to think that most of the participants were any better... Read review

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Advantages: A very entertaining read.
Disadvantages: Won't appeal to everybody

...Commander Honor Harrinton of the Royal Manticoran Navy has been placed in command of a modified, aged light cruiser. This ship does not do as well as expected in fleet exercises so ship and commander have to be exiled to a most miserable duty station. But all is not well on this station. Here the enemy may wear the same uniform as well as foreign enemies. Just which will prove to be the worst I will leave you to read and find out. It is not my intention to spoil the plot but some persons may not be familiar with the problems. I am cynical enough to know that when something goes wrong it is never the fault of the person who thought up the idea if they are of a sufficient rank. Let me try to explain. It is said that form follows function. The design and armament of ships and tanks seem to follow the same principals. Armour, Armament... Read review

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Advantages: The books are of a unique standard
Disadvantages: There are only about 400 titles available

...available for sale – and each year some twenty or so new titles will become available as others are taken from the list. How they determine which works of fiction and fact will be given the Folio treatment is somewhat more of a mystery – the 2004 brochure that I have before me ranges from “The Golden Fleece”, arguably the finest Robert Graves novel at £24.95 and set in full buckram and blocked with a design of the staring fleece…through Bierce’s “The Devil’s Dictionary”, Lee’s “Cider with Rosie”, Shelley’s “Frankenstein” to Burton’s “A Secret Pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina”, for £38.95 and again in full buckram printed and blocked with a design by David Eccles. The Folio Society was founded in 1947 and one of the advantages of membership is the opportunity to visit and use their famous reading rooms in the Eagle Street head office in London... Read review

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