Robin Phillips started reading Men at War by Luke Turner
As the Second World War moves beyond living memory and its last veterans leave us, …
I bought this after watching the author's excellent talk at We Have Ways Fest 2025.
Reviews and Comments
Military history author (writing as Russell Phillips). Tabletop RPG and board game player. Lapsed wargamer.
Non-binary. They/them pronouns.
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Robin Phillips reviewed Devil's Bargain by Stella Rimington (Manon Tyler, #1)
One lie put the nation at risk. Another might save it.
Harry Bristow: policeman, father, …
Looking forward to the next one
4 stars
A little different to the Liz Carlyle series, but very good.
I'm still irritated at proper nouns not being capitalised, though.
Robin Phillips commented on Devil's Bargain by Stella Rimington (Manon Tyler, #1)
One lie put the nation at risk. Another might save it.
Harry Bristow: policeman, father, …
I'm enjoying the story, but I'm getting irritated that proper nouns at the start of chapters aren't capitalised for some reason.
For example, chapter 26 starts:
‘Well, manon,’ said wilberforce, ‘when I asked you to keep close to your friend Louise and find out more about this MP Peter Robinson, I certainly didn’t expect you to come back so soon with a story like this.
Robin Phillips reviewed Frozen Heck by Si Clarke (Starship Teapot, #4)
STRANDED IN DEEP SPACE ... BUT AT LEAST THEY HAVE DONUTS.
When a warp engine …
Great story, excellent audiobook narration
5 stars
I read the ebook a while ago. When the audiobook was published, I bought that too.
Knowing what was coming made it a different experience second time around, but it didn't diminish my enjoyment, just changed it.
The narration by @kayeluvian@the.voiceover.bar was superb, as ever. Her Robert Llewellyn voice was spot on, and the Alan Rickman very good.
Overall, a really fun story with excellent narration in the audiobook.
Robin Phillips finished reading Frozen Heck by Si Clarke (Starship Teapot, #4)
STRANDED IN DEEP SPACE ... BUT AT LEAST THEY HAVE DONUTS.
When a warp engine …
I read the ebook a while ago. Just finished listening to the audiobook.
Robin Phillips started reading Frozen Heck by Si Clarke (Starship Teapot, #4)
STRANDED IN DEEP SPACE ... BUT AT LEAST THEY HAVE DONUTS.
When a warp engine …
I read the ebook a while ago, now I'm listening to the audiobook.
Robin Phillips finished reading The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins (The Hunger Games, #0)
The odds are against him. He’s been given the humiliating assignment of mentoring the female …
Content warning Minor spoiler about the ending
Very good, and an interesting insight into President Snow's early life, which provides some context to his later actions.
The ending is excellent but brutal.
In a narrative as powerful and moving as it is authoritative, David O’Keefe rewrites history, …
Strong case for the pinch argument
5 stars
O'Keefe makes a strong case for his assertion that the Dieppe raid was planned as a pinch operation. The audiobook narrator is also very good.
Robin Phillips stopped reading The Night Manager by John le Carré
Individual greed takes the place of old world rivalries of great nations. Inside look at …
I really struggled to get interested in this one, and eventually just gave up. I don't know if I've changed, or if le Carré's later books just aren't as good as the earlier ones.
Robin Phillips commented on $ git sync murder by Michael Warren Lucas (git commit murder, #2)
Murder on the Sysadmin Express
After accidentally solving two murders, Dale Whitehead hungers to stay …
Content warning Mild spoiler
Part of the appeal of these books is the geekiness, but I hadn't expected the murder weapon to be so geeky.
Robin Phillips reviewed Skirmish Kids by Peter Schweighofer
Fight your own tabletop battles with toy soldiers! These basic wargame rules put you in …
Excellent companion to Panzer Kids
5 stars
This is an excellent set of quick, simple skirmish rules, ideal for introducing kids to wargaming. Like Panzer Kids by the same author, it includes several scenarios with different win conditions. There's also a welcome section on game etiquette, including notes on how to be a good winner and loser.
Robin Phillips reviewed The Invite by Si Clarke (Mars Colony, #0)
Before they were tasked with planning the first permanent colony on Mars, Gurdeep and Georgie …
Good, but I wanted more of Georgie and Gurdeep
4 stars
Another good short story from Si Clarke (@clacksee@wandering.shop). I'm glad she's returned to the Mars Colony series, and I'd love to see a full-length book three. But then, I also want another full-length Vigilaunte Justice book, so maybe I'm just greedy 😎
It's a lovely, cosy short, told from Gurdeep's perspective. My only criticism is that it's very short and I wanted it to last longer.
Robin Phillips finished reading The Nuremberg Trial by Ann Tusa
Fascinating account of the trial. Unfortunately I thought the audiobook narrator wasn't very good.
Robin Phillips reviewed True Worth by Vanessa Ugatti
Vanessa Ugatti dramatically shifts the thinking for accountants, lawyers and consultants taking them from their …
Short, but useful
4 stars
Some of the reviews say that the information is very basic. That may be true, but a lot of it was new to me, and given that it's very short (32 pages in paperback) and cheap (99p for the ebook), I didn't expect it to go into great depth, nor did I want it to.
My only complaint is that a full quarter of the book is back matter - about the author, quotes from clients, etc.
Robin Phillips started reading Cadman by Andrew Knighton (Commando Presents Cadman, #1)
On 10th February, 1973, “The Coward of the Fighting 43rd” first appeared in The Victor, …
As a kid, I read Cadman stories in Victor. I've enjoyed Andrew Knighton's new Cadman stories, and I'm looking forward to reading old ones too.