Another Maigret:- "Maigret's Boyhood Friend" expertly* (as far as I could tell) translated in 1970 by Eileen Ellenbogen. After enjoying this one I looked to see what was available on YouTube, and found that the Granada TV production starring Michael Gambon was (once again) the best. I was also able to follow the French film version starring the infamous Bruno Cremer. As always (for me) the book itself was the best "version". I also noted that the French film lacked the atmospheric music (in fact, no music at all) of the British production(s); and - even more odd - Maigret never wore a hat in any of the scenes. Sacré bleu! 9/10 for the story (and the translation).
I have recently waded through (thankfully not too many pages) of Patrick Cockburn's "The Rise of the Islamic State" (2014). Cockburn is a well known journalist who reports from the Middle East, and indeed this book comes across as a series of newspaper dispatches. But it lacks structure, and he repeats himself throughout. By now, of course, this book could do with an updated edition; but I found it to be a somewhat superficial overview. In fact I would recommend those with an interest in this area to look elsewhere. Only 3/10, I think.
On the other hand I can recommend "Sisters in Arms" (2008) by Nicola Tyrer. This book tells the story of the Queen Alexandra's Imperial Military Nursing Service during the Second World War. There are many quotable passages, but the one that stays with me is when a Japanese officer in Hong Kong asks:- "Do English women never cry"? To which the Matron replies:- "Not when they have work to do". The nurses endured harsh conditions in many theatres of the war, and were often nearer to the front lines of fighting than I had imagined. Many nursed on hospital ships, and some survived shipwrecks (due to enemy action). I had not realised how many QA nurses there actually were (more than 10,000 at their peak)! All in all a powerful depiction of wartime nursing. 10/10.
* In that, had I not known that the original "L'Ami d'Enfance de Maigret" (1968) was written in French by Georges Simenon, I would never have guessed whilst reading Ellenbogen's work.
