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nathanjhunt's reviews
225 reviews
Right On Track by Terry Deary
informative
medium-paced
3.25
This was my 46th and last book finished in 2024.
I had high hopes for this book, being an avid railway "fan". The early history of engines and the railway were informative and well-written, but the book quickly descended into steam railway disaster tales... One after the other, after the other, after the other...
I feel like a lot was missed out - nothing whatsoever about canals or the Beeching axe, or modern trains / railways? And it was dotted with random "fake adverts" which was just used as filler.
Slightly disappointed.
I had high hopes for this book, being an avid railway "fan". The early history of engines and the railway were informative and well-written, but the book quickly descended into steam railway disaster tales... One after the other, after the other, after the other...
I feel like a lot was missed out - nothing whatsoever about canals or the Beeching axe, or modern trains / railways? And it was dotted with random "fake adverts" which was just used as filler.
Slightly disappointed.
The Blitzed Brits by Terry Deary
informative
reflective
medium-paced
3.25
This was my 44th book finished in 2024.
I'll admit, I liked it more than I thought I would, as this is not an era I usually take interest in. Although it seems like an oddly specific topic for one of the earliest HH books, especially seeing as another book about WWII was released a few years later.
I actually found a lot of it interesting, but some sections were really drawn out, especially towards the end.
A side note: The recipes had the measurements all wrong - since when was half a pint 800ml? And when was 1 tsp equal to 15g, but 2 tsp is only 5g?
I'll admit, I liked it more than I thought I would, as this is not an era I usually take interest in. Although it seems like an oddly specific topic for one of the earliest HH books, especially seeing as another book about WWII was released a few years later.
I actually found a lot of it interesting, but some sections were really drawn out, especially towards the end.
A side note: The recipes had the measurements all wrong - since when was half a pint 800ml? And when was 1 tsp equal to 15g, but 2 tsp is only 5g?
The Savage Stone Age by Terry Deary
funny
informative
lighthearted
medium-paced
3.5
This was my 42nd book finished in 2024.
I liked this book as a kid, it's no wonder I grew up to be a commercial archaeologist.
So this book does a pretty bad job at defining periods of the "stone age", aka Palaeolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic. The "stone age" is a vast period of human history, technologies were so varied, and they're all just kind of smooshed together in here.
With such a vast period, I was surprised that some aspects of the book touched upon the Bronze Age, Iron Age and Medieval period. The Bronze Age and Iron Age could be their own books, there's so much to say!
There was also a lot of time taken to talk about the history of archaeology. As an archaeologist, I'm not mad about this, but again, this could be its own book.
My last point, is that there are a lot of sections with theories that are presented as fact. This is bad as theories change and evolve, and it can badly date a book that's already 25 years old. Everything in this book is a theory - we don't know for sure if humans did what they did, and the book should be more open about that.
I liked this book as a kid, it's no wonder I grew up to be a commercial archaeologist.
So this book does a pretty bad job at defining periods of the "stone age", aka Palaeolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic. The "stone age" is a vast period of human history, technologies were so varied, and they're all just kind of smooshed together in here.
With such a vast period, I was surprised that some aspects of the book touched upon the Bronze Age, Iron Age and Medieval period. The Bronze Age and Iron Age could be their own books, there's so much to say!
There was also a lot of time taken to talk about the history of archaeology. As an archaeologist, I'm not mad about this, but again, this could be its own book.
My last point, is that there are a lot of sections with theories that are presented as fact. This is bad as theories change and evolve, and it can badly date a book that's already 25 years old. Everything in this book is a theory - we don't know for sure if humans did what they did, and the book should be more open about that.
Angry Animals by Nick Arnold
adventurous
funny
informative
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
3.75
This was my 38th book finished in 2024.
I've had this book since childhood but never read it until now! It was actually quite funny and witty.
I thought it was informative and neatly layed out, but some parts felt like filler. The ending was predictable, but well-written for kids.
As other reviews have said, it was a shame it didn't include anything on invertebrates.
I've had this book since childhood but never read it until now! It was actually quite funny and witty.
I thought it was informative and neatly layed out, but some parts felt like filler. The ending was predictable, but well-written for kids.
As other reviews have said, it was a shame it didn't include anything on invertebrates.
The Villainous Victorians by Terry Deary
dark
fast-paced
2.75
This was my 36th book finished in 2024.
Back with another HH book, so I wondered how many pages it would take before reaching a fatphobic joke - about 5. But there were surprisingly fewer than usual.
So I didn't realise this book would focus solely on crime and punishment. Some bits felt spread out and overdrawn. It would have been better to read something slightly more varied, as it got a bit tiresome after a while of reading the same kind of things.
It was alright. Not the worst HH I've read.
Back with another HH book, so I wondered how many pages it would take before reaching a fatphobic joke - about 5. But there were surprisingly fewer than usual.
So I didn't realise this book would focus solely on crime and punishment. Some bits felt spread out and overdrawn. It would have been better to read something slightly more varied, as it got a bit tiresome after a while of reading the same kind of things.
It was alright. Not the worst HH I've read.
Content Warnings
Minor: Fatphobia
William III & Mary II: Partners In Revolution by Jonathan Keates
informative
reflective
medium-paced
3.5
This was my 66th and last book finished in 2023.
I have a fledgling interest in the Restoration Era, having read Samuel Pepys' diary, and a biography on Charles II. I too have an interest in the Georgian Era, having read a biography on George I. But, as the author states, there seems to be this forgotten gap between the two, marking the end of the Stuart era. I know a little about Anne, but what about Mary II and William III? The oldest English coin I own is a William III half penny from the 1690s, but I don't know a thing about the man.
This book serves as a good introduction. Of course this is just a summary of their lives, but it did feel a little fleeting. The book is about 20 pages shorter than others in the series, and I did feel like some things were just glanced over.
Generally, the author's writing style is fine, with nothing too confusing. But I did have to re-read some paragraphs in the opening chapter, as a lot of people had the same name, and it wasn't always obvious who the author was talking about.
To summarise, it seems true that their reign was short and quite unremarkable; no wonder British history has mostly forgotten about them. The author does an okay job of keeping the book interesting.
I have a fledgling interest in the Restoration Era, having read Samuel Pepys' diary, and a biography on Charles II. I too have an interest in the Georgian Era, having read a biography on George I. But, as the author states, there seems to be this forgotten gap between the two, marking the end of the Stuart era. I know a little about Anne, but what about Mary II and William III? The oldest English coin I own is a William III half penny from the 1690s, but I don't know a thing about the man.
This book serves as a good introduction. Of course this is just a summary of their lives, but it did feel a little fleeting. The book is about 20 pages shorter than others in the series, and I did feel like some things were just glanced over.
Generally, the author's writing style is fine, with nothing too confusing. But I did have to re-read some paragraphs in the opening chapter, as a lot of people had the same name, and it wasn't always obvious who the author was talking about.
To summarise, it seems true that their reign was short and quite unremarkable; no wonder British history has mostly forgotten about them. The author does an okay job of keeping the book interesting.
My First Aeroplane by H.G. Wells
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This was my 54th book finished in 2025.
I initially thought I wasn't going to like this story, but then I started laughing out loud at it. I love how arrogant the narrator is, and nothing is his fault. I guffawed when he started killing pigs "because they were born to die" - any justification for his actions!
Sad that this is so obscure and unknown, it's a genuine gem.
I initially thought I wasn't going to like this story, but then I started laughing out loud at it. I love how arrogant the narrator is, and nothing is his fault. I guffawed when he started killing pigs "because they were born to die" - any justification for his actions!
Sad that this is so obscure and unknown, it's a genuine gem.
The Magic Shop by H.G. Wells
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0
This was my 53rd book finished in 2025.
I found this story very creepy and engaging. I really liked it, it gave me Doctor Who Celestial Toymaker vibes.
Also, hilarious: he wishes he was his wife so he could kiss his son in public without looking weird. Hah, wasn't the Edwardian period curious.
I found this story very creepy and engaging. I really liked it, it gave me Doctor Who Celestial Toymaker vibes.
Also, hilarious: he wishes he was his wife so he could kiss his son in public without looking weird. Hah, wasn't the Edwardian period curious.
Heart Of Darkness by Joseph Conrad
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
slow-paced
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
1.0
This was my 39th book finished in 2023.
Read as part of a duo with The Secret Sharer.
Hands down the most boring fiction book I've ever had the misfortune to read. Its only redeeming feature was its short length.
The writing style is horrendous. There was absolutely no need for a narrator. I don't know whether it was just my edition, but the pages were just a wall of text. The paragraphs were completely random, and it was so hard to follow who was saying what.
This book is trash, it doesn't deserve a longer review.
Read as part of a duo with The Secret Sharer.
Hands down the most boring fiction book I've ever had the misfortune to read. Its only redeeming feature was its short length.
The writing style is horrendous. There was absolutely no need for a narrator. I don't know whether it was just my edition, but the pages were just a wall of text. The paragraphs were completely random, and it was so hard to follow who was saying what.
This book is trash, it doesn't deserve a longer review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Colonisation
The Secret Sharer by Joseph Conrad
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
slow-paced
2.75
This was my 37th book finished in 2023.
Read as part of a duo with Heart Of Darkness. I found this one in a book cafe in Hoi An, Vietnam. I left it in a homestay in Hue.
It was alright. I was just disappointed that nothing happened at the end. I was hoping for a big tense climax, but it didn't deliver. Maybe the other guy was the narrator? There were so many routes it could have gone down, but it did none of them.
Read as part of a duo with Heart Of Darkness. I found this one in a book cafe in Hoi An, Vietnam. I left it in a homestay in Hue.
It was alright. I was just disappointed that nothing happened at the end. I was hoping for a big tense climax, but it didn't deliver. Maybe the other guy was the narrator? There were so many routes it could have gone down, but it did none of them.