Books about Glasgow

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Postby macca734 » Wed May 10, 2006 1:36 am

Armadillo wrote:For Glasgow in fiction, I reckon you can't beat Willie McIlvanney's original detective novels Laidlaw and The Papers of Tony Veitch. As somebody pointed out elsewhere on HG, Laidlaw was a forerunner of both Taggart and Rebus - but somehow McIlvanney never got the recognition for the character that he deserved. The books are very evocative of a certain period - late 70s/early 80s. And Veitch has the killer opening line:

"It was Glasgow on a Friday night - the city of the stare".


My favourite line from the book was when Laidlaw telephoned a number he found.....

"He tried the number of the payphone again; no answer. It was like trying to telephone god...."

And another, this time about the hospital....

"It was just the city, processing its Friday night pain...."

What a fucking author. For those who care, I'm getting right into Iain Banks and have done the Ian Rankin / Rebus stuff to death. I love it though I fear Rebus will meet with a sticky end soon; Rankin is a typical pragmatic Scot and he knows Rebus cant live forever. I wish he could.
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Postby LJM » Sat May 27, 2006 7:19 pm

engineer wrote:i heard about a book written by a glasgow ambulanceman which was supposed to be good. anyone know what it is?



I have a copy of a book called Blue Lights and Bandages written by Jack Kirkland. He was an ambulance man with the Scottish Ambulance Services for over 30 years. The book is a collection his experiences, some of them funny but some quite harrowing. It is an excellent book. It was published in 1989 by Seanachaidh Publishing Ltd. I wonder if this is the one you have heard about?
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Postby engineer » Sun May 28, 2006 12:21 pm

that sounds like the very one
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Postby Toby Dammit » Sun May 28, 2006 2:54 pm

Set mainly in Clydebank, but popping into Glasgow occasionaly, THE HOLY CITY by Meg Henderson is a great little novel. It takes in the rent strike, the Blitz (of course), the death of the shipbuilding industry and even the Commando training site at Loch Arkaig. My mum was brought up in the Holy City (surviving the first night of the Blitz purely by accident), and I bought her a copy for Christmas one year, which both she and my sister loved and couldn't put down.
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Postby LJM » Mon May 29, 2006 12:24 pm

engineer wrote:that sounds like the very one



You can get copies on the internet. I've seen them on amazon.
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Books: 'Glasgow Curiosities'

Postby escapologist » Tue May 30, 2006 2:02 pm

<i>Glasgow Curiosities</i> by Carol Foreman is a superb read. Funny and sweet.

Hillhead Library has a whole bunch of copies in the Local Interest section and I daresay that the other public libraries have copies too. Alternatively, it's on Amazon: http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASI ... 09-7271841
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Re: Books: 'Glasgow Curiosities'

Postby Fat Cat » Mon Aug 14, 2006 8:29 am

escapologist wrote:<i>Glasgow Curiosities</i> by Carol Foreman is a superb read. Funny and sweet.

Hillhead Library has a whole bunch of copies in the Local Interest section and I daresay that the other public libraries have copies too. Alternatively, it's on Amazon: http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASI ... 09-7271841


For £188 it must be bloody amazing.
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Postby Sydney Rosewater » Mon Aug 14, 2006 10:39 am

This City Now by Ian R Mitchell. Top class read.
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Postby glasgowken » Mon Aug 14, 2006 3:44 pm

I've seen this a lot on Amazon, fairly common books, & videos, on sale for ridiculously high prices.

Is it a technical glitch, or something ?
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Postby pwm437 » Mon Aug 14, 2006 3:51 pm

Although not a ripping yarn for holiday reading, I think JohnHume's Industrial Archaeology of Glasgow is the daddy of all Glasgow books. It captures in great detail something that this city was great at : manufacturing
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Postby AlanM » Mon Aug 14, 2006 7:27 pm

glasgowken wrote:I've seen this a lot on Amazon, fairly common books, & videos, on sale for ridiculously high prices.

Is it a technical glitch, or something ?


Its a marketplace trader in Florida, so he'll set his own prices. Could be a fat fingered typo when entering the price.
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Frank Worsdall - The City That Disappeared.

Postby Minted Stereo » Mon Feb 12, 2007 10:36 pm

this has been locked on the forum for some reason.........

From 1981. What a book that is. Was introduced to it by my step-father and only recently managed to get my own copy. Both breathtaking and heartbreaking at the same time. Glasgow has lost some amazing architecture over the years. Get down to your library and try and source a copy. Essential reading for Glaswegians.

I read somewhere that the author died in tragic circumstances. The article didn't really elaborate. Does anybody have any idea what happened to him?
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Re: Frank Worsdall - The City That Disappeared.

Postby viceroy » Wed Feb 14, 2007 9:05 pm

Minted Stereo wrote:I read somewhere that the author died in tragic circumstances. The article didn't really elaborate. Does anybody have any idea what happened to him?


As far as I know poor Frank Worsdall was knocked off his bicycle and died of his injuries. Sometime in the early 1980's I believe.
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Postby AlanM » Mon Feb 19, 2007 10:01 am

There's a few interesting books of old photos available for little money at the moment.

Images of Scotland, Central Glasgow: Peter Stewart £3.99

Images of Scotland, Glasgow West: Peter Stewart £4.99

Images of Scotland, North Glasgow: Peter Stewart £3.99

all were in Bookworld on Byres Rd at the weekend (so may be available in other branches too). I picked up the Central and West ones.

Also Alan Millar's Streets of Glasgow is in the shop at the Transport Museum at £9.99 instead of the usual £14.99
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Postby brickwall » Mon Feb 19, 2007 12:06 pm

Thanks, I'll take a wee wonder down Byres this avro.
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