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Ron Ferguson

Auteur de Chasing the Wild Goose

15 oeuvres 135 utilisateurs 4 critiques

A propos de l'auteur

Ron Ferguson is an award-winning journalist. Previously, he was leader of the Iona Community and minister of St Magnus Cathedral on Orkney, where he lives.

Comprend les noms: Ron Ferguson

Œuvres de Ron Ferguson

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Nom canonique
Ferguson, Ron
Nom légal
Ferguson, Ronald
Date de naissance
1939
Sexe
male

Membres

Critiques

 
Signalé
LOM-Lausanne | Apr 30, 2020 |
I started reading this book under the assumption it was going to be a ‘straight’ biography of George Mackay Brown, not realising that, while it has biographical elements, it is essentially the story of GMB’s spiritual journey. I have read many of GMB’s novels and short stories (the poetry, less so) over the years and always found him a mesmerising writer, able to tap into folklore and tradition.

While I’m not a Christian, I come from a catholic family and my brother is actually a catholic priest. Despite my own lack of belief (like the quote from Julian Barnes in the book, I don’t believe in God but I do miss him) I found this book to be fascinating and was gripped by Ferguson’s writing from beginning to end. The book is written in a conversational and collaborative style with much of the content the result of interviews with other artists and individuals from faith groups.

This is an affectionate portrait of George Mackay Brown’s journey from a protestant upbringing to a somewhat idealised Catholic faith. Ferguson doesn’t avoid the darker sides of GMB — a sponger, prone to depression and alcohol abuse — and this is a very rounded portrait of the poet. A fascinating book about a great Scottish writer.
… (plus d'informations)
 
Signalé
Craiglea | Feb 28, 2012 |
revisited and extended work of a self-published monograph that was sent out to a handful of selected contributors in February 2011. This surpasses in my mind any previously published book on the He 219. Ron has carefully compiled a 110-page A-4 softback that essentially revises, reviews and, most importantly, corrects where erroneous, all previously published He 219 data and details. And it is no exaggeration to state that much of what has been published on the He 219 hitherto is in need of revision and correction.
Contents include chapters devoted to production and Werknummern, an analysis of oft-published and erroneously captioned photos while the bulk of the work (P23-90) reviews all published works on the He 219 with corrections. There are no fewer than 63 detailed corrections and textual improvements for the most recent work on the type, Marek Murawski's He 219 Uhu monograph recently published by Kagero. The appendices cover Werknummern and Stammkenzeichen, victory claims and losses and a comprehensive bibliography.
Asserted by many historians and enthusiasts to have been the leading nightfighter of WWII, the vaunted He 219 was undoubtedly a dangerous opponent for RAF Bomber Command heavies, but rather less so than is often proclaimed for the RAF's rapid twin-engine Mosquito. While prototypes featured - or were intended to feature - remotely controlled gun barbettes, ejection seats and other exotic innovations, most of these developments had been dropped by the time the type entered service. The He 219 was nonetheless fast, heavily armed, had reasonably effective radar and offered outstanding visibility and safety to its crews due to the tricycle undercarriage and ejection seats as detailed in and according to an official 1. Jagddivision report compiled from interviews of I./NJG 1 personnel.
The destructive start to the He 219's night-fighting career with I./NJG 1 is well known, although the feats ascribed to the type subsequently are somewhat exaggerated. During May 1943 the Stab I./NJG 1 received three pre-production A-0s (the V7, the V8 and the V9) for operational testing. All three of these aircraft were similarly armed with two MG 151/20 in the wing roots and four 30 mm MK 108 cannon in the ventral weapons bay. Few if any He 219s ever mounted the Mk 103 cannon. The aircraft were fitted with the FuG 202 Lichtenstein radar. It is known that Maj. Werner Streib's He 219 was destroyed in a crash landing after his first operational interceptions on the night of 11-12 June 1943 when he claimed five bombers in WNr. 190009 (coded G9 FB). Following this loss the He 219 V10 and He 219 V12 were delivered to I./NJG 1 at Venlo in July/August 1943 and the first of the A-0 preproduction series (WNrn. 190051 and 190053) were delivered in the first week of September 1943. On 1 July Hptm. Hans- Dieter Frank had taken over the reins at I./NJG 1 and claimed seven British bombers between 25-26 July and 5-6 September at the controsl of a He 219. He was killed on the night of 27-28 September when his He 219 was involved in a mid-air collision with a Me 110 G-4 of the Geschwaderstab NJG 1. The first Mosquito shot down by a He 219 from I./NJG 1 was no earlier than 6/7 May 1944 through Oblt. Werner Baake, I./NJG 1 eventually accounting for no more than twelve (12) Mosquitos during the existence of the Gruppe. The first crew to save their lives with the ejection seats (then called Katapult Anlage, lit. catapult apparatus) was Uffz. Perbix and his Bordfunker on the night of 10-11 April 1944.
… (plus d'informations)
 
Signalé
FalkeEins | Jan 27, 2012 |
Readings and useful thoughts by the founder of the Iona Community
½
 
Signalé
vicarofdibley | Apr 2, 2006 |

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Statistiques

Œuvres
15
Membres
135
Popularité
#150,831
Évaluation
4.0
Critiques
4
ISBN
20
Langues
1

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