Book review: A Delicate Truth a very British le Carré thriller



A Delicate Truth
John le Carré
Viking

Nobody does the machinations, double-dealing and backstabbing behind the Whitehall façade quite as well as John le Carré. As Tony Blair's government takes the country into Iraq to nullify weapons of mass destruction, career diplomat Toby Bell begins his climb up the ladder: Berlin, Madrid, Cairo - eventually to become private secretary to Fergus Quinn, the junior minister of state to the Foreign Office.

While in the service of the frankly underhand Quinn, he stumbles across a murky plot to snatch a much-wanted Islamist arms dealer, who is in Gibraltar on a deal. British forces are involved, as are a few American mercenaries.

Three years later, the crows come home to roost and Toby, invited to visit Sir Christopher Probyn, a retired diplomat, discovers that his early fears about the mission to Gibraltar were not unfounded.

Faced with the choice of following his conscience or staying loyal to the questionable demands of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's sense of duty, Toby does the right thing. All very British, of course, but then this is John le Carré.

* Nigel Walsh

The Bio

Favourite place in UAE: Al Rams pearling village

What one book should everyone read: Any book written before electricity was invented. When a writer willingly worked under candlelight, you know he/she had a real passion for their craft

Your favourite type of pearl: All of them. No pearl looks the same and each carries its own unique characteristics, like humans

Best time to swim in the sea: When there is enough light to see beneath the surface

Mia Man’s tips for fermentation

- Start with a simple recipe such as yogurt or sauerkraut

- Keep your hands and kitchen tools clean. Sanitize knives, cutting boards, tongs and storage jars with boiling water before you start.

- Mold is bad: the colour pink is a sign of mold. If yogurt turns pink as it ferments, you need to discard it and start again. For kraut, if you remove the top leaves and see any sign of mold, you should discard the batch.

- Always use clean, closed, airtight lids and containers such as mason jars when fermenting yogurt and kraut. Keep the lid closed to prevent insects and contaminants from getting in.

 

The%20Specs
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Hamilton’s 2017

Australia - 2nd; China - 1st; Bahrain - 2nd; Russia - 4th; Spain - 1st; Monaco - 7th; Canada - 1st; Azerbaijan - 5th; Austria - 4th; Britain - 1st; Hungary - 4th; Belgium - 1st; Italy - 1st; Singapore - 1st; Malaysia - 2nd; Japan - 1st; United States - 1st; Mexico - 9th

MATCH INFO

Uefa Champions League last 16, first leg

Liverpool v Bayern Munich, midnight, Wednesday, BeIN Sports

Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989

Director: Goran Hugo Olsson

Rating: 5/5

Tips to avoid getting scammed

1) Beware of cheques presented late on Thursday

2) Visit an RTA centre to change registration only after receiving payment

3) Be aware of people asking to test drive the car alone

4) Try not to close the sale at night

5) Don't be rushed into a sale 

6) Call 901 if you see any suspicious behaviour


The Arts Edit

A guide to arts and culture, from a Middle Eastern perspective

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