Modris Eksteins

Needing to find another couple of inches in a downstairs bookcase this morning, Modris Eksteins drew the short straw. An interesting book which I first read about the time it was first published, but I doubt whether I shall read it again. Not least because the Osbert Sitwell four decker covers the period in question, from the point of a participant rather than that of an observer. With Eksteins being a Canadian historian of Latvian descent who did quality time in Winnipeg, a place where I would think the physical climate was worse than that of Latvia - but where the political and economic climates were rather better.

The book is now honourably buried in the outdoor compost heap, also known as Compost Bin No.2 and the overflow heap. With the notice at reference 3 looking to date from the days when I was still using an original Nokia phone, before telephone snaps acquired the megapixels that they have now.

In the north eastern corner of the heap, about a foot deep, more or less on top of the underlying clay. Some worms and some roots from the neighbouring copper beech screen - neither expected. We shall see whether the foxes are moved to investigate the disturbed ground, with all its interesting smells.

Reference 1: The Great War and the Birth of the Modern Age - Modris Eksteins - 1989.

Reference 2: https://psmv4.blogspot.com/2018/11/compost-bin-no2.html.

Reference 3: https://psmv2.blogspot.com/2013/08/overflow-heap.html.