Just starting THE WRONG SIDE OF GOODBYE, by Michael Connelly.

Although generally aware of both the Suez crisis and the Hungarian uprising, I didn't know much about them; they happened within my lifetime, but I was only four years old at the time.  This book is good on showing the interplay of the events.  And I don't think of myself as naive, but I found myself shocked at the cynicism of almost all the countries involved.  Nobody comes off very well, although Nasser and Eisenhower do about as well as anybody.  This book embodies the current conventional wisdom, that Eisenhower acted correctly in declining to support the British, French and Israeli's in the attempt to seize control of the Suez canal.  Eisenhower, however, reportedly came to regret his handling of the situation, a view not covered by author Alex Von Tunzelmann.  For that view, I think I'm now interested enough to read Michael Doran's book on the same subject, Ike's Gamble.

My first foray into Philip K Dick since my failed attempt at reading--ahem--"Blade Runner" when I was twelve.

I am about 100 pages into the book now - based on this book, I should find a new career (ugh!).

The Year of Lear sheds light on these three great tragedies by placing them in the context of their times, while also allowing us greater insight into how Shakespeare was personally touched by such events as a terrible outbreak of plague and growing religious divisions."  And they might have added, the Gunpowder Plot.