If anybody would like a lovely, funny story for a Christmas present, I can recommend the new Alexei Sayle - Mister Roberts.
I think this is his best work yet, and, oddly enough, thematically similar to the last book book I read, the most recent Tibor Fischer - Good to be God.
Why not buy both of them and compare, and make sure I'm not just blowing smoke out of my arse.
Cheers, and thanks for caring.