Read any good books lately?

GMorrison

...Try "A Canticle for Leibowitz" too...

Great novel!  That's another one that I read about once a year.  Coincidentally, I'm reading Thomas Cahill's "How the Irish Saved Civilization", and it reminds me of how aptly Miller crafted his story of the monks preserving learning through the new dark ages.  It's one of the things that makes "A Canticle for Leibowitz" such a great novel, it's so plausible.

Well I finished up Stranger in a Strange Land a couple days ago. A great book, and an excellent reminder of why I need to read more. Especially classic Sci Fi like this.

I'm reading "Cattle Kingdom". It was recommended to me by my friend Leon Panetta.

I started it once and put it down, but due to some really bad foggy days and a welcoming fireplace with Ms. Bondo curled up with her own books, away we go.

The story is about the rise and demise of the free range cattle industry 1865-1884, from southern Texas up into Wyoming. A true industrial bubble. By 1880 Cheyenne, WY had the highest per capita income in North America. Then it all fell apart in the Great Die Off, in1884 (?) when 1,000,000 cattle died on the range in a bad winter. Crashed the commodities mrkets and cause a bubble-related recession.

I've finished Log From The Sea of Cortez by John Steinbeck, and Flying Circus by Ernest Gann.

The first is model related, as I am bashing a model of the Western Flyer purse seiner from the Revell Fireboat.

The second is even more model related, details to follow.

stikpusher

Well I finished up Stranger in a Strange Land a couple days ago. A great book, and an excellent reminder of why I need to read more. Especially classic Sci Fi like this.

 

A pleasure drug is/ are "Ridley Walker", "A Clockwork Orange".

stikpusher

Well I finished up Stranger in a Strange Land a couple days ago. A great book, and an excellent reminder of why I need to read more. Especially classic Sci Fi like this.

 

I finished reading “The Man Who Flew the Memphis Belle”. Very well written and a joy to read.

She married a man named Wes Peters. He was a apprentice to the greatest american architect, Frank Lloyd Wright.

I haven't read a book in ages but for my birthday this year my youngest step daughter got me Richard Dawkin The God Delusion. Its been really intertesting an eye opening and has deffinetly got me back into reading

I'm in a reading lull right now.

I've read the whole "Expanse" series-the books are much better than the TV series-but the next book isn't due out for another year or so.  Same goes for "Game of Thrones".

I want to read John LeCarre's "The Little Drummer Girl", having seen bits of the series AMC produced based on the novel.  But my library doesn't have it, so I have to track it down.

And I'm trying to get started on David Drake's "The Road of Danger".  I can't get past the first couple of chapters.  I like his "Hammer's Slammers" series and his short stories.  But this one just seems to drag.  I've started it twice and put it down, and am on my third try.

Otherwise, I'm reading Ospreys and other references, for things I'm working on.  That includes looking for materials about Pennsylvania in the French-and-Indian War, and the provincial regiment.  And I read the periodicals I still get, like FSM, the IPMS journal, and a couple toy soldier mags.

I just started re-reading the Lincoln Child/Douglas Child, "Pendergast" series of books. He is quite the interesting character.

Finished  "Failure Is Not An Option" by Gene Kranz.

Working on a bunch of Osprey books right now.

I've been reading the forum for the past couple months and just came across this thread.  Great idea for a topic! 

I usually bounce back and forth between Star Wars novels and history non-fiction/reference. A book that i think was very good and does relate to our hobby is A Higher Call by Adam Makos.  The book is the story of an American bomber pilot and a German fighter pilot who meet during a ww2 battle then met again many years after the war. 

I know there's quite a few pages on this topic so someone may have mentioned it already but i think it's a very interesting story. 

It's been a few years since i finished reading it- as not to stray too far off topic, i just finished a star wars book called Thrawn: Alliances by Timothy Zahn.

Often whilst browsing amazon I ponder what to read next.  This thread will help. 

Thanks for the ideas! 

T e d

A classic, “Autobiogrophy of a Yogi”.  By Paramahansa Yogananda.  

Aha !Mississippivol !

 Now you know where the term " Women and Children First " Came from .Interesting read for all sea and ship buffs . T.B. P.S. It was also known as the " Birkenhead Drill "

Reading Max Hastings: The secret war.    Spies, codes and guerrillas 1939-1945.

All the countries involved during WW2 not just those we're familiar with.

Joe

All, just read an interesting one by Bruce Gamble called Kangaroo Squadron, about the first heavy bombers deployed to Australia during the opening months of WWII.  Turns out, his uncle was one of the crew, so the story has a personal aspect for him.  It also tells the origin of the Swamp Ghost.  Nice, fast paced read and hard to put down.  

John

Ted4321

I've been reading the forum for the past couple months and just came across this thread.  Great idea for a topic! 

I usually bounce back and forth between Star Wars novels and history non-fiction/reference. A book that i think was very good and does relate to our hobby is A Higher Call by Adam Makos.  The book is the story of an American bomber pilot and a German fighter pilot who meet during a ww2 battle then met again many years after the war. 

I know there's quite a few pages on this topic so someone may have mentioned it already but i think it's a very interesting story. 

It's been a few years since i finished reading it- as not to stray too far off topic, i just finished a star wars book called Thrawn: Alliances by Timothy Zahn.

Often whilst browsing amazon I ponder what to read next.  This thread will help. 

Thanks for the ideas! 

T e d

 

A Higher Call is definitely on my list to read!

Finished reading The prisoners of Geography, a great account of how countries development depends on geography, how geography influences political and military actions etc

Antony Beevor "Stalingrad" and "Berlin: The downfall 1945" are eye opening historical books covering the Russian vs German conflict, really brutal.

After reading about Kerry man Tom Crean a member of Scott's expedition and his 35 mile solo walk to save the life of Edward Evans, awarded the Albert medal. I thought I would look for other local heroes Monsignor Hugh O'Flaherty story told in the "The scarlet pimpernel of the vatican." was next. The last a book about Dr Aidan McCarthy "A Doctor's Sword" survives the Atomic bomb on Nagasaki when a prisoner of war, he is given a Samurai sword by the camp commandant for saving his life when other prisoners had him cornered in the final days of the war.

 Just started the story covering " Operation Paperclip " or how we succoured Foreign Nationals  who could advance our Military Science .I am thinking it will be a good book .

My wife just finished "All The Light We Cannot See". She liked it, it is on my list.

All, found another really good one called "Naked in Da Nang"  Mike Jackson is a O-2 pilot and FAC during the end of the war in Viet Nam.  He is an ordinary guy who had some extraordinary things happen to him, and was always able to find the bright spot in the clouds. He wrote of his adventures, including being naked in Da Nang, (I'll let him tell it,) with a sense of humor and wit that had me laughing at the way he said certain things.  The book read almost like he was talking to you at a party.  This book is a good honor to the men and women who served in Viet Nam, and a fun read.  Enjoy!

John

Read a few while I was on vacation in Florida.

First was Terror in the Starboard Seat by Dave McIntosh.  Personal observations by a right seater flying in Mosquitos with 418 Sqn during WWll.

Next was Nickle Trip by Brad Bird.  It's the biography of his father, Clayton Bird, as told to him by his dad.  Mr. Bird was born in the same small town as my father-in-law (Boissevain, Manitoba) and he was a flight instructor in Canada and heavy bomber pilot in Europe with the RCAF during WWll.  He went on to become a flight instructor with the post war RCAF.

Finally, I completed Dam Busters by Ted Barris.  A very interesting read with a few personal anecdotes and detailed descriptions of the development of the bomb, training and the routes flown and the paths taken during each attempt at breaching the dams.

Tanker - Builder

  Just started the story covering " Operation Paperclip " or how we succoured Foreign Nationals  who could advance our Military Science .I am thinking it will be a good book .

 

TB,

  My Best Friends Father was an Operation Paperclip scientist.  There is a lot to be learned about how we got to our present state of technology from that secret program.

   My Friends Pop was a Ukrainian chemist, They did not just take Germans   His family was put in a "camp" and he was forced to work. My friends older sister was born in that "camp".

  Let me know what you think of the book. I will pass on your thoughts to my friend.

      Nino.

P.S.   Funny how so many movies talk in terms of "Our German Scientists" and "Their German Scientists".  Someday maybe a relative of one will tell us about the "Foo Fighters" our pilots saw.

I’m currently reading a book called “The Midway Inquest”. Basicly a dissection of the battle in a courtroom style. For any Midway buffs, I would highly recommend this book for a different perspective and analysis of the battle. Nothing new or shocking is revealed (at least so far), but instead a logical presentation of facts, timelines, and events for the reader to consider, as would be done in a courtroom inquiry.

That sounds like a good read. Reviews suggest it aligns with Shattered Sword.

One often overlooked fact is how Yorktown was turned around in 48 hours at Pearl Harbor.