Read any good books lately?

I just finished "Bunker Hill: A City, A Siege, A Revolution" by Nat Philbrick.

I'd recommend it- it draws from a variety of personal accounts that keeps it pretty human scale.

Adams and his rabble were really a bunch of violent criminals, who openly murdered authorities and replaced the King's Law with their own version of justice. It's a REALLY good thing for them that they won, and that's a miracle too. Otherwise they'd all be swinging from gibbets.

A little hyperbole on my part, but it's a pretty violent story.

On my days off this past week I read "U-Boat War" by Lothar-Gunther Buchheim. He is the author of "Das Boot"on which the movie of the same name was based, and this book is more his actual wartime experiences coupled with lots of photos that he took during his time on U-96, as well as before and afterwards. Very personal and very compelling. The photos he took are simply captivating to look at as you read his words of events going on and captured on film. Great stuff for anyone interested in subs, the Battle of the Atlantic, or the film.

Currently reading Fire and Fury : The Bombing of Germany.

In non-military related books, I pre-ordered 'Go Set a Watchman' by Harper Lee at Barnes  & Nobles for $16.79.

I just finished "Night fighter over Germany", by Graham White. An RAF Flight Sergeant, who flew Mossies. He has a very interesting writing style and inserts a lot of humor. Pretty interesting book.

Just finished "Killing Patton" by Bill O'Reilly.It was borrowed,fairly good light reading,some interesting accounts that I hadn't heard.

stikpusher

On my days off this past week I read "U-Boat War" by Lothar-Gunther

Buchheim. He is the author of "Das Boot"on which the movie of the same name was based, and this book is more his actual wartime experiences coupled with lots of photos that he took during his time on U-96, as well as before and afterwards. Very personal and very compelling. The photos he took are simply captivating to look at as you read his words of events going on and captured on film. Great stuff for anyone interested in subs, the Battle of the Atlantic, or the film.

I actually have had that book on my shelf from the 80's.very good account and the photos were indeed very good.

Gunter Grass died today. His book The Tin Drum had a strong positive effect on my later tastes in literature. I don't think I have read anything quite like it, ever since.

Reading the biography of Field Marshal Sir Bernard Law Montgomery of Alamein.  Slow going at the moment.  A young Monty has just been accepted into Sandhurst.

One of my patients just lent me a book "H.M.S. Puncher". It is not quite a book as a photo collection with short stories about life and service on her. The hook? My patient served on her so it is an instant connection...

GMorrison

Gunter Grass died today. His book The Tin Drum had a strong positive effect on my later tastes in literature. I don't think I have read anything quite like it, ever since.

I read it, too, when I was studying German in college.  I read The Flounder (Der Butt), too back then.  I enjoyed how he wove history, including of his native Danzig, together with some absurdity, in putting forth the themes.   He reminded me that way, too, of Kurt Vonnegut.  The Diary of a Snail was interesting, too.

Just finished up Eugene Sledge's "With the Old Breed".  Exceptionally good read and it was difficult for me to put it down.

Yesterday I was mowing my lawn for the first time this season and the cable that controls the "self-propelled" mechanism on my push mower broke.  I was grunting and sweating and feeling the pain in my hands from having to shove the mower.  I was going to take a break but then I thought of the pure hell that folks like Sledge had to deal with day in and day out.  Suddenly my life didn't seem so bad.

Eric

Yes, that was a good book. Sledge's description of the daily ordeals of combat on Peleliu and Okinawa really put our daily mundane "troubles" into perspective.

I finally got ahold of Rick Atkinson's final book of his WWII trilogy, "The Guns at Last Light" and started reading it. Fantastic stuff! My model building now has a serious rival for my spare time (besides the infernal internet) until I am done with this book.

Finished reading Fire & Fury over the weekend. Worth a read.

I'm reading "Mengele: The Complete Story."  Just amazing.  

Agreed with "With the Old Breed"

I just finished "Blind Man's Bluff: The Untold Story of American Submarine Espionage." Good book. Sure is nice to be able to read whatever I want now.

Blind Man's Bluff is a fascinating book.  I happen to work with a submariner, who cannot confirm or deny the events described in the book, but recommended it as a good read.  :)  I am working my way through The Coldest Winter, by David Halberstam covering the Korean War. He goes into depth on the politics that got us into the war the personalities of the principle players in getting us into the war and how it was prosecuted  So far a very interesting read, with history back into WWII and going forward to Viet Nam.  

John

I will have to check out Coldest Winter soon, in addition to your recommendation, it was one of the books that Carlos started this thread with. 

I ran across BMB doing research for a paper on submarines this past spring. One of the submariners I interviewed said pretty much the same thing as the one you know so it was first on my list of books to read for pleasure this summer. 

Yes, those are both good reads. The type that I really enjoy.

Ms. had her weekly jewelry class this morning, so I was in Berkeley with a couple of hours free to knock around.

Went to Target for kitchen stuff, then to my (not so) LHS for brass wire, paint and a magazine.

While i was there, I was looking at the ship kits and reminded myself that I would like to read Shattered Sword.

So I drove over to "Moes" Book Store, probably one of the best new and used stores I have ever been to.

To make a tedious story short, no, they didn't have it.

But they had this, which I picked up for $ 36,00 plus tax.

I have never read this and am already 100 pages in.

Just finished "The Great War of Our Time: The CIA's Fight Against Terrorism from al Qaida to ISIS." While I enjoyed it and would recommend it, I'll only elect to explain why only in PMs to whomever is interested so as not to possibly steer this thread into something else.

Has anybody read "Matterhorn" by Kevin Marlantes? If so is it worth the read? The only other fiction book I've read on Vietnam was "Fields of Fire" by Webb, which I loved.

I'm reading through William Forstchen's "Lost Regiment" series right now.  I like military sci-fi, and it's a pretty good series.

In between the second and third installments, I also read Eliot Asinof's "Eight Men Out", about the Black Sox scandal.  I have two conclusions from reading the book.  John Sayles twisted the details a little, in making his movie based on the book, and if you read about the early days of baseball and how prevalent gambling and its attendant corruption was, you understand why Pete Rose must stay banned for life.

I am in 500% disagreement on Baron's opinion regarding Pete Rose banned from baseball. Not for nothing, but Pete Rose DESERVES to be in the HoF... as a PLAYER - not manager. He is one the best MLB hitters in baseball of the 20th Century and my generation. You wait and see, Pete Rose WILL BE reinstated and inducted into the Hall soon enough.

Looking forward to the new Antony Beevor book on the Ardennes due out in November

www.amazon.com/.../ref=sr_1_1

I finished up "The Guns at Last Light" very early yesterday. A dang good book. Enlightening, sobering and entertaining at various points. A familiar tale told in a slightly different manner, with a few more nuances added than  I normally have read on this subject. From the personal to the grand. I will have to read all three books in the trilogy back to back in a few years. I still have plenty more unread books in my library to read before I can do that sort of thing. Now back to my Sherlock Holmes collection...

BlackSheepTwoOneFour

He is one the best MLB hitters in baseball of the 20th Century and my generation. You wait and see, Pete Rose WILL BE reinstated and inducted into the Hall soon enough.

He didn't play for the Pirates ;)

Tojo72

Looking forward to the new Antony Beevor book on the Ardennes due out in November

www.amazon.com/.../ref=sr_1_1

I saw The Wright Brothers book in Barnes & Nobles the other night and told my wife that looks like it would be an interesting read. I may take a grab at it soon.

Hell from the Heavens--USS Laffey survives attacks by twenty-two kamikaze's on 16 April, 1945.

Started re-reading The Washing of the Spears:  the Rise and Fall of the Zulu Nation.  

Currently reading "Spitfire Women of World War 2" by Giles Whittell