Read any good books lately?

Devil Dawg

 

 

nearsightedjohn

A recent library book I just finished........ 

 

 

 

You know, I haven't thought about going to the library in a long, long time. I just might hafta gits my butt over there and look around pretty soon. Great idea, nearsightedjohn!

Gary Mason

 

 

 

it can save some money and space,especially if the book isn’t good 

I just finished "The Pioneers" by David McCullogh.  Very good.  It's about the first organized settlements on the Ohio river in the 1780's.  I also finished a new book "Dinosaurs Redicovered" by Michael J. Benton.  Guess what.... Dinosaurs are still around, they are BIRDS.  Actually, we suspected that, now recent discoveries have shown it.   I remember in I think it was in 1972 or so, when I was in Geology, thinking about specialziing in Paleontology that one my professors told me  that we knew all there was to know, they lived millions of years ago, they are dead,  forget them,  learn Forams instead.  Oh well. I could go on.  Well, I have taught the new things at Dinosur Ridge here in Colorado.  We have bones and hundreds of footprints from both the Jurassic and Cretacious eras.  Fun.

nearsightedjohn

A recent library book I just finished........ 

You know, I haven't thought about going to the library in a long, long time. I just might hafta gits my butt over there and look around pretty soon. Great idea, nearsightedjohn!

Gary Mason

A recent library book I just finished, ”Enola Gay” by Gordon Thomas & Max Witts, was an excellent entertaining read. I enjoyed the many details that the authors brought to light on the Manhattan Project from the viewpoint of Tibbets and his fellow airmen. The book reads like a very entertaining movie/ docu-drama, not the typical dry WWII history rehash. Highly recommended!

I’ve also recently read several of James Hornfischer’s WWII naval history books, “Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors” and “Neptune’s Inferno”, both very well researched works that both present in graphic detail the absolutely terror and occasional gruesome situations of being on war ships in battle in the Pacific. Not crazy about Hornfischer’s writing style (he loves long wordy passages with a gazillion characters popping in and out of chapters) but the subject matter kept me going.

stikpusher

Unbroken and 1776 were great books! You scored on that find. 

Yes, the Band of Brothers series took some liberties with how Cpt Sobel was portrayed. Especially on his contribution to the initial forging and training of the company. In the book, it is explicitly stated by the original Easy Co. survivors that it was his particular brand of training that contributed so much to prepare the company to perform as they did in combat.

GMorrison

I'm very impressed. That would take serious reading time.

Have you read Taipan or Noble House? 

Sorry, GM, I didn't see your reply back then! 

I was out of work, so I had time, and in the summer, it's nice to sit out and read

No, I have not read either of those novels, nor have I read "King Rat", but they're on my reading list.  I enjoy "Shogun" so much that I expect I'll like his other novels as much.

Well, believe it or not, us Marines can read, too, but only if the book has lotsa pictures!!

I've recently read "Wounded Tiger", by T. Martin Bennett, which details the life of Mitsuo Fuchida, who led the attack on Pearl Harbor, and his conversion to Christianity. It also details others who crossed paths with him, or were involved in his life in some way. A very riveting read, even at 580 pages. A lot of detail on his personal planning of the Pearl Harbor attack.

Another that I just got through reading is "Top Gun - An American Story" by Dan Pederson, who is the creator AND first CO of the Navy's Top Gun program. OUTSTANDING book!! I almost read this one cover-to-cover in one day......almost.

Another good one is "Bogeys & Bandits - The Making Of A Fighter Pilot" by Robert Gandt. This one chronicles the training of a Navy/Marine fighter pilot for the F/A-18. Not for your kids to read - a lot of foul language in it, but, it is a true-life military documentary, soooooo....... 'nuff said.

Gary Mason

Last Time I was at Ollie's I picked up "December 1941" by Craig Shirley. Just got around to starting to read it. It's 544 pages plus another 128 of notes, bibliography and acknowledgments. 

I'm 46 pages in to it and it's getting to be very mind blowing to learn just how the people were going about their everyday business and not paying much attention to the war that was going on at the time. Biggest attention getter was the movies at least 2 times a week to get the latest movie from hollywood (10cents-20 for a double feature). Especially if Clark Gable was in it. Amazing.

Jim  

Tojo72

Just got Rampage,by Scott,the Battle of Manila to read on vacation.

 

That sounds like a good one! 

Just got Rampage,by Scott,the Battle of Manila to read on vacation.

Starting Erebus The story of  a ship by Michael Palin. "A wreck is discovered in the Canadian Arctic. Its whereabouts a mystery for 150 years. Its name was HMS Erebus". It was Michael Palin's name that caught my eye thought it would be one of his travel books, looks interesting.

Joe 

Unbroken and 1776 were great books! You scored on that find. 

Yes, the Band of Brothers series took some liberties with how Cpt Sobel was portrayed. Especially on his contribution to the initial forging and training of the company. In the book, it is explicitly stated by the original Easy Co. survivors that it was his particular brand of training that contributed so much to prepare the company to perform as they did in combat.

I just finished, "We Who Are Alive and Remain: Untold Stories from the Band of Brothers", by Marcus Brotherton.  Published in 2009, it tells the stories of other members of Easy Company, who weren't as prominently featured in Ambrose's "Band of Brothers" or in the miniseries-though we did see some of them at different times in the story.  It's a good companion to Ambrose's book and the miniseries.

One part of the story that Brotherton clarifies, or perhaps we could even say, corrects, is the way Sobel was depicted in the miniseries.  He wasn't the incompetent douche he was made out to be, though everyone agreed, he was not a combat leader.

Anyway, it's a good book.  I got mine as a rescue at our local recycling center.  Someone was throwing it out, along with a copy of "Unbroken", and David McCulloch's "1776"!  Brand new, no damage.  I was shocked but happy to find them.

I started reading “The Big E” again... It has to have been at least 40 years since I last read it as a kid. Such a good book. Now I recognize many of the names in the tale and much better know their places in the history of that time.

Hello everyone,

Ok I just finished reading "The Tattooist of Auschwitz" by Heather Morris. It was a oustanding book. It is the first hand account of Ludwig Eisenburg a survivor of Auschwist-Birkenau who's job was to tattoo the number's on each prisoners who entered Auschwist. During his time behind the walls he constructed a network of individuals to help those inside survive with food, medications or whatever was needed. Mr. Eisenburg sat down with Ms. Morris and over time formed a relationship with her before he would consider telling her of the conditions of Auschwist, and those who suffered from it.

It was a well written, and definitely a awesome read.

stikpusher

 

 

The Drifter

I just finished up reading John Stryker Meyer's "Across the Fence". It's about the Green Berets secret missions during the Viet Nam war in Laos and Cambodia. It's one I will definitely read again.

 

 

 

 

I served with a few of those guys during my time, many years after those years.... their war stories of those operations were pretty hairy...

 

GreySnake

 

 

stikpusher

 Thats an excellent book! Very well written and most plausible in the tale.

 

 

 

 

I have to say I was impressed how the author worked around the use of nuclear weapons.  

I have the “The Third World War Augest 1985” by General Sir, John Hackett. From my understanding it’s a pretty hard book as the writing is very dry.

 

Yes, night and day difference for types of books. Most of the Hackett book is high level detached overview “history”. Very dry indeed. Only the first chapter is written in the “you are there” type narrative. He wrote a second book, with more combat narrative and some change to the Persian Gulf narrative to allow for the post Shah era in Iran. 

And if you have never read Tom Clancy's “Red Storm Rising”, I would highly recommend that book. 

The Drifter

I just finished up reading John Stryker Meyer's "Across the Fence". It's about the Green Berets secret missions during the Viet Nam war in Laos and Cambodia. It's one I will definitely read again.

 

I served with a few of those guys during my time, many years after those years.... their war stories of those operations were pretty hairy...

stikpusher

 Thats an excellent book! Very well written and most plausible in the tale.

 

I just finished up reading John Stryker Meyer's "Across the Fence". It's about the Green Berets secret missions during the Viet Nam war in Laos and Cambodia. It's one I will definitely read again.

GreySnake

Finished “Red Army” by Ralph Peters. It’s become one of my favorite books. Very refreshing to read an alternate WWIII from the Russian viewpoint.

 

Thats an excellent book! Very well written and most plausible in the tale.

I'm very impressed. That would take serious reading time.

Have you read Taipan or Noble House?

Over the past week, I re-read, "Incredible Victory", "Shattered Sword", "The Longest Day", and "Shogun."  The first three, I read around the anniversaries of the battles, and "Shogun" I read once a year, in the summer.

Just got a copy of "Carrier Air War" in original WWII color, US Navy air combat 1939-1946.  By Robert Lawson and Barrett Tillman.

Some nice photos of some rare types of planes from other services, some that ran to less than 10 used by the USN.  Plenty of pics of the normal carrier aircraft too.

I went to a presentation by Dusty Kleiss' daughter Jill this evening. He of Scout 6 fame. The highlight of the show was a series of short video taped interviews with him. He had a remarkable memory about the battle of Midway, in every detail. The scariest part was finding the Enterprise after the carriers were attacked. 

I bought the book "Never Call Me a Hero" and she signed it. Looks to be a good read.

Finished "Unfair to Goliath". It is a collection of short stories by Ephraim Kishon where he pokes fun at life in Israel and Jews in general. Goliath was supposed to win but David used unconventional weapons etc. Easy and fun read.

Started redaing "The tattooist of Auschwitz"

Spearhead... Read that book already. Finished it in under a week. Very well written. Highly recommended!!

GMorrison

 

 

wolfhammer1

All, just finished reading Hampton Sides "On Desparate Ground, The Marines at the Reservoir, the Korean War's Greatest Battle".  This, of course, is one of the most famous battles of the entire war and has been covered in several other books, but this one focuses on the Marines, how they got there, and how they got back out.  Hampton follows several people, including a Korean national who had escaped from the North, only to find himself sent there as an interpreter and re-uniting with his family.  Good read, and the list of references used feels like a to do list for the future, if you haven't read some of them already.  Enjoy!

John

 

 

 

 

 

"We've been looking for the enemy for some time now. We've finally found him. We're surrounded. That simplifies things."

Thank you for the reference. I'll look for it.

 

One forgotten fact is that the Army's understaffed 31st RCT and Lt. Col. Don Faith bought time for the Marines.

wolfhammer1

All, just finished reading Hampton Sides "On Desparate Ground, The Marines at the Reservoir, the Korean War's Greatest Battle".  This, of course, is one of the most famous battles of the entire war and has been covered in several other books, but this one focuses on the Marines, how they got there, and how they got back out.  Hampton follows several people, including a Korean national who had escaped from the North, only to find himself sent there as an interpreter and re-uniting with his family.  Good read, and the list of references used feels like a to do list for the future, if you haven't read some of them already.  Enjoy!

John

 

 

"We've been looking for the enemy for some time now. We've finally found him. We're surrounded. That simplifies things."

Thank you for the reference. I'll look for it.