What are you reading?

Raverdave · Post by **Raverdave** » Tue Oct 08, 2002 6:12 pm

Originally posted by Marek Tucan
and Shepherd by Frederick Forsyth

Ah yes ! I had forgotten about that one. It was a good yarn IIRC.

Les_the_Sarge_9_1 · Post by **Les_the_Sarge_9_1** » Tue Oct 08, 2002 6:15 pm

I stopped buying "new" literature on WW2 a while back.

There is no shortage of WW2 books out there in libraries for one thing.

That, and the opinions of a person not even thought up, let alone born, during the time period in question, makes the material just another boring retread of the same material in a good many cases.

True I have seen some good books produced recently. The opening of the Iron Curtain allowed a lot of new material to see the light of day in the West.

But the events that happened during the 30s and through the 40s and into the 50s are entirely well known for the most part.
There is only so much you can get out of a single time period after a point.

My major interest in books for the last few years has actually been in the realm of modelling the world of military conflict.
The 90s saw an explosion of new techniques and technologies for the hobbyist.

I did not rush out to read Band of Brothers for instance. I have been finally seeing some of it, and it looks nice so far (only seen first episode, and I have the second one here handy).

The most significant detail of my library is the age of the books in question. I have some really neat finds.
I have the book by Vasili Ivanovich Chuikov the General that defended Stalingrad.
I have Kay Summersby's book, so I can read just what it was like to know Ike personally.
I have Smiling Als book, so I have a nice perspective on the war in Italy.
I have Hans Rudel's book and Adolf Galland's book.
I have Patton's book and Rommel's book.
I have a great many books written by the people that actually made the history.

I would much rather see the war through their eyes, than through the feelings and interpretations of a historian when possible.

I read a good book on the Gulf War.
We have all heard about Stormin Norman and his "brilliant generalship", but how many know the man was seen as a difficult ******* in the eyes of his staff? He was no one's idea of easy to work for.
And I refuse to make favourable comparison to the type of "difficult" that Patton was known for. Norm was no Patton.

The book was a good read by a person that had the experience fresh in their mind. Now, the further away we get from 1990-1991, the more books on it become just a dry dissertation on historical details.

Fiction is often fun. I thought Red Strom Rising was one of Clancy's best pieces (but then I read it during the height of the cold war when the topic actually meant something to me personally). I would not be interested in reading it today.
I think some of Clancy's books can be summed up as "got bills to pay" literature. He is a good author, but some material is just not interesting a month later.

The only problem with fiction that is set in the world of the here and now, is that a year from now, the book will seem pointless (to me at least).

fud · Post by **fud** » Wed Oct 09, 2002 12:33 am

Originally posted by Muzrub

I found it rather disapointing........ I waited for what seemed like ages for this book but I was soon to find its mainly about the fighting on the outskirts than in the city, as a matter of fact I found it rather boring in many places + you can only read so many rape stories in one sitting.

I keep picking this one (Berlin 1945) up and then putting it down. I just can't believe he can do as good a job with the topic as John Toland did in "The Last 100 Days". (Toland was a great writer, imho.)

I've been reading Beevor's book on the Spanish Civil War this week. To be honest, I find it kinda dry and spotty in places. I just started it, so it's too early to pass a judgement. I did really like his book on Stalingrad.

Mojo · Post by **Mojo** » Sat Nov 16, 2002 9:51 pm

Been awhile since I've posted here but I've been reading a lot.

On recommendation I read the Reality Dysfunction series by Peter Hamilton. It's kind of campy but much of it is really interesting. Best SF sex I've read in a long time. Thank you Kraut

The Gap series by Stephen Donaldson. I've read some of his stuff before and it's filled with a lot of dark sexual angst at times.

The River War by Winston Churchill. Account of the British campaign in the Sudan in the late 1890s. Churchill was a junior officer in the lancers for part of the campaign. This was the first book about war that I ever read. I was probably eight when I read it. Long out of print I think.

Speaking of long out of print............. a couple of SF books by Samuel R. Delaney are back in print. Dahlgren and Stars in My Pocket Like Grains of Sand.

I only glanced at the new addition of Dhalgren because they also had a first edition on the shelf which I scooped up and ran to the cash register with. If you can find an old used copy I'd suggest you buy that instead of the reprint or at least compare the text closely. I think the new version of the book is printed differently. There are a couple of stories lines you follow concurrently in the book and unless there is a difference in text I think it would be even harder to follow. It's a challenge. Be warned though that there is considerable bisexual and homosexual umm........"contact" described in the book. If that offends you just remember you've been warned;) Highly recommended though.

CCB · Post by **CCB** » Sun Nov 17, 2002 12:59 am

Right now I'm reading Knight's Cross (Rommel biography) by David Fraser.

U2 · Post by U2 » Sun Nov 17, 2002 1:54 am

Hi

Just got a copy of Richard B. Frank's Downfall - The End Of The Imperial Japanese Empire. Very good so far.

Dan

scimitar · Post by **scimitar** » Sun Nov 17, 2002 1:46 pm

Having finished the books I was talking about in that topic, I'm actually reading "Le Grand Cirque" from Free French pilot Pierre Clostermann (the 2000 edition, with add-ons and pictures).

sbond · Post by **sbond** » Sat Nov 23, 2002 4:38 am

Lenin by Service
The Third Reich, A new History, Michael Burleigh, heavy reading there.

Chijohnaok2 · Post by **Chijohnaok2** » Sat Nov 23, 2002 5:16 am

I have finished over the last few month:

"Medal of Honor: Profiles of Amerca's Military Hero's from the Civil War to Present" by Allen Mikaelian.

"Shadow Warriors" and "Red Rabbit" by Tom Clancy.

"Last Train to Paradise" by Les Standiford. (The story of how Henry Flager built a railroad from Miami to Key West FL across 150 miles of the Gulf of Mexico).

Currently reading:

"Theodore Rex" by Edmund Morris. Biography of Theodore Roosevelt covering the years of his presidency-1901-1909.

In the hopper to read next:

"The Glorious Cause: A Novel of the American Revolution" by Jeff Shaara. Read and enjoyed his previous novels "Gods and Generals" and "The Last Full Measure".

Also in that time managed to squeeze work in and more than a few games of Uncommon Valor.

John