What Book Are You Reading at the moment?

[mikkey]

After "In the Company of Heroes" by Michael Durant I began to read "Black Hawk Down" by Mark Bowden

[Empire101]

Just dug out my old dog-eared copy of 'Vom Kreig' by Clausewitz.

Nothing like a little light reading while still on holiday.[8|]

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: Empire101

Just dug out my old dog-eared copy of 'Vom Kreig' by Clausewitz.

Nothing like a little light reading while still on holiday.[8|]

warspite1

Mmmmm...good luck with that [;)]

[warspite1]

Just finished "The Battle of Matapan 1941 - The Trafalgar of The Mediterranean". By no means an epic tome, but a good, none-to-taxing, read [:)]

[Chickenboy]

ORIGINAL: mikkey
"Black Hawk Down" by Mark Bowden

I followed with baited interest the original series that came out in the newspapers in the 1990s. The book, IIRC, was an extension of the newspaper series. Both were very well done, as was the movie.

[Orm]

I just read a positive review on the book The End of Glory: War & Peace in HMS Hood by Bruce Taylor. I am considering ordering it next time when I order books but I would prefer to wait for a translated version. Therefore I am wondering if anyone read it and can confirm that it is a good read?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/End-Glory-Peace ... 123&sr=1-1

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: Orm

I just read a positive review on the book The End of Glory: War & Peace in HMS Hood by Bruce Taylor. I am considering ordering it next time when I order books but I would prefer to wait for a translated version. Therefore I am wondering if anyone read it and can confirm that it is a good read?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/End-Glory-Peace ... 123&sr=1-1

warspite1

I bought it earlier this year - but haven't had a chance to read it yet. I will begin this evening and let you know.

[warspite1]

Ormster - I read the first chapter and its so far, so VERY good. Good level of detail about the construction of the ship, the background to her design etc. Apart from one spelling mistake, I can see no obvious errors, and the writing style is clear. Definite thumbs up from me [:)]






What a ball-bouncingly, stonkingly beautiful ship.

[Wartath]

I just finished reading ”War without garlands” from Robert J. Kershaw. The book covers only the first half a year of the campaign, from summer ’41 to the early ‘42.

I found it extremely engaging book about the day-to-day life of the German soldier fighting on the east. How the brilliant start came to a halt because of the foul rasputitsa weather, and how morale pummeled as Army Group Centre was forced to withdraw, only 20 km away from their ultimate goal Moscow.

Kershaw paints vivid pictures by referring to individual letters and notes from soldiers. I recommend this to anyone, who is interested in more personal experiences from the east front.

[SLAAKMAN]

Empire101

I'm upto August 42.

What do you think of the book? I thought Ropers assessment in the introduction was fascinating!!

Hitlers workaholicism wouldve clashed with my Slaakery & this part in particular about the Russian character conforms to my beautiful Slaakery;

pg.4 COAL AND PETROLEUM RESERVES
For the Russian, the return to the state of nature is a return to
primitive forms of life. The family exists, the female looks after
her children, like the female of the hare, with all the feelings
of a mother. But the Russian doesn't want anything more. His
reaction against the constraint of the organised State (which is
always a constraint, since it limits the liberty of the individual) is
brutal and savage, like all feminine reactions. When he collapses
and should yield, the Russian bursts into lamentations. This will
to return to the state of nature is exhibited in his revolutions.
For the Russian, the typical form of revolution is nihilism.

My glorious Slaakery will prevail against the evils of workaholicism!

[parusski]

ORIGINAL: Wartath

I just finished reading ”War without garlands” from Robert J. Kershaw. The book covers only the first half a year of the campaign, from summer ’41 to the early ‘42.

I found it extremely engaging book about the day-to-day life of the German soldier fighting on the east. How the brilliant start came to a halt because of the foul rasputitsa weather, and how morale pummeled as Army Group Centre was forced to withdraw, only 20 km away from their ultimate goal Moscow.

Kershaw paints vivid pictures by referring to individual letters and notes from soldiers. I recommend this to anyone, who is interested in more personal experiences from the east front.

Everything you said plus 3.5. I really enjoyed WWG.

[cpdeyoung]

I too really liked this book. It made me think about the East Front in different ways. It makes you realize that the Germans did not push on to Moscow because they could not. They just could not.

One of the best books on this campaign I have read.

Chuck

[warspite1]

To get into the Ryder Cup mood - like I need any assistance with that - I am about to start Two Tribes - The Rebirth of the Ryder Cup. This takes in the tournaments from 1983 - 2010. I don't know about anyone else, but The Ryder Cup (following the inclusion of Europeans to bolster the UK and Ireland) is one of THE must-see sports events. [8D]

[warspite1]

I'm in a real pickle at the moment - am reading two books, neither of which are put-downable!!

The Two Tribes book mentioned above is proving to be very good indeed. Judging from the (lack of) response to the Ryder Cup thread looks like there are not too many golf fans on the GD thread, but if there are any lurkers that love the sport - and specifically the unique US vs Europe competition, then this is highly recommended. An easy read that starts with a little history lesson about Samuel Ryder and the birth of the competition, and follows up with a resume of the one-sided battles between the US and GB & Ireland post-war. Then the rest of the book is about each of the tournaments from 1983-2010 and is full of lots of interesting little stories from each of those featured tournaments. The Ballesteros/Azinger rivalry; the great Jack Nicklaus being the first US captain beaten on home soil (and at his own course - Muirfield in 1987); the greatest US team that rocked up to these shores in 1981 (36 majors between them - Nicklaus, Watson, Floyd, Trevino, Irwin, Miller and Nelson); Irwin vs Langer at Kiawah Island 1991; Calcavecchia's melt down at the same tournament; Howard Clark's record defeat to Tom Kite - the list goes on - brilliant!!

At the same time I am reading British Carrier Aviation. As the name suggests this is all about the development of the aircraft carrier by the Royal Navy from its humble beginnings around WW1 through to the present day. The book deals with both the ships, and the aircraft that flew from them, in great detail. There is regular reference to what the USN were doing at the same time as a useful point of reference. For anyone interested in naval warfare - this is a seriously good book.

[Orm]

I just begun re-reading The Deed of Paksenarrion by Elizabeth Moon.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Deed_of_Paksenarrion

[radic202]

OMG! Finally I Fantasy Reader amongst the Boards!!! Loved that series. A female Warrior or Warriess. She did not take Crap from nobody! I must have read that like 20 years ago! And funny I usually don;t read Fantasy Novels written by Female writers but that was an awesome set of novels.

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Heck I had the Map completely memorized at one time!


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[radic202]

Sorry to come back on this Orm, but if I remember right, was not Elizabeth Moon at one time in the Military or even the Marine Corps where some of her experiences are reflected in the novel by her anti-hero Paksenarrion? Again, this was like 20 years ago that I read this series.

[Orm]

ORIGINAL: radic202

Sorry to come back on this Orm, but if I remember right, was not Elizabeth Moon at one time in the Military or even the Marine Corps where some of her experiences are reflected in the novel by her anti-hero Paksenarrion? Again, this was like 20 years ago that I read this series.

She was indeed in the military.

Cut from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_Moon:
In 1968 she joined the United States Marine Corps as a computer specialist, attaining the rank of 1st Lieutenant while on active duty.

[Orm]

ORIGINAL: radic202


OMG! Finally I Fantasy Reader amongst the Boards!!! Loved that series. A female Warrior or Warriess. She did not take Crap from nobody! I must have read that like 20 years ago! And funny I usually don;t read Fantasy Novels written by Female writers but that was an awesome set of novels.

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Heck I had the Map completely memorized at one time!


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I suspect there are plenty of fantasy readers lurking around here. They have just been focusing on history and wargames here. I am glad that someone else also have fond memories of that series. [:)]

Some of the best fantasy books I've read are written by female authors. Therefore I seldom think in those terms now days. I am just happy to get my paws onto a good book.

[radic202]

Thanks Orm. Just was kind of glad that I was not alone here in being a big Fantasy Novel Reader. Read my first novel "The Iliad" (in French though) now an abbreviated one when I was about 10 years old while we lived in Belgium, it had pics of Cyclops, minotaurs, maybe even Medusa but that is all it took to hook me to that genre. Soon afterwards my Mom got me "The Hobbit", I could read in English but not that well and she stood there and read it with me, I guess that is how I learned to read and write\speak English while attending French/German school in SE Belgium. After a couple of years "The Lord of the Rings" and so on but needed to re-read it when I was in my early 20s as that was way beyond my reading skills at that time. Then the Sword of Shannara and so on and so on......That was like 39 years ago and have never looked back.

This is a series I read about 15 years ago and picked it up while on business in the UK. I remember loving them and gave them away but have never been able to get them again as they are only published in the UK now and/or are almost impossible to find in Canada. It was just a fantastic series of 4 or 5 novels. If you ever find them keep them, like I said almost impossible to find now.


Anyways, thanks for bringing back some awesome memories my friend.


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Book One of the Chronicles of Hawklan. The castle of Anderras Darion has stood abandoned and majestic for as long as anyone can remember. Then, from out of the mountains, comes the healer, Hawklan - a man with no memory of the past - to take possession of the keep with his sole companion, Gavor. Across the country, the great fortress of Narsindalvak is a constant reminder of the victory won by the hero Ethriss in alliance with the three realms of Orthlund, Riddin and Fyorlund against the Dark Lord, Sumeral, hundreds of years before. But Rgoric, the ailing king of Fyorlund and protector of the peace, has fallen under the malign influence of the Lord Dan-Tor, and from the bleakness of Narsindal come ugly rumours. It is whispered that Mandrocs are abroad again and that the Dark Lord himself is stirring. And in the remote fastness of Anderras Darion, Hawklan feels deep within himself the echoes of an ancient power and the unknown, yet strangely familiar, call to arms...