Page 112 of 164
RE: What Book Are You Reading at the moment?
Posted: Tue Jan 10, 2017 1:46 pm
by loki100
ORIGINAL: warspite1
Finished Margaret MacMillan's Peacemakers.
Having finished it I just want to go back and read it all over again. A wonderful, interesting, well written, thought-provoking book. As all good books should, this tome makes me want to read more on the subject (if anyone knows another good work on the Treaty of Versailles please let me know).
The conclusion chapter could have been a little longer, but that is my only real gripe.
Anyone interested in World War I and II should read this. It is pleasing to see three of the most oft repeated and tired, lazy comments and accusations about the Treaty thoroughly demolished - specifically:
a) the ridiculously simplistic idea that Versailles caused World War II
b) the sweeping statement that the British and particularly the French were the cause of the problems and that if only they had listended to the Americans all would have been right.
c) Versailles created Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia and Poland.
MacMillan spares no one, French, British, American, Italian, or anyone else. She makes clear that each power had their own needs and requirements, fears and hopes, and that within each power, there was rarely a unified voice - not to mention the court of public opinion which those who dealt with the aftermath of the Napoleonic wars never had to face in the same way - particularly difficult if you are from a democracy....
Not least is the fact that at the end of the day we are talking about human beings, with their individual strengths and weaknesses, and personal prejudices that could affect, to a surprising degree, whether they supported a view point or worked against it.
Superb stuff [&o][&o][&o][&o]
Great review ... on my list to read asap
RE: What Book Are You Reading at the moment?
Posted: Tue Jan 10, 2017 2:41 pm
by Chickenboy
ORIGINAL: warspite1
Because its b******! [;)]
As he's telling this tale I thought maybe the guy went on to fight in the US Army or his team-mates were all at Pearl or the team owner personally paid for a squadron of B-17's....
No, it was none of the above, and the whole two pages were totally pointless. It rather reminded me of this wonderful saying:
Going to war without France* is like going deer hunting without your euphonium
Well:
Writing a book about the Western Front in WWII without mentioning some baseball dood who had nothing to do with the war is....
*nothing personal my French friends [:)]
You poor poor poor little snowflake. Having to read two whole pages about something you don't yet appreciate the significance of.
Does your government provide you with a hardship program for such feats?
RE: What Book Are You Reading at the moment?
Posted: Tue Jan 10, 2017 3:58 pm
by warspite1
ORIGINAL: loki100
ORIGINAL: warspite1
Finished Margaret MacMillan's Peacemakers.
Having finished it I just want to go back and read it all over again. A wonderful, interesting, well written, thought-provoking book. As all good books should, this tome makes me want to read more on the subject (if anyone knows another good work on the Treaty of Versailles please let me know).
The conclusion chapter could have been a little longer, but that is my only real gripe.
Anyone interested in World War I and II should read this. It is pleasing to see three of the most oft repeated and tired, lazy comments and accusations about the Treaty thoroughly demolished - specifically:
a) the ridiculously simplistic idea that Versailles caused World War II
b) the sweeping statement that the British and particularly the French were the cause of the problems and that if only they had listended to the Americans all would have been right.
c) Versailles created Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia and Poland.
MacMillan spares no one, French, British, American, Italian, or anyone else. She makes clear that each power had their own needs and requirements, fears and hopes, and that within each power, there was rarely a unified voice - not to mention the court of public opinion which those who dealt with the aftermath of the Napoleonic wars never had to face in the same way - particularly difficult if you are from a democracy....
Not least is the fact that at the end of the day we are talking about human beings, with their individual strengths and weaknesses, and personal prejudices that could affect, to a surprising degree, whether they supported a view point or worked against it.
Superb stuff [&o][&o][&o][&o]
Great review ... on my list to read asap
warspite1
I hope you won't be disappointed - I don't think you will [:)]
RE: What Book Are You Reading at the moment?
Posted: Tue Jan 10, 2017 4:06 pm
by warspite1
ORIGINAL: Chickenboy
ORIGINAL: warspite1
Because its b******! [;)]
As he's telling this tale I thought maybe the guy went on to fight in the US Army or his team-mates were all at Pearl or the team owner personally paid for a squadron of B-17's....
No, it was none of the above, and the whole two pages were totally pointless. It rather reminded me of this wonderful saying:
Going to war without France* is like going deer hunting without your euphonium
Well:
Writing a book about the Western Front in WWII without mentioning some baseball dood who had nothing to do with the war is....
*nothing personal my French friends [:)]
You poor poor poor little snowflake. Having to read two whole pages about something you don't yet appreciate the significance of.
Does your government provide you with a hardship program for such feats?
warspite1
A couple of things old fruit:
1. Why has 'snowflake' become so popular all of a sudden? Is it anything to do with Frozen? I don't think I ever heard this word as a negative description until the last few months - now I hear it all the time from youse peeps across the pond.
2. But that is the problem. There is no significance. Its like reading a book on the Arab-Israeli war and to be told in some detail that in 1914 Burnley won the FA Cup for the only time in their history when they beat Liverpool 1-0. Okay thanks.... erm....
RE: What Book Are You Reading at the moment?
Posted: Tue Jan 10, 2017 4:11 pm
by Orm
Stop the presses! Liverpool lost to Burnley?! That must go on the front page! [;)]
RE: What Book Are You Reading at the moment?
Posted: Tue Jan 10, 2017 5:17 pm
by mikkey
After Larry Bond and Patrick Larkin
Red Phoenix I begins reading Larry Bond and Chris Carlson
Red Phoenix Burning.
RE: What Book Are You Reading at the moment?
Posted: Tue Jan 10, 2017 5:28 pm
by Chickenboy
ORIGINAL: warspite1
1. Why has 'snowflake' become so popular all of a sudden? Is it anything to do with Frozen? I don't think I ever heard this word as a negative description until the last few months - now I hear it all the time from youse peeps across the pond.
From the epic movie "Fight Club":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EP5aqAC8PPY
RE: What Book Are You Reading at the moment?
Posted: Wed Jan 11, 2017 10:39 am
by Recognition
I`m still reading the 3 Vol`s of 1809 Thunder on the Danube by John H Gill.
Before PC`s I used to read a lot, but now with gaming etc I find it hard to find the time...Pity!!
RE: What Book Are You Reading at the moment?
Posted: Wed Jan 11, 2017 2:45 pm
by warspite1
ORIGINAL: warspite1
Okay so the brilliant Peacemakers finished, I now move on to James Holland's The War in the West. This is the first of three books and covers 1939-1941.
Bad start... he's spent 2 pages on baseball and some guy who had nothing to do with the war.... [&:] Er, okay...
warspite1
There we go! That is more like it. The latest chapter has a couple of pages on cricket, and a game between Yorkshire (the county champions) and Sussex. So why is that okay? Well the game took place on the weekend that war broke out, it featured, as the star bowler and match winner, the Yorkshire and England cricketer Hedley Verity. No doubt Mr Verity will feature later in this and other volumes; he joined the Green Howards and was sadly killed in 1943 fighting the Italians.
RE: What Book Are You Reading at the moment?
Posted: Wed Jan 11, 2017 5:10 pm
by Chickenboy
ORIGINAL: warspite1
The latest chapter has a couple of pages on cricket
Wow! Now it's a regular page turner it is! Cricket! Really! You don't say? Jolly jolly jolly.....[>:]
RE: What Book Are You Reading at the moment?
Posted: Wed Jan 11, 2017 5:38 pm
by Orm
ORIGINAL: Chickenboy
ORIGINAL: warspite1
The latest chapter has a couple of pages on cricket
Wow! Now it's a regular page turner it is! Cricket! Really! You don't say? Jolly jolly jolly.....[>:]
You said it, Chickenboy. [>:]
RE: What Book Are You Reading at the moment?
Posted: Wed Jan 11, 2017 5:47 pm
by warspite1
ORIGINAL: Orm
ORIGINAL: Chickenboy
ORIGINAL: warspite1
The latest chapter has a couple of pages on cricket
Wow! Now it's a regular page turner it is! Cricket! Really! You don't say? Jolly jolly jolly.....[>:]
You said it, Chickenboy. [>:]
warspite1
Just so you know, after a close first innings between the two counties, Sussex were bowled out for just 33 in their second innings with Verity taking seven wickets for nine runs!
RE: What Book Are You Reading at the moment?
Posted: Wed Jan 11, 2017 5:49 pm
by Orm
ORIGINAL: warspite1
Just so you know, after a close first innings between the two counties, Sussex were bowled out for just 33 in their second innings with Verity taking seven wickets for nine runs!
Wow. That sounds awesome. Only trouble is that I do not understand even the tiniest bit of what you just said. [&:] [>:] [:D]
RE: What Book Are You Reading at the moment?
Posted: Wed Jan 11, 2017 5:59 pm
by Chickenboy
ORIGINAL: Orm
ORIGINAL: warspite1
Just so you know, after a close first innings between the two counties, Sussex were bowled out for just 33 in their second innings with Verity taking seven wickets for nine runs!
Wow. That sounds awesome. Only trouble is that I do not understand even the tiniest bit of what you just said. [&:] [>:] [:D]
'Just so you know' is a common expression used to express factual information that may be unknown to the respondent. It has an air of caring and preparing one's conversant for the receipt of information that is germane to the topic(s) to follow.
For example, "Just so you know-there are fifty American states in the United States of America." or "Just so you know-my doctor said this curious drainage was *not* the result of infection."
I hope this helps.
RE: What Book Are You Reading at the moment?
Posted: Wed Jan 11, 2017 6:00 pm
by Chickenboy
The rest was gibberish.
RE: What Book Are You Reading at the moment?
Posted: Thu Jan 12, 2017 6:18 pm
by wodin
Here you go...great read..so I suppose it will be a very good listen too:)
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1782006257/ ... NIF1FRKQ0W
ORIGINAL: RodyMetal
Any recommendation for an audiobook about ww2 eastern front (historical)? I listen to one called Deathride by Josh Mosier but didnt like it much.
RE: What Book Are You Reading at the moment?
Posted: Mon Jan 16, 2017 10:20 pm
by JEB Davis
Blood Red Snow: The Memoirs of a German Soldier on the Eastern Front
by Günter K. Koschorrek
I recommend it.
RE: What Book Are You Reading at the moment?
Posted: Tue Jan 17, 2017 9:55 am
by RFalvo69
To Lose a Battle: France 1940, by Alistair Horne.
It is my first book by Horne, but, apart from the interesting topic, it is so well researched and written that I'll seek out others.
I'm also reading East Indies by Ian Burnet, a history of the European colonization of SE Asia from the XVI Century to modern times; a byproduct of my Portuguese campaign in Europa Universalis IV [:)]
What I'm looking for, now, are some books about the same area before the Europeans arrived. Places like Angkor Vat and the Valley of One-thousand Temples have always fascinated me, but I never read about the people and the cultures who built them.
RE: What Book Are You Reading at the moment?
Posted: Tue Jan 17, 2017 4:36 pm
by Zorch
Alistair Horne is one of my favorite authors. His book on Verdun, The Price of Glory is classic.
Some of his works are dated, though.
RE: What Book Are You Reading at the moment?
Posted: Tue Jan 17, 2017 4:49 pm
by loki100
ORIGINAL: Zorch
Alistair Horne is one of my favorite authors. His book on Verdun, The Price of Glory is classic.
Some of his works are dated, though.
agree, the trilogy of 1871/1916 and 1940 is such a compelling read as he uses it to explore the birth, evolution and death of the Third Republic as well as the military side. And he is so good at capturing a lot of detail into such clear easy to follow prose.