Matrix Games Forums

ORIGINAL: Zorch

ORIGINAL: RFalvo69

After watching the First Season of "True Detective" I decided to try "Galveston", by the same writer (Nick Pizzolatto). He originally wanted to use this novel for the plot of the first season before deciding to write an original story. I read only few pages of the first chapter but I can recognise the poetic, even if in a different medium.

https://www.amazon.com/Galveston-Novel- ... oks&sr=1-1

Galveston was made into a movie, https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2315596/

I didn't know this! I guess I'll watch it after reading the novel.

Eisenhorn

Stalin waiting for Hitler 1929-1941 by Stephen Kotkin

I'm about 1/3 of the way through the book in 1937. I find the coverage of the inter-war diplomatic activities between USSR the other major powers, particularly Germany really interesting.

Re-reading Mussolini (Hibbert)

A very good read.

I am currently reading After the Fall: Being American in the World We've Made by Ben Rhodes.

It is an interesting read.

The Joy of Sexus: Lust, Love, and Longing in the Ancient World by Vicki Leon
Everything you always wanted to know but the history books were afraid to tell you.

Not a book but a game. Credit to Fallout New Vegas developers that they did a philosophical game about it. Obsidian Entertainment. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fallout:_ ... California
"Caesar's Legion, a group of Roman-esque slavers, the New California Republic (NCR), an expansionist democratic federation, and Mr. House "

Game about American philosophy about the western civilization trying to search their past in Roman Empire in Caesar's Legions, It was before Greek&Persian seperated East and West.

Deng Xiaoping's Long War (The Military Conflict between China and Vietnam, 1979-1991) by Xiaoming Zhang. From the book: "[Guangzhou Military Region boss] Xu's suggested plan was known as niudao shaji (using a butcher's knife to kill a chick), a description suggestive of its massive violence" [:D]

The planners talk about overwhelming force, encirclement, outflanking, annihilation [:D]... Methinks these guys had watched too many movies about the Wehrmacht circa 1941 and the Soviet Red Army circa 1944.

I didn't get there yet (and never read anything about this war before), but -as Tyson would put it- they were punched in the mouth by prosaic reality. A good read so far.

I am currently reading The Flying Tigers by Sam Kleiner.

Just ordered Tower of Skulls (Frank). This apparently is the first in a trilogy that will cover the Asian-Pacific war. Frank is the author of the excellent Guadalcanal and so I have high hopes for this. This first tome covers 1937-42 and so should contain much on the Sino-Japanese war, something I know little about. Should be here before the end of the week.

I'm reading Bad Blood by John Carreyrou. It is based on a true fraud happened in Silicon Valley.

ORIGINAL:
I really liked the biography about Goebbels by [German historian] Peter Longerich. I plan to read his biography about Himmler too.

Started Peter Longerich's Heinrich Himmler: A Life. Excellent stuff so far.

I am gaining a better understanding. The SS were originally guards (20s and early 30s). To understand the difference with the other much bigger (in theory 10:1 ratio) paramilitary organisation SA: the SA would protect a meeting, the SS would protect the speakers and VIPs of that meeting (and party HQs too). Himmler was working in the party's propaganda (yes, that Goebbels' thing later) department at Munich HQs, therefore he had to arrange, plan meetings here and there. Part of his job then was deploying the [SS] thugs here and there, to protect the speakers and VIPs. But to do that he needed some sort of authority. And the title or rank of this authority (= send 10 thugs to Augsburg on monday) was precisely the infamous "Reichsführer-SS" thing. In fact he started as someone else's deputy. Later that someone else quit that job.

So it all started in the party's propaganda department.

Bad Blood by John Carreyrou.

ORIGINAL: warspite1

Just ordered Tower of Skulls (Frank). This apparently is the first in a trilogy that will cover the Asian-Pacific war. Frank is the author of the excellent Guadalcanal and so I have high hopes for this. This first tome covers 1937-42 and so should contain much on the Sino-Japanese war, something I know little about. Should be here before the end of the week.

warspite1

This arrived today. A couple of chapters in and.... yeah, this is a serious book. Looking forward to devouring this.

ORIGINAL: lenna0428

I'm reading Bad Blood by John Carreyrou. It is based on a true fraud happened in Silicon Valley.

Theranos? I saw a wonderful documentary about that fiasco.

RE: What Book Are You Reading at the moment?

[font="Times New Roman"]The Letters of the Younger Pliny[/font]
-translation and introduction by Betty Radice
✔ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betty_Radice

(excerpt from the title page)
Pliny was born in late A.D. 61 or early 62, the son of Lucius Caecilius of Comum. He probably had tutors at home before continuing his education in Rome; there he came in closer contact with his uncle, the polymath Elder Pliny who, on his death in the eruption of Vesuvius which destroyed Pompeii, left the Younger Pliny his estate, having adopted him as a son. Gaius Plinius Luci filius Caecilius Secundus, as he was there after known, began his career at the Bar when he was eighteen, and specialized in cases of inheritance. He managed to emerge unscathed from Domitian's 'reign of terror', even being appointed an official at the Treasury. In 103 he was awarded a priesthood in recognition of his distinguished public service, and was prominent in several major prosecutions. His final senatorial appointment was to represent the Emperor Trajan in Bithynia and Pontus, where he died probably in 113. He was given the consulship at the early age of thirty-nine, and was married three times. His nine books of personal letters (a social commentary on his times) were selected by Pliny himself and were published in his lifetime, while his official correspondence with Trajan was published as a tenth book after his death.


Links:

✔ The Elder Pliny https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pliny_the_Elder

✔ Mt. Vesuvius - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Ves ... n_of_AD_79
✔ Emperor Domitian - https://www.britannica.com/biography/Domitian

✔ What is a Roman Consul? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_consul
✔ Emperor Trajan https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trajan
✔ Where is Bithynia and Pontus? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bithynia_and_Pontus






-best wishes to all ~

ORIGINAL: jhyden

RE: What Book Are You Reading at the moment?

[font="Times New Roman"]The Letters of the Younger Pliny[/font]
-translation and introduction by Betty Radice
✔ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betty_Radice

(excerpt from the title page)
Pliny was born in late A.D. 61 or early 62, the son of Lucius Caecilius of Comum. He probably had tutors at home before continuing his education in Rome; there he came in closer contact with his uncle, the polymath Elder Pliny who, on his death in the eruption of Vesuvius which destroyed Pompeii, left the Younger Pliny his estate, having adopted him as a son. Gaius Plinius Luci filius Caecilius Secundus, as he was there after known, began his career at the Bar when he was eighteen, and specialized in cases of inheritance. He managed to emerge unscathed from Domitian's 'reign of terror', even being appointed an official at the Treasury. In 103 he was awarded a priesthood in recognition of his distinguished public service, and was prominent in several major prosecutions. His final senatorial appointment was to represent the Emperor Trajan in Bithynia and Pontus, where he died probably in 113. He was given the consulship at the early age of thirty-nine, and was married three times. His nine books of personal letters (a social commentary on his times) were selected by Pliny himself and were published in his lifetime, while his official correspondence with Trajan was published as a tenth book after his death.


Links:

✔ The Elder Pliny https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pliny_the_Elder

✔ Mt. Vesuvius - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Ves ... n_of_AD_79
✔ Emperor Domitian - https://www.britannica.com/biography/Domitian

✔ What is a Roman Consul? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_consul
✔ Emperor Trajan https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trajan
✔ Where is Bithynia and Pontus? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bithynia_and_Pontus

[font="Times New Roman"]BOOK ONE
Letter #1 - To Septicius Clarus [/font]
You have often urged me to collect and publish any letters of mine which were composed with some care. I have now made a collection, not keeping to the original order as I was not writing history, but taking them as they came to my hand. It remains for you not to regret having made the suggestion and for me not to regret following it; for then I shall set about recovering any letters which have hitherto been put away and forgotten, and I shall not suppress any which I may write in (the) future.






🌞

I'm reading it in Norwegian, and I'm not sure how it translates exactly, but I picked up "Panzer Warfare On The Eastern Front" in the grocery store of all places, and have been hammering at that lately.

Anabasis of Alexander by Arrian. I had read (maybe 3 or 4 times already) Xenophon´s Anabasis but never this one, the descent upon Asia that actually worked.

I am not sure where else to put this but I just saw this:

Enjoy holiday pricing from now until December 31, 2021. Naval Institute Press is offering 50% off list price and free shipping on all books.

Offer applies to individual orders only. Offer does not extend to retailers, wholesalers, or bulk orders.

Clear the Decks and Punk's Trilogy are excluded from this offer.

https://www.usni.org/press/books