Matrix Games Forums

Reading the complete works of Lucian of Samosata (one of the best satirists in world literature, from the first century AC) and Antonio Gramsci's famous Prison Notebooks (the whole thing, he talks about circa 2.000 different topics [X(]).

EDITED: Lucian lived in the second century (AC), apologies

I am currently reading Capitalism on a Ventilator: The Impact of COVID-19 in China & the U.S. by Lee Siu Hin. It is an informative book but I should have read it last year when it was first published.

just finished "the Eden paradox" the title did not do it justice, it was one of the best written stories i have ever seen, amazing, but its for sci fi buffs rather than old steam punks like you guys, not about human wars but still a good read

I'm reading books about my home in WWII - "Operation Plunder"/Tim Saunders, "The Rhine Crossing"/Andrew Rawson, "Onslaught on Hitler's Rhine"/Patrick Delaforce, "Die Luftlandung"/Johann J. Nitrowski

Just finished these books:





Both are very good, but very troubling, particularly the one on Iraq.

Charlotte Link "Sisters' Home"
John Marrs "Passengers"
Now - Chris Whitaker "We Start at the End"

I am currently reading Josephine Baker and the Rainbow Tribe by Matthew Pratt Guterl. It is about someone whose existence I was unaware of until recently.

[center][/center]

Hot on the heels of Tower of Skulls, I've got a thing for the Far East at the moment. Has anyone given this a go yet? I'd be interested in any thoughts on it.

ORIGINAL: mainsworthy

just finished "the Eden paradox" the title did not do it justice, it was one of the best written stories i have ever seen, amazing, but its for sci fi buffs rather than old steam punks like you guys, not about human wars but still a good read

I will give this one a look. Thank you.

The U.S. Air Force once launched a series of exercises called "A Day Without Space" in order to figure out how to conduct air operations without space capabilities. For example, in the famous Red Flag military exercise of the United States Air Force, the two imaginary enemy units of the U.S. Army in space warfare, namely Air Force 527 Squadron and 26 Squadron, will set up GPS and satellite communication jamming facilities in the exercise area. Pilots need to relearn how to use inertial navigation to determine the position of the aircraft. This method of positioning by initial position and measured acceleration does not rely on satellites and compasses, and can be used when the GPS system is down.

At present, the combat operations of the armed forces of various countries increasingly rely on the support of the space combat system. The military uses space-based technology for navigation, reconnaissance, weather forecasting, intelligence collection, communications, command and control, and precise targeting.

Purchased a bunch of the Images of War series that were on sale for $2-3 each awhile back. Just finished The German Army on Campaign 1914-1918 and The Germans in Flanders 1917-1918.
Now reading The Russian Revolution World War to Civil War 1917-1921.

The Panzer Killers

Daniel P. Bolger

I have been reading about World War Two for 65 years. I think this is the most interesting book on the subject I have read. It is not a history of the war, but of a small subsection, dealing with the US. 3rd Armored Division ("Spearhead"), under the command of Maj. Gen. Maurice Rose. The author is a History Professor at NC State University, just up the road from me. He got his Ph D in History from the University of Chicago. I checked his student's comments and rankings, and he is very popular. I do not doubt it. The book is a page turner.

The book is 321 pages long, not counting the appendices, notes, and index. This allows for a good amount of detail about day to day operations. I learned things I did not know, and I knew a bit coming in. This can be attributed to the author's other credentials - he retired as a Lieutenant General in the US Army, and commanded an Armor Division in combat himself. His experiences show as he discusses the operations of the 3rd AD. Gen. Rose was one of highest ranking American officers killed by enemy action. People who should know have called him the finest armor division leader we had. Rose led from the front, always, and was killed by a MP-40 fired from the tank commander's hatch of a panzer. Rose died just weeks before the war ended in Europe, and Bolger makes clear that he was lucky to last as long as he did. The man seems not to have known fear. You know his end is coming but it still hurts. Bolger makes clear that Rose was a very private man but I felt I understood some of his motives. Bolger gives some very interesting sketches of other officers who served with Rose, and his superiors. I thought these were balanced.

I only found one error, and that was in a photo caption. I find captions are a weaker spot for editing, perhaps because they come later in the publishing cycle.

I recommend this book.

Chuck

PS: I have edited this to reflect the correction posted by Bob Cross pointing out higher ranking officers KIA. The error was mine, not Dr. Bolger's. Thanks.

ORIGINAL: cpdeyoung

Gen. Rose was the highest ranking American officer killed by enemy action.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simon_Bolivar_Buckner_Jr.

I'm halfway in "Soldiers of Destruction" by Charles W. Sydnor Jr. It is the story of one of the evilest units in all WWII, the Third SS "Totenkopf" Division, from its outgrowth from the "SS Totenkopfverbande" and the concentration camp guard system to the end of the war.

It is, above all, the story of his commander, Theodor Eicke, until his death in Russia in 1943. It is a wonderful book that, while being obviously very grim, can also be unexpectedly funny. Eicke was obsessed with "his" division and his attempts to get only the best for his troops sometimes make him resemble Wile E. Coyote. Eicke cons, pleads, rages & whines - usually for Fate to intervene and thwart his machinations. (after all, the worst thing that can happen to Evil is to be laughed at). Totally suggested!

Not a new book but I am re-reading When Titans Clashed, the new revised edition.

Still a great book.

ORIGINAL: ncc1701e

Not a new book but I am re-reading When Titans Clashed, the new revised edition.

Still a great book.

warspite1

It certainly is.

I'm re-reading "An Army at Dawn" by Rick Atkinson. I read it a few years ago and, for some reason, I found it overrated. Now I decided to give it another chance and I'm really liking it. The style is full of gallows humor. It spurred me to finally learn "GG: War in the West" (I'm trying to write a AAR of "Torch to Tunisia" - my very first one ever! - with a style partially inspired by this book; it is down there in the AARs subforum).

I don't know why the first time I was not impressed. Maybe I didn't understood that it was a story of the American Army and not of the whole theatre. Now I have already bought the two remaining in Atkinson's "Liberation Trilogy".

ORIGINAL: warspite1

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.

warspite1

Got up to the invasion of Malaya in this brilliant book. So now its time to break out Churchill and Australia (Freudenberg) to read alongside.

Hi Warspite
Regarding A War of Empires, I have not gotten to it yet, but there is quite a buzz about it on Twitter from specialists in that area. The author himself is quite a good guy also.