any good books?

[ian77]

ORIGINAL: Mr.Frag

ORIGINAL: Banquet

ORIGINAL: Cmdrcain

now If only they would build a chair with a built in toilet I'd not have to leave the room at all [:'(]

[:D] Since buying WiTP my girlfriend has said that if I had one of these she doesn't think I'd move all evening! (she's right too!)

Get a laptop and take it with you [:D]

If you havent got a lap top you could borrow my old grannies commode![:D]

[SunDevil_MatrixForum]

can we get this thread stickied please?

[ian77]

A good work of fiction is "The last dogfight", cant remember the author at present. It basically deals with the swing in the balance of air superiority as US squadrons were equiped with better fighters, and the tactics that pilots from both sides used and copied as they went from hunted to hunter and vice versa.

It was written by Martin Caidin - he was a very experienced pilot, and wrote the book Cyborg that went on to spawn "the Six Million Dollar Man" TV show (but do not hold that against him!)

[freeboy]

I grew up reading Blue Skies and Blood, and The Tigers are Burning, I joined the military book club as a youngster, those where the days my friend we thought they'd never end... at least I still have cher songs... oh no I'm turning Japanees [:D]

[ian77]

Does "turning Japanese" mean the same in the U.S as it does here in the UK? And if so, anyone got a smiley face for that!

[freeboy]

I joke about getting in touch with my inner gay self... I am a straight married white guy, but my artistic side at times has my wife and I joking.. so turning jap was as close to a showtunes joke as I could think of on the spur of the moment... and the answer is
yes
[:D]
no offense to any gay men out there, actual ot implied... married or otherwise
no offense to any straight men out there.. married or otherwise..
no offense to [>:][>:][>:][>:]

[mccavage]

I'm unsure of its suitability for paving but it is my favorite quick ship reference and I get no end of pleasure reading the comments on the German capital ships. Nice bit of writing![:D]

[Tiornu]

Thank you, sir! If you don't like the paving idea, there's always re-doing your patio deck.
For a more useful comment, I don't think anyone has mentioned Operational Experience of Fast Battleships by Reilly or Hard Lessons by Harms. Both are compilations of action reports and other USN documents.
Someone mentioned Old Friends New Enemies by Marder. I hope to have a copy of the Strategic Illusions volume for sale in a couple weeks for a good price (it usually goes for well over $100US).
Has anyone mentioned Kaigun and Sunburst? Both are excellent.

[Nikademus]

ORIGINAL: Tiornu

I must agree it's a great book--everyone should own several copies!--though the correct reference is Fleets of World War II by the handsome and witty Richard Worth. Not only is the book bursting with good information, but you can also use it to repave your driveway, tile the roof, or wall in that wine critic you have concealed in the cellar. (Poe reference! My day is complete.) Signed copies are available.

I'm not sure i could ever recommend a book written by an author who does not appreciate the beauty that is 'Fuso'


and just because it's been a couple years since i've done this....cant help myself;.....


FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUSOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[;)]

[ian77]

ORIGINAL: freeboy

I joke about getting in touch with my inner gay self... I am a straight married white guy, but my artistic side at times has my wife and I joking.. so turning jap was as close to a showtunes joke as I could think of on the spur of the moment... and the answer is
yes
[:D]
no offense to any gay men out there, actual ot implied... married or otherwise
no offense to any straight men out there.. married or otherwise..
no offense to [>:][>:][>:][>:]

Now you have me really confused.. turning japanese over here, refers to the facial expression worn by a male just as he begins the "vinegar strokes" - I am trying not to get into trouble here![X(]

Gay/straight, alone or not, doesnt matter... " I was just turning japanese when the phone rang "[:@]

Was this what you were meaning?[&:]

[freeboy]

What? is a vinegar stroke..?? ok.. I was being silly about a cher song and an alusion to turning jap was a strange reference... so this is by far the strangest witp thread I've been involved in..
" move along nothing to see here"

[Tiornu]

"I'm not sure i could ever recommend a book written by an author who does not appreciate the beauty that is 'Fuso'"
Beauty? Fuso?
Oxymoron alert!

[mccavage]

[quote]ORIGINAL: Nikademus

I'm not sure i could ever recommend a book written by an author who does not appreciate the beauty that is 'Fuso'


It should be noted that he also has no appreciation for the value of the US Alaskas, virtually every French heavy cruiser or the engineering marvels that were the Nelson and Rodney.[;)]

[Tiornu]

"It should be noted that he also has no appreciation for...virtually every French heavy cruiser or the engineering marvels that were the Nelson and Rodney."
Of the French CA, it's really only Duquesne and Tourville that scare me. I'm not excited about CL with no armor exceeding 30mm, when when you expand that to a CA which presumably would be facing 8in gunfire--is anybody happy with that?
I'm ambivalent about the Nelsons. They were progressive in some important ways but unpleasantly extreme in others, and Ugly in all.

[Nikademus]

do NOT be picking on ol' Nel'sol and Rod'nol

ya meanie [:-]

[Tiornu]

During the fight between the Twins and Renown, the Germans sighted a ship which really had them guessing. They thought it was a tanker, but then they decided it was Nelson. Those crafty British designers...!

[ian77]

ORIGINAL: freeboy

What? is a vinegar stroke..?? ok.. I was being silly about a cher song and an alusion to turning jap was a strange reference... so this is by far the strangest witp thread I've been involved in..
" move along nothing to see here"

True!

[39battalion]

Not sure if these have been mentioned before but two great books on aspects of the WITP are:

1. Midway: the Japanese story by Mitsuo Fuchida and Masatake Okumiya ( published by Cassel 2002).
Fuchida was on Akagi, Okumiya was on Ryujo and they give an interesting perspective of the battle. The book has some very interesting vignettes such as :

" Captain Yanagimoto ( captain of Soryu ) had remained on the bridge of the blazing carrier. No ship commander in the Japanese Navy was more beloved by his men...Now they were determined to rescue him at all costs. Chief Petty Officer Abe, a Navy wrestling champion, was chosen to return and rescue the Captain, because it had been decided to bring him to safety by force if he refused to come willingly. When Abe climbed to the Soryu's bridge he found Captain Yanagimoto standing there motionless, sword in hand, gazing resolutely towards the ships bow. Stepping forward, Abe said ' Captain, I have come on behalf of all your men to take you to safety. They are waiting for you.Please come with me to the destroyer Sir.'
When this entreaty met with silence, Abe guessed the Captain's thoughts and started toward him with the intention of carrying him bodily to the waiting boat. But the sheer strength of will and determination of his grim-faced commander stopped him short. He turned tearfully away, and as he left the bridge he heard Captain Yanagimoto calmly singing 'Kimigayo' the national anthem. "

2. Another terrific book is A Bastard of A Place by Peter Brune (Allen & Unwin 2004). The place is New Guinea in 1942-43. The book covers the struggle for Kokoda, Milne Bay ( Gili Gili ), Gona, Buna and Sananda. And, of course, it records the heroic work of the Aussie 39 Battalion boys in blunting the IJA advance along the Kokoda Trail.