What Book Are You Reading at the moment?

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: Orm

ORIGINAL: warspite1

Coming toward the end of The Scramble For Africa - Its been enjoyable, if sometimes quite difficult read. The book could really do with more maps as the author would be talking about places and regions and I really had no clue as to where they were.

I really feel I could do with reading this book again, but am itching to get started on The Sleepwalkers. As I understand it this is a Pro-German view of the events leading up to WWI. I am firmly of the view the Germans were more responsible than any other country for the war, and so am interested in reading events from "their side".

Ordering The Scramble For Africa now. I was close to ordering The Sleepwalkers as well but I decided to wait until I hear what you think of it.

warspite1

I know you have read some stuff previously on a similar topic. I think you will enjoy this. This book gives - in one volume - a really good insight into what happened, when and why during that 30-or-so year period at the end of the nineteenth century.

One of the many things I find extremely interesting is that, when people sneeringly talk today about Empires - and particularly the British Empire (probably because it was the largest) the view is usually one that Britain and other such empire powers, were a bunch of imperialists, desperate to grab colonies and territory - either at the expense of the indiginous population or a.n.other imperial power (or both) - chiefly for the sake of power and resources.

What is clear is that the truth was often nothing like as simple as that. Certainly many of Her Majesty's (Victoria) Governments (particularly under Gladstone) were anything but imperialists. Colonies often came about by accident, or in order to defend other territories or in order to $%^& off another power - Bismarck was very good at that game! And yes, even in order to civilise and better the lot of the native (Livingstone).

Few people today believe that Empires were right (i.e. imposing your will and rule onto people who probably don't want you there is fundamentally wrong) but as with most things in life, the truth is a lot more complicated than people like to think.

[wodin]

DampSquid..best Vietnam novel I've ever read is 13th Valley by John M. Del Vecchio

LINK

Fields of Fire by J Webb is a good one aswell.

LINK

One of my favourite accounts is Dak To by E Murphy (reads like a novel\film).

LINK

Another superb account is Steel my Soldiers Hearts by D Hackworth...amazing book.

LINK

[barkman44]

"The Retreat"Hitlers First Defeat.About the advance to and retreat from Moscow.
Am reading rather quickly ie well written.

[berto]

The Yom Kippur War: The Epic Encounter That Transformed the Middle East, by Abraham Rabinovich

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: warspite1

ORIGINAL: Orm

ORIGINAL: warspite1

Coming toward the end of The Scramble For Africa - Its been enjoyable, if sometimes quite difficult read. The book could really do with more maps as the author would be talking about places and regions and I really had no clue as to where they were.

I really feel I could do with reading this book again, but am itching to get started on The Sleepwalkers. As I understand it this is a Pro-German view of the events leading up to WWI. I am firmly of the view the Germans were more responsible than any other country for the war, and so am interested in reading events from "their side".

Ordering The Scramble For Africa now. I was close to ordering The Sleepwalkers as well but I decided to wait until I hear what you think of it.

warspite1

I know you have read some stuff previously on a similar topic. I think you will enjoy this. This book gives - in one volume - a really good insight into what happened, when and why during that 30-or-so year period at the end of the nineteenth century.

One of the many things I find extremely interesting is that, when people sneeringly talk today about Empires - and particularly the British Empire (probably because it was the largest) the view is usually one that Britain and other such empire powers, were a bunch of imperialists, desperate to grab colonies and territory - either at the expense of the indiginous population or a.n.other imperial power (or both) - chiefly for the sake of power and resources.

What is clear is that the truth was often nothing like as simple as that. Certainly many of Her Majesty's (Victoria) Governments (particularly under Gladstone) were anything but imperialists. Colonies often came about by accident, or in order to defend other territories or in order to $%^& off another power - Bismarck was very good at that game! And yes, even in order to civilise and better the lot of the native (Livingstone).

Few people today believe that Empires were right (i.e. imposing your will and rule onto people who probably don't want you there is fundamentally wrong) but as with most things in life, the truth is a lot more complicated than people like to think.

warspite1

Ormster I will let you know on The Sleepwalkers in due course. Almost finished Scramble - on the last section now, starting with the Germans in German Southwest Africa (modern day Namibia).

[zakblood]

a book in the series from raymond e feist Magician's End, a what a great series it's been as well

[&o][&o][&o]

[Hotschi]

Finished Poisonous Inferno by George Southern, about the 2nd December 1943 Luftwaffe air raid on the Italian Adriatic port of Bali. George Southern was there at the time, serving as a gunner on HMS Zetland, a Type II Hunt-class destroyer, and was involved in rescuing survivors.

What makes this raid so unique is that one ship involved, the Liberty-ship John Harvey, carried among its mixed cargo a load of mustard gas bombs. Two other ships, the Liberty-ships Lyman Abbott and Samuel J. Tilden, also carried a deckload of mustard gas canisters. John Harvey was sunk during the raid - she exploded - and the mustard gas, in liquid form, contaminated the surrounding water in the harbor together with fuel oil. And all this greasy stuff contaminated survivors swimming in the water. The existence of mustard gas in Bari was subsequently classified by the British and American authorities.

A interesting book (although not the only one) about this subject, perhaps a little vague about the larger picture, but it gives a very good first-person account by someone who actally was himself involved - sadly the e-book version contains no maps or photographs.

Started reading South East Asian Minorities in the Wartime Japanese Empire by Paul H. Kratoska (editor).

[Orm]

ORIGINAL: warspite1

Ormster I will let you know on The Sleepwalkers in due course. Almost finished Scramble - on the last section now, starting with the Germans in German Southwest Africa (modern day Namibia).

Thank you. [:)]

[nate25]

In Deadly Combat - A German Soldier's Memoir Of The Eastern Front
Gottlob Herbert Biderman

A good read about a "mustang" in the Wehrmacht. An infantry story (132.Infanterie Div.), as opposed to the usual accounts of the glamour formations.

[wodin]

His trilogy starting with Magician are up there as the best fantasy books I've read.

@nate..That is the first German memoir I ever read.

ORIGINAL: zakblood

a book in the series from raymond e feist Magician's End, a what a great series it's been as well

[&o][&o][&o]

[DanSez]

The Battle for Singapore - The True Story of the Greatest Catastrophe of World War II
By Peter Thompson
ISBN 978-0-7499-5099-6

Interesting read and gives a good look at the political infighting behind the scenes.
Percival was certainly the wrong man at the wrong time, but he was not by a long shot the only one at fault. The governor-general Sir Robert Brooke-Popham waffled on the decision to move units into proper blocking positions on Dec 6-8. The Army and Air Force commanders rarely got along. Aussies dislike the British. The funding for defense had been cut all the way to Churchill as Exchequer in the 20's.

Check it out

[CGGrognard]

Tank Commander: From The Fall of France to The Defeat of Germany

[Gilmer]

Finished Natchez Burning and am now starting Dominion by C. J. Sansom.

[Zorch]

Vienna 1814, or how to make love and peace at the same time.

It was the Tsar who insisted Napoleon be sent to Elba...I did not know.

[Kuokkanen]

I have read through Heavy Metal some time ago. After that I had read few volumes Berserk. Now I'm reading The Good Soldiers. After that more Berserk, then Thank you for your service. And I'm also reading All quiet on the western front, but infrequently and less than handful of pages at a time.

[DampSquib]

ORIGINAL: wodin

DampSquid..best Vietnam novel I've ever read is 13th Valley by John M. Del Vecchio

LINK

Fields of Fire by J Webb is a good one aswell.

LINK

One of my favourite accounts is Dak To by E Murphy (reads like a novel\film).

LINK

Another superb account is Steel my Soldiers Hearts by D Hackworth...amazing book.

LINK

Cheers for the recommendations Wodin much appreciated.
Three ordered the other Fields of Fire i have already read....
After i checked back through here it wasn't that long ago.
Those three should keep me busy for a time
Thank you.

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: warspite1

ORIGINAL: warspite1

ORIGINAL: Orm



Ordering The Scramble For Africa now. I was close to ordering The Sleepwalkers as well but I decided to wait until I hear what you think of it.

warspite1

I know you have read some stuff previously on a similar topic. I think you will enjoy this. This book gives - in one volume - a really good insight into what happened, when and why during that 30-or-so year period at the end of the nineteenth century.

One of the many things I find extremely interesting is that, when people sneeringly talk today about Empires - and particularly the British Empire (probably because it was the largest) the view is usually one that Britain and other such empire powers, were a bunch of imperialists, desperate to grab colonies and territory - either at the expense of the indiginous population or a.n.other imperial power (or both) - chiefly for the sake of power and resources.

What is clear is that the truth was often nothing like as simple as that. Certainly many of Her Majesty's (Victoria) Governments (particularly under Gladstone) were anything but imperialists. Colonies often came about by accident, or in order to defend other territories or in order to $%^& off another power - Bismarck was very good at that game! And yes, even in order to civilise and better the lot of the native (Livingstone).

Few people today believe that Empires were right (i.e. imposing your will and rule onto people who probably don't want you there is fundamentally wrong) but as with most things in life, the truth is a lot more complicated than people like to think.

warspite1

Ormster I will let you know on The Sleepwalkers in due course. Almost finished Scramble - on the last section now, starting with the Germans in German Southwest Africa (modern day Namibia).

warspite1

First 100 pages in. Its clear where the author is going but that's fine. Its a very readable book and its good to get a deeper understanding of the background.

I would be interested if anyone knows of a good book covering Balkan history, the retrenchment of the Ottoman Empire etc.

[Chickenboy]

ORIGINAL: wodin

DampSquid..best Vietnam novel I've ever read is 13th Valley by John M. Del Vecchio

Wow! I completely agree, wodin. It's been 20 years since I've read it, but it was a powerful and moving experience. [&o]

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: Orm

ORIGINAL: warspite1

Coming toward the end of The Scramble For Africa - Its been enjoyable, if sometimes quite difficult read. The book could really do with more maps as the author would be talking about places and regions and I really had no clue as to where they were.

I really feel I could do with reading this book again, but am itching to get started on The Sleepwalkers. As I understand it this is a Pro-German view of the events leading up to WWI. I am firmly of the view the Germans were more responsible than any other country for the war, and so am interested in reading events from "their side".

Ordering The Scramble For Africa now. I was close to ordering The Sleepwalkers as well but I decided to wait until I hear what you think of it.

warspite1

Hey Ormster - did it arrive, have you started it yet, and what do you think?

[Orm]

ORIGINAL: warspite1

ORIGINAL: Orm

ORIGINAL: warspite1

Coming toward the end of The Scramble For Africa - Its been enjoyable, if sometimes quite difficult read. The book could really do with more maps as the author would be talking about places and regions and I really had no clue as to where they were.

I really feel I could do with reading this book again, but am itching to get started on The Sleepwalkers. As I understand it this is a Pro-German view of the events leading up to WWI. I am firmly of the view the Germans were more responsible than any other country for the war, and so am interested in reading events from "their side".

Ordering The Scramble For Africa now. I was close to ordering The Sleepwalkers as well but I decided to wait until I hear what you think of it.

warspite1

Hey Ormster - did it arrive, have you started it yet, and what do you think?

Yes, it did arrive. But I ordered a lot of books for the summer so I have not yet begun reading it.

I am currently reading a thriller and a book about the American Indian wars.