What are the Forum members reading (1 Viewer)

Rob said:
Just started the first of two books on the ACW, ' The coming fury ' by Bruce Catton ( the second being The impending Crisis) so far so good and really enjoying it.

Rob
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The Catton books , including "This Hallowed Ground" and "A Stillness at Appomattox" were among my first ACW readings 40-45 years ago and are still amongst my favorites. I still have and preserve my 1959 paperback copy of "A Stillness..." that my parents gave me as a 10th birthday gift in 1963. Enjoy them, Rob, the Catton books are great. -- Al
 
lancer said:
The Catton books , including "This Hallowed Ground" and "A Stillness at Appomattox" were among my first ACW readings 40-45 years ago and are still amongst my favorites. I still have and preserve my 1959 paperback copy of "A Stillness..." that my parents gave me as a 10th birthday gift in 1963. Enjoy them, Rob, the Catton books are great. -- Al
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Thanks Al, I'm only four chapters in and must say I'm loving it!. At the moment the main political figures on both sides are arguing and jostling for position and the feelings for and against the Slavery issue they are divided upon run very deep, fascinating stuff written in a style that makes it difficult to put down, really good. The wife has just said to me ' You're not actually reading a book thats not about WW1 or WW2 are you'?!! I detect sarcasm in her voice Al!^&grin:wink2:

Rob
 
Heidens book is superb. My copy is one of the prized books in my collection.
Mitch

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theBaron said:
Heiden's "Der Fuehrer" is dragging a bit, so I picked up "Shogun" again, for my annual reading of that novel. For as long as it is, I rip through it pretty quickly. "Hai, wakarimasu, Anjin-san!"

Kampei!
Brad
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Currently reading "Army of the Heartland: The Army of Tennessee, 1861-1862" by Thomas Connelly. It is vol.1 of Connelly's classic study of the Confederacy's western army. Vol.2, "Autumn of Glory: The Army of Tennessee, 1862-1865" is next in line. Originally published in 1968 and 1971, respectfully, this work is still unsurpassed as the essential study of the all important Army of Tennessee. I have read it before but am reading it again because it is so important in understanding how and why the South fought and lost the Civil War as they did. To say that the South lost the war because they lost the struggle in the Western Theater is simplistic, but true. The Army of Tennessee was tasked with defending the largest segment of the South, some 150,000 square miles, that was the manufacturing, logistical, and communications center of the Confederacy. The vast majority of all the necessary materials that the South needed to wage war came from these regions, from food to guns and ammo. The distances involved in this theater dwarf the Eastern Theater and the Army of Tennessee had to defend it all with far less in troop numbers and resources than Lee had in Virginia. It is a terrific and sad story. -- Al
 
Rereading two old favorites: Ed Cray's General of the Army, a great one volume *biography of Marshall and on my nightstand I've got Olivia Manning's The Levant Trilogy about Cairo during the war, El Alamein.

(*Haven't read Forrest Pogue's 4 volume Marshall biography yet.)
 
Latest read was "Miracle at Philadelphia" by Catherine Drinker Bowen, on the Constitutional convention in 1787. Despite its age-originally published in 1966--or perhaps, because of its age, I enjoyed this thoroughly, as an example of some good, ol' history writing in the pre-PC era. That is not to say that it is a dry retelling, but the principal actors really come to life. A logical followup will be to read the Federalist papers (and not Glenn Beck's "Federalist for Dummies" version, either).

Prost!
Brad
 
I just finished reading one of the Bob Lee Swagger "Bob the Nailer" sniper books by Stephen Hunter, and bought the rest. I had picked up the hardcover of "I Sniper", the second most recent Swagger/Nick Memphis book, off the discount shelf at Barnes and Noble for 5 bucks, and loved it.

Started reading the first book (Point of Impact) today at the beach (my kids wanted to go, so I ended up listening the Jeter getting his 3,000 hit on the radio). It is way better than the movie, which wasn't that bad.
 
I've got 2 going right now
Gettysburg The Second Day
&
The Attack & Defence Of Little Round Top
Plus
I am thumbing through
The Complete Gettysburg Guide
The wife and I are gearing up for our yearly trip
 
currently reading again, the Man who broke into Auschwitz... Denis Avey. A remarkable and fascinating read
Mitch
 
Got a swell deal from the History Book Club the other day. Purchased "The Maps of Chickamauga" by David Powell for $9.95. Was pleasently surprised when it showed up as it was a publishers edition with the $39.95 price in the DJ. The HBC, like most book clubs, sells it's members cheaper made editions to save money and to be able to offer members lower prices. Every now and then the HBC will sell publishers editions at book club prices. This was one of them and it made for a very nice purchase. The book looks very well done, with the excellent maps that are the hallmark of the series by Savas Beatie, publishers. The author worked on this for over a decade and I am looking forward to reading a clearly written history with excellent maps of what has always been for me, a very confusing battle to understand. -- Al
 
Re-reading "Jurassic Park". I find all of Crichton's books to be quick reads, and ones that I often read in one pass, from start to finish (had to interrupt JP this time, to come in to work for a few hours today).

Prost!
Brad
 
Just received my order from a clearing house and now have in hand several books I am looking forward to reading. I got "Setting the Desert on Fire: T.E. Lawrence and Britains Secret War in Arabia, 1916-1918" by James Barr; "Julius Buckler: Malaula!, The Battle Cry of Jasta 17" edited by Norman Franks (Grub St.); "To Conquer Hell": The Meuse-Argonne, 1918" by Edward Lengel; "Mannock: The Life and Death of Major Edward Mannock VC, DSO, MC, RAF" by Norman Franks & Andy Saunders (another Grub St.) and finally, one that I have read before but enjoy the heck out of (controvesial though it is), "Attack and Die: Civil War Military Tactics and the Southern Heritage" by McWhiney Jamieson. This last one is a book with an interesting premise and it's defense of that premise. ie., that the Celtic background in Southern life made the Confederacy doom itself with a constantly attacking military strategy. A fun read. That's it for now. -- Al
 
The book on Mannock is just excellent with enough maps and pictures to add to it but not interupt the great read that it is. I am sure you will enjoy this.
Mitch

lancer said:
Just received my order from a clearing house and now have in hand several books I am looking forward to reading. I got "Setting the Desert on Fire: T.E. Lawrence and Britains Secret War in Arabia, 1916-1918" by James Barr; "Julius Buckler: Malaula!, The Battle Cry of Jasta 17" edited by Norman Franks (Grub St.); "To Conquer Hell": The Meuse-Argonne, 1918" by Edward Lengel; "Mannock: The Life and Death of Major Edward Mannock VC, DSO, MC, RAF" by Norman Franks & Andy Saunders (another Grub St.) and finally, one that I have read before but enjoy the heck out of (controvesial though it is), "Attack and Die: Civil War Military Tactics and the Southern Heritage" by McWhiney Jamieson. This last one is a book with an interesting premise and it's defense of that premise. ie., that the Celtic background in Southern life made the Confederacy doom itself with a constantly attacking military strategy. A fun read. That's it for now. -- Al
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Just finished reading Tully's book "Shattered Sword" and it gives a good account of Japanese Naval operations at Midway. Also currently reading "Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors" by Hornfischer.


Staying with Pacific War naval battles . The book "A Dawn Like Thunder" by Robert Mrazek tells the true story of Torpedo Squadron Eight at Midway and Guadacanal.
 
Reading We Were Soldiers Once...and Young by Hal Moore and Joe Galloway.
 
Yesterdays race results and wondering where it all went wrong..........................{sm2}
 
I am reading "The New Concise History of the Crusades". I'm really enjoying it.
 
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