What are the Forum members reading (1 Viewer)

[Terp152]

Finished Toll's Twilight of the Gods, final vol in the Pacific War trilogy. Great book, just started on a couple of his sources Dauntless Helldivers and Homefront.

Listening to Vera Atkins, A Life In Secret, a SOE case officer/controller on audio book. She investigated the missing 118 SOE agents from her section at the end of the war to document their disappearance/deaths, mostly in concentration camps. Dozens were sent to their deaths thru gross incompetence by Atkins and her boss Buckmaster. They were betrayed by a French double agent, who, unfortunately, was cleared in a subsequent post-war trial. Atkins and Buckmaster ignored clear evidence that the Prosper underground circuit had been breached by the Gestapo. Atkins "rewarded" later in life with an OBE.
Chris

 

[Go for Broke]

Finished Toll's Twilight of the Gods, final vol in the Pacific War trilogy. Great book, just started on a couple of his sources Dauntless Helldivers and Homefront.

I've been reading some crappy books lately and with the Covid pandemic, I needed something full of action and adventure. Went to the bookstore and bought Toll's Six Frigates. Read only one chapter, but its well written and I know its going to be a good read.

 

[Cairnbeg]

Comfort reading....that's where I find myself at the moment....and that 'comfort' is currently being supported by a delicious nip of Glenfarclas 105...

A mixed bag of author's, with varying levels of penmanship....but all enjoyable as a distraction with regards to what is happening outside...

Some of these I recall reading back as a teenager...spending time at a weekend sifting through piles of books in 2nd hand book shops....when books cost less than a pound.....with garish artwork on the paperback covers......nostalgic stuff!

Printed in the late 50's, from the publisher Digit, a selection:-

Macgregor Urquhart - Private Death, Alamein, Breakthrough...

Peter Baillie - The Crossed Road, Assault Patrol, Chindwin Mission, The Wire Has Two Sides, Dropping Zone, Fatal Hour...

A.H.Brown - For Valour, The Sun And The Sand, The Fourth Man...

From the 80's :-

Ian Harding - 'Assault Troop' series / Jack Bradley - 'Battlesquad' series...

From the 70's & 80's :-

John Harris - Covenant With Death, Harkaway's Sixth Column, Take Or Destroy, Ride Out The Storm...

I'm waiting on the release of a number of new books....related to Jacobite and AWI....so for the time being, simple 'comfort' reading will continue....

Stay safe!

 

[MikeNick]

Comfort reading....that's where I find myself at the moment....and that 'comfort' is currently being supported by a delicious nip of Glenfarclas 105...

A mixed bag of author's, with varying levels of penmanship....but all enjoyable as a distraction with regards to what is happening outside...

Some of these I recall reading back as a teenager...spending time at a weekend sifting through piles of books in 2nd hand book shops....when books cost less than a pound.....with garish artwork on the paperback covers......nostalgic stuff!

Printed in the late 50's, from the publisher Digit, a selection:-

Macgregor Urquhart - Private Death, Alamein, Breakthrough...

Peter Baillie - The Crossed Road, Assault Patrol, Chindwin Mission, The Wire Has Two Sides, Dropping Zone, Fatal Hour...

A.H.Brown - For Valour, The Sun And The Sand, The Fourth Man...

From the 80's :-

Ian Harding - 'Assault Troop' series / Jack Bradley - 'Battlesquad' series...

From the 70's & 80's :-

John Harris - Covenant With Death, Harkaway's Sixth Column, Take Or Destroy, Ride Out The Storm...

I'm waiting on the release of a number of new books....related to Jacobite and AWI....so for the time being, simple 'comfort' reading will continue....

Stay safe!

Spanish-American War by O'Toole.

 

[Terp152]

Masters of the Air, story of 8th Air Force bomber crews and the bombing campaign. Into chapter one and great book so far. At 688 pages, lots of detail regarding the personal, operational and strategic aspects of the air war. One detail I didn't know mentioned. The bomber crew fatalities, at 26,000, exceeded those of Marine Corps for the war. Pretty gruesome considering the bombing campaign began in earnest in March 1943 and the USAAF had air superiority by late 1944. Overall the book appears to be on par with Stephen Ambrose's THe Wild Blue.

Mentioned in another thread, this book will be the basis of a mini-series but only on Apple tv I think. :redface2: Chris

 

[theBaron]

As part of my observance of Veterans' Day, I rewatched "Band of Brothers", and then started re-reading the book. I'm up to the chapter, "Germany."

It's interesting to watch the series and to read the book, and see where Hanks and Spielberg dramatized the story. So many people seem to watch the series as if it were a documentary.

Prost!
Brad

 

[Terp152]

As part of my observance of Veterans' Day, I rewatched "Band of Brothers", and then started re-reading the book. I'm up to the chapter, "Germany."

It's interesting to watch the series and to read the book, and see where Hanks and Spielberg dramatized the story. So many people seem to watch the series as if it were a documentary.

Prost!
Brad

Yeah, I've read several books by Easy Company members including Malarkey, Compton, and Webster's "Parachute Infantry", a main source for Ambrose's book. Webster did not go on the cross river raid to capture prisoners. He manned a MG house overlooking the river. One example of which you mention.

While not a documentary I liked the "look and feel" of the squads and platoons. Felt like they were part of larger organizations and operations unlike many war dramas. The 60's tv show Combat always seemed like the 5 or so soldiers were the entire Western Front. Hacksaw Ridge had one officer and one NCO for most of the action scenes. BOB remains my favorite WWII series/movie. Chris

 

[marco55]

I just finished Killing Crazy Horse and now starting "Valentine Baker's Heroic Stand at Tashkessen 1877".
Mark

 

[JL01]

Not my usual fare but compelling reading nonetheless.

 

[marco55]

I just finished Killing Crazy Horse and now starting "Valentine Baker's Heroic Stand at Tashkessen 1877".
Mark

View attachment 269335

Will be finishing this tomorrow.Very interesting and quite enjoyable.
Mark

 

[marco55]

I've started reading this book about a battle in the 1st Seminole War.It's a quick little read.
Mark

 

[Cairnbeg]

....I ended '20 by reading some memoir's of WW1....

"Mud, Blood And Bullets - Memoirs of a Machine Gunner on the Western Front" - Edward Rowbotham

"Walter's War - A Rediscovered Memoir of the Great War 1914-1918" - Walter E. Young (so 'matter-of-fact'....served in the infantry until discharged after being wounded, re-enlisted as a stretcher-bearer, then a prisoner in the mines......then back home to continue working at his old job in the Post Office....an amiable humble man)....

"Old Soldiers Never Die" - Frank Richards (very good...gritty...pulls you right into the trench....'old soldiers'...included within the initial rush of reservists in 1914 were men who had fought Boer's / Boxer's / served on the NW-Frontier.....another world-away from the industrial slaughter of the trenches)...

....now into '21...a different setting....the 18th century...

"Rebellious Scots To Crush" - edited by Andrew Bamford (essay's by different authors).....so far, all good and very informative.....recommended for the Jacobite reader...

.

 

[Obee]

I got a couple of books recently for my Birthday in Nov and for Christmas.

Both are written by Peter FitzSimons and Aussie author and these deal with military subjects.

First was Monash's Masterpiece which details the Battle of Hamel with was orchestrated by Gen Sir John Monash in July 1918 and was a revolutionary combination of precise planning using tanks, aircraft, artillery and wireless communication . Monash planned for the battle to last for 90 minutes - in the end it went for 93. What happened in those minutes changed for the rest of the war the way the British fought battles, and the tactics and strategies used by the Allies. It was the first time Australians and US forces fought side by side much to the disgust of Gen Pershing , and was fought on the 4th July !!!

The other is just published and about Breaker Morant a story of the Boer War and Harry 'Breaker' Morant: drover, horseman, bush poet - murderer or hero?
In October 1901 Lieutenant Harry Morant and two other Australians, Lieutenants Peter Handcock and George Witton, were arrested for the murder of Boer prisoners. Morant and Handcock were court-martialled and executed in February 1902 as the Boer War was in its closing stages, but the debate over their convictions continues to this day.

Well worth a read.

 

[marco55]

I finished The Scott Battle of 1817 and have shifted to the World War I era starting "Empires at War : 1911-1923"
Mark

 

[Hunter Rose]

Working my way through the Marching with Caesar series right now.

Easy enjoyable reads to feed my newfound Roman passion.

 

[Terp152]

I'm in a phase of reading about book stores. Just finished Marital Bliss by Margaretta Colt who co-founded The Military Bookman (NYC) with husband Harris. Internet put them out of business in 2003. Harris died less than a yr later. She's still living in NYC at age 81. Charming book about a somewhat famous store from which I rec'd catalogs in the 70s & 80s.

Also finished Helene Hanff's 84 Charing Cross Road. The movie is one of those rare instances where it's better than the book. One of my favorite films, it gives more detail about the main characters than the book which is merely a collection of the letters between Hanff and Frank Doel. Not mentioned in either, apparently (no charges filed) Marks & Co was involved in an illegal scheme to price fix auctions of private collections and library books. Not bidding against other buyers (book stores) and splitting the profits from artificially low purchases during the 1930s. Doel was probably one of the participants, IMO.

Now reading the Duchess of Bloomsbury St. Hanff's account of her subsequent visit to London.

And finished reading Masters Of The Air by Donald L Miller, USSAF WWII bombing campaign. One of the best WWII histories I've read, certainly one about the air campaign. Liked it as much as The Big Week.

A bit long winded here. :redface2: Chris

 

[Fullyautomatic]

Yard sale find. The first Spitfire book is signed by the author. Lots of great pictures I've never seen in my other books.
Not bad for $5

IMG_20210110_105410684 by Fullyautomatic, on Flickr

 

[Cairnbeg]

A good bit of history for my latest reading choices....having just finished:-

"Noble Volunteers - The British Soldiers Who Fought the American Revolution" by Don N. Hagist......I do appreciate AWI books that relate more of the British side of things, and this does exactly what it says in the title....and helps get away from the stereotypical impression of the Redcoats of the time....some of these soldiers were previously referenced in the author's earlier work "British Soldiers American War - Voices of the American Revolution"....so I feel it wouldn't be too much to consider this a great companion volume....a recommended read!




Next from the pile will be:-

"Germantown - A Military History of the Battle for Philadelphia, October 4, 1777" by Michael C. Harris......I enjoyed reading his previous "Brandywine" and have high expectations for this book.....

 

[W.D.E.]

Just finished "The Pioneers: The Heroic Story of the Settlers Who Brought the American Ideal West" by David McCullough and just started "Fur, Fortune, and Empire: The Epic History of the Fur Trade in America" by Eric Jay Dolin.

 

[Terp152]

A good bit of history for my latest reading choices....having just finished:-
"Noble Volunteers - The British Soldiers Who Fought the American Revolution" by Don N. Hagist......I do appreciate AWI books that relate more of the British side of things, and this does exactly what it says in the title....and helps get away from the stereotypical impression of the Redcoats of the time....some of these soldiers were previously referenced in the author's earlier work "British Soldiers American War - Voices of the American Revolution"....so I feel it wouldn't be too much to consider this a great companion volume....a recommended read!

Bloody Lobsterbacks! {sm4}{sm4} Chris