What are the Forum members reading (1 Viewer)

[theBaron]

I just finished a quick re-read of Victor Davis Hanson's "A War Like No Other" on the Peloponnesian War. If you've never read it, I recommend it. But understand, it's not a chronology of the war, but rather, an analysis of the causes of the war, and the trends it unleashed in Greek culture over its 27-year stretch. Hanson also draws parallels between the Peloponnesian War and modern history, that are interesting to reflect upon.

Prost!
Brad

 

[lancer]

I just finished a quick re-read of Victor Davis Hanson's "A War Like No Other" on the Peloponnesian War. If you've never read it, I recommend it. But understand, it's not a chronology of the war, but rather, an analysis of the causes of the war, and the trends it unleashed in Greek culture over its 27-year stretch. Hanson also draws parallels between the Peloponnesian War and modern history, that are interesting to reflect upon.

Prost!
Brad

Good book. I have found that I really enjoy his Western Way of War tremendously. It is a book I have returned to many times. He also did a book called Warfare and Agriculture in Ancient Greece which is incredibly interesting, as well. -- Al

 

[theBaron]

Good book. I have found that I really enjoy his Western Way of War tremendously. It is a book I have returned to many times. He also did a book called Warfare and Agriculture in Ancient Greece which is incredibly interesting, as well. -- Al

I recommend his "Second World Wars", too. It's a similar analysis applied to the conflict.

I follow Hanson's podcasts and articles, and I particularly enjoy his history content. I enjoy the connections between ancient and more recent history.

Prost!
Brad

 

[Go for Broke]

Currently re-reading "365 TAO, Daily Meditations", by Deng Minh-Dao.

Also started "THE DAILY STOIC, 366 Meditations On Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living" by Ryan Holiday & Stephen Hanselman.

Later today I plan to start reading Marcus Aurelius' "MEDITATIONS" translated by Gregory Hays

Why the interest in meditation Mike? Nothing wrong with that, just curious.

 

[mestell]

Why the interest in meditation Mike? Nothing wrong with that, just curious.

I have been a practioner of mindfulness meditation for a number of years now. This started when I became interested in tao philosophy which led me to practicing Yoga. I slowly digressed from my study until COVID loomed up into our lives. This made me realize that in reality we are all on borrowed time. So I decided to read Greek and Roman Stoic philosophy, thus the books I am currently enjoying. My next read will be Epictetus' dissertations. All the best,
Mike

 

[Go for Broke]

I have been a practioner of mindfulness meditation for a number of years now. This started when I became interested in tao philosophy which led me to practicing Yoga. I slowly digressed from my study until COVID loomed up into our lives. This made me realize that in reality we are all on borrowed time. So I decided to read Greek and Roman Stoic philosophy, thus the books I am currently enjoying. My next read will be Epictetus' dissertations. All the best,
Mike

Good for you Mike. As I near retirement, I too, worry about my finite life. I want to be in good physical and mental shape in my golden years. I want to do most of the things I missed when I was younger, while I was busting my butt making a living and raising kids. If I die from covid, I would really be p...ed off.

 

[Horus]

Just started reading Dak To, America's Sky Soldiers in South Vietnam's Highlands by Edward F Murphy. I recently read two other of his books "The Hill fights, The First Battle of Khe Sanh and Semper Fi, From Da Nang to the DMZ and as with all his books there is a lot of detail about the various units involved, which can get very confusing and I tend to put this info on the back burner until I want to join up the facts to piece the story together. Worth staying with his books because behind all that is the stories of the Marines and Soldiers at those events.

Oddly he digresses at one point and mentions an event during the Six day war of 1967, when there was an incident when Israeli Jets and Torpedo Boats attacked the USS LIberty Killing some 34 Sailors including a Marine and injuring some 171 more and leaving the ship with heavy damage. Something I had never heard of before and of course had to look that up ! Yep you never know what you might learn reading a book !

Steve

 

[hotel3alpha]

I have been a practioner of mindfulness meditation for a number of years now. This started when I became interested in tao philosophy which led me to practicing Yoga. I slowly digressed from my study until COVID loomed up into our lives. This made me realize that in reality we are all on borrowed time. So I decided to read Greek and Roman Stoic philosophy, thus the books I am currently enjoying. My next read will be Epictetus' dissertations. All the best,
Mike

Mike,

Then you might like "KI in Daily life" I read that in Japan when I was studying Aikido for years on end. There is another but I will get back with mañana on that one as it is in my mini-library. Also, Hagakure is a good read whereby you can pick the book up and flip through the pages and just read a passage. It was by Samurai and is not so much about blood and guts, but more on how they viewed the world...their world as Samurai.

John from Texas

 

[Terp152]

Just started reading Dak To, America's Sky Soldiers in South Vietnam's Highlands by Edward F Murphy. I recently read two other of his books "The Hill fights, The First Battle of Khe Sanh and Semper Fi, From Da Nang to the DMZ and as with all his books there is a lot of detail about the various units involved, which can get very confusing and I tend to put this info on the back burner until I want to join up the facts to piece the story together. Worth staying with his books because behind all that is the stories of the Marines and Soldiers at those events.

Oddly he digresses at one point and mentions an event during the Six day war of 1967, when there was an incident when Israeli Jets and Torpedo Boats attacked the USS LIberty Killing some 34 Sailors including a Marine and injuring some 171 more and leaving the ship with heavy damage. Something I had never heard of before and of course had to look that up ! Yep you never know what you might learn reading a book !

Steve

Steve, many people believe the Israeli attack was deliberate in an attempt to keep the US from discovering their offensive. The ship was an intelligence vessel and clearly marked. Having read a little about this, I'm not 100% convinced it was deliberate, but it was certainly possible. Chris

 

[Terp152]

Street Without Joy by Bernard B Fall. Author later killed by a land mine in VN. The French would never have been able to win that war and a terrible harbinger of US involvement. The French left VN and went right into the revolution in Algeria. Chris

 

[lancer]

Street Without Joy by Bernard B Fall. Author later killed by a land mine in VN. The French would never have been able to win that war and a terrible harbinger of US involvement. The French left VN and went right into the revolution in Algeria. Chris

Superb book, Chris. I think very highly of it and Hell in a Very Small Place by Fall. They are still the best books on the subject even after all these years after their publication. -- Al

 

[bradleyl30]

I just finished re-reading Christian Cameron’s “Sword of Justice” in preparation for reading his newest “Hawkwood’s Sword.”

 

[Terp152]

Superb book, Chris. I think very highly of it and Hell in a Very Small Place by Fall. They are still the best books on the subject even after all these years after their publication. -- Al

Al, Fall pointed out the inadequacies of the French military, using "heavy" mobile units with trucks, tanks, halftracks dependent on roads (and susceptible to ambushes) against the highly mobile Viet Minh. He advocated the use of specially trained commando units. The US heavily invested in that approach with Special Forces and to no avail. Both Indochina wars were doomed to fail for the US and France IMO with hindsight. Chris

PS, having read the books I realize you already know this. :smile2:

 

[Horus]

Street Without Joy by Bernard B Fall. Author later killed by a land mine in VN. The French would never have been able to win that war and a terrible harbinger of US involvement. The French left VN and went right into the revolution in Algeria. Chris

Only recently finished reading Street without Joy myself Chris and I think anyone reading it, will likely come to the same conclusion and agree with Fall that had LBJ took the time to have read it, he would have taken another course and perhaps have prevented so many deaths and not followed that of Frances unmitigated series of defeats in it's half hearted attempts to reclaim her former Colony after WW2 !

Steve

 

[Terp152]

Just finished Bernard Fall's "Dien Bien Phu, Hell In A Very Small Place.

Now reading Donald L Miller's Masters Of The Air, WWII USAAF air campaign. I had listened to it on audio books but wanted to read the book format to get a better comprehension. Miller served as a technical expert for the Pacific War mini series and is doing so again for the forth coming mini series Masters Of The Air. Really looking fwd to that and hope it's as good as Band Of Brothers.

On a personal note, I could see all the former WWII airfields in East Anglia when flying out of RAF Mildenhall in the 70s and 80s. The outlines of the runways were still clearly discernable 35 yrs after being converted back to agriculture. It was like one big aircraft carrier as I recall reading it described. While stationed in Germany, my wife worked at Camp King, outside of Frankfurt AM Main. It was used during the war as a Luftwaffe interrogation center for downed US airmen. Chris

 

[MikeNick]

Just finished Bernard Fall's "Dien Bien Phu, Hell In A Very Small Place.

Now reading Donald L Miller's Masters Of The Air, WWII USAAF air campaign. I had listened to it on audio books but wanted to read the book format to get a better comprehension. Miller served as a technical expert for the Pacific War mini series and is doing so again for the forth coming mini series Masters Of The Air. Really looking fwd to that and hope it's as good as Band Of Brothers.

On a personal note, I could see all the former WWII airfields in East Anglia when flying out of RAF Mildenhall in the 70s and 80s. The outlines of the runways were still clearly discernable 35 yrs after being converted back to agriculture. It was like one big aircraft carrier as I recall reading it described. While stationed in Germany, my wife worked at Camp King, outside of Frankfurt AM Main. It was used during the war as a Luftwaffe interrogation center for downed US airmen. Chris

Trying to knock out Strange Career of Jim Crow.

 

[MikeNick]

The Boxer Rebellion by Diane Preston. A great narrative!

 

[Currahee Chris]

Im almost done with an Osprey hardcover book from 1994 on trucks and halftracks of WW2. Timely book to read with KC's recent Truck release. I learned some new things about Opel. There are scores of full color pictures and just chock full of stats and engine sizes, BHP ratings, etc to satisfy the most hardened gearhead/ rivet counter. Production numbers, camo schemes, even several "post war" Stories which cover where the vehicles went after the war. Even fun pictures of these trucks being repurposed with circus's and the like.

 

[MikeNick]

I am rereading Dune by Frank Herbert.

 

[Terp152]

Finished re-reading Masters of the Air, the USAAF bombing campaign in Europe. Now reading two of the books from the bibliography, Living The Nightmare, a German woman's experiences in Germany during the bombing and Wing Ding, story of a B-17 tailgunner. Chris