# What book are you reading now?



## Ex-Dragoon (4 Jul 2005)

Some Administrative Notes From Mike

While it's ok to simply post the title of the book you are reading, it's better if you can jot down a few words about what you liked or disliked about it. Maybe even made a recommendation of Read It or Pass to the community here based on your overall impression.

In the end a list of book titles is not nearly as useful as some insight into the strengths and weaknesses of each book.

Just like at EndEx, your misery is only validated if you complete an AAR. :warstory:



So what are you army.ca forum addicts reading? Fiction or non fiction. Sorry boys _Penthouse Letters _ don't count 
Myself:

Larry Bond's _First Team_


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## Pikache (4 Jul 2005)

I just finished Starship Troopers for the umpteenth time.

Started to reread War and Peace again. I don't know why I like it. The style of writing is like licking paint on walls.


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## Fishbone Jones (4 Jul 2005)

As usual, I'm reading the Army.ca Forum, and depending what thread I'm in, it could be Fact (army.ca subscribers thread) or utter Fiction (Political thread)


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## PPCLI MCpl (4 Jul 2005)

Mitla Pass - Leon Uris


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## Island Ryhno (4 Jul 2005)

Tom Clancy's- Op Center- Mission of honour!


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## Korus (4 Jul 2005)

"Starfarers" by Poul Anderson.


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## devil39 (4 Jul 2005)

Foreign Affairs - July/Aug edition


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## Mappy (4 Jul 2005)

I'm reading Physical Geology by Eyles, Eyles and Plummer......Go summer school!

I will also be reading some Urban Historial Geography Courseware package in the next few days....Go being a TA!


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## Donut (4 Jul 2005)

Heinlein's _Time enough for love_


And Prehospital Emergency Care & Crisis Intervention

DF


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## Marty (4 Jul 2005)

Ghost Have Warm Hands  by Will Bird


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## MikeM (4 Jul 2005)

Generation Kill by Evan Wright

Excellent book thus far.


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## fir_na_tine (4 Jul 2005)

101 things to do before you die. Yup.


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## Teddy Ruxpin (4 Jul 2005)

"Fire and Sword in the Sudan" by Col R. (Rudolph) Slatin Pasha

Slatin was an Austrian officer and was seconded as the Egyptian governor of Darfur province in the late 1870s.   He was captured in the Mahdi's revolt and didn't escape until 1895.   The book was written shortly after his return to Europe.   Very interesting to read what's changed and (especially) what hasn't.


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## CADPAT SOLDIER (4 Jul 2005)

Well I'm pretty convinced I'm on a special list at school for pontentail non-conformists in the last month I've taken out:
1984- orwell
Animal farm- Orwell
Catcher in the rye
a man call interpid 
and Shake hands with the devil


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## Black Watch (6 Jul 2005)

"l'amour médecin", from Molière


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## purple peguin (6 Jul 2005)

I am reading this forum

Mod Edit.....if you are going for non relevant comments to the topic try and pick something that was not said on the first page.  :


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## Reccesoldier (6 Jul 2005)

"What went Wrong: The clash between Islam and Modernity in th Middle East (Bernard Lewis) Good read

"The Communist Manifesto" (Karl Marx) ... Dear god please make it stop!!!


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## Pieman (6 Jul 2005)

"AI Game Engine Programming" , by Brian Schwab.   Nice methods and well written. 

"Salt", SF novel by Adam Roberts. One of the better science fiction writers to appear in the past few years.

Recently finished reading "An Army at Dawn", by Rick Atkinson. Very nice read. Wish I had more time for these kind of books.


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## MED_BCMC (6 Jul 2005)

"Canada's Army" by JL Granatstein

"Don't Eat this book" by Morgan Spurlock. So far, overly dependant on statistics without details to explain what he is trying to prove.


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## Maritime_Matt (6 Jul 2005)

"Hitler's Scientists: Science, War and the Devil's Pact" (John Cornwell)

"Selected Poems" (Alden Nowlan)


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## civvy3840 (6 Jul 2005)

_Delta Force_ by Col. Charlie A. Beckwith

_Remote Control_ by Andy Mcnab


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## Joe Gunner (6 Jul 2005)

I'm about to start George Blackburn's "The Guns of Victory" this will be the first book I've read of Blackburn's.  Hopefully it's good, I know he has a few others.


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## Alex252 (6 Jul 2005)

Vimy-Pierre Berton


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## -rb (6 Jul 2005)

Just started 'Orientalism' by Edward Said. It's mainly about the west's perceived stereotypes of the Arab/Islamic world...should be an interesting read.

...so how long till the "What are you Watching Thread" rolls around, besides the exisiting Favourite War Movies one? 

cheers.


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## coors (6 Jul 2005)

Ghost Wars: The secret history of the CIA, Afghanistan, and Bin Laden, from the Soviet Invasion to September 10,2001.  By Steve Coll 

Very interesting so far, I would definitely recommend it.


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## Zartan (6 Jul 2005)

"The Battle of the Falaise Gap" by Eddy Florentin.


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## Gramps (6 Jul 2005)

A huge book on Pol Pot.


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## fleeingjam (6 Jul 2005)

Shake Hands with the Devil
by LGen (Retired) Romeo Dallaire with Major Brent Beardsley


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## Jer1 (6 Jul 2005)

"Red Rabbit" by Tom Clancy


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## Angela F. (7 Jul 2005)

Just finished Sahara by Clive Cussler - good book.
I have two waiting for me to start,  The Odyssey by Homer (I already did Illiad), and one called The Way It Was by Rowat C. Swerdfeger.


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## Marty (10 Jul 2005)

The Five Fingers -Gayle Rivers


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## Aislinn (11 Jul 2005)

"Confessions of an Economic Hit Man" by John Perkins. I'm not too sure about it. It's fascinating, but the man who wrote has since repented and now teaches classes about peace, prosperity, and expanting and transforming our awareness. It also seems to hint at conspiracy theories (though not overtly) and this always annoys me. Funny story though, I was talking to a woman the other day about conspiracy theories. She was recommending a book on them an about the world being run by a small group of aliens. (I'm laughing as I write this!) My response between snorts of laughter: "It would have to be aliens! Humans can't get their *$@& together enough to conspire in such a way."
Im also reading "No Life Like It: Military Wives in Canada" by Deborah Harrison and Lucie Laliberte because my fiance is currently having fun with guns and I'm not. 
And finally I've given in and got "Shake Hands With the Devil" by LGen. Dallaire. I haven't gotten into it enough to make any judements yet. Even after finishing it, I suspect I'll simply have more questions. 

Cheers.


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## ReadyAyeReady (11 Jul 2005)

"Paris:1919" by Margaret MacMillan

Amazing book about the Versailles peace conference.  Its almost sickening to read how the "peacemakers" arbitrarily sliced up the map.


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## PPCLI MCpl (11 Jul 2005)

"Intelligence in War: Knowledge of the Enemy from Napoleon to Al-Qaeda" by Sir John Keegan


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## devil39 (17 Jul 2005)

Robert Leonhard - Principles of War for the Information Age - Third time reading this book, many excellent insights

John-James Ford - Bonk On The Head - Novel about RMC


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## Freight_Train (17 Jul 2005)

Gates of Fire - Steven Pressfield


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## Black Watch (18 Jul 2005)

Now i'm reading "the fall of a titan" by Igor Gouzenko


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## Skinny (18 Jul 2005)

panzer- a revolution in warfare,1939-1945   --- Roger Edwards

The da vinci code --- dan brown


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## Fraser.g (18 Jul 2005)

I'm currently juggling three

1. The Moon is a Harsh Mistress (Heinlein) Great minds eh Paramedtec
2. A Table in the Presence (Lt. Carey H. Cash, USMC Chaplain)
3. Hope in H*ll: Inside the world of doctors with out borders (Dan Bortolotti)

GF


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## Island Ryhno (18 Jul 2005)

Harry Potter and the half blood prince - J.K. Rowling  8)


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## mcnutt_p (18 Jul 2005)

"By Order of the President" W.E.B. Griffin


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## Cpl.Banks (18 Jul 2005)

Stalingrad---Anthony Beevor,
Fall of Berlin 1945---Anthony Beevor,
Generation kill---forgot his name 
Just finished reading Sun tzu's Art of War.

UBIQUE!!!


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## Pearson (20 Jul 2005)

My last reads...the Musketeer series by Dumas, very entertaining, can be found on line, all good reads..

The Three Musketeers 
Twenty Years After 
Ten Years Later 
The Missing Viscount 
Louise de la Valliere 
The Man in the Iron Mask (Nothing like the movie of the same name with Gabriel Byrne, John Malkovich)

and I have to say... did a search on here for "poser", hilarious the collection of various BS meters out there. Should have a "Poser's Pool" set up here to link all the comic relief that happens in those threads.....
Still giggling....... engraved my name on me rifle.......lol..... make it stop!


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## Danjanou (21 Jul 2005)

Interseting list. I've read about half the ones here and from the titles wouldn't mind reading the other, 
Harry Potter excepted (sorry there alumni buddy). Also interesting to see I'm not the only one with 2-3 books going at once.

As for myself, just finishing up _Ghosts of Medak_ by Carole Off.


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## baboon6 (21 Jul 2005)

Adam Hochschild- *King Leopold's Ghost*- the story of the colonisation of the Congo
James Altieri- *The Spearheaders*- 1st Ranger Battalion WW2, personal account


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## PPCLI MCpl (21 Jul 2005)

Peter Harclerode - "Fighting Dirty: The Inside Story Of Covert Operations From Ho Chi Minh To Osama Bin Laden"


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## Springroll (22 Jul 2005)

The Illustrated Directory of Healing Crystals by Cassandra Eason


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## REJ (22 Jul 2005)

Currently reading: MORT, Terry Pratchett and THE EXPENDIBLES, Leonard B. Scott. 

Since two books at one time is not enough, about to start SALT, Mark Kurlansky. 

Just finished PRINCESS; A TRUE STORY OF LIFE BEHIND THE VEIL IN SAUDI ARABIA. 

Next in line: MY LIFE IS A WEAPON: A MODERN HISTORY OF SUICIDE BOMBING,Christoph Reuter.


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## SeanPaul_031 (24 Jul 2005)

ROGUE WARRIOR - Richard Marcinko


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## Sheerin (27 Jul 2005)

lets see.  

Two nights ago I finished reading The Wars - Timothy Findley, 
I've just started reading Requiem for a Dream - Selby Hubert 
as well as Coming of Age in the Milky Way - Timothy Ferris 

Those three were for pleasure.

I'm also reading a few books to get ready for school come September 
Wonders and the Order of Nature 1150-1750 - Daston & Park
Principles of Geographical Information Systems - Burrough
and
GIS and Archaeology - James Conolloy


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## NicoleB (27 Jul 2005)

hmm lets see i am currently reading The long walk by stephen king for like the 4th time, and i am about to start The World According to Garp.


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## DogOfWar (27 Jul 2005)

Grundrisse by Karl Marx
How Scots invented the world by Arthur Herman
The Japanese Art of War 
Where Ghosts Walked- David Claye Large


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## ReadyAyeReady (28 Jul 2005)

"Two nights ago I finished reading The Wars - Timothy Findley"

Good call Sheerin!  What did you think of it?  I'd wager its one of the best books I've ever read.  Findley is fantastic.


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## Danjanou (28 Jul 2005)

Finished _Ghost of Medak_ , good read . Just started (again, read it years ago) 
_ The Battle of Long Tan, The legend of ANZAC Upheld _ by Lex McAuley

It's about a firefight between a company of 6 RAR and a VC/NVA ten times their size in 1966.


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## Steel Badger (28 Jul 2005)

Dan...you just gave the title I have been looking for for 5 years....

Myself:

Crisis at Bihac by Brenadan O'Shea

The Threat (Inside the Soviet Army) by Andrew Cockburn - dated but a great study on the ability of the Soviets to fight a war in the 80s.....

The Black Company by Glen Cook and;

To rule the waves....Arthur Herman


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## Burrows (28 Jul 2005)

I'm currently reading "Gaunts Ghosts: Straight Silver" by Dan Abnett for a fourth time.  Its an awesome book.


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## Sh0rtbUs (28 Jul 2005)

"The voice of War: WW2 told by those who fought it"

Can be very dry at times, as some journals are included from less than significant people. On the other hand, includes a lot of interesting personal journals from Pte.'s in Tobruk, El Alamein, Stalingrad etc. as well as men of higher stature such as Churchill, Gen. Montgomery, Rommel... etc.


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## Danjanou (28 Jul 2005)

Steel Badger said:
			
		

> Dan...you just gave the title I have been looking for for 5 years....



Anytime. You want to borrow my copy? 8)

 I agree _The Threat (Inside the Soviet Army)_ by Andrew Cockburn is/was agood source for Soviet bloc . Still have my dog earred copy. Back when they were the bad guys it and Suvurov's books were almost bibles amongst those of us who took "know thy enemy" to heart.


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## CdnPhoenix (29 Jul 2005)

Right now I'm working on reading the Lord of The Rings:Return of the King, I've been working on the LoTR series for a few months now (I stopped reading after school and started on The Liberation of the Netherlands which I just recently finished).


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## Steel Badger (29 Jul 2005)

Focault's Pendulum........by Umberto Ecco


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## SHELLDRAKE!! (29 Jul 2005)

Sealy Posturepedic mattress tag


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## 45506445210414924 (29 Jul 2005)

Being that fact that I've been highly into finding information about the Vietnam War, I am reading the book Vietnam: A History by Stanley Karnow. My highschool teacher gave me the book back in May as he notcied me on some websites about Vietnam, I find the book to be a bit more biased towards America as I am only on the 7th chapter (Vietnam Is the Place). The opening of the dictionary sized book ha, has a really interesting chapter that just kind of leaves you like... ??? 

All around, so far so good. 

Cheers;

Mike F.


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## fir_na_tine (29 Jul 2005)

I'm currently re-reading Mitch Albom's "The Five People You Meet in Heaven" I really enjoy that book.


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## Steel Badger (29 Jul 2005)

A formal request from my supervisor to get back to work and stop *(&(&&((*(*& about.


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## Bruce Monkhouse (29 Jul 2005)

_Quote,
A formal request from my supervisor to get back to work and stop *(&(&&((*(*& about._

..and it took me a while to get a hold of him too......    
 [what, you didn't think I would let the case management social worker thing go, did ya?] :crybaby:


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## patrick666 (9 Aug 2005)

Just started "Fields of Fire" by Terry Copp... 

Cheers


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## Cpl.Banks (15 Aug 2005)

Half way through The Da'Vici Code, its not bad actually...


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## TheShepherd (31 Aug 2005)

Canada's Army - Granatstein


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## Danjanou (31 Aug 2005)

Just finished *Fatherland * by Richard Harris (2nd-3rd time I read it), and just started *The Regiment*( again) by Farley Mowatt. Also about a third of the way through *White Devil* an account of Roger Rangers by Stephen Brumwell


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## baboon6 (4 Sep 2005)

_Down Under_ by Bill Bryson. Travelogue/history of Australia, first of his books I've read, really enjoying it. Also reading _The Last Days of Mussolin_i by F.W. Deakin, an account of the so-called "Salo" Republic the remaining Fascists set up in Northern Italy after Mussolini's rescue.


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## Blakey (6 Sep 2005)

Introduction to the Study of
MILITARY HISTORY
for Canadian Students
(1953)
In particular "The Defence Of Upper Canada; 1812"

and

Canadian Army Journal
Vol. XVII No.1 1963


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## SemperFidelis (6 Sep 2005)

Army.ca


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## Old Ranger (6 Sep 2005)

"How to incorporate Political Correctness with your Anger Management"

Author: Someone who never had their umbilical cord cut.


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## Wolfe (6 Sep 2005)

NO MEAN SOLDIER by Peter Mcaleese (read it 4 times i love it )
Mcaleese's Fighting Manual by Peter Mcaleese
Delta Force By Charlie "Chargin" Beckwith


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## Kat Stevens (6 Sep 2005)

Leadership Secrets of Attila the Hun


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## Montsion (6 Sep 2005)

Just finished _This Man's Army_ by Andrew Exum.   

Currently reading _Good Muslim, Bad Muslim_ by Mahmood Mamdani and _Why Terrorism Works_ by Alan M. Dershowitz.


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## Freight_Train (6 Sep 2005)

Ghost Wars: The Secret History of the CIA, Afghanistan, and Bin Laden, from the Soviet Invasion to September 10, 2001 by  Steve Coll


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## Mike Baker (26 Jul 2008)

As the title says, what book are you reading now? It doesn't have to be military related or anything, so that's why I put it here in R/C.


For me, I've just picked up Lord of The Flies. I've never read it yet, and I always hear that its a 'must read'.



Cheers to a good thread 

-Deadpan


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## aesop081 (26 Jul 2008)

"Last round" by Mark Nichol


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## medicineman (26 Jul 2008)

"Dragonfly in Amber" by Diana Gabaldon.


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## midget-boyd91 (26 Jul 2008)

I just finished reading "A Moment of Truth in Iraq," by Michael Yon.  I'd reccommend that to anyone who knows how to read... especially those in the 'out now' crowd.

Midget


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## eechoss (26 Jul 2008)

Londonistan, book about the effects of Islam on original British Traditions, next book in line, The Sharpe End. WWI book.


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## Kat Stevens (26 Jul 2008)

The Night Watch- Sergei Lukyanenko
Duma Key- Stephen King


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## PMedMoe (26 Jul 2008)

Deadpan said:
			
		

> For me, I've just picked up Lord of The Flies. I've never read it yet, and I always hear that its a 'must read'.



I think you'll enjoy it.  Excellent book!

I am presently reading Excalibur by Bernard Cornwell, third in a series called the Warlord Chronicles.


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## the 48th regulator (26 Jul 2008)

PMedMoe said:
			
		

> I think you'll enjoy it.  Excellent book!
> 
> I am presently reading Excalibur by Bernard Cornwell, third in a series called the Warlord Chronicles.



You blow my mind away.....

This is the second thread where you and I have crossed literary paths....

I have started The Saxon Stories by Bernard Cornwell, and I have the Warlord Chronicles all lined up next!! 

Usually I would ahve done the King Arthur series first, as I am a huge fan of the Riothamus, however I am in a Viking Kick right now...

Uncanny!

dileas

tess


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## medicineman (26 Jul 2008)

Read all three of the Warlord Chronicles and found them an interesting read - a neat take on the Arthurian legend.

MM


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## soccer08 (26 Jul 2008)

Speaking of Arthurian legend, have you read any of the books in the "A Dream of Eagles" series by Jack Whyte?  I normally don't read fantasy stuff, but I've always been interested in medieval times.

There's at least 7 or 8 books in the series.  One of the books is about Merlyn growing up, another is about Lancelot's childhood and ends with him meeting Arthur for the first time.  I'm reading "The Eagle" by Jack Whyte currently.  It's the next in the series (still in Lancelot's perspective) and so far, talks about how the round table was formed, etc.  The early books in the series also focus heavily on the Roman army and their legions.

I find his stuff to be fairly non-fiction as he puts a lot of fact into it.  It's a good mix of fiction and storytelling to keep you hooked, but with a lot of fact to keep it in perspective.


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## the 48th regulator (26 Jul 2008)

soccer08 said:
			
		

> Speaking of Arthurian legend, have you read any of the books in the "A Dream of Eagles" series by Jack Whyte?  I normally don't read fantasy stuff, but I've always been interested in medieval times.
> 
> There's at least 7 or 8 books in the series.  One of the books is about Merlyn growing up, another is about Lancelot's childhood and ends with him meeting Arthur for the first time.  I'm reading "The Eagle" by Jack Whyte currently.  It's the next in the series (still in Lancelot's perspective) and so far, talks about how the round table was formed, etc.  The early books in the series also focus heavily on the Roman army and their legions.
> 
> I find his stuff to be fairly non-fiction as he puts a lot of fact into it.  It's a good mix of fiction and storytelling to keep you hooked, but with a lot of fact to keep it in perspective.





			
				medicineman said:
			
		

> Read all three of the Warlord Chronicles and found them an interesting read - a neat take on the Arthurian legend.
> 
> MM



http://www.camulod.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3&Itemid=34


You beat me to the punch Soccer.

I have read the whole series 3 times, and will do it again very soon.

The most brilliant series, to date!  Jack Whyte's Templar trilogy is okay, waiting for the third book now.

dileas

tess


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## MedTechStudent (27 Jul 2008)

Last three books I read were...

-The Alchemist by _Paulo Coelho_
-A Change Of Heart by _Jodi Picoult _
-The Stand by _Stephen King_ *(My favorite book of all time!)*

What I'm reading now?

Another of my all time favorites called Cats Cradle by _Kurt Vonnegut_


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## PPCLI Guy (27 Jul 2008)

The latest William Gibson: Spook Country

Next - King John of Canada, and The Secret.

Ongoing:  The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari


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## NL_engineer (27 Jul 2008)

just finished reading Outside the wire, and now I'm reading Casino Royal


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## ENGINEERS WIFE (27 Jul 2008)

Actually, Outside The Wire is the book I will start tonight and this morning I just finished is: 
The Long Walk Home, Paul Franklin's Journey From Afghanistan by Liane Faulder.
It is a very short read, but I quite enjoyed it. Well written.  I was surprised at how personal it was, I cried, I laughed and I felt comfortable and it makes me proud to be in the military family.  It just goes to show you that ordinary people can do great things, even if it not the road they would have chosen, but, they make the best of it and keep on truckin' and I wish the best to the Franklin family.  They deserve it!   ;D

Look at me, sounding like I am all bookish or somethng.  If you had started this thread 6 months ago the Toronto Sun would have been about it for me.  Now, 2 books in 2 days.  I guess this is what happens when hubby is away :-[


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## TDeV (27 Jul 2008)

David Grossman On Combat; just finashed and what a book. This book should be reguired reading for anybody wishing to join the combat arms.


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## Kevin Moran (27 Jul 2008)

The Politically Incorrect Guide to Islam (and the Crusades) by Robert Spencer.

I real eye opener


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## Kevin Moran (27 Jul 2008)

Apologies, "A" real eye opener


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## joonrooj (27 Jul 2008)

The Zombie Survival Guide by Max Brooks
Required reading for those wishing too survive.


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## Thompson_JM (27 Jul 2008)

"The Five People You Meet in Heaven" by Mitch Albom

I thought it was a great read, and a neat look at one mans take on the afterlife.


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## PMedMoe (27 Jul 2008)

the 48th regulator said:
			
		

> You blow my mind away.....
> 
> This is the second thread where you and I have crossed literary paths....
> 
> ...



That's more than likely where the similarities end.  The rest of my collection is a mix of all Stephen King's novels (The Stand is my fave too, MTS), John Grisham, Michael Crichton, Jean Auel, Diana Gabaldon (the whole series), Anne Rice, Mercedes Lackey, Guy Gavriel Kay, Jeffrey Deaver, Thomas Harris, Orson Scott Card, Laurie R. King and single works of fiction and nonfiction.

Anyone who likes fantasy (medieval or otherwise) should check out The Fionavar Tapestry by Guy Gavriel Kay.  Three books in one that will keep you reading.  It also has  bits of the "Arthur" legend as well.

Tess, I was unaware that there is The Saxon Stories too.  Are they about Aelle and Cerdic?  I'll have to look them up.


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## Mike Baker (30 Jul 2008)

15 Days, just picked it up today ;D


-Deadpan


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## Eye In The Sky (30 Jul 2008)

Red Storm Rising (again).


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## Rodahn (30 Jul 2008)

Retreat Hell... WEB Griffen.


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## dangerboy (30 Jul 2008)

Viking: Sworn Brother, by Tim Severin


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## Jack O. (30 Jul 2008)

America Alone ( Again) Stephen King's Duma Key, (His new one) and I've got Insomnia (Also by King) awaiting my return, and Dead Certain (About President Bush, from his days in Texas through 2000 and now, and it's neither a criticism or praise, just the cold hard history) He's not the man you see on TV, that's for sure


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## 3VP Highlander (30 Jul 2008)

Mopping up!  with the PPCLI.  The story of Lt Jack Munroe (one of the originals) 1914 - 1918.


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## MedTechStudent (30 Jul 2008)

The Dictionary...turns out the Zebra did it.  ;D





Sorry. :-X


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## BernDawg (31 Jul 2008)

King Kull.  Circa 1964, the pages are falling out but it's worth it.

Hey Kev, welcome to the site.

Bern


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## yak (31 Jul 2008)

The Places in Between - Rory Stewart


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## Kat Stevens (31 Jul 2008)

Quick re visit to an old read:  The Teachings of Don Juan- Carlos Castaneda.... like, totally trippy, man.... 8)


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## Colin Parkinson (31 Jul 2008)

"Jihad" and shortly will start "Give War a chance"


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## grmpz1 (31 Jul 2008)

i jus finished 15 days and now im on  outside the wire and after that im reading   fiasco : the american military adventure in iraq 8)


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## Sheerin (31 Jul 2008)

Currently i'm reading Kurt Vonnegut's _Mother Night_.  
before it I read Alan Weisman's _ The World Without Us_ which I found to be quite interesting.


Next?  I'm not really sure.


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## 2 Cdo (31 Jul 2008)

Tamerlane: Sword of Islam, Conqueror of the World.

Muslims causing trouble about 1400 years ago! 8)

Interesting story but the book is written somewhat disjointedly. No real flow, jumps around alot. You will find yourself back tracking at times to make sense of certain battles.


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## time expired (31 Jul 2008)

FATAL AVENUE by RICHARD HOLMES-A travellers history of Northern
France and Flanders,1346-1945.History made easy to read.
                                       Regards


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## leroi (31 Jul 2008)

I'm reading Anchee Min's autobiographical _Red Azalea_--it's about growing up in Chairman Mao's China (It's this type of literature that makes me really, really glad to be Canadian!)

Also reading _The Gouzenko Transcripts_--fascinating stuff!


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## traviss-g (31 Jul 2008)

I'm reading a book of sort stories by Rudyard Kipling


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## Etienne (1 Aug 2008)

I just finished Steve Berry's :  The Templar Legacy and The Alexandria Link. The last one brings a little twist at the current "Mapping" of the middle east. Interesting, but a little piece of advice, read The Templar Legacy first, which introduce the major players, of both books. It is not a : Part 1 and Part 2 books. Just same "Good guys"  ;D

Someone sent me: The Amber Room, while I was in A'stan and found that Steve Berry, IMHO, is a step higher than Dan Brown books (read them all)

So I am now reading Steve Berry's: The Third Secret, sound interesting.. it involves the Vatican...again 

Have a nice day

CHIMO !

Etienne


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## CallOfDuty (1 Aug 2008)

I'm reading Empty Casing----written by retired Canadian army officer Fred Doucette.   A soldier's memoir of Sarajevo under siege.
TH


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## pfl (1 Aug 2008)

I'm actually going through the entire Flashman series. Its by George MacDonald something or other, slips my mind right now. Great stuff, cowardly hilarious Briitish officer in the mid 1800's. Author has him put into all the major battles and political affairs of the time, kind of like Forrest Gump......just imaging him as a whore-slapping, womanizing, servant beater and you've pretty much got it lol


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## Danjanou (1 Aug 2008)

Good topic

Just finished Kamikaze the latest horror thriller from Vancouver based Michale Slade, not too bad but he is getting predictable.

Usually I have 3-4 books going at once all over the house (drives the D9er nuts) but nothing on the go now.  :-[

I did order some stuff off Amazon earlier so hopefully next week:

The Saints: The Rhodesian Light Infantry

32 Battalion

The Hollywood History of the World: From One Million Years B.C. to Apocalypse Now

Cinderella Army: The Canadians in Northwest Europe, 1944-1945

Fields of Fire: The Canadians in Normandy

James and the Duck: Tales of the Rhodesian Bush War (1964 - 1980)


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## Gramps (1 Aug 2008)

Inside the VC and the NVA. Not as interesting as it sounds.


----------



## Dariusz (1 Aug 2008)

Just finishing Friendly Fire by Michael Friscolanti. It is about the April 17, 2002, bombing of Tarnak Farm, Kandahar, in which 4 Canadians were killed by an american F-16 pilot.
Very interesting, covers the incident from many angles and perspectives, plus the findings of the investigations. :bullet:


----------



## jeffb (3 Aug 2008)

I'm reading _The Soul of Battle _ by Victor Davis Hanson. It follows the campaign of Epaminondas against the Spartans, Sherman's march to the sea and the 3rd Army under Patton. So far, it's pretty good if not a little optimistic about the power of democracy to motivate soldiers.


----------



## manhole (4 Aug 2008)

I am reading "The Bitter Harvest of War" - New Brunswick and the Conscription Crisis of 1917, author Andrew Theobald.   The publisher is Goose Lane Editions and the book is #11 in the New Brunswick Military Heritage Series.   Interesting read for those who like local history.......


----------



## Kevin Moran (4 Sep 2008)

Phantom Soldier and The Tiger's Way by John Poole.  Great books about how Eastern (Asian mostly) soldiers fight and why. Both are great reads.


----------



## Luvs 2 Curl (4 Sep 2008)

Icon - Frederick Forsyth

Cold War era political/spy novel.  Highly recommend if you like that sort of thing.


----------



## Danjanou (4 Sep 2008)

Busy reading month (mind I was off sick for 3 days this week with nada to do)

Finished *No Holding Back: Operation Totalize August 1944*

For those unfamiliar with it Brian Reid a retired RCA Colonel and (member here) gives a good detailed account of the armoured thrust south from Caen to Falaise and pulls no punches on what went wrong, and why. He also disposes some myths on the battle pointing out it did achieve almost all its objectives, although there were many Command and Control issues due to the relative inexperience of some key Canadian commanders. Reid writes as a soldier and it’s easy to follow along for other soldiers. Also well illustrated with tactical maps and unit TO&E diagrams.

He also analyzes the death of German Panzer Ace Michael Whitman looking at all the evidence and comes up with new conclusions on how he died and who most likely killed him that will upset the accepted story of the last 60 years.

Also finished *Generation Kill* by Evan Wright I’ve watched the HBO series and the book  is  just as good. Naturally more detail including for those who say the series why some of the higher ups (Encino Man, Captain America) were such retards. Wright also has a post script on what happened to the major characters including who went back to Iraq.

Third down range was 
*Alternate Decisions of World War II Third Reich Victorious Ten Dynamic Scenarios in Which Hitler Wins the War* Edited by Peter Tsouras. 10 military historians have offered what if scenarios that change the war. Surprisingly well done. 

Scenarios include BEF not being evacuated at Dunkirk and Sea Lion being successful enough that PM Halifax (?) sues for peace. Germans win the Battle of Britain and terror bomb London enough that again the PM surrenders. 

Others include the Germans jet aircraft defeating the bomber offensive, Turkey entering the war against the Soviets, and three with Rommel.  Two of them with him on the Ost Front in 1941 and then in 1944 (after winning in Normandy). The third is him winning against the 8th Army and driving all the way to Basra.

The most  interesting one though suggests that in WW 1 a young Adolf Hitler is convinced to join the German Navy and not the Army. He is wounded at Jutland and develops a pathological hatred of England and the RN that suppresses his anti Semitism. He also develops a friendship with a couple of junior officers Raeder and Doenitiz.

After the war everything else goes the same Weimer Republic, depression and Hitlers rise to power etc. However he concentrates on building a naval force including more U-Boats and 4 small carriers. Sept 1939 4 German carriers launch a Pearl Harbour type attack on Scapa Flow and U-Boat packs finish off most of the RN in UK waters. No RN and Sea Lion succeeds. A German scientist named Albert Einstein then offers the Kreigsmarine a new weapon and soon no more Russia.

This one ends with a Cold War between a German occupied Europe and the US and the rest of the British Empire in Exile based in Canada including a British Honduras (Belize) Missile Crisis in the 1960’s

I also have to confess I picked up and read Andy McNabb’s latest Nick Stone book to kill time on a train trip, about par for the series but better than staring out the window for 4 hours….almost.

Two new ones on the go now. Dave Grossman’s *On Killing* interesting if a bit dry  initially  and well covered here elsewhere. I also pulled off the shelf Herman Wouks two parter *Winds of War* (finished it last night) and *War and Remembrance* to tide me over until my new Amazon shipment gets in.


----------



## Mike Baker (4 Sep 2008)

Alternate Decisions of World War II Third Reich Victorious Ten Dynamic Scenarios in Which Hitler Wins the War.

That looks like it would be a great read. I'll pick it up if I can.


-Dead


----------



## cjr (6 Sep 2008)

_The Heart of Valor_ - by Tanya Huff

Third (I think) in a Sci-Fi series about Confederation Marines Gunnery Sargeant Torin Kerr.  In this volume she tries to keep a group of marine recruits alive on a training mission gone wrong.  Not bad so far but probably not your thing if you don't like military Sci-Fi.


----------



## Ex-Dragoon (6 Sep 2008)

cjr said:
			
		

> _The Heart of Valor_ - by Tanya Huff
> 
> Third (I think) in a Sci-Fi series about Confederation Marines Gunnery Sargeant Torin Kerr.  In this volume she tries to keep a group of marine recruits alive on a training mission gone wrong.  Not bad so far but probably not your thing if you don't like military Sci-Fi.



have you read any other books in that series? I was looking at this one at Chapters and wasn't sure about it.


----------



## cjr (6 Sep 2008)

_The Heart of Valor_ - by Tanya Huff



			
				Ex-Dragoon said:
			
		

> have you read any other books in that series? I was looking at this one at Chapters and wasn't sure about it.



I have read all of them.  Huff (who is Canadian) usually writes fantasy and my wife buys all her stuff.  I enjoyed them.  She is a good writer but the circumstances in the books are sometimes a bit contrived.  I.e. they keep ending up in situations where the only hope is the squad of marines on the ground and no one in space can drop anything on the bad guys.  The characters seem realistic (though I've not served in a military unit so you may have to take that with some salt) and the interplay between the species that serve the Confederation as combat forces is interesting.

I would say check out the first one and see if you like it.  Keep in mind though that the books are told from a marine point of view so the navy does take a bit of bashing.


----------



## BinRat55 (7 Sep 2008)

Betty and Veronica's Double Digest... not a very light read, considering it's a "double" digest!!  Will Archie ever learn?


----------



## PMedMoe (7 Sep 2008)

BinRat55 said:
			
		

> Betty and Veronica's Double Digest... not a very light read, considering it's a "double" digest!!  Will Archie ever learn?



 :rofl:

Reading The Dream of Eagles series from Jack Whyte........again.


----------



## Colin Parkinson (7 Sep 2008)

Jihad, a history of Islam in Central Asia mainly focused on post Soviet Union

Also a rather thick and clean brand new Range Rover repair manual.


----------



## PMedMoe (8 Sep 2008)

Picked up this book on sale at Chapter's yesterday.  Interesting read so far.


----------



## Eye In The Sky (8 Sep 2008)

Several for me:  Hoorah for OPMEs.

A Military History of Canada:  Desmond Morton

War and Society in Post-Confederation Canada: Keshen and Durflinger

Destinies - Canadian History Since Confederation:  Francis, Jones and Smith


----------



## Ex-Dragoon (8 Sep 2008)

cjr said:
			
		

> _The Heart of Valor_ - by Tanya Huff
> 
> I have read all of them.  Huff (who is Canadian) usually writes fantasy and my wife buys all her stuff.  I enjoyed them.  She is a good writer but the circumstances in the books are sometimes a bit contrived.  I.e. they keep ending up in situations where the only hope is the squad of marines on the ground and no one in space can drop anything on the bad guys.  The characters seem realistic (though I've not served in a military unit so you may have to take that with some salt) and the interplay between the species that serve the Confederation as combat forces is interesting.
> 
> I would say check out the first one and see if you like it.  Keep in mind though that the books are told from a marine point of view so the navy does take a bit of bashing.



Hope your happy I picked up the first two in omnibus formate at Chapters this weekend lol


----------



## c_canuk (9 Sep 2008)

> The Heart of Valor - by Tanya Huff
> 
> I have read all of them.  Huff (who is Canadian) usually writes fantasy and my wife buys all her stuff.  I enjoyed them.  She is a good writer but the circumstances in the books are sometimes a bit contrived.  I.e. they keep ending up in situations where the only hope is the squad of marines on the ground and no one in space can drop anything on the bad guys.  The characters seem realistic (though I've not served in a military unit so you may have to take that with some salt) and the interplay between the species that serve the Confederation as combat forces is interesting.
> 
> I would say check out the first one and see if you like it.  Keep in mind though that the books are told from a marine point of view so the navy does take a bit of bashing.



they are a good read, I think in the authors note in the first book she mentions that her father was a WO and thats where she gets some of her information and based the first book around the scenario in the movie about the famous British batte with the Zulu.

...

I just finished The Zombie Survival Guide by Max Brooks, pretty well thought out book, interesting and fun to read... some conclusions are a little odd though. Not to mention I shouldn't have been reading the "historical" accounts second half of the book just before bed 

now reading the Gosple of the Flying Spagetti Monster... not as funny as I was expecting.


----------



## traviss-g (20 Oct 2008)

I'm reading "I am America (and so can you)" By Steven Colbert. It is a really funny


			
				c_canuk said:
			
		

> I just finished The Zombie Survival Guide by Max Brooks,


Sounds interesting, is it an easy to find book?


----------



## TacticalW (20 Oct 2008)

traviss-g said:
			
		

> interesting, is it an easy to find book?



Yep, it's been a big seller. I've read World War Z which was pretty good and by the same guy but not this one. I'll probably get it later, but I "did" enjoy the one I read quite a bit.


----------



## JimMorrison19 (20 Oct 2008)

I'm reading both The History of the Second World War by B.H. Liddell Hart and Self-Destruction: The Disintegration and Decay of the United States Army during the Vietnam Era by Cincinnatus at the same time.


----------



## Shec (20 Oct 2008)

Just put down "Renegades - Canadians in the Spanish Civil War" by Michael Petrou, 2008.  A definitive history of the MacKenzie-Papineau Battalion; who they were, why they did it, what they experienced, and what became of them.

http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/Renegades-Canadians-Spanish-Civil-War-Michael-Petrou/9780774814188-item.html


----------



## OldSolduer (20 Oct 2008)

The Iceman - Confessions of a Mafia Assassin

The guy's name is Richard Kuklinski. He had personally killed over 200 men. Bizarre chap.


----------



## MikeL (20 Oct 2008)

Currently reading 3Para and skimming through Green Eyes and Black Rifles.


----------



## Danjanou (20 Oct 2008)

Cinderella Army by Terry Copp. Great account of the 1st Canadian Army after Normandy, doing all the crap jobs in NWE, clearing the channel ports , the Breskin Pocket Walchern etc.


----------



## Don.G (20 Oct 2008)

First In...an insiders account of how the CIA spearheaded the war on terror in Afghanistan.


----------



## leroi (20 Oct 2008)

medicineman said:
			
		

> "Dragonfly in Amber" by Diana Gabaldon.



How do you find it? I read the entire _Outlander_ series--couldn't put it down. 

I loved the beginning books that deal with The Battle of Culloden in Scotland but found the later books of the 7 book series (the books dealing with Jamie and Clare's adventures in America) less appealling.

Diana Gabaldon is quite the Scottish scholar and usually attends the Highland Games in Fergus, Ontario each August.

Currently reading:  _The True Intrepid: Sir William Stephenson and the Unknown Agents_ by Bill Macdonald. Fascinating to discover what a large role a few lesser-known "quiet Canadians" played in helping the Americans set up the CIA; and more importantly win WWII.


----------



## CallOfDuty (21 Oct 2008)

" Soldiers made me look good", by MGen(ret.) Lew MacKenzie.  
Good read


----------



## Gasplug (21 Oct 2008)

The "Gothic Line" by Mark Zuehlke.

I am posted in Italy so I might as well learn all about those D-Day Dodgers.... Who knows I might get to visit a few of those battle sites up near Rimini.

Cheers,

Gasplug


----------



## Don.G (21 Oct 2008)

Two books I think are a must read (which I failed to mention yesterday)  are 15 Days.....and  Contact Charlie.


----------



## canadian_moose (21 Oct 2008)

Making the Corps
Bullet Proof Flag


----------



## X Royal (21 Oct 2008)

Black Wind by Clive & Dirk Cussler.


----------



## Lil_T (21 Oct 2008)

I just started Fifteen Days, and My first 1,000 words (with the little one )


----------



## FutureQYR (21 Oct 2008)

Shaking Hands With The Devil, by Romeo Dellaire


----------



## SprCForr (23 Oct 2008)

1945 ~ Robert Conroy


----------



## uniballer (23 Oct 2008)

Licensed to Kill  Robert Young Pelton      An amazing read and insight into the private military/security companies like Blackwater and how they are used in Iraq and Afaganastan.

On Killing  LCol Dave Grossman    A real eye opener into how we are brought to the point of being able to break the largest of all societal taboos, killing another human being,


----------



## Kat Stevens (23 Oct 2008)

Lords of the Bow by Conn Iggulden.  Genghis Khan must strive against blah blah blabbity blah blah....  not a bad read, typical lightweight historical fiction.  Killed a couple of afternoons so far.


----------



## WrenchBender (23 Oct 2008)

Kat Stevens said:
			
		

> Lords of the Bow by Conn Iggulden.  Genghis Khan must strive against blah blah blabbity blah blah....  not a bad read, typical lightweight historical fiction.  Killed a couple of afternoons so far.


I picked up the series and will be tackling them once finished Cussler's 'Navigator'

WrenchBender


----------



## Don.G (24 Oct 2008)

Another very good read is  "On Combat"  by Lt Col Grossman.


----------



## manhole (25 Oct 2008)

Just finished "Contact Charlie".........excellent read!   Highly recommended


----------



## wannabe SF member (25 Oct 2008)

"A field guide to left wing wackos" by Kfir Alfia.

Hilarious read.


----------



## Bass ackwards (29 Oct 2008)

Now most of the way through _Unquiet Diplomacy _ (2005) by Paul Cellucci.
I fail to see what all the yelling is about: the guy is a lot more polite than far too many of our pols and media types are towards the US.

The book leans slightly towards being boring, but it's not a bad read for those worried about Canada/US relations (all of whom have probably read it already anyway...)


----------



## grmpz1 (30 Oct 2008)

Canada's Secret Commandos: The Unauthorized Story of Joint Task Force Two about half way through it  

and Fiasco the American military adventure in Iraq............feels like i been reading that thing forever


----------



## Hot Lips (30 Oct 2008)

_The Assassins Gallery _ by David L. Robbins

Great suspense novel!!!

HL


----------



## meni0n (30 Oct 2008)

Imperial Humbris by Michael Scheuer
Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies by Jared Diamond
The Emergence Of Modern Southeast Asia: A New History
Places In Between by Rory Stewart


----------



## Danjanou (30 Oct 2008)

Finished Cinderella Army. Both of Copp's books on 1st Cdn Army are pretty good and makes me want to look for more of his stuff. Now just getting into Defeat in malaya The fall of Singapore by Arthur Swinson. Good subway commute read but I think I know how it ends.  8)


----------



## 2 Cdo (30 Oct 2008)

A Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley. 

The world in the future where everyone is genetically "grown" in a lab and perpetually happy. That description alone should tell you that bad things are just under the surface waiting to throw a wrench into society.


----------



## OldSolduer (30 Oct 2008)

A Maxim magazine from Feb 2003. It's nice (pretend a Borat accent here) :blotto:


----------



## WannaBeFlyer (30 Oct 2008)

Visual Basic .NET in 21 days....


----------



## tango22a (5 Nov 2008)

Contact Charlie...excellent so far.

tango22a


----------



## Freight_Train (6 Nov 2008)

Just finished, Cold Zero : Inside the FBI Hostage Rescue Team by Christopher Whitco - good read and some insight into Ruby Ridge and Waco as well as the evolution of the FBI.

Am about a third through, Outside the Wire. The War in Afghanistan in the Words of Its Participants. Edited by Kevin Patterson and Jane Warren - So far, so good.

Next up, Contact Charlie: The Canadian Army, The Taliban and the Battle that Saved Afghanistan: Chris Wattie

Greg


----------



## BernDawg (6 Nov 2008)

Harlequin - Bernard Cornwell.  A charming tale of the hundred years war.
I just reread the Saxon series from the beginning and I thought I'd check out some of his other works besides the Sharpe series.


----------



## AZA-02 (6 Nov 2008)

Just finished State of Fear by Michael Chrichton. May he rest in peace.


----------



## Marshall (6 Nov 2008)

I just like to drown myself in Fantasy novels..  ^-^


----------



## AGuyWithAGun (6 Nov 2008)

Juno Beach by Mark Zuehlke. I have already read Gothic Line and recommend his line of works to everyone.


----------



## ghyslyn (6 Nov 2008)

Just finished War Journal, now I'm reading House to House


----------



## leroi (6 Nov 2008)

Just finished "A Thousand Splendid Suns" by author of "The Kite Runner," Khaled Hosseini.

Like "The Kite Runner," the book's a fiction that historically chronicles the last 30 years of strife in Afghanistan--up to 2003.

Unlike "The Kite Runner," the two fictional characters central to the story are women.

Hosseini went to Afghanistan and interviewed hundreds of women for the book.

This book is a must-read for all those people who think Canada's involvement in Afghanistan is a waste of time--IMHO.


----------



## dapaterson (6 Nov 2008)

"The Year of Living Biblically" - a non-practicing Jew decided to spend a year trying to literally obey the Bible - then shifted to 8 months Old Testament, 4 months New Testament.  Intersting concept, at least...


----------



## time expired (8 Nov 2008)

Tommy,The British soldier on the Western Front 1914-1918
 Another excellent read from Richard Holmes,concerns mainly
the Brits, but Canadians get an honerable mention,the front was 
basically the same no matter whose army one served.
The book makes some attempt to debunk some of the myths
that were established in popular literature after the war.
Highly reccommended.
                             Regards


----------



## muskrat89 (8 Nov 2008)

"Ted, White and Blue" by Ted Nugent

Far more sensible and thought out than I ever would have imagined - with all of the Nugent "pizazz" that you would expect


----------



## PMedMoe (8 Nov 2008)

leroi said:
			
		

> Just finished "A Thousand Splendid Suns" by author of "The Kite Runner," Khaled Hosseini.
> 
> Like "The Kite Runner," the book's a fiction that historically chronicles the last 30 years of strife in Afghanistan--up to 2003.
> 
> ...



Both books were great!!  Have you seen the movie The Kite Runner?  I hope they make one from A Thousand Splendid Suns as well.  Awesome books!


----------



## the_girlfirend (8 Nov 2008)

Currently reading:
- Outside the Wire, the war in Afghanistan in the words of its participants by Kevin Patterson and Jane Warren (I am very sensitive to Captain Nichola Goddard's story  )
- Small Unit Leadership: A Commonsense Approach by Dandridge M. Malone 

Next will be either Contact Charlie or Fifteen days... I haven't decided yet.


----------



## the 48th regulator (8 Nov 2008)

Listening to Enemy of God, the second book in The Warlord Chronicles series by Bernard Cornwell.

http://www.bernardcornwell.net/index.cfm?page=2&BookId=30

Bernard Cornwell is so good, he may almost unseat Jack Whyte as my favourite Author!

dileas

tess


----------



## leroi (8 Nov 2008)

PMedMoe said:
			
		

> Both books were great!!  Have you seen the movie The Kite Runner?  I hope they make one from A Thousand Splendid Suns as well.  Awesome books!



Yes I did see "The Kite Runner"-- awesome, as you say. I'm also hoping they make a movie of "A Thousand Splendid Suns." 



edited:for spelling


----------



## 2 Cdo (8 Nov 2008)

Michael Chrichtons, The Terminal man.


----------



## NL_engineer (8 Nov 2008)

I am currently reading Kandahar Tour.


----------



## Steel Badger (10 Nov 2008)

Listening to Enemy of God, the second book in The Warlord Chronicles series by Bernard Cornwell.

http://www.bernardcornwell.net/index.cfm?page=2&BookId=30

Bernard Cornwell is so good, he may almost unseat Jack Whyte as my favourite Author!

dileas

tess

[/quote]


----------



## Steel Badger (10 Nov 2008)

the 48th regulator said:
			
		

> Listening to Enemy of God, the second book in The Warlord Chronicles series by Bernard Cornwell.
> 
> http://www.bernardcornwell.net/index.cfm?page=2&BookId=30
> 
> ...



The Warlord series is fantastic; as is his dark ages series about Uhtred of Bebbenburg. Just finished Lords of the North for the 3rd time.


----------



## Don.G (18 Nov 2008)

Distant Thunder....(Canada's Citizen Soldiers on the Western Front)


----------



## PanaEng (18 Nov 2008)

Bored at the airport. Saw a copy of "Infidel" by Ayaan Hirsi Ali (the Neterlands MP of Somali origin, who is forced to leave by all the PC crap that is consuming most of the EU) started reading and could not put it down - fortunately, I remember to pay for it before boarding...

cheers,
Frank


----------



## Mike Baker (18 Nov 2008)

Just bought "Survive" by the one and only Les Stroud ;D


Beaver


----------



## the 48th regulator (18 Nov 2008)

Steel Badger said:
			
		

> The Warlord series is fantastic; as is his dark ages series about Uhtred of Bebbenburg. Just finished Lords of the North for the 3rd time.



The very first series I read was the Dark Ages, and by Far Uhtred is my favourite character of his books.

Which is why I am still tipping the scales with Jack Whytes Golden Eagle and Cornwell's works.  Publius Varus is my all time fictional fave character, from SkyStone.

Funny thing is Uhtred of Bebbenburg is loosely based on one of Cornwell's ancestors, too.

dileas

tess


----------



## Rodahn (18 Nov 2008)

An Implementation guide for Environmental Management Systems.... 

It's a thrilling read.... :


----------



## the 48th regulator (18 Nov 2008)

Rodahn said:
			
		

> An Implementation guide for Environmental Management Systems....
> 
> It's a thrilling read.... :



What type of sword does the lead characer prefer to use?

dileas

tess


----------



## PMedMoe (18 Nov 2008)

the 48th regulator said:
			
		

> The very first series I read was the Dark Ages, and by Far Uhtred is my favourite character of his books.



I thought Uhtred was from the Saxon stories?  I just picked up The Last Kingdom at Value Village a few weeks ago, not realizing it's part of a series.  :-[  On the bright side, at least it's the first of the series!!  Haven't started it yet, still reading The Sorcerer: Metamorphosis.

I'm with you, Tess, I like both authors!


----------



## the 48th regulator (18 Nov 2008)

PMedMoe said:
			
		

> I thought Uhtred was from the Saxon stories?  I just picked up The Last Kingdom at Value Village a few weeks ago, not realizing it's part of a series.  :-[  On the bright side, at least it's the first of the series!!  Haven't started it yet, still reading The Sorcerer: Metamorphosis.
> 
> I'm with you, Tess, I like both authors!



Moe,

You are bang on, I got confused by that Argyle Character, what a bag of squeeky toys he is.....Badger get back to work please!

The Saxon Stories

dileas

tess


----------



## RangerRay (18 Nov 2008)

I'm currently reading _Post Captain_ by Patrick O'Brien.  After, I plan on starting Bernard Cornwell's _Sharpe_ series.


----------



## RHFC_piper (18 Nov 2008)

> What book are you reading now?



Physics for Dummy's
Calculus for Dummy's
TI-89 Graphing Calculator for Dummy's



Why? 2 reasons;

1) Mechanical Engineering, Design and Analysis at Conestoga College 

2) I never took physics or calculus in high school and the TI-89 Calculator has (according to the math teacher) the answer to everything... including the answer to life, the universe and everything....  it's 42.   ;D


----------



## Colin Parkinson (18 Nov 2008)

Just finished Kite Runner, starting 15 days and just bought a referance book "British Army Equiupment" circa 1980's


----------



## infamous_p (18 Nov 2008)

The Talisman by Stephen King, to be followed by Bag of Bones or The Stand.


----------



## Rodahn (18 Nov 2008)

the 48th regulator said:
			
		

> What type of sword does the lead characer prefer to use?
> 
> dileas
> 
> tess



Hopefully one that I can fall on....  ;D


----------



## PMedMoe (18 Nov 2008)

infamous_p said:
			
		

> The Talisman by Stephen King, to be followed by Bag of Bones or The Stand.



I can't even choose my favorite from those three but if I was pushed it would be The Stand.  That was the first Stephen King book I read and now I have them all.
He just released a new book of short stories, Just After Sunset.  Gotta go get it!!


----------



## leroi (18 Nov 2008)

PMedMoe said:
			
		

> I can't even choose my favorite from those three but if I was pushed it would be The Stand.  That was the first Stephen King book I read and now I have them all.
> He just released a new book of short stories, Just After Sunset.  Gotta go get it!!



Moe,

I'm a big Stephen King fan too. I've got almost all his books.  Did you read The Gunslinger series? I liked it except for the very final  book. 
I haven't read Cell yet because people have told me it's his worst work. What did you think of it?


----------



## formerarmybrat23 (18 Nov 2008)

im reading Empty Casing right now. I have heard alot about it and am enjoying it so far. Im switching between that and Last Man Out (book and the springhill mine disaster). I recommend them both


----------



## George Wallace (18 Nov 2008)

I'm reading Kate L. Turabian's "A Manual for Writers".  I think many on this site could find it useful.   >

That or "The Practical Stylist" by Sheridan Baker.   ;D


----------



## aesop081 (18 Nov 2008)

Canon EOS Digital Rebel Xsi / 450D for Dummies


----------



## The Bread Guy (18 Nov 2008)

Finally getting around to the Flashman series - just starting "Flashman in the Great Game".  






*LOVED* all of his McCauslan treasures, just never got around to hitting the Flashman books.


----------



## the 48th regulator (18 Nov 2008)

Kewl,

Your books have girls, with their diddies showing, on the cover!

dileas

tess


----------



## infamous_p (19 Nov 2008)

PMedMoe said:
			
		

> I can't even choose my favorite from those three but if I was pushed it would be The Stand.  That was the first Stephen King book I read and now I have them all.
> He just released a new book of short stories, Just After Sunset.  Gotta go get it!!



Moe, what did you think of Bag of Bones? I'm trying to decide which one to read next - Bag of Bones or The Stand (I tend to have my most indecisive moments when it comes to choosing my next read, haha). I'm an enormous King fan, always have been... but right now I'm making my way through all of the books that are apparently intertwined within the Dark Tower stories before I read the series.


----------



## gate_guard (19 Nov 2008)

After being on my list of books to read for the past few years, I'm finally reading "Panzer Leader" by Guderian and am thoroughly enjoying it. Also occasionally picking up "Killing Pablo" by Mark Bowden (of Blackhawk Down fame), South American mickey mouse politics and the hunt for Pablo Escobar...it's not as good a read as Blackhawk Down but still not a bad effort.

Next on the list is "Achtung Panzer" and then "The Kite Runner". Has anyone read "3 Para", about 3rd Battalion of the Para Regiment in Helmand Province in the summer of 2006? Finished it not too long ago, pretty intense read. Anyone else who's read it have any thoughts?


----------



## slowmode (19 Nov 2008)

Currently I'm reading a book named: The Lord of the rings: THe Fellowship of the rings 

Its my 6th time reading it, I just like it


----------



## Shec (19 Nov 2008)

_War on Our Doorstep_ by Brendan Coyle.   A short history of WW2 on the West Coast & Alaska.


----------



## PMedMoe (19 Nov 2008)

leroi said:
			
		

> Moe,
> 
> I'm a big Stephen King fan too. I've got almost all his books.  Did you read The Gunslinger series? I liked it except for the very final  book.
> I haven't read Cell yet because people have told me it's his worst work. What did you think of it?



leroi, I also like the Dark Tower novels (a.k.a. Gunslinger series).  I seriously can't remember the last book but considering when he started it was meant to be a 12 or 13 book series and ended earlier, I imagine there was a lot of "loose ends" to tie up.  I love the Roland character.  I could see a young(er) Clint Eastwood, every time he was described.

I actually liked Cell.  I thought it might make a decent movie if they didn't screw it up as they do with most Stephen King book-to-movie transitions.  Notable exceptions being Firestarter, The Green Mile and The Shawshank Redemption.

I think his worst book is The Tommyknockers.  :-X



			
				infamous_p said:
			
		

> Moe, what did you think of Bag of Bones? I'm trying to decide which one to read next - Bag of Bones or The Stand (I tend to have my most indecisive moments when it comes to choosing my next read, haha). I'm an enormous King fan, always have been... but right now I'm making my way through all of the books that are apparently intertwined within the Dark Tower stories before I read the series.



I liked Bag of Bones as well, pretty neat intertwining of the past and the present.  If you have the uncut version of The Stand (i.e. the way it was originally written) keep in mind it's a pretty long book, but as I said, one of my favorites.  What I liked about it, is that with the exception of the supernatural stuff, it could actually happen, which is kind of scary in itself.


----------



## leroi (19 Nov 2008)

Moe, 

The Stand is my favorite too. I've read it several times.
King was pretty disappointed with the interpretation of some of his earlier movies and vowed to never again sign over too much control to filmmakers.
I think the 7th book of the Dark Tower series had too many loose ends. I believe it was written while he was still trying to recover from his accident and a bit rushed.

As Roland would say with a bow, Thankee Sai!!!


----------



## PMedMoe (20 Nov 2008)

the 48th regulator said:
			
		

> Publius Varus is my all time fictional fave character, from SkyStone.



 I think I'm really starting to like Dedalus, particularly what he wrote to Merlyn after sitting in the Council:

"Too much discussion, not enough decision."

Reminds me of some of my O Gps.  :

Also, when he tells Merlyn to get rid of Ironhair and Carthac quickly but thoroughly and then writes:

"Decapitation is thorough."


----------



## Marshall (21 Nov 2008)

Currently reading more fantasy novels..

Forgotten realms stuff mostly.


I want to start getting into Military history (be it through factual books or novels based on fact or true stories) because I am hoping to take MSS in RMC. (Or History in CivvieU) So I think It would help me get a better understanding. (And be interesting too, of course.)

Any suggestions?


----------



## leroi (21 Nov 2008)

Marshall said:
			
		

> I want to start getting into Military history (be it through factual books or novels based on fact or true stories) because I am hoping to take MSS in RMC. (Or History in CivvieU) So I think It would help me get a better understanding. (And be interesting too, of course.)
> 
> Any suggestions?



Lots of good stuff here:

http://forums.army.ca/forums/index.php/board,14.0.html


----------



## MSpencer (21 Nov 2008)

There are two books that I am reading right now, neither with any sort of consistancy. 
1. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead. which is a play done by Tom Stoppard.
2. Shock Troops by Tim Cook, which is about The Canadian Corps in the First World War. Apparently it is the second of a series, which means I probably should have started with the first; but I guess I will just have to read it after this one is done.


----------



## Marshall (21 Nov 2008)

leroi said:
			
		

> Lots of good stuff here:
> 
> http://forums.army.ca/forums/index.php/board,14.0.html



For some reason I never spotted that until last night, I guess my time here has mainly been in Radio Chatter and Recruiting section. I saw some good stuff in there last night, and once I finish the pile of books I have here already I may dig into some of those. 

Thanks


----------



## observor 69 (22 Nov 2008)

Just stumbled on this book at the library "Nemesis by Jo Nesbo."


The House of Pain [IMPORT] (Paperback)
by Jo Nesbo (Author) 


http://tinyurl.com/6jx7bg


----------



## BernDawg (22 Nov 2008)

Flashman and the Dragon.  Fun stuff  ;D


----------



## Retired AF Guy (22 Nov 2008)

_Dungeons, Fire and Sword: The The Knights Templar in the Crusades._ by John J. Robinson.


----------



## MedTechStudent (22 Nov 2008)

River God....again.


----------



## Hot Lips (22 Nov 2008)

National Defence's Public Affairs Handbook  ;D
Something about required reading  :

HL


----------



## R. Jorgensen (24 Nov 2008)

Just finished 'The Count of Monte Cristo' and now I'm reading 'Brave New World' by Aldous Huxley (1934[?]) - it's a messed up book, but I recommed it to sci-fi readers and people who enjoy messed up fictional stories.


----------



## Marinero2008 (3 Dec 2008)

Just finished two books head to head: "Making the Corps" by Thomas Ricks. A story of a recruit platoon at Parris Island's US Marine Corps boot camp. And the other one: "Ronin. A Marine scout-sniper platoon in Iraq" by Mike Tucker. The title says it all.  ;D


----------



## KingKikapu (4 Dec 2008)

The Varieties of Scientific Experience - Carl Sagan
Dry title, fascinating read.

Hekiganroku (The Gateless Gate)
A zen classic.


----------



## Steel Badger (4 Dec 2008)

"COLLAPSE" ( How societies choose to fail or succeed) by Jared Diamond

and

"CEASAR" by Adrian Goldsworthy   ( Musta been the cog-dis' troll's comments about the Rubicon  )




Note: Edited for Mess Tin induced dyslexia


----------



## PMedMoe (4 Dec 2008)

Just started "Fall On Your Knees" by Ann-Marie MacDonald (a Canadian writer).  Quick to get into, gets you interested right from the start!  

Random House book info


----------



## Danjanou (2 Jan 2009)

Spent a fair bit of time loafing about reading over the Christmas holidays (between digging the house and driveway out every 2-3 days) , and an Amazon shipment arrived at the start too 


Finished *Sniper One* by Dan Mills 
http://www.amazon.ca/Sniper-One-Dan-Mills/dp/0141029013/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1230925802&sr=8-1


and  *Who Killed the Canadian Military* by Jack Granatstein  A good account of how successive Canadian Governments prior to 9/11 slowly destroyed the Canadian Forces through neglect and political interefence. A bit dated as it ends in 2003 prior to the hillier Years as CDS and the slow rebuildng going on now.

http://www.amazon.ca/Killed-Canadian-Military-J-L-Granatstein/dp/0002006758/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1230925852&sr=1-1

About halfway through  *Operation Husky* by Mark-Zuehlke, a fairly good overview of the 1st Canadian Infantry Division and attached Armoured Brigade in the Sicilian Campaign 

http://www.amazon.ca/Operation-Husky-Mark-Zuehlke/dp/1553653246/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1230925908&sr=1-1

I’d recommend all three.


----------



## aesop081 (2 Jan 2009)

Just finished "Generation Kill"........great holliday reading BTW, realy gets yo into the spirit of the season.

Currently half-way through "In the company of heroes" By Michael Durant

Next is "5 years to freedom : The true story of a Vietnam POW" by James N. Rowe. Rowe is the father of modern US SERE training and the book became the bible for conduct after capture.


----------



## PMedMoe (2 Jan 2009)

"The Great Influenza" by John M. Barry.  Sort of work related so I think I need to pick up something else for entertainment purposes.


----------



## OldSolduer (2 Jan 2009)

World War Z by Max Brooks. Good reading, almost makes you believe that zombies do exist. It's really quite good. It was given to me by the Zombie Slayer. Anyone on TF 1-08 who was in Charlie Coy 2VP might know who that is!!
 Oh, Ive never been to NDHQ for any amount of time, but I hear one or two exist there. Is there any truth to that? ;D


----------



## observor 69 (2 Jan 2009)

PMedMoe said:
			
		

> "The Great Influenza" by John M. Barry.  Sort of work related so I think I need to pick up something else for entertainment purposes.



I like history and my wife is a nurse. We would both place this book among the top books we have read.

Yes it is that good.


----------



## tango22a (3 Jan 2009)

" Black Ops" by W.E.B. Griffin ... really quite interesting.

Cheers,

tango22a


----------



## leroi (3 Jan 2009)

I'm reading and almost finished John le Carre's newest _ A Most Wanted Man_.

It's spellbinding and contemporary. I've had trouble putting it down. Although my favorite le Carre will remain, _Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy_.


----------



## RangerRay (11 Jan 2009)

I've got a good start on Bernard Cornwell's _Sharpe_ series.  So far, I've read _Shape's Rifles_, _Sharpe's Eagle_, _Sharpe's Tiger_, and I'm halfway through _Sharpe's Triumph_.  They should be compulsory reading for all Officer Cadets.


----------



## meni0n (11 Jan 2009)

Picked up  Baghdad at Sunrise by Peter Mansoor

It's a memoir of 1st Brigade, 1st Armored Division commander in Baghdad 2003-2004. It was recommended by SWJ so it should be good.


----------



## medicineman (12 Jan 2009)

Voyager by Diana Gabaldon.

MM


----------



## brihard (12 Jan 2009)

Oh God... I'm one of those weirdos who always has a bunch on the go.

The Bear And the Dragon, by Tom Clancy (again)

Angel of Death by Jack Higgins (Crap, but I can't just stop reading a book)

Ghost Wars by Steve Coll

Arguing the Just War in Islam by John Kelsay

I've got a handful more in my barracks box that I'd started and then got sidetracked on... I'll get back to them in time.


----------



## dapaterson (12 Jan 2009)

Fooled by Randomness, and The Tipping Point.  Both good reads (so far)


----------



## P-PLATOON (12 Jan 2009)

"The Soldiers General, Bert Hoffmeister At War"
by Douglas E. Delaney

A pretty solid read so far!


----------



## Mars79 (12 Jan 2009)

The Fighting Canadians.  Since I'm at work I can't give the name of the author, but it's a good read.  All about the rise of the regimental system in the Canadian military, from the Iroquois War bands to the present day.


----------



## Retired AF Guy (12 Jan 2009)

"The Tolls of Death" by _Micheal Jecks._ Seventeenth in the series that takes place in early 14 th century England. Deals with two officials who investigate various crimes, usually murder. Very entertaining, plus, the stories are well researched giving the reader an idea of what life was like in medieval England. 

"Gods War: A New History of the Crusades" by _Christopher Tyerman._ A new history of the crusades. While it deals mostly with the Crusades in the Middle East, but also lesser campaigns such as the Albigensian Crusade in southern France; the re-conquest of Spain; and those in the Baltic's. Well researched and very informative.


----------



## tango22a (12 Jan 2009)

Re-reading the DMC series by Rick Shelley. All books are a very good read.

Cheers,

tango22a


----------



## Colin Parkinson (18 Jan 2009)

Just finished "The moment of Truth in Iraq" & "Ghost Soldiers" about the liberation of the POW camp in the Philippines.


----------



## Yrys (18 Jan 2009)

Retired AF Guy said:
			
		

> "The Tolls of Death" by _Micheal Jecks._ Seventeenth in the series that takes place in early 14 th century England. Deals with two officials who investigate various crimes, usually murder. Very entertaining, plus, the stories are well researched giving the reader an idea of what life was like in medieval England.



Seems interesting.

You might want to have a look at his bibliography ...


----------



## Lil_T (18 Jan 2009)

Got talked into reading the Nanny Diaries by someone masquerading as a friend.  I can feel my brain cells dying.


----------



## Yrys (18 Jan 2009)

Lil_T said:
			
		

> Got talked into reading the Nanny Diaries by someone masquerading as a friend.  I can feel my brain cells dying.



Then tell her to see the movie  > !

Didn't read or see either, but I have a feeling that the movie may have similar effect on her   ...


----------



## Cloud Cover (18 Jan 2009)

Finished The Great Karoo, by Fred Stenson. Will trade it for a   flag flown in Afghanistan at PB Wilson.  [will send the flag with the book -(this is part of my daughters high school project about what "support the troops" means, and what it doesn t mean. PM me if interested]  

A well researched book that tells a fictional story about 1 CMR Canadian Scouts serving in the Boer War. Hardships, boredom, small and large engagements, egotistical officers, grief, love- all the usual elements of a good book.  

Couldn't help myself from drawing parallels to Afghanistan - move and dig in, hit and run tactics used by an elusive enemy, [often mixed with civilians] - move and dig in cold, small engagments, sniping, railside bombs, prisoners with [or without] legal status, thirst, execution by Boers of captured Canadians, move and dig in wet, sniping, aerial recce [balloons], rotten tents, broken equipment, move and dig in hungry... [sound familiar?]   

Cheers!


----------



## Lil_T (18 Jan 2009)

Yrys said:
			
		

> Then tell her to see the movie  > !
> 
> Didn't read or see either, but I have a feeling that the movie may have similar effect on her   ...




I think she did see the movie.  She's right into that sort of craptastic romantic comedy shyte.


----------



## Yrys (18 Jan 2009)

Lil_T said:
			
		

> I think she did see the movie.  She's right into that sort of craptastic romantic comedy shyte.



Mmm, well you could try Enchanted ?

It's so syrupy that I don't call that "chick movie" but "mashmallow" ...


OR most of Danielle Steel, Barbara Cartland books   ...


----------



## Journeyman (18 Jan 2009)

In a _slightly_ different vein from Lil_T and Yrys.......   

I'm currently reading Phillip Bobbitt's _Terror and Consent: The Wars for the Twenty-First Century_ -- a truly excellent book that follows on from his Shield of Achilles: War, Peace and the Course of History.

I finished _Shield of Achilles_, which provided a lot of the theoretical underpinnings of his views, just before christmas. Santa, being a pretty sharp chick, brought me _Terror and Consent_, which is more forward-looking, examining various futures (plural intentional). 
Both books are a terrific blend of history, legal philosophy, and strategic thinking -- providing interesting views on some "truths" about how we're seeing/fighting Islamic terrorism.


And for those that would find Bobbitt's works a little too geekish  (OK, wa-aaay too geekish) ......
Santa also brought Kurt Vonnegut's Armageddon In Retrospect. It's a collection of some of his unpublished fiction and nonfiction regarding war and peace; especially interesting are his thoughts on the 1945 firebombing of Dresden, which he had to help clean up as a POW.


I always seem to have at least two-three books and a couple of academic-type journals on the go......there's at least another half-dozen or more books sitting in the 'ready rack'......plus a bunch of journal articles..... current news commentaries......   :


----------



## Lil_T (18 Jan 2009)

Yrys said:
			
		

> Mmm, well you could try Enchanted ?
> 
> It's so syrupy that I don't call that "chick movie" but "mashmallow" ...
> 
> ...



*gag*


----------



## Kat Stevens (18 Jan 2009)

Catching up on 10 issues of Canadian Geographic, a most underappreciated publication.


----------



## jollyjacktar (18 Jan 2009)

The  Assassins, A Radical Sect in Islam by Bernard Lewis.


----------



## PMedMoe (23 Apr 2009)

Right now, I am reading The Forest by Edward Rutherfurd.  It's quite interesting.  It's a collection of stories focused on a location instead of the characters, although some of the characters are descendants of those in the original story.  So far, it's really good and I wouldn't mind finding some of his other, similar books.


----------



## Burrows (25 Apr 2009)

Pride, Prejudice, and Zombies - by Jane Austen  8)


----------



## OldSolduer (25 Apr 2009)

Zombies??? Where???


----------



## jmbest (25 Apr 2009)

Kyle Burrows said:
			
		

> Pride, Prejudice, and Zombies - by Jane Austen  8)



bahaha. I actually had to go Google this and see if it's real!  ;D

Reading Hemingway's _For Whom the Bell Tolls_..after reading most of Hemingway's work I figured I might as well read one of his most well known. Excellent so far, as usual.


----------



## leroi (25 Apr 2009)

I just finished _The Places in Between _ by Scottish historian Rory Stewart. He journals about his walk across Afghanistan in winter of 2002 after the fall of the Taliban. 

http://www.rorystewartbooks.com/

It's a pleasure to read and gives a real appreciation for the culture and history of Afghanistan. Besides that, if you're on on your way to Afghanistan, I think this would be a fine book to gain knowledge of the treacherous landscape and the difficulty involved in negotiating the labyrinth of tribal law where alliances shift like desert sands.

Partial-spoiler: a very funny scence ensues when the author comes across two British (presumably) SAS in the desert.  :-X


----------



## Burrows (25 Apr 2009)

OldSolduer said:
			
		

> Zombies??? Where???



Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: The Classic Regency Romance - Now with Ultraviolent Zombie Mayhem!

http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/Pride-Prejudice-Zombies-Classic-Regency-Jane-Austen/9781594743344-item.html?ref=Search+Books:+%2527Pride+Prejudice+and+Zombies%2527


----------



## OldSolduer (26 Apr 2009)

Kyle Burrows said:
			
		

> Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: The Classic Regency Romance - Now with Ultraviolent Zombie Mayhem!
> 
> http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/Pride-Prejudice-Zombies-Classic-Regency-Jane-Austen/9781594743344-item.html?ref=Search+Books:+%2527Pride+Prejudice+and+Zombies%2527



Are you frickin serious?


----------



## armyvern (26 Apr 2009)

_The Siege of Fort Beauséjour, 1755_ by Chris Hand (one of the LCols here in Gagetown).

Spent a day there last week with the LCol giving us a tour and the history lesson. You know, I crawled over that place often as a kid - (being that parents were from Miramichi & Amherst), but I guess that I just didn't get it.

I'm actually enjoying reading the book and learning the history. As the historical site whose siege directly led to the expulsion of the Acadians to Louisiana - you'd think there'd be something more than one simple highway sign announcing it's presence, importance and impact upon the Canada we now know. 

It's kind of sad how many people cross that border between NB and NS and have absolutely no clue.  :-[


----------



## Old Sweat (26 Apr 2009)

Vern

If you run into Chris Hand before you leave Gagetown, please say 'hi' from me. We served together in DGMPO during Oka, Gulf 1 and the collapse of the Soviet Union. Interesting times.


----------



## Teflon (26 Apr 2009)

OldSolduer said:
			
		

> Are you frickin serious?



Everything about Zombies is Serious,.... Deadly Serious!!!!  BOOOHAHHHA!


----------



## Journeyman (26 Apr 2009)

ArmyVern said:
			
		

> It's kind of sad how many people cross that border between *NB and NS and have absolutely no clue.*


must.....not.......comment........   >

 ;D


----------



## aesop081 (26 Apr 2009)

Just finished "Robert's Ridge" by Malcom MacPherson and moved on to "3 Para" by Patrick Bishop


----------



## Nfld Sapper (26 Apr 2009)

ArmyVern said:
			
		

> It's kind of sad how many people cross that border between NB and NS and have absolutely no clue.  :-[



There's a border there?  ;D

Don't see much when I blow through there at 120 lol


----------



## medicineman (26 Apr 2009)

Of course there's a border - it's the spot where the highway turns to absolute shyte when you leave Amherst going towards Moncton...

On another note, just dug out "Treatment and Quarrantine Guidelines for Pandemic Influeza" and "Pandemic Influenza and The Emergency Measures Act: Your Rights and Obligations As A Health Care Professional" and started to brush up...

MM


----------



## The Bread Guy (26 Apr 2009)

Kafka's "The Trial" - wish the guy used more paragraph breaks....


----------



## fire_guy686 (26 Apr 2009)

Five Families: The Rise, Decline, and Resurgence of America's Most Powerful Mafia Empires by Selwyn Raab


----------



## Eye In The Sky (27 Apr 2009)

Just started Morrigan's Cross, 1st book of the Circle Trilogy.


----------



## Scott (27 Apr 2009)

Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs - Chuck Klosterman
No Logo - Naomi Klein
It's Not About the Bike - Lance Armstrong

And MEC's spring and paddling catalogs


----------



## mariomike (27 Apr 2009)

I am reading, "To Protect and to Serve: The LAPD's Century of War in the City of Dreams":
"Give no slack and take no sh*t from anyone. Confront and command. Control the street at all times. Always be agressive. Stop crimes before they happen. Seek them out. Shake them down. Make that arrest. And never, NEVER, admit the department has done anything wrong."


----------



## manhole (28 Apr 2009)

"Liri Valley" by Mark Zuehlke........a good read (as was his "Ortona"


----------



## Freight_Train (29 Apr 2009)

Hunting Down Saddam by Robin Moore wasn't so great, seemed to be pieced together...
About 1/2 way through Zombie Survival Guide by Max Brooks, enjoyed World War Z by the same author
Greg


----------



## Radius (29 Apr 2009)

White Fang by Jack London
Les Miserables by Victor Hugo

You just have to love the classics  :nod:


----------



## the 48th regulator (29 Apr 2009)

Listening to Steve Allen • Jack Kerouac: Poetry For The Beat Generation, then on to The Dharma Bums.

dileas

tess


----------



## gcclarke (29 Apr 2009)

American Gods by Neil Gaiman. One of the better fantasy novels to come out recently.


----------



## VIChris (29 Apr 2009)

Freight said:
			
		

> About 1/2 way through Zombie Survival Guide by Max Brooks, enjoyed World War Z by the same author
> Greg



That book is pure gold. I enjoyed every page. I've not read World War Z yet though. I'll have to pick up a copy.

I've got "Shake Hands With the Devil" on the go in my bedroom. Tough book to put down when I know I should be sleeping. I've seen the movie a couple of times, but the detail in the book is just that much more poignant.

In the can I'm reading John Stewart's "America: A Citizen's Guide to Democracy Inaction." Very well written. It's in the form of a textbook/ teacher's guide. I don't know how many times I've burst out laughing while reading this one. All of the contributors from The Daily Show are there too. The asides from Canada's own Samantha Bee are hilarious.


----------



## tango22a (30 Apr 2009)

"Armaggedon Reef" and "By Schism Rent Asunder"
Both by David Weber...Both are excellent reads...Waiting for Book Three in series.

Cheers,

tango22a


----------



## Greymatters (1 May 2009)

'High Conflict Personalities in Legal Disputes' by Bill Eddy

- very interesting reading in terms anyone can understand...


----------



## jmbest (1 May 2009)

"Outside the Wire: The War in Afghanistan in the Words of its Participants" - quite good so far, would be interested to know if anyone here read and what they thought. [Edit: Never mind, just searched through the thread and quite a few folks have read it!]

Also a horrible chick lit book by Jennifer Weiner, "Certain Girls"   :


----------



## gcclarke (2 May 2009)

I will say that World War Z and the Zombie survival guide are so far my favorite of the recent crop of nu-zombie literature. I'm definitely also looking forward to the movie adaptation of World War Z. Of course, it doesn't hurt that Max Brooks is apparently Mel Brooks' son. Nothing like a little familial connection to help a movie get made, n'est pas?

And, as for the newest book I'm working on now, 13 Bullets (A vampire tale) by David Wellington.


----------



## RiverDriver (2 May 2009)

My Grandmother gave me "Turvey" by Earle Birney for my birthday. Published first in 1949, then again in 1960 under the name "The Kootenay Highlander." It is a great book with an engaging story and realistic characters. That, and it is really freaking hilarious! I highly recomend it. Anyone else out there read it? Just don't spoil the ending... i'm not quite there.


----------



## NL_engineer (2 May 2009)

I'm currently reading Brotherhoods of war by W.E.B. Griffin.  I just randomly grabbed at the KAF PX before heading to the FOB.


----------



## Chuck007 (2 May 2009)

Hey guy's, In the world today with all the conflict from around the world, for the past year now, I personally been reading and opening my mind to the Muslim and Arabic culture of life especially with the war in Afghanistan and Iraq i believe every one should get to no certain things about the middle east. I do no that these people dont all think the same, meaning the Muslim people alot of people think one way about theem not always the right way.

Right now am reading  ( THE ISLAMIC WORLD ) by Ziauddin Sardar righter of numerous book and very good one i may add.

Thanks and enjoy.


----------



## Shec (2 May 2009)

RiverDriver said:
			
		

> My Grandmother gave me "Turvey" by Earle Birney for my birthday. Published first in 1949, then again in 1960 under the name "The Kootenay Highlander." It is a great book with an engaging story and realistic characters. That, and it is really freaking hilarious! I highly recomend it. Anyone else out there read it? Just don't spoil the ending... i'm not quite there.



Read Turvey years ago and I second your recommendation, it's a hoot.  Inspired by the author's own experiences as an army personnel selection officer.  Hard to put down.

Another great work in a similar genre is the Private War of Jacket Coates by Lt. Col. Herbert Fairlie Wood.   If you can find it and if you enjoyed Turvey you'll love it !   The two complement each other nicely.


----------



## mariomike (2 May 2009)

Shec said:
			
		

> Another great work in a similar genre is the Private War of Jacket Coates by Lt. Col. Herbert Fairlie Wood.



I read that years ago. I am soon to retire, so I should add that to my reading list! Something about the M.D. lecturing about "the five finger widow"?!


----------



## Shec (2 May 2009)

mariomike said:
			
		

> I read that years ago. I am soon to retire, so I should add that to my reading list! Something about the M.D. lecturing about "the five finger widow"?!



I don't recall that but I don't think I will ever forget the opening sentence:  "I've always been one to rally around king and country in an emergency and in 1950 the emergency was that I was broke."  ;D


----------



## Colin Parkinson (5 May 2009)

Just started "Taliban" by Achmed Rashid about the rise of the Taliban, read his previous book "Jihad" quite interesting and detailed stuff.


----------



## mariomike (5 May 2009)

I read all ( I think ) of Hans Hellmut Kirst's books. "Night of the Generals, Gunner Asch ( a series )" He wrote a series of detective novels set in Munich in the 1960's. "The Fox of Maulen"  "The Night of Long Knives and others were set in Germany in WW2. They were a mixture of satire and humour.


----------



## jmbest (8 May 2009)

"The Tigers Are Burning" by Martin Caidin - the story of the battle of Kursk.


----------



## tango22a (8 May 2009)

Half way through "Kandahar Tour"...EXCELLENT READ!

Cheers,

tango22a


----------



## c_canuk (8 May 2009)

I just finnished World War Z a few weeks ago, and I was thinking while reading it would adapt nicely into the same format as Band of Brothers. Max Brooks is a very talented writer.

Also finished Steven Hawking's A Brief History of Time, I would heartly recommend it to anyone... I had to flip back a few pages now and then to refresh my memory on what the terms he was using meant but the insight into the community he works in and his run in with fellow scientists like Einstien are worth the extra work.


----------



## c_canuk (8 May 2009)

oh and Why We Suck: A Feel Good Guide to Staying Fat, Loud, Lazy and Stupid by Dr Dennis Leary was a hoot as well - he got an honourary docterate


----------



## Kat Stevens (9 May 2009)

Finally got a chance to crack open "Generation Kill: Devil Dogs, Iceman, Captain America
and the New Face of American War".  Only got 40 pages down so far, but pretty good.


----------



## canadian_moose (9 May 2009)

Just finished "I Hope They Serve Beer In Hell", great read usually takes me a week or two to finish a book, read this one in two days.


----------



## Teflon (15 May 2009)

Columbine By Dave Cullen -  About half way through and it seems to good a fairly good job of tackling a lot of the mystification and erroneous reporting that came out of that whole traggic event


----------



## PMedMoe (26 May 2009)

PMedMoe said:
			
		

> Right now, I am reading The Forest by Edward Rutherfurd.  It's quite interesting.  It's a collection of stories focused on a location instead of the characters, although some of the characters are descendants of those in the original story.  So far, it's really good and I wouldn't mind finding some of his other, similar books.



Since finishing "The Forest", I have read Heart Full of Lies by Ann Rule, re-read The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, just finished the latest in the Sherlock Holmes/Mary Russell series, The Language of Bees by Laurie R. King and am about to start Sarum by Edward Rutherfurd.


----------



## tango22a (26 May 2009)

Just starting "Assegai" by Wilbur Smith. Should be a good read if it lives up to his previous works.

Cheers,

tango22a


----------



## benny88 (26 May 2009)

Two books that I just finished and want to recommend, ESPECIALLY to aspiring or new officers.


1) One Bullet Away by Nathaniel Fick (USMC, Ret.)


and


2) The Unforgiving Moment: A Soldier's Education by Craig M. Mullaney (US Army, Ret.)



    Both of them were very good, similar in theme, but different enough to make both of them worthwhile. They both deal with the challenges that a 20-something officer will deal with, especially in terms of interacting with members twice their age and with far more experience, whom they now command.
   If you've done BMOQ/BMQ, you'll laugh at the stories of basic training, even though one is US Army and the other a Marine, the experiences are at times, eerily similar to mine.
   One Bullet Away's author attended Dartmouth, and his experiences again often mirror mine at civvy-U, so I enjoyed that, and the author of Unforgiving Moment went to West Point, and then was a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford, which was interesting to read as well.
   Both end up leading platoons in Iraq and/or Afghanistan, and the perspective from which the stories are told give an interesting insight into the life of a young officer, both personally and professionally.

Cheers.


----------



## dangerboy (31 May 2009)

Just finished reading "The Return of the King" by J.R.R. Tolkien, I will admit I did not read all the appendixes and skimmed through the poems.  Now I am trying to decide which book to read next:

Men of Steel - I SS Panzer Corps: The Ardennes and Eastern Front, 1944-45 by Michael Reynolds

Or

A Game of Thrones - A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 1 by George R. R. Martin  

Two very different genres I know, but both good books (at least I think they are).


----------



## Danjanou (1 Jun 2009)

tango22a said:
			
		

> Just starting "Assegai" by Wilbur Smith. Should be a good read if it lives up to his previous works.
> 
> Cheers,
> 
> tango22a



I’ve been rereading all my Wilbur Smith novels for the past couple of months (I've been a fan since I was a teenager and read most 3 or 4 times, they make great subway or vacation reading). Polished off all the Ballantyne and Courteny series in anticipation of this new one, and am now working through some of the stand alone books. The wife borrowed one off of me when we were in Cuba and now she’s hooked too.


----------



## gcclarke (2 Jun 2009)

I'm now working on Soldiers Made Me Look Good, by Maj-Gen (Ret'd) Lewis MacKenzie, as well as (like dangerboy two posts above this) A Game of Thrones. 

The former book is a substantially quicker read than the latter.


----------



## tango22a (3 Jun 2009)

Danjanou:

Think you will like "Assegai" . I found it sometimes a bit far-fetched, but it lives up to the standards of the author's previous works. AFAIK it was new very recently.

Cheers,

tango22a


----------



## leroi (7 Dec 2009)

~Wanted to revive this topic because it's such a great resource.

I'm reading _Lucy Maud Montgomery: The Gift of Wings_ by Mary Henley Rubio. It's a biography and was a finalist for the British Columbia National Award for Canadian Non-Fiction: 2009.

Canadian history buffs will find it fascinating, I think. But the book is quite sad; this remarkable woman's life was marred by tragedy.

The next book I read will have to be a bit more fun and light-hearted. Any suggestions?


----------



## the 48th regulator (7 Dec 2009)

I will start a two part series shortly;

Citizen of the World, The Life of Pierre Elliot Trudeau 1919-1968

dileas

tess


----------



## The Bread Guy (7 Dec 2009)

Just finishing "Decoding the New Taliban: Insights from the Afghan Field" (great summary in pretty good detail of how the Taliban works in various provinces, although the chapter on Kandahar by the Globe & Mail's Graeme Smith was more Taliban interview narrative than exposition of structure), and just starting "Canada and Other Matters of Opinion" by Rex Murphy (outstanding writing and thinking so far).


----------



## dangerboy (7 Dec 2009)

Just finished reading "Fusiliers - How the British Army lost America but learned to fight" by Mark Urban, interesting book on the the British Army during the American Insurrection based on the 23rd, Royal Welch Fusiliers.  Now I want to read another book "Rifles" which is about the 95th, Green Jackets.

If anybody has read it, let me know if it is worth trying to find it for some holiday reading.


----------



## riggermade (7 Dec 2009)

I just finished Lowell Greens books then Hilliers book.  Going to Canex tomorrow to get it signed


----------



## krustyrl (7 Dec 2009)

"Playing With Fire"   Theo Fleury


..... far from boring. What inner turmoil this player must have had.  
Have to force myself to put this book down so I have something to read on a 6 hr flight Saturday.!!!


----------



## wildfong (7 Dec 2009)

I just picked up Ted Barris' new book.  "Breaking the Silence"  on page 50 and I have cried a couple of times already.


----------



## Retired AF Guy (8 Dec 2009)

How War Came: The Immediate Origins of the Second World War 1938 - 1939 by Donald Cameron Watt. 

*"It is the most comprehensive and, all ambiguities aside, the best single study of the road to war from the Munich conference to September 1939 that we are ever likely to have."* Book review in Commentary Magazine  in Feb 1990. Couldn't agree more with the last quote.  A highly enjoyable look at all the players, big and small, in the lead-up to World War 2. The unfortunate part is that its no longer in print, but copies are available online.


----------



## PMedMoe (9 Dec 2009)

Bones by James Patterson (an Alex Delaware novel).  Just finished Flesh and Blood by the same author.  Lately, it's been good to have a cheap paperback that fits in the pantleg pocket of my combats.


----------



## nairna (9 Dec 2009)

Right now I am reading Fifteen Days by Christie Blatchford, very good book, very well thought out and gives an amazing look into the many aspects of the CF, whether it be in the front lines or the homefront, highly recommend it!


----------



## ballz (9 Dec 2009)

"On Killing" by Lt. Col. Dave Grossman. 

Funny thing is I despise most things to do with psychology, and that's why I never bought this book sooner. I knew the manner in which it would be written, and thought I'd probably find myself cussing at it while reading. Not very far into it, but it hasn't disappointed so far.


----------



## OldSolduer (9 Dec 2009)

Re reading "On Combat" by LCol Grosman. There are some valuable insights into such things as auditory exclusion, breathing, etc. I recommend it for any soldier, but particularly MCpl and above. 

I tried to read "Fifteen Days" but gave up half way through, but too much emotional stuff came up, so I shelved it. Same with "Shake Hands With the Devil".


----------



## leroi (9 Dec 2009)

Big Silverback said:
			
		

> Re reading "On Combat" by LCol Grosman. There are some valuable insights into such things as auditory exclusion, breathing, etc. I recommend it for any soldier, but particularly MCpl and above.
> 
> I tried to read "Fifteen Days" but gave up half way through, but too much emotional stuff came up, so I shelved it. Same with "Shake Hands With the Devil".



"Shake Hands With the Devil" is one of the most frustrating, painful true stories I've ever read. I was almost tearing my hair out reading it.  At one point in the book I actually jumped out of my armchair yelling "don't wait for permission from Ottawa ... do something ... now" :-[ my kids thought I was nutzzzz .... (I'm not really nutzzz just a little emotional at times  )!

Edit to add:I mean no disrespect to Senator Dallaire or anyone associated with the mission in Rwanda by my comment above. I met Senator Dallaire and watched him speak and he speaks so well of the Canadian Forces that people in the audience line up as prospective CF members after wards and ask him questions about how to "get in."  He was  tasked with a difficult mission and was, is still, severely criticized for it yet his response has been the utmost in honest self-reflection. So my reaction to the book was visceral and unfiltered by my frontal lobes. The mission seemed doomed form the "get go" because Canada seemed to be one of the few countries taking interest in the plight of Rwanda. According to the book, Canada brooked the Lion's Share and they did it in a vacuum characterized by international indifference.  But, in the small amount of reading I've done on Canadian Forces missions, a theme re-occurs which transcends authorship; it's something this country MUST fix: commanders in theatre are being ham-strung by Ottawa. And although I think it's a democratic virtue to have civilian oversight of our military, there are times when our command--the people who are there commanding with their 'boots on the ground'-- the people for whom lives are at stake--MUST, simply MUST be given latitude to make timely & potentially life-saving  decisions.


How long will it take before Enemies of Canada 'glom onto' this inherent systemic weakness in our civilian-military communication structure in order to exploit it to their advantage??? Or will it, sometime in the future, contribute to our eventual Athenian 'kiss of death' as our country is reduced to the absurd by a Kafkaesque preference for bureaucracy over the nation's security????


----------



## observor 69 (9 Dec 2009)

Finished " A Soldier First: Bullets, Bureaucrats and the Politics of War " a few weeks ago.
The more I think about it the more I feel disappointed. Overall  it wasn't very well written. It needs the hand of a professional writer or editor. The book starts off good with the first years of his career but then while providing interesting info on his postings it also begins  to lack the detail to hold a readers interest. Perhaps he took on too much in such a small book. 
And to be honest I wasn't very impressed by his performance at the parliamentary committee detainee hearings. Yes he did a good job of defending his record as CDS but I thought he was overly harsh on diplomat Richard Codvin's testimony.


----------



## ballz (9 Dec 2009)

leroi said:
			
		

> But, in the small amount of reading I've done on Canadian Forces missions, a theme re-occurs which transcends authorship; it's something this country MUST fix: commanders in theatre are being ham-strung by Ottawa.



I haven't read Gen. Hillier's book yet but I know from an interview with him that in his book he also mentions when he was comd for ISAF that he said he eventually decided it wasn't worth using the CF for missions that needed to be done on an ASAP basis because the decision process was too slow, and all the relay between the Generals and NDHQ was too much and too long, where as the Brits and the French were more prepared to let their Generals that were there make the decision, and only wanted to be kept in the loop.


----------



## the 48th regulator (9 Dec 2009)

ballz said:
			
		

> "On Killing" by Lt. Col. Dave Grossman.
> 
> Funny thing is I despise most things to do with psychology, and that's why I never bought this book sooner. I knew the manner in which it would be written, and thought I'd probably find myself cussing at it while reading. Not very far into it, but it hasn't disappointed so far.



You get a chance to see him speak, jump at it.  I saw earlier this year, and my friend (Who hosted him and is friends) introduced me to him.  We had a good chat, and the man is down to earth and a warrior through and through.  He is in awe with the programs we have here in Canada regarding OSI's.

He was such the Gent, that he gave me "On Combat" and  autographed with a Psalm because of my work with OSISS.

dileas

tess


----------



## leroi (9 Dec 2009)

ballz said:
			
		

> I haven't read Gen. Hillier's book yet but I know from an interview with him that in his book he also mentions when he was comd for ISAF that he said he eventually decided it wasn't worth using the CF for missions that needed to be done on an ASAP basis because the decision process was too slow, and all the relay between the Generals and NDHQ was too much and too long, where as the Brits and the French were more prepared to let their Generals that were there make the decision, and only wanted to be kept in the loop.



Yes ballz, I'm a civilian and although I do try to stay in my own lane, I've seen this theme played out so many times and have also read Hilliers's and MacKenzie's books and I think it's time, in fact past time, that the 'government of the day' with regard to a particular military operation involving Canada, begins to trust those "they" deploy to command in a theatre of operation. If Hillier or McKenzie or Dallaire or _________ say to Ottawa "well, we have excellent intelligence that 'such and such' will likely occur between 23:10 and 24:00 on a specific date and it may involve the potential death of an unacceptable number of civilian and military casualties and that means I need permission to do 'such-and-such' and I need, say, an 8 hour window of time to prepare, to offset this tragedy, then these people in "Canadian command" operating in theatre with the burden of potential death on 'their military shoulders' should have a means of expediting the urgency with the GOVERNMENT of CANADA.  These military commanders may be in a country that's millions of miles away from Canada and they may need immediate quick response--otherwise death and/or dishonour for CANADA rests on their shoulders.  And  if they don't get a quick response, that's NOT FAIR!!!!! It's disgusting if the reason that led to a tragedy is because it took Ottawa 72 hours to respond to a law-abiding military commander procedurally requesting timely assistance from the country for whom he/she swore allegiance and whose request has been acknowledged but only too late.

Sorry if I offend anyone but that's how I feel-think!

And besides, if other countries are able to respond to their militaries concerns in a timely manner, then why can't Canada? 

I think we will eventually cease to be a nation if we cannot do this for our military.


----------



## RangerRay (10 Dec 2009)

As recommended by Mr. E.R. Campbell, I'm now reading <a href="http://www.amazon.ca/Fearful-Symmetry-Canadas-Founding-Values/dp/1554701880/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1260497981&sr=1-1">Fearful Symmetry: The Fall and Rise of Canada's Founding Values</a>.

"In the 1960s, Canada began a seismic shift away from the core policies and values upon which the country had been built. A nation of “makers” transformed itself into a nation of “takers.” Crowley argues that the time has come for the pendulum to swing back—back to a time when Canadians were less willing to rely on the state for support; when people went where the work was rather than waiting for the work to come to them. Thought-provoking, meticulously detailed and ultimately polarizing, Fearful Symmetry is required reading for anyone who is interested in where this country began, where it’s been, and where it’s going."


----------



## PanaEng (12 May 2010)

:+1:

Next on my list and back to military theme is "CLEARING THE WAY: COMBAT ENGINEERS IN KANDAHAR"
http://www.23fieldsquadron.ca/23_Field_Squadron_-_Clearing_the_Way__Combat_Engineers_in_Kandahar_-_Under_Construction/Home.html

Cheers,
Frank


----------



## vonGarvin (12 May 2010)

"The Ten Thousand" by Coyle.  Just something to read.  I am not overly impressed right now with it, but it's not bad either.


----------



## Kat Stevens (12 May 2010)

Definitely not Dostoevsky, but at least he knows his subject, and doesn't bludgeon you to death with aren't-I-smart technobabble like Clancy.


----------



## vonGarvin (12 May 2010)

Kat Stevens said:
			
		

> Definitely not Dostoevsky, but at least he knows his subject, and doesn't bludgeon you to death with aren't-I-smart technobabble like Clancy.


True, but some of the parts such as "the General wondered if they knew that their actions as staff officers would end in the deaths of many a young man."...

 :boring:


And Clancy.  Ugh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hunt for Red October I thoroughly enjoyed.  Red Storm Rising ired me.  I read him no more.


----------



## Kat Stevens (12 May 2010)

Agreed, he should have quit after Red October.  Coyle's material is much better when he's writing stuff at the Coy/Pl level.


----------



## The Bread Guy (12 May 2010)

Technoviking said:
			
		

> And Clancy.  Ugh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
> 
> Hunt for Red October I thoroughly enjoyed.  Red Storm Rising ired me.  I read him no more.


*Especially* worse since he became a "brand" (having others write under his nameplate) - avoid this one like the plague!


----------



## Danjanou (12 May 2010)

I tend to agree re liking Coyle (he also was a tanker IIRC) and Clancy's later works which are much akin to Stephen King just churning them out.

Just finished two as companions to HBO's Pacific

Robert Leckie Helmet For My Pillow 

And Eb Sledge With the Old Breed 

Highly recommend both. I'm now halfway through Empty Casing by Fred Doucette, not too bad either.


----------



## cn (12 May 2010)

I tried reading Clancy because my father used to like him so, but Red October was the only one I ever did get through in its entirety.

And by recommendation from another thread on this site, I am almost finished "FOB Doc" by Capt. Ray Wiss.  Not a bad read at all.. 

On deck is "Choke" by Chuck Palahniuk (author of Fight Club), recommended by a friend.


----------



## PMedMoe (12 May 2010)

When it comes to Clancy, I can watch the movies.  Read the books?  No thanks, too detailed.

Presently, I am re-reading Smilla's Sense of Snow.


----------



## TimBit (12 May 2010)

I am finishing Richard Evans' trilogy of the Third Reich's history. Fantastic research and insight for those interested: myth-debunking, thought-provoking, gut wrenching, all of those at once. Bit of warning though, not always an easy read for on-and-off softies like myself.


----------



## vonGarvin (12 May 2010)

THIS is the plot for EndWar?


> Prior to this time, all U.S. Special Operations Forces are merged into one combined task force termed the "Joint Strike Force" (JSF). In 2016, there is a nuclear war between Saudi Arabia and Iran, annihilating both countries. This war leads Russia into being the world's leading oil producer. In 2016, Europe becomes one country called the European Federation (EF). The United Nations is then disbanded. The US and EF are no longer allies. After launching the Freedom Star space station from the JFK Space Center in 2020, the space station is attacked by the Green Brigade, a powerful and infamous left-wing ecoterrorist group. All Marines aboard are killed and the Russians are blamed for this. The purpose of the space station is to allow the United States to be able to deploy 3 brigades of U.S. Marines anywhere in the world within 90 minutes.



 :boring:


----------



## 40below (12 May 2010)

Technoviking said:
			
		

> THIS is the plot for EndWar?
> :boring:



Wow. My dog could eat a box of Alphabits and throw up a better plot than that.


----------



## The Bread Guy (12 May 2010)

Technoviking said:
			
		

> THIS is the plot for EndWar?
> :boring:


Hey, don't forget the Canadian content:


> .... Major Stephanie 'Siren' Halverson and her wingman, Captain Jake 'Ghost Hawk' Boyd, observe multiple *Russian Ka-29 helos flying over Canadian land*. While trying to scare the Russian helicopters back to the border, Captain Boyd's F35 is shot down by rocket fire. Major Halverson then shoots down two-and-a-half dozen more Russian helicopters and tries to land the bird to rescue Jake. He refuses to be rescued because Major Halverson would then run the risk of being captured or killed by the Spetsnaz  forces. After giving her sidearm to Boyd, she returns and takes off in her F35. Soon after, Spetsnaz troops arrive via a Ka-29, and Boyd is killed. Halverson receives a call from the President, and *the U.S. fully realizes that Russia is invading Canada. At that time, Canada is the world's second leading oil producer*. After refueling and rearming at Igloo Base, which is destroyed seconds after both pilots take off, Major Halverson with her new wingman Captain Lisa 'Sapphire' Johansson and two other F35s attack and destroy a large staging ground with Ka-29 helicopters and AN-130 super carrier jets. During that engagement, a flight of Russian SU-39 fighter jets shoot down all of the F35s, with Major Halverson being the only survivor. Back in the U.S., Major Dennison figures out the answers to the questions. Operation 2659 is the invasion of Canada, and Snegurockha is Colonel Viktoria Antsyforov. Colonel Doletskaya falls in love with her until she dies.
> 
> During that time, *Outlaw Team is sent to Canada to find Major Halverson and rescue her*, their orders from the President himself. Sergeant Vatz's Team also arrives in Canada to *combat Spetsnaz troops in the town of High Level, Alberta*. Half of Vatz's team dies when the C-130 is shot down. *Khaki, an ex-Canadian Special Forces soldier, ow a helicopter pilo*t responsible for transporting Outlaw team to Major Halverson, lands in the town held by Sgt Vatz in order to refuel. At that point, the Russians stage an assault on the airfield, successfully destroying Khaki's helicopter ....


Whoo-hooo - NOT!


----------



## Kat Stevens (12 May 2010)

Clearly, Tom has never been to High Level.  People fight to leave there, not to stay.


----------



## Journeyman (12 May 2010)

> The United Nations is then disbanded


I think it's a great book


----------



## Scott (12 May 2010)

Kat Stevens said:
			
		

> Clearly, Tom has never been to High Level.  People fight to leave there, not to stay.



Ah, but it looks like Vegas on the way in to town!


----------



## kkramar (12 May 2010)

cn said:
			
		

> I tried reading Clancy because my father used to like him so, but Red October was the only one I ever did get through in its entirety.
> 
> And by recommendation from another thread on this site, I am almost finished "FOB Doc" by Capt. Ray Wiss.  Not a bad read at all..
> 
> On deck is "Choke" by Chuck Palahniuk (author of Fight Club), recommended by a friend.



I read "FOB DOC" just last month, absolute great read. I'm now currently reading General Rick Hillier's book "Soldier First", also a great read so far.


----------



## Harrison (12 May 2010)

I just finished 15 Days and it was a great read because right befor that I read Outside the Wire.  I really enjoyed both books.  Another book that is Two Wars by Nate Self.


----------



## observor 69 (12 May 2010)

I just finished Sarah's Key. Great read, well written and very informative.
http://www.amazon.ca/Sarahs-Key-Novel-Tatiana-Rosnay/dp/0312370849

From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. De Rosnay's U.S. debut fictionalizes the 1942 Paris roundups and deportations, in which thousands of Jewish families were arrested, held at the Vélodrome d'Hiver outside the city, then transported to Auschwitz. Forty-five-year-old Julia Jarmond, American by birth, moved to Paris when she was 20 and is married to the arrogant, unfaithful Bertrand Tézac, with whom she has an 11-year-old daughter. Julia writes for an American magazine and her editor assigns her to cover the 60th anniversary of the Vél' d'Hiv' roundups. Julia soon learns that the apartment she and Bertrand plan to move into was acquired by Bertrand's family when its Jewish occupants were dispossessed and deported 60 years before. She resolves to find out what happened to the former occupants: Wladyslaw and Rywka Starzynski, parents of 10-year-old Sarah and four-year-old Michel. The more Julia discovers—especially about Sarah, the only member of the Starzynski family to survive—the more she uncovers about Bertrand's family, about France and, finally, herself. Already translated into 15 languages, the novel is De Rosnay's 10th (but her first written in English, her first language). It beautifully conveys Julia's conflicting loyalties, and makes Sarah's trials so riveting, her innocence so absorbing, that the book is hard to put down. (July) 
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.


----------



## TruckerJeff (12 May 2010)

PMedMoe said:
			
		

> I think you'll enjoy it.  Excellent book!
> 
> I am presently reading Excalibur by Bernard Cornwell, third in a series called the Warlord Chronicles.



EXCELLENT!!
I was wondering what to read, i'm gonna start that serie again!!


----------



## MikeL (12 May 2010)

Blood makes the grass grow green: A year in the desert with Team America by Johnny Rico

Pretty good read so far.


----------



## BernDawg (12 May 2010)

Themouse said:
			
		

> EXCELLENT!!
> I was wondering what to read, i'm gonna start that serie again!!


Have you read the Saxon books by Cornwell?  If not then try them out cause they put the warlord series to shame IMHO.  Utred is DA MAN!


----------



## TruckerJeff (12 May 2010)

BernDawg said:
			
		

> Have you read the Saxon books by Cornwell?  If not then try them out cause they put the warlord series to shame IMHO.  Utred is DA MAN!



will do!


----------



## BernDawg (12 May 2010)

Cool.  Let me know how you like them.


----------



## PMedMoe (12 May 2010)

BernDawg said:
			
		

> Have you read the Saxon books by Cornwell?  If not then try them out cause they put the warlord series to shame IMHO.  Utred is DA MAN!



I've read The Saxon Shore and am trying to locate the others to have the set.  But I want to read them in order.


----------



## aesop081 (12 May 2010)

I just finished " The rescue of SREETCAR 304 : A Navy pilot's 40 hours on the run in Laos" by Kenny Wayne Fields.

Starting "The Soviet-Afghan War : How a superpower fought and lost" by the Russian general Staff.


----------



## Fishbone Jones (12 May 2010)

Gotta dig through some boxes and see if I can find any of my Sven Hassel pulps.


----------



## medicineman (12 May 2010)

The Fiery Cross by Diana Gabaldon.

MM


----------



## PMedMoe (13 May 2010)

medicineman said:
			
		

> The Fiery Cross by Diana Gabaldon.
> 
> MM



Love that series.  Can't wait for the next book to come out!


----------



## Retired AF Guy (13 May 2010)

Re-reading the *The Wheel of Time* series by the late  Robert Jordan . I figure by the time I finish re-reading the series the last books in the series will be out.


----------



## TruckerJeff (13 May 2010)

Finaly I picked up a book about Gengis Khan....Bones of the hills - the epic story of the great conqueror  I'm at page 9, looks good so far!


----------



## medicineman (14 May 2010)

PMedMoe said:
			
		

> Love that series.  Can't wait for the next book to come out!



She was doing a speaking tour and caught her here a few months back - quite entertaining.  Funnier in that I could count the number of men in the audience on 2 hands...but 9D was with me (she who got me reading these books in the first place).  Would be interesting to see some of them come out as movies.

MM


----------



## PanaEng (14 May 2010)

PMedMoe said:
			
		

> > Quote from: medicineman on May 12, 2010, 21:46:47
> >
> > The Fiery Cross by Diana Gabaldon.
> >
> ...


My wife is nuts for them. She has all the hardcover - a couple of them signed by the author. Maybe I should start reading them.

cheers,
Frank


----------



## stealthylizard (14 May 2010)

A Soldier First.

I was reading the Outlander books overseas.  My mom got me hooked on them, but I haven't read the first one, Outlander, ha ha.


----------



## RangerRay (10 Jun 2010)

Currently reading Mark Zuehlke's Operation Husky.

http://www.amazon.ca/Operation-Husky-Mark-Zuehlke/dp/1553655397/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1276143310&sr=1-2

Recently, I've read Evan Wright's Generation Kill

http://www.amazon.ca/Generation-Kill-Tie-Evan-Wright/dp/0425224740/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1276143406&sr=1-2

and The Chilcotin War by Rich Mole.

http://www.amazon.ca/Chilcotin-War-Tale-Death-Reprisal/dp/1894974964/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1276143480&sr=1-1


----------



## Joani (10 Jun 2010)

'Ivanhoe' by Sir Walter Scott, for the second time - funny how you leave a book for five years, and then it almost seems like new!


----------



## Retired AF Guy (10 Jun 2010)

Lord of Chaos  by Robert Jordan. As the series finally comes to an end, I'm re-reading the books to catch-up on all the threads that I've forgotten over the years. 

 How War Came: Immediate Origins of the Second World War, 1938-39  by Donald Cameron Watt.


----------



## gcclarke (10 Jun 2010)

Retired AF Guy said:
			
		

> Lord of Chaos  by Robert Jordan. As the series finally comes to an end, I'm re-reading the books to catch-up on all the threads that I've forgotten over the years.



I purchased the latest book, realized that I need to do some refreshing, and then put the book down. Frankly, even the idea of using some of the online plot summaries to get sped back up was a daunting amount of reading. I really don't think I'll bother until the last book is out. 

As for what I'm working on now, I just finished up Good Omens, by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman. Good read. I'm now working on Altered Carbon by Richard Morgan. Sci-fi detective, fun times.


----------



## Retired AF Guy (10 Jun 2010)

gcclarke said:
			
		

> I purchased the latest book, realized that I need to do some refreshing, and then put the book down. Frankly, even the idea of using some of the online plot summaries to get sped back up was a daunting amount of reading. I really don't think I'll bother until the last book is out.



According to people who track this kind of thing, Jordan's _The Wheel of Time_ has a supporting cast of over 1,880 characters! Pretty hard to keep track at the best of times. However, I've heard the guy who has taken over writing the last three books has started thinning the ranks so to speak.


----------



## Colin Parkinson (10 Jun 2010)

Social history of the machine gun


----------



## Bellesophie (10 Jun 2010)

I'm reading A Soldier First By Rick Hillier.
Very good . I'm learning a lot for the civilian that I am...

Sophie


----------



## KnightShift (8 Jul 2010)

"Enter the Babylon System" by Rodrigo Bascunan and Christian Pearce (founders of "Pound" magazine).  It talks alot about firearms in the hip-hop culture, with a little bit of history as well.  I'm not usually a fan of hip-hop, however I try to remain educated about gun control issues, and this book touches on that as well some of the other problems facing communities that are threatened by drugs, gangs, etc.  Overall a very interesting read, I'd recommend it.


----------



## PMedMoe (8 Jul 2010)

Roads to Quoz by William Least Heat Moon.


----------



## Kat Stevens (8 Jul 2010)

The American Pit Bull Terrier Handbook by Joe Stahlkuppe


----------



## OldSolduer (9 Jul 2010)

Marching as to War

Pierre Berton


----------



## daftandbarmy (9 Jul 2010)

S&M book, of course.  ;D

Not wild about the translation, but it's a first edition. Lots of parallels with every other COIN campaign I've heard about or been involved in - sadly....


St Michael and the Dragon: A Paratrooper in the Algerian War
PIERRE LEULLIETTE


One of the finest military memoirs to be published since 1945, this is an account written by a young French paratrooper during the FLN nationalist uprising in Algeria. Despatched to North Africa at the beginning of the insurgency in 1954, Leulliette and his comrades were soon thrown into combat, staggering under heavy loads across the ridges and ravines of the Aures Mountains in pursuit of elusive FLN guerrillas. Although there is a brief and fascinating interlude when his battalion takes part in the 1956 Anglo-French Suez operation, the focus of the book remains the relentlessly brutal counter-insurgency campaign in Algeria. 


His cool, measured prose (ably translated in this edition by Antonia White) is ideal for describing the Goya-like horrors he encountered on a regular basis. Casualties were enormous: approximately 700,000 people died during the conflict, a figure compounded by the intense viciousness of the fighting. The FLN terrorised the civilian population into providing them with material support – mutilating and murdering to ‘encourage the others’ – while the French devastated Arab villages that provided the FLN with assistance, routinely torturing the inhabitants to provide intelligence. 


One of many revealing incidents described by Leulliette occurs when the paratroopers capture an FLN gang deep in the mountains. Having plenty of time on their hands, the paras casually hang the insurgents by their feet from nearby trees, where they remain for several days, their faces turning black in the process. Those prepared to talk are cut down, interrogated and subsequently shot; those unwilling or unable to provide the necessary intelligence die slowly in agony.  


St Michael and the Dragon is more than a catalogue of atrocity, however. Leulliette is both a fluent writer and a first-rate soldier – he comes top in the ferociously tough corporals’ course – and is uniquely placed to tell the story of the French paratroopers’ war with the FLN, whether deep in the Algerian bled or in the casbahs of Algiers. But his empathy with his comrades never clouds his unflinching gaze at the horror of this most cruel of wars.

http://www.warbooksreview.com/war-books-review/2009/07/st-michael-and-the-dragon-a-paratrooper-in-the-algerian-war.html


----------



## jollyjacktar (9 Jul 2010)

Warlord: A Life Of Winston Churchill At War, 1874-1945
Author: D ESTE CARLO, first time read of this book
http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/Warlord-Life-Winston-Churchill-War-D-ESTE-CARLO/9780060575731-item.html?ref=Search+Books%3a+%27warlord%27

and 

Guns Of The South
Author: Harry Turtledove, reading it for the 5th time or so...
http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/Guns-Of-The-South-Harry-Turtledove/9780345413666-item.html?ref=Search+Books%3a+%27Guns+of+the+south%27


----------



## Danjanou (9 Jul 2010)

D&B  St Michael and the Dragon has been on my bookshelves for many years and I've read it a couple of times. I agree and excellent account of the Algerian War

Recently picked up and read in one go:

Whores, Wars, and Waste: Antics of the Modern British Army (Paperback) by Richard Sharpe

A collection of anecdotes, mostly humorous of his 30 odd years in the British Army. The tale of the RSM charging his pace stick had me in stitches. 

Now rereading Stephen Hunter's Swagger Novels, Earl and his son Bob the Nailer, good little time wasters.


----------



## observor 69 (9 Jul 2010)

And you expect me to find "Whores, Wars, and Waste" in my local library ?


----------



## MarkOttawa (9 Jul 2010)

_Carl A. Spaatz and the Air War in Europe_, by Richard G. Davis 
http://www.airpower.maxwell.af.mil/airchronicles/bookrev/davis.html
http://www.amazon.ca/Carl-Spaatz-Air-War-Europe/dp/0912799773/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1278691533&sr=1-4

Mark
Ottawa


----------



## Danjanou (9 Jul 2010)

Baden  Guy said:
			
		

> And you expect me to find "Whores, Wars, and Waste" in my local library ?



Nope 

http://www.amazon.ca/Whores-Wars-Waste-Antics-British/dp/1857565061/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1278692983&sr=8-1


----------



## mariomike (12 Jul 2010)

MarkOttawa said:
			
		

> _Carl A. Spaatz and the Air War in Europe_, by Richard G. Davis
> Mark
> Ottawa



I have not read that particular book, yet. But, I have read a good deal about Gen. Spaatz. 
Prior to D-Day, he wanted to precision bomb oil targets. Harris wanted to continue area bombing Germany by night. 
Albert Speer considered oil to be Germany's Achilles Heel. Spaatz appealed directly to Washington to be permitted to undertake his Oil Plan. Eisenhower authorized him to carry out experimental attacks against oil plants. The results were dramatic. Spaatz had touched the vital nerve of the German economy. It's jugular, was the word used.  
"Now Harris and Spaatz, each in his own way, set out to prove that by air power alone, they could bring Germany to her knees." 

Spaatz was put under Gen. Eisenhower. Being USAAF, he had little say in the matter. He did say,"What worries me is that Harris is being allowed to get off scot-free. He'll go on bombing Germany, and will be given a chance of defeating her before the invasion, while I am put under Leigh-Mallory's command."
"From apes to warlords" by Lord Solly Zuckerman ( 1978 ) page 276.
Harris answered to Winston Churchill.

Professor  Zuckerman was the planner of the Transportation Plan. Churchill was against it because of the danger to French civilians. The Americans were less concerned. Estimates were that it could kill 40,000 French civilians. The Transportation Plan was a controversy that locked the Allied leaders in a fierce conflict until just before D-Day.
Eisenhower formally notified President Roosevelt and Gen. Marshall that he considered the Transportation Plan "indispensable": "There is no other way this air force can help us, during the preparatory period, to get ashore and stay there."
He said that if Churhill did not put Bomber Command at his service, he would "simply have to go home."
With that, Churchill finally bowed to Washington.

At one of the vital meetings called to discuss the rival merits of the Oil Plan ( Spaatz ) versus the Transportation Plan ( Zuckerman ), it was estimated that even if attacks on oil were immediately effective, it would be four to five months before the results benefited the battlefield.  

Despite the heavy losses, the Transportation Plan was a success.
On the 20th anniversary of D-Day, President Eisenhower wrote to Bomber Harris, "No historian will ever know the depth of my obligation to you."


----------



## HavokFour (12 Jul 2010)

I'm currently indulged in _The Mental Floss History of the World: An Irreverent Romp through Civilization's Best Bits_. This book makes 60,000 years of human civilization pretty interesting.


----------



## LineJumper (1 Sep 2011)

Pride And Prejudice And Zombies, by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith.

It's a rich, multilayered study of love, war and the supernatural...  ;D coupled with my joy of necro-posting.


----------



## pfinlayson (1 Sep 2011)

I just finished The Road, and liked it enough to follow it up with No Country for Old Men.  Both by Cormac McCarthy, who apparently hates punctuation.


----------



## Danjanou (1 Sep 2011)

Juat finished 





I highly recommend it, A historical novel based on the Penobscot Expedition during the American Revolutionary War.


----------



## pfinlayson (1 Sep 2011)

Bernard Cornwell is pretty damn good.  I just wish he'd put Sharp to bed.  Not that I didn't like his first run at the character and did manage to keep him fresh for about thirteen novels--no small feat in itself.


----------



## Old Sweat (1 Sep 2011)

Danjanou said:
			
		

> Juat finished
> 
> 
> 
> ...



I picked this one up earlier this year to read in Los Cabos. Good read, and you will never feel quite the same about one of the main characters when you see the other side of his legend as written by Walt Whittman, the grandson of one of the other main characters. Hint - one if by land, and two if by sea.


----------



## mariomike (1 Sep 2011)

Just finishing, "A Talent for Genius: The life and times of Oscar Levant".
Lots of amazing stories. For example, 14 days after she divorced him, his first wife married the wealthy son of the founder of the Loew's theatre chain. Oscar phoned them at 2 A.M. on their wedding night. "What's playing at Loew's State ( New York City ) and what time does the feature go on?" he demanded when his ex answered the phone!
Telling the story years later, she said she roared with laughter.


----------



## darkskye (2 Sep 2011)

I just started Bossypants by Tina Fey today.

Hilarious read!


----------



## RangerRay (2 Sep 2011)

Danjanou said:
			
		

> Juat finished
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Great book.  I just finished it.  Now I'm reading this to compliment:


----------



## Zartan (2 Sep 2011)

I've recently come to a fascination with Fascist Italy and to that end I'm currently reading
- Hitler's Italian Army by MacGregor Knox (it's a quick reading analysis of the weaknesses of the Fascist state and its military, and quite illuminating for the amount of reading one must invest - so far I would recommend it);
- Mussolini and his Generals by John Gooch (a lengthy and very detailed summary of relations between Italy's "revolutionary" government and its conservative military - overall, it keeps me interested)
For lighter stuff I'm reading Fiasco by Thomas Ricks and I'm trying to get into Flashman's Lady by George MacDonald Fraser. I really recomment that series, but I personally find the later novels more to my liking than the earlier stuff.


----------



## Colin Parkinson (2 Sep 2011)

Just finished the "Fort" myself excellent read and gave to my friend here in Malaysia, also just finished the book on the "16th Battlion, Canadian Scottish" which I also gave to my friend. He is happy two new books on subjects not covered here. I plan on getting more books here on the Malay emergancy and SE Asia WWII.


----------



## Danjanou (2 Sep 2011)

Old Sweat said:
			
		

> I picked this one up earlier this year to read in Los Cabos. Good read, and you will never feel quite the same about one of the main characters when you see the other side of his legend as written by Walt Whittman, the grandson of one of the other main characters. Hint - one if by land, and two if by sea.



I thought the same too. I also liked how a certain very juniour paymaster developed some interesting ideas about uniform and cross belt's colours. Doing some reading about the campaign now and as usual the author appears pretty spot on with his research. I also google mapped the area and the outline of the fort shows up clearly. It's a baseball diamond now.


----------



## frank1515 (2 Sep 2011)

Will begin my last semester of University next week. New York Times best sellers I will require to read include, but not limited too:

John Locke's _Second Treatise of Civil Government_
Thomas Hobbes' _Leviathan_
Machiavelli's _The Prince_

And that's just for one class! I don't know why, but my yearly caffeine intake always spikes come September?!


----------



## vonGarvin (2 Sep 2011)

Not that I'm reading these, but my 11 year old daughter has read, in the past 1.5 months:
The Call of the Wild
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
Through the Looking Glass


She is now on to The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes.


----------



## Danjanou (2 Sep 2011)

Colin is that the Zhuelke book? I picked it up some time back but it's gathering dust on my book shelf. Ranger Ray thanks for the recommend I'll take a look for that one.

Don't believe I mentioned this one, I read it earlier this summer and it's well done. The style is quite similar to George MacDonald Fraser, as well as covering an era not often written about. 






You can order direct form the author too and he'll sign copies ( found that out after)

http://www.threesipsofgin.com/


Edit: frank1515 Hmm I think I had a similar reading list one semester. :'(


----------



## Zartan (2 Sep 2011)

Danjanou said:
			
		

> Colin is that the Zhuelke book? I picked it up some time back but it's gathering dust on my book shelf. Ranger Ray thanks for the recommend I'll take a look for that one.
> Edit: frank1515 Hmm I think I had a similar reading list one semester. :'(



If it is or isn't, I just got Brave Battalion (hardcover) by Zuelhke from the Chapters discount bin. Regimental histories are always so much more appealing when they cost $7. 
So a "Fraserian" novel about the Selous Scouts? Looks pretty neat. As for the Prince - at least it's short, and fairly entertaining. I keep on hearing now that Macchiaveli was in fact, being sarcastic. That thought might make it a more interesting read.


----------



## Remius (2 Sep 2011)

Just finished re-reading Nero's Killing Machine.  Sort of a regimental history if you will about the 14th Legion and in particular their stand against Boudicca's horde.


----------



## Danjanou (2 Sep 2011)

Kernewek said:
			
		

> If it is or isn't, I just got Brave Battalion (hardcover) by Zuelhke from the Chapters discount bin. Regimental histories are always so much more appealing when they cost $7.
> So a "Fraserian" novel about the Selous Scouts? Looks pretty neat. As for the Prince - at least it's short, and fairly entertaining. I keep on hearing now that Macchiaveli was in fact, being sarcastic. That thought might make it a more interesting read.



Of course he was being sarcastic. Were he born in this era he'd be a regular poster here. 8)

Not just the Scouts, he had shall we say a rather colourful career, RLI, Scouts, SADF, one of the semi-indpendent pre apartheid Def forces, and even a stint in a rather stuffy Canadian Militia Unit.


----------



## Bass ackwards (2 Sep 2011)

I'm recently back from a trip to the "land of the bookstores" (aka anywhere but Thompson, MB). Among my purchases that I've already finished and would recommend are:

_Helpless_ by Christie Blatchford. Well written, disturbing. 

_Battlefield Angels_ by Scott McGaugh. It's a history of American battlefield medicine and medics from the revolutionary war to today. I found it quite interesting.

I'm just starting a series of historical novels about the Roman Legions written by a Simon Scarrow. The first one is called _Under the Eagle_. 
It had an endorsement on the cover by Bernard Cornwell which read: "I really don't need this kind of competition." That caused me to both smile and buy the book, which is -so far- pretty good.  

Speaking of Cornwell, I too just finished The Fort and highly recommend it.


----------



## ModlrMike (2 Sep 2011)

I've just finished Assegai by Wilbur Smith. Well worth it.




I'm in the middle of Master and Commander.





I've heard about the Scarrow books. They look interesting. I'll add them to the list. I also just finished watching Game of Thrones on TV. Perhaps I'll have to add that series as well.


----------



## cavalryman (2 Sep 2011)

Danjanou said:
			
		

> Colin is that the Zhuelke book? I picked it up some time back but it's gathering dust on my book shelf. Ranger Ray thanks for the recommend I'll take a look for that one.
> 
> Don't believe I mentioned this one, I read it earlier this summer and it's well done. The style is quite similar to George MacDonald Fraser, as well as covering an era not often written about.
> 
> ...




Just ordered it.  Thanks. I've always had a fascination with Rhodesia.


----------



## Colin Parkinson (2 Sep 2011)

Kernewek said:
			
		

> If it is or isn't, I just got Brave Battalion (hardcover) by Zuelhke from the Chapters discount bin. Regimental histories are always so much more appealing when they cost $7.
> So a "Fraserian" novel about the Selous Scouts? Looks pretty neat. As for the Prince - at least it's short, and fairly entertaining. I keep on hearing now that Macchiaveli was in fact, being sarcastic. That thought might make it a more interesting read.



Correct, gave it already so I could not remember the title, the price certainly appealed to me also.


----------



## the 48th regulator (2 Sep 2011)

Just finished No Angel.

Eff me, the book is hard core, and fantastic.

dileas

tess


----------



## PMedMoe (3 Sep 2011)

Bass ackwards said:
			
		

> I'm just starting a series of historical novels about the Roman Legions written by a Simon Scarrow. The first one is called _Under the Eagle_.
> It had an endorsement on the cover by Bernard Cornwell which read: "I really don't need this kind of competition." That caused me to both smile and buy the book, which is -so far- pretty good.



If you like those, you'll probably like the "Dream of Eagles" series by Jack Whyte.  Which I am re-reading now.

http://www.camulod.com/node/715


----------



## Bass ackwards (3 Sep 2011)

PMedMoe said:
			
		

> If you like those, you'll probably like the "Dream of Eagles" series by Jack Whyte.  Which I am re-reading now.
> 
> http://www.camulod.com/node/715



Thank you.
I just picked up a copy of The Forest Laird by that author, although I have not started it yet. 
It's supposed to be about William Wallace.


----------



## jollyjacktar (6 Sep 2011)

I have been reading this book while at sea this month.  Soldier Sahibs by Charles Allen.  

SOLDIER SAHIBS is the astonishing story of a brotherhood of young men who together laid claim to the most notorious frontier in the world, the North-West Frontier, which today forms the volatile boundary between Pakistan and Afghanistan. 

A review of the book is at this site.  http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2710222-soldier-sahibs

Anyone who has been in this area of the world and/or is interested in the history of the area should enjoy this book.


----------



## ballz (6 Sep 2011)

"God Is Not Great. How Religion Poisons Everything" by Christopher Hitchens

It's pretty good but sometimes Mr. Hitchens tends to ramble


----------



## BadEnoughDudeRescueRonny (6 Sep 2011)

The Lion, the Fox and the Eagle by Carol Off

It's about peacekeeping in Sarajevo and Rwanda and the international courts' prosecution of those responsible for genocide. It's an outstanding read and I highly recommend it!


----------



## Pat in Halifax (7 Sep 2011)

Donald Kehn Jr: A Blue Sea of Blood

Wow, I thought I knew my Naval history. This is the story of USS Edsall and her most unlucky crew in the early years following 7 Dec. I was absolutely humbled to say the least.


----------



## medicineman (7 Sep 2011)

Finally got around to reading " A Soldier First" by Rick Hillier...got it for Christmas a couple of years ago.  Had a few things ahead of it first to read though...


----------



## Sigger (7 Sep 2011)

Rainbow Six


----------



## dangerboy (16 Sep 2011)

Reading "Goodwood: The British Offensive in Normandy July 1944" by Ian Daglish, http://www.stackpolebooks.com/productdetails.cfm?sku=3538&isbn=9780811735384&title=goodwood . I  am only about a quarter way through the book but so far it seems pretty good.  Interested in hearing what other people that are more knowledgable about the Normandy campaign think of the book.


----------



## Old Sweat (17 Sep 2011)

Thanks for the tip re the Goodwood book. The operation was studied by both the Brits and the Americans in the early 80s for insights into defending against masses of armour supported by artillery and air. One thing to keep in mind is that the actual ground the Brits put three armoured divisions over one after the other is about the size of the Lawfield Corridor in Gagetown.


----------



## Fotoshark (17 Sep 2011)

Got 2 on the go but ones audio (listen while I work overnights), Water For Elephants by Sara Gruen and Worst Case by James Patterson.

-T.


----------



## BadEnoughDudeRescueRonny (17 Sep 2011)

Right now, I've moved on to "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" by Phillip K. Dick. 

The film Blade Runner was based off of it and the premise is pretty much the same, but the novel has a bit of a different spin on certain things. Definitely read the novel and then watch the film. Blade Runner can be pretty confusing, but with that extra bit of depth from the novel, it makes a whole lot more sense. My only complaint about the novel is that it doesn't really convey that incredible atmosphere as seen in the film.


----------



## Danjanou (17 Sep 2011)

Just  finished the first two in a trilogy







and 






The third isn’t out yet. Not too bad alternate history post 9/11 storyline


----------



## FlyingDutchman (17 Sep 2011)

I am taking a slower read through of Ghost Stories by Jim Butcher.


----------



## jollyjacktar (17 Sep 2011)

Danjanou said:
			
		

> Just  finished the first two in a trilogy
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Read them earlier this year.  Try his other book series as well.  The axis of time trilogy:  Weapons of Choice, Desiginated Targets and Final Impact.  Well worth the effort.  I enjoyed these more than his After America series.


----------



## Bass ackwards (17 Sep 2011)

Those Birmingham books look really good.

Not long ago, I read a book titled _One Second After_ by William R Forstchen.
The basic premise is what would happen if some unknown party detonated a nuke high enough above the US to generate an electromagnetic pulse and take out all electronics. Interesting scenario (fun to contemplate if you're annoyed by people who are addicted to their little text-messaging thingys).

Another semi post-apocalyptic story I read recently was _Patriots_ by James Wesley Rawles. He's your arch typical Idaho survivalist. Fun reading for gun guys, right wingers or anyone who just loves a good collapse-of-society story.


----------



## LineJumper (18 Sep 2011)

Live from the battlefield, by Peter Arnett.

It's an autobiography of a journalist. I wasn't too sure about it when I picked it up, but upon further investigation found it had pictures, so, Lineman approved.


----------



## Fotoshark (18 Sep 2011)

FlyingDutchman said:
			
		

> I am taking a slower read through of Ghost Stories by Jim Butcher.



That's actually in que next for me to read! Lol. Friend of mine told me bout his books 

-T.


----------



## dimsum (18 Sep 2011)

1.  I just finished book 3 of the Song of Ice and Fire series (HBO's Game of Thrones was book 1.)  I'm usually not a fantasy fan, but this has great "down-to-earth" medieval-intrigue storylines...except for the dragons and zombies.   

The thing is, I don't know how many more major characters the author can kill off seemingly at random before the entire storyline just falls apart   ???

2.  I hope whoever in KAF Canada House who picked up my donated copy of "The Dirt on Clean" enjoys it.  A bit of (an apt) bathroom-reader on how the western world viewed "being clean" from the Greeks onwards, and made me realize that Europe must have smelled like a big armpit until fairly recently.  Yum.


----------



## Retired AF Guy (18 Sep 2011)

Sometimes you just need to escape anything that has to do with reality and just enjoy some pure escapism. In that vein (pardon the pun) Presently reading  Kim Harrison's   _Dead Witches Tell No Tales_ (two stories in one - _Every Which Way But Dead_ and _A Fistful of Charms_. If you like Charlene Harris' Southern Vampire series (aka True Blood) you will probably like this series.


----------



## FlyingDutchman (18 Sep 2011)

Fotoshark said:
			
		

> That's actually in que next for me to read! Lol. Friend of mine told me bout his books
> 
> -T.


Read the one where he rides the polka powered zombie t-rex?


----------



## Fotoshark (20 Sep 2011)

FlyingDutchman said:
			
		

> Read the one where he rides the polka powered zombie t-rex?



Can't say that I have but that sounds different lol I've not read any of his stuff yet, a friend of mine absolutely loves his writing and told me to give his material a read 

-T.


----------



## medicineman (20 Sep 2011)

"Ill Met By Moonlight" by W.Stanley Moss...about some British commandos that kidnap the German general commanding the garrison at Heraklion, Crete during the Second World War.  Seems interesting thus far.

MM


----------



## Danjanou (20 Sep 2011)

medicineman said:
			
		

> "Ill Met By Moonlight" by W.Stanley Moss...about some British commandos that kidnap the German general commanding the garrison at Heraklion, Crete during the Second World War.  Seems interesting thus far.
> 
> MM



The movie version with Dirk Bogarde was just re released on DVD.


----------



## medicineman (20 Sep 2011)

Interesting...kinda surprised my dad didn't give that to me with the book (t'were a birthday gift) since he does that sort of thing.


----------



## PPCLI Guy (20 Sep 2011)

Dimsum said:
			
		

> 1.  I just finished book 3 of the Song of Ice and Fire series (HBO's Game of Thrones was book 1.)  I'm usually not a fantasy fan, but this has great "down-to-earth" medieval-intrigue storylines...except for the dragons and zombies.
> 
> The thing is, I don't know how many more major characters the author can kill off seemingly at random before the entire storyline just falls apart   ???



These books have eaten my summer.  I am a little pressed for time these days, and so am reading less than I usually do (cuts into the drinking related to aforementioned busyness).  I have a number of books lined up waiting, and am still slogging through Book 4 of Fire and Ice....

Next up is the Rational Optimist.


----------



## Danjanou (20 Sep 2011)

medicineman said:
			
		

> Interesting...kinda surprised my dad didn't give that to me with the book (t'were a birthday gift) since he does that sort of thing.



I just noticed it the otehr day myself. May rent it when I have time to enjoy it.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJx4Bas2dLM


----------



## Colin Parkinson (24 Sep 2011)

Taskforce Black about the SAS in iraq, interesting read.


----------



## Nault_army (14 Oct 2011)

Room by Emma Donoghue ... You get really sucked in after page 97  :nod:


----------



## cupper (15 Oct 2011)

No True Glory (A Frontline Account of the Battle for Fallujah) by Bing West

Only in the early stages, but so far a good analysis of the events and political decisions that lead up to the battle, and how both a lack of planning and micromanagement from the top of the CoC created problems for the Grunts on the ground.


----------



## PMedMoe (15 Oct 2011)

Nault_army said:
			
		

> Room by Emma Donoghue ... You get really sucked in after page 97  :nod:



That's a good book.   :nod:

Right now, I'm reading The Sisters, a biography of the Mitford family, by Mary S. Lovell.  I'm not normally a fan of biographies but this is well written.


----------



## Haletown (15 Oct 2011)

Just bought this, read the first 25 pages last night . . .  wonderful.  Big implications for the Warmongers.


The Delinquent Teenager Who Was Mistaken for the World's Top Climate Expert  



http://nofrakkingconsensus.com/2011/10/13/a-book-is-born/


----------



## Kat Stevens (15 Oct 2011)

Generation Kill : Devil Dogs, Iceman, Captain America and the New Face of American War- Evan Wright...






... again.


----------



## BadEnoughDudeRescueRonny (16 Oct 2011)

Although not quite what you'd call literature, I'm reading an interesting book for some good knowledge in an area that really interests me:

Clinical Procedures in Emergency Medicine 4th Edition by James R. Roberts.

I should be more specific....I'm reading parts of the book as it's a 2000 page monster. Right now I'm reading up about chricothyrotomy procedures. 

Besides that, I'm reading my LSAT Study Guide. I write the LSAT in December.....so I have to study, study and study some more.


----------



## dangerboy (23 Oct 2011)

Just finished reading  The Chrysalids by John Wyndham, and am now reading  Pegasus Bridge by Stephen Ambrose.  Unfortunately it is an EBook so it does not have any maps, diagrams, or pictures.


----------



## PMedMoe (23 Oct 2011)

dangerboy said:
			
		

> Just finished reading  The Chrysalids by John Wyndham



That book was my Grade 11 required reading.  Loved it!   :nod:


----------



## aesop081 (23 Oct 2011)

dangerboy said:
			
		

> Unfortunately it is an EBook so it does not have any maps, diagrams, or pictures.



You need to upgrade your firmware to Paperbook 1.0

 ;D

The maps and diagrams in mine work just fine..........


----------



## cupper (23 Oct 2011)

CDN Aviator said:
			
		

> You need to upgrade your firmware to Paperbook 1.0



I hear it comes with longer battery life as well. :nod:


----------



## FlyingDutchman (24 Oct 2011)

I just finished reading Huck Fin.  Wow, I forgot how often the n word was used in that.


----------



## Nault_army (24 Oct 2011)

A Bed of Red Flowers by Nelofer Pazira 

A true story about Afghanistan, and it's really good  :nod:


----------



## Rheostatic (24 Oct 2011)

The Civil War of 1812: American Citizens, British Subjects, Irish Rebels, & Indian Allies

A good read, with lots of detail and personalities.


----------



## The Anti-Royal (25 Oct 2011)

Re-reading Parliament of Whores, by P.J O'Rourke.  Next up - Spike Milligan's seven-volume remembrance of the Second World War.


----------



## The Bread Guy (25 Oct 2011)

_Something Happened_, a novel about office politics by Joseph Heller (also the author of _Catch-22_)


----------



## Danjanou (25 Oct 2011)

Just finished Contact Charlie by Chris Wattie 

http://www.amazon.ca/Contact-Charlie-Canadian-Taliban-Afghanistan/dp/1554700841

I recommend it.

Moe I think we all had to read  that one in Grade 11.  8)


----------



## Bass ackwards (25 Oct 2011)

Currently working on _At Home_ by Bill Bryson.

Bryson's a really fun guy to read. He wanders seemingly at random through historical trivia but he's got that "gift of gab" so his books are filled with interesting facts and are downright enjoyable. Kinda like junk food that's actually good for you...  
The first one of his books I read was _A Short History of Nearly Everything_. Someone asked me to read it (it was a gift to him from his wife) and tell him what I thought of it -and it looked kind of intimidating at first, but Bryson just draws you in right from the start. I can't recommend his books highly enough.

I did however, put _At Home_ down, long enough to rip through _World War Z_ by Max Brooks (author of _The Zombie Survival Guide_). It's a must-read for zombie fans. (The only reason I set Bryson's book aside was because of requests to borrow WWZ when I was through with it).


----------



## m.k (25 Oct 2011)

The Gathering Storm - Winston Churchill

First volume of six in his memoir of the events leading up to WW2 and the circumstances that directly caused it. Haven't gotten too far yet...but I'm impressed so far with the  fluidity of his storytelling. Even the dry passages are easy to read.

any criticism/praise?


----------



## Colin Parkinson (26 Oct 2011)

Picked up "Golden Budda" by Clive Cussler at a garage sale, I was hoping he would try to be somwwhat realistic, but he seems to be on some pretty heavy drugs. I will finish it because it's the only book I brought with me, but I am dearly wanting my 50cents back.


----------



## Fishbone Jones (26 Oct 2011)

I've given up on Cussler and the others, like Clancy, that put their name on the book, but it's written by someone else. Like they're some sort of writing coach or something. :


----------



## Colin Parkinson (27 Oct 2011)

I buy them for air travel where I want to pass time and shut my brain off, even then this was a fantasy to far.


----------



## Scott (27 Oct 2011)

Walking With the Wounded

I could not put this down and it's been passed on several times since I read it so now I want it back.

Charity Homepage


----------



## The Bread Guy (27 Oct 2011)

recceguy said:
			
		

> I've given up on Cussler and the others, like Clancy, that put their name on the book, but it's written by someone else. Like they're some sort of *writing coach* or something. :


Agree   - Ludlum does this now, too - and more like *"franchise"* to make more bucks with less work....


----------



## dangerboy (27 Oct 2011)

Since Robert Ludlum died in 2001 at least when I see a new book with his name on it I can be fairly sure he did not write it. There are a few writers out that I am not sure who actually writes the book. they are like the Hardy Boy books writen by ”Franklin W Dixon”.


----------



## dangerboy (31 Oct 2011)

Just finished reading Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie, I had never read any of her books before and so picked what I think is her most famous one.  I am now re-reading Men of Steel: 1st Panzer Corps 1944-45, the Ardennes & Eastern Front by Major General Michael Reynolds.


----------



## PMedMoe (2 Nov 2011)

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.  Hard to get into but now it's hard to put down.  I think I'll see the original movie before I see the "Hollywoodized" one.


----------



## JesseWZ (2 Nov 2011)

Game of Thrones by George Martin, haven't seen the series, but picked up the book at the urge of a friend. It's highly addictive!


----------



## dangerboy (2 Nov 2011)

PMedMoe said:
			
		

> The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.  Hard to get into but now it's hard to put down.  I think I'll see the original movie before I see the "Hollywoodized" one.



Just be warned there is a scene in the movie that is quite graphic.


----------



## PMedMoe (2 Nov 2011)

dangerboy said:
			
		

> Just be warned there is a scene in the movie that is quite graphic.



So I've heard.  If it's anything like the scene in the book, I can only imagine.


----------



## Journeyman (2 Nov 2011)

PMedMoe said:
			
		

> If it's anything like the scene in the book, I can only imagine.


Yes, quite literally; it is _a book_ after all.


----------



## PMedMoe (2 Nov 2011)

Journeyman said:
			
		

> Yes, quite literally; it is _a book_ after all.



 :facepalm:


----------



## SupersonicMax (2 Nov 2011)

A Nightmare's Prayer: A Marine Harrier Pilot's War in Afghanistan, by Michael Franzak

Previous one: Fighter Pilot, by the man, the legend, Robin Olds.


----------



## Danjanou (2 Nov 2011)

After reading both Contact Charlie and Sunray last week I needed something a little lighter. Started on the Virgin Soldiers trilogy by Leslie Thomas.


----------



## cupper (2 Nov 2011)

PMedMoe said:
			
		

> The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.  Hard to get into but now it's hard to put down.  I think I'll see the original movie before I see the "Hollywoodized" one.



Stick with it, it does get to be a better read. The second and third books are easier to get into right from the start.


----------



## PMedMoe (2 Nov 2011)

cupper said:
			
		

> Stick with it, it does get to be a better read.



Yep, as I said, I can hardly put it down now.



			
				cupper said:
			
		

> The second and third books are easier to get into right from the start.



Good to know, thanks.


----------



## FlyingDutchman (2 Nov 2011)

PMedMoe said:
			
		

> The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.  Hard to get into but now it's hard to put down.  I think I'll see the original movie before I see the "Hollywoodized" one.


After you finish that track down the Dragon with the Girl Tattoo.  Also a good read.


----------



## PMedMoe (2 Nov 2011)

FlyingDutchman said:
			
		

> After you finish that track down the Dragon with the Girl Tattoo.  Also a good read.





> Roberts does eventually springboard from farce into a broader commentary on society, power and corruption. But it just seems to me that, in overturning Larsson's own dark worldview and characters, Roberts ultimately ends up delivering a parody with less bite than the original.
> 
> I'm ambivalent as to whether this kind of book is fair game or simply trading on another author's success while snapping at the hand that feeds you.
> 
> But perhaps that's beside the point. As with many other books, this is all about the art of the literary mash-up itself and the intellectual exercise of melding two disparate stories into one under a clever and marketable title – regardless of whether it has much new to add.



http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/books/the-dragon-with-the-girl-tattoo-20110314-1btrq.html


----------



## Tuna (17 Nov 2011)

1491 by Charles C. Mann, great book, almost like "Guns Germs and Steel"


----------



## cupper (25 Dec 2011)

The Lost Symbol, by Dan Brown.

Only problem is that since I live in the DC area, I keep criticizing his geographical references. He really needs to either visit DC, or do a map recce before setting another book in DC.

But ironically, he dose point out that more Americans (college students in his book) have visited foreign countries than have visited their nation's capital.


----------



## Jarnhamar (25 Dec 2011)

The Outcast Dead by Graham McNeil

in the que;
Armageddon Crusade
Deliverance Lost
Iron Hands
Faith and Fire
Hammer and Anvil

few more I'd like to pick up (Promethean Sun, Aurelian  & Catechism of hate) but the publisher I get my books from decided it's cool to start selling limited edition books for $69, in limited quantites. Meaning after the 3000 books sell they start to pop up on Ebay for $150. Not cool.


----------



## observor 69 (25 Dec 2011)

Just finished this one;
The End: Hitler's Germany, 1944-45 by Ian Kershaw

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/aug/21/the-end-ian-kershaw-review

A bit slow at times but it does leave one with an understanding of the answer to the question posed by the title.


----------



## Tuna (25 Dec 2011)

I just finished "the moon is down" by John Stienbeck


----------



## dimsum (25 Dec 2011)

Just started "The Pillars of the Earth" by Ken Follett after reading the Song of Ice and Fire (Game of Thrones, etc) series.  PotE isn't nearly as bloody, but it doesn't have dragons.  So I guess it evens out.


----------



## Hurricane (25 Dec 2011)

"The Patrol"


----------



## medicineman (26 Dec 2011)

Have two on the go: "Every Patient Tells a Story" and "The Lords of the North".

MM


----------



## uptheglens (26 Dec 2011)

I bought the third volume of James Ellroy's USA Underworld series "Blood's a Rover" a while back, but it had been so long since I had read the previous volumes, I decided to re-read them. Finished "American Tabloid" about 2 weeks ago, and I'm currently half-way through "The Cold Six Thousand".


----------



## Sigs Pig (26 Dec 2011)

Just done "The Patrol" and going to try "Beneath Hill 60", a WWI read.

ME


----------



## OldSolduer (26 Dec 2011)

"The Great Depression" - No -its not a story about marriage.


----------



## cupper (26 Dec 2011)

Jim Seggie said:
			
		

> "The Great Depression" - No -its not a story about marriage.



I'll bet it's about a big hole in the ground.  :christmas happy:


----------



## Old Sweat (26 Dec 2011)

I'm re-reading Empire of the Summer Moon which is a history of the Comanche nation, especially after they got horses. They dominated the southern plains for decades. The Comanches halted the northern Spanish movement from Mexico and penned the French up in Louisiana as well as driving other Indian tribes off their land. At one stage, they not only stopped American westward expansion, they pushed the line of settlement in Texas back east 100-200 miles. They were bloodthirsty, brutal and ruthless. They also were probably the finest mounted fighters the world has seen. The Comanche threat led to the formation of the Texas Rangers, who had a 50% annual fatal casualty rate against them, and the invention of the .44 six-shooter to fight the mounted warriors. It's a good read.


----------



## Zartan (29 Dec 2011)

Currently I've been reading "To lose a battle: France 1940" by Alistair Horne. It is absolutely fantastic. It concentrates almost entirely on the French side of affairs, which is very illuminating - he charts how their culture, politics, economy, doctrine and psychology had changed (for the worse) from Versaille Treaty to the disintegration of their army in May, 1940. Very long but gripping. I highly recommend it.


----------



## jollyjacktar (29 Dec 2011)

Just started "Three Day Road" by Joseph Boyden.  A first time novel which has been taking home prizes and rightfully so.  Can't put it down and already 1/3 through.


----------



## GnyHwy (30 Dec 2011)

"Ubique" by Richard Doherty 01/11/2008

http://www.thehistorypress.co.uk/products/Ubique.aspx


----------



## larry Strong (30 Dec 2011)

I collect medals and militaria, my passion is the Heeresverwaltungs (HV), these were the officials in the German forces in WW2, among  the careers were the Admin Personnel, Instructors at the schools and Barracks personnel, Paymasters, Judicial Officials, a myriad of technical trades, the Feldpost was a part as well. 

I am in the process of starting to work my way through a 16 volume set with a 3 book set of amendments of the "Sammlung von Heeresverwaltung Verfügungen".

These contain the complete record of all army administration orders, decrees from the areas of cash, budget, grade, food, clothing, accommodation, construction, health and veterinary services with a detailed subject index of all previously published volumes from 1927 to the first half of 1942

In fraktur to boot :stars: ;D


----------



## aesop081 (30 Dec 2011)

Loud and Clear : _The memoir of an Israeli Fighter Pilot_ by Iftach Spector


----------



## PPCLI Guy (31 Dec 2011)

The first volume of Richard Gwynn's biography of Sir John A MacDonald.  It is a fascinating read.

Next up is Niall Ferguson's Civilization.  I love Christmas!


----------



## dangerboy (1 Jan 2012)

Reading "The Killer Angels" by Michael Shaara.  I have watched the movie Gettysburg several times and have been meaning to read the book it was based on and am now finally getting around to it.


----------



## Old Sweat (1 Jan 2012)

dangerboy said:
			
		

> Reading "The Killer Angels" by Michael Shaara.  I have watched the movie Gettysburg several times and have been meaning to read the book it was based on and am now finally getting around to it.



The book is a pretty good read, but the author has been accused of being unfair to Lee. Let's just say that there were other reasons besides his generalship for the Army of Northern Virginia to have lost a battle that could have been won.


----------



## frank1515 (3 Jan 2012)

Doing pure leisure reading now that my BA is completed. Just finished Theo Fleury's _Playing with Fire_ and I'm now reading James Duthie's _The Day I (almost) Killed Two Gretzky's_.  

Fleury's bio was brutally honest and at certain times touching. Those who know of James Duthie's antics will agree that his book is hilarious and offers a few life lessons between all the satires.


----------



## OldTanker (3 Jan 2012)

"The Civil War" by Shelby Foote (three volumes). Just ordered a Civil War atlas off EBay to complement it and make following the battles a bit easier.


----------



## observor 69 (8 Jan 2012)

Damned Nations: Greed, Guns, Armies, and Aid. By Samantha Nutt

And a review of the book :

Is ending war a right, or a gossamer hope?


----------



## 3VP Highlander (8 Jan 2012)

Look to Your Front.. Regina Rifles A Regiment at War 1944-45.


----------



## RangerRay (9 Jan 2012)

_A Song of Ice and Fire_ series by George RR Martin.  I hope to get season 1 of Game of Thrones when it comes out on DVD.


----------



## Colin Parkinson (10 Jan 2012)

Picked up a ragged copy of "fusiliers" by the same author of Sharpes, cost me $3 at Sally Ann. Will read it on the trip to SHOT


----------



## dangerboy (10 Jan 2012)

Colin P said:
			
		

> Picked up a ragged copy of "fusiliers" by the same author of Sharpes, cost me $3 at Sally Ann. Will read it on the trip to SHOT



If it is the one I am thinking of by Mark Urban, it is a good read. I enjoyed the book.


----------



## jollyjacktar (10 Jan 2012)

Have just started "The Sisters Brothers" by Patrick deWitt.


----------



## BernDawg (11 Jan 2012)

Colin P said:
			
		

> Picked up a ragged copy of "fusiliers" by the same author of Sharpes, cost me $3 at Sally Ann. Will read it on the trip to SHOT


Urban wrote "Rifles" Bernard Cornwell wrote "Sharpe's Rifles" Both good authors and very easy to read. I have a copy of Rifles at home and it's very well reseached and written.


----------



## Colin Parkinson (11 Jan 2012)

This one is by Mark Urban


----------



## observor 69 (12 Feb 2012)

Hard book to describe but I found it a real page turner. I'll let the Washington Post do the honours.

The Orphan Master's Son

“A great novel can take implausible fact and turn it into entirely believable fiction. That’s the genius of The Orphan Master’s Son.  Adam Johnson has taken the papier-mâché creation that is North Korea and turned it into a real and riveting place that readers will find unforgettable. This is a novel worth getting excited about, one which more than delivers on its pre-publication buzz… I haven’t liked a new novel this much in years, and I want to share the simple pleasure of reading the book. But I also think it’s an instructive lesson in how to paint a fictional world against a background of fact: The secret is research…It’s this process of re-imagination that makes the fictional locale so real and gives the novel an impact you could never achieve with a thousand newspaper stories. Johnson has painted in indelible colors the nightmare of Kim’s North Korea. When English readers want to understand what it was about — how people lived and died inside a cult of personality that committed unspeakable crimes against its citizens — I hope they will turn to this carefully documented story. The happy surprise is that they will find it such a page turner.” —The Washington Post 


http://www.amazon.ca/Orphan-Masters-Son-Novel/dp/0812992792/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1329054084&sr=1-1#_


----------



## PViddy (12 Feb 2012)

> "The Civil War" by Shelby Foote (three volumes). Just ordered a Civil War atlas off EBay to complement it and make following the battles a bit easier.



An atlas is a great idea, i am also keenly interested in the civil war and events that led up to it.  I have also enjoyed watching the Ken Burns documentaries.  I'll be visiting Gettysburg in May, which atlas did you pick up if you don't mind me asking ? further pre study would be a good idea.

I am currently reading "Born to Run" by Christopher McDougall.  it's a book about barefoot running, the history and science to it.  Interesting compliment to my Vibrams FF's

cheers,

PV

mod for spelling error


----------



## MikeL (12 Feb 2012)

World War Z by Max Brooks


----------



## jollyjacktar (12 Feb 2012)

Picked up the four book set of Game of Thrones from Chapters as a Christmas present.  Only slightly less than $20!!  On book three now A Storm of Swords.  I'm impressed that the first season on HBO stuck to the book very closely.  Season two should be outstanding.


----------



## Danjanou (12 Feb 2012)

-Skeletor- said:
			
		

> World War Z by Max Brooks



i just finished this yesterday, not too bad.


----------



## AmmoTech90 (12 Feb 2012)

First In, Last Out.  South African artillery from the 70s to the end of the 80s.  This is one that you need a map book for.  Interesting subject matter, but the author jumps all over the place.


----------



## vonGarvin (12 Feb 2012)

AmmoTech90 said:
			
		

> First In, Last Out.  South African *artillery* from the 70s to the end of the 80s.  This is one that you need a map book for.  Interesting subject matter, but the author jumps all over the place Ubique.



There, fixed that for you.


 >


----------



## BernDawg (13 Feb 2012)

-Skeletor- said:
			
		

> World War Z by Max Brooks



Don't forget the Zombie survival guide to go with it.  8)


----------



## Colin Parkinson (15 Feb 2012)

Just finished “War without battles” it was a great read and gave me a better understanding of the tiny part I played in the reforger ex of 84 and 86. Almost finished “Fusilier” about the Welsh 23rd Regiment in the American revolutionary war.


----------



## estoguy (15 Feb 2012)

Two at the moment:

Shake Hands With The Devil by Dallaire

Under the Dome by Stephen King.

Just started both of them in the last few days.


----------



## Staff Weenie (15 Feb 2012)

Kittyhawk Pilot - by Michel Lavine and James Edwards.

It's about Wing Commander JF "Stocky" Edwards, from Battleford, flying Kittyhawks in the North-African campaign. It's an interesting read so far, on an aspect of WWII that has not received a lot of attention. The Kittyhawks did not fare overly well against Me 109's - and I am amazed at the bravery of those pilots who continued to take off every day knowing that the odds were not in their favour at all.


----------



## PMedMoe (15 Feb 2012)

estoguy said:
			
		

> Two at the moment:
> 
> Shake Hands With The Devil by Dallaire



I'm reading that one, too.  And currently finishing The Burning Wire by Jeffery Deaver, even though I've read it before.


----------



## Richard.Donafeld (15 Feb 2012)

On Killing - Dave Grossman excellent read suggest it to all in the military. Its on almost every military school reading list in the states.


----------



## cupper (15 Feb 2012)

estoguy said:
			
		

> Shake Hands With The Devil by Dallaire



Read that a few years ago when it first came out.

I found it to be an excellent and gripping read.

Makes you wonder just what use the UN actually has.


----------



## larry Strong (16 Feb 2012)

I just bought and started reading "The End" by Ian Kershaw.



> Ian Kershaw’s latest book attempts “to understand better how and why the Nazi regime could hold out for so long.”



http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2011/sep/16/ian-kershaw-the-end-review


----------



## Gunner98 (16 Feb 2012)

A recent 800+ pager by Stephen King titled 11-22-62. 

Moe - Deaver rocks I have read every one of his books!  Can't say I have completed all (but most) of Mr. King's.


----------



## PMedMoe (16 Feb 2012)

Simian Turner said:
			
		

> Moe - Deaver rocks I have read every one of his books!  Can't say I have completed all (but most) of Mr. King's.



Agreed.  I really like the Lincoln Rhyme series.  I've read (and own) almost all of Stephen King's.  11-22-62 is next on my purchase list.   :nod:


----------



## Delaney1986 (16 Feb 2012)

Checking out a book called the "The Lucifer Effect" - about good people can do bad things if placed in the right situation with the right circumstances. Pretty good so far! He uses the Standford Prison Experiment and the Abu Ghraib fiasco amongst others as examples...


----------



## Danjanou (16 Feb 2012)

Colin P said:
			
		

> Just finished “War without battles” it was a great read and gave me a better understanding of the tiny part I played in the reforger ex of 84 and 86. Almost finished “Fusilier” about the Welsh 23rd Regiment in the American revolutionary war.



I enjoyed it too ( hard to get a copy mine was used on amazon and still paid a fair bit).  Nice o see the "big" picture as opppsed to sitting in some farmers field in my mine tape trench.


----------



## RangerRay (16 Feb 2012)

I'm currently reading the "Saxon Series" by Bernard Cornwell.  So far, I've read _The Last Kingdom_ and I'm halfway through _The Pale Horseman_.  It's historical fiction set in England during the Danish invasions of the 9th century, by the author of the _Sharpe_ series.


----------



## estoguy (16 Feb 2012)

cupper said:
			
		

> Read that a few years ago when it first came out.
> 
> I found it to be an excellent and gripping read.
> 
> Makes you wonder just what use the UN actually has.



Another good book on a similar topic is Lewis Mackenzie's book Peacekeeper, which predates Dallaire's experience, and shows that not much really changed after Bosnia.  :facepalm:


----------



## armywife78 (16 Feb 2012)

A new kind of monster. The case of Russell Williams


----------



## Colin Parkinson (16 Feb 2012)

Danjanou said:
			
		

> I enjoyed it too ( hard to get a copy mine was used on amazon and still paid a fair bit).  Nice o see the "big" picture as opppsed to sitting in some farmers field in my mine tape trench.



I got to guard a bridge and then given hot coffee by young hot farm girl, invited in and spent some off time getting to know the locals... :nod:

As for "Shake hands with the devil" I felt like I was reading his confession, which given his religious background might have been just that and his way of trying to heal himself. Pretty clear he was an idealist who got into the deep end without really knowing how to swim and no floatation. I suspect even a significant reinforcement would have not mattered in the long run.


----------



## Danjanou (16 Feb 2012)

Colin P said:
			
		

> I got to guard a bridge and then given hot coffee by young hot farm girl, invited in and spent some off time getting to know the locals... :nod:
> 
> As for "Shake hands with the devil" I felt like I was reading his confession, which given his religious background might have been just that and his way of trying to heal himself. Pretty clear he was an idealist who got into the deep end without really knowing how to swim and no floatation. I suspect even a significant reinforcement would have not mattered in the long run.



lucky bugger, just like that post Nov 11th party in North Van back when we were young and stupid. Closest I got to that is setting up the 84mm in some front garden hedge and the old frau coming out and giving us coffee  and cakes. looks like she'd been handing out hot drinks to troppies since the Franco Prussian War. :'(


----------



## cupper (16 Feb 2012)

estoguy said:
			
		

> Another good book on a similar topic is Lewis Mackenzie's book Peacekeeper, which predates Dallaire's experience, and shows that not much really changed after Bosnia.  :facepalm:



Yep. Read it too.


----------



## gcclarke (23 Feb 2012)

I'm finishing up the Mistborn trilogy by Brandon Sanderson. 

The best review of the first book went something along the lines of "It's like Oceans 11, if they were trying to overthrow Sauron in Mordor after 1000 years of ruling". Highly recommended, couldn't put it down, etc.


----------



## Colin Parkinson (23 Feb 2012)

estoguy said:
			
		

> Another good book on a similar topic is Lewis Mackenzie's book Peacekeeper, which predates Dallaire's experience, and shows that not much really changed after Bosnia.  :facepalm:



Justed started this and picked up for a $1 a copy of "River of war" by Eric flint, an alternative history of the War of 1812. Enjoyed his other stuff so looking forward to this read.


----------



## dapaterson (23 Feb 2012)

Re-reading "The World According to Garp", having just re-read "A Prayer for Owen Meany".


And re: Stephen King:  if you haven't read all his work, he's writing them faster than you're reading them...


----------



## PMedMoe (28 Feb 2012)

Colin P said:
			
		

> As for "Shake hands with the devil" I felt like I was reading his confession



In some spots of the book, I agree.  Finished reading it and am now reading _War in the Sun_ by James Lansdale Hodson.  It's an account of a British war correspondent's journey to the Middle East, India, Burma and West Africa during 1941-42.  The copy I have may be a first edition publishing (if there were more editions, I don't know).


----------



## medicineman (28 Feb 2012)

PMedMoe said:
			
		

> In some spots of the book, I agree.  Finished reading it and am now reading _War in the Sun_ by James Lansdale Hodson.  It's an account of a British war correspondent's journey to the Middle East, India, Burma and West Africa during 1941-42.  The copy I have may be a first edition publishing (if there were more editions, I don't know).



Sounds interesting Moe - my grandad had a similar journey - but he went to India and Burma via Dunkirk...

Presently reading "Lone Survivor" by Marcus Luttrell, a USN SEAL who's patrol got zapped in Afghanistan.  Sooon to be followed by "Raylin" by Elmore Leonard...I got kind of hooked on "Justified"  :nod:.

MM


----------



## Rogo (29 Feb 2012)

About halfway through "On Killing", a good read and informative about the psychological stressors and needs of combat soldiers.


----------



## PMedMoe (29 Feb 2012)

medicineman said:
			
		

> Sounds interesting Moe - my grandad had a similar journey - but he went to India and Burma via Dunkirk...



I thought so too, which is why I grabbed it when I saw it.  I like history from a personal point of view.   :nod:


----------



## Danjanou (29 Feb 2012)

PMedMoe said:
			
		

> I thought so too, which is why I grabbed it when I saw it.  I like history from a personal point of view.   :nod:



If you like I'll dig out my copy of John Master's The Road Past Mandala, very similar.  Very similar first hand account. He was part of the Indian Division that fought in Iraq, and later in Syria and then was a Brigade Major and acting Brigade Commander of a Chindit Brigade.


----------



## PMedMoe (29 Feb 2012)

Danjanou said:
			
		

> If you like I'll dig out my copy of John Master's The Road Past Mandala, very similar.  Very similar first hand account. He was part of the Indian Division that fought in Iraq, and later in Syria and then was a Brigade Major and acting Brigade Commander of a Chindit Brigade.



Keep that in mind for when I'm back in TO.  Thanks.


----------



## Delaney1986 (1 Mar 2012)

Reading a few right now....just picked up some doozies!
The Sociopath Next Door - apparently 1 in 25 Americans have no conscience...it's essentially about being able to pick them out in your life.
Without Conscience - The Disturbing World of the Psychopaths Among Us - haven't gotten much further than the 1st chapter yet.
The Science of Evil - On Empathy and the Origins of Cruelty - this one sounds pretty interesting.


----------



## Colin Parkinson (1 Mar 2012)

Danjanou said:
			
		

> If you like I'll dig out my copy of John Master's The Road Past Mandala, very similar.  Very similar first hand account. He was part of the Indian Division that fought in Iraq, and later in Syria and then was a Brigade Major and acting Brigade Commander of a Chindit Brigade.



I loved his book on being a young officer going into the Indian army.


----------



## Rifleman62 (1 Mar 2012)

Colin P, you may enjoy these books:
*
Quartered Safe Out Here: A Harrowing Tale of World War II*

George MacDonald Fraser—beloved for his series of Flashman historical novels—offers an action-packed memoir of his experiences in Burma during World War II.  Fraser was only 19 when he arrived there in the war’s final year, and he offers a first-hand glimpse at the camaraderie, danger, and satisfactions of service. A substantial Epilogue, occasioned by the 50th anniversary of VJ-Day in 1995, adds poignancy to a volume that eminent military historian John Keegan described as “one of the great personal memoirs of the Second World War.”

*Unofficial History: Field-Marshal Sir William Slim*

Slim's book is a gem of a military memoir which every student of the art of war and military leadership should have on his shelf. This is a book of reminiscences that covers his career from World War I to just before assuming command in Burma in World War II. Not only was Slim arguably superior to the much more famous Field Marshall Montgomery in World War II as great captain, but he was a delightful master of prose and a superb story-teller. I highly recommend this book.


----------



## Danjanou (1 Mar 2012)

Rifleman62 said:
			
		

> Colin P, you may enjoy these books:
> *
> Quartered Safe Out Here: A Harrowing Tale of World War II*
> 
> ...



Agree it was an effort to get a copy of GMF book but worth it. one can see where the MacAuslan trilogy comes from as well.

Bill Slim is probably one of the most underated Commanders of the war.


----------



## The Bread Guy (1 Mar 2012)

Rifleman62 said:
			
		

> Colin P, you may enjoy these books:
> *
> Quartered Safe Out Here: A Harrowing Tale of World War II*
> 
> George MacDonald Fraser—beloved for his series of Flashman historical novels—offers an action-packed memoir of his experiences in Burma during World War II.  Fraser was only 19 when he arrived there in the war’s final year, and he offers a first-hand glimpse at the camaraderie, danger, and satisfactions of service. A substantial Epilogue, occasioned by the 50th anniversary of VJ-Day in 1995, adds poignancy to a volume that eminent military historian John Keegan described as “one of the great personal memoirs of the Second World War.”


Concur - great "what's the war look like to #3 rifleman and the section commander" approach.


----------



## Colin Parkinson (2 Mar 2012)

My wife is going to hate you guys at this rate!!  ;D I already have run out of book shelf space....


----------



## medicineman (2 Mar 2012)

Delaney1986 said:
			
		

> Reading a few right now....just picked up some doozies!
> The Sociopath Next Door - apparently 1 in 25 Americans have no conscience...it's essentially about being able to pick them out in your life.
> Without Conscience - The Disturbing World of the Psychopaths Among Us - haven't gotten much further than the 1st chapter yet.
> The Science of Evil - On Empathy and the Origins of Cruelty - this one sounds pretty interesting.



Are you worried about yourself or someone else?

MM


----------



## Danjanou (2 Mar 2012)

Colin P said:
			
		

> My wife is going to hate you guys at this rate!!  ;D I already have run out of book shelf space....



Oh I ran out long ago. I would need about an Ikea bookcase every 3 months and a new room every 9 months to keep pace.


----------



## OldSolduer (2 Mar 2012)

The National Dream by Pierre Berton.


----------



## Bass ackwards (3 Mar 2012)

A short while ago I finished _A Matter of Honour: The Life, Campaigns and Generalship of Isaac Brock_ by Jonathon Riley. 
Old Sweat did a bit of a review of this book here:
http://Forums.Army.ca/forums/threads/101782.0.html

I'm currently working on _A Terrible Glory: Custer and the Little Bighorn_ by James Donovan. 

Both are quite good. 

A while back, someone here recommended a rather large, expensive book called _The Falklands Then and Now_. 
Since I didn't have anything that covers the whole war, I ordered it. It just arrived last week.
It weighs almost as much as my Jeep and it was on the pricey side but at first glance it's well worth it. 

Colin P and Danjanou - I share your pain (and am really dreading my next move...).


----------



## dangerboy (3 Mar 2012)

Currently reading Arnhem 1944: The Airborne Battle by Martin Middlebrook.  As you can guess it is about the battle of Arnhem, this books concentrates on the fighting that occurred in the town of Arnhem as opposed to the entire Operation Market-Garden and is from the point of view of the British Soldier.

 Once thing I found interesting, it was one of the few books I have read that mention the CANLOAN program.


----------



## Rifleman62 (5 Mar 2012)

http://www.amazon.com/Code-Word-Canloan-Wilfred-Smith/dp/1550021672

Code word: CANLOAN

I believe there was a book written about the CANLOAN program in the 1960's. Can't find it. Possibly Old Sweat knows it.

Additionally several CANLOAN officers wrote books of their experiences. 

Several officers of my regiment participated in the program.


----------



## Old Sweat (5 Mar 2012)

Rifleman62 said:
			
		

> http://www.amazon.com/Code-Word-Canloan-Wilfred-Smith/dp/1550021672
> I believe there was a book written about the CANLOAN program in the 1960's. Can't find it. Possibly Old Sweat knows it.



Sorry, I don't recall it. 

The CANLOAN program certainly was a success. It also led to a "Son of CANLOAN" in the eighties when several Canadian gunner and sapper majors were seconded to the Brits as battery and squadron commanders. At least one served as a battery commander in Gulf 1.


----------



## Rifleman62 (5 Mar 2012)

I have a book at home written by a CANLOAN officer. From what I recollect;

- written mid 60's, author living in the US (California; he was teaching at a university);
- in the Forward he wanted to pass on how it was so his son who was facing going to war (Vietnam) would have some notion;
- landed after D-Day as an Inf Pl Comd
- mentions the RWpgRif: some soldiers coming towards them in a wheat field  (after being overrun??)

Other CALOAN info: http://www.war-experience.org/canloan/index.html


----------



## Old Sweat (5 Mar 2012)

There was a Little Black Devil serving as a CANLOAN officer with a battalion of 50 Div, which was the flanking formation to 3 Canadian Infantry Division in the early days in Normandy. Some troops from C Company, including the Coy Comd and 2ic, escaped when the company was overrun and made contact with the Brits on their flank. The Coy Comd organized a local counter-attack by the Brits which helped hold the Germans in place before they were forced back by a formal counter-attack by the Can Scots and the 1st Hussars.

The CANLOAN officer later observed the bodies of several troops he had served with who had been murdered at the Chateau d'Audrieu (sp?) on 8 June.

Sorry I can't recall his name, but I am away from home.


----------



## Rifleman62 (5 Mar 2012)

Not the same fellow who wrote the book I was referring to.


----------



## Gunner98 (6 Mar 2012)

Stephen King's Full Dark, No Stars.


----------



## RememberanceDay (6 Mar 2012)

All Quiet on the Western Front, and for hilarious kicks, a 'charm book' printed in the 1920's... ROFL


----------



## Delaney1986 (11 Mar 2012)

medicineman said:
			
		

> Are you worried about yourself or someone else?
> 
> MM



Haha, I am taking a Criminology course in College. Psychology is really fascinating too, especially behavioural and abnormal psychology. But now that I have started reading them there are a couple of people that come to mind...an old room mate in particular....

Thanks though, for what I will take as concern... ;D


----------



## Deelo (12 Mar 2012)

The Patrol, by Ryan Flavelle

"Seven days in the life of a Canadian soldier in Afghanistan"


----------



## Colin Parkinson (12 Mar 2012)

Just picked up at the gun show for $15:

Osprey's "Staghound"
another series book on US Armoured cars
The Centurion Tank by Bill Munro


----------



## dangerboy (10 May 2012)

Just finished reading "A Sailor of Austria: In which, without really intending to Otto Prohaska becomes Offical War Hero No. 27 of the Habsburg Empire" by John Biggins.  http://www.amazon.ca/Sailor-Austria-Intending-Prohaska-Official/dp/159013107X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1336684143&sr=8-1 . It is the fictional story of a submarine commander during WWI.  

Not knowing much about submarines in general I don't know how accurate the information presented in the book on Austrian and German subs was but I enjoyed the book, and in the end that is the most important aspect to me.


----------



## PMedMoe (10 May 2012)

Going between two books:

The Land of Painted Caves by Jean M. Auel, the last in the Children of the Earth series

and

All Hell Let Loose: The World at War 1939-1945 by Max Hastings


----------



## bridges (10 May 2012)

Just finished "Left Neglected", a novel about a woman who sustained a brain injury to the right side of her brain, leaving her with no awareness of the left - of anything:  her body, the room, the world.  The author has a PhD in neuroscience & did a fair amount of research.  It was quite interesting.

Now starting "Three Nights in Havana", about Trudeau's visit in '76.


----------



## Retired AF Guy (10 May 2012)

Just finished the  _*The Operators : Inside 14 Intelligence Company *_ by James Rennie. Its an account Rennie's time in 14 Int Company in Northern Ireland.  Unfortnately, most of the book is actually about his selection process and training and only a small part is about operations in Northern Ireland. 

Started  _*Fishers of Men *_ by Rob Lewis. Lewis was a member of the Force Research Unit which was involved in running agents in Northern Ireland.


----------



## OldSolduer (11 May 2012)

Dracula by Bram Stoker.


----------



## Redeye (11 May 2012)

Just finished Ayaan Ali Hersi's Infidel, which is excellent, and a couple of political history works about Pakistan. I'm trudging through Kilcullen's Counterinsurgency a bit, but my current main read is Jeff Sharlet's The Family, which is one of the most disturbing books I've ever read.


----------



## Halifax Tar (11 May 2012)

Salty Dips Vol. 1,2 and 3


----------



## LineJumper (11 May 2012)

The wind through the keyhole, S.K.


----------



## beach_bum (11 May 2012)

Fifty Shades


----------



## Sigs Pig (11 May 2012)

Badass: The Birth of a Legend by Ben Thompson


----------



## bridges (11 May 2012)

Redeye said:
			
		

> Just finished Ayaan Ali Hersi's Infidel, which is excellent



Thanks for that recommendation - I've been thinking about picking up a copy.


----------



## Redeye (11 May 2012)

bridges said:
			
		

> Thanks for that recommendation - I've been thinking about picking up a copy.



It's really just a biography of her, there's no other real substance to it - but if you're familiar with who she is it gives you a bit more insight into her life.

Not sure what I'll read next. I have a kindle with a huge quantity of books, lots to go on.


----------



## BernDawg (11 May 2012)

"The Sisters Brothers" Interesting take on the traditional Western.


----------



## bridges (12 May 2012)

BernDawg said:
			
		

> "The Sisters Brothers" Interesting take on the traditional Western.



Someone just suggested that one for our book club.   It'll be a nice change from the books about dysfunctional families (I hope... )


----------



## alocin (12 May 2012)

_The Book of Negroes_ by Lawrence Hill, an award winning novel published in 2007.  The title is derived from a historical document bearing the same name, detailing the 3000 slaves who faught for the British in the American Revolutionary War who fled to Canada from Manhattan in 1783. It's a fascinating novel about the African diaspora, I'm looking forward to hearing the author speak, he is currently on tour and will be visiting my community sometime in the near future. 

It was published outside of Canada as _Someone Knows My Name._


----------



## BernDawg (14 May 2012)

bridges said:
			
		

> Someone just suggested that one for our book club.   It'll be a nice change from the books about dysfunctional families (I hope... )


Oh I'd say they're fairly disfunctional but in a "shoot-you-in-the-belly" and laugh kind of way.


----------



## Danjanou (14 May 2012)

Halfway through A Game of Thrones and have already ordered the other three in the series from Amazon.


----------



## medicineman (14 May 2012)

Broke down and bought "Sunray" yesterday and started reading it...

MM


----------



## dangerboy (14 May 2012)

Reading Timeline by Michael Crichton.

I watched the movie over the weekend (I do not recommend it), so now I am reading the book to see if it is any better.  I am enjoying the book a lot more than I  did the movie.


----------



## BernDawg (14 May 2012)

I found the book much better than the movie. They really didn't do it justice when they wrote the screenplay.


----------



## PMedMoe (14 May 2012)

dangerboy said:
			
		

> Reading Timeline by Michael Crichton.
> 
> I watched the movie over the weekend (I do not recommend it), so now I am reading the book to see if it is any better.  I am enjoying the book a lot more than I  did the movie.



The book is way better.  The best thing about the movie was Gerard Butler.   :nod:


----------



## nik214 (22 May 2012)

_The Stand_  - King


----------



## PMedMoe (22 May 2012)

nik214 said:
			
		

> _The Stand_  - King



Uncut version?


----------



## Dkeh (22 May 2012)

I'm rereading The Stand for the umpteenth time. Love that book.

Timeline was a fantastic book.

I would *highly* recommend a book called The Dark Beyond the Stars, by Frank M Robinson. Fantastic read, and available to read online for free!


----------



## Bass ackwards (22 May 2012)

PMedMoe said:
			
		

> Uncut version?



I wonder if anyone even bothers with the original version anymore.


----------



## nik214 (23 May 2012)

PMedMoe said:
			
		

> Uncut version?




I believe so.....  It was an old book I found while digging around in my girlfriends basement. Says published in '78 and its about 830 pages long.


----------



## PMedMoe (23 May 2012)

nik214 said:
			
		

> I believe so.....  It was an old book I found while digging around in my girlfriends basement. Says published in '78 and its about 830 pages long.



Nope, that's the original.  The uncut version came out later. Either way, still a good book.  That's the first King book I read at the ripe old age of 13......


----------



## Dkeh (23 May 2012)

I got started on King around 13 as well, but for me, it was the Gunslinger series. Fantastic read. 

I have the uncut version of the Stand  All 1000+ pages


----------



## Journeyman (23 May 2012)

PMedMoe said:
			
		

> .....at the ripe old age of 13......


 Wow, the Gutenberg edition!


----------



## nik214 (23 May 2012)

PMedMoe said:
			
		

> Nope, that's the original.  The uncut version came out later. Either way, still a good book.  That's the first King book I read at the ripe old age of 13......



Ah okay that's too bad I would of liked to read the uncut.  Agreed; very good so far.


----------



## PMedMoe (23 May 2012)

Journeyman said:
			
		

> Wow, the Gutenberg edition!



Hell no, it was on papyrus.  That's why I was glad it was the short version.  So what did you get, chiseled stone tablets?   >


----------



## BernDawg (23 May 2012)

I first read the Stand when I was around 12. I remember because I was at  home in bed sick with a wicked flu and I read the entire book in 4-5 days freaked out the whole time because I had the same symptoms!!
I've since read it several more times and the un-abridged version is way better than the original printing. It gives more depth to the characters and puts other aspects into perspective as well.


----------



## Bass ackwards (23 May 2012)

Currently rereading _Helpless_ by Christie Blatchford.

It's still a head-shaker the second time around.


----------



## RangerRay (31 May 2012)

Frank Herbert's _Dune_.  Surprisingly easy to read.


----------



## Kirkhill (31 May 2012)

The Hunger Games:  perhaps the best Sci Fi I have read since Robert Heinlein died.


----------



## observor 69 (1 Jun 2012)

'He Made It Look Easy‘
Eisenhower in War and Peace,’
 by Jean Edward Smith

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/22/books/review/eisenhower-in-war-and-peace-by-jean-edward-smith.html?pagewanted=all

This book is as good as it's review. History, politics and the military..........  a few of my favourite things.


----------



## Biohazardxj (1 Jun 2012)

The Fat Mexican by Alex Caine


----------



## Conz (1 Jun 2012)

Paradise General by Dr. Dave Hnida


----------



## larry Strong (1 Jun 2012)

End game 1945 by David Stafford

It looks at 9 men and women, from soildier's to POW's to war correspondents from 20 April 1945 till  16 July 1945.


----------



## Eye In The Sky (1 Jun 2012)

127 Hours


----------



## Greymatters (2 Jun 2012)

The Four Horsemen of the Apocolypse, by Vicente Blasco Ibanez; World War I novel printed in 1918


----------



## Cat (2 Jun 2012)

Pride and Prejudice, almost done it though and thinking of starting Watership Down. Trying to get through some of the "must read" classic literature while I've got free time.


----------



## bridges (6 Jun 2012)

Just heard that Ray Bradbury has died, at 91.  Fahrenheit 451 has been on my "must read" list for some time.  If it's anything like 84, Brave New World, The Handmaid's Tale and other dystopian novels, it'll be an important read.  

   Thank you for your work, Ray Bradbury.


----------



## PMedMoe (6 Jun 2012)

bridges said:
			
		

> Just heard that Ray Bradbury has died, at 91.  Fahrenheit 451 has been on my "must read" list for some time.  If it's anything like 84, Brave New World, The Handmaid's Tale and other dystopian novels, it'll be an important read.
> 
> Thank you for your work, Ray Bradbury.



Never read much of his stuff, but I really liked _A Sound of Thunder_.  The Butterfly Effect (movie) was based on this short story.


----------



## Bass ackwards (9 Jun 2012)

Just snagged a copy of _Harbor Nocturne_.

This is Joseph Wambaugh's fifth book in his excellent _Hollywood Station_ trilogy.

I'm looking forward to this.


----------



## mariomike (9 Jun 2012)

Bass ackwards said:
			
		

> Just snagged a copy of _Harbor Nocturne_.
> 
> This is Joseph Wambaugh's fifth book in his excellent _Hollywood Station_ trilogy.
> 
> I'm looking forward to this.



One of my favorite writers. 

Hollywood Station: “Doing good police work is the most fun you will ever have in your lives."


----------



## BadgerTrapper (13 Jun 2012)

Just read "The Patrol" by Ryan Flavelle, amazing book. Great insight into the Afghan conflict and great readings for a guy like me that's getting ready for his interview next wednesday. I'm now reading "Fifteen Days" which is good in itself, a large amount of variation to the various viewpoints and everything. Anyone recommend some good reading for a Med Tech hopeful?


----------



## brihard (13 Jun 2012)

Just finished Starship Troopers... Again.... Now reading Red Storm Rising... Again...


----------



## PMedMoe (14 Jun 2012)

PMedMoe said:
			
		

> Going between two books:
> 
> The Land of Painted Caves by Jean M. Auel, the last in the Children of the Earth series
> 
> ...



Finished the Auel book a week ago.  For anyone who read the series, don't bother with this last book.  It was just a rehashing of all the other books with a bit of new stuff thrown in.  Very repetitive (so much so, that I probably skimmed over 200 pages) and still ended without any definitive conclusion.  This series was one of the ones I intended to keep on my bookshelves but the whole lot is now going to be donated to my local library ASAP.   :

At any rate, I can now focus all my attention on the Hastings book.


----------



## Jarnhamar (14 Jun 2012)

Brihard said:
			
		

> Just finished Starship Troopers... Again....



Is it as good as people say it is?


----------



## dangerboy (14 Jun 2012)

ObedientiaZelum said:
			
		

> Is it as good as people say it is?



Yes, it is nothing like the movie.


----------



## vonGarvin (14 Jun 2012)

Lingua Latina per se Illustrata; Pars I "Familia Romana" by Hans H. Orberg.

Why?  Because "irrumabo vos" that's why  >


----------



## brihard (14 Jun 2012)

ObedientiaZelum said:
			
		

> Is it as good as people say it is?



You've seriously never read it? Remedy that, and forget the movie ever existed.


----------



## NavyShooter (14 Jun 2012)

Unintended Consequences.


----------



## BernDawg (15 Jun 2012)

ObedientiaZelum said:
			
		

> Is it as good as people say it is?



Better! You will not be disapointed reading Starship Troopers.

Consider the movie a completely different story...


----------



## The Bread Guy (15 Jun 2012)

ObedientiaZelum said:
			
		

> Is it as good as people say it is?


Yes it is - read bits of it to the troops during recruit courses (OK, I was a bit more.... intense oh so many years ago).

Seriously, take the movie(s) as parody/satire, not a reflection of the book.


----------



## brihard (15 Jun 2012)

milnews.ca said:
			
		

> Yes it is - read bits of it to the troops during recruit courses (OK, I was a bit more.... intense oh so many years ago).
> 
> Seriously, take the movie(s) as parody/satire, not a reflection of the book.



"There are a dozen different ways of delivering destruction in impersonal wholesale, via ships or missiles of one sort or another, catastrophes so widespread, so unselective, that the war is over because that nation or planet has ceased to exist. What we do is entirely different. We make war as personal as a punch in the nose. We can be selective, applying precisely the required amount of pressure at a specified point at a designated time. We've never been told to go down and kill or capture all left-handed redheads in a particular area, but if they tell us to we can. We will.

We are the boys who will go to a particular place, at h-hour, stand on it, dig the enemy out of their holes, force them then and there to surrender or die. We are the bloody infantry. The doughboy, the duckfoot, the foot soldier who goes where the enemy is and takes them on in person. We've been doing it with changes in weapons but very little change in our trade at least since the time four thousand years ago when the foot sloggers of Sargon the Great forced the Sumerians to cry uncle."

I'm probably off on a few minor bits - that passage is from memory - but if there's a book out there that better speaks (through its own lens) to what the infantry is, I've yet to find it. And yeah, I'm nerdy as hell for this book, and I'm just fine with that.


----------



## Jarnhamar (15 Jun 2012)

Brihard said:
			
		

> You've seriously never read it? Remedy that, and forget the movie ever existed.



Lend me you're book!

Currently reading;
Architect of Fate
The Emperors Gift &
Tales of Heresy


----------



## brihard (15 Jun 2012)

ObedientiaZelum said:
			
		

> Lend me you're book!
> 
> Currently reading;
> Architect of Fate
> ...



I'm in Gage right now. When I'm back in Ottawa if you're passing through I'll happily hook you up with my copy. Worst case I may be in Pet for the latter half of Aug.

I've got a digital copy on my e-reader now, so if I part with my hard copy for a time it doesn't bother me a bit.


----------



## dangerboy (19 Jun 2012)

Reading "The Mitrokhin Archive - The KGB in Europe and the West" by Christopher Andrew and Vasili Mitrokhin.  Vasil Mitrokhin was a former senior officer of the Soviet Foreign Intelligence Service from 1948 to 1984.  In 1992 he defected to the United Kingdom bringing with him copies of classified files which he had smuggled out of work and hid at his house.  The information in these files is the basis of this book.  I have only started reading it (page 30 out of 995) but so far it is interesting.  Of course with this type of book you will never know how much of the information is true and what still has not been revealed.


----------



## Danjanou (19 Jun 2012)

Almost finished Gone For Soldiers by Jeff Shaara ,  a historical novel on the Mexican American War.


----------



## cupper (19 Jun 2012)

Recently finished reading two books on Military Working Dogs.

"Soldier Dogs" by Maria Goodavage

"Sergent Rex" by Mike Dowling

Left some comments in another topic if you are interested.

http://forums.army.ca/forums/index.php?action=post;quote=1151781;topic=105494.0;last_msg=1151781


----------



## Exarch (20 Jun 2012)

ObedientiaZelum said:
			
		

> Is it as good as people say it is?



I haven't read a lot of books, but it is my favourite. Probably going to go through it for a fifth time sometime soon.

Does anyone know of any books similar in style to Starship Troopers? I've read two others by Heinlein and, while not bad, they are very different.


----------



## Sythen (20 Jun 2012)

Starship Troopers.. Definitely an amazing book.. Actually only read it cause when I was overseas it was in a pile of books left by the previous roto, and I thought it would be funny like the movie.. So glad I read it! Right now, reading Gates of Fire again. Such an incredible book as well.


----------



## Westlander (20 Jun 2012)

I'm reading Outliers: The Story of Success. So far its really interesting, I would recommend it.


----------



## mariomike (21 Jun 2012)

"The Downwind Walk: A USAR Paramedic's Experiences after the Terrorist Attacks on September 11, 2001"
The author was a member of FDNY EMS Battalion 55 in the Bronx who deployed with the USAR team at Ground Zero.

The lessons learned lead to the establishment of Heavy Urban Search and Rescue ( HUSAR ) teams in Toronto, Halifax and Calgary.


----------



## a_majoor (22 Jun 2012)

A comprehensive reading list. Sadly, I've only read a fraction of this, but there is still time....

http://www.amnation.com/vfr/archives/006256.html


----------



## LineJumper (24 Jun 2012)

How to catch a pig, by Dennis Boyles.

Now I know.


----------



## brihard (24 Jun 2012)

Yup, Gates of Fire was awesome too. Pressfield writes a damned good book. In terms of 'like Starship Troopers'? Can't really say anything is 'like' it. But if you enjoyed it, I would also say that worth reading are:

Ender's Game, by Orson Scott Card
Armor, by Jon Steakley
The Forever War, by Joe Haldeman

Each is its own distinctly different book; all are worth reading if you're at all into military sci fi.


----------



## estoguy (7 Jul 2012)

Didn't have much time to read over the spring, so I'm still on Shake Hands With The Devil and Under the Dome... I also have The Road on the go and an audiobook in the car... 11/22/63 by King.  I've really enjoyed that!  On the last section now.


----------



## vonGarvin (7 Jul 2012)

Just finished reading First Clash by Kenneth Macksay (for the hundredth time)


----------



## EngineerWannabe (7 Jul 2012)

I just bought Rum Diaries to read on the plane out to Nanaimo. I'm also bringing Fear and Loathing. I really like Hunter S. Thompson RIP


----------



## Redeye (8 Jul 2012)

Sythen said:
			
		

> Starship Troopers.. Definitely an amazing book.. Actually only read it cause when I was overseas it was in a pile of books left by the previous roto, and I thought it would be funny like the movie.. So glad I read it! Right now, reading Gates of Fire again. Such an incredible book as well.



It's pretty much nothing like the movie except in the vaguest of terms - but a fantastic read. I read it cover to cover over a three hour flight.


----------



## Danjanou (9 Jul 2012)

Just finished Defiance: The Bielski Partisans and considering what today is I pulled Pierre Berton's The Invasion of Canada 1812-13 off the shelf for another reread over the weekend. Finished it last night, and grabbed the sequel Flames Across the Border: 1813-1814 off the shelf today for some subway reading.


----------



## cphansen (10 Jul 2012)

Holding Juno: "Canada's Heroic Defence of the D-Day Beaches: June 7-12, 1944" by Mark Zuehike,

It covers a period of time which is sadly under reported, It has info on the RCAF and RCN actions during that time period and shows how the entire Canadian forces fought.

It has a lot of info on the 9 CIB and 2 CAB as well as the 7th and 8th CIB and 1st CAB. It has a lot of info on how 2 units stopped the attack on 7 June, 1944 by the SS, and the terrible price they paid, especially the North Novas and the Sherbrooke Fusilier Regiment.  The Sherbrookes and the North Novas justified their units' existence that day, of course if they weren't there, other militia units would have been.

It is a very good read and sheds light on an overlooked but essential campaign


----------



## VIChris (22 Jul 2012)

Just started Mockingjay, the 3rd in the Hunger Games series. I was quite surprised at how well developed the story is in this series.Totally engrossing, which I don't usually feel while reading books of the genre.


----------



## fraserdw (22 Jul 2012)

Just started "Stolen Valor".  AN interesting book about how Vietnam veterans had their heroes and reputation stolen by Hollywood and phoney vets.


----------



## jeffb (22 Jul 2012)

Brihard said:
			
		

> \
> The Forever War, by Joe Haldeman



I'll second that one. Haldeman was a Vietnam vet if I recall correctly and the book is a metaphor for never ending war. There are some great themes here that I think are perhaps even more relevant today then they were when Haldeman wrote the book. This, and Starship Troopers, are the only books that I have ever read more then 2 or 3 times. Fantastic reads and, in my opinion at least, they should be mandatory reading for any officer/ NCO.


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## Dissident (22 Jul 2012)

jeffb said:
			
		

> I'll second that one. Haldeman was a Vietnam vet if I recall correctly and the book is a metaphor for never ending war. There are some great themes here that I think are perhaps even more relevant today then they were when Haldeman wrote the book. This, and Starship Troopers, are the only books that I have ever read more then 2 or 3 times. Fantastic reads and, in my opinion at least, they should be mandatory reading for any officer/ NCO.



Indeed.


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## brihard (22 Jul 2012)

Currently reading Francis Fukuyama: The Origins of Political Order.

It is to 'where do states come from?' what Guns, Germs and Steel is to 'where does civilization come from?' Excellent book, very readable.


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## Jarnhamar (22 Jul 2012)

Friend sent this in an email. Thought I'd throw it up here for ideas.



USMC suggested book list by rank


Commandant’s Choice Book
• First to Fight: An Inside View of the U.S. Marine Corps by Victor H. Krulak


Recruit/Poolee
• I’m Staying With My Boys by Jim Proser
• The United States Marines: A History by Edwin Simmons

Private/Private First Class
• A Message To Garcia by Elbert Hubbard • Rifleman Dodd by C.S. Forester
• Blink by Malcolm Gladwell
• 1984 by George Orwell
• No True Glory by Bing West
• The Gift of Valor by Michael M. Phillips

Lance Corporal
• The 360 Degree Leader by John Maxwell
• The Afghan Campaign by Steven Pressfield
• My Men Are My Heroes by Nathaniel R. Helms
• Starship Troopers by Robert Heinlein
• The Ugly American by Eugene Burdick
• We Were One by Patrick K. O’Donnell

Corporal
• Afghanistan by Stephen Tanner
• All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque • Chosen Soldier by Dick Couch
• Flags of Our Fathers by James Bradley
• Ghost Soldiers by Hampton Sides
• Noble Warrior by James E. Livingston
• Once a Marine by Nick Popaditch
• The Defence of duffer’s Drift by Ernest Dunlop Swinton
• Marines in the Garden of Eden by Richard Lowry

Sergeant
• American Soldiers by Peter S. Kindsvatter
• Common Sense Training by Arthur S. Collins • Counterinsurgency Warfare by David Galula
July 11, 2011
• From the Horse’s Mouth by Major Ted McKeldin
• The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara
• A Soldier’s Load and the Mobility of a Nation by S.L.A. Marshall • Storm of Steel by Ernst Junger
• The Village by Bing West
• Tip of the Spear by G.J. Michaels
• With the Old Breed by E.B. Sledge

Staff Sergeant
• A Bell for Adano by John Hersey
• American Spartans by James A. Warren
• The Arab Mind by Raphael Patai
• Attacks by Erwin Rommel
• Battle Cry by Leon Uris
• The Defense of Hill 781 by James McDonough • The Face of Battle by John Keegan
• The Last Stand of Fox Company by Bob Drury • McCoy’s Marines by James M. McPherson
• On Killing by Dave Grossman
• Soldiers of God by Robert D. Kaplan
• The Speed of Trust by Stephen M.R. Covey

Gunnery Sergeant
• Afghan Guerilla Warfare by Ali Jalali
• Tiger Force: A True Story of Men and War by M. Sallah • Islands of the Damned by R. V. Burgin
• Killing Ground on Okinawa by James H. Hallas
• The Mission, The Men, and Me by Pete Blaber
• On Command by Dave Grossman
• Ride the Thunder by Richard Botkin
• The Savage Wars of Peace by Max Boot
• Victory at High Tide by Robert Heinlein
• We Were Soldiers Once and Young by Harold G. Moore

Master Sergeant/First Sergeant
• The Accidental Guerilla by David Kilcullen
• Courageous Follower by Ira Chaleff
• Fields of Battle by John Keegan
• Forgotten Warriors by Thomas Hammes
• Ghost Wars by Steve Coll
• The Guns of August by Barbara W. Tuchman
• The Lexus and the Olive Tree by Thomas Friedman
• The Passion of Command by Bryan McCoy
• Seven Deadly Scenarios by Andrew Krepinevich
• The Sling and the Stone by Thomas X. Hammes
• Technology and War by Martin L. Van Creveld

Master Gunnery Sergeant/Sergeant Major
• Achilles in Vietnam by Jonathan Shay
• At the Water’s Edge: Defending Against the Modern Amphibious Assault
by Theodore Gatchel
• The Crisis of Islam by Bernard Lewis
• The Coldest Winter by David Halberstam
• Crisis Leadership by Gene Klann
• The General by C.S. Forrester
• The Mask of Command by John Keegan
• No Bended Knee by Merril B. Twining
• On War by Carl Von Clausewitz
• A Peace to End All Peace by David Fromkin

Officer Candidate/Midshipman
• The Armed Forces Officer, DoD 2006
• My Men Are My Heroes by Nathaniel R. Helms
• United States Marines: A History by E. Simmons
• On Infantry by John A. English

2d Lieutenant / Warrant Officer/Chief Warrant Officer 2
• The Art of War by Sun Tzu
• Blink by Malcolm Gladwell
• Counterinsurgency Warfare by David Galula
• Leadership: The Warrior’s Art by Christopher D. Kolenda • The Mission, The Men and Me by Pete Blaber
• The Savage Wars of Peace by Max Boot
• Soldiers of God by Robert D. Kaplan
• The Speed of Trust by Stephen M.R. Covey
• Storm Landings by Joseph H. Alexander
• A Tactical Ethic by Dick Couch
• The Village by Bing West

1st Lieutenant / Chief Warrant Officer 3
• The Enlightened Soldier by Charles Edward • Seeds of Disaster by Robert Doughty
• Stormtroop Tactics by Bruce Gudmundsson • Command or Control by Marin Samuels
• The Breaking Point by Robert Doughty
• Fighting Power by Martin L. Van Creveld
• Transformation of War by Martin L. Van Creveld • Attacks by Erwin Rommell
• Battle Leadership by Adolf Von Schell
• The Peloponnesian War by Donald Kagan
• The Last Stand of Fox Company by Bob Drury
.
Captain / Chief Warrant Officer 4
• The Arab Mind by R. Patai
• The Defense of Hill 781 by James McDonough
• The General by C. S. Forrester
• Lions of Iwo Jima by Fred Haynes
• Lost Victories by Erich Von Manstein
• The Mask of Command by John Keegan
• Passion of Command by Bryan McCoy
• Sources of Power by Gary Klein
• The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell
• Victory at High Tide by Robert D. Heinl
• We Were Soldiers Once and Young by Harold G. Moore

Major/Chief Warrant Officer 5
• The Crucible of War by Fred Anderson
• The Guns of August by Barbara W. Tuchman
• This Kind of War by T. R. Fehrenbach
• The Landmark Thucydides edited by Robert Strassler
• The Last Stand: Custer, Sitting Bull, and the Battle of Little Big Horn by Nathaniel
Philbrick
• The Lexus and the Olive Tree by Thomas Friedman
• Masters of War by Michael Handel
• Once an Eagle by Anton Myrer
• Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Goodwin
• Tiger Force: A True Story of Men and War by M. Sallah
• Utmost Savagery: The Three Days of Tarawa by Joseph Alexander
• Wired for War by P. W. Singer

Lieutenant Colonel
• A Bell for Adano by John Hersey
• Accidental Guerilla by David Kilcullen
• At The Water’s Edge: Defending Against the Modern Amphibious Assault by
Theodore Gatchel
• The Blitzkrieg Legend by Karl-Heinz Freiser
• The Bottom Billion by Paul Collier
• Brute: The Life of Victor Krulak by Robert Coram • Carnage and Culture by Victor Hanson
• Defeat into Victory by William Slim
• Forgotten Warriors by Thomas Hammes
• A Peace to End All Peace by David Fromkin
• Seven Deadly Scenarios by Andrew Krepinevich

Colonel to General *
• Another Bloody Century by Colin Gray
• The Coldest Winter by David Halberstam
• The Crisis of Islam by Bernard Lewis
• Decoding Clausewitz by Jon Sumida
• Dereliction of Duty by H.R. McMaster
• Diplomacy by Henry Kissinger
• Fault Lines: How Hidden Fractures Still Threaten the World by Raghuram Rajan • How Wars End by Gideon Rose
• Tried by War by James McPherson
• Supreme Command: Soldiers, Statesmen, and Leadership in Wartime by Eliot A.
Cohen


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## Infanteer (22 Jul 2012)

Brihard said:
			
		

> Currently reading Francis Fukuyama: The Origins of Political Order.
> 
> It is to 'where do states come from?' what Guns, Germs and Steel is to 'where does civilization come from?' Excellent book, very readable.



Concur, I just finished up the first part on China.  Very fascinating.  I consider it must read for those wanting to learn about war and its relation to society.


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## brihard (22 Jul 2012)

Infanteer said:
			
		

> Concur, I just finished up the first part on China.  Very fascinating.  I consider it must read for those wanting to learn about war and its relation to society.



China was fascinating- I knew they had established a bureaucratic state early. I didn't realize how early.

Once you get through India, the Caliphate and the Ottomans and you can contrast them all it's even better; one of those 'more than the sum of its parts' things. Great book so far.


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## Cloud Cover (22 Jul 2012)

- _50 Shades_- my EA suggested I read this, wtf? I put it down after about a hundred pages, think I will also avoid her for a little while as well.  
- This morning I finished _Road of Bones _ [Fergal Keane]- a book about the battles in and near Kohima in 1944. Interesting in that it tells the story citing sources and interviews from 3 primary sources - Indian/British Army, V Force and of course the Japanese.  
- Last weekend I read _Those Who Save Us _ [Jenna Blum] on the way back from Beijing. I enjoyed it, parts of it made my blood run cold. Definitely a book of war time survival for German civilians. Not at all like _Kommandants Girl _ by Jenoff, but both are good books.
- I've started reading _Six Days of War _ by Michael Oren. So far, I like it. I would like to find a decent book on this war written by the "other side". 
- I've got Hastings work on Churchill, and Woodwards "_Obama's Wars_" to read through in the next few weeks as well. 

The way the way things are going at RIM, I may have lots of reading time in the near future anyway!


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## jeffb (23 Jul 2012)

Not so much a real book as a book I would like to see but I really want to see a book telling the Lord of the Rings story from the perspective of Mordor. After all, haven't they been repressed by the evil humans, dwarves and elves for centuries and forced to live in the Hamilton of Middle Earth? Can't an orc get some love too? All they really wanted was some good farm land...


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## FoverF (23 Jul 2012)

Curently reading Jerry Pournelle and S.M. Stirling's _The Prince_, a collection of previously published (and good) novels set in the late 21st century, chronicling the political and military actions of Falkenberg's Mercenary Legion. 

I'm a huge fan. I've actually started writing a mod for the _Steel Panthers_ series of games, which will be set in this universe. Mainly for my own enjoyment, but if anyone is interested I'd be glad to pass it along when it's done. 

The whole series is available free online from the publisher: 
http://baencd.thefifthimperium.com/06-WindRiderCD/WindRiderCD/The%20Prince/The_Prince.htm


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## Danjanou (23 Jul 2012)

ObedientiaZelum said:
			
		

> Friend sent this in an email. Thought I'd throw it up here for ideas.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Good list, I've read about 18 on there as far as I can tell. Two interesting points, one seveal books keep reappearing higher up on the list, and there are quite a few novels on there.


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## cupper (23 Jul 2012)

Danjanou said:
			
		

> Good list, I've read about 18 on there as far as I can tell. Two interesting points, one seveal books keep reappearing higher up on the list, and there are quite a few novels on there.



Well, you wouldn't want them reading "Fifty Shades" would you? ;D

I counted 11 that I've read over the years.


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## brihard (23 Jul 2012)

Danjanou said:
			
		

> Good list, I've read about 18 on there as far as I can tell. Two interesting points, one seveal books keep reappearing higher up on the list, and there are quite a few novels on there.



Ten for me. I'm not displeased by that at all.

Since Grossman has not written a book called 'On Command', I'm quite positive that it meant to say 'On Combat'. It fits, too.


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## Danjanou (23 Jul 2012)

Brihard said:
			
		

> Ten for me. I'm not displeased by that at all.
> 
> Since Grossman has not written a book called 'On Command', I'm quite positive that it meant to say 'On Combat'. It fits, too.



You know I automatically read that as On Combat. 

BTW what's wrong with 50 Shades of Grey, all the female members of the site were raving about it  :whiteflag:


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## PMedMoe (24 Jul 2012)

Danjanou said:
			
		

> BTW what's wrong with 50 Shades of Grey, all the female members of the site were raving about it



Some of us weren't....   :  I heard that The Sleeping Beauty trilogy by Anne Roquelaure (Anne Rice) is better....   

Edit to add:







 ;D


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## Delaney1986 (24 Jul 2012)

Just picked up the book about Russell Williams

A New Kind of Monster: The Secret Life and Chilling Crimes of Colonel Russell Williams
Author: Timothy Appleby

Have been wanting to read it for a while, should be interesting!


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## ttlbmg (24 Jul 2012)

I read that a little while back. I found it just okay. My latest pick is "The Warlord's Son."


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## Kat Stevens (12 Aug 2012)

The Wind Through The Keyhole- Stephen King... Nice to see my old friend Roland again after all these years.


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## dangerboy (12 Aug 2012)

Currently reading "The Last Kingdom" book one in the Saxon Stories by Bernard Cornwell and "Duel in the Mist 2 - The Leibstandarte during the Ardennes offensive".


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## FJAG (14 Aug 2012)

Have seen a few recommendations for Heinlein's Starship Troopers which I endorse. 

If you liked it you'll also like John Scalzi's 'Old Man's War'. It even has a few sequels.

On a different theme, if you like novels about ancient Rome, Colleen McCoulough's Masters of Rome Series including 'The First Man in Rome', 'The Grass Crown' and five others. Richly detailed and meticulously researched.


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## Maxadia (15 Aug 2012)

FJAG said:
			
		

> Have seen a few recommendations for Heinlein's Starship Troopers which I endorse.



I don't know who here actually wrote the recommendation that I first read, but thank you.  Until a few weeks ago, I had no idea there was a book, and after seeing the movie, I never would have gone looking for the novel.  

One of the best things I have read in a long while.


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## jeffb (15 Aug 2012)

RDJP said:
			
		

> I don't know who here actually wrote the recommendation that I first read, but thank you.  Until a few weeks ago, I had no idea there was a book, and after seeing the movie, I never would have gone looking for the novel.
> 
> One of the best things I have read in a long while.



I always get the shakes before a drop...


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## Kirkhill (17 Aug 2012)

Quiet - The Power of Introverts by Susan Cain.

http://www.thepowerofintroverts.com/
Ditch the meetings.  Ditch the brainstorming. Ditch the multi-tasking.  Ditch the power point presentations. Ditch group work generally and open plan offices (command posts) in particular.

One man. One job. .... And concentrate.


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## 2ndChoiceName (17 Aug 2012)

Reading "The Second Saladin" by Stephen Hunter (Point of Impact, the book that the movie Shooter was based off of), but I'm having trouble getting into it because it doesn't have Bob Lee or Earl Swagger .


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## aesop081 (17 Aug 2012)

Just starting "Surrender invites death: Fighting the Waffen SS in Normandy" by John A. English.


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## Gunner98 (18 Aug 2012)

Searching for Bobby Orr by Stephen Brunt, next in line on my bookshelf is Facing Ali by the same author.


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## winnipegoo7 (18 Aug 2012)

The Junior Officer's Reading Club - $4.99 at chapters. Good so far.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Junior-Officers-Reading-Club-Fighting/dp/1846141869


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## observor 69 (8 Sep 2012)

Valley of the Templars by Paul Christopher

Lots of military action, Embraer EMB 314 Super Tucano, some Canada connections.
Great casual read.


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## Colin Parkinson (13 Sep 2012)

Just bought "Tigers in the Mud" by an ex-Tiger tank commander, haven't started it yet.


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## Halifax Tar (13 Sep 2012)

"The Thunder and the Sunshine" by Rear Admiral Jeffry Brock, DSO, DSC, CD, RCN (Ret) 

Very interesting read.  Anyone interested in the unification of the forces should read this!


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## Danjanou (13 Sep 2012)

Just started reading Panzer Commander the autobiography of Hans Von Luck, based on the third I've read so far I'd recommed it highly.

http://www.amazon.ca/Panzer-Commander-Memoirs-Colonel-Hans/dp/0440208025


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## Fishbone Jones (13 Sep 2012)

After a number of false starts throughout the years, I finally buckeld down and read Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged.

Glad that one's out of the way. Now I've just started The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.


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## Halifax Tar (13 Sep 2012)

Danjanou said:
			
		

> Just started reading Panzer Commander the autobiography of Hans Von Luck, based on the third I've read so far I'd recommed it highly.
> 
> http://www.amazon.ca/Panzer-Commander-Memoirs-Colonel-Hans/dp/0440208025



This is a great read.  Enjoy!


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## Eye In The Sky (13 Sep 2012)

_Debt of Honor_ with _Executive Orders _ to follow.  

Workin' my way thru the T.C. stuff thats been collecting dust the last few years.


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## cupper (13 Sep 2012)

What I found interesting with Debt of Honour is that Clancy was somewhat prescient with the idea of a terrorist strike by flying an airliner into the Capitol.


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## Eye In The Sky (13 Sep 2012)

I....am only on page 564!   :blotto:


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## Sythen (13 Sep 2012)

recceguy said:
			
		

> After a number of false starts throughout the years, I finally buckeld down and read Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged.



How is it? Like for casual reading type of thing. I bought the movie, but want to read the book first. Is it actually a good read?


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## Allgunzblazing (13 Sep 2012)

I finished reading "To War with Wellington" by Peter Snow a few days ago. I'm currently halfway through "Voices from Stalingrad" by Jonathan Bastable. Both these are very well written. Johanthan Bastable has written his book in the form of a collage - of dairy entries/ letters home/ memos from soldiers, war correspondents, junior officers, generals, etc. 

On a sidenote - is there any one here who reads Commando Comics? http://www.amazon.ca/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=commando+comics+&sprefix=commando+%2Caps%2C216&x=0&y=0

http://www.commandocomics.com/


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## Journeyman (14 Sep 2012)

Sythen said:
			
		

> How is it? Like for casual reading type of thing. I bought the movie, but want to read the book first. Is it actually a good read?


If you've never read Ayn Rand, or looked into her philosophy, _The Fountainhead _ is probably a better starting point -- and not just because it's much shorter. _Atlas Shrugged_ tells a better story, and develops her views much better, but for a good, casual read it may not be the best starting point.

Thucydides may weigh in with a more nuanced view.   ;D


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## Fishbone Jones (14 Sep 2012)

JM is right. This is not a novella for the faint of heart. It is long and drawn out. If the participants have a twenty minute conversation, you'll be treated to that whole twenty minutes of reading, word for word. There is no shortcuts here. Having said that, I found that when the conversation got long, skimming it provided the nuance it was meant to convey, without the wasted time of catching every participle of Dangy's (or other's) conversation.

Something like the way most of us guys hear what women have to say ;D

In fairness, once you have a hang of the dialogue, you'll find yourself skimming a lot of the casual conversation. However, it seems to be written where you know by instinct when you have to start reading word for word and paying attention to the text.

I can't say what society was like when the book was written, but it surely seems to be extremely relevent to today's society. Especially with the social engineering attempted by government(s) as opposed to the capitalist system of working for your worth.

Just my take on it though.

It took me, probably 20 years to tackle this book, once and for all. As a voracious reader, it fit and I liked it. It was thought provoking and topical (still).

I wasn't aware of _The Fountainhead_ until I got very in depth with Atlas Shrugged. I might now have to stop the book I've started and read _The Fountainhead_ instead.


----------



## leroi (14 Sep 2012)

Does anyone have any suggestions for reading about the history or politics of Saudi Arabia?

I teach females there and have read "Girls of Riyadh" and Jean Sasson's Princess Trilogy.

Thanks.


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## Allgunzblazing (14 Sep 2012)

leroi: 

I highly recommend "Seven Pillars of Wisdom" by Lt. Col. T.E. Lawrence. 

You could also show them the movie "Lawrence of Arabia".


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## leroi (14 Sep 2012)

Thanks AGB. The reading request is for myself.  I will look for that book. 

We're very limited in what we can teach or show our students--no films, no music, no art, no phys. ed.

A very complicated country where everybody/everything seems to operate on two levels.


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## dapaterson (14 Sep 2012)

cupper said:
			
		

> What I found interesting with Debt of Honour is that Clancy was somewhat prescient with the idea of a terrorist strike by flying an airliner into the Capitol.



Read up on Samuel Byck http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Byck - it's not a new idea.


Then listen to the musical Assassins - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assassins_(musical).


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## cupper (14 Sep 2012)

dapaterson said:
			
		

> Read up on Samuel Byck http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Byck - it's not a new idea.
> 
> 
> Then listen to the musical Assassins - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assassins_(musical).



I am aware of those as well. 

I just found it annoying that after 9/11 the pundits kept saying "Who could have imagined someone would try and fly an airliner into the World Trade Center?"


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## Char1991 (14 Sep 2012)

Currently reading two books.

Working my way through This Is Gonna Hurt, Music, Photography, and Life through the Distorted Lens by Nikki Sixx for fun.

And Shake Hands with the Devil: The Failure of Humanity in Rwanda by Lt-Gen (R) Romeo Dallaire, as it's been a while and I absolutely love the book.


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## a_majoor (14 Sep 2012)

Sythen said:
			
		

> How is it? Like for casual reading type of thing. I bought the movie, but want to read the book first. Is it actually a good read?



In terms of literary merit, the style is the sort of potboiler favoured in the 1940's coupled with some pretty massive expositions (if that isn't a word, it should be for this case). Rand was disappointed that her philosophical ideas expressed in previous books like "We the Living" and "The Fountainhead" were misunderstood, so used the novel "Atlas Shrugged" to send these ideas ramped up to "11". Looking at various forums discussing the book, it would seem that even using 30 page speeches embedded in a novel over 100 pages long failed to achieve Rand's aim.

The book does reward the determined reader who is willing to take the time to read the entire thing and reflect on what is being said, but I would suggest reading Rand's earlier works in terms of literary merit and brevity as a place to start your literary explorations.

WRT the movie, I havn't seen it yet, (it is projected to be filmed as a trilogy and Atlas Shrugged Part 2 is soon to be released), so it would be interesting to see your thoughts on the movie.


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## AmmoTech90 (15 Sep 2012)

I recently finished The Fountainhead.  Very nicely written (with the exception of an overuse of "bromide").  I did, however, want to punch everyone of the characters in the throat (except Mike) for being a whiney little bastard.


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## jollyjacktar (27 Sep 2012)

I plan to read this one, saw a review in Macleans magazine.  Halifax Public Libraries have ordered it.

*Soldaten: On Fighting, Killing, and Dying*:  Amazon books CDN$ 22.05 

On a visit to the British National Archive in 2001, Sonke Neitzel made a remarkable discovery: reams of meticulously transcribed conversations among German POWs that had been covertly recorded and recently declassified. Netizel would later find another collection of transcriptions, twice as extensive, in the National Archive in Washington. These were discoveries that would provide a unique and profoundly important window into the true mentality of the soldiers in the Wehrmacht, the Luftwaffe, the German navy, and the military in general -- almost all of whom had insisted on their own honourable behaviour during the war. 
    
Collaborating with renowned social psychologist Harald Welzer, Neitzel examines these conversations -- and the casual, pitiless brutality omnipresent in them -- from a historical and psychological perspective, and in reconstucting the frameworks and situations behind these conversations, they have created a powerful narrative of wartime experience.

About the Author
SOENKE NEITZEL is currently the Chair of Modern History at the University of Glasgow. He has previously taught Modern History at the University of Mainz and has also held posts at the universities of Karlsruhe, Bern, and Saarbrucken. He is currently the editor of the jounral German History in the 20th Century. 

HARALD WELZER is head of the research group Interdisciplinary Memory Research at the KWI Essen. He teaches social psychology at the universities of Hanover and Witten-Herdecke.


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## FJAG (27 Sep 2012)

recceguy said:
			
		

> ... If the participants have a twenty minute conversation, you'll be treated to that whole twenty minutes of reading, word for word. There is no shortcuts here. Having said that, I found that when the conversation got long, skimming it provided the nuance it was meant to convey, without the wasted time of catching every participle of Dangy's (or other's) conversation....



Haven't read Rand but thought I would considering there are candidates for high office in the States that seem to think she walked on water. The above comments clearly have me believing that whatever message there might be is hidden in tedious prose that will have me throwing the book across the room. I'm a firm believer in the axiom that axiom that 'brevity is the soul of wit'. Rand sounds like a fail.

That said am doing some research and am reading again Sean Naylor's 'Not a Good Day to Die' about Operation Anaconda, the US's first conventional battle in Afghanistan in 2002. Well written and very informative. Unfortunately it makes short shrift of any Task Force K-Bar activity and events after the incident on Takur Ghar (Robert's Ridge).


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## Colin Parkinson (10 Oct 2012)

Finished Tigers in the Mud. Interesting comments from the book, the PZ35T armour would shatter when hit by a large projectile. They preferred more ductile armour.The Tiger 1 was easy to drive and seemed well liked by it’s crews, the early commanders hatch was not well liked. Anti-rifles were a real pain even to the Tigers. He always traveled in pairs so the tanks could recover each other. Later he commanded Jagd tigers, almost all were lost due to inexperienced drivers breaking the final drives and no way to recover them. The JT gun was impressive. The author noted that Russian infantry must never be given a chance to dig in and was always impressed by their ability to fortify areas which even German engineers could not. He considered the Russians as far better combat soldiers than the Americans.


----------



## Danjanou (10 Oct 2012)

Just finished 


Brocks Railway
http://www.amazon.ca/Brocks-Railroad-Tom-Taylor/dp/098689611X/ref=pd_bxgy_b_text_b
A Historical Novel set against the Battle of Queenstown Heights

It's the sequel to Brock's Agent, which I picked up and read earlier

http://www.amazon.ca/Brocks-Agent-Tom-Taylor/dp/0986896101
Which is centred on the Battle of Detroit

It appears to be a series set in the Wart of 1812, with the main character a sort of young Canadian Richard Sharpe. Not too bad, no major historical inaccuracies that I could see and not a bad way to pass an afternoon.


----------



## FJAG (18 Oct 2012)

Not so much reading as just finished writing.

I have just posted a Novella to Smashwords titled Allies: Anaconda which you can download for free.  

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/246140

The story is a prequel to Allies: the Inquiry and has several of the main characters from that book engaged in the factual events of Operation ANACONDA: America’s first conventional battle against al-Qaeda and the Taliban in the Shah-i-Kot valley of Afghanistan in 2002. The theme of the series in allies and as such characters in this book include ones from American, Canadian, Australian, New Zealand and German forces.

The book will also be posted on Amazon Kindle but because of pricing policies there it is set at their minimum price of $0.99. The Smashwords site offers both ePub and pdf formats so should do for most people.


----------



## X Royal (19 Oct 2012)

Just finished: *The Outlaws* by W.E.D. Griffin.

Just started: *The Kingdom* by Clive Cussler.


----------



## MikeL (19 Oct 2012)

Into the Fire: A Firsthand Account of the Most Extraordinary Battle in the Afghan War
Authors Dakota Meyer/Bing West


----------



## Old Sweat (5 Nov 2012)

_The Far Reaches of Empire: War in Nova Scotia, 1710-1760_ by John Grenier.

I know I should get a life, but I know almost squat about the subject other than the little I remember from history in public school.


----------



## fraserdw (5 Nov 2012)

Old Sweat said:
			
		

> _The Far Reaches of Empire: War in Nova Scotia, 1710-1760_ by John Grenier.
> 
> I know I should get a life, but I know almost squat about the subject other than the little I remember from history in public school.



That sounds interesting, there is short book by LCol Hand on the French Fort Beausjour that would make a good follow up to that book.  I recommend it.


----------



## Old Sweat (5 Nov 2012)

fraserdw said:
			
		

> That sounds interesting, there is short book by LCol Hand on the French Fort Beausjour that would make a good follow up to that book.  I recommend it.



I have a copy, thanks.


----------



## dangerboy (6 Nov 2012)

Just received in the mail "Tragedy at Dieppe" by Mark Zuehlke, it has been added to my reading pile.  Currently reading "Armageddon: The Battle for Germany 1944-1945" by Max Hastings.  Much like all the books I have read by this author I am enjoying the book and recommend it to everyone.


----------



## Dissident (7 Nov 2012)

dangerboy said:
			
		

> Just received in the mail "Tragedy at Dieppe" by Mark Zuehlke, it has been added to my reading pile.



Same here.


----------



## Pat in Halifax (7 Nov 2012)

NinerSix said:
			
		

> Same here.


Same here again. I am `supposed`to do a review for Trident. His books are like Frederick Forsythe`s in that they are VERY detailed and in the weeds (in a good way) only Mark Zuehke`s are NOT fiction.
Have the collection in front of me:
Liri Valley
Ortona
On to Victory
Holding JUNO
Operation HUSKY
Terrible Victory, and
JUNO Beach


----------



## Dissident (7 Nov 2012)

Pat in Halifax said:
			
		

> Same here again. I am `supposed`to do a review for Trident. His books are like Frederick Forsythe`s in that they are VERY detailed and in the weeds (in a good way) only Mark Zuehke`s are NOT fiction.
> Have the collection in front of me:
> Liri Valley
> Ortona
> ...



Yeah, the wife works for the head office of our reginal libraries. She said if I like this one that hes got plenty more available. Looks like I have some reading to do...


----------



## FJAG (10 Nov 2012)

For anyone interested in Special Operations, the book _Killer Elite_ by Michael Smith is a good read. It was first published in 2006 and had an update re the bin Laden take out in 2011.

It covers the history of the Intelligence Support Activity, an organization responsible for battle space preparation for units such as Delta and DevGRU. These folks go in ahead and establish intelligence networks and do telephone etc intercepts prior to the deployment of Tier 1 operations.

The book is generally well written and provides some excellent insight into the battles that special operations units had with conventional force military leadership until the early 2000's. It also provides a much better understanding of how special ops missions work.


----------



## Shrek1985 (10 Nov 2012)

Reading Kratman's Countdown: M-Day.

Great book, highly recommended. Had me cackling manically less than 2-dozen pages in.


----------



## JorgSlice (11 Nov 2012)

Reading _The Instigator: How Gary Bettman Remade the League and Change the Game Forever_ by Jonathon Gatehouse.

It's pretty great read, very interesting to see it from the Commissioner's point of view and just how dismal of a state the NHL was in before he was basically handed the job to fix all its problems.


----------



## TangoTwoBravo (11 Nov 2012)

Just finished The Black Company  by Glen Cook. First book in a while I enjoyed reading.


----------



## Journeyman (11 Nov 2012)

PrairieThunder said:
			
		

> Reading _The Instigator: How Gary Bettman Remade the League and Change the Game Forever_ by Jonathon Gatehouse.
> 
> It's pretty great read, very interesting to see it from the Commissioner's point of view and just how dismal of a state the NHL was in before he was basically handed the job to fix all its problems.


Yep, the NHL is awesome now.   :nod:


----------



## Kat Stevens (11 Nov 2012)

Most enjoyable hockey season I've seen in years  :rofl:


----------



## Danjanou (11 Nov 2012)

Kat Stevens said:
			
		

> Most enjoyable hockey season I've seen in years  :rofl:



Yeah I was just thinking almost midway through November and my Leafs are undefeated. ;D


----------



## jollyjacktar (12 Nov 2012)

Just finished "Double Cross  The true story of the D-Day Spies" by Ben Macintyre.  This was a very interesting read to say the least.  I was aware of some of it such parts of Operation Fortitude and the phantom army led by Patton in Kent.  Overlord's ultimate success can be to a great extent laid at the feet of these men and women from both sides of the conflict.  Well worth the effort.

http://www.amazon.ca/Double-Cross-Story-D-Day-Spies/dp/0307888754/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1352727557&sr=1-1


----------



## Devo3733 (12 Nov 2012)

I just started 

"A Soldier First"
autobiography by General Rick Hillier, retired Chief of Defence Staff


----------



## Fishbone Jones (12 Nov 2012)

Journeyman said:
			
		

> Yep, the NHL is awesome now.   :nod:





			
				Kat Stevens said:
			
		

> Most enjoyable hockey season I've seen in years  :rofl:





			
				Danjanou said:
			
		

> Yeah I was just thinking almost midway through November and my Leafs are undefeated. ;D



So, I guess I'm not the only one enjoying the hiatus of hockey. :nod:


----------



## jollyjacktar (12 Nov 2012)

recceguy said:
			
		

> So, I guess I'm not the only one enjoying the hiatus of hockey. :nod:


No, you're not.  I'm hoping it'll last all winter long.


----------



## winnipegoo7 (12 Nov 2012)

War in Afghanistan: Eight Battles in the South


http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/War-Afghanistan-Eight-Battles-South-Sean-Michael-Maloney/9781894673495-item.html?cookieCheck=1


----------



## Timberwolf (12 Nov 2012)

Just started - Seal Team Six by Howard E. Wasdin

Last 3 I read were - Lone Survivor, American Sniper, and No Easy Day

 :nod:


----------



## 2ndChoiceName (13 Nov 2012)

Just finished "The Deserter's Tale", by Joshua Key.


----------



## dangerboy (30 Dec 2012)

I am reading Jules Vernes classic book, "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea".  Every time I read it I can not believe it was written in 1870 before submarines were real popular.


----------



## Shinobi (30 Dec 2012)

Chosen Soldier: The Making of a Special Forces Warrior by Dick Couch. Very well written and hard to put down; I'm about 1/3 done.


----------



## ModlrMike (30 Dec 2012)

The Eagles Brood - Book III of the Camulod Chronicles by Jack Whyte


----------



## Eye In The Sky (30 Dec 2012)

Trying a new author out for a bit; Dean Koontz.  Just finished _What the Night Knows _ and am a few chapters into _77 Shadow Street_.


----------



## Kat Stevens (30 Dec 2012)

Eye In The Sky said:
			
		

> Trying a new author out for a bit; Dean Koontz.  Just finished _What the Night Knows _ and am a few chapters into _77 Shadow Street_.



Koontz isn't bad for a fun read, but I find him to be a Stephen King Lite.  Doesn't go in depth with his characters like King, but still a decent light read.


----------



## Eye In The Sky (30 Dec 2012)

Its decent stuff to flip thru after I hop in the fartsack.  King is better though, I have _The Stand _ to go at next.


----------



## dangerboy (30 Dec 2012)

ModlrMike said:
			
		

> The Eagles Brood - Book III of the Camulod Chronicles by Jack Whyte



I just picked up "The Forest Laird" book one of the Guardians Trilogy, which is next on the reading list.


----------



## GnyHwy (30 Dec 2012)

"A Briefer History in Time" by Stephen Hawking and Leonard Mlodinow.

Not as difficult to read as I thought it would be, but I'm only half way through and haven't got to quantum mechanics or string theory yet.  Hawking writes really well, so that us common folk can actually understand him (sort of anyway).  It is a very short book of only about 120 pages, but a lot of pages need to be read a couple times to wrap your head around it.

Recommended for any science enthusiast.  If you like watching geeky science documentaries about physics or the universe, you will like this book.


----------



## the 48th regulator (30 Dec 2012)

dangerboy said:
			
		

> I just picked up "The Forest Laird" book one of the Guardians Trilogy, which is next on the reading list.



You found it?   Where brother?

dileas

tess


----------



## Tmcgee777 (31 Dec 2012)

Just finished reading "Wearing the Green Beret by Jake olafsen" and am now reading " against all enemies by Tom Clancy


----------



## FJAG (31 Dec 2012)

Just doing a flurry of research and have completed the following:

_Where Men Win Glory_ by John Krakauer - written in 2010 this book deals with the life and death of Pat Tillman, the pro footballer who joined the 75th Ranger Regt after 9/11 and was killed in a friendly fire incident in Apr 2004 in Afghanistan. A good read and interesting study of a complex character. Bit heavy handed when dealing with the so-called "press machinery" created by the White House to spin "hero" actions. On the other hand it was a bit superficial in dealing with the problems that arose in the various investigations into the incident. The account of the incident itself is very well done but a bit more of a follow up on the various shooters would have been valuable.

_Kandahar Tour_ by Lee Windsor et al. - written in 2008 it deals with some background of Canada's involvement in Afghanistan and the build up and deployment of 2 RCR BG of TF 1-07. Fairly good overview of the ops and written with a pro military attitude.

_FOB DOC_ by Ray Wiss written in 2009 and is essentially a journal of his three month tour with TF 3-07. While originally deployed with the Role 3 MMU he spent most of his tour as an on-site doctor at FOBs so offers some insight into the functioning of those bases. 

_Canada in Afghanistan: the war so far_ by Peter Pigott written in 2007. A very good analysis of what Afghanistan is all about, why Canada is there and what we have accomplished to date. Unfortunately it ends in 2007 and I would dearly love to see an update. On the down side its a little superficial when dealing with actual operations - few details here.

_My Life With The Taliban_ by Abdul Salam Zaeff written in 2010. Absolute rubbish. I was looking for some insight into the motivation of the Taliban and how they see the world. What I got was a rambling discourse about what a happy life one has as a religious warrior amongst some of the finest, most ethical and devout comrades a man could have - that is right up until you are captured by the Americans when degradation comes your way daily. Every page is name dropping virtually every one of the _mujahideen/taliban_ and in this respect there is a little value in tracing who's who in their hierarchy. All-in-all very disappointing if what you are looking for detailed information about why the Taliban did what they did and do what they do. The best you'll get is that everyone in Afghanistan is corrupt and only the Taliban are devout enough to bring order and morals to the people (all of who incidentally love the Taliban dearly). I was expecting much more from someone who was with the Taliban from the beginning and ended up being their ambassador to Pakistan.


----------



## Journeyman (31 Dec 2012)

FJAG said:
			
		

> Just doing a flurry of research and have completed the following:


Which begs the question (with the possibility of some recommended works), what topic/thesis are you researching?


Given that "research" implies focused reading as opposed to entertainment escaping from 'family' over the holidays.


----------



## Old Sweat (31 Dec 2012)

My wife gave me a used copy of _The Orangeman: The Life & Times of Ogle Gowan_ for Christmas. The book, which was published in 1986, is a fictionalized biography on one of the men who made 19th Century Ontario. Gowan was a not very nice guy who was the illegitimate son of a prominent Protestant landowner in County Wexford. Among other things he had a shotgun wedding with his step niece, forged a deed to the estate in an effort to get around his father's will which left it to the legitimate side of his family and toadied, backstabbed and abandoned various Orange personalities with the best of them. I have just finished part one, which deals with his life in Ireland and ends with him disgraced in the eyes of the Orange societies and about to move to the Brockville area in 1829.

While I have not got into his life in Canada, I know he founded the Orange Lodge, was a crony of Sir John A Macdonald, was wounded twice at the Battle of the Windmill in 1838, became a staunch enemy of George Brown of the Globe and in later life was tried (and acquitted) for having sex with two 12-year old girls. He was not a very nice guy, at best. What most of us have forgotten, or never knew, was that in the decades before Confederation the mostly Protestant Irish were the dominant people in what became Ontario with more than a third of the population claiming Irish birth or descent. Gowan and the Orange Lodge played a major part in shaping Ontario and among his descendants were both a Premier of the province and one of the women who instigated the Persons case.


----------



## cupper (31 Dec 2012)

FJAG if your research is specific to Af'stan and the Canadian Experience, I started a thread asking for suggestions on books on  that topic. 

Check it out here:

http://forums.army.ca/forums/threads/102888.0.html


----------



## the 48th regulator (1 Jan 2013)

Dangerboy gave me electronic copies of all of my favourite writer's books, Jack Whyte!!  

Dude you rock, so guess what I will be reading for the next while?  ;D

dileas

tess


----------



## FJAG (1 Jan 2013)

cupper said:
			
		

> FJAG if your research is specific to Af'stan and the Canadian Experience, I started a thread asking for suggestions on books on  that topic.
> 
> Check it out here:
> 
> http://forums.army.ca/forums/threads/102888.0.html



Thanks for that. 

My library has a very good website search engine and lending program. Many of the recommendations are on that site and I've been working my way through the list. Your thread will let me add a few more that they don't have but seem fairly happy to order in even when they can't get a loan from another region


----------



## FJAG (1 Jan 2013)

Journeyman said:
			
		

> Which begs the question (with the possibility of some recommended works), what topic/thesis are you researching?
> 
> 
> Given that "research" implies focused reading as opposed to entertainment escaping from 'family' over the holidays.



I'm working on my third book which is a work of fiction set in Afghanistan (as well as several other locales) in the time frame Sep to Dec 2005. My Cdn based research concerns the stand up of the KPRT, the wind down of Camp Julien and the subsequent arrival of the PPCLI battle group.

Family has all gone back home, the TV is currently atrocious and its too cold for a walk on the beach.

By the way does anyone have any idea if Camp Nathan Smith had any other name before the Canadians gave it that name and further what American unit constituted the KPRT just before we came? I know Task Force Bayonet had overall command of RC-S but I've spent way to many unsuccessful hours trying to find out those two facts.

 :cheers:


----------



## overthefence (1 Jan 2013)

SHOCK DOCTRINE The Rise of Disaster Capitalism by Naomi Klein which I found out to be an appeal to emotion rather than reason. I prefer reading and re-reading Ann Coulter's books which puts me in touch with reality. ;D


----------



## ArmyRick (1 Jan 2013)

Winter of the World by Ken Follet sequel to The Fall of Giants. So far excellent!


----------



## Retired AF Guy (1 Jan 2013)

Reading part of  Guy Liddel's  diary that deals with the time frame from 19 Nov 1945 to 25 Sep 1946.  During the war years Guy Liddel was the head of Section B of MI-5 which was responsible for counter-espionageand kept a day-to-day diary of time with MI-5. Quite interesting reading about the day-to-day dealings of MI-5 after the war had ended. Also, of interest is that this was after the defection of Igor Gouzenko  (aka "Corby") who is mentioned time-to-time by Liddel and Canada's reaction to his defection. Liddel actually met with Gouzenko early in 1946 while Liddel was on a visit to the U.S. and Canada and gives his impression of Gouzenko. 

Note that this is Liddel's actual war diary, downloaded from the U.K. National Archives, Kew, not the edited version that was published by Nigel West a few years ago.


----------



## Messorius (7 Jan 2013)

I've started 'Aftermath: The Remnants of War - From Landmines to Chemical Warfare--The Devastating Effects of Modern Combat ' by Donovan Webster. 

The first chapter is with the French Département du Déminage and the amount of ordinance they recover is just staggering; 900 tons destroyed annually.  I picked it up because it was recommended in a footnote in 'A Line in the Sand' by Ray Wiss, which I just finished.


----------



## Pandora114 (7 Jan 2013)

George RR Martin "A Clash of Kings"


----------



## The Bread Guy (7 Jan 2013)

For better or worse, just about to start "No Easy Day" about the OBL raid.


----------



## cupper (7 Jan 2013)

Messorius said:
			
		

> I've started 'Aftermath: The Remnants of War - From Landmines to Chemical Warfare--The Devastating Effects of Modern Combat ' by Donovan Webster.
> 
> The first chapter is with the French Département du Déminage and the amount of ordinance they recover is just staggering; 900 tons destroyed annually.  I picked it up because it was recommended in a footnote in 'A Line in the Sand' by Ray Wiss, which I just finished.



Definitely an excellent read. I bought it many moons ago, and read it several times and recommend it highly.


----------



## jollyjacktar (7 Jan 2013)

A Christmas present, World War Z.  Loving it so far, but fear it will be better than the movie when it comes out.


----------



## Bass ackwards (7 Jan 2013)

World War Z is an excellent read. From what I've seen/heard about the movie, the only thing they share in common is the title.

I just started reading _Tales of the North Atlantic_ by Hal Lawrence. An older book but one I've never read before.


----------



## PPCLI Guy (7 Jan 2013)

Alexander the Great by Phillip Freeman.

Very well done so far.


----------



## Dissident (8 Jan 2013)

Major Farran's hat.

I only had the vaguest idea of how Israel was formed. Jeeezzus.


----------



## Sythen (8 Jan 2013)

jollyjacktar said:
			
		

> A Christmas present, World War Z.  Loving it so far, but fear it will be better than the movie when it comes out.



I loved the entire book, except the battle at Yonkers (I think it was called?). Anyways, just seemed so far fetched and I kept thinking, 'There isn't a single crew, platoon or company commander there who says hey! Why don't we just run over them with all these tanks we have?'


----------



## ArmyGuy99 (8 Jan 2013)

Frank Herbert's Dune, a nice classic.  I have the series on my tablet.


----------



## FJAG (10 Jan 2013)

BadgerTrapper said:
			
		

> Just read "The Patrol" by Ryan Flavelle, amazing book. Great insight into the Afghan conflict and great readings for a guy like me that's getting ready for his interview next wednesday. I'm now reading "Fifteen Days" which is good in itself, a large amount of variation to the various viewpoints and everything. Anyone recommend some good reading for a Med Tech hopeful?



 :nod:

Reserve Rad Op working as a signaller for Coy Comd B Coy 2 PPCLI. Provides a view both from the point of view of an outsider looking in and from that of someone who was part of the team. Very interesting study by the author of himself as well as his comrades and very well written.

I sense that not everything was that great within the coy on the deployment but that may just have been the author's viewpoint. I'd be interested in comments about the book by someone who was there at the time.


----------



## krustyrl (10 Jan 2013)

Destined to Survive, A Dieppe Veterans Story.

Written by my Great Uncle (Royal Regiment of Canada) who had attempted numerous escapes with other Allied Forces.  Can't seem to put this book down.!


----------



## BeyondTheNow (10 Jan 2013)

"11/22/63" - Stephen King.

Even if you're not a Stephen King fan, SOOOOOO good. (If you don't recognize the date, you'll have too look it up... )


"...It all adds up to one of the best time-travel stories since H. G. Wells. King has captured something wonderful. Could it be the bottomlessness of reality? The closer you get to history, the more mysterious it becomes. He has written a deeply romantic and pessimistic book. It’s romantic about the real possibility of love, and pessimistic about everything else..." 

(http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/13/books/review/11-22-63-by-stephen-king-book-review.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0)


----------



## eurowing (10 Jan 2013)

Satori, by Don Winslow. Fills in some of the blanks of the character Nicholai Hel in Trevanian's Shibumi. A good read, not excellent.

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/books/la-et-book-20110427,0,6553722.story


----------



## PMedMoe (11 Jan 2013)

Shuck10 said:
			
		

> "11/22/63" - Stephen King.
> 
> Even if you're not a Stephen King fan, SOOOOOO good.



I enjoyed it.  Completely different from most of his other books.


----------



## BeyondTheNow (11 Jan 2013)

PMedMoe said:
			
		

> I enjoyed it.  Completely different from most of his other books.



Yes, I like several of his books that tend to veer away from the style he's known for. A lot of his _novellas_ are really enjoyable also. My favorite is _Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption_. (Coincidentally, Shawshank Redemption is one of my favorite movies also. If you've seen the movie, check out the book or vice versa.)


----------



## Jarnhamar (11 Jan 2013)

Fire Born- Nick Kyme & Ravenwing -Gav Thorpe.

Forever war and Starship troopers are next


----------



## OldSolduer (12 Jan 2013)

No Easy Day - Mark Owen

Not a bad read.


----------



## 2 Cdo (12 Jan 2013)

The Authouritive Calvin and Hobbs.  I still can't stop laughing. :rofl:


----------



## eurowing (12 Jan 2013)

Hot Night In The City by Trevanian. Collection of short stories. I like it very much.


----------



## Colin Parkinson (28 Jan 2013)

1948, the first Arab – Israeli war, by Benny Morris. An interesting read on the political and military preparations to the partition and the battles that followed. It would seem that Nasser experience as a Officer in the Egyptian debacle was key to his plotting to overthrow the regime that he felt responsible for it.


----------



## Shrek1985 (28 Jan 2013)

Tiger by the Tail by John Ringo, the next installment in his excellent Palladin of the Shadows series. Sex, violence and comedy, what more could one ask for and the development of the characters over time is very pleasing...oh and bad people get what is coming to them.


----------



## 6V666 (28 Jan 2013)

My Share of the Task , General Stanley McChrystal


----------



## Sadukar09 (28 Jan 2013)

Brihard said:
			
		

> Just finished Starship Troopers... Again.... Now reading Red Storm Rising... Again...


Must be my sixth time reading this book now.

Just starting on the The Bear and the Dragon again as well.


----------



## cupper (28 Jan 2013)

Currently reading Gerald Seymour's "A Deniable Death", about two covert observers seconded to the SIS to infiltrate the security zone just across the Iranian border with Iraq to gather intel on travel plans of "The Engineer", an Iranian who designs and builds IED's for use by Iranian assets against the US and Allies in Iraq. Typically Seymour, a good read with well developed characters and conflicts, but a bit of a slog to get through.

I just recently picked up "God's Jury - The Inquisition and the Making of the Modern World" by Cullen Murphy, about the three main Inquisition Periods and how they effected history right up to today. Heard an interview with Murphy on NPR's Fresh Air and it piqued my interest.

Also picked up Mark Bowden's "The Finish- The Killing of Osama Bin Laden".


----------



## BeyondTheNow (1 Feb 2013)

The _Night/Dawn/Day_ trilogy by Elie Wiesel, newest translation by Marion Wiesel.

I've had them for a while and attempted to read _Night_ a long time ago. I had to put it down though.  They're short (the longest being 120 pages), but definitely not a light read.


----------



## PMedMoe (27 Mar 2013)

After wading through some "fluff", including a reread of Stephen King's _Duma Key_ and giving up on Hastings' _All Hell Let Loose_ ("focuses chiefly upon human experience" my ass....  :), I just started _The Ghosts of Medak Pocket_ by Carol Off.


----------



## dimsum (27 Mar 2013)

"The Places In Between" by Rory Stewart.  This guy walked from Herat to Kabul in 2005-ish, and the book goes into a bit of detail about Babur (the Mughal King) since he basically retraced his steps.  

I got handed this on deployment and waited 'til I got back, now I can't put it down.  Very interesting view of the "other" Afghanistan that most media don't touch upon.


----------



## PMedMoe (27 Mar 2013)

Dimsum said:
			
		

> "The Places In Between" by Rory Stewart.  This guy walked from Herat to Kabul in 2005-ish, and the book goes into a bit of detail about Babur (the Mughal King) since he basically retraced his steps.
> 
> I got handed this on deployment and waited 'til I got back, now I can't put it down.  Very interesting view of the "other" Afghanistan that most media don't touch upon.



If you like that one, you might like The Sewing Circles of Herat by Christina Lamb.


----------



## dimsum (27 Mar 2013)

PMedMoe said:
			
		

> If you like that one, you might like The Sewing Circles of Herat by Christina Lamb.



Thanks, will try to find it.


----------



## krimynal (27 Mar 2013)

currently reading "talibans don't wave" from robert semrau ..... as far as i'm concerned , it's a really nice book that gives you a nice idea of his time beeing there !


----------



## Retired AF Guy (27 Mar 2013)

Re-reading the last 150 pages of "_Towers of Midnight_" by *Robert Jordan/Brandon Sanderson* to catch-up on events before starting "A Memory of Light;" the final book in *Jordan*'s _Wheel of Time_ series.


----------



## Mr. Clean (27 Mar 2013)

I am reading  " My Share of the Task "  a Memoir by General  Stanley McChrystal ( retired ). Good book.


----------



## krimynal (27 Mar 2013)

Mr. Clean said:
			
		

> I am reading  " My Share of the Task "  a Memoir by General  Stanley McChrystal ( retired ). Good book.


I just baught that one a week ago , haven't started it tho , probably around next week !


----------



## Colin Parkinson (28 Mar 2013)

Just started "The Patrol" (the recent afghan one, not the Korean war one)


----------



## Jammer (28 Mar 2013)

North Korean Photoshop Techniques in 10 Easy Steps... ;D


----------



## Jarnhamar (28 Mar 2013)

The forever war.


----------



## OldSolduer (28 Mar 2013)

Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follet.


----------



## Old Sweat (28 Mar 2013)

The Accidental Guerilla: Fighting Small Wars in the Midst of a Big One by David Kilcullen


----------



## BeyondTheNow (28 Mar 2013)

Jim Seggie said:
			
		

> Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follet.



Wonderful, loved it!


----------



## OldSolduer (28 Mar 2013)

BeyondTheNow said:
			
		

> Wonderful, loved it!



Very entertaining and gives us an insight into life 900 years ago.

Try feeding kids bread and ale for breakfast now and see where it lands you......


----------



## dangerboy (28 Mar 2013)

Jim Seggie said:
			
		

> Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follet.



Fall of Giants and Winter of the Word is another good series by Ken Follet.  I am waiting for the third book to come out.


----------



## DonaldMcL (28 Mar 2013)

CFIRP 2013 Manual  ;D


----------



## BeyondTheNow (29 Mar 2013)

Jim Seggie said:
			
		

> Very entertaining and gives us an insight into life 900 years ago.
> 
> Try feeding kids bread and ale for breakfast now and see where it lands you......



Are we not supposed to be feeding them bread and ale? Oh, uhh... 

If you haven't seen in it, the mini-series was done well also. Not as good as the book, of course, but very close.


----------



## dimsum (29 Mar 2013)

Jim Seggie said:
			
		

> Very entertaining and gives us an insight into life 900 years ago.
> 
> Try feeding kids bread and ale for breakfast now and see where it lands you......



You mean you *can't* do that?  I think I'll have to re-think my future parenting strategy.  Next you'll tell me you can't put whiskey in a baby bottle to stop them crying at night.


----------



## Danjanou (30 Mar 2013)

finished up rereading the MacAuslan trilogy by George McDonald Fraserfor the umpteenth time last week. Amazon care package arrived before start of the weekend,. into Survival Course by Chris Cocks. it's the second part of his autobiography and covers life after his service in the RLI, first with the BSAP and then after the end of the was dealing with PSTD and life in Zimbabwe. So far so good.


----------



## cupper (30 Mar 2013)

Dimsum said:
			
		

> You mean you *can't* do that?  I think I'll have to re-think my future parenting strategy.  Next you'll tell me you can't put whiskey in a baby bottle to stop them crying at night.



Only if it's an expensive single malt from Scotland. iper:

Anything else would be child abuse.


----------



## skyhigh10 (31 Mar 2013)

Driven: How To Succeed In Business And In Life

Robert Herjavec  (Canadian fellow from Shark Tank / Dragons Den)


----------



## Delaney1986 (4 Apr 2013)

Ugh...I always buy books and then I can't wait to read them so I start them all at the same time, lol
Currently on the go:

The Night Stalker - book about Richard Ramirez
Definitive History of Serial Killers
Tess D'Uberville - Thomas Hardy
Fifty Shades Darker

If you think these are questionable...well, I guess they are all together, but I am taking Criminology right now.


----------



## krimynal (4 Apr 2013)

skyhigh10 said:
			
		

> Driven: How To Succeed In Business And In Life
> 
> Robert Herjavec  (Canadian fellow from Shark Tank / Dragons Den)




thats a really nice book , it shows how much persistance can get you !


----------



## Retired AF Guy (4 Apr 2013)

Retired AF Guy said:
			
		

> Re-reading the last 150 pages of "_Towers of Midnight_" by *Robert Jordan/Brandon Sanderson* to catch-up on events before starting "A Memory of Light;" the final book in *Jordan*'s _Wheel of Time_ series.



Its over. Done. Finito. Kaput. Only took 23 years from the first to the last, but finally finished "A Memory of Light."  

Now I'll be able to read all 14 books* in one continuous slog and without the two-three year interruptions waiting for the next book came, which meant you had forgotten everything that had happened previously.  ;D

* Fifteen, if you count the prequel (which actually came out about mid-way through the series).


----------



## OldSolduer (4 Apr 2013)

Delaney1986 said:
			
		

> Ugh...I always buy books and then I can't wait to read them so I start them all at the same time, lol
> Currently on the go:
> 
> The Night Stalker - book about Richard Ramirez
> ...



I've read several books on serial murderers and profilers. Very interesting stuff.


----------



## PMedMoe (5 Apr 2013)

Jim Seggie said:
			
		

> I've read several books on serial murderers and profilers. Very interesting stuff.



You might like this website:  Crime Library


----------



## xo31@711ret (5 Apr 2013)

Halfway through 'Survivors' by James Wesley Rawles. Started it a couple nights ago. Fascinating read.


----------



## skyhigh10 (5 Apr 2013)

krimynal said:
			
		

> thats a really nice book , it shows how much persistance can get you !



I find I can relate a lot of it to the choices I have made regarding my CF app process. I do believe it will pay off. Hold off on the instant gratification / comparing oneself to others and just stick to ones guns. The difference between passion and ambition ; quite the fabulous read. 

Have a nice day!


----------



## krimynal (5 Apr 2013)

skyhigh10 said:
			
		

> I find I can relate a lot of it to the choices I have made regarding my CF app process. I do believe it will pay off. Hold off on the instant gratification / comparing oneself to others and just stick to ones guns. The difference between passion and ambition ; quite the fabulous read.
> 
> Have a nice day!



yeah I really enjoyed when he told the story about having a job in the computer industry , not knowing anything about computers , working there not getting payed , and still enjoying it as much as he could !


----------



## cupper (20 Apr 2013)

"The Killer Angels" by Michael Shaara.

A fictional account of the Battle of Gettysburg from the point of view of the more notable participants.

He based the story on writings (letters, diaries, reports, etc.) of the various notables such as Lee, Longstreet, Buford and Chamberlain.

It was suggested by the husband of a coworker prior to making a visit to the Gettysburg Battlefield. In the 11 plus years I've been down here I've driven past or through the town of Gettysburg heading elsewhere, but have never stopped to visit the battle field. I'm planning to make a point of it this year.


----------



## FJAG (20 Apr 2013)

cupper said:
			
		

> "The Killer Angels" by Michael Shaara.
> 
> A fictional account of the Battle of Gettysburg from the point of view of the more notable participants.
> 
> ...



If you like "Killer Angels" then you are in for a treat. While Michael Shaara unfortunately died in 1988, his son Jeff Shaara took up the mantle and wrote several books that complemented "KA". The first is a prequel called "Gods and Generals" which follows the same key characters in the first few years of the war leading up to Gettysburg. Another is a sequel to "KA" called "Last full Measure" which follows the same historical characters subsequent to Gettysburg for the rest of the war.

A third book which will also interest you is the book "Gone for Soldiers" which takes place during the Mexican-American War of 1847/8 where virtually any general of note in the Civil War learned their trade as subalterns and young captains.

These books are not truly fiction because they are more properly called Historical Novels because they concern actual historical persons and the writing uses historic facts but with a bit of licence in the novel format. Jeff's writing is every bit as good as his dad's and very much the same style. They've both written other books as well but these four are all connected.

As an aside, Ted Turner (of CNN and Turner Broadcasting and Jane Fonda fame) is a Civil War buff and had Killer Angels made into a four hour movie called "Gettysburg". He followed that up with "Gods and Generals" (3.6 hours) (He played a bit part in each. Both movies are well worth watching although I think "G" is much better (mostly because I think Martin Sheen played a better Lee than Robert Duvall. Both films bombed miserably at the box office and lost scads of money but don't let that dismay you. The subject matter only appeals to a small audience group and if you liked the books you'll like the movies.

op:


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## cupper (21 Apr 2013)

Thanks FJAG. I had seen parts of both "Gettysburg" and "Gods and Generals" as mini-series when the first came out. I was aware that G&G was adapted from Shaara's novel, bit didn't realize Gettysburg had been adapted from Shaara as well.

I've enjoyed "Killer Angels" thus far, about half way through, just before Longstreet's attack on the second day. I'll have to keep an eye out for the other books you note as well.


----------



## FJAG (21 Apr 2013)

cupper said:
			
		

> I'll have to keep an eye out for the other books you note as well.


They're all available through Amazon and are on Kindle.


----------



## Infanteer (21 Apr 2013)

Spoiler alert.  The Confederates lose.

Great books, great films.  Gettysburg is worth the visit, but almost too touristy.  I much preferred Antietam; the U.S. Parks service does a phenomenal job with these places.


----------



## cupper (21 Apr 2013)

Infanteer said:
			
		

> Spoiler alert.  The Confederates lose.
> 
> Great books, great films.  Gettysburg is worth the visit, but almost too touristy.  I much preferred Antietam; the U.S. Parks service does a phenomenal job with these places.



I've been to Antietam, and live only a few minutes from the Manassas Battlefield. The local Museum has some excellent displays of life in the area during the war.

And you would never know that the South lost, based on the number of streets, schools, and other points of interest named after various Confederate Generals and Politicians.


----------



## Mr.Neville (21 Apr 2013)

This is probably going to sound very little kiddish, but the book I've been reading for the past week is "Inheritance" by Christopher Paolini. You never get to old for dragons and sword fights I guess  I've also recently read "The Last Templar" by Raymond Khoury, it was a pretty interesting read if you're into mystery novels.


----------



## dimsum (23 Apr 2013)

Just finished Cloud Atlas (which got made into the strange movie with Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, etc.)  

I'm torn whether I liked the book or not; the bits in the future are definitely better than the movie and makes more sense, but the way that the book is structured (like a set of Russian nesting dolls) just made me think the story didn't "finish".


----------



## Danjanou (23 Apr 2013)

Cupper Shaara has also written a historical Novel on WW1, which I read last month, not too bad. He also has a series of WW2 novels out as well.

Just finished Fox on the Rhine and Fox at the Front, a two part Alternate History that has Rommel in charge at the Battle of the Bulge and Operation Valkeryie succeeding. Nice little time waster for the subway ride.

Down side is they were the last two in my latest bulk order form Amazon. I put a new order in from my ever growing wish list, but that's at least a week away. Hopefully the copy of The Elite (A History of the Rhodesian SAS) arrives today; otherwise I'll be making a resupply run to the nearest chapters or forced to play games on my BB during my commute.


----------



## FJAG (23 Apr 2013)

Danjanou said:
			
		

> Just finished Fox on the Rhine and Fox at the Front, a two part Alternate History



If you like alternative history, you might like to try any of the numerous books by Harry Turtledove.  I particularly liked the "Worldwar" series which has as a plot an alien invasion of Earth in the midst of World War II.

Another series which was surprisingly good were the Newt Gingrich co-authored "Gettysburg Trilogy" which posits a Confederate victory at Gettysburg. He's written other stuff as well (which I haven't read yet) although I think they are more in the line of Shaara-like historical novels rather than alternative history.


----------



## Danjanou (23 Apr 2013)

FJAG said:
			
		

> If you like alternative history, you might like to try any of the numerous books by Harry Turtledove.  I particularly liked the "Worldwar" series which has as a plot an alien invasion of Earth in the midst of World War II.



Read most of his stuff. Some is good, others crap. Only consistent thing in them is his Canada bashing.


----------



## Messorius (25 Apr 2013)

Just finished "The Ghosts of Medak Pocket" by Carol Off and just picked up "How To Grow More Vegetables, Eighth Edition" by John Jeavons.


----------



## PMedMoe (25 Apr 2013)

Messorius said:
			
		

> Just finished "The Ghosts of Medak Pocket" by Carol Off



I just finished that a couple of weeks ago.  Not bad, but I think some of her comments regarding the CF were a little off and needed more research.

Since then, I have read two fiction novels, the last one being The Sixth Man by David Baldacci.  I think it would make a pretty good movie.

Just about to start _Race to Dakar_ by Charley Boorman and may alternate with _Blue Highways_ by William Least Heat Moon (just because I really enjoy reading it).


----------



## cupper (25 Apr 2013)

PMedMoe said:
			
		

> Since then, I have read two fiction novels, the last one being The Sixth Man by David Baldacci.  I think it would make a pretty good movie.



I've read pretty much all of David Baldacci's novels. I've enjoyed them all, and can recommend them as excellent reads. Since he sets the majority of them in Virgina, I'm familiar with a lot of the locations, and his geography is pretty spot on. Even The Sixth Man with it's setting in Maine I've found accurate. And I get the sense that he hates driving through Maine as much as I do. ;D


----------



## PMedMoe (25 Apr 2013)

cupper said:
			
		

> I've read pretty much all of David Baldacci's novels. I've enjoyed them all, and can recommend them as excellent reads. Since he sets the majority of them in Virgina, I'm familiar with a lot of the locations, and his geography is pretty spot on. Even The Sixth Man with it's setting in Maine I've found accurate. And I get the sense that he hates driving through Maine as much as I do. ;D



Any others with the King and Maxwell pairing?  I suspect there are, given their history.


----------



## cupper (25 Apr 2013)

PMedMoe said:
			
		

> Any others with the King and Maxwell pairing?  I suspect there are, given their history.



He has 5 in that series. Starts with "Split Second", then "Hour Game", "Simple Genius", "First Family" and finally "The Sixth Man".

You may also like "The Camel Club" and the others in that series as well.

I'm looking to pick up his new one "The Hit" which was just released this week.


----------



## PMedMoe (25 Apr 2013)

Thanks! Guess it's time to go get a library card.   :nod:


----------



## cupper (25 Apr 2013)

PMedMoe said:
			
		

> Thanks! Guess it's time to go get a library card.   :nod:



You're gonna need it if you get hooked on Baldacci. I did a quick check on Wikipedia to refresh myself with everything I've read over the years, and not including the children's books, he's put out 26 novels, and I've read 22 of them.

Here's a link to his web site:

http://davidbaldacci.com/


----------



## devil39 (25 Apr 2013)

The Rise of China vs. The Logic of Strategy by Edward Luttwak

Discussion on the future of China and his sense that China cannot pursue goals of  economic, military and diplomatic preeminence concurrently without beginning to seriously fail along some of those paths.   Some amusing review of the application of Sun Tzu to the modern world contained within as well.


----------



## Danjanou (26 Apr 2013)

Messorius said:
			
		

> Just finished "The Ghosts of Medak Pocket" by Carol Off



I read it a few years back. If memeory serves a lot of "technical errors"  in it. Mind it is an improvement over what i picked up in the bargain bin (under $5.00) this week at a place on Yong Street.  Tested Mettle by everyone's fav Cpl turned publisher.  About a third of the way in and I remember why I never read it when it came out.  Same sort of errors as in Off's book but while we can excuse her there should be no reason for a former CF member to make such errors, example RCEME did not exit in FYR.

Also we get it you don't like the Brass, no need to mention some imflamatory sensationalist little tidbit every couple of pages.


----------



## Dissident (29 Apr 2013)

Unintended consequences.

Kinda reminds me of Pillars of the earth, but with an anti government/pro gun message.


----------



## BernDawg (7 May 2013)

Operation Mincemeat: How a Dead Man and a Bizarre Plan Fooled the Nazis and Assured an Allied Victory
by: Ben Macintyre

The subject has the potential to be really dry and text-bookish but the author has done a brilliant job of bringing this eclectic cast of real people to life and it's a very enjoyable read.


----------



## cupper (12 May 2013)

Excellent send-up of the writing style of renowned author and 190lb 5'9" adult male human being Dan Brown. ;D

*Don’t make fun of renowned Dan Brown*
The snobs and critics will have a field day with the US author’s latest work – but I’m not joining in

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/10049454/Dont-make-fun-of-renowned-Dan-Brown.html



> Renowned author Dan Brown woke up in his luxurious four-poster bed in his expensive $10 million house – and immediately he felt angry. Most people would have thought that the 48-year-old man had no reason to be angry. After all, the famous writer had a new book coming out. But that was the problem. A new book meant an inevitable attack on the rich novelist by the wealthy wordsmith’s fiercest foes. The critics.
> 
> Renowned author Dan Brown hated the critics. Ever since he had become one of the world’s top renowned authors they had made fun of him. They had mocked bestselling book The Da Vinci Code, successful novel Digital Fortress, popular tome Deception Point, money-spinning volume Angels & Demons and chart-topping work of narrative fiction The Lost Symbol.
> 
> ...



Also:

*The Lost Symbol and The Da Vinci Code author Dan Brown's 20 worst sentences*

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/booknews/6194031/The-Lost-Symbol-and-The-Da-Vinci-Code-author-Dan-Browns-20-worst-sentences.html


----------



## dangerboy (14 May 2013)

Reading the newest Dan Brown book, Inferno.  It is your typical Dan Brown book; once again he happens to meet a single good looking woman to run around with while looking for clues.  Still it is something to read while I was waiting at the mechanics.


----------



## Danjanou (16 May 2013)

Just finished off China Marine the sequel to With the Old Breed and a cold war gone hot Alternate History/thriller about the Soviets coming across the IGB in 1984 called The Red Effect. it was written by a former BAOR Int type and wasn't too bad. Just started The Elite the History of the Rhodeisan SAS.


----------



## Jacky Tar (16 May 2013)

Re-reading Clarke's "Glide Path", his one and only non-science fiction novel. It's a fictionalized account of the development of ground-controlled approach systems based on his own experiences as an RAF radar officer during WWII. Well worth the read, too.


----------



## dimsum (21 May 2013)

Just finished reading John Scalzi's "Old Man's War".  Pretty easy read, much like Starship Troopers without the politics.  There some good ideas, but nothing too heavy.

Now I'm into his new book "Redshirts", his satirical take on the guys that die on Star Trek.  The dialogue is a bit like Catch-22, which is awesome in my books  :nod:


----------



## PMedMoe (21 May 2013)

Off on a completely different direction: Wade Davis - Light at the Edge of the World


----------



## dangerboy (21 May 2013)

Picked up "Storming The Falklands - My War and After" by Tony Banks.  It is the authors account of his service with 2 Para and his battle with combat stress.


----------



## Pryce (27 May 2013)

Just finished 'Into The Fire" by Dakota Meyer with Bing West. It's a good read. Being a Civvie, it gave me more insight into whats actually going on in Afghanistan, and what our tropps actually go through in combat.


----------



## Jacky Tar (27 May 2013)

Decided to re-read Weber's Honor Harrington series, so took up "On Basilisk Station" once again.


----------



## Colin Parkinson (27 May 2013)

"War on our doorstep" About the war on the West Coast, good bits on Annette Island where my dad was stationed.


----------



## estoguy (30 May 2013)

Just started listening to the Game of Thrones audiobook. 28 CDs to rip to Itunes!


----------



## FJAG (31 May 2013)

John Sanford's _Stolen Prey_. The master is still going strong.


----------



## Remius (3 Jun 2013)

Half way through World War Z.

What an amazing read so far.  The author obviously did some research.  3 PPCLI is in it .  Plus the US Military battle against Zombies in New York is well done.

Reading it before the movie likely ruins it lol.


----------



## Noctis (3 Jun 2013)

Chosen Soldier by Dick Couch. I read his book about the forging of SEAL class 228 previously, his writing style is very appealing.
But this isn't my best read this month, I HIGHLY recommend reading Warrior Soul by Chuck Pfarrer... That was really something! I got so absorbed into reading it I just couldn't put it down. The narration was just... perfect. My  :2c:


----------



## dimsum (3 Jun 2013)

Crantor said:
			
		

> Half way through World War Z.
> 
> What an amazing read so far.  The author obviously did some research.  3 PPCLI is in it .  Plus the US Military battle against Zombies in New York is well done.
> 
> Reading it before the movie likely ruins it lol.



Great read, but I don't expect the movie to be anything like the book, since the book jumps around various locations and there isn't a specific protagonist.  

The author does talk about Canada quite a bit though; it even mentions Winnipeg and Lake Manitoba if I remember correctly.  I'd like to see a real-life version of the Lobo though.


----------



## Conz (3 Jun 2013)

Lee Windsor's Steel Cavalry: The 8th (New Brunswick) Hussars and the Italian Campaign. It was assigned to me for my War in the Twentieth Century history class, but I am finding it to be a fascinating read about the development of Canada's armour.


----------



## Remius (5 Jun 2013)

Dimsum said:
			
		

> Great read, but I don't expect the movie to be anything like the book, since the book jumps around various locations and there isn't a specific protagonist.
> 
> The author does talk about Canada quite a bit though; it even mentions Winnipeg and Lake Manitoba if I remember correctly.  I'd like to see a real-life version of the Lobo though.



I read a review stating that they did a good job with a book that is difficult to make into a film.  My guess is that they put a main character in (Pitt) but the setting is the same as in the book.  My beef is that the previews seem to show the zombies moving stupid fast.  Which would destroy a good chunk of the premises in the book.

Yeah, a real version of the Lobo would be cool.  sounds a lot like a Spetznas shovel.


----------



## FormerHorseGuard (9 Jul 2013)

I just picked up the book " Soldier First" by the General. I am really enjoying and I enjoy the style of his writing. I also enjoyed reading about former friends and bosses. Tooner Martin my  former Sgt Major and RSM at the HorseGuards.  A few of the good officers I worked with at LFCA HQ.
I enjoy his book than the book written by McKenzie but different style of writing and leadership but both good stories about their life as a soldier.


----------



## Teflon (9 Jul 2013)

About half way through "The Last Full Measure - How Soldiers Die in Battle" by Michael Stephenson and so far have found it to be an interesting read.  It is pretty much what the title says: a detailed look at how (the means) of death for warriors from ancient times to yesterday.


----------



## FJAG (9 Jul 2013)

Just finished "Red Runs the Helmand" by Patrick Mercer. Historical fiction set in the 2nd British/Afghan War of and particularly the events of the Battle of Maiwand of 1880 where the Brits had a major defeat (not quite up to the Battle of Isandlwana against the Zulus in 1879 but darn close). 

Very well written and, except for the fact that the lead character is fictitious although based on the Colonel who led the Brits in the battle, the story is factually accurate and a compelling read.

You can find it at Amazon at: http://www.amazon.com/Red-Runs-Helmand-Patrick-Mercer/dp/0007302770

Incidentally my third book, "Allies: The Trial" is also out now and can be found for Kindle at Amazon at: http://www.amazon.com/Allies-The-Trial-ebook/dp/B00DAIOL1S and in other formats at Smashwords at: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/324724

Cheers.


----------



## dangerboy (13 Jul 2013)

Reading "Team Yankee" by Harold Coyle.  It is an outdated  (book was written in 1987) look at a WWIII battle between NATO and Warsaw Pact in Germany from at the combat team level.  I was unpacking books and realized it had been a number of years since I had last read it. There is also a graphic novel to go along with it.


----------



## cjette1 (13 Jul 2013)

I just started doing a second read through of "Where Men Win Glory" by Jon Krakauer. It's about the life of Pat Tillman, who walked away from a 3.6 million dollar contract in the NFL to join the US army right in the wake of 9/11. It tells about his life and moral obligations during the war. Eventually he would be killed in action due to friendly fire, with no formal investigation for a very long time.

I would recommend it to anybody. It's from the same author who wrote "Into the Wild".


----------



## FJAG (13 Jul 2013)

cjette1 said:
			
		

> I just started doing a second read through of "Where Men Win Glory" by Jon Krakauer. It's about the life of Pat Tillman, who walked away from a 3.6 million dollar contract in the NFL to join the US army right in the wake of 9/11. It tells about his life and moral obligations during the war. Eventually he would be killed in action due to friendly fire, with no formal investigation for a very long time.
> 
> I would recommend it to anybody. It's from the same author who wrote "Into the Wild".



Note that there are two editions to this book. The first edition was published in 2009 but was revised in 2010 when the author obtained more material concerning the "high level" initial attempts to cover up the fact that this was a fratricide incident.


----------



## dimsum (13 Jul 2013)

About a quarter through The Great Gatsby.  I didn't pick it up because of the movie; it was one of those that had always been on my list but never really bothered to read it.  

The more I read, the more I picture Boardwalk Empire or Mad Men; both shows that I will actually follow on TV.


----------



## cjette1 (14 Jul 2013)

FJAG said:
			
		

> Note that there are two editions to this book. The first edition was published in 2009 but was revised in 2010 when the author obtained more material concerning the "high level" initial attempts to cover up the fact that this was a fratricide incident.



Strange, looks like I have the 2009 version. I'll need to look out for the updated edition. Thanks for the heads up.


----------



## Kirkhill (14 Jul 2013)

Reading Bernard Cornwell's current series about Danes, Saxons and Brits in Alfred's England.  Lots of Shieldwalls, bearded axes and the relative merits of longswords and short blades in the shield wall - as well as chunks flying here and there, wolfhounds, sorcery and diplomacy in a multipolar society with no agreed laws.

Great primer for modern society and low intensity conflict - minus the benefits of artillery.


----------



## caocao (14 Jul 2013)

Game of thrones, like the hbo serie so much that i had to try the book.


----------



## dangerboy (14 Jul 2013)

Kirkhill said:
			
		

> Reading Bernard Cornwell's current series about Danes, Saxons and Brits in Alfred's England.  Lots of Shieldwalls, bearded axes and the relative merits of longswords and short blades in the shield wall - as well as chunks flying here and there, wolfhounds, sorcery and diplomacy in a multipolar society with no agreed laws.
> 
> Great primer for modern society and low intensity conflict - minus the benefits of artillery.



His next book in the series, "The Pagan Lord" comes out in September.  http://www.bernardcornwell.net/the-pagan-lord/


----------



## observor 69 (14 Jul 2013)

A difficult book to describe but quite engrossing and hard to put down. Memories of Psyc 100.
Not a military book but I thought it worthy of recommend. 

We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves 
Release Date: Jun 4 2013 

From the New York Times–bestselling author of The Jane Austen Book Club, the story of an American family, middle class in middle America, ordinary in every way but one. But that exception is the beating heart of this extraordinary novel.

 Meet the Cooke family: Mother and Dad, brother Lowell, sister Fern, and our narrator, Rosemary, who begins her story in the middle. She has her reasons. “I spent the first eighteen years of my life defined by this one fact: that I was raised with a chimpanzee,” she tells us. “It’s never going to be the first thing I share with someone. I tell you Fern was a chimp and already you aren’t thinking of her as my sister. But until Fern’s expulsion, I’d scarcely known a moment alone. She was my twin, my funhouse mirror, my whirlwind other half, and I loved her as a sister.”

Rosemary was not yet six when Fern was removed. Over the years, she’s managed to block a lot of memories. She’s smart, vulnerable, innocent, and culpable. With some guile, she guides us through the darkness, penetrating secrets and unearthing memories, leading us deeper into the mystery she has dangled before us from the start. Stripping off the protective masks that have hidden truths too painful to acknowledge, in the end, “Rosemary” truly is for remembrance

http://www.amazon.ca/Are-All-Completely-Beside-Ourselves/dp/0399162097


----------



## RangerRay (17 Jul 2013)

Kirkhill said:
			
		

> Reading Bernard Cornwell's current series about Danes, Saxons and Brits in Alfred's England.  Lots of Shieldwalls, bearded axes and the relative merits of longswords and short blades in the shield wall - as well as chunks flying here and there, wolfhounds, sorcery and diplomacy in a multipolar society with no agreed laws.
> 
> Great primer for modern society and low intensity conflict - minus the benefits of artillery.



Great series.  I love his books!


----------



## Inquisitor (18 Jul 2013)

"Joe & Willie - Back Home" - Bill Maudlin

Found this at a BMW books near the Eaton centre in Toronto

Bill Maudlin is the cartoonist part of the Ernie Pyle  Bill Maudlin  "Up Front" team in WWII

Its is part text and part cartoon" 

Partial review from Back cover "More than anyone else save Ernie Pyle he captured the trial and Travails of the GI. For anyone who wants to know what it was like to be an infantryman in WWII this is the place to start - and finish" Stepen Ambrose' 

In my opinion there should be at least one copy in every army mess, the truths seem universal.  Sad to say. 

Sooo. What did happen to the famous duo - Happily ever after? Not exactly. 

The text starts history as the pair spent about 1/2 their time at the front, by 1944 neither man could do it sober and the other 1/2 recovering.

Then VE Day - surely Happy ever after!!!!

Not exactly, Ernies wife is mentally ill. He ships out to cover the Pacific and meets the end he expected. 

Bill, more of a mixed bag. Very famous and considered successful. I wont include any spoilers. 

How about the troops return/reactions? - Again excellent

Cartoons? Excellent - I found them surprisingly topical

Do a Google - still available from the publisher - heartily recommended


----------



## NavyShooter (18 Jul 2013)

Team Yankee, by Harold Coyle.


----------



## Danjanou (18 Jul 2013)

NavyShooter said:
			
		

> Team Yankee, by Harold Coyle.



 A classic.

 His other stuff is pretty good too,  fictionalized "future" conflicts in Iran, Egypt, Germany, Mexico, Colombia, Philippines and Idaho. A good series of characters that move from book to book gaining rank. One starts off a Major in Iran and ends up a Major General in command of a an Armoured Div in the 2nd US Civil War


----------



## FJAG (19 Jul 2013)

Finished three the last two weeks:

_The Hunt for Bin Laden_ by Robin Moore - an old one ((c)2003) and a bit of a rah rah thing for the Green Berets but not a bad telling of the initial operations into Afghanistan in 2001 and 2002 ending around Op ANACONDA. There are better books out there but Moore had a good in with the SF and therefore got more personal anecdotes from the various ODAs then others.

_Soldiers of God_ by Robert D Kaplan - also an old one. The original version was (c) 1990 and was updated with a new chapter in 2001 just before 9/11. Kaplan is an excellent war correspondent and foreign affairs analyst who got up close and personal with the Mujahidin during their war against the Russians. Full of insights and details about what makes the Pashtuns tick.

_No Easy Task - Fighting in Afghanistan_ edited by Bernd Horn and Emily Spencer - (c) 2012. A collection of essays on Canada's involvement up to date. Like any collection of essays you've got your good and bad. I particularly liked the Horn's _Lessons Learned_ and Major Alex Haynes' _Opportunity Lost_. The first deals with Op MADUSA in 2007 (and is effectively a small precis of Horn's book _No Lack of Courage - Operation Medusa, Afghanistan_) while the second outlines the failure by the coalition in building an effective Afghan National Police in the early years.

 :cheers:


----------



## PMedMoe (19 Jul 2013)

Just started _River-Horse_ by William Least Heat-Moon.  One of his follow-ups to Blue Highways.


----------



## dangerboy (27 Jul 2013)

Just started reading "Along Came a Spider" by James Patterson. I have not seen the movie nor read any books by James Patterson before.  So far I am enjoying the book, it is a good distraction from the homework that I am supposed to be doing.


----------



## Teager (27 Jul 2013)

FJAG said:
			
		

> Finished three the last two weeks:
> 
> _No Easy Task - Fighting in Afghanistan_ edited by Bernd Horn and Emily Spencer - (c) 2012. A collection of essays on Canada's involvement up to date. Like any collection of essays you've got your good and bad. I particularly liked the Horn's _Lessons Learned_ and Major Alex Haynes' _Opportunity Lost_. The first deals with Op MADUSA in 2007 (and is effectively a small precis of Horn's book _No Lack of Courage - Operation Medusa, Afghanistan_) while the second outlines the failure by the coalition in building an effective Afghan National Police in the early years.
> 
> :cheers:



Having been on OP Medusa No Lack of Courage really gives insight and answers as to why things happened the way they did. IMO it is also the most accurate account of OP Medusa that I have read. Very good reading.


----------



## Journeyman (27 Jul 2013)

I was reading Robert Kaplan's _The Revenge of Geography_ (NY: Random House, 2012).  I can only assume that he has debts to pay, and some publisher offered up some cash, based solely on word-count.  

I struggled as far as chapter 3 before I chucked it....literally.  I'd recommend this book *ONLY* if you had absolutely no clue about Political Studies 101 *and* very basic current events.  Seriously, it's a shallow rehash of Gr 12 political theorists overlaid on 'the Syrians are kind of miffed at their government'.....with as many adjectives and adverbs per possible crammed into each sentence to pad the page count.

He should stick to writing fluff magazine articles; the only redeeming feature is that the book was sent to me for free.


----------



## a_majoor (28 Jul 2013)

Kaplan does seem to be an acquired taste. I liked "The Revenge of Geography", but view it almost as a primer on Kaplan (once you start reading his other works you could almost see them as expanded versions of each chapter). Some of his older works like "An Empire Wilderness" or "The Ends of the Earth" are well worth reading in my opinion.

Currently reading "Monsoon" by the same author.


----------



## Journeyman (28 Jul 2013)

Thucydides said:
			
		

> .....you start reading his other works you could almost see them precisely as expanded versions of each chapter


In the intro, or maybe on the dust jacket, he states that much of this has been published before, he's simply "expanded upon" the original work.  By expanded upon, I can only assume he means adding superfluous adjectives and adverbs.

I can see _some_ utility in that he's a recognized name; one can cherry-pick his work for a useful one-liner from which an argument can be built using actual academic rigour.  In the end though, I can't see him showing up on my future reading lists.


----------



## Jarnhamar (28 Jul 2013)

Teager said:
			
		

> Having been on OP Medusa No Lack of Courage really gives insight and answers as to why things happened the way they did. IMO it is also the most accurate account of OP Medusa that I have read. Very good reading.



Did the book happen to include the story about 2 soldiers who spent the night before op medusa started sleeping beside their vehicle that was mistakenly parked a few hundred meters in front of the FEBA in bad guy territory?  Somehow not getting their throats cut and also going unnoticed by the 20+ LAV3s lined up behind them.


----------



## Teager (28 Jul 2013)

ObedientiaZelum said:
			
		

> Did the book happen to include the story about 2 soldiers who spent the night before op medusa started sleeping beside their vehicle that was mistakenly parked a few hundred meters in front of the FEBA in bad guy territory?  Somehow not getting their throats cut and also going unnoticed by the 20+ LAV3s lined up behind them.



Nope I never heard that story either. Sounds like they got lucky though. Although I was in the engineer section supporting the 1 RCR guys that went down into the wadi to do a recce on Sept 2nd and was suppose to spend the night pretty close to bad guys. The LAV's were all behind us minus the recce LAV's putting us smack dab in the middle of everything. Luckily just before dark we got called out of there. Never felt more relieved.


----------



## dangerboy (5 Aug 2013)

Just finished reading "War of the rats" by David L.Robbins, http://www.amazon.ca/War-Rats-David-L-Robbins/dp/055358135X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1375701333&sr=8-1&keywords=war+of+the+rats.  It is the story of German and Russian snipers during the Battle of Stalingrad in 1942.  It is what the movie "Enemy at the gates" should have been.


----------



## jollyjacktar (5 Aug 2013)

A Higher Call
The story of Charlie Brown and Franz Steigler.  Brown and his B-17 crew were spared by Steigler in his 109 and escorted safely out of German airspace on Dec 20th 1943.  This book is excellent and I've enjoyed reading it.


----------



## FJAG (5 Aug 2013)

War, Coups & Terror: Pakistan's Army in Years of Turmoil by Brian Cloughley.

The author has served in both the British and Australian armies and retired as a LGen after decades of experience with Pakistan and the region and many of the major players so this ought to be a good and insightful book. In many ways it is and clearly fills a gap in knowledge about this force (albeit that the book starts in 1972 after the defeat of the Western Pakistani forces by the East Pakistanis and Indian Army in what is now Bangladesh. The entire story regarding the poor level of civilian government of Pakistan, the military return of confidence and capability in the post-Bangladesh days and the subsequent various coups are well discussed.

Unfortunately, for me, there are two major areas where things break down a bit.

Firstly, Cloughley is clearly a Pakistani armyophile (I made that word up). He's a big fan of the Pak army and its officer corps and frequently glosses over or is apologetic for severe shortcomings that infest its structure. An example is the Islamic extremism that came to the fore under Zia. While mentioned, there is little depth to the examination.

Secondly if you are looking for details about the Pak military and ISI's role in building the Taliban and its continued support to them and the AQ, or its operations in the tribal areas, look elsewhere. Again these topics are given superficial treatment at best.

http://www.amazon.com/War-Coups-Terror-Pakistans-Turmoil/dp/1602396981


----------



## Old Sweat (5 Aug 2013)

FJAG, what does he say about General Wahid? Wahid was the Pak student on my staff college course and was quite an impressive individual. I for one was not surprised when he became CGS.


----------



## FJAG (5 Aug 2013)

Old Sweat said:
			
		

> FJAG, what does he say about General Wahid? Wahid was the Pak student on my staff college course and was quite an impressive individual. I for one was not surprised when he became CGS.



He starts by saying that there was a difference of opinion between the President and Prime Minister as to who should become the Chief of Army Staff in 1993 and that they eventually both agreed on General Waheed as a compromise although he was seventh in order of seniority. He describes Waheed as his own man (unfortunately for the Pres and the PM but most fortunately for the country). He was neither an ideologue nor a demagogue nor a theocrat; no wild or dramatic ideas came from his headquarters during his tenure. He was completely apolitical and demanded that the army be so as well; he wanted the best for his country and would only interfere with the government if forced to and then strictly in accordance with the constitution. While some criticized his outlook as narrow that was what was best for the country at the time.

He made a comment about meeting Waheed in mid-93 in Malaysia and that Waheed reflected (wistfully) about Malaysia that "we (Pakistan) could be like this - but what on earth went wrong with us?"

When Waheed turned over the job in 1996 his tenure had been mostly uneventful but not without issues such as the attempted and failed coup attempt by 35 officers in September 1995.

All-in-all he thinks well of him but as I said above, he seems in general to be soft on the Pak officer corps.


----------



## dangerboy (7 Aug 2013)

In honour of the start of OPERATION TOTALIZE, I am reading "No Holding Back - Operation Totalize, Normandy, August 1944"http://www.amazon.com/No-Holding-Back-Operation-Stackpole/dp/0811705846


----------



## dimsum (7 Aug 2013)

Robopocalypse by Daniel H. Wilson.  Very similar so far to World War Z (the book, not the movie) in that it's a person collecting an "oral history", in this case of a war between humans and robots.  Pretty easy read and very interesting, especially the story involving two airliners. 

I got this at Chapters in Victoria today and both the employee in the section and the checkout person immediately mentioned that the author had a Ph.D in Robotics.  Both times it seemed forced, almost like it was a line that they had to say...or were they programmed to say....?   :Tin-Foil-Hat:


----------



## Dkhorsand (9 Aug 2013)

Thomas Paine's Common Sense and other Writings. Edited and with an introduction by Gordon S. Wood. 

This book is a collection of Thomas Paine's most important writings. For those interested in history and philosophy, he is a must read because his mind was centuries ahead of his time and his work had huge implications for the newly formed United States. He actually came up with that name. 

He is one of my heroes along with Christopher Hitchens (you should all read his books too).


----------



## darkskye (9 Aug 2013)

Born to Run by Christopher McDougall


----------



## Eye In The Sky (9 Aug 2013)

Just starting _Fall of Giants_.


----------



## SupersonicMax (10 Aug 2013)

Second read of Every Man a Tiger, by Tom Clancy and Gen Chuck Horner.  First hand account of the C2 aspect if the Gulf War by the JFACC.


----------



## christopher90 (11 Aug 2013)

The Canterbury Tales  by Geoffrey Chaucer


----------



## BeyondTheNow (11 Aug 2013)

christopher90 said:
			
		

> The Canterbury Tales  by Geoffrey Chaucer



If you're a Chaucer fan, _The Miller's Tale_ is enjoyable. I developed an appreciation for his style in a British Lit. class, but can only read him in small spurts. _The Miller's Tale_ is short and sweet and flows nicely.


----------



## FJAG (11 Aug 2013)

Gettysburg by Steven Sears. (got this a few years ago and this is my second read of it)

Excellent study of the entire campaign with particular emphasis on the two armies' respective leadership. If you ever believed that Lee "phoned it in" at Gettysburg; this book pretty well proves it.

http://www.amazon.com/Gettysburg-Stephen-W-Sears/dp/0618485384


----------



## Retired AF Guy (11 Aug 2013)

The *Malice of Fortune* by _Michael Ennis_. Historical fiction set in early 15th century Renaissance Italy involving Niccolo Machiavelli, Leonardo da Vinci and a famous courtesan searching for a serial killer against the backdrop of conflict between Cesare Borgia and Italian mercenary leaders.


----------



## Humphrey Bogart (11 Aug 2013)

"Gunship Ace: The Wars of Neall Ellis, Helicopter Pilot & Mercenary" by A.J. Venter

Ordered this book online and am about 4/5 of the way through it.  In case you don't know who Neall Ellis is, click the following links:

http://www.cracked.com/article_19472_the-5-craziest-soldiers-fortune-to-ever-cash-paycheck.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neall_Ellis


----------



## FJAG (15 Aug 2013)

Just finished "My Share of the Task" by Gen Stan McChrystal and am somewhat let down.

Generally an interesting book that lets you look at the path to senior leadership within the US Army but somewhat weak when talking about his tenure at Joint Special Operations Command. A lot of that is probably due to the heavy censorship review that the US DoD put the book through. (The name JSOC isn't even allowed to be mentioned even though its Wikipedia page has been up since 2007-go figure). 

Information about JSOC operations is very Iraq centric (primarily because JSOC took its eyes off Afghanistan for too many years). The whole section on al-Zarqawi-why he was a problem and how they eventually took him out-was fairly well done.

While McChrystal is an advocate of coalition operations, there is scant mention about anyone. The Brits (and to a lesser degree the Aussies) get some token coverage but you'll have to look long and hard to find the two paragraphs that mention Canadians (we're not even in the index). 

The whole "Rolling Stone article" issue gets a scant one and one half pages. If I was charitable I'd say he was taking the high road but much of Hastings' article could have been put into proper context.

Not bad all around but I was expecting more.

http://www.amazon.com/My-Share-Task-A-Memoir/dp/1591844754


----------



## BeyondTheNow (15 Aug 2013)

_The Devil's Code_ by John Sandford. Part of the 'Kidd' character novels.

I originally read it over ten years ago, but decided to pick it up again because I loved it so much. Fast-paced, great dialogue between characters. Not a difficult read by any means, but just the right level of brain-stimulation to remain entertaining.  Of course, the technology and capabilities thereof is severely out-dated now, but good none-the-less.


----------



## Journeyman (16 Aug 2013)

FJAG said:
			
		

> ......you'll have to look long and hard to find the two paragraphs that mention Canadians


Any mention of the Pope?    



[it's an inside joke     ]


----------



## FJAG (16 Aug 2013)

Journeyman said:
			
		

> Any mention of the Pope?
> 
> [it's an inside joke     ]



I had to look up the "inside joke" (thanks Google search).

While not expressed, the tenor of much of his narrative supports that it was an apt nickname.

Thanks for adding that fact.

 :cheers:


----------



## FJAG (24 Aug 2013)

Finished two this week.

_FOBBITT _ published 2012 by David Abrams http://www.amazon.com/Fobbit-David-Abrams/dp/0802120326 is a piece of fiction set in Iraq circa 2005 and follows the lives of various characters at a US FOB. In short the story is very much in the style of _Catch-22_ and while I didn't like _Catch-22_ I quite like FOBBIT probably because I could relate to its characters much more.

_The Things They Cannot Say_ published 2013 by Kevin Sites http://www.amazon.com/The-Things-They-Cannot-Say/dp/0061990523 consists of various narratives (including the author's own) from individuals who participated in various recent wars including mostly Iraq but also Vietnam, Israel and the first Gulf War. The aim of the book is to detail how the individuals were effected by their actions, their wounds or simply what they observed and how they coped after the conflict. 

Unfortunately, for me the author spent too much time on his own plight (he admits that writing the book was a cathartic activity to help him purge his own demons) and, while there are some scholarly articles quoted, it is somewhat lacking in analysis. The chapter on the Israeli officer and how he successfully copes with combat leads you down the road to speculation (valid or not) that our PTSD issues may simply arise out of a modern western society that has an underlying victim mentality that fails to build adequate copying skills in our youth. This would have been a good angle for the author to explore, unfortunately the next and final chapter is devoted to himself and his own issues. I sometimes got the feeling that I was reading a book by the narcissistic Roland Hedley character in the _Doonesbury_ comic strip.


----------



## Kat Stevens (24 Aug 2013)

Revisiting Under The Dome by Stephen King, I wish he wouldn't let television writers get hold of his material, the discrepancies between the book and the series are huge, and only 175 pages in.


----------



## jeffb (24 Aug 2013)

FJAG said:
			
		

> Gettysburg by Steven Sears. (got this a few years ago and this is my second read of it)
> 
> Excellent study of the entire campaign with particular emphasis on the two armies' respective leadership. If you ever believed that Lee "phoned it in" at Gettysburg; this book pretty well proves it.
> 
> http://www.amazon.com/Gettysburg-Stephen-W-Sears/dp/0618485384



Agree with the assessment. Sears is one of the more accessible writers in this field without dumbing down the academic rigor. I'd also advise that prior to reading this book, read _Chancellorsville_ also by Steven Sears. These two books taken together given an excellent narrative of the critical summer of 1863 and the mindsets of both Lee on one side and the various commanders of the Army of the Potomac on the other.


----------



## Retired AF Guy (25 Aug 2013)

_The Canadian Regime: An Introduction to Parliamentary Government in Canada_, Fifth Edition, by Patrick Malcolmson and Richard Myers.

Absolutely an amazing book! An essential guide to how the Canadian political system works.


----------



## Colin Parkinson (26 Aug 2013)

http://dinmerican.wordpress.com/2011/09/29/memali-a-policeman-remembers/


An interesting read on how not to carry out a police op in a developing country. I note that the target of the arrest was schooled in Deobandism, which is the same school that much of the hardcore Taliban abide by. I suspect the governments concerns about his future actions where valid.


----------



## Jacky Tar (30 Aug 2013)

"Lt. Leary Commanding", by David Drake


----------



## PMedMoe (30 Aug 2013)

Second book of The Game of Thrones series.


----------



## Danjanou (30 Aug 2013)

Just finished My Friend The Mercenary, by James Brabazon

http://www.amazon.com/My-Friend-Mercenary-James-Brabazon/dp/B005EP2H6Q

It describes his relationship with Nick du Toit a former member of 5 Recce of the SADF. Brabazon initially hires him as a bodyguard when he goes to Liberia to film the civil war there. They become unlikely friends. Du Toit a former member of EO later tells Brabzon about his involvement in a upcoming coup attempt in Equatorial Guinea and offers him the rights to film it. The coup fails and leaves Du Toit , Simon Mann and about 70 other former EO and/or SADF soldiers now turned mercenaries imprisoned in Zimbabwe and Equatorial Guinea. Oferall excellent read on the events in Western Africa in the late 1990's early 21st Century.


----------



## Kat Stevens (30 Aug 2013)

Danjanou said:
			
		

> Just finished My Friend The Mercenary, by James Brabazon
> 
> http://www.amazon.com/My-Friend-Mercenary-James-Brabazon/dp/B005EP2H6Q
> 
> It describes his relationship with Nick du Toit a former member of 5 Recce of the SADF. Brabazon initially hires him as a bodyguard when he goes to Liberia to film the civil war there. They become unlikely friends. Du Toit a former member of EO later tells Brabzon about his involvement in a upcoming coup attempt in Equatorial Guinea and offers him the rights to film it. The coup fails and leaves Du Toit , Simon Mann and about 70 other former EO and/or SADF soldiers now turned mercenaries imprisoned in Zimbabwe and Equatorial Guinea. Oferall excellent read on the events in Western Africa in the late 1990's early 21st Century.



Shades of Dogs of War, can he whistle Spanish Harlem?


----------



## Gorgo (30 Aug 2013)

_Believe & Destroy:  Intellectuals in the SS War Machine_ by *Christian Ingrao*

http://www.amazon.ca/Believe-Destroy-Intellectuals-War-Machine/dp/0745660266/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1377904991&sr=8-1&keywords=Believe+%26+Destroy

There were eighty of them. They were young, clever and cultivated; they were barely in their thirties when Adolf Hitler came to power. Their university studies in law, economics, linguistics, philosophy and history marked them out for brilliant careers. They chose to join the repressive bodies of the Third Reich, especially the Security Service (SD) and the Nazi Party’s elite protection unit, the SS. They theorized and planned the extermination of twenty million individuals of allegedly ‘inferior’ races. Most of them became members of the paramilitary death squads known as Einsatzgruppen and participated in the slaughter of over a million people. 

Based on extensive archival research, Christian Ingrao tells the gripping story of these children of the Great War, focusing on the networks of fellow activists, academics and friends in which they moved, studying the way in which they envisaged war and the ‘world of enemies’ which, in their view, threatened them. The mechanisms of their political commitment are revealed, and their roles in Nazism and mass murder. Thanks to this pioneering study, we can now understand how these men came to believe what they did, and how these beliefs became so destructive.

The history of Nazism, shows Ingrao, is also a history of beliefs in which a powerful military machine was interwoven with personal experiences, fervour, anguish, utopia and cruelty.


----------



## Underway (30 Aug 2013)

The Honor of the Queen, by David Weber - Book 2 of the Honor Harrington Series.....mmm love me some space opera battles...


----------



## Danjanou (30 Aug 2013)

Kat Stevens said:
			
		

> Shades of Dogs of War, can he whistle Spanish Harlem?



Don't know, but I can. ;D

The Forsyth book was written supposedly to recoup some money he lost by backing a coup attempt in 1972 in Equatorial Guinea. The novel is how it would have played out supposedly.


----------



## OldSolduer (7 Sep 2013)

Just purchased the SAS Survival Handbook - the small one, for $11.

My grandson and I will put this to good use!


----------



## Humphrey Bogart (7 Sep 2013)

Fireforce: One Man's War in the Rhodesian Light Infantry - By Chris Cocks


----------



## FJAG (7 Sep 2013)

3 Para by Patrick Bishop 2007 Harper Collins London.

This is Patricks first book and concerns the Brits first tour in Helmand. (A subsequent tour by 3 Para is called Ground TRuth: 3 Paras Return to Afghanistan and concerns the battalion's tour in 2008)

Nice tight book balancing the overall tactical narrative with intimate looks at the Toms who did the fighting.

http://www.amazon.com/3-Para-PATRICK-BISHOP/dp/0007257783

http://www.amazon.com/Ground-Truth-Para-Return-Afghanistan/dp/1407913999

 :cheers:


----------



## Jacky Tar (9 Sep 2013)

Breezing through "The Flying 400", then will start in on "Hands To Flying Stations Vol 1"


----------



## Danjanou (9 Sep 2013)

Two simultaneously ( they both arrived from Amazon the same day)
  
Dixie Victorious: An Alternate History of the Civil War
http://www.amazon.ca/Dixie-Victorious-Alternate-History-Civil/dp/161608460X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1378752192&sr=8-1&keywords=Dixie+Victorious%3A+An+Alternate+History+of+the+Civil+War


The Rhodesian War: A Military History
http://www.amazon.ca/Rhodesian-War-Military-History/dp/0811707253/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1378752142&sr=8-1&keywords=The+Rhodesian+War%3A+A+Military+History


----------



## The Bread Guy (9 Sep 2013)

George Orwell's _"Burmese Days: A Novel"_ apparently based on his time in Burma as a Brit colonial cop.


----------



## FJAG (29 Sep 2013)

The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins. http://www.amazon.com/The-God-Delusion-Richard-Dawkins/dp/0618918248

A very good book even if you're already a confirmed atheist. If not you'll be one by the time you finish reading it. His arguments are clear and cogent and the light humour in his writing makes for a pleasant read. 

The book is organized in logical parts that take you through: arguments in favour of God's existence; arguments as to why almost certainly that there is no God; the roots of religion; why most religions are not required for a code of human morality; the problems with religion; and why small children should be protected from it.

 :cheers:


----------



## Danjanou (30 Sep 2013)

Just finished Ivan Smith’s Mad Dog Killers: The Story of a Congo Mercenary 
http://www.amazon.com/MAD-DOG-KILLERS-Story-Mercenary/dp/190767778X/ref=sr_1_sc_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1380589147&sr=1-2-spell&keywords=congo+merecenary
Smith was a Rhodesian territorial Soldier who volunteered for a 6 month contract with 5 Commando in the Congo. Good account of the campaign up to the relief of Stanleyville from the average troopies viewpoint. He does not paint a very flattering picture of Col. Mad Mike Hoare. Pretty graphic to.

Also about ¾ of the way through Stewart Bell’s Cold Terror: How Canada Nurtures and Exports Terrorism Around the World 
http://www.amazon.com/Cold-Terror-Nurtures-Exports-Terrorism/dp/0470834633
A pretty good primer covering several groups that have operated here  from the Sikh extremists through, the Tamil Tigers, Hezbollah  up to the Kadhr family.


----------



## medicineman (30 Sep 2013)

"The Night Shift" by Dr Brian Goldman...an extension of his radio show on CBC.


----------



## PMedMoe (30 Sep 2013)

Almost done the third "Game of Thrones" book.  I'm liking the storyline well enough but the excessive description is killing me.  George R. R. Martin is the Tom Clancy of the fantasy genre.


----------



## dangerboy (2 Oct 2013)

Reading "Enigma" by Robert Harris, http://www.amazon.ca/Enigma-Robert-Harris/dp/0099527928/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1380756544&sr=1-1. It is a historical fiction story about the WWII code breakers working out of Bletchley Park.  From the back cover "March 1943, the war hangs in the balance, and at Bletchley Park a brilliant young codebreaker is facing a double nightmare. The Germans have unaccountably changed their U-boat Enigma code, threatening a massive Allied defeat. And as suspicion grows that there may be a spy inside Bletchley, Jericho's girlfriend, the beautiful and mysterious Claire Romilly, suddenly disappears."

I am quite enjoying the book, I think once I finished the book I will have to read some actual history books on the real Bletchley Park and the work they did cracking the German's crypto and also that of the Polish cryptologists.


----------



## s2184 (27 Oct 2013)

*Winter of the World*: by Ken Follett 

Very interesting, 400 more pages to go.

Previously I read "*The Fall of Giants*" by Ken Follett, really liked the book.


----------



## Pat in Halifax (27 Oct 2013)

Adam Makos
A Higher Call
I'd heard the story as a teenager of the Me 109 pilot 'escorting' the severely damaged B17 during WWII out of German airspace. For years, like many, I assumed it was an urban myth. The story even has a Canadian connection. The German pilot, Franz Stigler, went on to fly the Me 262 and was lured to Canada in the early 50's with the prospect of employment with Avro Canada helping to design a new interceptor; the "Aero".


----------



## observor 69 (27 Oct 2013)

dangerboy said:
			
		

> Reading "Enigma" by Robert Harris, http://www.amazon.ca/Enigma-Robert-Harris/dp/0099527928/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1380756544&sr=1-1. It is a historical fiction story about the WWII code breakers working out of Bletchley Park.  From the back cover "March 1943, the war hangs in the balance, and at Bletchley Park a brilliant young codebreaker is facing a double nightmare. The Germans have unaccountably changed their U-boat Enigma code, threatening a massive Allied defeat. And as suspicion grows that there may be a spy inside Bletchley, Jericho's girlfriend, the beautiful and mysterious Claire Romilly, suddenly disappears."
> 
> I am quite enjoying the book, I think once I finished the book I will have to read some actual history books on the real Bletchley Park and the work they did cracking the German's crypto and also that of the Polish cryptologists.



Based on your comments I got this book out of the library. It's a bit old but a good read, very well written and a " can't put it down."  This is an example of the value of this thread.  Thanks


----------



## Colin Parkinson (28 Oct 2013)

The Kydd series by Julian Stockwin, a great nautical read.


----------



## BernDawg (28 Oct 2013)

PMedMoe said:
			
		

> Almost done the third "Game of Thrones" book.  I'm liking the storyline well enough but the excessive description is killing me.  George R. R. Martin is the Tom Clancy of the fantasy genre.


4 & 5 are better, I hope you toughed it out and got there..


----------



## The Bread Guy (28 Oct 2013)

medicineman said:
			
		

> "The Night Shift" by Dr Brian Goldman...an extension of his radio show on CBC.


Read it last spring - interesting, but a bit toooo "all about me" for my liking.


----------



## Lightguns (29 Oct 2013)

Just started "Uprising" by Bland.  Not sure if it is a wake up call, blueprint for terror, or pure fantasy but it is hard to put down.  The descriptions of the lack of security in Canadian military bases is telling.  If I was a native in the CF or a Ranger I would be offended that my loyalty believed so lightly by a retired field grade officer.


----------



## dimsum (29 Oct 2013)

Has anyone read Shaman by Kim Stanley Robinson yet?


----------



## BernDawg (2 Nov 2013)

Just picked up the latest Saxon story from Cornwell and 1356. Once I burn through the last 2 books in the Starbuck chronicals they're going down range. (hmmm, any else see a pattern here??)


----------



## dimsum (2 Nov 2013)

Just started "On the Trail of Genghis Khan" by Tim Cope.  He spent 3 years on horseback from Mongolia to Hungary, living with nomads and generally retracing a path that the Mongol hordes would have taken on their journeys.  

So far, it's pretty interesting and definitely makes me consider visiting Mongolia someday.


----------



## FJAG (2 Nov 2013)

Okay. At the risk of it being said that I read "girlie" books let it be said that I read bloody excellent "girlie" books.  ;D

Earlier this year my daughter introduced me to Allan Bradley's "Flavia de Luce series". Bradley (who incidentally is a Canadian author) has written a series of books about a young (eleven) girl with sharp wits who lives in a deteriorating mansion in post World War 2 England who has a penchant for chemistry and investigating murders happening in her quaint English small-village countryside.

The characters and the prose are absolutely charming. The books' titles are: "The Sweetness At The Bottom Of The Pie", "The Weed That Strings The Hangman's Bag", "A Red Herring Without Mustard", "I Am Half-Sick Of Shadows", and "Speaking From Among The Bones". Another ("The Dead In Their Vaulted Arches") is due out next January. [url}http://www.amazon.com/Alan-Bradley/e/B001JRTK5O[/url]

If these don't interest you personally for heaven's sake buy them for your kids, grand-kids, nephews or nieces. 

 :cheers:


----------



## dimsum (9 Nov 2013)

Just finished reading "Combat Doctor" by Maj (Ret'd) Marc Dauphin, the OC of KAF Role 3 in 2009.  I had seen the 2-part documentary on it (and him) by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, and decided to pick it up online.  

At the risk of sounding melodramatic, what I did in my tours there pales significantly in comparison....and being just a dumb ACSO, I'm definitely not smart enough to be in the medical profession.


----------



## Kirkhill (16 Nov 2013)

Just finished Cornwell's latest:  Pagan Lord - in which Uhtred of Bebbanburg slaughters foemen, overcomes treachery and survives to fight another day - and as usual a great read.

Then I went an picked up a book by John Masters to re-read.  "Man of War"

John Masters was a military novelist who knew where of he spoke.  He served as Brigade Major of both Gurkhas and Chindits, as well as GSO1 of an Indian Army div in Slim's 14th Army (The Road Past Mandalay should be read along with Slim and MacDonald Fraser's "Quartered Safe Out Here".)

Man of War is a tale of survival.

It is about how an officer and an army survive the dead period between wars (1919 to 1940) and centres around a CFR'd "temporary gentleman" prepares himself to help extricate the remnants of the British Army from Dunkirk in 1940.   There are tactical lessons, logistical lessons and "political lessons" - in the sense that everything in life is political.

One vignette concerns sending out a detail to round up local vans and trucks to augment the inadequate (below authorized strength) levels of transport in the infantry battalions.  When the hero's unit disembarks onto the docks in France from England it's kit drives away in a mixture of milk vans, butcher's vans, laundry vans and other assorted trade's vehicles - all in their original paint and with their owner's logos still visible.

It was enjoyable the first two times I read it and I found it still enjoyable this time.


----------



## dangerboy (17 Nov 2013)

Picked up "An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth" by Chris Hadfield. http://www.amazon.ca/Astronauts-Guide-Life-Earth/dp/0345812700/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1384726585&sr=8-1&keywords=chris+hadfield+an+astronaut%27s+guide+to+life+on+earth

I have only read the first two chapters of the book, but so far it is an enjoyable read. Based on what I have read I have no problem recommending this book to everyone.

 I had lost most interest in the space program and had not been paying much attention to it in the last ten years.  When Chris Hadfield went to the space station and started using social media to explain everything about space it rekindled my interest in the space program.


----------



## dimsum (18 Nov 2013)

dangerboy said:
			
		

> Picked up "An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth" by Chris Hadfield. http://www.amazon.ca/Astronauts-Guide-Life-Earth/dp/0345812700/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1384726585&sr=8-1&keywords=chris+hadfield+an+astronaut%27s+guide+to+life+on+earth
> 
> I have only read the first two chapters of the book, but so far it is an enjoyable read. Based on what I have read I have no problem recommending this book to everyone.
> 
> I had lost most interest in the space program and had not been paying much attention to it in the last ten years.  When Chris Hadfield went to the space station and started using social media to explain everything about space it rekindled my interest in the space program.



I'm around where you are on the book, and totally echo what you say.  He seems like a very down-to-earth (pardon the pun) guy in all the media/interviews/etc. he's involved in.


----------



## OldSolduer (19 Nov 2013)

Legion of the Damned by Sven Hassel.

He was in the German Army, WWII, in the 27th Panzer (Penal) Regiment.


----------



## Lightguns (19 Nov 2013)

Jim Seggie said:
			
		

> Legion of the Damned by Sven Hassel.
> 
> He was in the German Army, WWII, in the 27th Panzer (Penal) Regiment.



Read it, excellent book but the author's CV is dubious as he has been Id'd as Danish Nazi in the occupation police and never served a day fighting anyone but Danish objectors.


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## OldSolduer (19 Nov 2013)

Lightguns said:
			
		

> Read it, excellent book but the author's CV is dubious as he has been Id'd as Danish Nazi in the occupation police and never served a day fighting anyone but Danish objectors.



Really?  I did not realize that. Thanks!!


----------



## Danjanou (20 Nov 2013)

Yup but it is entertaining. The others he wrote less so.

Just finished Dance With Dragons, now hav a long wait unitl George Martin gets off his *** and finishes book 6. :'(

Just started into When a Crocodile Eats the Sun: A Memoir of Africa  by Peter Godwin. He's a journalist who gre up in Rhodesia  and returned several times after 1980 often to visit his parents who remained there and to cover political events. This one covers the Land grabs of white farmers by Mugabe's "wovits" ( War Vets)  and trhe rise of the opposition to Mugabe's 30 year rul by the MDC. So far not a bad read and interesting as Godwins PC left leaning bias is apparently put to the test by the stark reality of Mugabe's Communist Dictatorship.


----------



## larry Strong (20 Nov 2013)

I have just started reading "1812 The march on Moscow" by Paul B Austin. It is the first book of a trilogy.

As described by this review:



> This account of the 1812 campaign is like no other in the English language. Austin has combined descriptive prose with quotes from primary sources to produce a readable account. It is similar to the approach that was used by French historians such as Lachouque, Hourtoulle and Houssaye. By using present tense he brilliantly combines his own prose with extracts from memoirs and letters into a story-like telling of the history that transports the reader back two hundred years. We are there observing Napoleon throughout the campaign; we see what those around him and elsewhere in the Grande Armée saw and we `experience' what they experienced.




Larry


----------



## estoguy (13 Dec 2013)

I read an interesting little text book from the 50s called "Basic Aeronautics".  Nice little primer.  I was surprised to read in the introduction that this aimed towards high schools. Of course, some is dated, but still interesting. Even learned a couple of things.


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## dangerboy (13 Dec 2013)

In preparation for going to see the movie and as my annual holiday tradition I am reading the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings books.  I think I will stick to just these ones, I have the other ones but I don't enjoy them as much.


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## FJAG (13 Dec 2013)

Coming to the end of George RR Martin's latest Game of Thrones book "A Dance with Dragons".

I've liked the series to this point but this last book is getting kind of draggy. Still good imagery and interesting characters to follow but the plot doesn't seem to be heading anywhere (which I presume is the point if you have several more books you want to sell)

 :cheers:


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## PMedMoe (14 Dec 2013)

FJAG said:
			
		

> Coming to the end of George RR Martin's latest Game of Thrones book "A Dance with Dragons".
> 
> I've liked the series to this point but this last book is getting kind of draggy. Still good imagery and interesting characters to follow but the plot doesn't seem to be heading anywhere (which I presume is the point if you have several more books you want to sell)



I'm about a third of the way through it and definitely not reading it with the same enthusiasm with which I read the others.   :nod:


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## KerryBlue (14 Dec 2013)

I picked up the Dog's are eating them now: Our war in Afghanistan a few weeks ago, so far I haven't read much because of exams but its a pretty good book. I'd recommend it to anyone interested in foreign affairs.


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## cupper (14 Dec 2013)

Starting into David Baldacci's latest, "King and Maxwell". Biggest problem is that I I have the characters from the TV series stuck in my head, which really sucks.

Just finished "A Captain's Duty" by Captain Richard Phillips. He spoke at a conference I was at last month. Very interesting perspective on what happened, and how you never really know what you are capable of and how much you can endure.


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## dimsum (14 Dec 2013)

PMedMoe said:
			
		

> I'm about a third of the way through it and definitely not reading it with the same enthusiasm with which I read the others.   :nod:



I read that way back and I agree with FJAG; it's getting too draggy (maybe because they're throwing in more and more characters).  If the HBO series will have 2 seasons dedicated to the 3rd book, I shudder to think how many seasons it'd take to make ADWD.


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## mariomike (18 Dec 2013)

"Public Cowboy No. 1: The Life and Times of Gene Autry"
http://www.mwotrc.com/rr2013_06/Public_Cowboy.htm

The amazing story of a remarkable career.


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## a_majoor (18 Dec 2013)

Early Christmas present: 

"The War That Ended Peace: The Road To 1914" by Margaret Macmillan

Very nice compliment to "August 1919"


----------



## cjette1 (21 Dec 2013)

Just finished Contact Charlie by Chris Wattie. It's a pretty interesting read.


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## UnwiseCritic (21 Dec 2013)

Lawrence in Arabia by Scott Anderson. As much as I knew about how imperial powers at that time betrayed the Arabs and lawrence. I was not aware that the Jews and Palestinians had struck a real deal. But a 5 minute meeting between French and British ruined that opportunity.


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## dangerboy (21 Dec 2013)

Using the holiday to catch up on my reading.  I have just started "Dune" by Frank Herbert, I have never read it and people were telling me to as it is considered a classic. Only a few chapters in, seems ok nothing spectacular, maybe it will pick up.


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## FJAG (21 Dec 2013)

dangerboy said:
			
		

> Using the holiday to catch up on my reading.  I have just started "Dune" by Frank Herbert, I have never read it and people were telling me to as it is considered a classic. Only a few chapters in, seems ok nothing spectacular, maybe it will pick up.



I've always found "Dune" okay but Frank Herbert's sequels (Messiah, Children etc) somewhat tedious.

On the other hand the prequels and related books written by Frank Herbert's son, Brian Herbert with Kevin J Anderson I've always found much better written and more entertaining than the the original series.

If you find that the book doesn't measure up for you, I would suggest you might give "Dune: The Butlerian Jihad" a try. If you like that one there are plenty more in the series.

 :subbies:


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## dimsum (21 Dec 2013)

I've been on a bit of a sci-fi kick lately; I've been to this independent bookstore enough that the owners know me there.  It's an odd feeling, almost like when a bartender knows your drink although with none of the health/guilt issues  

Currently reading Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie which is a pretty good sci-fi mystery story so far.  I've been really impressed with the stuff by Kim Stanley Robinson (2312, Shaman - not sci-fi but still very good) and Iain M. Banks (the Culture series, especially Hydrogen Sonata).  

Figured that if I was at the beach checking out the scenery soaking up the rays, I might as well look smart doing it    ;D


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## dangerboy (25 Jan 2014)

Started reading "The War That Ended Peace: The Road to 1914" by Margaret MacMillan. http://www.amazon.ca/War-That-Ended-Peace-Road/dp/0670064041/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1390667956&sr=8-1&keywords=the+war+that+ended+peace 

Only a few chapters in but so far she is doing a good job explaining the situation and personalities in the era of 1900 - 1914.  It turns out there may be more to the start of WWI than what we are taught in school, that the Kaiser was to blame and the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand started it all  .


----------



## SMG III (25 Jan 2014)

The End by Ian Kershaw. The defiance and destruction of Hitler's Germany, 1944-1945. Really well written.


----------



## OldSolduer (25 Jan 2014)

Just finished Lone Survivor.

Quite a tale. Remarkable  resiliency .


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## Journeyman (25 Jan 2014)

Hell, I'm still trying to figure out what health/guilt issues he's talking about.... 





			
				Dimsum said:
			
		

> ......like when a bartender knows your drink although with none of the health/guilt issues


  :cheers:


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## daftandbarmy (25 Jan 2014)

Thanks mainly to excessive air travel I have just finished two books about the USMC in the Pacific War: 'With the Old Breed' and 'Goodbye Darkness'. The HBO series 'The Pacific' is largely based on these two books.

I doubt the HBO program conveys a fraction of the actual horror, the scale and ferocity of the battles described seem simply off the charts, but I note that it includes several incidents that actually happened as described in the books. 

It's definitely worth reading the books before seeing the series, so I guess I'll have to watch it again  :nod:


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## dimsum (25 Jan 2014)

Journeyman said:
			
		

> Hell, I'm still trying to figure out what health/guilt issues he's talking about....   :cheers:



Lately it's been financial health.  Drinks in Australia aren't cheap.   

ETA:  I'm also slowly making my way through the Hyperion series by Dan Simmons.  Hyperion (the first book) was very interesting with all the backstories.  Fall of Hyperion (the second book) has been a struggle so far.


----------



## Shrek1985 (25 Jan 2014)

Come and take them by Tom Kratman.

Literally just finished Amazon Legion and picked up Come and Take Them.

His books have this great way of shaking up my thinking and making me question my preconceptions. I'd recommend Amazon Legion especially to anyone involved in training.


----------



## a_majoor (27 Jan 2014)

Kingston i causing me to sin again; I browsed through a used bookstore and bought several books without even getting partway through "The war that ended peace". Considering the schedule for the next few months, this is amazingly stupid, I am now farther than ever behind the reading pile...

Purchases include:

Walter Russel Mead: "God and Gold; Britain, America and the making of the modern world"
Colin Thubron: "The lost heart of Asia"
M.I Finley: "The world of Odysseus" (a beautiful folio edition)
Tim Severin: "The China Voyage"

This should keep me going until at least 2015


----------



## devil39 (29 Jan 2014)

Just finished  The Heart Of A Dog by Mikhail Bulgakov, a satirical look by a Russian author in 1925 about creating "the new Soviet man".  Funny, biting, angry and very daring given the time frame in which he was writing.  First published in 1968 outside the Soviet Union and apparently first confiscated in 1925 in the Soviet Union.


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## Dissident (29 Jan 2014)

"One day in August" by David O'Keefe
A new take on Dieppe that is fascinating.


----------



## Evancai (29 Jan 2014)

The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins
The REAL Frank Zappa by Frank Zappa
Guns, Germs and Steel by Jarred Diamond


----------



## Journeyman (29 Jan 2014)

NinerSix said:
			
		

> "One day in August" by David O'Keefe
> A new take on Dieppe that is fascinating.


All the reviews and advertising for the book proclaim it "explains the _real_ purpose of the mission."  I'm curious what O'Keefe believes it was (beyond "redressing the balance of the war"), but not enough to buy the book or dedicate the time -- I have enough backlogged reading already.

Once you find the Caramilk _Op Jubilee_ secret, could you please provide an update...even if just by PM, if it'll change the course of history.  Thanks.


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## Dissident (29 Jan 2014)

Please take the time to add it to your list, or at least watch the documentary Dieppe uncovered, which was apparently based on the book.

I am no expert, but the book appears well research and gives a compelling narrative which explains the decisions made. All of it is based on a hunch from the author from 1997(?) leading to recently (2012) declassified documents and a forgotten memoir by a now dead survivor of the raid. Only the last three chapters or so related to the actual landing (out of fourteen chapters).

No spoilers from me though, it will be better that way.


----------



## Old Sweat (29 Jan 2014)

As I recall, his theory put foreword in the documentary is that the raid was mounted to seize an enigma machine, as the Germans had just modified their machines and changed their codes. It is an interesting theory, but no more than that.


----------



## dapaterson (29 Jan 2014)

There have been many attempts over the years to justify the poor decisions of the German prince who ordered the raid to proceed.  None yet have succeeded.


----------



## Journeyman (29 Jan 2014)

Old Sweat, thank you.  Like I said, the curiosity factor just wasn't enough to trump the reading time available.  Now that I know the premise -- "after more than a dozen years of being convinced, former SIGINT'er _discovers_ secret documents that 'prove' Dieppe was all about SIGINT" -- I'll definitely give it a pass.

Even Herbert Marcuse, the godfather of the dehumanizing effects of capitalism, is quoted as saying "not every problem you're having with your girlfriend is necessarily due to the capitalist mode of production."


----------



## OldSolduer (29 Jan 2014)

Journeyman said:
			
		

> All the reviews and advertising for the book proclaim it "explains the _real_ purpose of the mission."  I'm curious what O'Keefe believes it was (beyond "redressing the balance of the war"), but not enough to buy the book or dedicate the time -- I have enough backlogged reading already.
> 
> Once you find the Caramilk _Op Jubilee_ secret, could you please provide an update...even if just by PM, if it'll change the course of history.  Thanks.



I had to write an essay on Dieppe for an OPME. The blame for the raid could be placed upon several people, including McNaughton and Crerare, and not excluding British SOE and the Government of Canada.

In essence, it was a committee  decision IMO and who is held accountable for committee decisions?

Do I hear crickets chirping?


----------



## cupper (30 Jan 2014)

Anybody read Mark Zuehlke's series of Canadian WWII military history?

I picked up Juno Beach and Breakout from Juno when I was home at Christmas and am planning to jump into them after I finish The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith (aka J.K. Rowling). An excellent read by the way, and I can echo a couple of previous posts that recommend it.

Thuc and Journeyman I can definitely commiserate, my reading pile looks like a library's cart of books to be reshelved.


----------



## d_edwards (31 Jan 2014)

1000 years of annoying the French.  By Stephan Clarke


----------



## JoeDos (31 Jan 2014)

GED Study book, and Pass the CFAT! Complete Canadian Forces Aptitude Test Study Guide and Practice Test Questions.


----------



## Biohazardxj (31 Jan 2014)

About to re-read "Space" by James Mitchener.  First read it back in the mid 80s.  Great author, great story.


----------



## GiveMeYourPie (31 Jan 2014)

Just Started With The Old Breed by E.B. Sledge. Amazing so far.


----------



## Bass ackwards (1 Feb 2014)

Currently reading _The Pagan Lord_ by Bernard Cornwell.
It is the latest instalment (so far) in his 'Warrior Chronicles', set in ninth and tenth century England.


----------



## dapaterson (1 Feb 2014)

Slide Rule, by Nevil Shute.  One would hope that it's mandatory reading for all aeronautical engineers.


----------



## Journeyman (1 Feb 2014)

dapaterson said:
			
		

> Slide Rule, by Nevil Shute.  One would hope that it's mandatory reading for all aeronautical engineers.


...mandatory reading.....aeronautical engineers......_reading_    :rofl:


----------



## Pat in Halifax (2 Feb 2014)

Tom Clancy's THREAT VECTOR - A scary but potentially real tale of world wide cyber espionage and all out cyber war.


----------



## Colin Parkinson (10 Mar 2014)

Almost finished the "Taliban don't wave" and have the "Battle of Salamis" with me for the flight home.


----------



## x_para76 (10 Mar 2014)

World War Z... So much better than the movie! What a shock?


----------



## Pat in Halifax (11 Mar 2014)

The Monuments Men
Slow going but I had made up my mind to read the book before seeing the movie.

Just picked up Pomeroy's Quay written by the MARLANT LogO Cdr George Forward. A healthy portion of the proceeds going to Camp Hill Veteran's Hospital in Halifax...bonus!

Pat


----------



## The Bread Guy (11 Mar 2014)

Colin P said:
			
		

> .... the "Battle of Salamis" ....


At a glance, I thought this was about a fight between two charcuterie companies  :facepalm:

Forgot a couple of old paperbacks on the plane during a recent trip, so buying some of my previous faves and going to go through them again:

"The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress"
"All Quiet on the Western Front"
"Starship Troopers"
"Ender's Game"
"Old Man's War"


----------



## Colin Parkinson (11 Mar 2014)

Well to be fair it's not a name you hear much these days, written by Barry Strauss, heard good reviews about it either here or Tanknet.


----------



## PMedMoe (11 Mar 2014)

_Still_ reading Game of Thrones, book 5 (and it's taking me longer than the other four _combined_...   :-\) and also reading The Secret Servant by Daniel Silva.


----------



## observor 69 (11 Mar 2014)

Just starting "The War That Ended Peace,’ by Margaret MacMillan" , 700 plus pages of history. 

How Did It All Happen?
‘The War That Ended Peace,’ by Margaret MacMillan, Sunday Book Review,
 http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/27/books/review/the-war-that-ended-peace-by-margaret-macmillan.html


----------



## cupper (11 Mar 2014)

Baden Guy said:
			
		

> Just starting "The War That Ended Peace,’ by Margaret MacMillan" , 700 plus pages of history.
> 
> How Did It All Happen?
> ‘The War That Ended Peace,’ by Margaret MacMillan, Sunday Book Review,
> http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/27/books/review/the-war-that-ended-peace-by-margaret-macmillan.html



Heard a discussion on NPR today which included this author. They are doing a 2 part story which is a thought experiment about what the world would be like if Arch Duke Franz Ferdinand had not been assassinated, and WWI had not occurred. There were 2 other authors that had written counterfactual histories based on that assumption.


----------



## dangerboy (19 Mar 2014)

Just finished reading "Catastrophe: Europe goes to war 1914" http://www.amazon.ca/Catastrophe-1914-Max-Hastings/dp/0007467648/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1395273884&sr=8-1&keywords=catastrophe+1914+europe+goes+to+war by one of my favourite writers  Max Hastings.

It covers how WWI started and the first year of the war.  I don't read a lot of WWI history and the stuff I have read is mostly Canadian based so I was not very familiar with the events that took place during the first year of the war.  I did not realise that the BEF was that screwed up and how lucky they were just to have survived.

If you are a fan of Max Hasting's writing or interested in WWI history I recommend this book.


----------



## Danjanou (20 Mar 2014)

About halfway through *Bugles and a Tiger: My Life in the Gurkhas* by John Masters 
http://www.amazon.com/Bugles-Tiger-Gurkhas-Military-Paperbacks/dp/0304361569

I read *The Road Past Mandalay*_ years ago which covers his experiences in the old Indian Army in Iraq, Syria and Iran and then as a Brigade Major and acting Brigade Commander in the Chindits.

This is the prequel covering his time at Sandhurst and service as Subaltern in the 2nd Bn 4th Gurkhas. Fascinating read and his accounts of service on the NW frontier in the1930's should have been mandatory reading for anyone prior to deploying to Afghanistan. The tactics, ROEs, political interference etca re all too similar to what I've read on here and elsewhere about our involvement there. 
_


----------



## dangerboy (23 Mar 2014)

About half way through "Bomber Command" by Max Hastings
http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/0760345201/ref=s9_simh_gw_p14_d3_i5?pf_rd_m=A3DWYIK6Y9EEQB&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=0YRWSQM4SG21D7Z2GX0B&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=1687860482&pf_rd_i=915398

It is the historical account of the RAF's Bomber Command during the second world war, led by Air Chief Marshal Sir Arthur Harris.  Much like all of the book I have read by Max Hastings I would recommend this one wholeheartedly.


----------



## mariomike (23 Mar 2014)

dangerboy said:
			
		

> About half way through "Bomber Command" by Max Hastings
> http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/0760345201/ref=s9_simh_gw_p14_d3_i5?pf_rd_m=A3DWYIK6Y9EEQB&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=0YRWSQM4SG21D7Z2GX0B&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=1687860482&pf_rd_i=915398
> 
> It is the historical account of the RAF's Bomber Command during the second world war, led by Air Chief Marshal Sir Arthur Harris.  Much like all of the book I have read by Max Hastings I would recommend this one wholeheartedly.



That's a wonderful book.

I remember this part: "The pitiful prospects of surviving a tour of bomber operations were only matched in hazard on either side by the German U-boat crews."


----------



## dimsum (23 Mar 2014)

Reading Neil Gaiman's _American Gods_.  Highly recommended if you have even a passing interest in world (especially Norse) mythology, but it straddles horror, fantasy, a bit of sci-fi (I guess) and standard "whodunnit".  

It won Best Novel in 2002 for fantasy, sci-fi and horror awards (Hugo, Nebula, Locus and Bram Stoker, amongst others), if that sways anyone.


----------



## The Bread Guy (23 Mar 2014)

Just starting _"Old Man's War"_ by John Scalzi - said to be "like Starship Troopers with more sex"  ;D


----------



## dimsum (23 Mar 2014)

milnews.ca said:
			
		

> Just starting _"Old Man's War"_ by John Scalzi - said to be "like Starship Troopers with more sex"  ;D



It's pretty good.  The Human Division by the same author is pretty good as well, although less sex.   :-\

If you (or anyone reading this) is a Trek fan, read his book Redshirts.


----------



## Retired AF Guy (23 Mar 2014)

Just finished " Red Seas under Red Skies," Scott Lynch's sequel to his debut novel " The Lies of Locke Lamora." 

A convoluted tale set in a fantasy world that involves more double/triple crosses then you can shake a stick at.


----------



## FJAG (24 Mar 2014)

Dimsum said:
			
		

> It's pretty good.  The Human Division by the same author is pretty good as well, although less sex.   :-\
> 
> If you (or anyone reading this) is a Trek fan, read his book Redshirts.



Just finished "Human Division" which is an excellent book. The whole "Old Man" series is quite fine (albeit "Zoe's Tale" is a bit different as its written from a teenage girl's point of view but still fits into the series quite well)

 :cheers:


----------



## JoeDos (24 Mar 2014)

I started reading the first Game of Thrones book, I wasn't a fan of the show but I am liking the book so far.


----------



## RangerRay (9 Apr 2014)

I just finished _Harlequin_, _Vagabond_, _Heretic_, _1356_ and _Azincourt_, all by Bernard Cornwell, all about archers during the Hundred Years War.

I will start _Ender's Game_ by Orson Scott Card, which is apparently on the U.S. Marine Corps Professional Reading List.


----------



## BernDawg (11 Apr 2014)

Enders Game is an awesome read (as are all of the Cornwell books ;-) ) Especially if you haven't seen the movie yet.
I am a huge Cornwell fan as well and have just about everything he's ever written. My favourite series are the Saxon stories about Uthred of Bebbanburgh, great character..


----------



## FJAG (16 Apr 2014)

Just finished reading "Clearing the Way: Combat Engineers in Kandahar 23 Field Squadron." edited by Major Mark Gasparotto for some research on Op Madusa. 

Generally I'm not to interested in engineer stories but I quite enjoyed reading this book. I think that was primarily due to the style which started with an overview (combat diary) by Gasparotto himself and then a number of vignettes by various individuals in the Squadron. All-in-all it was a very compelling story highlighting the difficulties encountered and overcome by these sappers.

I highly recommend it but have one caution; my Kindle edition for some reason did not contain the maps and photos that are in the print version of the book. You can view them however at Google.Books.

http://www.amazon.ca/Clearing-Way-Mark-Gasparotto/dp/1926582594

 :cheers:


----------



## dapaterson (19 May 2014)

Journeyman said:
			
		

> Old Sweat, thank you.  Like I said, the curiosity factor just wasn't enough to trump the reading time available.  Now that I know the premise -- "after more than a dozen years of being convinced, former SIGINT'er _discovers_ secret documents that 'prove' Dieppe was all about SIGINT" -- I'll definitely give it a pass.
> 
> Even Herbert Marcuse, the godfather of the dehumanizing effects of capitalism, is quoted as saying "not every problem you're having with your girlfriend is necessarily due to the capitalist mode of production."



Just finished "One Day in August".  I have a particular dislike for authors who add _emphasis_ when quoting source documents without acknowledging that it is theirs, and not in the original - and an end-not doesn't cut it.

Credit for originality - according to O'Keefe, Ian Fleming of James Bond fame was really one of the prime instigators of the raid.  His assertion in his epilogue that "the evidence is irrefutable that the pinch formed the main driver for Operation Jubilee" may be true, but if it is, that evidence is not to be found in the book.  He ignores the human penchant to continue down a chosen path.  He selectively acknowledges that sometimes, patronage explains the "who" more than competence does.  (A particular problem in a class conscious society such as the UK).  He does acknowledge the poor "joint" planning in support of the raid, at least (good to see that some things never change).  And he provides some interesting history of the work at Bletchley Park.

An interesting read for much of the history it contains, but not so much for the theorizing.


----------



## vonGarvin (19 May 2014)

Paradise Lost, by Milton.


----------



## Retired AF Guy (19 May 2014)

Half way through the "The Iron King" by Maurice Druon. This is first in a series about the conflict between various families contending for the French throne in the 14th century and the outbreak of the Hundred Years War. George R. R. Martin has acknowledged that this was one of his inspiration for his "A Song of Ice and Fire" series of books which was made into the HBO series "Game of Thrones."


----------



## Colin Parkinson (28 May 2014)

Ring of fire, edited by Eric Flint, about a 1998 US mining town plunked down into Germany during the 30 year war. Slowly and haphazardly picking my way through the series.


----------



## dangerboy (28 May 2014)

Just finished reading "Sharpe's Trafalgar" by Bernard Cornwell.  In this book, Sharpe is sailing to England and ends up meeting Lord Admiral Nelson and participating in the famous battle against the French and Spanish armada.  I will let people a lot more knowledgable on Naval history comment on how accurate the authors description of life on a British warship in this time period was, but to this army guy based on my visit to the HMS Victory when I was a kid they seemed accurate.


----------



## Journeyman (28 May 2014)

Andrew Bacevich, _The New American Militarism: How Americans are Seduced by War_ -- 2012 Updated Version

I'm about 1/2 - 2/3 through it; I'll likely wrap it up tomorrow, since the patio weather is more conducive to reading than scenery-admiration.

It's an interesting premise, examining the militarization of US society (not just the political/military leadership) since Vietnam, in which no one President/political party can be blamed.  Parts of it resonates within Canada (ie - our recent "Support the Troops" mantra being a mile wide and an inch deep echoes the similar US view as the default "must do" for every politician regardless of stripe, becoming even more important than actually having served, which was the previous gold standard).  The majority however is clearly focused on American exceptionalism....for better or, in this case, worse.

He tends to write repetitively with small words and examples, because its criticisms make it a sure target for dissection and he doesn't want to be misunderstood.....with an occasional sprinkling of larger words or historical minutiae, probably to demonstrate that he's no longer an Armour officer.    Regardless, I'm enjoying the subject and the style.


----------



## The Bread Guy (28 May 2014)

BernDawg said:
			
		

> Enders Game is an awesome read (as are all of the Cornwell books ;-) ) Especially if you haven't seen the movie yet.


SO true - glad I read before I viewed.

An unusual choice I'm starting:  _"Anti-Capitalist Resistance Comic Book: From the WTO to the G2O"_.  



Part of my "always good to know how the other side thinks/what glasses they wear" education


----------



## larry Strong (28 May 2014)

I've started reading "The quest for the Lost Roman Legions. Discovering the Varus battlefield" by Tony Clunn. It chronicles Major T Clunn's search for the battlefield where the 17th, 18th, & 19th Roman legions met their fate.




Larry


----------



## RangerRay (28 May 2014)

_The War that Ended Peace_ by Margaret Macmillan.  Very fascinating.


----------



## Journeyman (28 May 2014)

milnews.ca said:
			
		

> An unusual choice I'm starting:  "Anti-Capitalist Resistance Comic Book: From the WTO to the G2O"


And you're going to colour outside the lines now, aren't you?  You radical!!   




			
				RangerRay said:
			
		

> _The War that Ended Peace_ by Margaret Macmillan.  Very fascinating.


One of my favourites on the lead-in to WW1.   :nod:

She touches all the crucial points, personalities, and timelines, but writes in an easy to understand manner (which is why I think some "professional Great War followers"TM have trashed-talked it.)


----------



## The Bread Guy (29 May 2014)

Journeyman said:
			
		

> And you're going to colour outside the lines now, aren't you?  You radical!!


Colour free or die, baby!  ;D  It's actually interesting to see how some in the anarchist, pro-Black Bloc side views the history of protests like the "Battle in Seattle".

Obscure spoiler alert from the book so far:  When cue balls and hockey pucks are outlawed, only outlaws will own cue balls and hockey pucks.


----------



## Coastalchaos (29 May 2014)

I just finished Halifax- The Warden of the North by Thomas Raddall.  A great read if you like maritime history.  Covers pre-settlement  to the 1970's in an easy to read overview.  I also just started A Brief History of Mutiny- Furious, Savage, and Bloody: 400 years of rebellion by Richard Woodman.  Only 15 pages in but looks like it will be a good one as well.


----------



## medicineman (30 May 2014)

Brian Godman's "The Secret Language of Doctors"...I've learned a few new descriptors/acronyms, but now really have to think before I speak, since the cat's out of the bag  :nod:

MM


----------



## RangerRay (30 May 2014)

I should also note that the last book I read before _The War that Ended Peace_ was _Last Child in the Woods: Saving our children from nature deficit disorder._

http://www.amazon.ca/Last-Child-Woods-Children-Nature-Deficit/dp/156512605X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1401466113&sr=1-1&keywords=last+child+in+the+woods



> "I like to play indoors better 'cause that's where all the electrical outlets are," reports a fourth-grader. Never before in history have children been so plugged in—and so out of touch with the natural world. In this groundbreaking new work, child advocacy expert Richard Louv directly links the lack of nature in the lives of today's wired generation—he calls it nature deficit—to some of the most disturbing childhood trends, such as rises in obesity, Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), and depression.
> 
> Some startling facts: By the 1990s the radius around the home where children were allowed to roam on their own had shrunk to a ninth of what it had been in 1970. Today, average eight-year-olds are better able to identify cartoon characters than native species, such as beetles and oak trees, in their own community. The rate at which doctors prescribe antidepressants to children has doubled in the last five years, and recent studies show that too much computer use spells trouble for the developing mind.



Might explain the quality of today's recruits, judging by the Recruiting threads...  ;D


----------



## The Bread Guy (30 May 2014)

Dimsum said:
			
		

> If you (or anyone reading this) is a Trek fan, read his book Redshirts.


Just finished that one as well - be prepared for a bit of radical shift of viewpoint, but interesting existential premise.  Another good read.  Thanks for the tip!


----------



## dangerboy (6 Jun 2014)

In honour of today and am reading again the book "The Longest Day" by Cornelius Ryan.  I don't think I ave to explain what this book is about.  Then later tonight will probably watch the movie.


----------



## The Bread Guy (6 Jun 2014)

dangerboy said:
			
		

> In honour of today and am reading again the book "The Longest Day" by Cornelius Ryan.  I don't think I ave to explain what this book is about.  Then later tonight will probably watch the movie.


Watching same - dummies just jumped  ;D


----------



## OldSolduer (14 Jun 2014)

milnews.ca said:
			
		

> Watching same - dummies just jumped  ;D



Infantry Attacks by Erwin Rommel


----------



## dangerboy (23 Jul 2014)

Just finished reading "Crisis in Urlia" by Karl Schroeder.  This short novel was commissioned by the Canadian Army Land Warfare Centre and is about how the CF could be operating in 2040 with the changes in politics, technology and operating environment.  It was not a bad read but I just can't see the publications like these having much value, I seriously doubt that the majority of the Canadian Army is going to read it maybe 5%  (just a wild guess on my part).  It is available for download here: http://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2014/mdn-dnd/D2-324-2013-eng.pdf and there are hard copies also distributed out.


----------



## x_para76 (24 Jul 2014)

Just finished reading "Lone Survivor". As usual it had a fair bit of detail that was left out in the movie. Nevertheless it was a good read with the exception of the first chapter which was a little bit too American for me.


----------



## The Bread Guy (24 Jul 2014)

dangerboy said:
			
		

> Just finished reading "Crisis in Urlia" by Karl Schroeder.  This short novel was commissioned by the Canadian Army Land Warfare Centre and is about how the CF could be operating in 2040 with the changes in politics, technology and operating environment.  It was not a bad read but I just can't see the publications like these having much value, I seriously doubt that the majority of the Canadian Army is going to read it maybe 5%  (just a wild guess on my part).  It is available for download here: http://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2014/mdn-dnd/D2-324-2013-eng.pdf and there are hard copies also distributed out.


I see one of the characters has gone from Warrant to LCOL since the crisis in Zefra (PDF).  Thanks for sharing the link for the latest.

Found some old Casca paperbacks in a second-hand store, so I'm re-reading those - enjoyed them when I was younger.  Good quick, fun reads.


----------



## FJAG (2 Sep 2014)

Not reading but finished writing.

My latest effort in the _Allies_ series is now up and available as an ebook on Amazon.com.

_Allies: The Bay_ takes a slight turn and introduces several new characters from the US Army CID. The story is a murder/police procedural but still with an operational backdrop which in this case is Operation MEDUSA.

Link is here: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00N70Q7AM

:cheers:


----------



## GAP (2 Sep 2014)

just ordered it through Amazon.ca $4.34 Ca. Now if I can just get my kindle to work..... :


----------



## dimsum (2 Sep 2014)

I've been travelling the last while so I had lots of time to sit back and read on the plane.  

Currently reading Dust by Hugh Howey.  It's the 3rd part of a trilogy (Wool and Shift are the other two) and while seemingly standard post-apocalyptic sci-fi novels, the way he writes makes it feel like you're reading the story in the Fallout video game universe.  

Other good reads were House of Suns by Alastair Reynolds (hard sci-fi but the novel spans millions of years in time), Imperium by Robert Harris (a novel based on the life and political intrigues of Cicero in Rome), and We Were Soldiers Once And Young by LGen (ret'd) Hal Moore.


----------



## PMedMoe (2 Sep 2014)

About two-thirds of the way through Gone Girl.  It's a good read, fast paced and keeps you guessing.


----------



## cupper (2 Sep 2014)

Just finished _*Breakout From Juno*_ by Mark Zuehlke. Interesting read, and learned a lot that I was unaware of about the Normandy Campaign. It's not hard to figure that Zuehkle has strong opinions about the leadership at Corps and Army levels, all the way up to Montgomery.

Now trying to decide what to read next, Greg Iles *The Devil's Punchbowl*, or a 25th anniversary rerelease of Richard Rhodes _*The Making of the Atomic Bomb*_


----------



## Eye In The Sky (19 Sep 2014)

Just starting None But the Brave - The Essential Contributions of RAF Bomber Command to Allied Victory during the Second World War by David L. Bashow.

I got a copy of One Day In August as a gift that I'm looking forward to next.


----------



## jollyjacktar (19 Sep 2014)

Japan at War

A good oral history book.


----------



## dangerboy (25 Sep 2014)

Just starting reading "Edge of Eternity" by Ken Folletthttp://www.amazon.ca/Edge-Eternity-Three-Century-Trilogy/dp/0525953094/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1411684185&sr=8-1&keywords=edge+of+eternity. It it the third book in his Century Trilogy, the first two being "Fall of Giants" and "Winter of the World".  It is a historical fiction that covers the lives of five families (American, German, Russian, English, and Welsh). In this book it covers the 1960's to the 1980s and all the major events that occurred during that period.

I do have one recommendation if you do decide to read this book, re-read the first two.  I didn't and had trouble remembering all the back story that went along with each family. Even without remembering all the details of the different families I enjoyed the book and say if you have read the first two books and liked them or any of Mr. Follett's other books I think you will enjoy this one.


----------



## dimsum (25 Sep 2014)

dangerboy said:
			
		

> Just starting reading "Edge of Eternity" by Ken Folletthttp://www.amazon.ca/Edge-Eternity-Three-Century-Trilogy/dp/0525953094/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1411684185&sr=8-1&keywords=edge+of+eternity. It it the third book in his Century Trilogy, the first two being "Fall of Giants" and "Winter of the World".  It is a historical fiction that covers the lives of five families (American, German, Russian, English, and Welsh). In this book it covers the 1960's to the 1980s and all the major events that occurred during that period.
> 
> I do have one recommendation if you do decide to read this book, re-read the first two.  I didn't and had trouble remembering all the back story that went along with each family. Even without remembering all the details of the different families I enjoyed the book and say if you have read the first two books and liked them or any of Mr. Follett's other books I think you will enjoy this one.



I was looking at that the other day.  Very interesting.

I just finished John Scalzi's latest "Lock In".  It's a noir detective "whodunnit" sprinkled with a token amount of sci-fi; I hesitate to call it a "sci-fi novel" at all.  I wasn't sure how he'd handle a detective story but after finishing it in about 7 hours, I was very impressed.

Currently reading Sand, Hugh Howey's latest (and I think the start of another trilogy).  The Silo Trilogy was worth the time, although I thought Dust was a bit anticlimactic.


----------



## Retired AF Guy (27 Sep 2014)

*The Dark Monk: A Hangman's Daughter Tale* by Oliver Pötzsch. The second in a mystery series that takes place in the mid-17th century Bavaria and involves a local executioner and his daughter. Well written and a very enjoyable read.


----------



## AlphaCharlieCharlie (1 Oct 2014)

I recently read _The Patrol: Seven Days in the Life of a Canadian Soldier in Afghanistan_ by Ryan Flavelle. He was a Reservist who chose to complete a deployment to Afghanistan. Definitely a good read!

I am currently reading _No Easy Task: Fighting in Afghanistan_, which is a series of papers on the history of fighting in the country and the lessons that have been learned through the Counter Insurgency (COIN) missions through the ages. This is less about what is happening now and more about what we have learned through history. How insurgents use intimidation to control the locals and invading forces need to gain the "hearts and minds" of the locals to be successful. Not a light read, but a good one!


----------



## FJAG (1 Oct 2014)

Just finished a bunch of tripe that I won't relate here but luckily have just started "Sycamore Row" by John Grisham.  This is a follow up of several of the characters from his much earlier novel "A Time to Kill". So far he's back in top form. Good characters; nice plot; well written.

 :cheers:


----------



## GAP (1 Oct 2014)

Your books were a good read too


----------



## FJAG (1 Oct 2014)

GAP said:
			
		

> Your books were a good read too



Thanks

There's a new one went up within the last two months:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00N70Q7AM

This one puts the emphasis on a character from the US Army CID but still follows the rest of the "Allies" crowd.

 :cheers:


----------



## Privateer (1 Oct 2014)

I read this a while back, but I'm putting it here for those of you who like a well written police / crime novel:  _City of Ice_ by John Farrow (pseudonym for Trevor Ferguson).  

It takes place in Montreal during the biker wars of the 1990's.  It's told from the point of view of a Montreal police detective, and brings in the relationships and politics between his force, the RCMP, and the SQ.  Well written and set in a real Canadian time and place.


----------



## dangerboy (1 Oct 2014)

Just picked up "Waterloo; The History of Four Days, Three Armies and Three Battles" by Bernard Cornwell. http://www.bernardcornwell.net/books/waterloo-the-true-story-of-four-days-three-armies-and-three-battles/ . After writing a lot of fictional stories set during this time period and some featuring the battle, Mr. Cornwell writes his first non-fiction book about the pivotal battle.

I have just read the back cover and the introduction but am really looking forward to this novel.  I have read almost all of his book and loved them (his version of the Arthurian legend is my favourite) so I have high expectations for this book and am hoping it lives up to them.


----------



## jollyjacktar (1 Oct 2014)

Reading, "Wearing the Green Beret  A Canadian with the Royal Marine Commandos" by Jake Olafsen.  Good read so far.


----------



## PMedMoe (1 Oct 2014)

FJAG said:
			
		

> Just finished a bunch of tripe that I won't relate here but luckily have just started "Sycamore Row" by John Grisham.  This is a follow several of the characters from his much earlier novel "A Time to Kill". So far he's back in top form. Good characters; nice plot; well written.



Ooohh, gotta look for that one.  :nod:

Just started The Princes of Ireland by Edward Rutherfurd.  Love his books that span several generations.


----------



## FJAG (1 Oct 2014)

dangerboy said:
			
		

> Just picked up "Waterloo; The History of Four Days, Three Armies and Three Battles" by Bernard Cornwell. http://www.bernardcornwell.net/books/waterloo-the-true-story-of-four-days-three-armies-and-three-battles/ . After writing a lot of fictional stories set during this time period and some featuring the battle, Mr. Cornwell writes his first non-fiction book about the pivotal battle.
> 
> I have just read the back cover and the introduction but am really looking forward to this novel.  I have read almost all of his book and loved them (his version of the Arthurian legend is my favourite) so I have high expectations for this book and am hoping it lives up to them.



I'm looking forward to this one as well but with some caution. His "Sharpe's Waterloo" was quite biased in favour the actions of the British while heavily (and IMHO unfairly) critical of their Belgian/Dutch allies. The Prussians were somewhat ignored. Hope the non fiction version will be more balanced.

 :cheers:


----------



## Colin Parkinson (2 Oct 2014)

Back into "Anatomy of small arms 1929" now into the British Service rifle section. Just finished rereading "silent wings" about US glider operations in WWII.


----------



## Cloud Cover (2 Oct 2014)

I just finished Tuchman's "Guns of August" and "When Money Dies" by Adam Fergusson.  The first is likely very much required reading for military historians interested in the opening days of the Great War. The book by Fergusson is a very good read about the economic collapse and political folly of the Weimar Republic.    

Currently reading a Grisham novel "The Street Lawyer" and "Major Cotterell at Arnhem". The latter is a fascinating read about an Army Bureau of Current Affairs officer captured and probably murdered by the SS after Arnhem.  The book seems to be suggesting that he in fact survived being wounded after attempting escape, and that his eventual murder happened under circumstances amounting to a war crime. It appears the SS had a significant dossier on him. He probably should never have been allowed to jump behind enemy lines into Arnhem. That's the thesis, anyway.

Incidentally, I happened to read "Barbarosa Derailed" (2 volume set by David Glantz) a few weeks ago. Interesting thesis that the Battle of Smolensk from July 10-September 10 1941 probably determined the outcome of the entire war on the Eastern Front, to an equal or maybe even greater extent than either the Battles of Kiev and the advance/retreat from Moscow.


----------



## a_majoor (2 Oct 2014)

Talk about thinking long term:  

Scatter, Adapt and Remember; how humans wil survive a mass extinction by Annalee Newitz

Some very interesting things even at the start, looking forward to the last chapters where she discusses the long term future of humanity.


----------



## BernDawg (2 Oct 2014)

FJAG said:
			
		

> I'm looking forward to this one as well but with some caution. His "Sharpe's Waterloo" was quite biased in favour the actions of the British while heavily (and IMHO unfairly) critical of their Belgian/Dutch allies. The Prussians were somewhat ignored. Hope the non fiction version will be more balanced.
> 
> :cheers:



I would hope that it is and I assume that Sharpe's Waterloo was written from Sharpe's perspective as a British soldier on the ground and not situationally aware.. Now all I have to do is wait for it to arrive in early November. I ordered his new Saxon Book as well and they won't ship until that one's been released.


----------



## dimsum (2 Oct 2014)

Thucydides said:
			
		

> Talk about thinking long term:
> 
> Scatter, Adapt and Remember; how humans wil survive a mass extinction by Annalee Newitz
> 
> Some very interesting things even at the start, looking forward to the last chapters where she discusses the long term future of humanity.



She posts on io9 (a sci-fi and other random stuff blog) and I've always been interested in that book.  Is it pretty light reading or fairly heavy?


----------



## Danjanou (3 Oct 2014)

BernDawg said:
			
		

> I would hope that it is and I assume that Sharpe's Waterloo was written from Sharpe's perspective as a British soldier on the ground and not situationally aware.. Now all I have to do is wait for it to arrive in early November. I ordered his new Saxon Book as well and they won't ship until that one's been released.



It's out, picked up a copy  two actually) at Indigo just in time to take to the book signing earlier this week with Cornwall.  8)


----------



## a_majoor (4 Oct 2014)

Dimsum said:
			
		

> She posts on io9 (a sci-fi and other random stuff blog) and I've always been interested in that book.  Is it pretty light reading or fairly heavy?



Fairly light. I wouldn't use this as a guide to pack your bags for a mass extinction event, but you can use it as a starting point to do a deep dive on these subjects.


----------



## BernDawg (7 Oct 2014)

Danjanou said:
			
		

> It's out, picked up a copy  two actually) at Indigo just in time to take to the book signing earlier this week with Cornwall.  8)


"The Empty Throne" or "Waterloo"? According to Chapters/Indigo "The Empty Throne" won't be released until the 28th of Oct..


----------



## daftandbarmy (7 Oct 2014)

Just finished 'No easy day'
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No_Easy_Day

An excellent first person account of shooting Bin Laden in the head, which I enjoyed because it wasn't pretentious or long winded... and it was about killing OBL  :nod:

Now on to '10,000 Destroyed', about the 4th Fighter Group USAAF in WW2.
http://www.fabulousrocketeers.com/FR_4th_History.htm


----------



## OldSolduer (7 Oct 2014)

daftandbarmy said:
			
		

> Just finished 'No easy day'
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No_Easy_Day
> 
> An excellent first person account of shooting Bin Laden in the head, which I enjoyed because it wasn't pretentious or long winded... and it was about killing OBL  :nod:



I didn't know you could read.....

That is a good book. I need to get it back from the guy I loaned it to...the only easy day was yesterday....


----------



## Danjanou (7 Oct 2014)

BernDawg said:
			
		

> "The Empty Throne" or "Waterloo"? According to Chapters/Indigo "The Empty Throne" won't be released until the 28th of Oct..



Sorry Waterloo


----------



## daftandbarmy (7 Oct 2014)

Jim Seggie said:
			
		

> I didn't know you could read.....



Don't let it get out. Bad for the image  8)


----------



## Cloud Cover (7 Oct 2014)

I am in the process of acquiring [slowly] a series of original copies of Janes Fighting Ships for each year of world war 2. Today I received the 1940 edition, printed in January 1941. Some interesting things to note- this is the last edition where HMS Hood is listed as a fighting unit in the RN. The book also lists Bismarck as "under construction". Within 5 months, both ships would be on the sea floor along with most of their crew.

Newfoundland rated its own separate listing as a naval force consisting of transport ships, and appears to have had more vessels than the RCN.  And Japan? Wow, endless listings of heavy warships, particularly cruisers and battleships. 

Also, there are some good pictures and drawings of not one, but two, 25000 ton German aircraft carriers shown in launched and nearly complete status.


----------



## Kirkhill (8 Oct 2014)

Just in the process of re-reading Mark Urban's "Fusiliers".   Its all about how the Royal Welch Fusiliers beat the Americans during that Revolution thingy and converted the British army to modern light fighting all the while campaigning with a 250 man Regiment led by a Captain, a couple of teenage Lieutenants and a jumped up, superannuated RSM.

How many Regiments could you make from the Field Officers in the army?


----------



## Marchog (8 Oct 2014)

I'm reading "Aquinas" by Ed Feser. Neo-Aristotelean metaphysics and whatnot. 

Yes, because I'm that sort of geek. Don't laugh, a lot of the most influential philosophers were soldiers. Paraphrasing C.S. Lewis, a soldier can never be in a situation of "contented worldliness", since he is always confronted with his own mortality.


----------



## dangerboy (8 Oct 2014)

Kirkhill said:
			
		

> Just in the process of re-reading Mark Urban's "Fusiliers".   Its all about how the Royal Welch Fusiliers beat the Americans during that Revolution thingy and converted the British army to modern light fighting all the while campaigning with a 250 man Regiment led by a Captain, a couple of teenage Lieutenants and a jumped up, superannuated RSM.



That is a great book, you probably have already read it but his book "Rifles" is another good read.  In fact all of his books are good, I have not read one that I did not like.


----------



## Colin Parkinson (8 Oct 2014)

I enjoyed Fusilier and learned quite a bit from it.


----------



## BernDawg (8 Oct 2014)

Danjanou said:
			
		

> Sorry Waterloo


Phew! I was about to release a Broadside at Chapters/Indigo ;-) Tres cool you got to get autographed copies of Waterloo! Been a fan of his for ages.


----------



## The_Falcon (8 Oct 2014)

Just finished reading "PERV: The Sexual Deviant in all of us" (I was wandering through an Indigo back home while on leave, aimlessly looking for anything interesting...and well I was sold on the title alone.).  It's an interesting read to say the least, makes you think what is really going on through someone else's head.


----------



## Kirkhill (8 Oct 2014)

dangerboy said:
			
		

> That is a great book, you probably have already read it but his book "Rifles" is another good read.  In fact all of his books are good, I have not read one that I did not like.



"Rifles" is also in my library.... right beside "25 years in the Rifle Brigade".


----------



## cupper (10 Oct 2014)

Hatchet Man said:
			
		

> Just finished reading "PERV: The Sexual Deviant in all of us" (I was wandering through an Indigo back home while on leave, aimlessly looking for anything interesting...and well I was sold on the title alone.).  It's an interesting read to say the least, makes you think what is really going on through someone else's head.



Probably explains a lot about what gets posted here as well!  >


----------



## observor 69 (10 Oct 2014)

The Heist: A Novel (Gabriel Allon)
http://www.amazon.com/The-Heist-Novel-Gabriel-Allon/dp/006232005X

Really enjoying tis one. Recent release and well rated.

"In Danial Silva's "The Heist," superspy Gabriel Allon takes time out from restoring a painting in Venice to investigate the torture and murder of Jack Bradshaw, a former British diplomat and businessman. Allon is on the trail of stolen art, in particular an altarpiece by Caravaggio that has been missing for decades. As usual, Allon's inquiries involve visits to various countries--England, France, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Israel, among them. When he learns that the repressive Syrian regime is connected to his case, Allon and his crack team of Israeli agents set in motion a complex covert operation."


----------



## PMedMoe (10 Oct 2014)

Baden Guy said:
			
		

> The Heist: A Novel (Gabriel Allon)
> http://www.amazon.com/The-Heist-Novel-Gabriel-Allon/dp/006232005X
> 
> Really enjoying tis one. Recent release and well rated.



Read a couple of this series earlier this year.  Definitely good reading.   :nod:


----------



## dangerboy (27 Oct 2014)

Just picked up "The Necessary War - Canadians Fighting The Second World War 1939-1943" by Tim Cook  http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/0670066508/ref=oh_details_o01_s01_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1.  It as you can imagine, is about Canadian troops in WWII.  I have not read very far into it, just the introduction but if it is half as good as his two volume set on WWI (Shock Troops and At the Sharp End) then I will be more than satisfied.


----------



## The_Falcon (27 Oct 2014)

Left of Bang...so far so good.


----------



## cryco (27 Oct 2014)

and now for something completely different:
I'm reading "The big book of Hair metal".  Pretty interesting. It gives a good account of how things evolved. late 70s, all through the 80s and part of 90s.


----------



## OldSolduer (28 Oct 2014)

Game of Thrones - these people are for the most part horrible people.


Ned Stark was OK, til that little Piece o Crap Joffery had his head cut off.


----------



## cryco (28 Oct 2014)

I picked up the first book to Game of Thrones years ago, when the books first came out and for the life of me, I just couldn't keep reading.
It was just unpleasant to read. When the tv series came out I thought it was a coincidence that the book I tried to read and the show had the same name; imagine my surprise when i found out it was based in those novels, and even more surprised when I saw how well the series did.


----------



## dimsum (31 Oct 2014)

Just finished Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn (yeah, now a Ben Affleck movie).  Definitely not what I expected and I can see why it's in Dymocks' (Aussie bookstore chain like Indigo) 101 Best Books.  Absolutely addictive read - I finished it in 6 hours.


----------



## RangerRay (1 Nov 2014)

1000 Years of Annoying the French

http://www.amazon.ca/Years-Annoying-French-Stephen-Clarke-ebook/dp/B005O0QBYU/ref=dp_return_1?ie=UTF8&n=916520&s=books



> The English Channel may be only twenty miles wide, but it’s a thousand years deep. Stephen Clarke takes a penetrating look into those murky depths, guiding us through all the times when Britain and France have been at war - or at least glowering at each other across what the Brits provocatively call the English Channel. Along the way he explodes a few myths that French historians have been trying to pass off as ‘la vérité’, as he proves that the French did not invent the baguette, or the croissant, or even the guillotine, and would have taken the bubbles out of bubbly if the Brits hadn’t created a fashion for fizzy champagne. Starting with the Norman (not French) Conquest and going right up to the supposedly more peaceful present, when a state visit by French President Nicolas Sarkozy becomes a series of hilarious historical insults, it is a light-hearted - but impeccably researched - account of all our great fallings-out. In short, the French are quite right to suspect that the last thousand years have been one long British campaign to infuriate them. And it’s not over yet ...



 ;D


----------



## cryco (1 Nov 2014)

thems fightin' words boy


----------



## Sully (1 Nov 2014)

The Future of the Mind: Michio Kaku


----------



## The Bread Guy (16 Dec 2014)

An odd mix for me - just finished "Fuzzy Nation" by John Scalzi, and am in the middle of "A Canticle for Leibowitz" and "And Then I Cried: Stories of a Mortuary NCO".


----------



## Brasidas (16 Dec 2014)

milnews.ca said:
			
		

> An odd mix for me - just finished "Fuzzy Nation" by John Scalzi, and am in the middle of "A Canticle for Leibowitz" and "And Then I Cried: Stories of a Mortuary NCO".



Fuzzy Nation made a pretty good present for mom, which I carried out careful quality control for. It also makes a nice intro to H. Beam Piper's work, which Scalzi riffed it from.


----------



## The Bread Guy (16 Dec 2014)

Brasidas said:
			
		

> Fuzzy Nation made a pretty good present for mom, which I carried out careful quality control for. It also makes a nice intro to H. Beam Piper's work, which Scalzi riffed it from.


Have you read the Piper work it's based on?  Looking forward to it now.


----------



## Brasidas (16 Dec 2014)

milnews.ca said:
			
		

> Have you read the Piper work it's based on?  Looking forward to it now.



I did, and enjoyed it: "Little Fuzzy". Been a few years and the memory's too fuzzy to contrast it -short story, as was much of the writer's stuff. Solid writer, some of it was along the lines of De Camp's. If you've ever read (and liked) "Lest Darkness Fall", "Lord Kalvan of Otherwhen" would probably work for you too.


----------



## The Bread Guy (16 Dec 2014)

Brasidas said:
			
		

> I did, and enjoyed it: "Little Fuzzy". Been a few years and the memory's too fuzzy to contrast it -short story, as was much of the writer's stuff. Solid writer, some of it was along the lines of De Camp's. If you've ever read (and liked) "Lest Darkness Fall", "Lord Kalvan of Otherwhen" would probably work for you too.


Thanks for the other recommendations as well.


----------



## dimsum (16 Dec 2014)

Just finished _The Peripheral_ by William Gibson of _Neuromancer_ fame.  Overall an interesting story, but the first half is a bit of a slog since he (intentionally) throws the reader into the story without any background.

Now slowly going through the companion book to HBO's _The Pacific_.  For anyone who's seen the series, it also adds a bit of backstory and follows other characters (notably, Hugh Ambrose decides to completely cut a main character from the TV series out except for one line in the book).


----------



## FJAG (16 Dec 2014)

And now for something completely different:

_The White Company_ and also _Sir Nigel_, bot written by Arthur Conan Doyle (of Sherlock Holmes fame). The books take place during the Hundred's Year War between England and France and are written in a quaint old style full of imagery and daring deeds of chivalry by knights of old.

Written at the end of the 1800's, the copyright has long since expired and they are available in electronic format in several forms from Gutenberg.org for free.

 :gottree:


----------



## FJAG (19 Dec 2014)

Have now put a presence onto Google+ (I've discontinued posting to Facebook)

My new site is here:

https://plus.google.com/100683112500627401489/posts

Cheers


----------



## dangerboy (20 Dec 2014)

So after years of watching the movie Das Boot in different versions and almost every video format I finally got around to reading the book that it was based on: The Boat by Lothar-Güther Buchheim.  http://www.amazon.ca/The-boat/dp/039449105X/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1419079273&sr=1-4&keywords=The+Boat.

If you are interested in what life would have been like aboard a submarine during WWII (I think that it would have been very similar for both the Allied and the Axis navies) I recommend this book and of course the movie also.


----------



## SMG III (19 Jan 2015)

Tim Cook: The Madman and the Butcher


----------



## blackberet17 (19 Jan 2015)

SMG said:
			
		

> Tim Cook: The Madman and the Butcher



Great book.

I just started Margaret MacMillan's "The War that Ended Peace". After reading dozens and dozens of books on specific battles in the First and Second World Wars, plus Tim Cook's two on the First and all of Zhuelke's covering the Second...I finally decided to start at the beginning of it all  ;D


----------



## The Bread Guy (20 Feb 2015)

_"Legion of the Damned"_ by Sven Hassel - read some of his books loooooooooooooong ago, and am about 3/4 of the way through this one.  Cracking good read.


----------



## dimsum (21 Feb 2015)

Just finished "Unbroken" - yes, the inspiration for the Angelina Jolie movie.  It's pretty crazy what he has lived through, and still managed to forgive his captors.


----------



## Retired AF Guy (21 Feb 2015)

Gerard de Villiers "*Chaos in Kabul*."


----------



## FJAG (21 Feb 2015)

Eye of the Storm: Twenty Five Years in Action with the SAS by Peter Radcliffe.

The title says it all. Covers the 1970s, 1980s and into the 1990s. Very well written.

http://www.amazon.com/Eye-Storm-Twenty-five-Years-Action/dp/1843170523

 :cheers:


----------



## dangerboy (21 Feb 2015)

FJAG said:
			
		

> Eye of the Storm: Twenty Five Years in Action with the SAS by Peter Radcliffe.
> 
> The title says it all. Covers the 1970s, 1980s and into the 1990s. Very well written.
> 
> ...



I enjoyed that book. It also came with a CD with the audio of a battle, unfortunately after moving around several times I have lost the CD.


----------



## Danjanou (23 Feb 2015)

FJAG said:
			
		

> Eye of the Storm: Twenty Five Years in Action with the SAS by Peter Radcliffe.
> 
> The title says it all. Covers the 1970s, 1980s and into the 1990s. Very well written.
> 
> ...



Thoroughly enjoyed this, including the first published account of what really happened to Braveo Two Zero and the Sgt's Mess Meeting behine enemy lines in GW1.

Finished this off over the weekened, not too bad. The coming of age and ealry experiences in uniform are almost universal
Soldier Blue, Paul Williams 
http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/086486714X?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00

Now as for Sven, someone it doesn't impress me as much these days as it did when I was 13-14, but I still have my copy on the book shelf. 8)


----------



## dimsum (23 Mar 2015)

Just finished _The Narrow Road to the Deep North_ by Richard Flanagan.  Amazing novel (2014 winner of the Man Booker Prize) that devotes large parts to POW life in the Japanese camps on Australian soldiers in WWII and its effects post-war.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Narrow_Road_to_the_Deep_North_%28novel%29

Somewhat fittingly, part of the novel is set in Hobart, Tasmania and I had just returned from visiting there (and drinking in a pub mentioned in the book).


----------



## Pat in Halifax (23 Mar 2015)

Just finished "The Taliban don't wave"

I would like some insight not so much on Capt Semreau himself but the method he uses for telling the stories from some who were there and may be willing to comment.


----------



## The Bread Guy (23 Mar 2015)

Just started _"They Flew Hurricanes"_ ....




.... a bit of the story of the Hawker Hurricane.


----------



## Dissident (23 Mar 2015)

Leadership in the Shadows.

I've read lots of books on PD and leadership over the years. Leadership in the Shadows is the first which really reasonates with me. As a section leader I felt this book was perfectly tailored to my level.

http://www.vikingtactics.com/product-p/vtac-lits.htm

I was told Paul Howe's book, Leadership and training for the Fight is equaly as good. it is next on my list.


----------



## FJAG (23 Mar 2015)

Outlaw Platoon by Sean Parnell with John R Bruning - William Morrow Paperbacks 2013

Well written non-fiction narrative by a platoon leader of 3/B/2-87th Infantry in the Hindu Kush of Afghanistan during 2006, early 2007.

Parnell had a very good co-writer and together they keep the focus on the the important and interesting parts of the story of the platoon as it makes its way through a major tour in eastern Afghanistan. The story is a well balanced study of the soldiers in the platoon, their makeup, motivation and rise to the challenge.

I was slow to get to this one because of the term "Outlaw" in the title. That just happens to be 3 platoon's actual nickname.

One of the best accounts of small team warfare I've read in quite some time.

It's available here:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/0062066404

And possibly in ePub format from your local library.

 :cheers:


----------



## ZacheryK (23 Mar 2015)

Lord of the Rings, Complete edition. J.R.R Tolkien


----------



## dangerboy (23 Mar 2015)

ZacheryK said:
			
		

> Lord of the Rings, Complete edition. J.R.R Tolkien



A classic I usually read that (in the 3 separate books) and The Hobbit every Christmas leave.  I have read "The Silmarillion" a few times but I have to be in a dedicated frame of mind to read it, I don't enjoy it as much.


----------



## daftandbarmy (24 Mar 2015)

Bill Bryson's 'One Summer: America 1927'

http://www.theguardian.com/books/2013/sep/26/one-summer-1927-bill-bryson-review

Hilarious and weirdly informative. For example, I have never willingly learned so much about a sport I have little interest in: baseball.  ;D


----------



## Oldgateboatdriver (24 Mar 2015)

daftandbarmy said:
			
		

> Bill Bryson's 'One Summer: America 1927'
> 
> http://www.theguardian.com/books/2013/sep/26/one-summer-1927-bill-bryson-review
> 
> Hilarious and weirdly informative. For example, I have never willingly learned so much about a sport I have little interest in: baseball.  ;D



Then you must read Shoeless Joe, by Mr. Kinsella. Because: "When the wow is spoken … things happen …"


----------



## Blackadder1916 (24 Mar 2015)

Re-reading Robert Lacey's 'The Kingdom: Arabia and the House of Sa'ud'.

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2089503.The_Kingdom

Originally published in 1981, I didn't first read it until 1990. I guess a lot of copies were sold that year to soldiers in response to world events.  Since then, I've gone back to it every few years not just because of Lacey's insight into the workings of that part of the world, but because the first part of the book (the story of Abdul Aziz's retaking of Riyadh and the conquest/reshaping of the Arabian Peninsula into Saudi Arabia) reads like an adventure tale.

Every time I re-read it and judge currents events in the region, I'll usually have a moment of epiphany and think "Okay, now I get it, that's why!"

Lacey's also wrote a follow-up that was published in 2009, 'Inside The Kingdom' that is equally good.


----------



## The Bread Guy (27 Mar 2015)

Just finished _"What It Is Like to Go to War"_ by a former USMC platoon commander in Vietnam*** - an interesting discussion of different options to prepare the minds and souls of warriors before they go into battle to kill, and how to ease the transition of the same minds and souls as they return from battle, and as they move on back into civilian life.

***  Same author - Karl Marlantes - as "Matterhorn", which is on the USMC Commandant's list of must-reads.


----------



## daftandbarmy (27 Mar 2015)

Oldgateboatdriver said:
			
		

> Then you must read Shoeless Joe, by Mr. Kinsella. Because: "When the wow is spoken … things happen …"



No. I can't. Someone actually bought me a copy of that once and I couldn't touch it. Too much quasi-religious sports stuff  ;D


----------



## caocao (28 Mar 2015)

Stranger in a Strange Land, R.A. Heinlein.


----------



## ueo (28 Mar 2015)

If This Is A Woman: Inside Ravensbruck: Hitler's Concentration Camp for Women. Sarah Helm. An in depth, well researched look into an area of WW11 history largely forgotten or overlooked.


----------



## Valhrafn (28 Mar 2015)

The Silmarillion, J.R.R Tolkien


----------



## Brasidas (31 Mar 2015)

caocao said:
			
		

> Stranger in a Strange Land, R.A. Heinlein.



Awesome.

The first couple times around, it felt like a completely different writer from Starship Troopers and the rest of his books. Reading the unabridged version that his wife managed to finally get published, it was his voice. Still good, but it didn't hit me as strongly.

The "tight" version where his publisher made him cut one word in three still feels like the best, definitive version for me.


----------



## observor 69 (11 May 2015)

10% Happier: How I Tamed the Voice in My Head, Reduced Stress Without Losing My Edge, and Found Self-Help That Actually Works--A True Story 
December 30, 1914

By Dan Harris

Harris had the ambition and drive to rise to ABC News television anchor. He’d felt the “journalistic heroin” of reporting from war zones, anchored national broadcasts, and even recovered from cocaine addiction. But he also had a voice in his head, the same voice most of us wrestle with, constantly second-guessing him. If he could only quiet that voice, he’d be happier and less stressed. Harris was already covering the religion beat when he veered off on a personal journey to find answers beyond the self-help gurus. Along the way, he talked to Eckhart Tolle, Deepak Chopra, a host of Jewish Buddhists, and even the Dalai Lama before reluctantly trying meditation. Approaching it with all the skepticism of a reporter, Harris checked out the neurological research and learned that meditation was being used in the corporate and military arenas to heighten focus and clarity. After going on a meditation retreat, he ultimately found the balance he sought between ambition and inner peace. In this brave, completely engaging, and often hilarious book, Harris achieves his aim of demystifying meditation. --Vanessa Bush --This text refers to the Hardcover edition. 

http://www.amazon.com/10-Happier-Self-Help-Actually-Works-A/dp/0062265431

Prize winning book by Dan Harris. The story of his journey into becoming a practitioner of meditation.


----------



## observor 69 (20 May 2015)

Knife Fights: A Memoir of Modern War in Theory and Practice Hardcover  – October 16, 2014 
by John Nagel

 Peter R. Mansoor, Colonel, U.S. Army (Ret.); author, Surge: My Journey with General David Petraeus and the Remaking of the Iraq War:
"A magnificent memoir from one of the most brilliant officers of his generation. Knife Fights details John Nagl's journey from the halls of West Point and Oxford to the battlefields of Desert Storm and Operation Iraqi Freedom, as well as his struggles and triumphs among Washington's power elite. Highly recommended for those who seek to understand how the Army overcame its initial dysfunction to wage the messy counterinsurgency wars in Iraq and Afghanistan."


----------



## jonsey (20 May 2015)

Just about to finish a re-read of Dune. Only read it once before, many years ago. Watched the miniseries a bunch. Debating whether to continue on with the next two (as covered in the "sequel" miniseries). I know later on the series diminishes in quality when the son takes over, but still, might be worth the read at least once.


----------



## FJAG (21 May 2015)

Jonsey said:
			
		

> Just about to finish a re-read of Dune. Only read it once before, many years ago. Watched the miniseries a bunch. Debating whether to continue on with the next two (as covered in the "sequel" miniseries). I know later on the series diminishes in quality when the son takes over, but still, might be worth the read at least once.



I liked the Dune sequels okay but much preferred the prequels (The Butlerian Jihad, The Machine Crusade, and The Battle of Corrin, as well as  House Attreides, House Harkonnen, and House Corrino)

 :cheers:


----------



## FortYorkRifleman (21 May 2015)

Carlotta Gall - The Wrong Enemy: America in Afghanistan 2001 - 2014


----------



## mariomike (30 May 2015)

"Satan's Circus: Murder, Vice, Police Corruption, and New York's Trial of the Century"  by Mike Dash. Non-fiction.

The life and times of Lieutenant Charles Becker NYPD:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Becker

The only American police officer ever to be executed for murder.

There are no heroes in the story ( he himself was the first to admit he was no angel ), but my sympathy was with Lieutenant and Mrs. Becker.


----------



## Old Sweat (30 May 2015)

I finished_ Rommel Reconsidered_ edited by Ian W Beckett a couple of weeks ago. As the title suggests, it is a series of essays on various aspects of Rommel's life, career and legend by a group of British historians. It is an interesting, if not exactly earth shattering effort, that considers his First World War service as well as that between the wars and his relationship with Hitler; his service in France in 1940; North Africa; Normandy; his [according to the essay non-existent] part in the bomb plot; and the growth of his legend post-war.

Probably the strongest and most interesting parts deal with 1940 and North Africa, although one senses a double standard, especially where one author notes Rommel's use of signals intelligence, while acknowledging the later British reliance on Ultra as setting the stage for the turn of the tide in 1942 at first El Alamein. I found what could have been the most interesting part of the book - the discussion of the growth of his legend - not as strong and as well supported by more than opinion as I would have liked. Still, it is quite possible and probably true that the British built up his legend both during and after the war as a cover for their own failures in generalship, basic tactics and communications security. There was more to Rommel than a product of both British and German propaganda. It also takes a leap in logic to dismiss Brig Desmond Young's 1950 biography and the subsequent film as attempts to rehabilitate West Germany. Last, while Rommel may have supported National Socialism as a movement, it is noteworthy that he did not pass on down his chain of command Hitler's direction to shoot captured Allied commandoes without trial.


----------



## FortYorkRifleman (30 May 2015)

I just began reading Robert M Gates autobiography titled "Duty". Gates was a former Secretary of Defense for the USA


----------



## RocketRichard (31 May 2015)

The Dogs Are Eating Them Now: Our War in Afghanistan Hardcover
by Graeme Smith.


----------



## daftandbarmy (21 Jun 2015)

I just finished 'The Taliban Don't Wave' by Rob Semrau.

Holy cr*p, over....


----------



## blackberet17 (23 Jun 2015)

daftandbarmy said:
			
		

> I just finished 'The Taliban Don't Wave' by Rob Semrau.
> 
> Holy cr*p, over....



I sense a new thread...


----------



## ueo (23 Jun 2015)

Conduct Unbecoming, Howard Margolian. A look into the deaths, at the hands of 12 SS Panzers in 1944. A close relative of my wife was one young Canadian done in.


----------



## mariomike (23 Jun 2015)

blackberet17 said:
			
		

> I sense a new thread...



This book already has one,

Robert Semrau's book "The Taliban Don't Wave"
http://army.ca/forums/threads/105831.0


----------



## Kat Stevens (23 Jun 2015)

1356 by Bernard Cornwell, battle of Poitiers and all that.  Well, truthfully Jack Hawkins is reading it to me and doing a much better job than I would have.


----------



## FJAG (23 Jun 2015)

And now for something completely different -

_So, Anyway_ by John Cleese.

 :cheers:


----------



## deskjockey43 (7 Jul 2015)

Game of Thrones series, book 2.  And no, I do not watch the show.


----------



## The Bread Guy (7 Jul 2015)

"There is no Goat," an ebook written by a former American military counterintelligence rep about her insights into Afghans based on some inside-the-wire contract work in Afghanistan.

FAR from politically correct ....


----------



## Oldgateboatdriver (7 Jul 2015)

Recently finished _Heretic, Why Islam Needs a Reformation Now_, by Ayaan Hirsi Ali. 

A very interesting inside look at why Islam is so rigid and apparently immune to reformation, a solid plea in favour of such reformation and a candid look at recent encouraging signs that it may actually be starting from the inside of Islam itself, where it ought to come from. I don't agree with everything, but it is a mind opening essay.


----------



## Valhrafn (9 Jul 2015)

_Sharpe's Triumph_ by Bernard Cornwell (book 2 of 21, a long way to go yet)


----------



## Danjanou (14 Jul 2015)

Valhrafn said:
			
		

> _Sharpe's Triumph_ by Bernard Cornwell (book 2 of 21, a long way to go yet)


Yeah you do and reading them in chronological order I see, enjoy. I reread the series every couple of years


----------



## dangerboy (16 Jul 2015)

Just finished the book "Go Set a Watchman" by Harper Lee. This was a hard book to review as it looks like a sequel to one of my favourite books "To Kill a Mockingbird" however it is not actually a sequel, this book was in fact written first but just not published.  This is where my trouble lies I can't help but treat it like a followup to the classic novel when it is in fact not.

The story is about a grown up Scout (properly known as Jean Louise Finch) returning to visit her home town of Maycomb, Alabama.  Unlike "To Kill a Mockingbird" there is no trial or big even as a backdrop to the story, there is still racial tension but it is just her and her interactions with her family and community.  As this book was written first there are some changes to the characters that we have come to love from Harper Lee's first published novel that have slightly changed and in the case of one, not for the better (I am keeping it vague to avoid spoilers).  Now if you never have read "To Kill a Mockingbird" this will not bother you but for the rest of the normal people that have you will find it jarring, like when they said Han shoot second.

There is lots of theories on why this book was published after so many years.  My opinion is that the publishing company was right to tell her to do a different story as I don't think this book was fit to be published.  However it is interesting to see how the author's writing has improved with her second novel, so it is worth reading just for that.


----------



## dimsum (16 Jul 2015)

dangerboy said:
			
		

> Just finished the book "Go Set a Watchman" by Harper Lee. This was a hard book to review as it looks like a sequel to one of my favourite books "To Kill a Mockingbird" however it is not actually a sequel, this book was in fact written first but just not published.  This is where my trouble lies I can't help but treat it like a followup to the classic novel when it is in fact not.
> 
> The story is about a grown up Scout (properly known as Jean Louise Finch) returning to visit her home town of Maycomb, Alabama.  Unlike "To Kill a Mockingbird" there is no trial or big even as a backdrop to the story, there is still racial tension but it is just her and her interactions with her family and community.  *As this book was written first there are some changes to the characters that we have come to love from Harper Lee's first published novel that have slightly changed and in the case of one, not for the better (I am keeping it vague to avoid spoilers). * Now if you never have read "To Kill a Mockingbird" this will not bother you but for the rest of the normal people that have you will find it jarring, like when they said Han shoot second.
> 
> There is lots of theories on why this book was published after so many years.  My opinion is that the publishing company was right to tell her to do a different story as I don't think this book was fit to be published.  However it is interesting to see how the author's writing has improved with her second novel, so it is worth reading just for that.



I'm interested to read it even though I haven't read her "first" book since Grade 8.  As for the highlighted bit, if anyone has been watching CBC Newsworld or pretty much any other channel, I'd think they'd have a pretty good idea what the major change is (not that I agree with it either).


----------



## George Wallace (16 Jul 2015)

Some speculation was put forward that this was her first draft and reworked it to publish "To Kill a Mockingbird".  

I heard one account that she did not want this to be published, but it was her Lawyer who was having it published.


----------



## jollyjacktar (16 Jul 2015)

I did hear one reviewer commenting on the radio yesterday that there are many passes in the book which are brilliant.   Irrespective of Atticus being a douche (there, I've said it) and a major turn off for fans of the original TKAM, he felt this book was worth reading.


----------



## dimsum (16 Jul 2015)

jollyjacktar said:
			
		

> I did hear one reviewer commenting on the radio yesterday that there are many passes in the book which are brilliant*.   Irrespective of Atticus being a douche (there, I've said it)* and a major turn off for fans of the original TKAM, he felt this book was worth reading.



Gee, spoiler alert!    ;D

There's also an article somewhere essentially saying that it wasn't so much the character of Atticus that made such an impression, it was Gregory Peck's acting and fame from On the Beach, Guns of Navarone, and Roman Holiday.


----------



## jollyjacktar (16 Jul 2015)

Both the written and Peck Atticus portrayals were impressive to me each in their own unique ways.  Peck was brilliant tho, wasn't he?


----------



## dimsum (17 Jul 2015)

jollyjacktar said:
			
		

> Both the written and Peck Atticus portrayals were impressive to me each in their own unique ways.  Peck was brilliant tho, wasn't he?



Very much so.


----------



## dangerboy (20 Jul 2015)

Just finished reading "D-Day: The Battle for Normandy" http://www.amazon.ca/D-Day-Battle-Normandy-Antony-Beevor/dp/0143118188/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1437427704&sr=8-1&keywords=D-Day+the+battle+for+normandy by Antony Beevor.

Here is a review of the book that I wrote on Goodreads:You would think that with the tons of books out there on D-Day they would start to get repetitious and boring. Well this book is a great example saying no if they are well written then they can be informative and entertaining. 

Antony Beevor's book starts with the initial decision made by General Eisenhower on when to launch the actual liberation and goes through the events of the landing and then some of the subsequent operations such as, EPSOM, GOODWOOD, and TOTALIZE to name a few ending with the liberation of Paris.

One of the things that liked is this author tried to tell as complete a story as possible and not base his story on just one country. So you have accounts from the American, British, Canadian, and Free French troops. A lot of authors just lump the Canadian Army in with the British, but Antony Beevor keeps them separate so you will hear about the Queen's Own Rifles and the Royal Winnipeg Rifles to name just a few.

I would recommend this book to anyone that is interest in D-Day, the second World War, or just military history in general. This author has several other books on WWII which I am going to have to look for.


----------



## fullflavor (24 Jul 2015)

http://www.amazon.com/How-Catch-Russian-Spy-American/dp/1476788820/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1437753367&sr=8-1&keywords=HOW+TO+CATCH+A+RUSSIAN+SPY

A naturalized Pakistani civilian who applied in the US Navy, fulfilled his mission in busting a Russian spy and ended up as a civilian officer whose current job is lecturing applicants and those appointed on the SCIENCE of spying. Good read.


----------



## dimsum (24 Jul 2015)

Just finished Armada by Ernest Cline, the author of Ready Player One (which Spielberg is apparently making into a movie).  It's a quick read and not bad with LOTS of shout-outs to various sci-fi, nostalgic and just plain geeky things, but I didn't think it was as good as RPO.  

As an aside, if you liked the movie The Last Starfighter, you'll like this book.

http://www.ew.com/article/2015/07/24/ernest-cline-deloreans-video-games


----------



## FortYorkRifleman (24 Jul 2015)

Just started re-reading Stephen King's "The Stand" which, too me, is his greatest novel. I first read it when I was 13 and wanted to revisit this given its been 15 years.


----------



## Leeworthy (24 Jul 2015)

I honestly wish I could get into a book. The last one I read was Time Fortress by Dan Brown. That was probably 6-7 years ago lol.


----------



## PMedMoe (25 Jul 2015)

I'm going to throw this right off the "I'm reading an historical/tactical/whatever Army/military book.

I'm reading "Written in My Own Heart's Blood" by Diana Gabaldon. And having a hell of a time with it.

Don't get me wrong; I love the series, but pages and pages (chapters even) about _*one*_ day in a battle??

Get on with the story, woman!!!

Thankfully, I'm also reading Leaving Time by Jodi Picoult which is amazing.   :nod:


----------



## mariomike (1 Aug 2015)

Seeing as July 30 marked the 100th anniversary of his execution ( reportedly the most gruesome in the history of Sing Sing ), I re-read "Against The Evidence: The Becker-Rosenthal Affair". 
The last time I read it was about 20 years ago. I recently read "Statan's Circus" which is also about the case, and read, "Sacrificed: The Story of Police Lieut. Charles Becker" many years ago.

All about how the most admired officer on the NYPD ( a Lieutenant ) was tried and convicted ( twice ) for "murder by proxy, twice removed".

To this day, Lt. Becker remains the only American police officer ever to be executed. Was he framed? Many believe he was.


----------



## medicineman (2 Aug 2015)

Reading "Ashley's War" - about the female Cultural Support Teams attached to US Spec Ops forces in Afghanistan.  An interesting read (when you leave out the fact that the person writing it is a lay person), especially in the context of the selection of these women, since they had to keep up with the direct action sub-units they were supporting and that fine line the US military has associated with women "being in combat".

MM


----------



## cupper (2 Aug 2015)

medicineman said:
			
		

> Reading "Ashley's War" - about the female Cultural Support Teams attached to US Spec Ops forces in Afghanistan.  An interesting read (when you leave out the fact that the person writing it is a lay person), especially in the context of the selection of these women, since they had to keep up with the direct action sub-units they were supporting and that fine line the US military has associated with women "being in combat".
> 
> MM



I've seen it the last couple of times I've been in the bookstore and considered picking it up at some point. Let me know your thoughts when you finish it up.


----------



## Retired AF Guy (2 Aug 2015)

With all the hoorah about poor Cecil getting killed I pulled out my old copies of  Peter Hathaway Capstick's books, _"Death in the Dark Continent"_ and _ "Last Horizons"_.


----------



## blackberet17 (5 Aug 2015)

Back in the spring, I read Christie Blatchford's _Fifteen Days_. Hard read.

I'm still slogging through Margaret MacMillan's _The War That Ended Peace_. I can't remember the last time it took me months to read a book...

I managed to get my hands on hard cover copies of three books I've only ever read in electronic format, or in printed .pdf:

- _Six Years of War - The Army in Canada, Britain and the Pacific_
- _The Canadians in Italy, 1943-1945_
- _The Victory Campaign - The Operations in North-West Europe, 1944-45_

Volumes I, II, and III, respectively, of the _Official History of the Canadian Army in the Second World War_, from the Department of National Defence.


----------



## FJAG (12 Aug 2015)

Tom Clancy's Op-Center: Out of the Ashes. 

This is a 2014 reboot of the old Op-Center series written by neither Clancy nor Steve Pieczenik. 

Unless you are a die-hard Op-Center fan (or maybe especially if you are a die-hard Op-Center fan) you should give this one a miss: weak and implausible scenarios/plot; cardboard characters, weak writing.

On the other hand I've just reread Michael Connelly's Bosch series (police detective stories set in Los Angeles over the last few decades). Worth the time and many of the earlier books can be had on Kindle for as little as Cdn$5.99.

 :cheers:


----------



## dangerboy (5 Sep 2015)

Just finished reading "The Girl in the Spider's Web" by David Lagercrantz.  It is a continuation of the Millennium Series (Girl With the Dragon Tattoo) by Stieg Larsson, who had passed away before the first book was published.  I was hesitant to read this as I was scared it was just going to be a cash grab and not very faithful to the series.  However I am glad I did, I enjoyed the book and thought it was true to the spirt of the first three books.  The only major complaint I had was that I did not think that the character Lisbeth Salander was in it enough, but that is just because I think she is a great kick-ass character.

My one suggestion is don't do what I did, I was so excited to read it that I started right away.  I should of in retrospect re-read the first three books and then read this one as it had been close to 5 years since I had read the original books and I had forgotten some of the minor points.


----------



## dimsum (5 Sep 2015)

Finished _Aurora_, the latest novel by Kim Stanley Robinson (of the Mars Trilogy, 2312, etc fame).  It's good, non-space-opera sci-fi that has minor references to 2312 (and probably the Mars Trilogy as well - I don't remember those books well enough).  

Premise is that a Generation Ship is finally arriving at its destination about 200 years after it was launched.  

http://www.npr.org/2015/07/07/418597442/aurora-journeys-in-a-new-direction


----------



## The Bread Guy (5 Sep 2015)

Just finished _"Outlaw Platoon: Heroes, Renegades, Infidels, and the Brotherhood of War in Afghanistan"_, the story of a U.S. platoon's deployment near the Pakistan border.  Decent read, spending a lot of time covering the emotional links between the soldiers as well as the details of the fight.  And some Pakistani Frontier Corps troops show up - and not fighting WITH the Americans.

Working my way through _"Kill Yourself and Count to Ten,"_ a book about how this guy and others in the South African military tried to take care of drug addicts, homosexuals and conscientious objectors between 1971 & 1989, written from the perspective of those who were "taken care of".

And lovin' my Kindle.  Although a big fan of hard-copy books, I'm finding loads of cheap (between free and $3) and quite good books on Amazon, plus handy to carry a "library" around with me.  While I rotate some books, "must haves" that remain as go-to's include _"Starship Troopers"_ and _"The Complete McAuslan"_  ;D


----------



## dangerboy (5 Sep 2015)

milnews.ca said:
			
		

> And lovin' my Kindle.  Although a big fan of hard-copy books, I'm finding loads of cheap (between free and $3) and quite good books on Amazon, plus handy to carry a "library" around with me.  While I rotate some books, "must haves" that remain as go-to's include _"Starship Troopers"_ and _"The Complete McAuslan"_  ;D



EBook readers are very handy especially when travelling.  I used to carry 5 or 6 books with me, now this device that is the size of one book has I think around 80 on mine currently.  Only thing I miss is with history books it is harder to look at the maps and diagrams.


----------



## FJAG (5 Sep 2015)

milnews.ca said:
			
		

> And lovin' my Kindle.



Loving mine less than I used to now that their book pricing policy is being dictated in large part by the publishers to the point where all too often the Kindle version costs more than the paperback.

Another problem with Kindle is that it will not work with the ePub format as used exclusively by the OverDrive network which powers all the eBooks that you can download from your local libraries. I've been using the Adobe Digital Editions for that especially when I'm off in the winter down south. (There are ePub to Kindle converters but not useable with library loan eBooks)

 :cheers:


----------



## PMedMoe (9 Sep 2015)

_Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mt. Everest Disaster_ by Jon Krakauer.  Just started...good so far.


----------



## The Bread Guy (9 Sep 2015)

dangerboy said:
			
		

> Only thing I miss is with history books it is harder to look at the maps and diagrams.


Yeah, there IS that.  That's when I still tend to go for the hard copy.



			
				FJAG said:
			
		

> Loving mine less than I used to now that their book pricing policy is being dictated in large part by the publishers to the point where *all too often the Kindle version costs more than the paperback*.


That's true, but being a bit of a cheap "basket", I only buy a new release very rarely.  Still lots of good reading to be done on free to $2.


----------



## FJAG (9 Sep 2015)

Jeff Shaara's "A Blaze of Glory" a novel of the Civil War's Battle of Shiloh. 

This is the first part of a four-volume series of the western campaign and is followed by "Chain of Thunder" (Vicksburg) and "The Smoke of War" (Chattanooga) and "The Fateful Lightning" (Sherman's march to the sea) 

While deemed "historical novels" they are deeply researched and faithful portrayals of the key historical figures actions during these events and are in the same style as the eastern campaign trilogy: "Gods and Generals" (early war to Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville), "Killer Angels" (Gettysburg and written by Jeff's father Michael Shaara) and "The Last Full Measure" (post Gettysburg to end of the war).

 :cheers:


----------



## vonGarvin (9 Sep 2015)

Just finished "How the Catholic Church built Western Civilization" by Thomas E Woods Jr.  Now I'm reading "Summa Theologicae" by Saint Thomas Aquinas.  Next up?  Paradise Lost by Milton.


----------



## Oldgateboatdriver (9 Sep 2015)

I am assuming you are reading the Summa in its original latin version. If you don't have it in that original version, I'll be glad to loan you mine, which I haven't opened since my Seminary days (They were my dad's originally, but I inherited them).


PS: I am not kidding.


----------



## The Bread Guy (9 Sep 2015)

Oldgateboatdriver said:
			
		

> I am assuming you are reading the Summa in its original latin version. If you don't have it in that original version, I'll be glad to loan you mine, which I haven't opened since my Seminary days (They were my dad's originally, but I inherited them).
> 
> 
> PS: I am not kidding.


A truly eclectic assembly of folks we get in these parts ....  ;D


----------



## Oldgateboatdriver (9 Sep 2015)

Don't get me wrong, Milnews, I was no angel (still ain't).

The seminary I am talking about here is not the "Grand Seminary" where you study to be a priest, but a pre-grand seminary college that provided the equivalent of a Quebec college degree (pre-university) at a private college for a fraction of the price, if they believed you could possibly chose to attend the grand seminary later. I got  good and cheap education  :nod:.

However, you still had to be subjected to six periods of Thomist philosophy, 3 periods of latin and 3 periods of theology each week. Now that I think about it, its amazing I found the time to study and excel at maths and science !!!!


----------



## vonGarvin (9 Sep 2015)

Oldgateboatdriver said:
			
		

> I am assuming you are reading the Summa in its original latin version. If you don't have it in that original version, I'll be glad to loan you mine, which I haven't opened since my Seminary days (They were my dad's originally, but I inherited them).
> 
> 
> PS: I am not kidding.


I wish I could read it in Latin.  I'm teaching myself in Latin, but I am at the state where I can say "Sum agricola"    (Non est veritas.  Non sum agricola.)


----------



## vonGarvin (9 Sep 2015)

Oldgateboatdriver said:
			
		

> Don't get me wrong, Milnews, I was no angel (still ain't).



None of us are angels; they are spiritual beings.  But we strive to be saints 


(And thank you for the offer of the Summa, however)


----------



## cupper (9 Sep 2015)

Went in to the local Chapters this afternoon while home on vacation, making my usual search for Canadian books to take back. 

Picked up Jody Mitic's new book "Unflinching - The Making of a Canadian Sniper" at Chapters this afternoon. Looking forward to reading it.


----------



## BinRat55 (10 Sep 2015)

Uncle John's Bathroom Reader - Fully Loaded 25th Anniversary!

My last book was "Why The Leaf's Suck" - Has a pic of that guy with the paper bag on his head. Cost printed in the corner - $19.67. Get it? Yea...

It was actually a pretty good read. Google "Blue & White disease"...


----------



## cupper (11 Sep 2015)

cupper said:
			
		

> Went in to the local Chapters this afternoon while home on vacation, making my usual search for Canadian books to take back.
> 
> Picked up Jody Mitic's new book "Unflinching - The Making of a Canadian Sniper" at Chapters this afternoon. Looking forward to reading it.



Finished it last night. Just the portion of his story about his struggles after returning to Canada undergoing recovery & rehab in a system that was unprepared for members coming home with serious / traumatic injuries, the fight with addiction to pain killers, and finding purpose in life after the incident are well worth the read.

I was particularly impressed with the lesson learned as to how a moment's misguided lapse in judgement can potentially have devastating consequences in your future life.


----------



## the 48th regulator (11 Sep 2015)

cupper said:
			
		

> Finished it last night. Just the portion of his story about his struggles after returning to Canada undergoing recovery & rehab in a system that was unprepared for members coming home with serious / traumatic injuries, the fight with addiction to pain killers, and finding purpose in life after the incident are well worth the read.
> 
> I was particularly impressed with the lesson learned as to how a moment's misguided lapse in judgement can potentially have devastating consequences in your future life.



My copy arrived this week. Can't wait to read it!


----------



## Old Sweat (11 Sep 2015)

cupper said:
			
		

> Finished it last night. Just the portion of his story about his struggles after returning to Canada undergoing recovery & rehab in a system that was unprepared for members coming home with serious / traumatic injuries, the fight with addiction to pain killers, and finding purpose in life after the incident are well worth the read.
> 
> I was particularly impressed with the lesson learned as to how a moment's misguided lapse in judgement can potentially have devastating consequences in your future life.



My copy came in the mail yesterday nnd I finished it shortly after supper. I echo Cupper's comments and considering the uproar in the mid-ninties about care of casualties, I couldn't believe how poorly prepared we were to treat people with competent compassion.


----------



## Valhrafn (11 Sep 2015)

Sharpe's Rifles (book 6 of 21) by Bernard Cornwell


----------



## The Bread Guy (15 Sep 2015)

About 1/2 way through _"Pyongyang: A Journey in North Korea,"_ a graphic novel based on a Canadian-born animator spending several months in Pyongyang working.  Good art, capturing a mood of an isolated, odd kingdom.


----------



## caocao (18 Sep 2015)

The Martian.  If the Matt Damon movie is haft as good as the book it's going to be great!


----------



## dimsum (18 Sep 2015)

caocao said:
			
		

> The Martian.  If the Matt Damon movie is haft as good as the book it's going to be great!



I'm cautiously optimistic about the movie.  Loved the book and I think Matt Damon can pull off the character.

I'm reading _The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet_ by Becky Chambers.  The site io9 describes as "it’s as though Firefly and Guardians of the Galaxy had one hyperactive and excited baby", and if you reading this: 

a) know what those two movies/shows are, and 
b) like them

then definitely read this book.

http://io9.com/the-long-way-to-a-small-angry-planet-is-this-year-s-mos-1730270921


----------



## jollyjacktar (18 Sep 2015)

caocao said:
			
		

> The Martian.  If the Matt Damon movie is haft as good as the book it's going to be great!



Have not read the book, but I want to see the movie and I'm sure, read the book too.  Looks fantastic.


----------



## dangerboy (18 Sep 2015)

Dimsum said:
			
		

> I'm cautiously optimistic about the movie.  Loved the book and I think Matt Damon can pull off the character.
> 
> I'm reading _The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet_ by Becky Chambers.  The site io9 describes as "it’s as though Firefly and Guardians of the Galaxy had one hyperactive and excited baby", and if you reading this:
> 
> ...



Firefly is one of my favourite TV shows so I will have to check out this book.


----------



## Retired AF Guy (18 Sep 2015)

Re-reading the Matt Helm series by Donald Hamilton. Just finished the first in the series, " Death of a Citizen" and started on the second one, "The Wrecking Crew."


----------



## caocao (20 Sep 2015)

Dimsum said:
			
		

> I'm cautiously optimistic about the movie.  Loved the book and I think Matt Damon can pull off the character.
> 
> I'm reading _The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet_ by Becky Chambers.  The site io9 describes as "it’s as though Firefly and Guardians of the Galaxy had one hyperactive and excited baby", and if you reading this:
> 
> ...


----------



## dimsum (21 Sep 2015)

Dimsum said:
			
		

> I'm cautiously optimistic about the movie.  Loved the book and I think Matt Damon can pull off the character.
> 
> I'm reading _The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet_ by Becky Chambers.  The site io9 describes as "it’s as though Firefly and Guardians of the Galaxy had one hyperactive and excited baby", and if you reading this:
> 
> ...



Finished it in 2 days, and only because it's an e-book on my Mac and I get distracted by FB.  It is a very easy, enjoyable read and is definitely very similar to Firefly.  However, instead of a plot-driven story, it's a personality-driven story and each crew member and race have a chapter somewhat devoted to them - somewhat like the plot of the episode "Out of Gas" where Mal remembers how he met his crew.

I wouldn't say GOTG was a big inspiration, but I definitely noticed elements of the Mass Effect series.


----------



## The Bread Guy (28 Sep 2015)

Dividing my time between _"Team of Teams"_ by Stan McChrystal and _"Combat Ready Kitchen,"_ a book about how developing food for astronauts and soliders led to technology for the rest of us civilian eaters.


----------



## eharps (28 Sep 2015)

Valhrafn said:
			
		

> Sharpe's Rifles (book 6 of 21) by Bernard Cornwell



This is an incredible book series. The BBC (I believe) also made some into a miniseries/TV series with Sean Bean, which were also fantastic. Not the usual Hollwood-ized, gory war movie, but well told military films.

Worth a watch.


----------



## fake penguin (29 Sep 2015)

Just finished  reading Hyena road.  To me it's American sniper meets lone survivor.  The book wasn't about the road so much as it was about political power in kandahar.


----------



## eharps (29 Sep 2015)

fake penguin said:
			
		

> Just finished  reading Hyena road.  To me it's American sniper meets lone survivor.  The book wasn't about the road so much as it was about political power in kandahar.



Was it a worthwhile read?


----------



## Revan (29 Sep 2015)

I finished Greenmantle by John Buchan about a month ago and it was fantastic.  Read Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy (the trilogy in 5 parts version) which was hilarious and well worth a read.  Currently reading Entry Island by Peter May and so far it is pretty good.


----------



## ueo (29 Sep 2015)

Just finished the "Ender" series. A good shallow read with many deep deep psych undertones.


----------



## fake penguin (29 Sep 2015)

eharps said:
			
		

> Was it a worthwhile read?



When I got the book it was because I wanted to know about the road project that the movie seem to focus on. Like I said in my last post the book was nothing much about the struggles of building the road, the road is already build by the start of the story. So in that aspect you might be disappointed but if you are not focus on that and just read the book it's enjoyable. To be honest you have to ask a sniper and an intelligence officer how close to reality is this book to their experience, I was neither. I think I am just going to go to the movie and just enjoy it.


----------



## FJAG (2 Oct 2015)

The Insurgents: David Petraeus and the Plot to Change the American Way of War by Fred Kaplan.

http://www.amazon.ca/Insurgents-David-Petraeus-Change-American/dp/1451642636/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1443833746&sr=1-3

An absolutely excellent book looking at the inner workings of the development of the US Army's counterinsurgency philosophy/doctrine during the last two decades. Particularly interesting for those who like to see the inner workings about how high level "sausages are made". Very well researched and very in depth yet still quite readable.

If I have one criticism it's that the book does not do very well in looking at what the US's allies were doing in Iraq or Afghanistan vis a vis counterinsurgency doctrine or operations. There is a considerable nod to the historical sources of early British and French counterinsurgency principles/authors etc but when it comes to the Iraq/Afghanistan era there is a deafening silence (except for the usual US drivel that the "Europeans had tons of caveats, wouldn't fight and rarely left camp - regardless of what one may think about Italian, Spanish and German lack of aggression, the west and the north were secure and able to progress economically and in the end, that was the accomplishment of the main counterinsurgency goal). I'm not sure if this failing is due Kaplan's oversight or simply reflects the ignorance of his numerous sources/interviewees. Even if the later, however, Kaplan should have looked at what the allies were doing in some detail if for no other purpose than to give a term of reference as to where the US either led or failed to lead the coalition effort.

 :cheers:


----------



## Colin Parkinson (3 Oct 2015)

No Higher Purpose the official operational history of the RCN vol II part 1

A good read both on the operational side and some of the political background


----------



## dangerboy (3 Oct 2015)

Just received in the mail: First To The Finish - Canadians In The Second World War 1944-1945 by Tim Cook http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/0670067687?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00.  It is the second volume in his two volume set on the Canadians in WWII.  If you have read his books on WWI or are interested in military history I recommend his writing.


----------



## daftandbarmy (3 Oct 2015)

Spitfire into Battle

http://www.amazon.ca/Spitfire-Battle-W-G-G-Duncan-Smith/dp/0719554845

A gruelling read... everyone dies around him, and it's astonishing that he survived at all after many years of continuous combat flying.


----------



## jollyjacktar (3 Oct 2015)

jollyjacktar said:
			
		

> Have not read the book, but I want to see the movie and I'm sure, read the book too.  Looks fantastic.




Book should be here in a couple of days.   Just got back from the movie.   It is fantastic and everything I hoped it would be.  My # 1 choice of the year to date.


----------



## Old Sweat (6 Oct 2015)

I just finished a very interesting little book on Hong kong that took a new approach to the battle and the Canadian part in it. The author, Terry Meagher, served in Korea 1952-1953 in The RCR and brings the perspective of an infantryman who fought in mountainous terrain to the battle. In later years Terry has run Veterans Publications in Kemptville, ON specializing in producing limited runs of memoirs for veterans.

His book, which he published using his company is titled _Betrayal Canadian Soldiers Hong Kong 1941._ It is a relatively slim volume of 167 pages including endnotes and index, but addresses a number of issues that have not been examined by other authors. He used a number of retired officers, including Major General Ivan Fenton, to comment on various aspects of the battle.

The defence estimate by General Fenton is well worth a read. One is left with the impression that Major General Maltby, the British commander, did not make one, or he was grossly incompetent or both. For example Maltby used the main north-south route (that ran across the key terrain) as his inter-brigade boundary. It occurred to me after reading the book that the general may well have been posted to a colonial backwater instead of receiving an operational appointment for a reason. 

Mister Meagher also noted that both Canadian battalions, although accused by Maltby, of incompetence and even cravenly behaviour, actually mounted more company or platoon attacks that any of the British and Indian battalions that made up the bulk of the garrison. This is also reflected in the battle casualties. *Edit - correction both Canadian battalions mounted more company or platoon attacks than the combined total of all the rest of the British and Indian infantry battalions.*

If anyone is interested in purchasing a copy, the Veterans Publication address is Box 223, Kemptville, ON, K0G1J0 and the website is VeteransPublications.com.


----------



## Danjanou (6 Oct 2015)

Old Sweat said:
			
		

> I just finished a very interesting little book on Hong kong that took a new approach to the battle and the Canadian part in it. The author, Terry Meagher, served in Korea 1952-1953 in The RCR and brings the perspective of an infantryman who fought in mountainous terrain to the battle. In later years Terry has run Veterans Publications in Kemptville, ON specializing in producing limited runs of memoirs for veterans.
> 
> His book, which he published using his company is titled _Betrayal Canadian Soldiers Hong Kong 1941._ It is a relatively slim volume of 167 pages including endnotes and index, but addresses a number of issues that have not been examined by other authors. He used a number of retired officers, including Major General Ivan Fenton, to comment on various aspects of the battle.
> 
> ...



Sounds similar to both books I read on HK last year, The Damned by Nathan Greenfield and Desperate Siege the Battle of Hong Kong  by Ted Ferguson  both of which go to great lengths to  dispute Maltby’s allegations the Canadians were poorly trained, led and the cause of the defeat and no blame should have been assessed to him for his lack of preparation  and severe underestimation of the capabilities of the Japanese. I should pick this one up to add to my collection.


----------



## eharps (6 Oct 2015)

fake penguin said:
			
		

> When I got the book it was because I wanted to know about the road project that the movie seem to focus on. Like I said in my last post the book was nothing much about the struggles of building the road, the road is already build by the start of the story. So in that aspect you might be disappointed but if you are not focus on that and just read the book it's enjoyable. To be honest you have to ask a sniper and an intelligence officer how close to reality is this book to their experience, I was neither. I think I am just going to go to the movie and just enjoy it.



I just finished it as well and I see your point. From a younger guy who knew nothing of the road, I took it as more of a sotry about the characters, like you said. I quite enjoyed it and hope the film is on par. I would read it again.


----------



## Retired AF Guy (6 Oct 2015)

Just picked up James Holland's " The Rise of Germany (1939-1941): The War in the West." According to the dust jacket the book takes a different look at some of the myths about WW2. First in a multi-volume history of the conflict.


----------



## observor 69 (8 Oct 2015)

Just finished "All the Light We Cannot See." 

"WINNER OF THE PULITZER PRIZE
 From the highly acclaimed, multiple award-winning Anthony Doerr, the beautiful, stunningly ambitious instant New York Times bestseller about a blind French girl and a German boy whose paths collide in occupied France as both try to survive the devastation of World War II."

http://www.amazon.ca/All-Light-We-Cannot-See/dp/150110456X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1444351016&sr=1-1&keywords=All+the+Light+We+Cannot+See

Really enjoyed this book. WWII history, solid gripping story line and all around pleasure to read.


----------



## dangerboy (25 Nov 2015)

Just finished the book "Seizing the Enigma: The Race to Break the German U-Boat Codes, 1933-1945" http://www.amazon.ca/Seizing-Enigma-German-U-Boat-1933-1945/dp/184832636X/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1448458916&sr=8-2&keywords=seizing+the+enigma by David Kahn.

Here is a review on the book that I wrote on Goodreads:



> This is an historical account of the allies efforts to break the German codes during the Second World War, focusing on the most famous cyphering system those encrypted by the Enigma machine and the work done by Bletchley Park. It also talks about the longest and some say most important battle that occurred during the war, the Battle of the Atlantic.
> 
> I have always been interested in the story of the Enigma and the work done by Bletchley Park and will read anything about the subject. I found this to be a great book on the subject it talked about the details of cryptology but at a level that a normal person can understand it (I have read some books that you need a degree in math to understand what they are talking about).
> 
> ...


----------



## dimsum (25 Nov 2015)

For any military sci-fi fans, the following is a good, free collection of short stories from the Atlantic Council's Art of Future Warfare.  

http://io9.com/war-stories-from-the-future-is-a-fantastic-military-sci-1742541600?sidebar_promotions_icons=testingoff&utm_expid=66866090-67.e9PWeE2DSnKObFD7vNEoqg.1&utm_referrer=http%3A%2F%2Fio9.com%2Fwar-stories-from-the-future-is-a-fantastic-military-sci-1742541600


----------



## FJAG (6 Dec 2015)

Sean Naylor's "Relentless Strike: The Secret History of Joint Operations Command"

http://www.amazon.ca/Relentless-Strike-History-Special-Operations/dp/1250014549

For those of you who know Naylor's work ("A Good Day to Die" and articles in Army Times) you'll know that he is one of the foremost writers on the US special operations community and especially on the topic of the Tier 1 JSOC ones.

This book traces the history of JSOC to the present day with an extraordinary amount of detail that you won't find elsewhere in similar works. Interestingly enough, while Naylor is generally an outspoken supporter of the SOF community, he doesn't hold his punches here and there is a fair amount of insider self criticism from time to time of the organization, individuals, and procedures which gives the book a very balanced outlook.

The only criticism that I have is that the book does not give sufficient context to the environment within which JSOC was working in Iraq and Afghanistan. While the book is clearly about JSOC a bit more detail about what conventional forces and "white" SOF elements were deployed and involved in at the relevant times would give a better overall picture. Nonetheless this is the best book or article about JSOC on the market so far.

 :subbies:


----------



## ModlrMike (6 Dec 2015)

Mostly through "The Kraken Wakes" by John Wyndham. Next up "The Man in the High Castle" by Phillip K Dick


----------



## dimsum (6 Dec 2015)

ModlrMike said:
			
		

> Mostly through "The Kraken Wakes" by John Wyndham. *Next up "The Man in the High Castle" by Phillip K Dick*



The TV series is very good; not entirely faithful to the book though.


----------



## ModlrMike (7 Dec 2015)

I just binge watched the series. That's what spurred me to look to the novel. I understand that while it was not a commercial success, it was well received by the genre and garnered a Hugo award in 1963.


----------



## Journeyman (7 Dec 2015)

Dimsum said:
			
		

> The TV series is very good; not entirely faithful to the book though.


Never judge a book by its movie.   :nod:

...or in this case, its TV series.


----------



## dangerboy (19 Dec 2015)

I am doing my annual read of "Lord of the Rings". It is a holiday tradition that I have done since I was about 12 when on the the first day of Christmas break my dad brought home a copy of Fellowship of the Rings from a used book store and I loved the book.  I will read the trilogy and the Hobbit and may or may not read the Silmarillion, not as big a fan of that book.


----------



## Bass ackwards (19 Dec 2015)

Just finishing up *Red Green's Beginner's Guide To Women.*

From the back cover:
_...this is the essential guide to every aspect of finding a mate and then learning to deal with her growing disappointment in you._

Profound reading indeed.


----------



## Nfld Sapper (19 Dec 2015)




----------



## FJAG (20 Dec 2015)

*1491 (2nd Ed): New Revelations of the Americas before Columbus* by Charles C Mann

http://www.amazon.ca/1491-Second-Edition-Revelations-Americas/dp/1400032059

An excellent overview of the pre-Columbian history of the Americas. There are two major lessons here: First; whatever you learned in school about the state of pre-existing aboriginal society in the Americas was probably wrong (or at the least very, very inadequate) and second; nothing is certain. New discoveries are constantly changing and overturning old perceptions and theories. This book should be a must read in all of our schools.

*Lafayette in the Somewhat United States* by Sarah Vowell 

http://www.amazon.ca/Lafayette-Somewhat-United-States-Vowell/dp/1594631743

Sarah Vowell is a bit of an acquired taste and I'm one of those who is quite fond of her writing style. This book is a look at the history of the American revolution based on a study of the Marquis de Lafayette who as a very young nobleman left pre-revolutionary France to join up with Washington in the early days of the revolt. 

 :subbies:


----------



## ueo (23 Dec 2015)

Forgotten: The Story of D-Days Black Heroes, At Home and at War. Just started this but its heavily slanted towards the American POV.


----------



## eharps (26 Dec 2015)

I just finished my copy of Fifteen Days by Christie Blatchford (I had to take a break for BMQ) and that was a very good read. I don't even know how to explain how that book made me feel, reading what everyone has gone through in Afghanistan, but man that book tore me up. 

I couldn't read it all at once, had to take some breaks, but it was the most rewarding book I think I have ever read.


----------



## jollyjacktar (26 Dec 2015)

Re-reading With the Old Breed by Eugene Sledge.


----------



## exspy (26 Dec 2015)

Just got 'Crossing Over' by Michael Connelly for Christmas.  It's a Harry Bosch novel.  Connelly never misses releasing a new book at Christmastime.

Bosch has retired from the LAPD and has 'crossed over' to work the criminal defence side of the aisle with his half-brother, defence lawyer Mickey Haller.  Mickey Haller was the character played by Matthew McConaughey in the film 'The Lincoln Lawyer.'

Looking forward to a good read.

Cheers,
Dan.


----------



## FJAG (26 Dec 2015)

Dan M said:
			
		

> Just got 'The Crossing Over' by Michael Connelly for Christmas.  It's a Harry Bosch novel.  Connelly never misses releasing a new book at Christmastime.
> 
> Bosch has retired from the LAPD and has 'crossed over' to work the criminal defence side of the aisle with his half-brother, defence lawyer Mickey Haller.  Mickey Haller was the character played by Matthew McConaughey in the film 'The Lincoln Lawyer.'
> 
> ...



FTFY  

I'm half way through it myself

 :subbies:


----------



## exspy (27 Dec 2015)

FJAG said:
			
		

> FTFY: I'm half way through it myself



Wolf,

Thanks.  My memory goes from time to time, even when the book is sitting right in front of me!

Cheers,
Dan.


----------



## CSNorseman (27 Dec 2015)

Working my way through " Virtues of War" by Stephen Pressfield. Great historical fiction following the campaigns of Alexander starting in Macedon and ending in India. Pressfield does a great job conveying the motivations of Alexander and the hardships he and his men suffered throughout the conquest.


----------



## jollyjacktar (27 Dec 2015)

I wish they had of made his Gates of Fire into a movie instead of that POS, 300.  I need to re-read that one too.


----------



## Journeyman (28 Dec 2015)

jollyjacktar said:
			
		

> I wish they had of made his _Gates of Fire _ into a movie ....


Concur. Awesome portrayal of Thermopylae.   :nod:


----------



## daftandbarmy (28 Dec 2015)

jollyjacktar said:
			
		

> Re-reading With the Old Breed by Eugene Sledge.



That's one I keep handy to leaf through occasionally, just for the 'holy cr#p' factor.

The HBO series 'The Pacific' doesn't really do it justice, but at least it seems to portray a few of the incidents in his book relatively accurately IMHO.


----------



## The Bread Guy (28 Dec 2015)

Norseman said:
			
		

> Working my way through " Virtues of War" by Stephen Pressfield. Great historical fiction following the campaigns of Alexander starting in Macedon and ending in India. Pressfield does a great job conveying the motivations of Alexander and the hardships he and his men suffered throughout the conquest.


Loved the audio book version of his novel _"The Afghan Campaign"_ by Pressfield - great job of showing things through one dude going through.

Rereading _"The Good Soldier Svejk"_ - the original Catch-22, written well before Catch-22, based on a Czech bumbling his way through WW1.


----------



## Alpha dog (28 Dec 2015)

I just finished the first chapter of Chris Hadfield's "An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth". So far what I got from it is his amazing ability to stay focused on his goal for such a long time.


----------



## CSNorseman (28 Dec 2015)

milnews.ca said:
			
		

> Loved the audio book version of his novel _"The Afghan Campaign"_ by Pressfield - great job of showing things through one dude going through.




Agreed, " The Afghan Campaign" was the first book I read by Pressfield. Great interpretation of what the conquest of Afghanistan was like through the soldiers eyes. It is also a good look into the struggles of the individual soldier engaging in counter-insurgency warfare, something completely new to them at the time.


----------



## LightFighter (28 Dec 2015)

Last few books I've read

My Men Are My Heroes, The Brad Kasal Story - Nathaniel R. Helms
Stryker, The Siege of Sadr City - Konrad Ludwig
The Warrior Ethos - Steven Pressfield
With The Old Breed - E.B. Sledge
China Marine - E.B. Sledge
Red Blood, Black Sand, Fighting Alongside John Basilone from Boot Camp to Iwo Jima - Chuck Tatum
Violence of Action: The Untold Stories of the 75th Ranger Regiment in the War on Terror - Charles Faint and Leo Jenkins

Currently reading
13 Hours, The Inside Account of What Really Happened In Benghazi - Mitchell Zuckoff with the Annex Security Team


----------



## Colin Parkinson (29 Dec 2015)

Tiger- by Thomas Anderson, he does a good job showing the logistical side that went with these tanks. Really the Germans could not efficiently handle anything heavier, their recovery vehicles could barely handle a Tiger I.


----------



## jollyjacktar (29 Dec 2015)

Journeyman said:
			
		

> Concur. Awesome portrayal of Thermopylae.   :nod:



"Wake up to theese"


----------



## The Anti-Royal (29 Dec 2015)

Don't Vote (It Only Encourages the Bastards) by P.J. O'Rourke.


----------



## dimsum (31 Dec 2015)

Just finished _Luna:  New Moon_ by Ian McDonald.  It's pitched as "Game of Thrones on the Moon" which isn't totally incorrect, but I'd consider it more Godfather-like than GOT.  The first half is very slow to get through as it throws you in the middle of the large cast of characters and their various factions in multiple languages (there is a glossary and family/faction chart), but when the story picks up, it definitely does and sets up the 2nd book at a cliffhanger.

Apparently CBS is trying to get the rights to make it as a show, but after some of the things mentioned in the book, HBO would be a better choice unless they water it down significantly.  Definitely not one to read to the kids, or at work!

http://www.tor.com/2015/09/21/book-reviews-luna-new-moon-by-ian-mcdonald/


----------



## jollyjacktar (31 Dec 2015)

Will be reading "The Finest Hours" which is the soon to be released movie about the USCG rescue of merchant seaman in 1952.

https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/the-finest-hours-the-true/9781250044235-item.html?ikwid=the+finest+hours&ikwsec=Home&ikwidx=0


----------



## caocao (31 Dec 2015)

I am rereading The Stand (longer version).


----------



## caocao (31 Dec 2015)

Dimsum said:
			
		

> The TV series is very good; not entirely faithful to the book though.



On episode 3, different from the book but still pretty good so far.


----------



## kailee.macisaac (31 Dec 2015)

caocao said:
			
		

> I am rereading The Stand (longer version).


Excellent novel. Amazing author.


----------



## Retired AF Guy (31 Dec 2015)

The Anti-Royal said:
			
		

> Don't Vote (It Only Encourages the Bastards) by P.J. O'Rourke.



Big fan of P.J. O'Rourke. Will definitely be on the lookout for it.


----------



## exspy (1 Jan 2016)

Now half-way through the third volume of George Blackburn's trilogy *The Guns of Victory* (1996).  It doesn't seem as enthralling as the second volume (but first published) on Normandy but seems to be picking up now that the Battle of the Reichswald is set to begin.

One of the things I like about Blackburn's work is that he made himself knowledgeable about the campaigns in NW Europe and can fit his part, and his regiment's part, into the strategy of the campaign.  It makes for a much more interesting read.  I found that Charles Sydney Frost did the same thing in his war autobiography *Once a Patricia*.  Frost's book came first and, I think to his credit, Blackburn followed the same format.  Both are great authors.

Cheers,
Dan.


----------



## Bowers525 (6 Jan 2016)

RCN in Retrospect: 1910-1968
Edited by James A Boutlier
UBC Publishing

I found this little gem in a used book store and have been reading it non stop since. I really enjoy the chapter on HMCS Labrador and its first arctic mission.


----------



## FJAG (29 Jan 2016)

If you like police procedurals and military fiction, my latest book in the _Allies_ series, _The Gulf_, provides action in both venues.

_Allies: The Gulf_ is available at:

http://www.amazon.com/Wolf-Riedel/e/B00459ATSU

http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/wolfriedel

and through Apple, Barnes and Noble, Kobo and other distributors.

Incidentally I have a new website: https://wolfriedel.wordpress.com/

:cheers:


----------



## BlueAngels14 (30 Jan 2016)

A Clash of Kings - Book Two of A Song of Ice and Fire (Game of Thrones)


----------



## exspy (30 Jan 2016)

FJAG said:
			
		

> If you like police procedurals and military fiction, my latest book in the _Allies_ series, _The Gulf_, provides action in both venues.



I'm old.  Not into new-fangled e-books.  Is it available hard-copy in Canada?

Cheers,
Dan.


----------



## FJAG (30 Jan 2016)

Dan M said:
			
		

> I'm old.  Not into new-fangled e-books.  Is it available hard-copy in Canada?
> 
> Cheers,
> Dan.



Funny you should ask. The short answer is not yet.

The longer answer is that there is a new concept out in the publishing world called "on-demand" hard copy publishing.

Essentially there are now several publishers out there who will make short runs (as little as one book) of hard copy paperbacks which are then mail-ordered out. Amazon offers such a service.

The down side is that it drives up the cost of the book. (My $4.00 books would be closer to $9-10) and I would need to make edits to the books to make them more attractive as hard copies (back cover and spine art, inside cover material, headers with page numbers etc). None of those are very hard but do need some attention and time and I have already decided that I will do so, sometime within the next year.

Since finishing the last book I have been doing some beta-testing on a new version of a timelining program which I am using to outline two new books I'm working on and when I find a natural break in the "creative" flow I will turn my attention to this.

Thanks for the interest.

 :cheers:


----------



## Fishbone Jones (30 Jan 2016)

FJAG said:
			
		

> Funny you should ask. The short answer is not yet.
> 
> The longer answer is that there is a new concept out in the publishing world called "on-demand" hard copy publishing.
> 
> ...



We've got this gizmo at our main library. http://www.windsorpubliclibrary.com/?portfolio=self-publishing


----------



## FJAG (30 Jan 2016)

You had me excited for a moment (Windsor's not that far from me) until -like Big Bang's Sheldon - I said that "I want to do the math."

Long story short - using Amazon's CreateSpace service I can get a 400 page paperback done for myself for $5.65 with shipping of $7.00 (much less per book for larger volume shipments). On top of that the book can be put through the Amazon book distribution chain (where the prices would be different - I'm just comparing copies printed for the author.) 

Windsor, on the other hand, charges a $20.00 one-time set-up fee; $3.50 for the cover and $0.05 per page (so $20.00 for 400 pages). 

Thanks for the info however. It's always good to see the options available.

 :cheers:


----------



## Journeyman (17 Feb 2016)

Maybe make it mandatory....


----------



## cupper (18 Feb 2016)

Journeyman said:
			
		

> Maybe make it mandatory....



At 448 pages, this would require one hell of a reading list to make up for it.

http://www.amazon.com/Kim-Kardashian-Selfish-West/dp/0789329204


----------



## Gunner98 (20 Feb 2016)

Current borrowed books for local library:

Gwynne Dyer - "ISIS, Terror and Today's Middle East: DON'T PANIC"- 2015

David Levine - "Health Care and Politics: An Insider's View on Managing and Sustaining Health Care in Canada" - 2015

Both contain food for thought!


----------



## Bass ackwards (2 Mar 2016)

*The Red and Green Life Machine*  by Surgeon Commander Rick Jolly OBE.

Deals with the medical end of things during the Falklands war. 
This book was discussed/recommended on another thread on this site a few weeks ago, so I ordered it from Amazon (I am somewhat of a Falklands buff).

Just a few chapters in so far but it is very interesting and readable.


----------



## jollyjacktar (2 Mar 2016)

I just finished "One Bullet Away: the making of a Marine Officer" by Nathaniel Fickle.  I picked it up with my annual Christmas Chapters gift card gift card present.  From the bargain book section too,  $5.  Worth every penny.


----------



## observor 69 (6 Mar 2016)

The Art of War: A Novel (Jake Grafton Novels) Hardcover  – February 2, 2016 

by Stephen Coonts

The Chinese dragon is flexing its muscles. As its military begins to prey on neighbors in the South China Sea, attacking fishing vessels and scheming to seize natural resources, the US goes on high alert. But a far more ominous danger lurks closer to home: a Chinese sleeper cell has planted a nuclear weapon in the harbor at Norfolk, Virginia, the biggest naval base on the planet.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Art-War-Grafton-Novels/dp/1250041996

Like many on this site I have a weakness for this type of book. Well written by a knowledgeable ex military author.


----------



## a_majoor (23 Mar 2016)

Interesting concept, look forward to reading this:

http://voxday.blogspot.ca/2016/03/on-existence-of-gods.html



> *On the Existence of Gods*
> 
> ON THE EXISTENCE OF GODS is the response to a public challenge posed by Dr. PZ Myers, a militant atheist who claimed to have never encountered any good arguments for the existence of gods. It is a competitive discourse between a Christian and an atheist, each of whom argue for their position on the subject, after which the arguments are adjudicated by a team of three judges, a Christian, an agnostic, and an atheist, before additional arguments are presented.
> 
> ...


----------



## ModlrMike (23 Mar 2016)

Heinlein : Between Planets


----------



## airwin (24 Mar 2016)

Just finished Buffalo Soldiers by Robert O'Connor. Premise is an American Infantry supply clerk getting up to no good while stationed in Germany during the 1980's. Light, quick read. Not going to change your life, but pretty funny at times none the less.


----------



## exspy (24 Mar 2016)

AIrwin said:
			
		

> Just finished Buffalo Soldiers by Robert O'Connor. Premise is an American Infantry supply clerk getting up to no good while stationed in Germany during the 1980's. Light, quick read. Not going to change your life, but pretty funny at times none the less.



They made a movie out of this starring Joaquin Phoenix and Anna Paquin.  Saw it on the Movie Network.  I agree, it's not going to change your life.

Cheers,
Dan.


----------



## Lumber (24 Mar 2016)

I just finished Leviathan Wakes and Caliban's War, and I'm on my way into Abandon's Gate. They are the books upon which the TV Series "The Expanse" is based. All have been great so far. As usual, the books are better than the show, but I would still recommend watching it if you ever enjoyed Firefly.


----------



## The Bread Guy (27 Mar 2016)

Just finished reading "C.R.O.W.", the first in a series of Brit military sci fi written by Phillip Richards, whose day job is being an infantry platoon 2i/c in the British Army.  This was part of a Kindle collection of Brit mil sci fi - LOTS of reading for less than $5!

Quick, brisk read - gives an interesting feel for and focus on section-level fighting, especially concentrating on what's immediately around you instead of the much bigger picture.  

I'll be trying out other books in the series as well.


----------



## dimsum (28 Mar 2016)

Lumber said:
			
		

> I just finished Leviathan Wakes and Caliban's War, and I'm on my way into Abandon's Gate. They are the books upon which the TV Series "The Expanse" is based. All have been great so far. As usual, the books are better than the show, but I would still recommend watching it if you ever enjoyed Firefly.



I found Abbadon's Gate not at the level of the first two, but Nemesis Games (the latest one) is really good.


----------



## Bass ackwards (7 Apr 2016)

Just finishing another one on the Falklands:

_*The Yompers*; With 45 Commando in the Falklands War_
By Ian Gardiner

The author commanded a rifle company in 45 Commando during the war. The book is well written and gives some insight into the problems they faced with logistics, the weather, the terrain they had to cross as well as the actual fighting they did.


Edit: for format


----------



## The Bread Guy (7 Apr 2016)

milnews.ca said:
			
		

> Just finished reading "C.R.O.W.", the first in a series of Brit military sci fi written by Phillip Richards, whose day job is being an infantry platoon 2i/c in the British Army.  This was part of a Kindle collection of Brit mil sci fi - LOTS of reading for less than $5!
> 
> Quick, brisk read - gives an interesting feel for and focus on section-level fighting, especially concentrating on what's immediately around you instead of the much bigger picture.
> 
> I'll be trying out other books in the series as well.


More good, sharp, quick reads from Richards in "Lancejack" and "Eden" (with a more complex political situation - you can tell the author's deployed to IRQ and AFG - in the latter, but still very much focused on the section fight within the platoon), and I'm just starting "Recce".  If you have an e-reader, less than $4 Canadian each.


----------



## Lumber (7 Apr 2016)

Dimsum said:
			
		

> I found Abbadon's Gate not at the level of the first two, but Nemesis Games (the latest one) is really good.



I couldn't put the first one down, the 2nd one was good, but I am having a lot of trouble getting into Abbandon's Gate.


----------



## Danjanou (7 Apr 2016)

Dan M said:
			
		

> They made a movie out of this starring Joaquin Phoenix and Anna Paquin.  Saw it on the Movie Network.  I agree, it's not going to change your life.
> 
> Cheers,
> Dan.



The movie is a good time waster, you also. forgot Scott Glenn and Ed Harris as the 1st Sgt and CO. I had no idea there was a book. Just found it on amazon  for a cent plus postage. Should be worth a subway commute read.


----------



## Lance Wiebe (8 Apr 2016)

While browsing through a used book store in a small town in Nova Scotia, I came across "Admiral Doenitz Memoirs"
I picked it up for $5.00. It's in very good condition, with the exception of the jacket, which is somewhat mangled.The version I have was published in England in 1959.

I picked it up more out of curiosity than anything. After all, being a long retired Armour type, I never really did get in to naval history that much. However, it is a surprisingly good read. Very well researched, both from his own war diaries, but also United Kingdom and US war records. I bought it a few months ago, but just started reading it, I'm about half way through now.

Any student of naval history would enjoy this, I think.


----------



## daftandbarmy (8 Apr 2016)

I just finished re-reading 'Helmet for my Pillow' by Robert Leckie.

They based the HBO series 'The Pacific' partly on this book.

Amazing, and humbling, stuff.

It makes me wonder if there's an equivalent book regarding the Canadian soldier's experience in WW2? If so, I haven't come across it yet.


----------



## jollyjacktar (9 Apr 2016)

Reading "100 days to victory",  Saul David

100 significant days between 1914 and 1918 on all fronts.


----------



## daftandbarmy (9 Apr 2016)

Bass ackwards said:
			
		

> Just finishing another one on the Falklands:
> 
> _*The Yompers*; With 45 Commando in the Falklands War_
> By Ian Gardiner
> ...



I never met Ian myself but served with Yankee Coy, 45 Cdo a couple of years after the war. They had nothing but good things to say about him. http://www.iangardiner.com/


----------



## Bass ackwards (10 Apr 2016)

daftandbarmy said:
			
		

> I never met Ian myself but served with Yankee Coy, 45 Cdo a couple of years after the war. They had nothing but good things to say about him. http://www.iangardiner.com/



I highly recommend the book; it was a very interesting and enjoyable read. I'll definitely be looking for his other one about the Dhofar War.

I recently ordered a half dozen or so books* on the Falklands to go with the ones I already have, and am about to start one on the Paras at Goose Green.
(_*Goose Green*: A Battle is Fought to be Won_ by Mark Adkin)


* Part of a much larger order.
(Captain Morgan + Visa card + Amazon.ca =  :not-again


----------



## daftandbarmy (10 Apr 2016)

Bass ackwards said:
			
		

> I highly recommend the book; it was a very interesting and enjoyable read. I'll definitely be looking for his other one about the Dhofar War.
> 
> I recently ordered a half dozen or so books* on the Falklands to go with the ones I already have, and am about to start one on the Paras at Goose Green.
> (_*Goose Green*: A Battle is Fought to be Won_ by Mark Adkin)
> ...



If you haven't read it already I recommend 'Excursion to Hell' by Vince Bramley. Pure Para Reg gold....


----------



## Bass ackwards (10 Apr 2016)

So ordered. Thanks, I hadn't even heard of that one.


----------



## Danjanou (12 Apr 2016)

daftandbarmy said:
			
		

> If you haven't read it already I recommend 'Excursion to Hell' by Vince Bramley. Pure Para Reg gold....



Second that. Good read, also some insight into the deploymnt of the  GPMG Platoon for those emma gee types.


----------



## OldTanker (12 Apr 2016)

I'm just about done reading "The Origins of Totalitarianism" by Hannah Arendt. Very academic and a tough slog. But interesting, particularly since it was written shortly after the end of WW2. I was motivated to see if I could draw any parallels between what she writes about and the current situation in the US. I can't say I've really found anything in particular, a totally different set of circumstances, but its an interesting, if challenging, read nonetheless.


----------



## Dissident (13 Apr 2016)

Making my way through the Sharpe series. Quick easy reads. Pretty formulaic in the first few books, but I do enjoy the narrative being woven into historical event/battles.


----------



## Danjanou (13 Apr 2016)

NinerSix said:
			
		

> Making my way through the Sharpe series. Quick easy reads. Pretty formulaic in the first few books, but I do enjoy the narrative being woven into historical event/battles.



Agree a good series, have read them all several times. I met the author at a book signing (his one on Waterloo) and he promised several fans present that there would be more Sharpe books in the future. There was an annoying little kid there and he asked his name and promised him he would be a character in the next one, a drummer boy. He then assured the rest of us said drummer boy would be killed off by chapter 4 in a grizzly manner  8)


----------



## Old Sweat (13 Apr 2016)

I just finished Command and Control, Nuclear Weapons, the Damascus Accident, and the Illusion of Safety by Eric Schlosser, Penguin Books, 2013, 632 pages.

It is the story of nuclear safety in the context of the control of American nuclear weapons in terms of both bureaucratic controls, safety devices and physical security as well as the response to nuclear accidents. By way of disclosure in 1961 as a second lieutenant I qualified as a (tactical) nuclear target analyst on a course at the Royal Canadian School of Artillery in Camp Shilo and later was updated with unclassified fudged training material in Canada and highly classified real data in 4 CIBG. I also was fairly familiar with the launcher and fire production procedures and command and control arrangements of our Honest John rockets. Therefore I was more than a little taken aback to find how loose some of the early control and safety measures were. 

A good deal of the book is a case study of the July 1980 fire and explosion of a Titan 2 ICBM in its silo near Damascus, AR. It in itself is a litany of the worse features of a highly centralized command control system reacting to a basic accident involving a pierced liquid fuel tank in its silo, and how a series of wrong decisions by people who did nut understand the missile system resulted in the loss of life of young airmen attempting to extinguish a simple fire.

The book also relates the story of the Manhattan Project and I learned for the first time that the project involved scientists from Canada. Indeed the first nuclear device detonated at the Trinity Site was assembled by a Canadian physicist.

The book is an interesting read if you are a bit of a geek like me with some interest in the matter.


----------



## Colin Parkinson (13 Apr 2016)

3 Para by Patrick Bishop, focusing on life in a Platoon House in Afghanistan


----------



## Oldgateboatdriver (13 Apr 2016)

Old Sweat said:
			
		

> The book also relates the story of the Manhattan Project and I learned for the first time that the project involved scientists from Canada. Indeed the first nuclear device detonated at the Trinity Site was assembled by a Canadian physicist.



I have but one word for you Old Sweat: Chalk River.

Seriously though, few people realize how many Canadian scientist and engineers are involved, and in a major way, in a lot of the big "American" scientific and engineering fantastic breakthroughs. Kennedy set the "nation" on a course to reach the moon, but without the German and large number (almost 30%) of Canadian engineers - a lot of them from the old "aArrow" team, its hard to believe they could have achieved it as fast as they did.


----------



## Old Sweat (13 Apr 2016)

And, of course, there is Reginald Fessenden.


----------



## cupper (19 Apr 2016)

Another Canadian who was involved, but came to suffer an unfortunate death during the project was Louis Slotin.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Slotin

And a significant source of uranium was the Eldorado Mine in the NWT.

Another excellent read is Richard Rhodes "The Making of the Atomic Bomb". It follows the development of the science that lead to the bomb, the personalities involved in the scientific, military and political fields, and the events that occurred along the way. A very detailed coverage of the subject, and all in a simple easy to understand piece of literature.

I highly recommend it.


----------



## Old Sweat (20 Apr 2016)

cupper said:
			
		

> Another Canadian who was involved, but came to suffer an unfortunate death during the project was Louis Slotin.
> 
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Slotin



Mister Slotin was the physicist who assembled the first bomb I referred to in my earlier post..


----------



## dimsum (20 Apr 2016)

The United States of Japan, by Peter Tieryas.  

Imagine Phillip K. Dick's The Man in the High Castle, with robots.


----------



## observor 69 (2 May 2016)

Just came upon this book in my local library. 

"'Ghost Fleet' imagines a harrowing, realistic future of world war.

Very interesting interview with the authors here:
http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2015-08/14/ghost-fleet-interview

Wonderfully geeky book it would seem.


----------



## Dockrill923 (2 May 2016)

the fighting Canadians-history of the regimental system in Canada


----------



## Cantthinkofanything (2 May 2016)

"The Insurgents"  By Kaplan


----------



## ModlrMike (3 May 2016)

Leviathan Wakes - James S. A. Corey

Watched the first season on Space, and though it was pretty good. The book and the show are thus far pretty faithful to each other.


----------



## dimsum (3 May 2016)

ModlrMike said:
			
		

> Leviathan Wakes - James S. A. Corey
> 
> Watched the first season on Space, and though it was pretty good. The book and the show are thus far pretty faithful to each other.



The rest of the book series is on par (with the exception of one which was less than stellar) or better than LW.  It's a great series and the Expanse definitely did it justice, despite *slight spoiler alert* Avarasala being much too toned-down in her use of expletives.


----------



## Journeyman (3 May 2016)

Mike, would you consider adding a sticky to this thread encouraging people to post their thoughts on the book after they've read it?

Frankly, someone posting a title and author is pretty meaningless 
[....unless, of course, you're familiar with the poster ("hell, Old Sweat is reading it; it must be awesome" ;D ).]

If it's worth posting that you're reading it, tell us why.


----------



## Lumber (3 May 2016)

Dimsum said:
			
		

> The rest of the book series is on par (with the exception of one which was less than stellar) or better than LW.  It's a great series and the Expanse definitely did it justice, despite *slight spoiler alert* Avarasala being much too toned-down in her use of expletives.



Which one was less than stellar? Book 3? I'm having trouble getting into book 3.


----------



## MarkOttawa (3 May 2016)

Wonderful read--Leigh Fermor's other books (at bottom of Amazon webpage) superb too:



> _Abducting a General: The Kreipe Operation and SOE in Crete_
> by Patrick Leigh Fermor
> ...
> One of the greatest feats in Patrick Leigh Fermor's remarkable life was the kidnapping of General Kreipe, the German commander in Crete, on 26 April 1944. He and Captain Billy Moss hatched a daring plan to abduct the general, while ensuring that no reprisals were taken against the Cretan population. Dressed as German military police, they stopped and took control of Kreipe's car, drove through twenty-two German checkpoints, then succeeded in hiding from the German army before finally being picked up on a beach in the south of the island and transported to safety in Egypt on 14 May.
> ...



"Ill Met by Moonlight" (aka "Night Ambush") with Dirk Bogarde as Leigh Fermor:




http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0049357/

Book too:





https://www.amazon.ca/Ill-Met-Moonlight-Stanley-Moss/dp/1589880668/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1462306463&sr=1-1&keywords=ill+met+by+moonlight

Mark
Ottawa


----------



## MarkOttawa (3 May 2016)

Also learned in the book about the Marlin M42 submachine gun:



> "...
> Intended for use by U.S. troops at the time of its design, it found more favor being air-dropped to partisan forces in occupied Europe. The weapon was air dropped to supply British-led partisan forces on the island of Crete, where it was used extensively. It also saw use among the partisan forces of the Italian and French Resistance. Some of them were transferred to Dai Li's regular resistance forces in China for use against the Japanese invasion. The United Defense M42 was issued for use by Filipino troops under the Philippine Army and Philippine Constabulary during World War II from 1942 through the Post-World War II era until the 1960s and was used by the local recognized guerrillas from 1942 to 1945 during the Japanese Occupation.[citation needed] The use of the 9 mm caliber allowed resistance forces to use captured ammunition in their weapons, eliminating the need for repeated re-supply drops..."
> 
> 
> ...



More:
http://www.historicalfirearms.info/post/78048160002/united-defense-m42-developed-by-high-standard

Also a Marlin M2:
http://www.historicalfirearms.info/post/109815849250/hyde-inland-m2-submachine-gun-the-hyde-m2-is-the

Mark
Ottawa


----------



## Dockrill923 (3 May 2016)

yeah I agree with the sticky for sure. If I find a book worth reading I tell people. if its not worth reading I tell even more.


----------



## MarkOttawa (3 May 2016)

Leigh Fermor's book is worth reading because it describes in great detail and with great colour the execution of a remarkable special operation by Brit SOE personnel who by today's standards had little training.  But they were very bright, resourceful and unconventional (and knew languages); some had great experience working with the Cretans over quite some time.  The Cretans themselves also come across as quite remarkable people in their very intelligent resistance to the Wehrmacht in cooperation with the Brits.

Leigh Fermor is the one person whose life I might wish to have lived (see those other books)--and he never even went to university though coming from a good family.

Mark
Ottawa


----------



## dimsum (4 May 2016)

Lumber said:
			
		

> Which one was less than stellar? Book 3? I'm having trouble getting into book 3.



Nah 3 was good.  5 is back on par with Book 1.


----------



## Edward Campbell (4 May 2016)

"*The Rise and Fall of American Growth, The US Standard of Living Since the Civil War*," Robert J Gordon, Princeton & Oxford, 2016.

Those who follow my posts will know that I believe that understanding economic history is at least as important as understanding military history if one wants to understand the global strategic imperatives. This book is thick, heavy and dense and massively informative. Prof Gordon is a good, lively writer (and speaker) but he has a detailed case to make and he needs to demonstrate the validity of his thesis which is, more or less simply, that the century from 1870 to 1970 was_ sui generis_ and we, not America, not China, not Europe and not Africa, can hope to recreate its phenomenal burst of inventiveness and (consequential) growth in anything like the near to mid-term future.

Essentially, he says, we can only "learn to fly" and then "go onto space" once, we can and will expand upon those basic technologies but the "big things' have been done. Ditto for computing: we can make, and are making computers betters and smaller and faster and, and, and ... but the basic technology, the solid state processor, which makes it all possible has been "done," once and need not be "done" again. Prof Gordon deals at considerable length with the socio-economic impacts of e.g. the motor vehicle vs the horse and the electro-mechanical elevator and this should be read in conjunction with e.g. Fred Kaplan's "1959: the Year That Changed Everything," to understand that, perhaps, it was not the microcomputer or the Vietnam War that 'changed everything" but, rather the advent of the "pill," and sexual freedom.

Both Robert Gordon and Fred Kaplan challenge is to take the "long view" and look at the impacts of historical events ~ including technological, industrial, economic and cultural events ~ in order to try to understand what comes next. Neither is saying that we will nor have a new burst of inventiveness sometime, but they both suggest that it will not be soon and that we, in the US led West, and our grandchildren, must learn to adapt and succeed (prosper) is a lower/slower growth economy.


----------



## Journeyman (4 May 2016)

Journeyman said:
			
		

> Mike, would you consider adding a sticky to this thread encouraging people to post their thoughts on the book after they've read it?


Mark, Ted,....thanks for those, but I actually meant in the original "What book are you reading now?" I didn't mean to duplicate that thread.  

Mods to housekeeping. Mods. Housekeeping. ;D


----------



## The Bread Guy (4 May 2016)

Journeyman said:
			
		

> Mods to housekeeping. Mods. Housekeeping. ;D


"Cleanup in thread 32288, cleanup, thread 32288..."

Merged back, with this request ...


> Mike, would you consider adding a sticky to this thread encouraging people to post their thoughts on the book after they've read it?


I'm not Mike, so this'll have to do 

Seriously, moving forward, please keep this in mind when posting a suggested book - it would be appreciated if you also shared why you liked it,or why it sucked.  Thanks for your help in enhancing the thread.

*Milnet.ca Staff*


----------



## Journeyman (4 May 2016)

milnews.ca said:
			
		

> ...I'm not Mike, so this'll have to do


I was counting on you Tony, but it _is_  Mike's site, so we have to let him think he's actually in charge of the asylum.  ;D


----------



## Mike Bobbitt (4 May 2016)

Journeyman said:
			
		

> I was counting on you Tony, but it _is_  Mike's site, so we have to let him think he's actually in charge of the asylum.  ;D



I've exerted that illusion of control by implementing your idea as my own. 

There's now a short note tacked on to the first post in this thread (which nobody will read) encouraging a bit of analysis vs. a bit of an anal list.


----------



## MarkOttawa (4 May 2016)

E.R. Campbell:



> "The Rise and Fall of American Growth, The US Standard of Living Since the Civil War," Robert J Gordon



Have just read --superb.

Mark
Ottawa


----------



## observor 69 (4 May 2016)

MarkOttawa said:
			
		

> E.R. Campbell:
> 
> "The Rise and Fall of American Growth, The US Standard of Living Since the Civil War," Robert J Gordon
> 
> ...



More on the same theme:

Moore’s Law Running Out of Room, Tech Looks for a Successor

By JOHN MARKOFF MAY 4, 2016 

SAN FRANCISCO — For decades, the computer industry has been guided by a faith that engineers would always find a way to make the components on computer chips smaller, faster and cheaper.

But a decision by a global alliance of chip makers to back away from reliance on Moore’s Law, a principle that has guided tech companies from the giant mainframes of the 1960s to today’s smartphones, shows that the industry may need to rethink the central tenet of Silicon Valley’s innovation ethos.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/05/technology/moores-law-running-out-of-room-tech-looks-for-a-successor.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=second-column-region&region=top-news&WT.nav=top-news&_r=0


----------



## dimsum (12 May 2016)

Just read Ken Liu's "Paper Menagerie" reprinted at io9, link below as I'm not sure if it's appropriate to quote the entire story here.  It won the 2011 Hugo, Nebula and World Fantasy Awards, and is a quick (short story) read.

http://io9.gizmodo.com/5958919/read-ken-lius-amazing-story-that-swept-the-hugo-nebula-and-world-fantasy-awards


----------



## FJAG (15 May 2016)

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot by Kim Barker (previously known as "The Taliban Shuffle: strange days in Afghanistan and Pakistan)

Good interesting read which extends significantly beyond the events presented in the recent Tina Fey movie (and also doesn't have in it the phony Canadian security guard posing as a New Zealander - must have been a movie in-joke directed at Lorne Michaels)

Nicely written with a good bit of humour and self-deprecation and some insight into the American journalism industry and Afghan and Pakistani politics.

 :cheers:


----------



## RocketRichard (15 May 2016)

Shadow War by Sean McFate. A yarn about 'deep states' by ex special forces, mercenary and prof at Georgetown.  


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## MarkOttawa (4 Jun 2016)

Further to this list from 2012,
http://milnet.ca/forums/threads/32288/post-1159521.html#msg1159521



> Quote from: ObedientiaZelum on July 22, 2012, 20:40:26
> 
> Friend sent this in an email. Thought I'd throw it up here for ideas.
> 
> ...



Read the book long ago, was quite impressed (note comment at end of the post):



> “Storm of Steel”, or, Ernst Jünger: German World War I “Born Warrior” (with Canadian [Vietnam] angle)
> https://cgai3ds.wordpress.com/2016/06/02/mark-collins-storm-of-steel-or-ernst-junger-german-world-war-i-born-warrior-with-canadian-angle/



Mark
Ottawa


----------



## exspy (4 Jun 2016)

Colin P said:
			
		

> 3 Para by Patrick Bishop, focusing on life in a Platoon House in Afghanistan



I've just started reading Bishop's sequel; *Ground Truth: 3 Para Return To Afghanistan* (2009), about 3 Para's return tour to Helmand on Herrick 8, eighteen months after the tour in the first book.

I'm on Chapter 4 and so far it's a cracking good read.

Cheers,
Dan.


----------



## Pieman (4 Jun 2016)

"Understanding Convolutional Neural Networks"....I hate my life. :/


----------



## muskrat89 (4 Jun 2016)

"The Checklist Manifesto"


----------



## cupper (5 Jun 2016)

Just finished Red Platoon by Clinton Romesha, which details the events that took place during the battle of COP Keating.

Romesha was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for his actions that day.

A very interesting read. It's a hard look at the poor site selection of the outpost, and the difficulties that created and lead to its ultimate downfall.

Its a brutal and harsh read for anyone who has never experienced combat.

Romesha writes as if you were sitting down over a few beers and talking about his experiences of that day. He doesn't hold back, you get his opinions and thoughts without the filters.

Links to threads discussion Romesha's award of the MOH.

http://army.ca/forums/threads/108953/post-1200881.html#msg1200881

http://army.ca/forums/threads/109422/post-1208489.html#msg1208489


----------



## godspeedinfinity (18 Jun 2016)

The Best Little Army in the World - J.L. Granatstein

Fantastic look at Canada during the latter years of the Second World War. It's awesome to hear about some of the lesser known events of the war. A must-read for anyone interested in Canadian military history.


----------



## dangerboy (13 Jul 2016)

Just finished reading "Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania" by Erik Larson https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22551730-dead-wake?from_search=true

This was an excellent telling of the story of the Lusitania and its fateful last voyage. Even though I knew what what the fate of the ship was the author did a amazing job of bringing up the suspense and stories involved with the ship that you are almost rooting for the ship to make it to port and also you can't wait for the U-Boat commander to engage the ship.

When telling the story the author does not just talk about the voyage he also presents information on the events surrounding the sinking, the situation during WWI, the romance and marriage of the President of the USA. I know some other reviewers don't like the fact that their is a few tangents to the story I personally think it adds to the story. What I thought the author did real well was bringing the people on the ship to life, so that even though it happened over a 100 years ago so feel for them and are sad when you read about the majority of their fates. 

The only negative thing I have to say about this book is probably due to the fact that I read it as an EBook, I think it would have benefited from pictures and maps.  I am not sure if the paper versions have them or not but the ebook version I read did not.  

I closing I will say I recommend this book to anyone interested in history and after reading this book and books about the Titanic (and watching documentaries on both) there is no way you will get me on a cruise ship.


----------



## FJAG (13 Jul 2016)

Just finishing Ron Chernow's _Alexander Hamilton_ the inspiration for the Broadway play.

Excellent read. Very well written and researched and positively enlightening about the early founders of the American Republic. I already knew much of the history involved but knew very little about the personalities of these men nor how much many of them despised each other. If anyone wants to know why the American Civil War was inevitable, this book is a good place to start looking.

https://www.amazon.ca/Alexander-Hamilton-Ron-Chernow/dp/0143034758/

 :cheers:


----------



## dimsum (5 Aug 2016)

Just finished Tribe by Sebastian Junger (the guy who wrote The Perfect Storm, and directed Restrepo and Korengal).  Very thought provoking work which suggests that modern society, with our focus on things/status/money instead of people, has created a situation where people (in general) have lots of things but very little human interaction, leading to depression, etc and in cases of returning soldiers with PTSD, a sense of loneliness not found when they were on deployment.  He contrasts that with traditional "tribes", where the focus is on people and community, which translates to a relative lack of psychological issues within the community.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/19/books/review-sebastian-jungers-tribe-examines-disbanded-brothers-returning-to-a-divided-country.html?_r=0


----------



## BlueAngels14 (5 Aug 2016)

I gave in to the hype haha. Currently reading "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child". >


----------



## cupper (5 Aug 2016)

Dimsum said:
			
		

> Just finished Tribe by Sebastian Junger (the guy who wrote The Perfect Storm, and directed Restrepo and Korengal).  Very thought provoking work which suggests that modern society, with our focus on things/status/money instead of people, has created a situation where people (in general) have lots of things but very little human interaction, leading to depression, etc and in cases of returning soldiers with PTSD, a sense of loneliness not found when they were on deployment.  He contrasts that with traditional "tribes", where the focus is on people and community, which translates to a relative lack of psychological issues within the community.
> 
> http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/19/books/review-sebastian-jungers-tribe-examines-disbanded-brothers-returning-to-a-divided-country.html?_r=0



I heard and watched a couple of interviews with Junger when he was on the promotional tour. A very interesting take on the problem, and some deeper psycho / social issues. It's on my ever growing list of must reads.


----------



## FJAG (5 Aug 2016)

The Girl who saved the King of Sweden by Jonas Jonasson https://www.amazon.ca/Girl-Who-Saved-King-Sweden-ebook/dp/B00G2BAO98/

My wife got this as a birthday gift from our daughter and didn't like it very much. I, n the other hand, thought it was the greatest thing since sliced bread. By page two I was chortling and by page five I was laughing so hard that the tears were rolling down my cheeks. Its a bit different: droll, whimsical, satirical. A collection of great characters set in hilarious situations. I highly recommend it.

 :cheers:


----------



## GAP (5 Aug 2016)

She has written 22 books, and I have read Plain Truth and Nineteen Minutes.

I would not normally read something by an author like her, but it was a download and I sampled Nineteen Minutes to see what it was like. Couldn't put it down. 

Plain Truth is equally adhesive....excellent author....


----------



## MarkOttawa (5 Aug 2016)

Now reading "A German General on the Eastern Front: The Letters and Diaries of Gotthard Heinrici 1941-1942":



> https://www.amazon.ca/German-General-Eastern-Front-1941-1942/dp/1781593965/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1470431755&sr=8-1&keywords=heinrici



Gritty, gruesome and best thing I've read about realities of infantry (poor bloody) corps command--and terribly, in that sense, revealing of German attitudes plus the realities of Wehrmacht strengths and weaknesses.  As well as the Red Army's.

Mark
Ottawa

Mark
Ottawa


----------



## Bass ackwards (5 Aug 2016)

I finally finished _Excursion to Hell_  by Vincent Bramley. It's about 3 Para in the Falklands and was recommended to me by daftandbarmy a while back. 

Great read. Most of the books about the Falklands were written either by journalists or officers. This one is by a grumpy lance corporal, which does put a different perspective on things.

Well worth your time.


----------



## dangerboy (5 Aug 2016)

Bass ackwards said:
			
		

> I finally finished _Excursion to Hell_  by Vincent Bramley. It's about 3 Para in the Falklands and was recommended to me by daftandbarmy a while back.
> 
> Great read. Most of the books about the Falklands were written either by journalists or officers. This one is by a grumpy lance corporal, which does put a different perspective on things.
> 
> Well worth your time.



If you like that book check out Green Eyed Boys by Christian Jennings https://www.amazon.ca/Green-Eyed-Boys-Christian-Jennings/dp/0002555905/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1470438164&sr=8-1&keywords=green%20eyed%20boys

It is another good book about the Falklands war.


----------



## Bass ackwards (5 Aug 2016)

dangerboy said:
			
		

> If you like that book check out Green Eyed Boys by Christian Jennings https://www.amazon.ca/Green-Eyed-Boys-Christian-Jennings/dp/0002555905/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1470438164&sr=8-1&keywords=green%20eyed%20boys
> 
> It is another good book about the Falklands war.



Thanks, dangerboy. That's another one I haven't read yet.


----------



## dangerboy (20 Aug 2016)

Just finished reading once again the book "Enigma" by Robert Harris https://www.amazon.ca/Enigma-Robert-Harris/dp/0099527928/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1471705830&sr=1-1

Before reading this review you need to know that I have a basis towards this book as it involves the enigma machine and Bletchley Park which is a subject that I find fascinating.

Enigma is a historical fiction set in May 1943 when the German U-Boats suddenly changed their Enigma cipher which could change the entire balance of the Battle of the Atlantic.  Using this true even as the backdrop the author Robert Harris has crafted an interesting story about a mathematician/codebreaker Tom Jericho and his quest to crack the newest Enigma cipher, called "shark" and figure out what happened to the women he loved who has gone missing.

The books does a great job of setting the atmosphere of WWII Britain and what it like to live during that time and also provides accurate information about the codebreaking efforts that took place. One good thing is that while this book is about codebreaking you don't need to know anything about the subject to enjoy this book, Robert Harris explains everything in a way that does not require a master's degree in math to understand.

If you are a fan of historical fiction or mystery novels I would recommend this book.


----------



## sandyson (20 Aug 2016)

_Road to Confederation:  Emergence of Canada, 1863-1867_ by Donald Creighton.  Don Mills, Oxford Univ Press 1964/2012.  I clearly wasn't playing attention in high school. I thought Confederation was a done deal after the Charlottetown conference. "Come to find out" we almost didn't happen several times over. Britain wanted rid of us,  politics haven't changed and timing was crucial.  MacDonald was essential to the process but so were about ten others.  Creighton kept my attention through out despite knowing what happened in the end.


----------



## Colin Parkinson (1 Sep 2016)

"Empire of the bay", the story of the Hudson Bay Company, a enjoyable read. https://www.amazon.ca/Empire-Bay-Company-Adventurers-Continent/dp/0140299874


----------



## The Bread Guy (1 Sep 2016)

_"Combat Mission Kandahar"_  I've received a review copy to check out - will share a review when done.


----------



## ueo (1 Sep 2016)

Tribe, Sebastien Junger. Purportedly the definitive work on why soldiers don't want to leave the service/war zone and as a result are more likely to develop PTSD (my paraphrase). At least that was the review in last weeks New York Times. Its not! Its a poorly strung together series of relatively unknown academic studies interspersed with the few feelings of an alleged best selling author and reporter of some description. Poor research, poor facts and poorly written. Do not buy this.


----------



## ZeiGezunt (23 Sep 2016)

_Redeployment_ by Phil Klay. Really fascinating series of short stories about US personnel in Afghanistan, mainly Marines (in which the author served, and was deployed) but with some Army and even a Foreign Service Officer's perspectives on offer. Klay's stories run the full gamut of "away" and post-deployment feelings and emotions, from a chaplain watching his fractured unit crumble to a tired GySgt beginning the slow and painful process of reconnecting with his wife. Great stuff, sad, bleakly funny, and with a ring of profound authenticity. Kinda like _Dispatches_ but less fabricated and egotistical.


----------



## deskjockey43 (26 Sep 2016)

Transforming Traditions: Women, Leadership & the Canadian Navy, 1942 - 2010.

Lots of stuff about the WRENS and interviews with them regarding how it was back then with enrolling compared to now and how they are still involved with the armed forces civvy side.

I am thoroughly enjoying this book.


----------



## observor 69 (10 Oct 2016)

Heard Dillon being interviewed on "The Current" this morning and discussing his book :
One Soldier: A Canadian Soldier's Fight Against the Islamic State 

Dillon Hillier, a corporal with the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, returned home from a tour in Afghanistan and started up a normal life. But when ISIS insurgents began attacking local populations in Iraq and elsewhere, Hillier, a long-time soldier, felt he had to join in the action, so he sold his truck, lied to his parents about where he was going and became the first Canadian to volunteer to fight ISIS in Iraq

https://www.amazon.ca/One-Soldier-Canadian-Soldiers-Against/dp/1443449318
Soon to be released. Looking forward to it.

More info on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/DillonRHillier/


----------



## Retired AF Guy (10 Oct 2016)

The Shame and The Glory: Dieppe by Terence Robertson. Begins with the mobilization of the Canadian military in Sept 1939, with an emphasis on those people who would later take part in the Dieppe landings; the planning and training for the attack, and, the actual attack itself.


----------



## vonGarvin (10 Oct 2016)

Just finished "Das Geduldige Fleisch", which was the basis for the movie "Cross of Iron".  The book is a terrific yarn about a fictional Cpl (later, Sgt) Rolf Steiner as he leads his "platoon" in Southern Russia in the Summer of 1943.  Some parts of the novel were mirrored exactly in the movie; others, not at all.  Great book, titled both "The Willing Flesh" and "Cross of Iron" in english.


----------



## dangerboy (10 Oct 2016)

Technoviking said:
			
		

> Just finished "Das Geduldige Fleisch", which was the basis for the movie "Cross of Iron".  The book is a terrific yarn about a fictional Cpl (later, Sgt) Rolf Steiner as he leads his "platoon" in Southern Russia in the Summer of 1943.  Some parts of the novel were mirrored exactly in the movie; others, not at all.  Great book, titled both "The Willing Flesh" and "Cross of Iron" in english.



After my last move I told myself I would thin out my book collection and now you have just added another book to my want list.  Something tells me my books collection is not going to get any smaller, I should just ignore this thread


----------



## vonGarvin (10 Oct 2016)

Found this tidbit about our fictional sergeant:



> The literary and cinematic "Sergeant Steiner" character may be based upon Johann Schwerdfeger (b. 24 November 1914, in Plein bei Wittlich) who soldiered from 1935 to 1937 in Infanterie Regiment 84, and in 1939 was transferred to the Third Company of Infanterie Regiment 186 of the 73rd Infantry Division, at the Polish Campaign's start.
> 
> In June 1942, after serving in Jägerersatzbataillon 75, Schwerdfeger joined Jäger Regiment 228 of the 101st Jäger Division, who fought in the Don Bend, at Rostov, and at Maykop, in the Caucasus, and joined the retreat through the Kuban and the Taman Peninsula, the setting of the novel Das Geduldige Fleisch (The Willing Flesh).
> 
> On 17 May 1943, Feldwebel Schwerdfeger was awarded the Knight's Cross as a platoon leader in the First Company. In April 1944, in the breakout from Hube's Pocket, he was severely wounded, and was awarded Oak Leaves for his Knight's Cross on 14 May 1944; moreover, Sergeant Schwerdfelger also earned two tank destruction badges.



Enjoy!


----------



## daftandbarmy (18 Oct 2016)

Midnight in Some Burning Town http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/189084.Midnight_In_Some_Burning_Town

Meh.... 

It's about (allegedly) an SAS soldier's career spanning various conflicts from Sierra Leone, the Balkans, Afghanistan and Iraq. I tried to go through it but it kind of reads like a pub conversation that starts with 'when I....', but without the beer. It is also not clear if he was a participant in these actions or not, and some accounts read like he heard it described by someone else (in a pub, perhaps?) and just put that down.

I'll give it one more chance, then probably bin it.

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/189084.Midnight_In_Some_Burning_Town


----------



## medicineman (19 Oct 2016)

"The Heroes of Jadotville" - about the Irish company that got stuck all by their lonesome in the Congo, but mainly from the soldiers' side.  An easy read, but at the same time a hard one because of the situation they were placed in/left in by the UN and their commanders.  

MM


----------



## brihard (19 Oct 2016)

ueo said:
			
		

> Tribe, Sebastien Junger. Purportedly the definitive work on why soldiers don't want to leave the service/war zone and as a result are more likely to develop PTSD (my paraphrase). At least that was the review in last weeks New York Times. Its not! Its a poorly strung together series of relatively unknown academic studies interspersed with the few feelings of an alleged best selling author and reporter of some description. Poor research, poor facts and poorly written. Do not buy this.



I wasnt particularly impressed either.


Currently reading Robert Semrau's book, 'The Taliban Don't Wave'. Entertaining enough, no particular depth to it. But other guys I've spoken to with OMLT tours have said it did effectively capture the mind blowing absurdity that was working with the ANA.


----------



## SeaKingTacco (19 Oct 2016)

Jerusalem by Alan Moore. At 1300 odd pages long, this is a dense read.

The premise is that in a particular English slum, there is more going on than meets the eye, as the afterlife closely intersects and is intertwined with everyday life. It has the feel of Lord of the Rings meets Stephen King. There are lots of intersecting stories that also jump around in time.


----------



## dangerboy (22 Oct 2016)

Just finished reading "A Spy Among Friends: Kim Philby and the Great Betrayal" by Ben Macintyre https://www.amazon.ca/Spy-Among-Friends-Philby-Betrayal/dp/0771055528/ref=sr_1_1_twi_pap_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1477184679&sr=1-1&keywords=a+spy+among+friends.

As you can guess it is about the spy and traitor Kim Philby (one of the Cambridge Five spies) and his rise in British Intelligence, spying for the Soviet Union and eventual defection to that country. The author tell the story using the theme of friendship, who Kim Philby's friends were and how he conned/abused them to get information for the Soviets. It is not a hard fact book but one that is entertaining. So if you are looking for an in depth analysis of Kim Philby or the British Secret Service you will probably be a bit disappointed. It is not that this is a bad book but one that does not goes in minute details.

The thing that I found scary was how Kim Philby was able to do the things he did because of what school's he went to, who his friends were and who his father was. At one time it seemed that he was being groomed to be in a top position in British Intelligence which if that had occurred would have been just horrendous.  

In closing if you like espionage tales or just history in general I recommend this book, it is a nice light entertaining read.


----------



## dimsum (29 Oct 2016)

Canada by Mike Myers.

It's really no secret that Mike Myers loves being a Canadian, and it's been a long time since I read anything (in his voice in my head, of course...interspaced with his "dad"'s voice from So I Married an Axe Murderer) that made me laugh out loud within the first 15 pages.  He specifically says it's totally subjective and not meant to be a critique of any current event or policy, which is good.

It's got lots of nice pictures too, so if nothing else it'd look good on a coffee table.


----------



## FJAG (31 Oct 2016)

Not so much reading but writing.

My newest novel _Allies: The Coast_ is now out. This is the sixth book of the "Allies" series and the third involving the series' US Army Criminal Investigation Command.

Chief Warrant Officer 2 Mark Winters of the US Army Criminal Investigation Command (CID) is faced with the murder of a special forces officer and the poisoning of the officer’s wife while on vacation at a beautiful Atlantic coast resort.

The investigation takes him to Mumbai, India and into a broader scheme of kidnapping, extortion and corruption. Together with an inspector from the Indian Federal Criminal Bureau of Investigation, he must unravel the intricacies of both the original murder and the kidnapping of the officer’s wife both in Mumbai and in the dangerous border region of Kashmir.
Winters path crosses with General Phil Sambrook’s son Brian, who had foregone an appointment to West Point in order to enlist in the 75th Ranger Regiment. His platoon is deployed on black special operations operating in both Afghanistan and within Pakistan.

https://wolfriedel.wordpress.com/

 [cheers]


----------



## SeaKingTacco (31 Oct 2016)

Well, I would hope that if you wrote it, you also read it!


----------



## FJAG (31 Oct 2016)

SeaKingTacco said:
			
		

> Well, I would hope that if you wrote it, you also read it!



Three proof-reads and edits.  ;D

 [cheers]


----------



## observor 69 (4 Nov 2016)

Just started into "The Story of the S.A.S., Britain’s First Special Operations Unit."
I kept reading reviews about this book so curiosity led me to my local library. I am now in to it about 90 pages.
Really enjoying what I have read but let's let the NY times have a say:

 ROGUE HEROES
The History of the SAS, Britain’s Secret Special Forces Unit That Sabotaged the Nazis and Changed the Nature of War
By Ben Macintyre
Illustrated. 380 pp. Crown. $28.

Once upon a time, when the president wanted to use military force without becoming embroiled in a major conflict, the cry would go out: “Send in the Marines!” Today the role once played by the Marine Corps — as the troops of choice for low-profile missions without a formal declaration of war — has been largely supplanted by the United States Special Operations Command. With tens of thousands of “operators” and a multibillion-dollar budget, Socom has become virtually an independent military service.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/06/books/review/ben-macintyre-rogue-heroes.html?em_pos=large&emc=edit_bk_20161104&nl=bookreview&nlid=18656318


----------



## MarkOttawa (21 Nov 2016)

Exceptionally worth the read (further links at original):
https://cgai3ds.wordpress.com/2016/11/21/mark-collins-a-great-book-from-a-romanian-jew-mihail-sebastian-journal-1935-1944-the-fascist-years/



> A Great Book From a Romanian Jew, Mihail Sebastian: “Journal 1935–1944: The Fascist Years”
> ...
> 
> 
> ...



Mark
Ottawa


----------



## jollyjacktar (21 Nov 2016)

The Arsenal of Democracy (FDR, Detroit and an epic quest to arm an America at war) by A.J. Baime.

https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/the-arsenal-of-democracy-fdr/9780547719283-item.html?ikwid=the+arsenal+of+democracy&ikwsec=Home&ikwidx=0



> In 1941, as Hitler's threat loomed ever larger, President Roosevelt realized he needed weaponry to fight the Nazis-most important, airplanes-and he needed them fast. So he turned to Detroit and the auto industry for help. The Arsenal of Democracy tells the incredible story of how Detroit answered the call, centering on Henry Ford and his tortured son Edsel, who, when asked if they could deliver 50,000 airplanes, made an outrageous claim: Ford Motor Company would erect a plant that could yield a "bomber an hour." Critics scoffed: Ford didn't make planes; they made simple, affordable cars. But bucking his father's resistance, Edsel charged ahead.&nbspFord would apply assembly-line production to the American military's largest, fastest, most destructive bomber; they would build a plant vast in size and ambition on a plot of farmland and call it Willow Run; they would bring in tens of thousands of workers from across the country, transforming Detroit, almost overnight, from Motor City to the "great arsenal of democracy." And eventually they would help the Allies win the war. Drawing on exhaustive research from the Ford Archives, the National Archives, and the FDR Library, A. J. Baime has crafted an enthralling, character-driven narrative of American innovation that has never been fully told, leaving readers with a vivid new portrait of America-and Detroit-during the war.



So far an excellent read.


----------



## The Bread Guy (30 Nov 2016)

milnews.ca said:
			
		

> _"Combat Mission Kandahar"_  I've received a review copy to check out - will share a review when done.


Interesting read - a wide range of individual experiences (OMLT, engineer, IED, Coyote crew cdr, psyops, etc.) of what it was like @ the coalface in Afghanistan.  It includes some above-and-beyond stuff as well, like MWO Richard Stacey's "whack-a-mole" handling of an ambush in 2009 that led to him to receive the MMV, or Simon Mailloux's story of losing a leg and getting back to Afghanistan nonetheless.  More if you're interested here.

Latest read:  _"Charlie Foxtrot,"_ by political scientist Kim Richard Nossal, about how the CF buys things.  Hint:  the title can be short for Canadian Forces, or for ... group copulation (which is generally his assessment of the state of the military-stuff-buying process).


----------



## dimsum (30 Nov 2016)

milnews.ca said:
			
		

> Latest read:  _"Charlie Foxtrot,"_ by political scientist Kim Richard Nossal, about how the CF buys things.  Hint:  the title can be short for Canadian Forces, or for ... group copulation (which is generally his assessment of the state of the military-stuff-buying process).



Geez.  Do you enjoy self-flagellation too?   

 :bowing:


----------



## The Bread Guy (30 Nov 2016)

Dimsum said:
			
		

> Geez.  Do you enjoy self-flagellation too?
> 
> :bowing:


So far, it's a pretty accessible read - coming up to the "here's what worked and (mostly) didn't" chapter - so it's not quite like some of the old OPDP readings (I age myself).


----------



## PMedMoe (22 Dec 2016)

A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson. He recounts his hikes on the Appalachian Trail. The guy is sarcastic as hell...love it!


----------



## dangerboy (22 Dec 2016)

Just finished my annual holiday reading of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien. I have read this series every year over the Christmas holidays since I was about 13 and my dad brought home on the first day of Christmas break a copy of The Two Towers that he had bought at a used book store and gave it to me thinking I would like it (I have no idea why he bought the second book).


----------



## FJAG (22 Dec 2016)

"Extreme Prey" by John Sandford. Good cop stuff and if you like it there are some twenty plus more in the "Prey" series.

https://www.amazon.ca/Extreme-Prey-John-Sandford-ebook/dp/B013D664Q6

 :subbies:


----------



## Old Sweat (22 Dec 2016)

Based on a tip from a friend, I was able to get a copy of First In Last Out The South African Artillery in Action 1975-1988 by Clive Wilsworth from Amazon.com in the US. Amazon had one other copy, which Petard purchased on my recommendation.

The book gave me some insights into a campaign I knew virtually nothing about, the South African war against national liberation forces in South West Africa and these forces and the Cubans in Angola. Their gunners started off with 25-pounders and 5.5-inch guns organized on British lines and gradually transformed into a modern force with locally developed and produced 155mm howitzers and multi-barreled rocket launchers that outranged the enemy artillery along with Israeli 120mm mortars. (Yes, the long range 155mm rounds were invented in Canada, but we let the technology get away from us.)

Interesting book, but I have some nagging doubts about their gunnery skills, in part because of how they cobbled together troops and batteries to deploy sometimes on as little as a day's notice.

I ordered a couple of books on the campaigns so as to broaden my knowledge. From what little I have dug out so far, their major weakness may have been generals who had a good theoretical base, but tended to try and run battalions, companies and platoons in contact from their offices. We will see.


----------



## dangerboy (1 Jan 2017)

Just finished reading "Nemesis Games" by James S.A. Corey https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22886612-nemesis-games

	This is an other excellent book in the Expanse series. If you have not read the series I suggest you start from book one as it will be more enjoyable that way. This science fiction book continues the adventures of the crew of the Rocinante (their ship) in a universe about ready to go to war.

This time the author split the crew up and they had various solo plot lines that all connected at the end. I liked this as you got to learn more about the other characters other than James Holden. I think my favourite plot line was the one involving Amos.

I would recommend this book to anyone that likes either science fiction or just good adventure novels in general. I would also suggest watching the TV based on the books, "The Expanse" it is in my opinion a good adaption of the novels.


----------



## dimsum (1 Jan 2017)

dangerboy said:
			
		

> Just finished reading "Nemesis Games" by James S.A. Corey https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22886612-nemesis-games



Well, you're in luck since "Babylon's Ashes" just came out.  It's good so far!


----------



## dangerboy (1 Jan 2017)

Dimsum said:
			
		

> Well, you're in luck since "Babylon's Ashes" just came out.  It's good so far!



About to start reading that book.


----------



## OldSolduer (1 Jan 2017)

Waiting for First Light by Romeo Dallaire.


----------



## FJAG (1 Jan 2017)

"Born a Crime" by Trevor Noah. A very interesting account of his childhood growing up in pre and post apartheid South Africa.

https://www.amazon.com/Born-Crime-Stories-African-Childhood/dp/0399588175 

 :subbies:


----------



## Gunner98 (1 Jan 2017)

FJAG said:
			
		

> "Born a Crime" by Trevor Noah. A very interesting account of his childhood growing up in pre and post apartheid South Africa.
> 
> https://www.amazon.com/Born-Crime-Stories-African-Childhood/dp/0399588175
> 
> :subbies:



Received this one for Christmas as well.  Interesting insight into South Africa.  I also happened to see his 2013 comedy stage act on Comedy Central in the last few days, titled Trevor Noah: African American http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3043546/  It is also an interesting take on a new arrival to US soil, taped in New York but he describes his arrival at his first US airport in hilarious fashion.

My recent books include:
Tribe - Sebastian Unger - was recommended by many in the military medical community as new insight into PTSD - although only a small portion of the book is very insightful - I recommend borrow from a library - do buy it!

I am also listening to a book on CD - Resilience: Hard-Won Wisdom for Living a Better Life by Eric Greitens - recommended for people interested reading/hearing some life lessons in overcoming challenges associated - depression, suicidal ideation, PTSD, OSI and much more.  I enjoy listening it in my car driving to and from Kingston - 1 hour at a time.

"In 2012, Eric Greitens unexpectedly heard from a former SEAL comrade, a brother-in-arms he hadn't seen in a decade. Zach Walker pseudonym) had been one of the toughest of the tough. But ever since he returned home from war to his young family in a small logging town, he d been struggling. Without a sense of purpose, plagued by PTSD, and masking his pain with heavy drinking, he needed help. Zach and Eric started writing and talking nearly every day, as Eric set down his thoughts on what it takes to build resilience in our lives.

Eric's letters drawing on both his own experience and wisdom from ancient and modern thinkers are now gathered and edited into this timeless guidebook. Resilience explains how we can build purpose, confront pain, practice compassion, develop a vocation, find a mentor, create happiness, and much more. Eric s lessons are deep yet practical, and his advice leads to clear solutions."


----------



## FJAG (6 Feb 2017)

"Rogue Lawyer" by John Grisham https://www.amazon.com/Rogue-Lawyer-Novel-John-Grisham/dp/0553393480

Weak start, pretty good middle but weak ending.

In fairness there are a lot of good reviews for this book but for me it didn't measure up to some of his other works.

 :cheers:


----------



## dapaterson (6 Feb 2017)

Ready Player One.

Mind you, for a book that's allegedly a tribute to the 1980s/1990s nerd culture, there's a whole lot of Monty Python and the Holy Grail, which was a 1975 production... or have I just out-nerded the book?


----------



## dangerboy (6 Feb 2017)

FJAG said:
			
		

> "Rogue Lawyer" by John Grisham https://www.amazon.com/Rogue-Lawyer-Novel-John-Grisham/dp/0553393480
> 
> Weak start, pretty good middle but weak ending.
> 
> ...



I was not overly impressed with this book either. Lately I feel that he is just pumping them out without actually caring about the books.


----------



## dimsum (7 Feb 2017)

Finally finished "Babylon's Ashes", the 6th book of the Expanse series.  Maybe I spread it out too long, but I thought it was pretty meh.  The 1st and 2nd episodes of Season 2 of the show were pretty awesome though.


----------



## dangerboy (12 Feb 2017)

I am going through a Paul Brickhill phase; just finished reading The Dam Busters. It is the story of the RAF Squadron 617 during WWII, of course focusing on Operation Chastise, the blowing up of German dams in the Rhur. It also follows their subsequent missions in the war and talked briefly about "the bouncing bomb" and it's inventor Sir Barnes Wallis.

The one complaint I have with the book is that it was published in 1951 when parts of the operation and the bomb were still classified, so the author could not go into a lot of detail (and I read that some parts were purposely false to preserve secrecy). So I am going to check out the library and see if I can find any other books on the operation.  Plus this gives me an excuse to watch the film again.


----------



## sandyson (20 Mar 2017)

Eisenhower: A soldier's Life, Carlo d'Este, 2002 848 p.  This tome flatters no one, including Eisenhower. While the biography describes his life up to the end of World War Two, it gives very little insight as to the 'how' or 'why'.  It is not a source for 'lessons learned' with one exception. The workings of personalities in command headquarters will be familiar to those who have served in them. The book depicts that how well connected one was and who was who's friend was a determining factor of who commanded, whether competent or not. The arguments are well supported and up to date providing a deep historical perspective. This history provides an excellent view of high military command at the boundary of government policy of World War Two.


----------



## mariomike (20 Mar 2017)

Sandyson said:
			
		

> Eisenhower: A soldier's Life, Carlo d'Este, 2002 848 p.  This tome flatters no one, including Eisenhower. While the biography describes his life up to the end of World War Two, it gives very little insight as to the 'how' or 'why'.  It is not a source for 'lessons learned' with one exception. The workings of personalities in command headquarters will be familiar to those who have served in them. The book depicts that how well connected one was and who was who's friend was a determining factor of who commanded, whether competent or not. The arguments are well supported and up to date providing a deep historical perspective. This history provides an excellent view of high military command at the boundary of government policy of World War Two.



Bomber Harris wrote that in all his time at Bomber Command - in which many Canadians served - "I recall only one period of calm sailing when all went well, when we all pulled together... and that was during the all too short period when Eisenhower was Admiral."


----------



## ModlrMike (20 Mar 2017)

SS-GB by Len Deighton. In anticipation of watching the miniseries.


----------



## observor 69 (17 Jul 2017)

The Silent Corner: A Novel of Suspense Hardcover  – June 20, 2017 

by Dean Koontz 

https://www.amazon.com/Silent-Corner-Novel-Suspense/dp/0345545990

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A dazzling new series, a pure adrenaline rush, debuts with Jane Hawk, a remarkable heroine certain to become an icon of suspense

"I very much need to be dead.”

"These are the chilling words left behind by a man who had everything to live for—but took his own life. In the aftermath, his widow, Jane Hawk, does what all her grief, fear, and fury demand: find the truth, no matter what."

Highly recommended. Don't want to give away the heart of the story line but think hacking into the brain. !


----------



## Gunner98 (17 Jul 2017)

The Dogs Are Eating Them Now: Our War in Afghanistan by Graeme Smith.  

"The Dogs Are Eating Them Now is a raw, uncensored account of the war in Afghanistan from a brilliant young reporter who for several years was the only Western journalist brave enough to live full-time in the dangerous southern region. 

The Dogs are Eating Them Now is a highly personal narrative of our war in Afghanistan and how it went dangerously wrong. Written by a respected and fearless former foreign correspondent who has won multiple awards for his journalism (including an Emmy for the video series "Talking with the Taliban") this is a gripping account of modern warfare that takes you into back alleys, cockpits and prisons--telling stories that would have endangered his life had he published this book while still working as a journalist.

From the corruption of law enforcement agents and the tribal nature of the local power structure to the economics of the drug trade and the frequent blunders of foreign troops, this is the no-holds-barred story from a leading expert on the insurgency. Smith draws on his unmatched compassion and a rare ability to cut through the noise and see the broader truths to give us a bold and candid look at the Taliban's continued influence--and at the mistakes, catastrophes and ultimate failure of the West's best intentions." 
https://www.amazon.ca/Dogs-Are-Eating-Them-Now/dp/0307397807


----------



## jollyjacktar (17 Jul 2017)

That was an excellent book.  And the thought of the title brought a smile to my face.


----------



## FJAG (17 Jul 2017)

Simian Turner said:
			
		

> The Dogs Are Eating Them Now: Our War in Afghanistan by Graeme Smith.



Have ordered it up in my library.

Currently reading "Saturn Run" by John Sandford and Ctein.

https://www.amazon.ca/Saturn-Run-John-Sandford/dp/0399176950

Sandford has authored a large number of police/mystery books including the Lucas Davenport and Virgil Flowers series.

This is his first run in the science fiction genre and he has done a superb job. Highly recommended.

 :cheers:


----------



## MarkOttawa (17 Jul 2017)

Just finished _Instrument of War: The German Army 1914–18_ by Denis Showalter:
https://www.amazon.ca/Instrument-War-German-Army-1914-18/dp/1472813006






Excellent, stresses that the army was, as with allies, essentially civilians in arms with contract between soldiers and the government/society that asked for their lives.  Account of the 1918 Western Front offensives is short but the best analysis I've read of their conduct and for their failure.  Too much asked of too few (esp. stormtrooper sort) with no real operational as opposed to tactical rationale by Ludendorff--though the strategic imperative was real to avoid at the very least a non-compromise peace.  _Va banque_, as it were.

Mark
Ottawa


----------



## jollyjacktar (29 Jul 2017)

1000 Years of Annoying the French, by Stephen Clarke.   ;D

1000 Years of Annoying the French


----------



## medicineman (29 Jul 2017)

"The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck"  By Mark Manson.

I'm running out of them to give, and the recycle truck hasn't been by with used ones in awhile...

MM


----------



## a_majoor (30 Jul 2017)

Stocked up on a bunch of books at a used book store, but starting out with Champlain's Dream, by David Hackett Fischer.

Talking to my son about a canoe expedition he just came back from I pointed out the "Hudson's Bay" trilogy by Peter C Newman, which might be next after finishing Champlain, since it sort of "flows" as a historical narrative. As an aside, I had flipped one of the books open at random and fell upon the name of Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville. I remember there was a TV series about him during my childhood, are there any good biographies of d'Iberville around?


----------



## Gunner98 (30 Jul 2017)

medicineman said:
			
		

> "The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck"  By Mark Manson.
> 
> I'm running out of them to give, and the recycle truck hasn't been by with used ones in awhile...
> 
> MM



MM,

Reading the same. The frequency of the use of the 'F' word through out the book, kind of reminds me of the PPCLI WO (Price was his name) on my Phase II Arty.


----------



## 7thghoul (30 Jul 2017)

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood. 

Not usually my style but I caught the show on HULU and it was actually really good. 1984 but with chicks. 

It's kind of messed up to think some parts of the world are actually not dissimilar to this book...


----------



## medicineman (30 Jul 2017)

Simian Turner said:
			
		

> MM,
> 
> Reading the same. The frequency of the use of the 'F' word through out the book, kind of reminds me of the PPCLI WO (Price was his name) on my Phase II Arty.



I was kinda thinking of my Squad MBdr from Cornwallis, a bird gunner by the name of Ernie Shelley.  Many frigs given/utered the day we found out Ben Johnson got stripped of his gold medal...and many pushups performed as a result.

MM


----------



## Infant_Tree (31 Jul 2017)

_Brute Force_ by Marc Cameron.

It's about terrorists trying to take over the White House and control America and one special agent trying to stop them all. I haven't really gotten that far in the book to be honest and it's been over a month since I've last read it.


----------



## FJAG (31 Jul 2017)

Infant_Tree said:
			
		

> _Brute Force_ by Marc Cameron.
> 
> It's about terrorists trying to take over the White House and control America and one special agent trying to stop them all. I haven't really gotten that far in the book to be honest and it's been over a month since I've last read it.



Sounds like the plot line from the movie "Olympus Has Fallen".

Guess, if it's forgettable for you for a month I might give it a pass.

 :cheers:


----------



## MarkOttawa (1 Aug 2017)

Just finished _Joe Rochefort's War: The Odyssey of the Codebreaker Who Outwitted Yamamoto at Midway_ by Elliot Carlson:
https://www.amazon.ca/Joe-Rocheforts-War-Codebreaker-Outwitted/dp/1591141613






Definitive biography of head of USN radio intelligence Station Hypo at Pearl Harbor 1941-42.  Missed attack on Pearl (considerable traffic analysis available but amost no SIGINT, also Washington did not provide MAGIC decrypts to them) but did very well for Coral Sea and got Midway bang on.  Lots of traffic analysis and just enough SIGINT from IJN code JN25b (although lots of controversy over that http://www.cnrs-scrn.org/northern_mariner/vol12/nm_12_1_17to37.pdf ).

Then-Commander Rochefort was a "mustang", not an Annapolis grad nor even a civilian college one.  Brilliant but difficult fellow who made powerful bureaucratic enemies at the USN in Washington though Pacific commander Nimitz valued him highly.  His enemies managed to lever him out of Pearl in late 1942 and he was largely sidelined for most of the rest of the war.

Great and enlightening read, for intelligence aspects, for the early Pacific War and for inside the USN.
http://www.miwsr.com/2012-029.aspx
http://www.historynet.com/joe-rocheforts-war-deciphering-a-code-breaker.htm

Mark
Ottawa


----------



## Colin Parkinson (1 Aug 2017)

7thghoul said:
			
		

> The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood.
> 
> Not usually my style but I caught the show on HULU and it was actually really good. 1984 but with chicks.
> 
> It's kind of messed up to think some parts of the world are actually not dissimilar to this book...



Forced to read her stuff in school, thankfully I was ground floor and it didn't hurt to much leaping out the window to end the agony.


----------



## Journeyman (1 Aug 2017)

MarkOttawa said:
			
		

> ....made powerful bureaucratic enemies ...in Washington... though Pacific commander Nimitz valued him highly.


I cannot imagine a more prestigious commendation.


----------



## PMedMoe (1 Aug 2017)

Recently finished:

Lightfoot: If You Could Read His Mind by Maynard Collins 

and

Miracle in The Andes by Nando Parrado

I seem to be on a nonfiction roll....


----------



## MarkOttawa (1 Aug 2017)

journeyman:



> I cannot imagine a more prestigious commendation.



Quite.  But as the USN naval bureaucracy sidelined Rochefort Nimitz had to pay attention to beating the IJN.  Nimitz approved  in 1942 a DSM for the commander for Midway but USN D.C. denied it.  He finally got it posthumously in 1985.

[Lots more] http://www.nytimes.com/1985/11/17/us/officer-who-broke-japanese-war-codes-gets-belated-honor.html?pagewanted=all
http://www.npr.org/2011/12/07/143287370/the-codebreaker-who-made-midway-victory-possible

Mark
Ottawa


----------



## daftandbarmy (1 Aug 2017)

The Road to Little Dribling, by Bill Bryson.

Hilarious and bang on book about life in Britain, by a Yank of course.


----------



## 7thghoul (1 Aug 2017)

Colin P said:
			
		

> Forced to read her stuff in school, thankfully I was ground floor and it didn't hurt to much leaping out the window to end the agony.



Yeah I can empathize with that. As much as I enjoyed the show I'm finding once again her literary style to be just awful. Too bad, the plot is great just her writing is the equivalent of watching paint dry.  :facepalm:


----------



## medicineman (2 Aug 2017)

daftandbarmy said:
			
		

> The Road to Little Dribling, by Bill Bryson.
> 
> Hilarious and bang on book about life in Britain, by a Yank of course.



Thought the title was about someone with an enlarged prostate...glad you clarified, lol.

MM


----------



## PMedMoe (2 Aug 2017)

daftandbarmy said:
			
		

> The Road to Little Dribling, by Bill Bryson.
> 
> Hilarious and bang on book about life in Britain, by a Yank of course.



I love Bryson.  Recently finished In a Sunburnt Country (about Australia).  Great book!   :nod:  I also liked A Walk in the Woods.


----------



## MarkOttawa (7 Aug 2017)

Very interesting and wide-ranging beyond operational research, good pieces on GCCS/Bletchley Park SIGINT--scathing on Bomber Harris and RAF bomber command in chapter "A Very Scientific Victory":



> _Blackett's War: The Men Who Defeated the Nazi U-Boats and Brought Science to the Art of Warfare_
> By Stephen Budiansky
> 
> Stephen Budiansky, a journalist and military historian,[1] prefaces his book with a bold statement: "From 1941 to 1943, a small group of British and American scientists, almost entirely without military experience or knowledge, revolutionized the way wars are run and won. Applying the basic tools of their trade—a thoroughly scientific mindset backed by little more than simple mathematics and probability theory—they repeatedly demonstrated to disbelieving admirals and generals ways to double or triple the effectiveness of the faltering Allied campaign against the German U-boats" (ix). Budiansky's book concentrates on the U-boat war that pitted dedicated British scientists against equally adept and resourceful German scientists, whilst sailors on both sides suffered and very often died...
> ...








Mark
Ottawa


----------



## MarkOttawa (7 Aug 2017)

What the Brits call a thumping good read by Derek Robinson on pre-Bomber Harris RAF Bomber Command--Hampdens and Wellingtons.  No bomber streams then, planes tried to find targets navigating individually.  But makes mistake of calling squadron "409" (of course RCAF night fighter one in WW II http://www.raf-lincolnshire.info/409sqn/409sqn.htm )
https://www.amazon.ca/Damned-Good-Show-Derek-Robinson/dp/0857051172/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1502038719&sr=8-4&keywords=derek+robinson






The novel actually mentions at p. 246, p. 296 the 1941 Butt Report that, mainly by photo analysis, demonstrated extreme ineffectiveness of Bomber Command vs Germany, paving the way for all-out area bombing from 1942 on when four-engine heavies started coming into service (with increasing help from electronic navigation aids):
https://etherwave.wordpress.com/2014/01/03/document-the-butt-report-1941/

https://books.google.ca/books?id=DWITTpkFPEAC&pg=PA135&lpg=PA135&dq=butt+report+bomber+command+1941&source=bl&ots=cVu7f7UZo-&sig=-2BNqtR7bdvi4EicM21N9lcRMNs&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjpgYfuiMPVAhUM_IMKHdQyCmgQ6AEIuwEwHg#v=onepage&q=butt%20report%20bomber%20command%201941&f=false

https://books.google.ca/books?id=XUMuAAAAQBAJ&pg=PA88&lpg=PA88&dq=butt+report+bomber+command+1941&source=bl&ots=j6RcDlWoIW&sig=iI1X3PBbPOgivWIxi4A43XyzlRc&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjpgYfuiMPVAhUM_IMKHdQyCmgQ6AEInQEwFg#v=onepage&q=butt%20report%20bomber%20command%201941&f=false

More by Derek Robinson:
https://www.amazon.ca/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=derek+robinson

Mark
Ottawa


----------



## mariomike (7 Aug 2017)

MarkOttawa said:
			
		

> Very interesting and wide-ranging beyond operational research, good pieces on GCCS/Bletchley Park SIGINT--scathing on Bomber Harris and RAF bomber command in chapter "A Very Scientific Victory":



Harris's argument against the diversion of heavy bombers to the Atlantic battle was put forward in his paper to the War Cabinet on 28 June 1942.

He pointed out that it would take months to convert bombers to an anti-submarine role, and fit them with ASV radar.

"While it takes approximately some 7,000 hours of flying to destroy one submarine at sea, that was approximately the amount of flying necessary to destroy one-third of Cologne."

It would also demonstrate to the Russians what Bomber Command could do at a time when the Soviet armies were losing hundreds of thousands of men in a single battle.


----------



## MarkOttawa (7 Aug 2017)

mariomike: Aside from matter of diverting Bomber Command planes to Coastal, Blackett book makes the point that what Harris actually was willing to do--trying to hit concrete U-boat pens themselves, and also intentionally devastating area-style the French cities in which they were located--did very little to impede submarine ops.

Mark
Ottawa


----------



## FJAG (7 Aug 2017)

Bernard Cornwell's The Flame Bearer - a continuation of the Saxon or Last Kingdom series. Bloody addictive.

Still in hardcover. I've got mine through the library as an ebook.

https://www.amazon.ca/Flame-Bearer-Saxon-Tales/dp/0062250787

 :cheers:


----------



## mariomike (7 Aug 2017)

MarkOttawa said:
			
		

> mariomike: Aside from matter of diverting Bomber Command planes to Coastal, Blackett book makes the point that what Harris actually was willing to do--trying to hit concrete U-boat pens themselves, and also intentionally devastating area-style the French cities in which they were located--did very little to impede submarine ops.
> 
> Mark
> Ottawa



Mark, from what I have read, bombing raids on Germany destroyed 207 U-Boats at dockside, or in the ship yards. 

On top of that, it is estimated that damage to German factories disrupted production schedules enough to cost the enemy fleet more than one-hundred submarines. 

Because each U-Boat sank an average of three allied ships during the war, it's estimated that Bomber Command saved about 900 Allied ships. 

Bomber Command was also laying mines in the Baltic sea and other German-controlled waters. This disrupted the training of U-Boat crews. Mines laid by Bomber Command also sank or damaged more than one-thousand enemy surface vessels. 

Bomber Command also sank six German battleships. 

My source is this book,
https://www.amazon.ca/Battlefields-Air-Canadians-Allied-Command/dp/1550284916
page 174.

Bomber Command went to great lengths to avoid French civilian casualties. A good book about that is "Massacre over the Marne: The RAF bombing raids on Revigny ( France ) in July, 1944".
https://www.amazon.ca/Massacre-Over-Marne-Bombing-Revigny/dp/1852604522

As you likely know, 9,919 RCAF members were KIA with Bomber Command


----------



## MarkOttawa (7 Aug 2017)

mariomike: A recent tweet of mine:
https://twitter.com/Mark3Ds/status/892819425438642177



> @Mark3Ds
> Replying to @20committee
> 
> And in #WWII as whole 10,000 of 55,000 #RAF #BomberCommand dead were #RCAF--see final para here http://www.bombercommandmuseum.ca/photos_temp/event_background_2017-08-19.pdf …
> https://twitter.com/Mark3Ds/status/892819425438642177





Mark
Ottawa


----------



## The Bread Guy (8 Aug 2017)

Just started a couple ...

_"Scapegoats of the Empire:  The True Story of Breaker Morant'S Bushveldt Carbineers"_ - The story by the one who didn't get executed in the movie "Breaker Morant."
_"Dogs, Do You Want To Live Forever?"_ - One man's story of Stalingrad.


----------



## Old Sweat (8 Aug 2017)

milnews.ca said:
			
		

> Just started a couple ...
> 
> _"Scapegoats of the Empire:  The True Story of Breaker Morant'S Bushveldt Carbineers"_ - The story by the one who didn't get executed in the movie "Breaker Morant."
> _"Dogs, Do You Want To Live Forever?"_ - One man's story of Stalingrad.



I read Scapegoats. If you have the more recent version, there is a surprise ending.


----------



## The Bread Guy (9 Aug 2017)

Old Sweat said:
			
		

> I read Scapegoats. If you have the more recent version, there is a surprise ending.


Being a cheap b@#$%d, I downloaded the free Gutenburg version  (posted in 2004, but don't know how recent the edition that was uploaded was) -- I'll let you know if I'm surprised @ the end so I'll know whether to pay for an edition


----------



## Old Sweat (9 Aug 2017)

That should be alright. I read it while researching by Boer War book that was published in 1996.


----------



## Karel Doorman (9 Aug 2017)

Now i'm reading "In het Diepste Geheim"(translated something like"In Deepest Secrecy"

It's a book about the Dutch Silent Service wich tells about all the operations from the 50's untill the 90's.(so spying on Sovjet subs,destroyers,harbours,etc)

For now it's only in Dutch,but i couldn't think of anyone in Canada wanting to read about the Dutchies. [Xp



https://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/500x768q90/922/NYAUtp.jpg


----------



## BeyondTheNow (18 Aug 2017)

'Just started this one, picked it up at the War Museum gift shop a few weeks ago. 

NAZI GERMANY AND THE JEWS 1933-1945 (An abridged edition of The Years of Persecution and the Pulitzer Prize-winning The Years of Extermination)

$20, good reading so far. The writing style is clear, concise, informative and written in such a way as to avoid any _dryness_ where finer details and descriptions are needed. 

There are some maps, an excellent bibliography and index as well. 

_New York Times book review: "Establishes itself as the standard historical work on Nazi Germany's mass murder of Europe's Jews...An account of unparalleled vividness and power that reads like a novel...A masterpiece that will endure."_

Scattered amongst my family and extended family history are those who were a part of different facets of WWII; POWs, those who fought with both the allies and the Germans, as well as survivors of concentration camps. I haven't read the full versions, but am inclined to pick them up, as I'm enjoying what I've read so far.


----------



## dangerboy (29 Sep 2017)

Reading Vimy: The Battle and the Legend by Tim Cook https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30555607-vimy 

Tim Cook is one of those authors whose books I automatically pickup when I see them in the store. I have enjoyed all of them so far and these book is not an exception. As you can guess from the title it is about the Battle for Vimy Ridge and how what is just a small battle in the grand scheme of WWI became a focal part of Canadian history and our nations identity.

I was a bit surprised when I was reading the book that the depiction of the battle was only a small part of the book but that the major theme of the book was to examine how and why the Battle became so significant to Canada (had I bothered to read the dust jacket I would have known better). So in addition to the depiction of the battle, he goes over the post WWI selection of battlefields that the government chose to honour with monuments, the struggle to actually build the monument and most importantly what the battle meant to Canadians in different decades following the first world war.

If you have an interest in Vimy Ridge, WWI history, or Canadian history in general I recommend this book. It is a fairly short (compared to some of the author's other books) story that I found to be enjoyable to read.


----------



## MarkOttawa (21 Oct 2017)

Just finished _Browned Off and Bloody-Minded: The British Soldier Goes to War 1939-1945_ by Alan Allport--best overall look at WW II British Army I've read, very much worth the read.  

Covers creating a mass army where one had not been planned (colonial policing, e.g. in Waziristan, Palestine the main job), social aspects of a new type of recruit than before WW I (highlights importance of Adjutant General Ronald Adam, very close to CIGS Alan Brooke, from 1941 on in dealing with this), problems with infantry doctrine (but artillery very good, armour took while to realize they were not new cavalry) and officer quality generally, main points about major campaigns, combat effectiveness, how soldiers viewed those in countries where they were sent, why Labour won in 1945 but didn't last long (many in army did not really want more control of their lives) etc. etc.

Also not often realized--World War I-scale infantry casualties in Western Europe after D-Day, leading to divisions being cannibalized (same for US Army, cf. Canadian Army and conscription).

Lengthy review--excerpts:
http://www.history.ac.uk/reviews/review/1882



> ...the British military faced the challenge of turning civilians into warriors. The British Army had faced another obstacle, as it was far more dependent than the other service branches on conscripted, non-voluntary recruits. Allport notes that many of these draftees were in much better physical condition than their fathers had been in 1914. They were also more privileged consumers, used ‘to greater privacy and material comfort’ (p. 80). Less deferential than their forebears, more willing to air grievances and absolutely desirous of making their stint in the army as short as possible, they seemed a parade ground sergeant’s nightmare. Resounding defeats in Asia and North Africa in the first half of 1942 left many old soldiers, and politicians, denouncing this new generation of soldiers as physical and moral cowards. In fact, the army, still mired in pre-war practices, was spending much of its recruits’ energies on spit-and-polish inspections and drill, while continuing to provide officers selected less for their physical or academic qualifications and more for who they knew or with whom they rode to hounds. Fortunately for Britain, help – in the name of General Sir R. F. Adam – was on the way.
> 
> ...voting allowed the soldier a rare opportunity to strike back at the bureaucracy and rules and small indignities that made up military life. It was less a wholehearted vote for Labour than a sort of protest vote against those whom the soldiers identified as their superiors for the previous five or six years. Given the rather cynical view of politics and politicians that many soldiers seemed to share, as well as the often outspoken resentment many in the forces expressed towards those better-paid and occasionally disruptive miners and munitions workers in the UK, the argument that the 1945 election, at least for soldiers, was not about ideological change or even class solidarity seems a sound one...
> 
> ...Alan Allport has produced a cohesive and coherent overview of the British soldier’s experience. Fluently written and liberally bolstered by the words of the soldiers themselves, this account should attract, and deserves to gain, both a specialist and a general readership. It should also remind historians that the resources available for the study of this war and its role in contemporary British life are vast and under-explored. This is a valuable work, one that brings its subjects to life...



Amazon.ca:
https://www.amazon.ca/Browned-Off-Bloody-Minded-British-1939-1945/dp/0300170750







Mark
Ottawa


----------



## Colin Parkinson (23 Oct 2017)

The 6 day war and War of the Running dogs, first one is the precursors to the 6 day war and the other about fighting the Malay Emergency.


----------



## daftandbarmy (24 Oct 2017)

Re-Reading 'Excursion to Hell' by LCpl Vince Bramley, 3 PARA. A classic.... Too bad a lot of these guys left the regiment right after the War. They'd seen the 'elephant' .... 

“By about three quarters of an hour after darkness had fallen, we had marched about 20 kilometers [cross country carrying about 100lbs of weapons and equipment each]. Taff shook uncontrollably. He had bad cramp and lay there, totally out of the game. Together we sat him up and tried to revive some spirit in him, but with no joy. To me, Taff looked as though he was about to die. His nine-stone [126 lb] frame wasn’t strong enough for the rest of the march. Taff could run the Army’s [1.5 mile] ‘Battle Fitness Test’ in around eight minutes and was considered our best runner. This proves, as do other accounts I heard after the war, that the fitness of troops cannot be determined by how fast they can run. The Paras always pride themselves on tabbing with kit, and rightly so, but I learnt a lesson on our first night march. You must have body fat on you to waste, for the kind of long tab we had embarked on.”

Excursion to Hell, LCpl Vince Bramley, 3 PARA, p.48-50


----------



## dangerboy (24 Oct 2017)

daftandbarmy said:
			
		

> Re-Reading 'Excursion to Hell' by LCpl Vince Bramley, 3 PARA. A classic.... Too bad a lot of these guys left the regiment right after the War. They'd seen the 'elephant' ....



That and the book "Green Eyed Boys" are two of my favourite first hand accounts from the Falklands war.


----------



## Ajacied34 (25 Oct 2017)

Currently reading the intelligent investor by Ben Graham, its more of a project book as it requires more in depth analysis so when I want to read something less... intense? (Might not be the best word choice) I'm reading Outlaw Platoon.


----------



## Cloud Cover (26 Oct 2017)

"Street Without Joy": The French Debacle in Indochina.  (written in 1961).


----------



## daftandbarmy (27 Oct 2017)

Cloud Cover said:
			
		

> "Street Without Joy": The French Debacle in Indochina.  (written in 1961).



I scrounged up a first edition in a used book store, which I covet....


----------



## dimsum (17 Nov 2017)

Artemis, by Andy Weir (author of The Martian).  Just like that book, I can see this being made into a movie, if they can get the main character right.


----------



## FJAG (17 Nov 2017)

Have now just published _The Marina: A Mark Winters, CID Novel_ (fourth book of the Mark Winters, CID series and eight book in the Allies series). Available through Amazon and Smashwords.

https://www.amazon.com/Wolf-Riedel/e/B00459ATSU

https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/wolfriedel

https://wolfriedel.wordpress.com/allies-the-marina-a-mark-winters-cid-novel/



> US Army Criminal Investigation Command Special Agent Mark Winters is brought into a Tampa Police investigation of an old skeleton at a construction site when an Army commemorative ring from the 1st Gulf War is discovered with the body. Winters’ team follows the evidence to discover the victim was a reservist with the North Carolina National Guard attached to a US Corps of Engineers district in Jacksonville, Florida.
> 
> The case leads Winters team to a newly promoted general with the Corps serving in Japan and a further crimes more extensive then they could have imagined.
> 
> Throughout, Winters must balance the needs of the investigation with his falling out with the prosecutor over a murder investigation and court martial in Tamp, the hidden agenda by his new boss at Fort Benning to have him replaced and a serious turn for the worse in his relationship with his wife and her demanding mother.



. . . and starting the writing of fifth Mark Winters book.

 :cheers:


----------



## RocketRichard (18 Nov 2017)

Just started ‘Everyday Heroes-Inspirational Stories from Men & Women in the CAF’.  Ed. by Jody Mitic. 

Good stuff, reading the WW2 section now, looking forward to the modern era stuff. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Fishbone Jones (18 Nov 2017)

Canada in Decay


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## Rifleman62 (18 Nov 2017)

You must be reading this recceguy:

https://www.canada.ca/en/privy-council/campaigns/mandate-tracker-results-canadians.html?utm_campaign=not-applicable&utm_medium=vanity-url&utm_source=canada-ca_results
   
Mandate Letter Tracker: Delivering results for Canadians


----------



## Roger123 (18 Nov 2017)

Finished reading 'The Compound Effect' by Darren Hardy. I was at a family member's house and started flipping through different books on the reading shelf and this one caught my interest. It is essentially a personal improvement book grounded around the concept that what we do every day, through our routine and actions, compounds over time to deliver a specific result in the future. If you work-out consistently, over time your going to be in pretty good shape; if you engage in a daily reading habit across a broad spectrum of subjects, your going to have something to say in a conversation, etc, for example. It's a pretty easy concept to grasp, which the author highlights and elaborates over the course of easy-to-read chapters. I can say that the book opened my eyes to what I was doing day in and out and how it aligned to what I want my future self to be. 
    I had the notion that most self- improvement books are full of crap, but this book doesn't offer any literature to 'quick road to riches' ideas. If you want something worthwhile, there are no over night formulas or success recipes, just consistent action grounded in intelligent hard work. It is aimed at people looking for financial success or health improvement, but the ideas can be expanded to literally any pursuit. Simple idea I know, but it opens one's eyes and makes him/her mindful of one's  everyday actions and where such behaviour, compounded, will lead.


----------



## Blackadder1916 (6 Dec 2017)

Just finishing "Filling the Ranks   Manpower in the Canadian Expeditionary Force, 1914-1918"  by Richard Holt.

Published by McGill Queen's University Press, it is summarized as:


> Manpower is the lifeblood of armies regardless of time or place. In the First World War, much of Canada’s military effort went toward sustaining the Canadian Expeditionary Force, especially in France and Belgium. The job was not easy. The government and Department of Militia and Defence were tasked with recruiting and training hundreds of thousands of men, shipping them to England, and creating organizations on the continent meant to forward these men to their units.
> 
> The first book to explore the issue of manpower in the Canadian Expeditionary Force, Filling the Ranks examines the administrative and organizational changes that fostered efficiency and sustained the army. Richard Holt describes national civilian and military recruitment policies and criteria both inside and outside of Canada; efforts to recruit women, convicts, and members of First Nations, African Canadian, Asian, and Slavic communities; the conduct of entry-level training; and the development of a coherent reinforcement structure. Canada’s ability to fill the ranks with trained soldiers ultimately helped make the Corps an elite formation within the British Expeditionary Force.
> 
> Based on extensive research in British and Canadian archives, Filling the Ranks provides a wealth of new information on Canada"s role in the Great War.



You may be expecting that a book on such a subject, especially one developed from a PhD dissertation, would be a dry and tedious tome; you would be wrong.  Maybe I was a staff officer* too long, but this well written treatise (obviously by an officer well trained and experienced in staff work - the author was an RCR LCol) was an easy and enjoyable read and quickly imparted a better understanding of how the Canadian Army developed in the First World War.



_*Yes, at one time I was from NDHQ and I was there to help . . . really, I was there to help . . . no kidding . . . I'm not joking . . . hey, stop smirking . . . stop laughing . . . that's rude . . . well, f##k you too!_


----------



## Czech_pivo (6 Dec 2017)

Just started Kiev 1941 by David Stahel.


----------



## Cloud Cover (6 Dec 2017)

Czech_pivo said:
			
		

> Just started Kiev 1941 by David Stahel.



This book is a good read. He has several others released as well.  it does give one pause to really reconsider the extent to which the German Generals wrote history in the immediate post war probably until the 1980's.


----------



## NavyShooter (7 Dec 2017)

Just finished re-reading Starship Troopers by Heinlen.  Forgot how good it was.

Also in the middle of reading Volume 1 of the Browning Machine Gun, the definitive history written by Dolf.  The detail...the photos...wow.


----------



## sandyson (7 Dec 2017)

From business Insider 07 Dec 2017:   11 books the US Army's top officer recommends to help understand the world


----------



## Journeyman (7 Dec 2017)

Sandyson said:
			
		

> From business Insider 07 Dec 2017:   11 books the US Army's top officer recommends to help understand the world


Link to the list.


----------



## dangerboy (13 Dec 2017)

Just picked up "Persepolis Rising" by James S.A. Corey https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28335696-persepolis-rising?ac=1&from_search=true.

This is the seventh book in the _Expanse_ series, which the TV show of the same name is based on. I have really liked the first six books in the series and enjoy the TV show so I think that I will enjoy this book.


----------



## dangerboy (19 Dec 2017)

Just picked up The Cinderella Campaign: First Canadian Army and the Battles for the Channel Ports by Mark Zuehlke https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36292614-the-cinderella-campaign?ac=1&from_search=true.

I know some people don't like his books but I quite enjoy his style of writing and always learn something new whenever I read them.


----------



## Gunner98 (19 Dec 2017)

My children gave me a copy of David Finkel's "_Thank you for your service_".  https://www.amazon.com/Thank-Your-Service-David-Finkel/dp/0374180660 I am trying to settle into it.  I think it is going to be an uncomfortable read.  I have not seen the movie.


----------



## dimsum (19 Dec 2017)

dangerboy said:
			
		

> Just picked up "Persepolis Rising" by James S.A. Corey https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28335696-persepolis-rising?ac=1&from_search=true.
> 
> This is the seventh book in the _Expanse_ series, which the TV show of the same name is based on. I have really liked the first six books in the series and enjoy the TV show so I think that I will enjoy this book.



Sweet!  I didn't know the 7th was out yet.  

Glad I just finished reading Altered Carbon (just in time for the Netflix series to be out in Feb).  It had some interesting bits about transferring consciousness to other bodies, and the effects it would have on society (esp criminals and hit-people).


----------



## dangerboy (19 Dec 2017)

Dimsum said:
			
		

> Sweet!  I didn't know the 7th was out yet.
> 
> Glad I just finished reading Altered Carbon (just in time for the Netflix series to be out in Feb).  It had some interesting bits about transferring consciousness to other bodies, and the effects it would have on society (esp criminals and hit-people).



Just added that to my want to read list, it looks interesting.


----------



## FJAG (12 Jan 2018)

Okay. I've finished reading Michael Wolff's Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House.

https://www.amazon.ca/Fire-Fury-Inside-Trump-White-ebook/dp/B077F4WZZY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1515805136&sr=8-1&keywords=fire+and+fury

For full disclosure let me say that I come at this from a right of centre position with an equal distaste for Canadian Liberal Party and American Republican Party for clearly different reasons. Furthermore I have a longstanding disrespect for Trump which reaches back much further than his decision to get involved in politics. I'm somewhat predisposed to believing bad things about him so I won't dwell on particular anecdotes that reinforced my impression of him.

The book itself is generally well written and easy to read. It flows more or less chronologically and smoothly with the exceptions of two breaks in the flow where I had to check to see if my Kindle hadn't skipped a chapter.

It's very obvious that Wolff's primary source in this book is Steve Bannon. While it is also clear that there are other contributors to round out some events, most of the action takes place from a Bannon point of view and effectively sets him up as the hero of the tale. In that respect if your objective is to get Bannon's take on the President and on the internal fights between the three key White House power bases (Bannon; Chief of Staff Preibus; and Jared Kushner/Evanka Trump) then this is your book until he publishes his own.

One of the more interesting tidbits that comes out of this account is that the vast majority of the leaks coming out of the White House were from the three power blocks as they jostled for primacy and out of Trump himself. Apparently Trump spent most of his evening hours on the phone continuously talking to a wide selection of his billionaire friends seeking advice and validation during the course of which he held back very little. Much of that ended up in the press.

There is very little depth to the book perhaps because the White House that it represents has little depth to it and is portrayed as being run by amateurs. Bannon clearly sees himself as the only one there that had a political philosophy and political agenda (which he credits for the election win) and portrays himself as the only adult in the room. He does credit Trump with an innate sense of showmanship.

Surprisingly, quotes by some of the media notwithstanding, the book isn't as critical and condemning of Trump and his coterie as I thought it would be. It's more about chaos than stupidity. In places it seems critical of the way that the main stream media is handling the White House. Perhaps that's because much of the book is coming from Bannon, it isn't written from an extreme left wing/Democrat viewpoint but more from that of an insider with his own ax to grind. You end up taking the thing with more than a grain of salt but much of it sounds quite probable including some of the more salacious comments attributed in the book to Trump's staff and peers.

If there is anyone looking for the whole unvarnished truth about the Trump White House I expect that it will never be found. Ever. I doubt if one will ever find the truth in an organization where truth and facts and alternate facts are a word game to be played indiscriminately. Wolff himself admits that he did have trouble getting consistent viewpoints about events from the various players and therefore had to determine which were the more probable.

Is it a great book? Nope. A worthwhile read? Yup, and I would suggest for both sides of the aisle.

 :cheers:


----------



## Gunner98 (13 Jan 2018)

For fans of sports history I received a copy of Game Change by Ken Dryden for Christmas from my sons.  It is "the story of NHLer Steve Montador—who was diagnosed with CTE after his death in 2015—the remarkable evolution of hockey itself, and a passionate prescriptive to counter its greatest risk in the future: head injuries."  An interesting chronology of Montador as well as other concussion suffers - Keith Primeau for example.
https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/game-change-the-life-and/9780771027475-item.html


----------



## dangerboy (15 Jan 2018)

Just picked up "The Unwomanly Face of War: An Oral History of Women in World War II" by Svetlana Alexievich. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32905382-the-unwomanly-face-of-war. This book was originally written in Russian and has been translated into English. It is a history of Soviet women who served in the Red Army in WWII. You hear a lot about how the Red Army treated civilian women (German and Soviet) as they advanced towards Berlin but you don't hear much about how women in the Soviet forces were treated and what they experienced.


----------



## EpicBeardedMan (16 Jan 2018)

A Column of Fire by Ken Follett...another continuation book from The Pillars of the Earth..probably one of the best books I've ever read. Looking forward to cracking this one open.


----------



## dapaterson (16 Jan 2018)

A blast from the past - re-reading a book I originally read as an 11 or 12 year old.  "Alan Mendelsohn, the Boy from Mars" by Daniel Manus Pinkwater.  No summary could do it justice - but after reading it, if you find a copy of Yojimbo's Japanese-English Dictionary, you'll know what to do...


----------



## Colin Parkinson (16 Jan 2018)

Just finished the "war of the running dog". It really shows how much the right people at the right time and place can influence events.


----------



## BDTyre (16 Jan 2018)

I just finished "Salt - A World History" by Mark Kurlansky. It's a very interesting read on the human history of salt and salt production and it shows how big an impact salt has had on the world.

And I have just started Martin Gilbert's "The Battle of the Somme". It's been sitting on my bookshelf for close to ten years, I figured it was time to read it.


----------



## MarkOttawa (26 Jan 2018)

Just finished.  Put aside Daniel Ellsberg's "Pentagon Papers", er, caper--the RAND man is still very sharp (and consider how young he was when he started learning what then were very serious thermonuclear secrets and what he has over time concluded therefrom).  What is not mentioned in the excerpts is how low down the command chain effective ability to use nukes was in the 1950s/early 60s US services:



> *The Nuclear Worrier*
> Thomas Powers
> January 18, 2018 Issue
> _The Doomsday Machine: Confessions of a Nuclear War Planner_
> ...



As an aging Cold Warrior, who has had relevant Canadian government jobs, has read for many decades about miltary history, nuclear deterrence theory and related technologies, and has never found satisfactory personal answers--I urge that this book be read.  If not the revelation itself it is at least quite revealing.  In the best thoughtful sense.

Another personal note about how seriously Ottawa Centre takes such matters.  I worked under secondment from External Affairs in my mid-30s from 1982-84 at the Intelligence Advisory Committee in the PCO (as current intelligence coordinator as part of a tiny staff under a wonderful Canadian Army colonel who gave me my head though I had then long hair).  At the time US testing of cruise missiles in Canada was a big political issue (https://www.csmonitor.com/1983/0329/032955.html).

So I went to the PCO library (yes, Virginia, there was one) and found this book: (https://www.amazon.ca/Cruise-Missiles-Richard-K-Betts/dp/0815709323).  Which never had been taken out.  So I stole it, took it home and read it.  Good bunch of essays. TERCOM and all that (http://spie.org/Publications/Proceedings/Paper/10.1117/12.959127).

Mark
Ottawa


----------



## Old Sweat (27 Jan 2018)

I am nearly finished reading Ellsberg's book and second MarkOttawa'a comments. It is a sobering book and one must wonder if the SAC planners in the 50s and early 60s were sane. Perhaps they had such little confidence in the accuracy, reliability and survivability of their delivery systems and weapons that they aimed for overkill many times over. That, however, is not clear in the book and is speculation on my part. 

The section on the Cuban Missile Crisis is fascinating, especially to one who experienced it.

Recommended!

A further thought about the planners: it is possible the SAC planners, who would have been operating in a stressful and highly compartmentalized environment, lost a sense of reality in pursuit of their goal of defeating the Soviet-Sino threat. For an imperfect related example, look at the planning of Dieppe, not by Command Operations staff who were enthusiastic amateurs, but by the 2nd Canadian Infantry Division, who seemed to have put legitimate concerns about an obviously unworkable concept of operations aside and pushed on, attempting to make it work


----------



## Bowers525 (21 Feb 2018)

"War Since 1945" by Jeremy Black.

This is a really fascinating little book that has helped clear up a lot of my.. what I would call romanticized notions of the nature of conflicts during the Cold War.


----------



## FJAG (28 Feb 2018)

Revisiting an old friend: The Restaurant at the End of The Universe by Douglas Adams.  ;D

 :cheers:


----------



## daftandbarmy (28 Feb 2018)

Bravely into Battle, by Strome Galloway.

https://www.amazon.com/Bravely-into-Battle-Autobiography-Canadian/dp/0773751785/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1519796875&sr=1-1&keywords=bravely+into+battle


Sure to cure anyone of a penchant to join the Infantry


https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1476954/Colonel-Strome-Galloway.html


----------



## Journeyman (19 Mar 2018)

Just printed off "Global Threats: Paradox of Progress, 2017" (US National Intelligence Council) for some light, barstool reading.  LINK
(Every four years they put out an updated assessment of things that can mess with a peaceful night's sleep)


...plus browsing through the "Director's Reading List, 2018"  (US Defense Intelligence Agency)  LINK
(got it, got it, need it, got it....)


----------



## dimsum (19 Mar 2018)

Finally finished Persepolis Rising, the latest from the Expanse series.

It took a long time as I was only reading bits while on commercial flights, but I'm still waffling whether the book (and the turn the series is taking) is good or not.  I think it may have jumped the shark.


----------



## observor 69 (19 Mar 2018)

Now that is a list of some great reading. Thanks for the links Journeyman.
My more general reading interest was taken by "The Quantum Spy: A Thriller" by David Ignatius.

“The Quantum Spy is David Ignatius at the top of his game! A truly thrilling, superbly crafted spy novel that focuses on pivotal contemporary issues―the competition to achieve quantum computing technology, the high stakes rivalry between the U.S. and China, and the conduct of spycraft in a digital age.”
- General (Ret.) David Petraeus, former Director of the CIA, commander of the Surge in Iraq, and commander of coalition forces in Afghanistan."

https://www.amazon.com/Quantum-Spy-Thriller-David-Ignatius/dp/0393254151/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1521498275&sr=1-1&keywords=david+ignatius+the+quantum+spy


----------



## Colin Parkinson (2 Apr 2018)

One more River by Peter Allen about the Rhine crossings of 1945


----------



## Kirkhill (2 Apr 2018)

Old Sweat said:
			
		

> I am nearly finished reading Ellsberg's book and second MarkOttawa'a comments. It is a sobering book and one must wonder if the SAC planners in the 50s and early 60s were sane. Perhaps they had such little confidence in the accuracy, reliability and survivability of their delivery systems and weapons that they aimed for overkill many times over. That, however, is not clear in the book and is speculation on my part.
> 
> The section on the Cuban Missile Crisis is fascinating, especially to one who experienced it.
> 
> ...



Thanks to both Mark and OS for the recommendation.  On the list.

Just a thought about the SAC hierarchy.  How many of the planners of 1948 were survivors of the bombing campaigns of 1942-1945?  

RAF (including RCAF) (Wiki) - 





> In total 364,514 operational sorties were flown and 8,325 aircraft lost in action. Bomber Command aircrews suffered a high casualty rate: of a total of 125,000 aircrew, 57,205 were killed (a 46 percent death rate), a further 8,403 were wounded in action and 9,838 became prisoners of war. Therefore, a total of 75,446 airmen (60 percent of operational airmen) were killed, wounded or taken prisoner.


  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Bomber_Command_aircrew_of_World_War_II#Casualties



> Squadrons would normally be tasked to dispatch 12 – 25 aircraft on a night operation and at least one of their crews would be expected to be lost every two night operations. Squadrons losing multiple crews on a single night was quite normal and on several nights during World War II some squadrons lost five or six of their crews in a single night.[203][204][205]



USAF (USAAF, USAAC) (Wiki) - 





> Half of the U.S. Army Air Force's casualties in World War II were suffered by Eighth Air Force (more than 47,000 casualties, with more than 26,000 dead)


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eighth_Air_Force#World_War_II_(1944%E2%80%931945)



> Around 135,000 men flew in combat in the 8th Air Force


 http://www.taphilo.com/history/8thaf/8aflosses.shtml

While it is unseemly for this civilian to question the sanity of the survivors of those campaigns perhaps it is not out of the way for it to be suggested that men who had watched one in two or three of their mates and men under their command fail to return, as they returned day and night to bomb the same targets with precision bomb sights that failed to deliver, might have had justifiably skewed perceptions on scientists and how to conduct bombing campaigns.

If the intent is to "kill them all"  then why not do it fast with the least amount of casualties to the friendlies.


----------



## Gunner98 (8 Apr 2018)

I just finished reading Death at Nuremberg By W.E.B. GRIFFIN and WILLIAM E. BUTTERWORTH IV Part of A Clandestine Operations Novel, https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/319027/death-at-nuremberg-by-web-griffin-and-william-e-butterworth-iv/9780399176746/

I love learning about military and world history through the wonderful works of W.E.B. Griffin.


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## daftandbarmy (9 Apr 2018)

In the Footsteps of Scott

https://www.amazon.com/Footsteps-Scott-Roger-Mear/dp/0586206884

Signed by Gareth Wood, who I used to work with. A good egg...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w9qD8D4Xb9g


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## Blackadder1916 (9 Apr 2018)

Simian Turner said:
			
		

> I just finished reading Death at Nuremberg By W.E.B. GRIFFIN and WILLIAM E. BUTTERWORTH IV Part of A Clandestine Operations Novel, https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/319027/death-at-nuremberg-by-web-griffin-and-william-e-butterworth-iv/9780399176746/
> 
> I love learning about military and world history through the wonderful works of W.E.B. Griffin.



I also am (was?) a fan of Griffin's novels, however this latest was a bit of a disappointment.  Maybe it's just me but it seems since Griffin's son, Butterworth IV, has teamed up with his father the writing has suffered, characterizations are weaker and plot development is truncated.  I'm not saying they phoned it in, but it was almost as if they had a quota to meet.


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## Rifleman62 (9 Apr 2018)

Concur with your comments re Death at Nuremberg (Book IV in the CLANDESTINE OPERATIONS series). Seems like Butterworth writes to his Dad's template. I wonder how active Griffin actual is? Didn't enjoy book one/two in the series.


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## Cloud Cover (5 May 2018)

A Handful of Hard Men: The SAS and the Battle for Rhodesia

Not a story of gay special forces dudes, although it could happen.

Seriously, this has been a very enjoyable read so far about an unusually resilient group of lads during some very tough times.   

Cheers


----------



## FJAG (5 May 2018)

Gentlemen Bastards: On the Ground in Afghanistan with America's Elite Special Forces by Kevin Maurer.

https://www.amazon.ca/Gentlemen-Bastards-Afghanistan-Americas-Special/dp/0425253597

A bit so so. Nothing special or enlightening. Basically an embedded reporter's period of time with an ODA working with the Afghan National Civil Order Police in the fall of 2010 in Kandahar. 

 :cheers:


----------



## Cloud Cover (10 May 2018)

A Shield and a Sword: Intelligence Support to Communications with US POWs in Vietnam
Studies in Intelligence Vol 60, No. 1 (Extracts, March 2016)

This article (attached in pdf) was referenced by one of my students who chose to research microdot embedded data. Thought I would pass it on, it makes for interesting reading. 

Also, can the history buffs on this site direct me to more information on the NVA execution/massacre of an entire ARVN regiment (thought to be about 1800) at base of The Rockpile, in April 1972. (other than the SMJ article and other google search returns.)  I am informed that someone who served in *Op Gallant* either investigated or documented some of the evidence at the site in 1973, but I can find no information that puts CF or even UN personnel at that site in 1973.  This caught my attention as I previously had studied the US ELINT site at the very same location. 

edit: pdf will not attach>> article is here: https://www.cia.gov/library/center-for-the-study-of-intelligence/csi-publications/csi-studies/studies/vol-60-no-1/pdfs/Peterson-Taylor-POW-Communications.pdf


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## dangerboy (20 May 2018)

Just got "Arnham: The Battle fir the Bridges, 1944" by Antony Beevor https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32934807-arnhem.

I have read a number of books on Operation Market Garden and would normally say, oh yet another book about the battle. However, I really like Antony Beevor's writing and find that he is one of those military history writers that always has something new and interesting in his books. I am thinking that this book will just as good as his previous books.


----------



## tomahawk6 (20 May 2018)

Just finished the Bolitho series by Alexander Kent.For bing reading buying the ereader version worked well for me.Part of the series featured Canada and the american colonies.one of the books dealt with the American attempt to invade Canada around 1812 via the Great Lakes which probably caused the burning of the White House.


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## winnipegoo7 (20 May 2018)

> War from the Ground Up: Twenty-First Century Combat as Politics is a 2012 book on war and military strategy written by Emile Simpson, a former British Army officer. The book analyzes the War in Afghanistan (2001–present) in terms of Carl von Clausewitz's theory of war, arguing that modern counter-insurgencies have more in common with domestic political struggles than the traditional state-on-state conflicts described by Clausewitz. The book was favorably reviewed by Michael Howard, a prominent military historian, among others.



https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_from_the_Ground_Up


----------



## dimsum (20 May 2018)

I'm halfway through New York 2140 by Kim Stanley Robinson.  It's a take on how life would be in NYC when sea levels rise 15 meters and drown out the lower parts of the city from various points of view, from government officials to bankers to folks on the "street".  So far I'm enjoying it, but I have a feeling I'd get the geographical references more if I've been/lived there.


----------



## brihard (20 May 2018)

Dimsum said:
			
		

> I'm halfway through New York 2140 by Kim Stanley Robinson.  It's a take on how life would be in NYC when sea levels rise 15 meters and drown out the lower parts of the city from various points of view, from government officials to bankers to folks on the "street".  So far I'm enjoying it, but I have a feeling I'd get the geographical references more if I've been/lived there.



Ooh, neat! He wrote a great trilogy years ago about the colonization of Mars. A gifted author.


----------



## kratz (20 May 2018)

Dimsum said:
			
		

> I'm halfway through New York 2140 by Kim Stanley Robinson.  It's a take on how life would be in NYC when sea levels rise 15 meters and drown out the lower parts of the city from various points of view, from government officials to bankers to folks on the "street".  So far I'm enjoying it, but I have a feeling I'd get the geographical references more if I've been/lived there.



Thank you for mentioning the book.

I'd read it, but overlay Toronto, Vancouver or Halifax streets in my mind. The perspectives covered in the book might make more sense to me that way.


----------



## dimsum (20 May 2018)

Brihard said:
			
		

> Ooh, neat! He wrote a great trilogy years ago about the colonization of Mars. A gifted author.



I've heard about the Mars trilogy but haven't read it yet.  I've read Aurora, 2312, Shaman and this one so far.  2312 got a little weird for me but everything else was awesome.

And kratz, thanks for the tip.  I was pretty much doing the same.


----------



## Journeyman (21 May 2018)

winnipegoo7 said:
			
		

> .....Emile Simpson, _War from the Ground Up: Twenty-First Century Combat as Politics_


I thought _War from the Ground Up_  was an excellent book, especially when read with Hew Strachan's _The Direction of War_.  

Simpson was a student of Strachan.  As such, the latter book provides more detail and insight into the higher, strategic-level concepts  Simpson presents.  Simpson's theories on "the narrative," which (in addition to consistency -- a Western weakness) requires an understanding of the audiences;  I assume that the cultural aspects got much practical depth from his time with the Gurkhas.


----------



## winnipegoo7 (21 May 2018)

To be honest "War From the Ground Up" is a little over my head at points, but it has definitely blown my mind. I'll have to check out Strachan's book sometime.


----------



## Cloud Cover (21 May 2018)

EpicBeardedMan said:
			
		

> A Column of Fire by Ken Follett...another continuation book from The Pillars of the Earth..probably one of the best books I've ever read. Looking forward to cracking this one open.



I just finished this book finally. The last 150 pages I could not put it down. I don’t believe Pierre was not a real person, I guess he was an an amalgam of every wicked asshole one could imagine.


----------



## Journeyman (22 May 2018)

whiskey601 said:
			
		

> I don’t believe Pierre was not a real person, I guess he was an amalgam of every wicked asshole one could imagine.


I haven't read any of the books, so I don't know if "Pierre" is some reference to our 15th Prime Minister.


----------



## jollyjacktar (22 May 2018)

Journeyman said:
			
		

> I haven't read any of the books, so I don't know if "Pierre" is some reference to our 15th Prime Minister.


 
Sadly, for me, he was a real person.


----------



## FJAG (27 May 2018)

I've just finished Michael V. Hayden's The Assault on Intelligence: American National Security in an Age of Lies (2018) Penguin Press, New York, NY

https://www.amazon.com/Assault-Intelligence-American-National-Security/dp/0525558586

For those of you who may not remember, Hayden was a four-star USAF general and the director of the National Security Agency (Initially under Bill Clinton and then George W Bush 1999 - 2005) and then the director of the  Central Intelligence Agency (under George W Bush 2006 - 2009)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Hayden_(general)

IMHO Hayden presents a balanced view of the challenges currently confronting the US intelligence community and how the situation came to be. His balance can be seen in that he pulls no punches in detailing the failings that came about during the Obama administration. Those who look at the controversies which surround his tenure in those jobs will see that he definitely leans to the right.

The thrust of his book, however, details the fact that the US is currently under cyber attack from Russia through a massive effort to destabilize American democracy and that the current administration is doing nothing about it.

Hayden details that there is a convergence of the way Americans gravitate (intentionally and by way of search engines tuned to reinforce an individual's preconceptions) to information, regardless as to whether it is true or not, that is mutually reinforced by a swirl of Russian-influenced social media, alt-right websites and talk radio, Presidential tweets, Russian press like RT and some US mainstream media like Fox News. While there is no overarching plan and each of these entities work towards their own purposes, the sum total is a dovetailing of these elements that further Russian intents to fracture US society and keep the US focused on it's internal problems rather than fulfilling it's role as the world's leader.

What is even more troubling to Hayden is that the current US administration is deliberately not treating this issue with any of the seriousness it deserves. He firmly places the blame on Trump who is deliberately avoiding mounting a concerted response to what is currently, in Hayden's eyes, the greatest security threat facing the US. He considers this situation to be an appalling national security lapse that while not necessarily leading to social collapse, threatens America's core democratic structures, processes and attitudes.

He believes the country's intelligence community is under tremendous stress from Trump who, having been given overwhelming intelligence that Russia is engaged in a cyber war with the US, not only refuses to lead a strong response to those attacks but instead is acting aggressively in undermining the intelligence community that provided him the evidence.

A good and compelling read for all.

 :cheers:


----------



## Colin Parkinson (4 Jun 2018)

tomahawk6 said:
			
		

> Just finished the Bolitho series by Alexander Kent.For bing reading buying the ereader version worked well for me.Part of the series featured Canada and the american colonies.one of the books dealt with the American attempt to invade Canada around 1812 via the Great Lakes which probably caused the burning of the White House.



A great set of books, war of 1812 is why you have a "Whitehouse", cover up the burn marks caused by Royal Marines, Canadian Militia and Natives


----------



## FJAG (4 Jun 2018)

Continuing my quest to understand what's going on down south, I'm now nearing the end of David Frum's Trumpocarcy: The Corruption of the American Republic.

https://www.amazon.ca/Trumpocracy-Corruption-American-David-Frum/dp/0062796739/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1528134760&sr=8-1&keywords=trumpocracy

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Frum

David Frum is a conservative Republican who is a senior editor for _The Atlantic_ and was a speech writer in the George W Bush White House. While a life long Republican he voted for Clinton in 2016 because he simply couldn't stomach voting for Trump. You may know him as the son of Barbara Frum.

I think this quote from Peter R Blake, a reviewer on Amazon, best sums up the book:



> Well written. David clearly shows his disgust with Trump as a person and symptom of a much greater malaise. David brings his understanding of politics, history, democracy and deep social patterns and trends together to help explain how Trump got elected and continues to enjoy support from his "base". Whereas, Clinton's "deplorables" remark sought to dehumanize Trump's base, David does show that they are people that have legitimate issues, but also have made a number of choices that compromise their "souls", democracy and their own economic positions even more. While I know Trump will pass and will cause great damage during his tenure, I am more deeply worried about the social patterns and trends, which the author identified well - the attributes of momentum and inertia come to mind. Tremendous positive energy is needed, instead of the swamp gas flames of today. In the end David attempts to forecast potential "silver lining" side effects and provides advice on how to combat the social and political malaise at a local level.



I would add that Frum really hits the nail on the head with his astute observations that it wasn't only the Democrats who completely failed to understand the mood of the conservative side of the country but also the Republican leadership which ought to have seen the writing on the wall after Romney's defeat. Frum analyses the pre-existing conditions that were in place when Trump decided to run and then looks to the enablers and appeasers who allowed him to advance. From there he puts his heart and soul into explaining why Trump is a clear and present danger to democracy in the US (and it's not only because he's a high level kleptocrat and narcissist). The trouble here is that the swamp that is being drained is being refilled with raw sewage.

The introductory line to his book sums up his premise nicely:



> Democracy is a work in progress. So is democracy's undoing.



Well worth the read for those who despise Trump and would like reinforcement of their feelings but, more importantly, an excellent read for those who support Trump despite the niggling feeling in the back of their minds that they might have made and may still be making a mistake. 

 [cheers]


----------



## winnipegoo7 (30 Jul 2018)

The Exile: The Stunning Inside Story of Osama bin Laden and Al Qaeda in Flight
https://www.amazon.ca/Exile-Stunning-Inside-Story-Flight/dp/1620409844


I thought that I knew a fair bit about Al Qaeda, but I was wrong. Mind blowing book. 

Here's a review from Foreign Affairs magazine:


> Scott-Clark and Levy tapped a remarkable array of sources to put together this detailed and intimate investigation into how Osama bin Laden, his family, and some of his closest collaborators spent the decade that began with the planning of the 9/11 attacks and ended with bin Laden’s death in Pakistan at the hands of U.S. Special Forces. The authors reveal the complex set of relations among bin Laden’s many wives and children, the disagreements within al Qaeda (most of its senior figures opposed the 9/11 plan), and the challenge posed to the organization by the brutal sectarianism of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the leader of its affiliate in Iraq. The books sheds considerable (although not conclusive) light on the question of whether senior Pakistani officials knew that bin Laden was hiding in their country. Perhaps the book’s most fascinating sections explain how a large group of senior al Qaeda figures and bin Laden family members found unlikely refuge in Iran after the 9/11 attacks. They were both guests and hostages, providing Iran with some immunity from al Qaeda attacks and representing potential bargaining chips—ultimately never cashed in—during negotiations with the United States.


https://www.foreignaffairs.com/reviews/capsule-review/2017-10-16/exile-stunning-inside-story-osama-bin-laden-and-al-qaeda-flight


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## Journeyman (31 Jul 2018)

FJAG said:
			
		

> I've just finished Michael V. Hayden's _The Assault on Intelligence: American National Security in an Age of Lies_ (2018) Penguin Press, New York, NY


I'm wrapping up James Clapper's _Facts and Fears: Hard Truths from a Life in Intelligence_.  He writes about Snowden's intelligence leaks, and the media's salacious cherry-picking, often inaccurately and out of context, when the Int Community was under all kinds of political and media fire.  Clapper notes with gratitude that Hayden was consistently out there on CNN, Fox, etc  trying to explain the whole story (that those still working within the IC could not). 


Oh, and I also just finished _Political Risk: How Businesses and Organizations Can Anticipate Global Insecurity_  by Condoleezza Rice and Amy Zegart.


----------



## FJAG (31 Jul 2018)

About half way through






https://www.amazon.ca/Restless-Wave-Causes-Fights-Appreciations/dp/1501178008/

So far so good. Seems even handed and provides some interesting insight to the man and the events of his time.

 :cheers:


----------



## dimsum (31 Jul 2018)

I'm slowly working my way through Chasm City by Alastair Reynolds.

So far (1/3 through) looks like revenge/noir in his Revelation Space sci-fi universe.  If you've read his other Revelation Space novels, I think you'll like this one - the books and printsf subreddits seem to have most people recommending it as their favourite of his works.


----------



## FJAG (2 Aug 2018)

Have now finished McCain's The Restless Wave (see above)

A good book with his take on recent politics starting from his 2008 presidential run and going back and forth a bit. Not really an autobiography but more his take on key issues and events during his years in the Senate.

Two quotes stood out for me. The first respected Putin:



> China is the challenge of the century, but Putin is the clear and present danger, the immediate threat to America, and the world we have helped to make and thrive in. We must fight him as cleverly and as determinedly as he fights us. We will stop him when we stop letting our partisan and personal interests expose our national security interests, even the integrity of our democracy and the rule of law, to his predation



The second respects the polarization of society and politics and Congress:



> There are a lot of contributing factors to the gridlock that frustrates so many. Chief among them is how much more polarized we are as a society. We are secluding ourselves in ideological ghettos. We don't have to debate rationally or even be exposed to ideas that contradict ours. We have our own news sources. We exchange ideas mostly or exclusively with people who agree with us, and troll those who don't. Increasingly we have our own facts to reinforce our convictions and any empirical evidence that disputes them is branded as "fake." That's a social trend that's going to be very hard to turn around given the prevalence in our daily lives of media and communications technology that enables it . . . We have to recover our sense that we're part of a community that's larger than our political cohort, that we all, despite our disagreements, have shared interests and values.
> 
> That requires, paradoxically, taking politics more and less seriously. If you're alarmed by our descent into all-consuming partisanship, by the fact that much of the grassroots energy in both parties is with the closed-minded absolutists on the fringes, what are you doing about it? Are you voting in primary elections? Are you helping choose party leaders for your country, your state? Are you running for leadership positions yourself? Are you showing up for precinct committee meetings, district elections, town halls for elected officials? Because I guarantee you, voters on the Far Right and Far Left are. They show up. And if those are the voices party leaders and elected officials hear from most then those voices will exercise influence over local and state parties, over the national party, and over our national affairs that exceed the strength of their actual numbers. If you want politics to be more civil, if you want Congress to argue less and get more done, then show up.



Words to live by.

 :cheers:


----------



## Eye In The Sky (2 Aug 2018)

I am on the 3rd book of Ken Folletts' _Century Triology_;  Edge of Eternity.

I found the first 2 books, Fall of Giants and Winter of the World, fairly captivating.  I'm finding my interest fading a little bit on the final book as it starts to center on the rock band/junkie aspect of the timeline.  Hopefully the last 30% of the book finishes off with a zing to make this a very good trilogy.

I've got One Day in August next on the shelf and in hardcover;  looking forward to it as I do most of my reading now on a Kobo.


----------



## sandyson (10 Aug 2018)

Being Prime Minister     by J D M Stewart Dundurn: Toronto, 2018) 338 pages index, bibliography and end notes. Lib of Congress: FC26.P7S74 2018
Anecdotes about the lives beyond politics of prime ministers.  e.g. travel, security, health, celebrities and pets.  Suitable to pick up and read during television commercial breaks. It will contribute to your witty remarks at socials.


----------



## StygianFire (11 Aug 2018)

I am currently in the middle of reading Into The Fire: A Firsthand Account of the Most Extraordinary Battle in the Afghan War by Medal of Honor recipient Dakota Meyer. I'm about halfway done, reading it on downtime whenever I get some.


----------



## FJAG (13 Aug 2018)

Have now finished reading Hillary Clinton's _What Happened_. 

https://www.amazon.ca/What-Happened-Hillary-Rodham-Clinton/dp/1501175564

In short: If you are looking for a good book that gives insight into what happened during the 2016 election or a suggestion for how the Democrats will move forward, this isn't it.

There are two sections worth reading. 

The first is her view of the "email" issue. This is a pretty fair appraisal of the reality of what the issue was (minor at best) and how the press fell into Trump's trap of making it THE campaign and credibility issue to help him deflect from his lack of a platform and his own problems in the campaign. She certainly has no love for FBI Director Jim Comey and blames him (IMHO quite rightly) for undercutting her campaign at a critical time with his disclosure of the Weiner laptop emails (which was another non-event but which seriously undermined her support) This chapter is well written and her arguments well presented.

The second relates to the Russian interference in the campaign. Again there is a good marshalling of facts, a well presented tie-in of Russian activities with the Trump campaign (yes I believe there was collusion) and an analysis of what these activities mean for American democracy in the future (there'll be more of this until and unless the US gets its stuff together.)

All told that was 67 worth while pages out of a book of approximately 445. The remainder was a collection of name dropping, fluffy justifying, a fair bit of kumbaya-ism and basically not very good writing.  I never was much of a fan of Clinton's although I thought that she stood head and shoulders above her competition when it came to policies and competence. I still do but this book definitely left me disappointed and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone in particular. While she offers some reasons, I don't think that she truly has a a handle on why people who weren't hard core Republicans nonetheless voted for Trump or failed to come out to vote for her. Unless the Democrats figure that out within the next year and come up with a good counter-strategy they may lose another election.  McCain's book (see above) was heads and shoulders better than this one.

(Interesting side fact - Other than FD Roosevelt and H Truman (five terms 1932-1952) the Democrats have never managed to have more than two consecutive terms in the White House)

 :cheers:


----------



## daftandbarmy (14 Aug 2018)

The 11,000ers of the Canadian Rockies, by Bill Corbett, 2nd Edition.

Apparently they keep turning up new peaks over 11,000 feet, so the 2nd Edition has four more than the first. 

I like the amazing stories of the first, and more remote, ascents. Many of these peaks see few ascents even now, with all the fancy gear, fitness programs and helicopters. It's humbling to read about the guys - and some gals - who suffered mightily to bag these peaks. I also like that the author has done many of these climbs himself, so comes across as a very credible writer when describing some of the routes.

https://www.amazon.ca/11-000ers-Canadian-Rockies-2nd/dp/1771601329

'An award winner at the Banff Mountain Book Festival, this comprehensive, full-colour climber’s guide and history celebrates in words and images these breathtaking summits and the lively, often forgotten accounts of the pioneering climbers and their original routes.

This new edition of The 11,000ers of the Canadian Rockies thoroughly updates route and access information, particularly taking into account the warming trends and glacier retreat that are significantly reshaping the landscape through which mountaineers travel. For those seeking fresh challenges or high peaks to bag, this revision introduces four more mountains on the threshold of 11,000 feet, bringing the potential total to 58 that reach the magic mark.

Each entry provides a vivid description of the peak, an extensive history of early and subsequent ascents (and ski descents) and a detailed description of moderate to intermediate routes, including access and approach information. The text is liberally illustrated in full colour and features dozens of route and climbing photos and detailed area maps.'


----------



## Xylric (14 Aug 2018)

Hemingways' Men at War.


----------



## FJAG (18 Aug 2018)

https://www.amazon.ca/President-Missing-Novel-James-Patterson/dp/0316412694

Take one heroic former Ranger, widower president with a serious blood disease, an ambitious Vice-President, a Speaker of the House intent on impeaching the President for treason, an imminent, massive Jihadist terrorist cyber attack that will send the US back to the Dark Ages, two defecting terrorists, a traitor in the White House and a classical music loving assassin and what do you get?

Strangely enough you get a fast-paced and tightly knit thriller that will keep you turning all of its 528 pages. The plot has just enough hidden twists to keep you interested although it does runs a bit into the incredulous. The characters are a bit superficial and there aren't any secondary character or plot arcs to take you off the main story line. The writing style is pure Patterson (take that as you may but the man has sold over 275 million books). Clinton comes through with what was undoubtedly some background information on the ins and outs of a President's thought processes and the milieu of Washington and in a bit of a cri de coeur in the epilogue on how America has to pull together and give up partisan politics.

The collaboration was a bit over-hyped but all in all it makes a decent bit of light reading.

 :cheers:


----------



## Xylric (18 Aug 2018)

So, it's fiction, but the epilogue is a commentary by the former president? I'll have to see if I can sneak it under the tree for my father this Christmas.


----------



## FJAG (18 Aug 2018)

Xylric said:
			
		

> So, it's fiction, but the epilogue is a commentary by the former president? I'll have to see if I can sneak it under the tree for my father this Christmas.



Definitely fiction. 

Actually to be really accurate that portion is in a speech that the President gives to Congress in the last two chapters (127 and 128) which is followed by a very short epilogue but Patterson has a habit of chopping things into very short chapters. In my mind the three are actually one real epilogue. (But then I haven't sold 275 million books so what do I know)

 :cheers:


----------



## Xylric (18 Aug 2018)

FJAG said:
			
		

> Definitely fiction.
> 
> Actually to be really accurate that portion is in a speech that the President gives to Congress in the last two chapters (127 and 128) which is followed by a very short epilogue but Patterson has a habit of chopping things into very short chapters. In my mind the three are actually one real epilogue. (But then I haven't sold 275 million books so what do I know)
> 
> :cheers:



His writing style does take some getting used to, but I think having very short chapters is a decent factor in the number of copies he's sold. Makes it easier for people who don't have the time to sit and read.


----------



## a_majoor (19 Aug 2018)

"Natural Born Heroes" by Christopher McDougall

Using the kidnapping of a German general on the Island of Crete during WWII as a thread to hold all the disparate parts of the story together, the book looks at everything from nutrition, exercise, martial arts and even spirituality as a way of exploring the ancient Greek idea of Heroism and Heroes. The conclusion is actually the opposite of the title; Heroes can indeed be created.

This has interesting implications for us in how we recruit, train and educate our young people, and it is especially telling when we look at the differences between what we do today, and how Cretan partisans and some eccentric British SOE types were able to perform fantastic feats of physical and mental endurance on minimal sleep and a small handful of food, in terrible weather conditions and over mountainous terrain, while eluding thousands of German solders swarming over the island looking for them.


----------



## dimsum (20 Aug 2018)

"The Day The World Came To Town" by Jim DeFede, about Gander NL in 9/11 and Operation Yellow Ribbon.  

It's pretty dusty in the room...


----------



## daftandbarmy (20 Aug 2018)

Thucydides said:
			
		

> "Natural Born Heroes" by Christopher McDougall
> 
> Using the kidnapping of a German general on the Island of Crete during WWII as a thread to hold all the disparate parts of the story together, the book looks at everything from nutrition, exercise, martial arts and even spirituality as a way of exploring the ancient Greek idea of Heroism and Heroes. The conclusion is actually the opposite of the title; Heroes can indeed be created.
> 
> This has interesting implications for us in how we recruit, train and educate our young people, and it is especially telling when we look at the differences between what we do today, and how Cretan partisans and some eccentric British SOE types were able to perform fantastic feats of physical and mental endurance on minimal sleep and a small handful of food, in terrible weather conditions and over mountainous terrain, while eluding thousands of German solders swarming over the island looking for them.



If you haven't you should also read this book 'Ill met by Moonlight' https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ill_Met_by_Moonlight

It's also a movie: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ill_Met_by_Moonlight_(film)

Might be the one that your book is based upon?


----------



## Journeyman (20 Aug 2018)

Doing a bunch of 'in-depth' stuff right now, so I have some completely inconsequential reading:

Cary Elwes, _As You Wish:  Inconceivable Tales from the Making of 'The Princess Bride'_ -- a gift from the daughter, who said (lovingly, I'm sure), "It's summer;  take this book and some beer, head down to the lake, and chill the f**k out."

As.....you...…...wi-iiish"   ;D


----------



## dapaterson (20 Aug 2018)

You've always struck me as more of an Inigo Montoya than a Dead Pirate Roberts...


----------



## Journeyman (20 Aug 2018)

dapaterson said:
			
		

> You've always struck me as more of an Inigo Montoya than a Dead Dread Pirate Roberts...


Interesting typo.   ;D

...but I'm perfectly OK with either;  there are worse character choices.   :nod:


----------



## a_majoor (20 Aug 2018)

daftandbarmy said:
			
		

> If you haven't you should also read this book 'Ill met by Moonlight' https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ill_Met_by_Moonlight
> 
> It's also a movie: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ill_Met_by_Moonlight_(film)
> 
> Might be the one that your book is based upon?



Natural born Heroes isn't based on "Ill Met by Moonlight", but does tell a parallel story, including background information about the various SOE members who participated in the kidnapping. The author started this project far too late to interview the actual participants, but does use a great deal of biographical and material from many researchers, including ones who had contact with the raiders. The author and several guides also attempt to recreate the trek of the SOE party across the island, so there is a real sense of what was accomplished (and how amazingly difficult it was).

This is the thread which ties in all the other elements of the book, since the author is interested in "_how_ could they accomplish that?".


----------



## Blackadder1916 (20 Aug 2018)

Thucydides said:
			
		

> Natural born Heroes isn't based on "Ill Met by Moonlight", but does tell a parallel story, including background information about the various SOE members who participated in the kidnapping. The author started this project far too late to interview the actual participants, but does use a great deal of biographical and material from many researchers, including ones who had contact with the raiders. The author and several guides also attempt to recreate the trek of the SOE party across the island, so there is a real sense of what was accomplished (and how amazingly difficult it was).
> 
> This is the thread which ties in all the other elements of the book, since the author is interested in "_how_ could they accomplish that?".




With your opening phrase, I was left wondering what other "kidnapping of a German general" did the SOE do during the war, then recognized the "parallel" aspect.  Having not yet read the book but still a fan of the film "Ill Met By Moonlight" as well as intrigued by the life and accomplishments of Patrick Leigh Fermor (and Billy Moss - his SOE colleague in the Kreipe kidnapping and author of Ill Met By Moonlight), it caught my interest.  Luckily it is available at my local library so I have put it on hold.

However, a quick look at some of the comments in bibliocommons has tempered my enthusiasm.  For those not as interested in the connection between "running" (which seems to be the author Christopher McDougall's primary interest) and SOE/Cretan resistance activities, maybe have a look at "Abducting a General: The Kreipe Operation and SOE in Crete" by Patrick Leigh Fermor.


----------



## daftandbarmy (21 Aug 2018)

Blackadder1916 said:
			
		

> With your opening phrase, I was left wondering what other "kidnapping of a German general" did the SOE do during the war, then recognized the "parallel" aspect.  Having not yet read the book but still a fan of the film "Ill Met By Moonlight" as well as intrigued by the life and accomplishments of Patrick Leigh Fermor (and Billy Moss - his SOE colleague in the Kreipe kidnapping and author of Ill Met By Moonlight), it caught my interest.  Luckily it is available at my local library so I have put it on hold.
> 
> However, a quick look at some of the comments in bibliocommons has tempered my enthusiasm.  For those not as interested in the connection between "running" (which seems to be the author Christopher McDougall's primary interest) and SOE/Cretan resistance activities, maybe have a look at "Abducting a General: The Kreipe Operation and SOE in Crete" by Patrick Leigh Fermor.



Kidnap of Heinrich Kreipe

'The success of the operation was put into question several months after its conclusion. The outcome came to be seen as a symbolic propaganda victory rather than a strategic one. The relatively harmless Kreipe was replaced by Müller who ordered a series of large scale reprisals against the civilian population of the island known as Holocaust of Kedros. The operation entered popular imagination through the biographical works of the several of its participants, most notably Moss's book Ill Met by Moonlight.' 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kidnap_of_Heinrich_Kreipe


----------



## MarkOttawa (21 Aug 2018)

Patrick Leigh Fermor's book, well worth the read:



> https://www.amazon.ca/Abducting-General-Kreipe-Operation-Crete/dp/1444796585



Mark
Ottawa


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## Blackadder1916 (21 Aug 2018)

daftandbarmy said:
			
		

> Kidnap of Heinrich Kreipe
> 
> 'The success of the operation was put into question several months after its conclusion. The outcome came to be seen as a symbolic propaganda victory rather than a strategic one.  . . .



But could not the same be said about any number of SOE/commando operations.  Their stories made for enjoyable cinema adventures in the post-war years but, viewed individually, could many be quantified as strategic victories.


----------



## MarkOttawa (28 Aug 2018)

Just finished _Billy Mitchell's War with the Navy: The Interwar Rivalry Over Air Power_ by Thomas Wildenberg:
https://www.amazon.ca/Billy-Mitchells-War-Navy-Interwar/dp/0870210386







Fascinating and illuminating book, great details--significant second part deal with continuing clashes after Mitchell's court martial.  The fellow really was a nasty piece of work, professionally and personally.

Excerpts from a review by historian Prof. Robert Farley, who knows his airpower and battleships (https://www.uky.edu/pattersonschool/people/faculty/dr-robert-farley):


> Why, in the wake of World War I, did the relationship between the US Army Air Service and the US Navy go so bad so quickly? Thomas Wildenberg’s Billy Mitchell’s War with the Navy: The Interwar Rivalry Over Air Power chronicles the conflict between aviation enthusiasts (personified and led by William Mitchell) and the establishment Navy during the interwar period. With control over aviation assets at stake, the sides argued over the effectiveness of airpower against warships and shipping. Mitchell and his acolytes took a maximalist position, holding the air forces had effectively rendered surface navies obsolete, and that the United States government should redirect money away from battleships and aircraft carriers and towards heavy bombers...
> 
> The Navy and the Air Service fought for high stakes.  In the United Kingdom, the Royal Air Force was stitched together from the Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Naval Air Service, putting all military aviation assets under one banner.  The USN wanted to avoid this outcome at all costs, while Billy Mitchell wanted to create a similar arrangement in the US. In context of severe defense cuts at the end of the World War I, everything seemed to be on the table...
> 
> ...



"The Soviets are our adversary. Our enemy is the Navy." —Gen. Curtis LeMay, U.S. Air Force
https://www.wearethemighty.com/articles/the-complete-haters-guide-to-the-us-navy

More on the book at the publisher, United States Naval Institute Press:
https://www.usni.org/store/books/clear-decks-50-90/billy-mitchells-war-navy

Mark
Ottawa


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## Seahawk (28 Aug 2018)

I just finished rereading Tom Clancy's _Without Remorse_ and _The Sum of All Fears_.
Just great, great books. I definitely think that he's one of the best authors of military thrillers (didn't he actually create the genre).

_Without Remorse_ is so different from his other books. It's so dark and deep in some places. Revenge was the main theme, and wow, that's just all I can say...

_The Sum of All Fears_ is also a great work (that's why I reread it anyways). Although there's so much information in it about bombs and whatever that it could get boring if you don't skip those parts. That said, I do think one could learn quite a lot by reading all those section. So I'm planning to one day read it again and actually focus on those parts...

Anyone here a big fan of Tom Clancy? What's you favorite Clancy book? (I have at least five that I can't choose between


----------



## sandyson (11 Sep 2018)

Unexplained Mysteries of World War II by William B Breuer.  John Wiley & Sons: NY, 1997.238 pages.

   Summer reading is at an end but this was interesting. It consists of seven parts: Puzzling Events, Odd Coincidences, Curious Happenings, Uncanny Riddles, People Who Vanished, Peculiar Premonitions, and Strange Encounters. The events are described in a few paragraphs to a few pages.  Examples of event titles in various parts are: "Switzerland: Hitler's Next Conquest?", "The Spy Who Chose the Wrong House", "Belated Surrender on Guam", "Who Tried to Murder de Gaulle?", "A Bell Tolls for a Sailor", and "Unlikely Reunion on the Rhine". It describes mostly American related events but there is mention of others especially British.
   If you had to choose a book as a gift for someone in the military, but weren't too sure of particular interests, this would be a safe choice.


----------



## dimsum (11 Sep 2018)

My preferred non-work reading is hard (scientifically plausible) sci-fi, and I just finished "A Fire Upon the Deep" by Vernor Vinge.  It's an interesting read about first contact between descendants of humanity and aliens, from both points of view.  Also, it was written in 1992 before the Internet, but there is a quite a bit about discussion forums, "fake news" and things that we're seeing now.

https://www.tor.com/2017/05/11/complicated-simplicity-vernor-vinges-a-fire-upon-the-deep/

In the same vein, I'm now reading Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky, a newer book about the last humans meeting essentially a scientific experiment gone wrong, from both points of view.  For any severe arachnophobes, the "experiment" winds up breeding giant intelligent spiders and the novel talks a lot about their society.


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## Journeyman (13 Sep 2018)

Against my cheap bastard thrifty nature, I spent the $16 for the e-version of Woodward's _Fear: Trump in the White House_.


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## Xylric (13 Sep 2018)

I've decided that I want to have finished reading the books I was left by my grandfather, so my current reading list for the next week are quite reasonable:

Ernest Hemingway's _Men at War_
Lewis Henry Morgan's _Iroquois_
Pierre Berton, both _Marching as to War_ and _The Invasion of Canada_

and for a little bit of light reading,

Robert Harris' _Fatherland_.

At this rate, I should be finished by the end of the year.


----------



## exspy (14 Sep 2018)

For those of you in the GTA and interested in cheap books, this weekend (Sept 13 to Sept 16) the Mississauga Symphony Orchestra is having its annual used book sale at Sheridan Mall in Mississauga. Lots of books on all topics, CDs and DVDs etc, cheaply priced. On Sunday, everything goes for half price.

Sheridan Mall is in the area of Erin Mills Parkway and QEW if you're interested.

Cheers,
Dan.


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## dangerboy (14 Sep 2018)

Xylric said:
			
		

> and for a little bit of light reading,
> 
> Robert Harris' _Fatherland_.



If you like Fatherland, check out Robert Harris' book Enigma. Those two are my favourite books by him.


----------



## OldSolduer (14 Sep 2018)

The Book of Negroes.


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## dimsum (15 Sep 2018)

Finished Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky (as per my last post) and despite me having a minor arachnophobic streak, I'm awaiting the movie adaptation that was announced by Lionsgate last year.  Very cool concept and not sure it'd work without spiders as half (or more) of the book deals with spider society and its advancements.  

I'm now reading something completely different - "The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck".  I've had a few people recommend it and so far I classify it as "sarcastic self-help", which is pretty awesome.


----------



## Gunner98 (16 Sep 2018)

Dimsum said:
			
		

> I'm now reading something completely different - "The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck".  I've had a few people recommend it and so far I classify it as "sarcastic self-help", which is pretty awesome.



I enjoyed but often wondered if I had to finish it! :sarcasm:


----------



## IRepoCans (16 Sep 2018)

Currently reading _Cordon and Search: With 6th Airborne Division in Palestine, 1945-48_.

Prior to that I read _The Patrol_ by Ryan Flavelle, _A Handful of Hard Men: The SAS and the Battle for Rhodesia_ by Hannes Wessels, and _The Inside Story of The Special Boat Service_ by John Parker.


----------



## FJAG (16 Sep 2018)

The Restaurant at the End of the Universe by Douglas Adams 



> “Your God person puts an apple tree in the middle of a garden and says, do what you like, guys, oh, but don't eat the apple. Surprise surprise, they eat it and he leaps out from behind a bush shouting "Gotcha". It wouldn't have made any difference if they hadn't eaten it.'
> 'Why not?'
> 'Because if you're dealing with somebody who has the sort of mentality which likes leaving hats on the pavement with bricks under them you know perfectly well they won't give up. They'll get you in the end.”



 :cheers:


----------



## commander-cb (17 Sep 2018)

Pilot’s Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge


https://www.faa.gov/regulations_policies/handbooks_manuals/aviation/phak/

Cfs
Canada Flight Supplement (CFS)

http://products.navcanada.ca/shop-vfr/Canada-Flight-Supplement/


----------



## FJAG (21 Sep 2018)

Just picked up a copy of "Unhinged" by Omarosa at the library.  ;D

 :cheers:


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## StygianFire (23 Sep 2018)

Due to a recent promotion I work almost exclusively overnight shifts for the foreseeable future and have moved away from my beloved paper copy books to the audiobook versions that I can listed to while working.  
I am currently making my way through the incredibly long and thoroughly interesting Musashi, by Eiji Yoshikaw. It is historical fiction but may of the characters and events are real. It has a lot to teach about the ways of the warrior, and is a fascinating glimpse into the Edo period of Japanese history.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/102030.Musashi


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## FJAG (23 Sep 2018)

StygianFire said:
			
		

> Due to a recent promotion I work almost exclusively overnight shifts for the foreseeable future and have moved away from my beloved paper copy books to the audiobook versions that I can listed to while working.
> I am currently making my way through the incredibly long and thoroughly interesting Musashi, by Eiji Yoshikaw. It is historical fiction but may of the characters and events are real. It has a lot to teach about the ways of the warrior, and is a fascinating glimpse into the Edo period of Japanese history.
> https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/102030.Musashi



If you find the period interesting, then you might find the books of Laura Joh Rowland something to try out.



> Laura Joh Rowland is a detective/mystery author best known for her series of historical mystery novels set in the late days of feudal Japan, mostly in Edo during the late 17th century.
> 
> . . . The novels deal with the experiences of Sano Ichiro, a samurai and minor official who, by the end of the first novel, became the trusted chief investigator for the fifth Tokugawa shōgun, Tokugawa Tsunayoshi, and by the tenth novel, was promoted to a very high office.
> 
> ...



https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laura_Joh_Rowland

https://www.amazon.com/Laura-Joh-Rowland/e/B000AP9C90/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_5?qid=1537677385&sr=8-5

 :cheers:


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## FJAG (25 Sep 2018)

FJAG said:
			
		

> Just picked up a copy of "Unhinged" by Omarosa at the library.  ;D
> 
> :cheers:



Have now finished the book.

https://www.amazon.ca/Unhinged-Insiders-Account-Trump-White-ebook/dp/B07DCGHNSZ

I found it a surprisingly good read albeit less informative than I expected it to be.

Let me start by saying that my impression of her has been greatly coloured by my initial introduction to her on the Apprentice where I presume she was heavily edited into a brash villain role.

In fact this book tended to get me to like her a bit and appreciate her background and accomplishments. 

The book is well written--much better than Hillary's--but not as informative as I would have liked. Much of what she discusses are already items which have run in the press and her personal take on them isn't much more informative, if at all. One is also left with the feeling that she is overstating what she accomplished during the election and at the White House. Having been a Democrat who was not brought into the Clinton campaign as she had hoped, she turned to Trump out of loyalty when the opportunity was there. Throughout she focuses on the tone-deafness of the administration as to the need to engage the Afro-American community and the constant tensions she had with various members of the administration--especially Betsy Devos. In short she paints herself as virtually the only staff member who cared about that agenda.

There is very little on her final firing other than to say that she was ready to leave on her own because of the direction that the administration on multiple issues and that the firing by Kelly was due to the facts that a) he hated her, and b) she was starting to look for the lost Apprentice "n-word" tapes.

She readily admits that for years she was blind to Trump's failings as he was her mentor, responsible for much of her later success and that she had tremendous loyalty for him. She certainly feels that Trump today is but a shadow of the man that he was 15 years ago and believes that he is suffering from some mental incapacity that goes far beyond the narcissism which he's had all his life. She credits his success to his innate showmanship abilities and the way he manipulates the press to always put him in the limelight even when they think it's in a negative light. On the other hand she feels he is entirely manipulated by a number of personalities at Fox who are able to target his insecurities and ego to advance their own respective agendas.

An interesting and relatively light and fast read. She's relatively restrained in her criticisms and language which gives  the story a bit more credibility than I originally thought it should have.

Not sure it's worth buying a copy but for anyone wanting a superficial view into the inner workings of the Trump White House, it's worth borrowing it from the library.

 :cheers:


----------



## MarkOttawa (25 Sep 2018)

Xylric, dangerboy: Just about anything by Robert Harris (a favourite of mine) is good--recently _An Officer and a Spy_ about France/Dreyfuss case and _Munich_ (1938), both historically quite accurate.  And his books about Rome/Cicero (_Imperium_, _Lustrum_, _Dictator_) are also excellent.

Then there is _The Ghost_, clearly portraying a retired Tony Blair, mainly set in Martha's Vineyard, Mass., and with a nice CIA backstory--made into the best movie thriller in years as "The Ghost Writer" by, gasp, Roman Polanski:
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2010/feb/12/roman-polanski-ghost-writer

The movie also made me really aware of GPS in cars for the first time .

Mark
Ottawa

Mark
Ottawa


----------



## FJAG (26 Oct 2018)

Have now started Bob Woodward's_ Fear_.

https://www.amazon.ca/Fear-Trump-White-Bob-Woodward/dp/1501175513

Not a bad read and, so far, more balanced than the average Republican would consider possible. The part about Bannon's entry into the campaign and the roles of the other key players and the RNC's political machine is very informative.

Much more readable than Clinton's book.

I'll update this as I move along.

 :cheers:


----------



## Journeyman (26 Oct 2018)

FJAG said:
			
		

> Have now started Bob Woodward's_ Fear_.
> 
> Not a bad read and, so far, more balanced then the average Republican would consider possible.


I found it very enjoyable as well.  

The problem with your comment though, is that we appear to hear less and less from the "average" Republican … or Democrat;  it seems like we only get to hear (incessantly) from the more extreme edges.  For them, the book would be a waste.


----------



## Old Sweat (26 Oct 2018)

I thought the last paragraph summed it up nicely.


----------



## Colin Parkinson (26 Oct 2018)

War Trash by Ha Jin, about a Chinese POW in Korea


----------



## Xylric (28 Oct 2018)

Having the need to refill my reading list, I have a couple of non-fiction technical books that I'm going through, and a number of fiction works.

The fiction works are as follows:

Robert J. Sawyer (_Wake, Watch, Wonder, Quantum Night, Red Planet Blues, Starplex,_ & _Calculating God_*)
Adrian Tchikovsky's _The Tiger and the Wolf_ and its sequel _The Bear and the Serpent_
And of course,
_The Lord of the Rings_

The non-fiction is a little more nuanced.
_The Human Career
Wolves: Ecology, Behaviour, and Conservation
Animals Make Us Human
The Intimate Bond
Essays and Sketches of Mark Twain
The Emperor of Maladies
Ancient Inventions_

And that's probably sufficient for the next two weeks.

*Calculating God is one that I reread every December, as it came out the same year my maternal grandfather passed away from lung cancer, and features a protagonist facing the same fate. Bit of a superstitious tradition, but as I was a kid when it came out, I don't see anything wrong with doing so.


----------



## FJAG (1 Nov 2018)

FJAG said:
			
		

> Have now started Bob Woodward's_ Fear_.
> 
> https://www.amazon.ca/Fear-Trump-White-Bob-Woodward/dp/1501175513
> 
> ...



Have now finished the book and was a little let down. In general it's a good read which offers insight into the workings of the Trump White House (spoiler alert - it's a bloody mess).

There are good glimpses of many of the key players and how they worked to further and protect America's agenda and best interests or who manipulated Trump into dangerous gambits (or were plain sycophants sucking up to the boss). Hard to tell who the heros are much of the time.

On the downside the book is a bit disjointed (in part by simultaneously trying to follow a chronographic timeline while trying to deal with specific issues which developed over a lengthier period of time.)

Have turned my attention to John Sandford's Deep Freeze (A Virgil Flowers Novel). This is the tenth book of the spinoff from the Lucas Davenport/Prey series both of which involve police investigators in Minnesota. A lovely blend of action, mystery and humour. I recommend this book and both series highly.

https://www.amazon.ca/Deep-Freeze-Virgil-Flowers-Novel-ebook/dp/B01NBU65Z1

https://www.amazon.com/John-Sandford/e/B000AQ8P4W/

 :BCat:


----------



## Xylric (1 Nov 2018)

As we finally sorted out some of the last details of my grandfather's estate, I'm happy to say, I'm adding his papers to the list. While never published, he was an extremely prolific writer, so I have about 40KG of material to go through. And I even have his and my grandmother's typewriters..


----------



## FJAG (9 Nov 2018)

Ordered in and just received from the library "Operation Medusa: The Furious Battle That Saved Afghanistan From The Taliban" by David Fraser and Brian Hanington.







https://www.amazon.ca/Operation-Medusa-Furious-Afghanistan-Taliban-ebook/dp/B074YM5WCH

I'm looking forward to see how he explains some of the things he did there. (That could probably use a thread all of its own)

 [cheers]


----------



## FJAG (11 Nov 2018)

Okay. Have finished "Operation Medusa: The Furious Battle That Saved Afghanistan From The Taliban" by David Fraser and Brian Hanington and despite it being a generally good read and mostly informative I was left feeling a little underwhelmed.

Considering that this was Canada's first and last major battle since the Korean War and considering that Fraser was the commander who conceived of and led the effort I would have expected to see more about the role of leadership and the intricacies of the decisions made during his tour and this battle in particular. Numerous books about the details of the battle have previously been written including "No Lack of Courage: Operation Medusa Afghanistan" by Bernd Horn; "Contact Charlie: The Canadian Army, The Taliban and the Battle That Saved Afghanistan" by Chris Wattie; "Clearing the Way: Combat Engineers in Kandahar" by Mark Gasparotto; and "Lions of Kandahar: The Story of a Fight Against All Odds" by Rusty Bradley and Kevin Maurer (for the Yankee version). 

There are a few new insights in Fraser's book that flesh out the situation but, quite frankly, other authors have covered the details of the battle better.

If you're looking for an answer as to why Charles Company was ordered to move across the Arghandab several days earlier then planned then you won't find it here. There is a small piece about "discussing" the timing of the move with LCol Omer Lavoie and subsequently (after Charles Company had been pushed back) finding out that the contingent was running low on 25mm and 155mm ammunition and a much later rationalization (after having seen the Taliban's defensive positions) that more artillery and air strikes wouldn't have been effective anyway. However, if you want to know the real reason why the decision was made, you'll have to look elsewhere. (There's no explanation as to why the ammo was running short other than that TF3-06 was using it faster than TF Orion had been and there had been some "inept record-keeping". This comes up after the battle is joined? Really?)

As an aside, Fraser spends what I think is an inordinate amount of time writing about his close protection team. I do appreciate that four of them died in an IED strike some four or five months prior to the battle. This, however, does not explain the numerous quotations by his CPD team leader that appear as epigraphs at the beginning of each chapter or the numerous references to various members throughout the book. If he wanted to put a soldier's touch into the story it would have been preferable to get them from the numerous members of the battle group who took part in the battle. (He certainly does that for many of the officers-both senior and junior-who played a role.)

I think that it's a mandatory read simply because of who the author is but, as I said, don't expect anything great.

 :cheers:


----------



## Old Sweat (11 Nov 2018)

I pretty well agree with FJAG's assessment. I read the book a few months ago while recovering from a head injury, so my perception was not as sharp as I would have liked. There is something missing, and I have to do some more digging. 

Being a gunner, I looked into the ammunition issue. From various open sources, it appears the TF headquarters and the NSE lost count of the increase in consumption in the later weeks of TF Orion's tour. Now, perhaps this was because the Patricias were lax in reporting rounds fired, but someone should have spotted that. Actually I have read where someone did, but was overruled.

Regardless, on 19 August which was the days that 1 RCR took over, the BSM of E Battery did a physical count of 155mm ammunition in the ammunition stocks in KAF. He counted 311 rounds, compared to the few thousand indicated in the records. That same day, one of the troops of E Battery fired 92 rounds - or almost 50% of its basic load, in support of A Company. The logistic community did a fine job of procuring artillery ammunition, but there were shortages in Medusa. This was not because 1 RCR was trigger happy compared to 1 PPCLI, but rather because of the increased operational tempo. As the battery commander told me, "we found ourselves in no shit war fighting" and he would brief Omar Lavoie each night on how much ammunition would be available for the next day. This did effect operations.

Still, read the book despite its gaps. There are valuable insights with pondering, not the least of which involve approaches to command in battle.


----------



## FJAG (11 Nov 2018)

Old Sweat said:
			
		

> . . . The logistic community did a fine job of procuring artillery ammunition, but there were shortages in Medusa.  . . .



According to Fraser there was no ammunition available in Afghanistan or Iraq so "[w]e had to expand our search around the world, and eventually found some in New Zealand." Interestingly, NZ does not have any 155mm guns, just the Brit 105mm L118 Light Gun. They did have 25mm armed NZLAVs at that time.

 :cheers:


----------



## Journeyman (22 Nov 2018)

I tried to post a lengthy review of Michael Lewis' book, _The Fifth Risk_, from the New York Review of Books.  Unfortunately, it exceeded the allowable length of even the "Articles and Large Posts" portion of the site.
*LINK*

The review, titled "Saboteur in Chief," shows the book's interesting perspective on Trump's use... non-use... abuse... of bureaucratic-level political appointments within government. It's an aspect I hadn't considered before.  Anyway, I've just ordered the book; the review alone provides some 'WTF' points, so we'll see.


----------



## PPCLI Guy (22 Nov 2018)

I am on a kick.  Finished "Sapiens - A History of the Human Race", and then plodded through a re-read of "Guns, Germs and Steel".  Now reading Friedman's "Hot, Flat and Crowded", as well as Niall Ferguson's " Civilisation - The West vs the Rest".

I love having a well-stocked home library....


----------



## Cloud Cover (22 Nov 2018)

I quite enjoyed Ferguson's Civilization. I was given a copy of The Ascent of Money by a financial planner, and since then I have really enjoyed his writing style.
My dad gave me a flea market book titled SOG: The Secret Wars of America's Commandos in Vietnam. (with 8 pages of thrilling photos!!!).
I'm not in any position to critique the authors claims of glory and gore, but J Plaster makes it pretty clear the core mission of capturing prisoners was an abysmal failure. He also points out several times that every SOG operator who was captured (and there were many), were never seen alive again.
He also reveals quite a bit about some effective ammunition tampering, food poisoning and other clandestine methods that were used to some good effect. 
Again, this is yet another book which references NSA SIGINT posts in Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam, some of which were captured intact with personnel known to be alive but never seen again. 
The use of SOG teams to install mass surveillance wiretaps on communications cables, conduct what must be some of the most early versions of M2M warfare on enemy data transmissions was interesting.  There are also some oblique references to some SOG operators who were Canadian citizens that volunteered for service. 
Current read is The Viaz'ma Catastrophe, 1941: The Red Army's Disastrous Stand Against Operation Typhoon by Lupukhovsky.  I'm pretty certain he would have been shot not even 20 years ago for describing in detail just how badly Stavka mismanaged this battle.


----------



## Rifleman62 (13 Dec 2018)

Currently reading this series of the modern US Navy. Have read all his Dan Lenson books. Just starting ONSLAUGHT. Poyer does a fair bit of research for his books as detailed in the Acknowledgments.

Author: David Poyer’s active (Annapolis 1971) and reserve naval service included sea duty in the Atlantic, Mediterranean, Arctic, Caribbean, and Pacific, and shore duty at the Pentagon, Surface Warfare Development Group, Joint Forces Command, and in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.  He retired from the Joint Forces Command as a captain, with the Defense Superior Service Medal as his highest award.

Modern Navy Series

*THE CRUISER*
Just promoted to Captain, Dan Lenson's first glimpse of his new command is of a ship literally high and dry. USS Savo Island, which carries a classified, never-before-deployed missile defense system, has run aground off Naples, Italy. Captain Lenson has to relieve the ship's disgraced skipper and deploy on a secret mission—Operation Stellar Shield—which will take his ship and crew into the dangerous waters bordering the Middle East. As a climate of war builds, with threats of nuclear and chemical weapons, Dan has to rally Savo Island’s demoralized crew and confront a mysterious death on board, while learning to operate a complex missile system that has not been battle tested. But when the conflict reaches a climax, Dan is forced to make a decision that may cost hundreds of thousands of innocent lives—or save them, but at the cost of his ship and his career.

*TIPPING POINT*: The War with China: The First Salvo
Dan Lenson’s under fire both at sea and in Washington. His command of the first antiballistic-missile-capable cruiser in the Fleet, USS Savo Island, is threatened when he's called home to testify before Congress. In the Indian Ocean, Savo cruises off East Africa, protecting shipping lanes from pirates. But this routine patrol turns ominous when an unknown assailant begins assaulting female crew members. At the same time, a showdown starts between India and Pakistan.  Savo Island, with her unique but not yet fully battle-ready ability to intercept ballistic missiles, is all that stands between two nations on the brink of nuclear war.  Dan will have to cope with a deadly tsunami, incoming weapons, and a quickly tilting balance of power, as China finally makes her bid to humiliate and displace America in the Pacific, beginning a deadly war.

*ONSLAUGHT*: The War with China: The Opening Battle chronicles 
Dan Lenson’s latest challenge as the U.S. Navy struggles to hold Taiwan, Korea, and Japan. As Allied computer, satellite, and financial networks are ravaged by cyberattacks, China and its Associated Powers begin to roll up American allies, launching invasions of India, Taiwan, South Korea, and Okinawa. USS Savo Island is one of the few forces left to stop them. But with a crew under attack from an unknown assailant, and rapidly running out of ordnance against waves of enemy missiles and torpedoes, can Dan and his scratch-team task force hold the line? Or will the U.S. lose the Pacific—and perhaps much more—to an aggressive and expansionist new People’s Empire? The most explosive novel yet in the long-running Dan Lenson series, Onslaught presents an utterly convincing scenario of how a global war with China could unfold.  
*
HUNTER KILLER*: The War with China deepens
The United States stands nearly alone in its determination to fight, rather than give into the expansionist demands of the aggressive new “People’s Empire.” The naval and air forces of the Associated Powers – China, Pakistan, Iran, and North Korea – have used advanced technology and tactical nuclear weapons to devastate America's fleet in the Pacific, while its massive army forced humiliating surrenders on Japan, Taiwan, the Philippines, and other crucial allies. Admiral Dan Lenson, commanding a combined US–South Korean naval force, and Commander Cheryl Staurulakis of USS Savo Island fight to turn the tide and prepare for an Allied counteroffensive. Meanwhile, SEAL operator Teddy Oberg escapes from a hellish POW camp and heads west through desolate mountains toward what he hopes will be freedom. And in Washington, DC, Dan’s wife Blair Titus helps formulate America's political response to overwhelming setbacks in the Pacific and at on the home front.

*DEEP WAR* (Dec 18): The war with China and North Korea goes nuclear
The war against China turns dire as the United States struggles to survive in this gripping thriller featuring Navy commander Dan Lenson. After America suffers a devastating nuclear attack, and facing food shortages, power outages, cyber and AI assaults, and a wrecked economy, Admiral Dan Lenson leads an allied force assigned to turn the tide of war in the Pacific, using precisely targeted missiles and high-tech weapons systems. But as the campaign begins, the entire Allied military and defense network is compromised—even controlled—by Jade Emperor, a powerful Chinese artificial intelligence system that seems to anticipate and counter every move. While Dan strives to salvage the battle plan, his wife Blair helps coordinate strategy in Washington, DC, Marine sergeant Hector Ramos fights in an invasion of Taiwan, and Navy SEAL master chief Teddy Oberg begins a desperate journey into central China on a mission that may be the only way to save the United States from destruction and defeat.

https://www.goodreads.com/series/40576-dan-lenson
Dan Lenson Series

https://www.bookseriesinorder.com/david-poyer/
DAVID POYER BOOKS IN ORDER


----------



## Rifleman62 (20 Dec 2018)

Re the above books, just finished ONSLAUGHT: The War with China: The Opening Battle chronicles. HMCS Protecteur is mentioned near the end of the book as it looks for survivors from a US carrier strike group that was destroyed by a Chinese nuc.

So far, in the book HUNTER KILLER: The War with China deepens, the Canadians and Brits are sitting on the sidelines.

These books remind me of the 1960's and the threat of a nuclear war. Scary what happens in the story lines. Additionally, what happens when all aspects of society is affected by computer hacking in a war. e.g. banks, power grid, defence contractors factories, etc


----------



## tomahawk6 (26 Dec 2018)

I have finished Alaric Bonds Fighting Sail series and have enjoyed them. I was a fan of cs forester and alexander kent. I am stuck on the Napoleanic era.


----------



## FJAG (30 Dec 2018)

No Ordinary Men: Special Operations Forces Missions in Afghanistan by Bernd Horn

https://www.amazon.ca/No-Ordinary-Men-Operations-Afghanistan-ebook/dp/B00G5L34IS

I'm usually a fan of Bernd Horn's writing but, quite frankly, this one left me underwhelmed. While there is always the restriction of OpSec to limit what can be told, this book tells very little. There is a brief history of Canadian special ops and then a narrative of five particular missions in Afghanistan. I don't want to take away from the difficulty of these missions nor the accomplishments that they represent, but their retelling convey none of that. There is little context to what is going on in the larger scheme of things and each would have been greatly aided by a sketch map or two. A little more information on the enablers back in camp and on the mission would also have been very interesting.

One thing that annoyed me throughout the book is that Horn calls the American truck that Canadians used there a HMMVW. I know that the correct term is HMMWV (for High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle). I know it's not just a frequently repeated typo because in the Glossary he describes it as a High Mobility Multipurpose Vehicle Wheeled. Did Canada actually redesignate these things? Or are the editors and proofreaders out to lunch?

 :subbies:


----------



## Journeyman (31 Dec 2018)

I'm finishing the year re-reading (kind of) John Horgan's _Psychology of Terrorism_. 
"Kind of" because it's an updated and re-issued version of his original work.  Nice, light-hearted reading for extremism geeks.  ;D

Post-Christmas, there are currently six more books on the shelf awaiting reading.


----------



## CBH99 (31 Dec 2018)

Just started "The Art of Not Giving A F*ck" by Mark Manson.

So far, absolutely fantastic.  Great satire & sarcasm, that so far has hit the nail on the head.  Easy read, but quite enjoyable - chuckled out loud quite a few times


----------



## Halifax Tar (31 Dec 2018)

For Christmas I received: 

Starship Troopers 
12 Rules For life 
and
Right Here Right Now


----------



## IRepoCans (1 Jan 2019)

Currently reading through the Mars trilogy, after that I'm looking at rereading through the Dune novels.


----------



## Petard (1 Jan 2019)

Modern War Magazine, issue 39
To those unfamiliar with the magazine there are two versions, one you can get at the news stand (about $8) and the other you can purchase online that includes a fold out map and counters type game (~$30 to $40).

The current issue I find interesting because the main article is on possible escalating scenarios in the Middle East, with and without the presence of US forces on the ground but nearby. Considering the recent draw down announcement by the US it is a very topical issue.
More info at link
https://shop.strategyandtacticspress.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=MW39

The issue also analyzes some possible Korean peninsula scenarios, and another on Sino-Indian potential conflicts. There are also synopsis of situations around the world: Somalia's Al-Shabab, are they really losing; Russian Nuclear war, then and now capabilities; China's positioning of HQ-9 missiles on Woody Island; Syrian province of Idlib, possible end game in Syria but potential escalation depending on Turkey's involvement (and now US abscence)

There are historical articles: Che Guevara's tri-continental strategy and guerrilla warfare tactics, and how it was countered; the 1981 Seychelles affair, a bizarre "Wild Geese" sort of coup attempt, largely supported by a group of mercenaries led by the infamous "Mad Mike" Hoare; USS Thresher legacy; AC 130 use in Vietnam. 

There are two book reviews, one on questioning the validity of current Operational level command, the other is a review of General (ret'd) Fraser's book Op Medussa. It's interesting that the reviewer thought Fraser focused too much on the tactical level in the narrative, and the book suffers from a lack of maps making it difficult for a non veteran reader to follow key points he's trying to make. 

Modern War Magazine can sometimes focus too much on historical battles as opposed to analyzing potential modern conflicts, this issue I think has a particularly good balance, and an interesting game to boot


----------



## dangerboy (9 Jan 2019)

Just finished reading "The Winter Fortress: The Epic Mission to Sabotage Hitler's Atomic Bomb" by Neal Bascomb. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25897720-the-winter-fortress   

When you read this book it sounds like an epic Hollywood blockbuster movie. It has all the elements, A heroic group of men on an important mission that can change the fate of the war, an epic struggle against the forces of nature, a deadly enemy. Yes this book has all that elements. It is a story about the Norwegian resistance during World War II and their efforts to prevent the Germans from getting Heavy Water an important resource that atomic researchers need to develop the Atomic Bomb. To hinder the German's atomic research the Norwegian resistance has to do sabotage missions which involve traversing the inhospitable Norwegian landscape where their greatest threat is mother nature.

The author does a fantastic job of describing the various missions that were done by the resistance movement and the key personalities (on both sides) involved. He also do a good job of explaining why Heavy Water is important and the basics of the struggle to crack the mystery of the Atomic bomb in a way that us normal non-scientist can understand.      

If you are interested in history particularly World War II history then I recommend this book as it describes a portion of history that is not often  talked about, the heroic efforts of the Norwegian resistance.


----------



## FJAG (9 Jan 2019)

About a quarter of the way through Seth Abramson's Proof of Collusion: How Trump Betrayed America.

https://www.amazon.ca/Proof-Collusion-Trump-Betrayed-America/dp/1982116080/

It's a hard slog even for someone like me who is convinced there was collusion, naivete and stupidity in the Trump campaign. It's not really what I'd call a well and deeply developed book. It's more in the nature of a compendium of all natures of news and journal articles and interviews by others which have been cobbled together into a narrative of some type or other.

I'm just starting the fourth chapter and have so far found that numbers one through three have been somewhat of a deja vu with numerous facts and pieces having been repeated several times (not necessarily verbatim but sometimes so)

I'm going to keep pushing on. Almost all the reviews on Amazon are five stars and start with the phrase "well written book" so I must be missing something.

 :cheers:


----------



## CdnRedneck (9 Jan 2019)

David Goggins: Cant Hurt Me


----------



## FJAG (11 Jan 2019)

FJAG said:
			
		

> About a quarter of the way through Seth Abramson's Proof of Collusion: How Trump Betrayed America.
> 
> https://www.amazon.ca/Proof-Collusion-Trump-Betrayed-America/dp/1982116080/
> 
> ...



I've figured out the rhythm of the book. Each chapter is broken into a) a summary b) the facts c) an annotated history which is why there is much repetition. I got just short of half way and returned it to the library. 

Definitely not on my list of must reads.

 :cheers:


----------



## Cloud Cover (14 Jan 2019)

Rifleman62 said:
			
		

> Currently reading this series of the modern US Navy. Have read all his Dan Lenson books. Just starting ONSLAUGHT. Poyer does a fair bit of research for his books as detailed in the Acknowledgments.
> 
> Author: David Poyer’s active (Annapolis 1971) and reserve naval service included sea duty in the Atlantic, Mediterranean, Arctic, Caribbean, and Pacific, and shore duty at the Pentagon, Surface Warfare Development Group, Joint Forces Command, and in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.  He retired from the Joint Forces Command as a captain, with the Defense Superior Service Medal as his highest award.
> 
> Modern Navy Series


I just finished reading _Hunter Killer_ and am about to start _Deep War_.  Some interesting outcomes...   The conversion of bulk cargo carriers to aviation platforms (and supply ships  )  is already well underway.


----------



## Rifleman62 (14 Jan 2019)

Waiting for Deep War at the Phoenix Library. Did you read all of the Modern Navy books? Interesting that a US Carrier Group was nuc'ed  @ 10,000 sailors loss in the series and this news 2 Jan 19:


https://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/world-news/750919/ww3-news-china-us-aircraft-carrier-south-sea-military-threat-donald-trump-luo-yuan
*
Chinese admiral threatens to sink US carriers killing 10,000 to ‘scare off’ America*
     _A CHINESE admiral has warned US aircraft carriers could be sunk in the South China Sea – killing up to 10,000 sailors – in bid to scare off America_.

Must have read the books.


----------



## Cloud Cover (14 Jan 2019)

It’s been quite some time since novels like this have been in the hopper.  I’ve only got the two books, but I can see there are a few more to go. 

The author has certainly highlighted the battle impact of having limited AAW magazine capacity even when a powerful strike group is facing an enemy that has the ability to launch wave after wave of ALCM, especially when AEGIS is in full auto CEC mode. It’s easy to see how 3-4 hundred SM and ESSM missiles can be burned up in 15 minutes when attacked from 3 directions, and that’s just the decoy phase. 
I think he overestimates the DC capability of a Tico cruiser that has been holed from stem to stern and has its fuel tanks blown to shit. 

Certainly agree the unpredictability of the Chinese first strike in the way that they did it really would pose a problem for US decision makers. A tactical nuclear strike on an entire CBG, with theatre impact and no immediate response in kind from the US seems about right. Shock and awe goes both ways!!

What happened to the RAN surface fleet? They seem to be down to a single combat ship, and a submarine at that.


----------



## FJAG (14 Jan 2019)

Much better read now. Have turned to Bernard Cornwell's Fools and Mortals which is set in Elizabethan England and follows the travails of William Shakespeare's younger brother as he makes his way through the world of the stage.

https://www.amazon.ca/Fools-Mortals-Bernard-Cornwell/dp/0007504152

 :cheers:


----------



## Retired AF Guy (14 Jan 2019)

Just finished Anthony Beevor's "Ardennes 1944: The Battle for the Bulge" and just started his "The Battle of Arnhem: The Deadliest Airborne Operation of WWII."  As always with his books chock full of interesting facts; from the poor grunt (allied and German) in the trenches to the highest levels of command. For example, while reading the Arnhem book learned how the Brit Para's ended up using maroon for the colour of their berets.


----------



## Mike Bobbitt (19 Jan 2019)

Just finished Dawn of the Code War: America's Battle Against Russia, China, and the Rising Global Cyber Threat by John Carlin. A very USA-centric take on Cybersecurity, which makes sense as he was the US Assistant Attorney General for National Security. I found it did a good job of tying together the technology and the politics, without going so deep into either that it becomes a chore to read. I'd recommend it for anyone who wants to get an understanding of how Cyber will impact everything from war to daily life in the coming years.


----------



## Blackadder1916 (12 Apr 2019)

Have been going through Occupied St John's: A Social History of a City at War, 1939-1945 by Steven High (Editor) 



> The stories and memories of those who lived through the Second World War in Newfoundland.
> 
> In January 1941, the hulking twenty-one thousand ton troopship Edmund B. Alexander docked in St John's harbor, carrying a thousand American soldiers sent to join the thousands of Canadian troops protecting Newfoundland against attack by Germany. France had fallen, Great Britain was fighting for its survival, and Newfoundland - then a dominion of Britain - was North America's first line of defence. Although the German invasion never came, St John's found itself occupied by both Allied Canadian and American forces.
> 
> ...



It's an edited collection of (scholarly?) essays about St. John's during the war years but is relatively an easy read.  The book is also well illustrated with contemporary photos and maps, quite a number that I had not seen before, even a couple that included the street where I grew up.  It was interesting to see the changes in the city from the war until my earliest memories a decade and a bit later.  While the war may have played a central role in the life of many North American cities during those years, it may not have had the effect of the "occupation" that St. John's hosted.

As an aside, in a similar vein I'm awaiting a copy of "To Serve And Protect: The Newfoundland Constabulary On The Home Front, World War Two" by Gary Browne (who is a former Chief of the RNC).


----------



## The Bread Guy (12 Apr 2019)

Trying to get back to reading some fiction after a bit of a dry stretch - focusing on the war in Ukraine.

_"The Freedom Fighter: A memoir of a member of the Donbass Militia in the War in Ukraine"_ sounds plausible in some bits, with a Russian "entrepreneur" working in eastern Ukraine with the pro-Russian rebels there.  A bit of a feel of the "doing business" bits of the work, with the author seeming to know more about military things than any military service he talks about in the book.

_"Airport"_ is about the seige of Donetsk airport, from the defending UKR troops point of view with a journalist dropping in to help tell the story.  The front line appears to have been, literally, the floor between different levels of the terminal building.

The other 2 I've read so far are fantasy short story takes on the war.  _"Pavel's Private Parts"_ is about a Russian functionary in eastern UKR worried about getting back to Mother Russia for surgery to correct ... private issues.  I was hoping this would unfold as a bit of a Ukrainian "Good Soldier Schweik," with a naive dolt falling into situations, but stopped short.  The other one, _"Sucking Strelkov"_ deals with the encounters between a European porn film crew and one of the (alleged?) Russian architects of the eastern UKR fight.  Only JUST worth the twoonie I paid for it, with an ... interesting int debrief involving a diabetes diagnosis featured - I say no more :boke:


----------



## mariomike (12 Apr 2019)

Blackadder1916 said:
			
		

> Have been going through Occupied St John's: A Social History of a City at War, 1939-1945 by Steven High (Editor)



Many American servicemen died in the Knights of Columbus Fire,


> The most deadly structural fire in what is now Canada consumed the Knights of Columbus hostel in St. John's, Newfoundland, on 12 December 1942. An arsonist set fire to the building when it was packed with military personnel and their companions. The hostel was a firetrap; doors opened inward, exits were restricted and there was no emergency lighting system. Within five minutes, 99 people had been burned to death and 100 seriously injured. The main fire station was only 180 m away, but the building was doomed before the engines arrived.
> https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/fire-disasters


----------



## Retired AF Guy (12 Apr 2019)

Retired AF Guy said:
			
		

> Just finished Anthony Beevor's "Ardennes 1944: The Battle for the Bulge" and just started his "The Battle of Arnhem: The Deadliest Airborne Operation of WWII."  As always with his books chock full of interesting facts; from the poor grunt (allied and German) in the trenches to the highest levels of command. For example, while reading the Arnhem book learned how the Brit Para's ended up using maroon for the colour of their berets.



Update: As always Beevor's book are packed with information covering all avenues of the battle/campaign whether civilian/military, and from the soldier in the slit trench to the highest echelons of command/politics. His Arnhem book I found is much better then Cornelius Ryan's, " A Bridge Too Far" with more detail about the battles and the atrocities committed against the Dutch by their Nazi occupiers.


----------



## Retired AF Guy (12 Apr 2019)

Just started "_*Iron, Fire and Ice: The Real Histories that Inspired the Game of Thrones*_" by Ed West. 

West looks at the characters/battles/wars/climate from ancient Greece and Rome up to the War of Roses that George R.R. Martin used as inspiration for his A Song of Fire and Ice books.


----------



## FJAG (18 Apr 2019)

Andrew G McCabe, The Threat: How the FBI Protects America in the Age of Terror and Trump

https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B07HFMYQPG/

McCabe's book is perhaps a little light. The first three quarters really deal with his progression through the ranks of the FBI and along the way highlights some of the more interesting jobs he was involved with: early involvement in investigation Russian mobsters in NY City; 9/11; formation of the High Value Detainee Interrogation Group; the Benghazi investigations and the early stages of the Russian election interference investigations. Along the way there is a look at a number of the key characters working at both Justice and the FBI.

The last quarter of the book deals with the Trump era and the challenges those produced both for the institution and himself personally. Much of that is glanced over primarily because of his lawsuit respecting to his firing the day before his retirement.

All told it's a bit shallower than I expected but does provide some insight into the functioning of the FBI which was informative.

 :cheers:


----------



## Journeyman (20 Apr 2019)

Starting into the Mueller Report.  For those who don't rely on memes for their information, it's available here.

Most of the redactions are listed as "Harm to Ongoing Matter (HOM),"  which I had to Google;  apparently there are another dozen criminal investigations being conducted by the Department of Justice and/or FBI that came out of the testimony.  Mueller believed that some criminal activities were beyond his mandate, but worthy of further investigation.


----------



## Cloud Cover (20 Apr 2019)

Just to touch upon JM’s comments about the HOM cases, at least 4 are with the US DoJ prosecutors in the SDNY. This particular office is notoriously aggressive and seems to be in a reputational competition with the EDNY, who also have some cases referred which they are now turning their minds to after successfully prosecuting Joaquin Guzman (El Chapo). You may recall that when Trump culled the prosecutors in both of these districts early on in his mandate, other prosecutors resigned. The result has seen a slew of younger, aggressive and insanely motivated group of attorneys given high profile files that they will not back down on. ( nor should they).


----------



## FJAG (13 May 2019)

Vicky Ward _Kushner Inc., Greed, Ambition, Corruption_

https://www.amazon.ca/Kushner-Inc-Ambition-Corruption-Extraordinary/dp/1250185947

Not a bad book. Obviously targeted at showing the shambles in the White House and the nepotism and kleptocracy that has developed with Trump's election. Many of these stories are not new and should concern any right thinking Republican who voted to shake up the governing elite and "drain the swamp" for the benefit of the country. The end result has instead become a whole new crop of amateurs meddling where they shouldn't in order to line their own pockets or to "build their brand".

The writing is fast paced although this frequently builds to a crescendo which leaves one hanging waiting for a punch line. The book was written before the Mueller Report hints at the fact that there are still sealed indictments out there which will hit out at the Kushners who are not painted in a favourable light at all.

Worth the read? Sure if you have time but get a library copy. It's not worth keeping on your bookshelf.

 :cheers:


----------



## ModlrMike (13 May 2019)

Jonathan Kellerman - Flesh and Blood


----------



## dimsum (13 May 2019)

The Silk Roads by Peter Frankopan.  Basically traces a chronological history of the world but focusing on Asia (as in Turkey and east), arguing that western Europe (which is mostly taught in North America) was really small potatoes in geopolitics until the discovery of the Americas.  I'm sure it's not like that anymore, but reading this book really makes me want to visit places like Istanbul and Samarkand.


----------



## fake penguin (14 May 2019)

Just finished jack murphy’s book murphy’s Law

It’s about a guy who went from ranger regiment to the green beret to now being a journalist for sofrep.


----------



## vonGarvin (14 May 2019)

I'm reading Sturmartillerie: Spearhead of the infantry, by Thomas Anderson.

It's the history of the German use of assault guns in the second world war.


----------



## FJAG (14 May 2019)

Technoviking said:
			
		

> I'm reading Sturmartillerie: Spearhead of the infantry, by Thomas Anderson.
> 
> It's the history of the German use of assault guns in the second world war.



It was a great weapon system at the time when there was much debate as to the proper use of "infantry" tanks and "cruiser" tanks. The Sturmgeschuetz was an excellent compromise to replace the "infantry" tank with a weapon system that was simpler to operate/maintain, and because of its lack of a turret and its restricted traverse capability was able to mount a much heavier gun than a similar sized turreted tank of the time.

I'll have to look that one up.

 :cheers:


----------



## Xylric (15 May 2019)

Busy reading to my niece.

Most recent book I've read is this lovely little story:

Fox And the Jumping Contest

Just because she's only 16 months old doesn't mean she doesn't have an appreciation for silly stories being read in silly voices - she apparently finds my Mad Scientist voice an utter joy, for example.

Now, I just wish she didn't have her father's knack for mimicry - _evil laughter is not supposed to come from that young of a child!_


----------



## vonGarvin (21 May 2019)

FJAG said:
			
		

> It was a great weapon system at the time when there was much debate as to the proper use of "infantry" tanks and "cruiser" tanks. The Sturmgeschuetz was an excellent compromise to replace the "infantry" tank with a weapon system that was simpler to operate/maintain, and because of its lack of a turret and its restricted traverse capability was able to mount a much heavier gun than a similar sized turreted tank of the time.
> 
> I'll have to look that one up.
> 
> :cheers:


Of course the Germans never did things the simple way.  Production of the StuGs was run by the Artillery, not the Armour Corps.  And the StuG III was the most-produced AFV in Germany in the war, based on the Pz III.
Having said that, its artillery crews (used as intimate support, I suppose, as well as Anti-Tank artillery) were proud of their role to support the infantry.  By upgrading the gun to the 75 Long Barrel, they were able to maintain their ability to pump 75mm HE shells into enemy bunkers, etc, but also to provide some pretty good AT support.


----------



## daftandbarmy (29 May 2019)

Just finished this book, a very interesting read by a former Westie....

Appel: A Canadian in the French Foreign Legion

Appel: A Canadian in the French Foreign Legion is the first-hand account of the author’s six years as a professional soldier during the 1990s, and his experience in the Legion's elite Groupe des Commandos Parachutistes (GCP). Joel Struthers recounts the dangers and demands of military life, from the rigours of recruitment and operational training in the rugged mountains of France, to face-to-face combat in the grasslands of some of Africa’s most troubled nations. 

Told through the eyes of a soldier, and interspersed with humorous anecdotes, Appel is a fascinating story that debunks myths about the French Foreign Legion and shows it more accurately as a professional arm of the French military. Struthers provides insight into the rigorous discipline that the Legion instills in its young recruits, – who trade their identities as individuals for a life of adventure and a role in a unified fighting force whose motto is “Honour and Loyalty.”

Foreword by Col. Benoit Desmeulles, former commanding officer of the Legions 2e Régiment Étranger Parachutistes.

https://www.amazon.ca/Appel-Canadian-French-Foreign-Legion/dp/177112105X


----------



## dimsum (31 May 2019)

We Are Displaced by Malala Yousafzai.  She talks a little bit about her story, which most have heard by now, but most of the book is comprised of stories from other displaced women and girls and their journey.

It’s equal parts sad and hopeful - sad that these things have happened to those people, and hopeful that others have stepped up to care for and support them.


----------



## FJAG (13 Jul 2019)

Technically it wasn't reading because for the first time ever I listened to an audio book.

"Filthy Rich" by James Patterson is an account about pedophile billionaire Jeffrey Epstein written in 2016 well before the reurgence of charges against him in New York. https://www.amazon.ca/Filthy-Rich-Powerful-Billionaire-Shocking-ebook/dp/B01EFL9BMC

I must admit up front that although I'm a fan of mysteries and particularly police procedurals, I'm not generally a fan of Patterson's. I tend to find his writings lacking depth and the most recent ones strike me as the production of a writing mill leaning heavily on his name and the churned out work product of co-writers.

That criticism extends to this book which is co-authored by John Connolly (another novelist) with contributions by Tim Malloy. The research is shallow and basically a regurgitation of public records that have been better presented back in the day by Julie Brown of the Miami Herald. There is an abundance of smoke but very little in the way of fire. That's not to say that one is left with a disbelief that there wasn't serious criminal activity here by Epstein and several others and that the the state and federal prosecutors treaded too lightly, but there simply isn't anything new here that would get you to say "ah ha!" One is merely left with the hope that maybe the new prosecutions in New York will finally shed some light into the dark recesses of what went on here.

These reviews on Goodreads sum it up for me:



> By John Robertson - While it did expose the disgusting behavior of Jeffrey Epstein and the failings of our justice system, the book overall was a convoluted mashup of court interviews, transcripts and narrative set pieces that jumped around with no true logical order, especially the last third of the book.
> ...
> By EM - ... I am both a true crime and behind-the-scenes politics fan, so I took a chance on his Filthy Rich. Turns out, unfortunately, that wooden writing trumps sex, crime & politics combined. Virtually every page was laden with insufficiently-connected (for my brain, at any rate) names, places & dates. I soon lost my grasp of the order in which the described events occurred, eventually lost track of the police, prosecutors, and lawyers involved, and finally lost interest in the victims and perpetrators. But I did finish the book, hence the 2 stars.
> In passing: the best thing about the book was its very clever title. I can't imagine that Patterson thought it up. If anyone knows who did, please tell me - I'd probably enjoy reading something by that person.



I can't believe how many people did give the book four or five stars.

 :cheers:


----------



## daftandbarmy (15 Jul 2019)

'The Mint': terrifying.... on various levels


"The Mint concerns the period following the First World War when Lawrence decided to disappear from public view. He enlisted in the Royal Air Force under an assumed name, becoming 352087 Aircraftman Ross.*[1] The book is a closely observed autobiographical account of his experiences in the RAF. The book covers his initial training at RAF Uxbridge in 1922[2] and a part of his service at RAF Cranwell, 1925–26." 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mint_(book)

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/767350.The_Mint

- mod edit to fix Wikipedia link -*


----------



## FJAG (18 Jul 2019)

Let me Finish by Chris Christie.

https://www.amazon.ca/Let-Me-Finish-Kushners-Your-Face/dp/0316421790

One of the better "insider" books respecting the Trump campaign and presidency.

The book basically has two parts. The first half delves into Christie's early life up to and including his winning the governorship of New Jersey. Part two delves into his failed run for the presidency and then his role within the Trump campaign and his views of the presidency.

While I'm sure there's an element of self serving in Christie's account, it rings significantly more true than that of the various books that rely heavily on interviews with Bannon. To put it mildly and to directly quote Christie, he considers Bannon "a fraud. a nobody, and a liar." Christie considers Trump a long-time friend and while he criticizes Trump on occasion, he is much more scathing of the cartel that worked around him including Bannon, Kushner, Priebus, Manafort, Flynn and Sessions all of whom he considers were/are very poor advisors to Trump and more involved in running their own agendas. In particular he criticizes most of them for throwing out the transition plan that he and his team had developed for over five months in order to slip all their favorite cronies into the administration, an administration which Christie considers highly dysfunctional notwithstanding Trump's best intentions. Surprisingly one individual he seems to have fond recollections of is Kelly-Anne Conway who he considers an exceptionally hard worker who repaired the campaign after Manafort's firing.

Well worth reading; especially for Republicans or Trump fans.

 :cheers:


----------



## OldSolduer (26 Jul 2019)

"Rogue Heroes" by Ben MacIntyre.

The History of the SAS.


----------



## midget-boyd91 (27 Jul 2019)

I just finished the first book in the Expanse series.   Very much recommended to any sci-fi fans


----------



## dimsum (27 Jul 2019)

uncle-midget-Oddball said:
			
		

> I just finished the first book in the Expanse series.   Very much recommended to any sci-fi fans



Oh man, you're in for a ride.  I've read all of the series so far and it gets...weird.


----------



## dangerboy (27 Jul 2019)

Dimsum said:
			
		

> Oh man, you're in for a ride.  I've read all of the series so far and it gets...weird.



They also just realeased the trailer for season 4 of the show. It looks good.


----------



## midget-boyd91 (27 Jul 2019)

Dimsum said:
			
		

> Oh man, you're in for a ride.  I've read all of the series so far and it gets...weird.



I've heard that it's a ride for sure.  Now I just need to find where I can watch each season of the show as I finish each book.


----------



## tomahawk6 (7 Aug 2019)

I am enjoying a historical naval read. Its by an author I hadnt read before Chris Durbin The Cursed Fortress: The Fifth Carlisle & Holbrooke Naval Adventure (Carlisle & Holbrooke Naval Adventure). This read I think is set before the American Revolution where France held the fortress of Louisberg. The task of the Royal Navy was to stop watch the fortress and interdict its resupply or reinforcement. Halifax is mentioned prominently.Its a good read and when I am do I hope there is a 6th book in the saga.


----------



## The Bread Guy (7 Aug 2019)

daftandbarmy said:
			
		

> 'The Mint': terrifying.... on various levels
> 
> 
> "The Mint concerns the period following the First World War when Lawrence decided to disappear from public view. He enlisted in the Royal Air Force under an assumed name, becoming 352087 Aircraftman Ross.*[1] The book is a closely observed autobiographical account of his experiences in the RAF. The book covers his initial training at RAF Uxbridge in 1922[2] and a part of his service at RAF Cranwell, 1925–26."
> ...


*
And downloadable to Kindle cheap-cheap ($2) @ Amazon right now - thanks for the tip.*


----------



## tomahawk6 (7 Aug 2019)

I am learning some history of the Louisberg area with this book. The fortress was key to the St Lawrence and success taking it from France pretty much opened Quebec to conquest and to drive France from North America. Interesting time period.


----------



## dimsum (7 Aug 2019)

I just finished The Water Knife by Paolo Bacigalupi, and am currently reading Windup Girl also by him.  

They're both essentially climate sci-fi, or "cli-fi" as one of the reviews has noted.  The Water Knife really makes you think about how climate will impact human population and conflict because it's not set another continent; most of the southern US is either underwater or has dried up, and refugees from Texas and New Mexico are desperately streaming outwards.


----------



## ModlrMike (8 Aug 2019)

Erebus: One Ship, Two Epic Voyages, and the Greatest Naval Mystery of All Time

Michael Palin


----------



## FJAG (8 Aug 2019)

Just finished Craig Johnson's "Depth of Winter" his latest Longmire book.

I'm a longtime fan of the Longmire series about a sheriff in the smallest county in Wyoming. It's been made into an excellent TV series which is available on Netflix.

Unfortunately this book doesn't measure up at all. Normally his books are mysteries which concentrate on the solving of a crime(s) while painting a picture of the rural Wyoming countryside and people.

This one goes in another direction having Longmire going into the mountains of the Mexican hinterland to rescue his adult daughter from a Mexican drug lord. It's more an action/adventure than a mystery. 

Unfortunately the plot is stilted and incredulous as the principal character goes through several captures and miraculous escapes with the aid of a strange assortment of allies.

Clearly not Johnson's best work by a long shot.

https://www.amazon.ca/Depth-Winter-Longmire-Craig-Johnson/dp/0525522476/

Thought I'd turn to the "Golden Compass" for something completely different.

 :cheers:


----------



## dangerboy (8 Aug 2019)

FJAG said:
			
		

> I'm a longtime fan of the Longmire series about a sheriff in the smallest county in Wyoming. It's been made into an excellent TV series which is available on Netflix.



I really liked the show Longmire, and not just because Katee Sackhoff  is in it  ;D. I forgot that it was based on books, I shall have to check them out.


----------



## remember (30 Sep 2019)

CompTIA A+ Certification. Reading saved me money. My computer got broken. Instead of buying a new one I had it fixed and had the motherboard replaced. "Motherboards are cheap nowadays"...The heart of the computer. Saved me $900 dollars.


----------



## Eye In The Sky (30 Sep 2019)

_Pillars Of The Earth_, after having just finished The Century Trilogy.  One night into _Pillars_ and I had a hard time putting it down.


----------



## FJAG (30 Sep 2019)

Muscling my way through Margaret Atwood's Handmaid's Tale. I figured with the new book out and with the TV series (which I haven't watched) and what with everything down south I thought I'd give it a try.

So far I can see why I've waited 35 years to read it.


----------



## dimsum (30 Sep 2019)

In the minutes I have between study and sleep, I'm reading Reaper Force (about the RAF MQ-9 crews) by Dr. Peter Lee.  

Pretty good so far, although it strikes me a bit like the Rolling Stone "Generation Kill" article.


----------



## remember (1 Oct 2019)

https://www.amazon.ca/War-Animals-Unsung-Heroes-World/dp/1621576582/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=war+animals&qid=1569918089&sr=8-1

I wish there would be bidding on these. I will be the first one.


----------



## FJAG (4 Oct 2019)

Okay. Finished Handmaid's Tale now.

Interesting plot line and actually some decent writing (I guess that's why it got awards)

My criteria for a good novel is: Do I care if any of the characters live or die or do I want to see what happens next in their lives.

Simple answer is: No I don't. For me this was a one of and I think I'll skip the sequel.

 :cheers:


----------



## dangerboy (4 Oct 2019)

FJAG said:
			
		

> Okay. Finished Handmaid's Tale now.
> 
> :cheers:


This was one of the books that was manditory reading  when i was in High School. For the most part I liked most of the books we were made to read but I didn't like this one. Like you I am skipping the sequel.


----------



## ModlrMike (4 Oct 2019)

Recently finished Killing Floor by Lee Child. The first in the Jack Reacher series.

Now reading Turn the Ship Around by  L. David Marquet


----------



## FJAG (4 Oct 2019)

I've found a new series that's fun to read.

I've long been a fan of mysteries and along the way became a fan of the Brother Cadfael series which are about a one time Welsh crusader turned Benedictine monk in 12th Century England who solves crimes and strange deaths.

When I saw that there was another series about Brother Hermitage, a monk in 11th Century England around the time of the Norman invasion, I just had to try it out. There are some twenty books, some of which are standalone separate from Brother Hermitage, written by someone who calls himself Howard of Warwick. With titles like "The Doomsday Book (No Not that one)", "The Case of the Cantankerous Carcass", "Hermitage, Wat and Some Murder or Other" you can get the sense that the books don't take themselves too seriously. The author has a lovely drole sense of English humour and invents some very funny characters along the way (Unlike Atwood's, these ones you actually care about). To make things even better, the Kindle versions come at very reasonable prices.

https://howardofwarwick.com/

https://www.amazon.ca/s?k=howard+of+warwick&i=digital-text&crid=14YX862UZFI38&sprefix=howard+of+warwick%2Caps%2C232&ref=nb_sb_ss_c_2_17

 :cheers:


----------



## dangerboy (6 Oct 2019)

For anyone with a Kobo Ebook reader and is interested in Operation Market Garden there is a sale on the book "Arnhem" by Major-General Urquhart on the Kobo store. I have not read the book yet but for $0.99 it is a good blind buy.


----------



## tomahawk6 (6 Oct 2019)

I have been reading about the Roman Army Marius Mules series book 8 by SJA Turney. Warfare through the ages are similar such as the need for supplies and the need of denying an enemy food hence scorched earth policies. In more modern times we see the destruction of an enemies industry as a means to weaken the enemy and hindering their ability to wage war as in WW2.


----------



## FJAG (6 Oct 2019)

tomahawk6 said:
			
		

> I have been reading about the Roman Army Marius Mules series book 8 by SJA Turney. Warfare through the ages are similar such as the need for supplies and the need of denying an enemy food hence scorched earth policies. In more modern times we see the destruction of an enemies industry as a means to weaken the enemy and hindering their ability to wage war as in WW2.



That looks like a good suggestion. I've always liked the Caesar books by Colleen McCullough so the subject matter interests me. Again the Marius Books have a very reasonable Kindle price and considering the difference between Kindle and Paperback it would seem that these are self published by Turney. I'll give one a go. Always like to find a new series.

 :cheers:


----------



## Brad Sallows (6 Oct 2019)

>Pillars Of The Earth

A great yarn.  5 upvotes from me, and for its sequel World Without End.  Didn't know there was a third, but there is: A Column of Fire.

I found the two miniseries based on the first two books compelling.  Like Game of Thrones, I found myself chafing for certain characters to get their comeuppances.


----------



## tomahawk6 (6 Oct 2019)

FJAG said:
			
		

> That looks like a good suggestion. I've always liked the Caesar books by Colleen McCullough so the subject matter interests me. Again the Marius Books have a very reasonable Kindle price and considering the difference between Kindle and Paperback it would seem that these are self published by Turney. I'll give one a go. Always like to find a new series.
> 
> :cheers:



Book 7 was heavy on combat and book 8 takes the former legate of the 10th into nretirement. Alas the tribes have not been pacified and Froto's retirement may be short lived. Altogether very interesting reading.


----------



## FJAG (6 Oct 2019)

I've just downloaded Vol 1 of MM. Looking forward to it.

 :cheers:


----------



## tomahawk6 (7 Oct 2019)

I think its good value at the kindle price. 8)


----------



## FJAG (7 Oct 2019)

tomahawk6 said:
			
		

> I think its good value at the kindle price. 8)



I publish through Kindle as well and charge USD3.99 for an ebook. Amazon takes a share of that. For a paperback volume of about USD15.00 plus shipping I make about the same royalty because Amazon takes the bulk of the price for printing costs and it's own profits. That's still a lot fairer for the reader than conventional publishers who charge about the same for a print and e edition giving them a massive profit on the download.

 :cheers:


----------



## Colin Parkinson (7 Oct 2019)

An interesting account and a reminder that Scientist are humans with good ones and not so good.  https://www.amazon.com/Most-Secret-Wordsworth-Military-Library/dp/185326699X


----------



## Eye In The Sky (7 Oct 2019)

dangerboy said:
			
		

> For anyone with a Kobo Ebook reader and is interested in Operation Market Garden there is a sale on the book "Arnhem" by Major-General Urquhart on the Kobo store. I have not read the book yet but for $0.99 it is a good blind buy.



Thanks for this;  downloading onto my Clara as I type this...although, unfortunately my reading tonight is CFITES Vol 6.   :boring:


----------



## FJAG (8 Oct 2019)

Okay. Got a copy of C.P. Champion's Relentless Struggle: Saving the Army Reserve 1995-2019.

It's been a long time since I pulled an all-nighter but I did for this one. It's a good read and should be mandatory reading for all officers who want to see how sausages are made (or unmade) inside NDHQ/CFHQ.

Essentially the story starts with MGen Brian Vernon's ill-fated attempts to reform/transform his reservists/reserve units in Central Militia Area in 1993. The push back (particularly from the Honararies) was severe and mostly ignored leading to the formation of what would be the organization called Reserves 2000.

The book is a detailed recounting of the years that followed and the struggle between R2K and the varies level of command within the Army, the CF and government. Champion does an excellent job in reciting the events and naming names (mostly - some wished to remain anonymous) to show the battle lines that were drawn over the years and the gulf that separated the two camps (in general the supporters of Class A reservists on the one hand and the regular force and, to a large extent, Class B reservists on the other).  There are very clear examples of how often promises were broken, plans went of the rails and mistrust developed. In the midst of all that, taking cover on the armories floor anytime there were sufficient funds to pay them, were the hapless ResF Army units who were struggling to survive. While R2K and South Ontario centric (based on the fact that they commissioned the book and provided the bulk of the reference material) it is, notwithstanding this, as even handed as it can be. Let's face it there's a lot of blame to go around and Champion covers most of it.

The book does end on an optimistic note starting with Harper's last year in office under MND Kenney, Gens Vance and Wynnyk when a degree of stability and potential growth emerge.

Again. Well worth the read.

 :cheers:


----------



## tomahawk6 (10 Oct 2019)

Loving Marius Mules , now on book 10. Its Caesars civil war against Pompey.


----------



## FJAG (12 Oct 2019)

tomahawk6 said:
			
		

> Loving Marius Mules , now on book 10. Its Caesars civil war against Pompey.



Got and finished Vol 1 which was good. I'll get a few more.

 :cheers:


----------



## tomahawk6 (13 Oct 2019)

Caesar has the luck to turn disaster into Victory. The series also shows the importance of engineers, cavaly and artillery not to mention supply lines being critical.Caesar's legions are required to move quickly to either close with the enemy or to gain an advantage in position.


----------



## observor 69 (13 Oct 2019)

Barry Mark Eisler (born 1964) is a best-selling American novelist. He is the author of two thriller series, the first featuring anti-hero John Rain, a half-Japanese, half-American former soldier turned freelance assassin, and a second featuring black ops soldier Ben Treven. Eisler also writes about politics and language on his blog Heart of the Matter, and at the blogs CHUD, Firedoglake, The Huffington Post, MichaelMoore.com, The Smirking Chimp, and Truthout.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barry_Eisler

Got "Fault Line" by Eisler from the library. First book I have read from this author and from the info I am gathering I will be reading the rest of them.


----------



## daftandbarmy (14 Oct 2019)

Bugles and a Tiger, John Masters, First Edition.

It reads well with a Talisker in direct support ...


----------



## Old Sweat (14 Oct 2019)

daftandbarmy said:
			
		

> Bugles and a Tiger, John Masters, First Edition.
> 
> It reads well with a Talisker in direct support ...



Great book, as is The Road Past Mandalay. Read them both in the sixties as a young subaltern.


----------



## dimsum (18 Nov 2019)

Finally finished Reaper Force by Dr. Peter Lee.  He's an ex-RAF Chaplain turned academic, and if anyone has interest in how modern Remotely Piloted Aircraft operations work as well as some mental/psychological/family challenges crews face, this is a good read.  It really brings into perspective how different RPA operations are and how personal they can be for the crews half a world away.

https://www.amazon.com/Reaper-Force-Inside-Story-Britains/dp/1786069644


----------



## Cloud Cover (18 Nov 2019)

I’m reading Seven Days in Hell “The Rise of the Black Watch Snipers” by David O’Keefe. It’s both a story of the Canadian Black Watch in Normandy and the sniper cell itself.  This fellow has written an excellent book, one that really conveys the small unit story - company by company, platoon, section and rifle team detail. It’s an excellent book that complements the more recent books on Canada in the Normandy campaign- for example, the outstanding “No Holding Back” by Brian Reid. 

I will say that the author must have had a tough time when drafting the casualty details- it took 20 years to research and write this book so he probably became very close to the personalities of the soldiers, their families and others. 
Have a strong whisky at the ready while reading this book.


----------



## Colin Parkinson (18 Nov 2019)

daftandbarmy said:
			
		

> Bugles and a Tiger, John Masters, First Edition.
> 
> It reads well with a Talisker in direct support ...



I really enjoyed that book when I was a young lad


----------



## Cloud Cover (25 Nov 2019)

Finished Seven Days in Hell. What a terrible, terrible waste of young men, and what loyalty to brothers for all who were there. 😔 🎗🇨🇦


----------



## tomahawk6 (25 Nov 2019)

The Normandy Privateer is almost done. Britain worried about an invasion by Bonapart established the Sea Fencibles with RN officers and some former RN sailors. The book is bit different than the other period naval books. Its the first book in the series so I lookforward to reading them in order.


----------



## Old Sweat (25 Nov 2019)

Cloud Cover said:
			
		

> Finished Seven Days in Hell. What a terrible, terrible waste of young men, and what loyalty to brothers for all who were there. 😔 🎗🇨🇦



In 1964 HQ 3CIBG in Gagetown did an officers' study session on the operation, which was a mess. Only one battalion, the RHLI took its objective, and its CO, LCol John Rockingham, soon found himself commanding 9 CIB. A goodly part of the session focussed on the RHC, including a short, emotional presentation by WO2 Tommy Larkin of 1RCHA who had been in a FOO party with the Watch. (Larkin had been one of my instructors on officer training.)


----------



## NotSoWiseKingSolomon (25 Nov 2019)

Mere Christianity by C.S.Lewis.
Good intro to Christianity.


----------



## marekbjj (26 Nov 2019)

Reading 'Salem's Lot (Stephen King) right now and I quite like it!

Stephen King has been hit and miss for me:

I picked up Night Shift, a collection of short stories, out of the blue because I like horror.
It was awesome. I'd go far as to say King's short stories are better than his novels.

After Night Shift I was very enthusiastic about reading another one of his books. I gave the Shining a read, and boy was I disappointed.
Predictable and not even scary. I honestly wondered how the heck was this a best seller.

I decided to give 'Salem's Lot a try, the reason being is there's two short stories in Night Shift that kind of touch on 'Salem's Lot, and they were my favorite short stories in the book.
Sure enough, it was a good call. Way better story telling, and it's a lot more thrilling.

I would recommend both Night Shift and Salem's Lot!


----------



## brihard (26 Nov 2019)

Presently about 2/3 through Mattis' book, 'Callsign Chaos: Learning to Lead'. A very enjoyable biography, and not at all a difficult read. I'm not past about 2010 yet, but he did state earlier in the book that he won't be speaking in criticism of the current sitting president. He doesn't pull punches when stating his beliefs on strategic missteps through the 2000s- but he does stay in his lane.

Next up I've got 'Homo Deus' by Yuval Noah Harari; it's a sequel to 'Sapiens', a book he wrote on human history, and it aims to forecast some of human future and how we're going to be developing ourselves to exceed our biological limitations. Next up after that will be Jared Diamond's 'Upheaval', and then Max Hastings' 'Vietnam: An Epic Tragedy'.

I expect these will take me at least through the winter unless I can discipline myself to get reading more.


----------



## tomahawk6 (3 Dec 2019)

I have exhausted my usual historical naval books and now am onto Anton Chance Sea thrillers. Chance started as a Master and Commander and is now a Commodore of a flotilla operating in Canada fighting the French and their Huron allies. So far I am enjoying it.Cant wait for another John G Cragg book to come out.


----------



## Navy_Pete (4 Dec 2019)

Just finished reading MacBeth by Jo Nesbo, a Nordic noir writer.  It's set in the late 1960s Glasgow in an alternate history, with the main characters forming part of the police, politicians and criminal underworld.

It's interesting in that it stands on it's own legs as a work of fiction, but also has some occasional lines from Shakespeare.  Pretty interesting read, and part of a whole series of Shakespeare stories redone by various modern novelists.

It's not exactly literature, but a step above a lot of the pulp fiction (like Jack Reacher etc), and enjoyed it.  Would recommend if you are looking for something different.

Have been reading a lot more with the library having ebooks, as it's hugely convenient and so easy to browse and borrow online.


----------



## FJAG (7 Dec 2019)

tomahawk6 said:
			
		

> I have been reading about the Roman Army Marius Mules series book 8 by SJA Turney. Warfare through the ages are similar such as the need for supplies and the need of denying an enemy food hence scorched earth policies. In more modern times we see the destruction of an enemies industry as a means to weaken the enemy and hindering their ability to wage war as in WW2.



I'm now on volume 7 of this series. Lighter than McCullough's Masters of Rome series but very entertaining (and the Kindle price is nice)

Thanks for the tip.

 :cheers:


----------



## LittleBlackDevil (7 Dec 2019)

marekbjj said:
			
		

> Reading 'Salem's Lot (Stephen King) right now and I quite like it!
> 
> Stephen King has been hit and miss for me ...



Yeah, I find Stephen King to be a bit hit-and-miss too. _'Salem's Lot_ is one of my favourites by him and I've probably read it a half dozen times.

I am currently about 95% through my second reading of _The Stand_, which is another favourite of mine.

I just finished Galaxy's Edge: Legionnaire by Jason Anspach and Nick Cole. I bought it on a whim because the cover looked cool and the blurb on the back sounded good. It was very well done. At least one of the authors must have served in the army (probably US) because the book was very true to army life.


----------



## FJAG (11 Dec 2019)

In an attempt to better understand how anyone could have voted for Trump, I decided to read Scott Adams' two-year-old book "Win Bigly: Persuasion in a World Where Facts Don't Matter"

Adams, you may recall, is the author of the Dilbert comic strip and who came out very early on saying that Trump would win the election (notwithstanding that he calls himself an ultra-liberal.

He provides a basic understanding of what makes peoples' belief system tick and then indicates how Trump capitalized on that. Some of the key elements he points out are:

1. Facts are weaker than fiction meaning that you can't dissuade a person's political convictions with facts because people have their own facts or see agreed on facts in a different way. As a result Trump completely ignores whatever facts are inconvenient in favour of what his supporters already believe;

2. People view the world through a filter. People filter out those facts that don't make them happy in favour of keeping alive concepts that make them happy. For example a child's early belief in Santa Claus, subsequent beliefs in religions, using drugs or alcohol. People's primary filter is the "persuasion filter" which posits that most people are primarily irrational and make their decisions by gut instinct and then subsequently create elaborate rationalizations to persuade themselves that they have made the correct decision. 

3. We all suffer from cognitive dissonance much of the time. Cognitive dissonance is the mental stress or discomfort an individual feels when he holds two contradictory beliefs or values at the same time or while holding a particular belief or value, being confronted by a contradictory one. In such a situation our own brains generate an illusion to resolve the discomfort such as telling you that the new information is inaccurate or really does support your original belief.

4. We all suffer from confirmation bias which is the human reflex to interpret any new information of being supportive of our existing opinions.

5. We all readily sign on to mass delusions. As examples he points out the Salem Witch trials, the "War of the Worlds" broadcast, the Dutch Tulip Mania crisis. In short, people easily adopt certain opinions/beliefs when confronted by mass acceptance of them regardless how silly those opinions/beliefs might be.

So far Adams had my general acceptance of what he was writing but at this point he posited the position that Trump's super power is that he is a master persuader. Adams himself, however, comes across as a bit of a narcissist as he declares himself very, very rich; a trained hypnotist and a trained persuader and as such he believes himself to have the credentials to evaluate whether anyone else is in fact a master persuader. Setting aside the self congratulations, I actually wanted Adams to prove how Trump manged to persuade so many people to support him. Sadly (and maybe its my own confirmation bias showing) he fails to do that in the remaining two thirds of his book.

He did convince me that Trump had what Adams calls a "talent stack" that sets him up to succeed. These talents included: being a public, well-known figure; having a nurtured reputation as a successful businessman; thinking strategically (eg using social media and campaigning harder than Clinton); having negotiating skills; public speaking at a level the common man can follow; a sense of humour; quick on his feet (regardless of whether or not what he says is a lie); thick skinned (by years of experiencing criticism and even though he counter-punches every slight thrown his way); high energy; size and appearance; smart (more so than the average citizen - I drew the line at this one - maybe confirmation bias again) Adams fails to address any of Trump's many, many failures.

Adams then goes on to talk about specific persuasion techniques and how Trump used them. This is where he lost me. While a good number of them were credible, many were not and more often then not, Adams only real support in establishing that Trump successfully used a certain technique is by virtue of Adams quoting himself from a blog post he issued during the election and a reference back to his own skills as a trained hypnotist and persuader. The whole thing falls a bit flat at this point primarily because so many of the "techniques" allegedly used by Trump can just as easily be interpreted as character flaws surfacing rather than strategically employed tools.

All told an interesting read about the role of persuasion and the irrelevance of facts but far from satisfactory in explaining the Trump success.

 :cheers:


----------



## dimsum (19 Dec 2019)

The Small Wars Journal's annual Mad Scientist Initiative call-outs happened a few weeks ago.  

They are military-themed sci-fi short stories as well as articles about all sorts of future initiatives, found here:

https://smallwarsjournal.com/madscience


----------



## mariomike (19 Dec 2019)

FJAG said:
			
		

> In an attempt to better understand how anyone could have voted for Trump, I decided to read Scott Adams' two-year-old book "Win Bigly: Persuasion in a World Where Facts Don't Matter"



Perhaps it has something to do with attention span?



> You Now Have a Shorter Attention Span Than a Goldfish
> https://time.com/3858309/attention-spans-goldfish/



Just about a long enough to mentally digest a Tweet, meme or cartoon.


----------



## ModlrMike (19 Dec 2019)

Jack Reacher (4) - Running Blind


----------



## FJAG (19 Dec 2019)

"Sword of the King" by Bernard Cornwell. This is the twelfth book of what is now called the "Last Kingdom" series (formerly the "Warrior Chronicles" and/or the "Saxon Stories") being the tales of Uhtred of Bebbanburg, a Danish raised Saxon who journeys south to London to take part in the conflict between Æthelstan and his younger half-brother Ælfweard when King Edward dies.

Good standard Cornwell stuff albeit the tale is getting a bit long in the tooth and predictable.

 :cheers:


----------



## dangerboy (19 Dec 2019)

FJAG said:
			
		

> Good standard Cornwell stuff albeit the tale is getting a bit long in the tooth and predictable.
> 
> :cheers:



I like the series but it does have to end soon.


----------



## The Bread Guy (20 Dec 2019)

Heard the author on a podcast, so I'm about to dive into the Kindle version of this ....


> ... _The Stuff of Soldiers_ uses everyday objects to tell the story of the Great Patriotic War as never before. Brandon Schechter attends to a diverse array of things—from spoons to tanks—to show how a wide array of citizens became soldiers, and how the provisioning of material goods separated soldiers from civilians.
> 
> Through a fascinating examination of leaflets, proclamations, newspapers, manuals, letters to and from the front, diaries, and interviews, The Stuff of Soldiers reveals how the use of everyday items made it possible to wage war. The dazzling range of documents showcases ethnic diversity, women's particular problems at the front, and vivid descriptions of violence and looting.
> 
> Each chapter features a series of related objects: weapons, uniforms, rations, and even the knick-knacks in a soldier's rucksack. These objects narrate the experience of people at war, illuminating the changes taking place in Soviet society over the course of the most destructive conflict in recorded history. Schechter argues that spoons, shovels, belts, and watches held as much meaning to the waging of war as guns and tanks. In The Stuff of Soldiers, he describes the transformative potential of material things to create a modern culture, citizen, and soldier during World War II ...


----------



## dangerboy (24 Dec 2019)

Not very Christmas spirit but I am read again "Green Eyed Boys" by Christian Jennings & Adrian Weale https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2353831.Green_Eyed_Boys. It is the about 3 Para and the Battle for Mount Longdon during the Falklands War.

Next up is what I consider a companion book "Excursion To Hell" by LCpl Vincent Bramley. He was part of 3 Para's Machine Gun Platoon and this book details his experiences during the Falklands War.


----------



## exspy (24 Dec 2019)

dangerboy said:
			
		

> Not very Christmas spirit but I am read again "Green Eyed Boys" by Christian Jennings & Adrian Weale. It is the about 3 Para and the Battle for Mount Longdon during the Falklands War.
> 
> Next up is what I consider a companion book "Excursion To Hell" by LCpl Vincent Bramley. He was part of 3 Para's Machine Gun Platoon and this book details his experiences during the Falklands War.



I have them both in hard copy but it's been so long since I've read them I can't remember anything specific. I think it was Bramley's book that started a criminal investigation into the allegation of British soldiers killing wounded Argentines.

Dan.


----------



## OldSolduer (25 Dec 2019)

Rasputin. 

A real charmer🤩


----------



## FJAG (25 Dec 2019)

His Dark Materials: The Golden Compass. Yeah. That Golden Compass.

Concurrent with Marius Mules VIII: - Sons of Taranis

 :cheers:


----------



## exspy (1 Jan 2020)

Fifteen years after it was published, I've finally read *No Holding Back* (2004) by some guy named Reid or Read or something.

Over the last couple of decades there's been a lot of interest shown by Canadian military authors in the Normandy campaign. This volume adds significantly to the historiography. The book is about Operation Totalize, the first battle fought by First Canadian Army. Going back to the original documents, the author presents a new perspective on the reasons for, and the aims of, the operation. He also goes over the plan in detail, concentrating on the fire plan and the use of strategic bombers in a tactical role.

There is a lot of information presented and the book was not written for the first-time reader. You'd better know something about the Canadian Army and the campaign before digging into this or you might find it confusing. As the author also refutes points in earlier books about Totalize, if might be good idea to be aware of the writings of English, Roy, Kitching, Meyer (Kurt not Hubert) and Stacey.

(The reader should also be aware that the author uses 8th Reconnaissance Regiment and 14th Hussars interchangeably.)

Lots of maps and line drawings as well as appendices, including the infamous "Who Killed Michael Wittmann?"

Overall, a must have for anyone with a serious library about the Canadians in the Second World War.

Cheers,
Dan.


----------



## FSTO (2 Jan 2020)

Just finished the audio version of:

Empire of the Summer Moon: Quanah Parker and the Rise and Fall of the Comanches, the Most Powerful Indian Tribe in American History 

What a fantastic period of North American History. The savagery and the mental and physical toughness of all those involved in that period is astounding. How a group of people were able to harness and exploit a new technology (the horse) to become one of the finest light cavalry the world has ever seen within a generation is almost magical in scope. 

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7648269-empire-of-the-summer-moon


----------



## Old Sweat (2 Jan 2020)

FSTO said:
			
		

> Just finished the audio version of:
> 
> Empire of the Summer Moon: Quanah Parker and the Rise and Fall of the Comanches, the Most Powerful Indian Tribe in American History
> 
> ...



Agree completely, as I read the book several years ago.


----------



## dimsum (2 Jan 2020)

Just finished The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi.  I can see why it won the awards it did; it's very well-written and sadly not all that much of a stretch from reality.


----------



## SeaKingTacco (3 Jan 2020)

Dan M said:
			
		

> Fifteen years after it was published, I've finally read *No Holding Back* (2004) by some guy named Reid or Read or something.
> 
> Over the last couple of decades there's been a lot of interest shown by Canadian military authors in the Normandy campaign. This volume adds significantly to the historiography. The book is about Operation Totalize, the first battle fought by First Canadian Army. Going back to the original documents, the author presents a new perspective on the reasons for, and the aims of, the operation. He also goes over the plan in detail, concentrating on the fire plan and the use of strategic bombers in a tactical role.
> 
> ...



I am reading exact same book! It is meaty- the author's perspective on the state of the Canadian Army in 1944 is not one that I had given much thought to, previously. He also looks at Simonds, Crerar and Keller with a staff trained officer's eye, vice a historian. This gives a unique perspective.

An excellent book.


----------



## The Bread Guy (3 Jan 2020)

Retired AF Guy said:
			
		

> Just finished the  _*The Operators : Inside 14 Intelligence Company *_ by James Rennie. Its an account Rennie's time in 14 Int Company in Northern Ireland.  Unfortnately, most of the book is actually about his selection process and training and only a small part is about operations in Northern Ireland.


Necro-bump here because I just finished this book as well.  Detailed, but yes, focusing on selection rather than ops.

Now into _*"MRF Shadow Troop: The untold true story of top secret British military intelligence undercover operations in Belfast, Northern Ireland, 1972-1974"*_, which focuses far more on ops than training (which appears to have been on-the-job during this phase of the evolution of the team).


----------



## Jarnhamar (3 Jan 2020)

Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind (thanks Brihard); and

The Swoly Bible: The Bro Science Way of Life


----------



## Cloud Cover (6 Jan 2020)

Has anybody read: “ Casual slaughters and accidental judgments : Canadian war crimes prosecutions, 1944-1948”

I am about to download it. I might list it as a student resource comparative text for CIJ this summer. We’ll also be reviewing some of the events from more recent Canadian conflicts. 

Cheers


----------



## dangerboy (6 Jan 2020)

CloudCover said:
			
		

> Has anybody read: “ Casual slaughters and accidental judgments : Canadian war crimes prosecutions, 1944-1948”
> 
> Cheers



Sounds interesting. I thought that Kurt Meyer was the only war criminal that Canada prosecuted during WWII, were there others?


----------



## Rifleman62 (6 Jan 2020)

The Kamloops Kid.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kanao_Inouye

https://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/video-gallery/video/6524


----------



## Eye In The Sky (6 Jan 2020)

Making a start at World Without End to kick off the New Year.  I've really enjoyed this series, although it took my better half some effort to convince me I'd enjoy it.

It's certainly a nice change after reading AOIs, checklists etc while on course.


----------



## Cloud Cover (7 Jan 2020)

dangerboy said:
			
		

> Sounds interesting. I thought that Kurt Meyer was the only war criminal that Canada prosecuted during WWII, were there others?



I’ll let you know.


----------



## Cloud Cover (8 Jan 2020)

CloudCover said:
			
		

> Ok one thing I can tell you about this book is I was surprised at the trials for treason of a few Canadian POWs captured at Dieppe who subsequently served in SS units as volunteers. That is something I hadn’t read much about before. Anyone on this forum ever studied this before?


----------



## FJAG (8 Jan 2020)

"A Warning" by Anonymous.

It's not really a good book for those concerned about Trump's inability to govern in a coherent manner as virtually every anecdote set out here has already made the press in one way or another. In short nothing new here.

It's not a good book for Trump supporters or apologists either because it carries no persuasive arguments that will make them change their minds. Again, these are all arguments they've heard before and haven't responded to.

The author is clearly a Republican who feels that his party has lost all focus and the moral high ground in the way it continues to enable bad government. The last two chapters are perhaps the most telling. He feels that removing Trump from office early, even if successful, will end in disaster for the country because Trump and his hard core supporters will not go quietly into the night. He puts his hope on there being a white knight Republican who will be able to challenge Trump but expects that will not happen. His second suggestion is to withdraw support for Trump and let the Democrats have the next presidency because Republicans can be a good opposition until their next opportunity. He voices his concerns that in essence the Democrats will, once again, be too split and eat their own or put forward someone who is too liberal for the country and thus not capture the uncommitted centre.

Bit of a distressing and depressing read, quite frankly.

 :cheers:


----------



## tomahawk6 (13 Jan 2020)

I am reading Sacred Duty by Senator Cotton.Its a great read about the Old Guard and Arlington. Its very impressive and its a pleasure to read. The Senator while on active duty was assigned as a platoon leader to the Old Guard.

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=sacred+duty&hvadid=78202830235746&hvbmt=be&hvdev=c&hvqmt=e&tag=mh0b-20&ref=pd_sl_257i3eluz1_e


----------



## Cloud Cover (19 Jan 2020)

Title: The Green Reich
Author: Drieu Godefridi
Subject: Yeesh. 

Agrees climate change is real. Agrees global warming caused by humans to a very large extent. Writes that the Green Movement is more about a form of anti-capitalist environmental authoritarianism. 

If you want to read something different about the chaos of current political activism, this is not a bad book but i wouldn't take it for gospel.


----------



## The Bread Guy (6 Mar 2020)

Most of the way thru the Kindle version of _"The Noise of War: A Tale of Ancient Rome"_, part of a series of novels set in ancient Rome written by a writer who appears to be still in the U.S. Army.  He spends a lot of time writing about not just Romans fighting bad guys, but about how the soldiering feels and some of the politics of Rome in the day.  I'm finding it a good brisk read.

Just downloaded another book I just found out about:  _"Moon of the Crusted Snow"_, a story set in a northern Ontario Indigenous community dealing with a power outage and the collapse of the rest of society.


----------



## tomahawk6 (6 Mar 2020)

Binge reading the Thomas Kydd naval series.


----------



## FSTO (6 Mar 2020)

All Blood Runs Red

The life of Eugene Bullard.

Boxer, Pilot, Soldier, Spy
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43838523-all-blood-runs-red


----------



## LittleBlackDevil (7 Mar 2020)

CloudCover said:
			
		

> Ok one thing I can tell you about this book is I was surprised at the trials for treason of a few Canadian POWs captured at Dieppe who subsequently served in SS units as volunteers. That is something I hadn’t read much about before. Anyone on this forum ever studied this before?



Guys in the British Free Corps/_Britisches Freikorps_? I didn't realize there were any Canadians that joined up. From what little I've read it was pretty much a big "nothing burger" that was never more than a platoon in strength. 

I have read more about other foreign volunteers in the SS like the French Charlemagne Division and the Belgian Walloon Legion. Interesting characters. My take on them is that they were a mix of Nazi sympathizers and (mostly Catholic) men who were extremely concerned about the Soviets taking over all of Europe and signed up so they could fight against Bolshevism (vs. fighting for the Third Reich). A fine distinction, perhaps, but a distinction nevertheless and I believe many of these men really thought (rightly or wrongly) they were doing what needed to be done to protect their homelands from being conquered by the Bolsheviks.


----------



## BeyondTheNow (9 Apr 2020)

Just finished _Different Seasons_ by Stephen King. A compilation of 4 novellas:

1. Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption
2. Apt Pupil
3. The Body
4. The Breathing Method

I borrowed it a while ago strictly for #1. (Shawshank Redemption is one of my favourite movies, and I’ve always wanted to read the inspiration for it...just never managed to get around to it...no better time than the present!) The novella is quite different from the movie, like usual, but a great read. For anyone who hasn’t read it, I won’t spoil it too much, but I think I liked the character of Red in the book just as much as the movie, despite the obvious differences. (It’s also nice taking note of the subtle nods the movie makes to the book.)

I saw the movie Apt Pupil quite some time ago and don’t really remember it, so have no clue how it compares. The story is sufficiently dark though.

The Body was the inspiration for Stand By Me, also a beloved movie on my list of faves. I enjoyed them both equally, but for different reasons. There are some differences, but overall the feelings evoked during each version are the same, which is why I enjoyed it I think.

I wasn’t familiar with The Breathing Method prior to this book. It’s haunting and full of the type of graphic imagery and detailed description King is known for. I liked it. 

I’ve read It, Cujo, Pet Sematary, Tommyknockers, 11-22-63 and this. He’s an acquired taste I think, but if one is curious who hasn’t read any of his books before, I’d recommend one of his shorter stories in order to get a feel for him. If the length of the book isn’t a deterrent (such as the approx 1,150 pages of It), 11-22-63 is excellent also, and thankfully not 1000+ pages long.

To sum it up: The character of Jake goes back in time to try and stop the Kennedy assassination. (Don’t watch the series...it’s awful, IMO.) There are a ton of Easter eggs throughout the story from several of King’s other popular books.


----------



## FormerHorseGuard (10 Apr 2020)

I am a big fan of W.E.B Griffin books, but he is now dead, any recommendations for books with massive story lines?

I have read a lot WW2  history and enjoy Canadian military history books, but for casual reading it was always Griffin and Clancy. Both authors now dead. looking for something new to read


----------



## Cloud Cover (10 Apr 2020)

Have you tried Jeff Shaara’s books?


----------



## exspy (10 Apr 2020)

FormerHorseGuard said:
			
		

> I am a big fan of W.E.B Griffin books, but he is now dead, any recommendations for books with massive story lines?



Have you tried _*The Gray Man*_ books by Mark Greaney? A very popular series about a rogue CIA... well I'll leave it to the author to explain it when you read it. You can find the series list here: https://www.fantasticfiction.com/g/mark-greaney/gray-man/.

I've read them all in order and enjoyed most of them. The first one grabbed me right into the series. They're all available for free to download if you know where to look.

Cheers,
Dan.


----------



## FJAG (10 Apr 2020)

FormerHorseGuard said:
			
		

> I am a big fan of W.E.B Griffin books, but he is now dead, any recommendations for books with massive story lines?
> 
> I have read a lot WW2  history and enjoy Canadian military history books, but for casual reading it was always Griffin and Clancy. Both authors now dead. looking for something new to read



Depends somewhat on the era you wish to read as well. Bernard Cornwell's Sharpe books and his Last Kingdom series http://www.bernardcornwell.net/books/ are very good. Simon Turney's Roman series are also very good (not to mention inexpensive as Kindle books) http://simonturney.com/

If you like police mysteries then go to John Sandford's http://www.johnsandford.org/ and Michael Connelly's https://www.michaelconnelly.com/

And if you like to mix military with police you might even want to try mine (they're relatively inexpensive in Kindle format as well) https://sites.google.com/view/wolfriedel, https://www.amazon.com/Wolf-Riedel/e/B00459ATSU

 :cheers:


----------



## Kat Stevens (10 Apr 2020)

Revisiting an old favourite. American Gods- Neil Gaiman


----------



## Good2Golf (11 Apr 2020)

Re-reading the series of spy thrillers from Colin Forbes, sort of an ‘English Tom Clancy’ of sorts.


----------



## medicineman (11 Apr 2020)

Emergency Department Resuscitation of the Critically Ill...


----------



## dimsum (11 Apr 2020)

I just finished The Light Brigade by Kameron Hurley.  It's very much in the vein of Starship Troopers (the book, not the movie), The Forever War, and Old Man's War, and it was nominated for this year's Hugo award for best SF novel.  I personally think it's alright but not earth-shattering.  

The last novel of John Scalzi's Collapsing Empire series is out later this week, so I'll give that a whirl.


----------



## FJAG (12 Apr 2020)

Dimsum said:
			
		

> I just finished The Light Brigade by Kameron Hurley.  It's very much in the vein of Starship Troopers (the book, not the movie), The Forever War, and Old Man's War, and it was nominated for this year's Hugo award for best SF novel.  I personally think it's alright but not earth-shattering.
> 
> The last novel of John Scalzi's Collapsing Empire series is out later this week, so I'll give that a whirl.



Speaking of Scalzi, I've just seen the first episode of the series "Love, Death and Robots" on Netflix. These are some of his short stories put into short films. The first one "Three Robots" was quite entertaining.

 :cheers:


----------



## dimsum (12 Apr 2020)

FJAG said:
			
		

> Speaking of Scalzi, I've just seen the first episode of the series "Love, Death and Robots" on Netflix. These are some of his short stories put into short films. The first one "Three Robots" was quite entertaining.
> 
> :cheers:



I've heard that LD&R episode order is different for different viewers.  I personally liked Beyond the Aquila Rift and Zima Blue the most (both are by Alastair Reynolds) but Three Robots is definitely a close third.


----------



## MarkOttawa (26 Apr 2020)

Start of a post based on book just finished--not saying the parallels are close...yet and in todays' Trump world (further links at original)...:



> The United States the “Indispensable Nation”? Compare to the Later Habsburg Empire
> 
> Excerpts from the last two chapters of the excellent historical analysis, “The Grand Strategy of the Habsburg Empire” (review here, Amazon here), by A. Wess Mitchell who served as Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs 2017-19 (don’t hold it against him, tweets here); if one reads attentively between the lines there are serious cautions for today’s United–how much these days?–States...
> https://mark3ds.wordpress.com/2020/04/26/the-united-states-the-indispensable-nation-compare-to-the-later-habsburg-empire/



Mark
Ottawa


----------



## dangerboy (14 May 2020)

Just finished reading "Snow and Steel: The Battle of the Bulge, 1944-45" by Peter Caddick-Adams. I thought it was an excellent book on the battle. One of the things I liked about the book is the detail he went into about the events leading up to the battle. Most other books just spent a few paragraphs maybe a chapter in this book he spends close to a third of the books talking about not just the tactical situation but also the politics especially the rivalry between the various allied generals. He also covered the psychology of Hitler and his thinking behind the operation, and his screwed up way of thinking in general.

Recommend the book to anyone interested in military history https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20318207-snow-and-steel


----------



## Xylric (18 May 2020)

John Kelly's _The Great Mortality_ is an excellent and rather unsettling book to be reading given current events, as it is a history of the Black Death. I always find it interesting that it was in part the product of biological warfare as a result of a Crimean port being put to seige. Sun Tzu may have said that all warfare is deception, but if he were a microbiologist, he might have said all plague is warfare.


----------



## RangerRay (25 May 2020)

Not really something I am reading now, but have read, been thinking constantly about since, especially in light of recent events. 

Claws of the Panda by foreign correspondent Jonathan Manthorpe, outlines the influence, intimidation and espionage operations waged against Canada and Canadians by the Chinese state, with help from high ranking but naive Canadian politicians, bureaucrats and businesses leaders. 

https://www.amazon.ca/Claws-Panda-Beijings-Influence-Intimidation/dp/177086539X

Until our government grows a spine and stops kowtowing to Beijing, we are going to be in a lot of trouble.


----------



## FJAG (16 Jun 2020)

Just finished reading the three volume Interdependency series by John Scalzi. Not so bad. Not up to his Old Man's War series but not bad.

https://www.amazon.ca/Last-Emperox-Interdependency-Book-ebook/dp/B07QPGW9FS

Just started into Guy Snodgrass's Holding the Line covering Jim Mattis's time as the Secretary of Defence. Well written so far.

https://www.amazon.ca/Holding-Line-Inside-Pentagon-Secretary-ebook/dp/B07NZK1ZZ4

 :cheers:


----------



## dimsum (17 Jun 2020)

FJAG said:
			
		

> Just finished reading the three volume Interdependency series by John Scalzi. Not so bad. Not up to his Old Man's War series but not bad.
> 
> https://www.amazon.ca/Last-Emperox-Interdependency-Book-ebook/dp/B07QPGW9FS



I'm still on the fence whether the series was "good" or "adequate".  It has an interesting premise, but I really did not give a hoot about any of the characters by the end.


----------



## FJAG (17 Jun 2020)

Dimsum said:
			
		

> I'm still on the fence whether the series was "good" or "adequate".  It has an interesting premise, but I really did not give a hoot about any of the characters by the end.



Especially when every time they are killed, they're not really dead. That _deus ex machina_ should never be used more than once, if that.

op:


----------



## FJAG (19 Jun 2020)

FJAG said:
			
		

> ...
> Just started into Guy Snodgrass's Holding the Line covering Jim Mattis's time as the Secretary of Defence. Well written so far.
> 
> https://www.amazon.ca/Holding-Line-Inside-Pentagon-Secretary-ebook/dp/B07NZK1ZZ4
> ...



Have now finished the book and I highly recommend it. Very good look at the major events from a front-office worker. Interesting highlites into the blading and backstabbing that goes on at these levels.

This is not an anti-Trump book although much of the emphasis is on how difficult a job it is working in the Trump administration regardless of your best intentions.

 :cheers:


----------



## FJAG (1 Jul 2020)

Have now finished The Room Where it Happened by John Bolton.

It was a tedious slog. As one reviewer on Amazon said and I've slightly expanded on, it should have been called: "The mistakes that Obama made, that I, John Bolton wanted to fix but which Trump wouldn't let me."

Let's talk style. It's like Bolton picked up his daily planners for the last few years and just started dictating from them dropping names liberally left and right. Then to make matters worse, when you think he's gotten close to the end of his tenure, he goes back and writes a few chapters more this time based on a few major topics: Iran, Ukraine etc. While Bolton complains that much redrafting was needed to comply with security reviews, it seems that what was really needed was an editor with the cojones to get the thing cleaned up.

As far as content is concerned, you're probably well familiar with most of it if you've followed the press over the last four years. Not much is new here although there is more detail, much more detail, so much more detail. It's as bad in the White House as you might imagine, only so much worse.

In the end I've never been a fan of either Bolton or Trump. This book has not changed my mind about either and I seriously doubt whether it will change the mind of anyone who is a fan of Trump's.

A long tedious slog. Did I say that already? Well, it needs repeating.

 :cheers:


----------



## FJAG (23 Jul 2020)

"Too Much And Never Enough" by Mary L Trump. https://www.amazon.ca/Too-Much-Never-Enough-Dangerous/dp/1982141468

Not a bad read. Quite well written and the content is pretty much what you'd expect albeit that it's a short book (just 206 pages).

Mary Trump is a clinical psychologist and approaches her subject pretty much as a clinical psychologist would looking into not just Donald but the whole Trump family.

Again, one of those books which will be taken just the way that the reader intends to take it. It never ceases to amaze me how divided the country is on what is patently a very flawed man.

 :cheers:


----------



## mariomike (23 Jul 2020)

FJAG said:
			
		

> It never ceases to amaze me how divided the country is on what is patently a very flawed man.
> 
> :cheers:



As General Mattis put it,



> Donald Trump is the first president in my lifetime who does not try to unite the American people—does not even pretend to try. Instead he tries to divide us. We are witnessing the consequences of three years of this deliberate effort. We are witnessing the consequences of three years without mature leadership.
> 
> Instructions given by the military departments to our troops before the Normandy invasion reminded soldiers that "The Nazi slogan for destroying us...was 'Divide and Conquer.' Our American answer is 'In Union there is Strength.'" We must summon that unity to surmount this crisis—confident that we are better than our politics.


----------



## daftandbarmy (23 Jul 2020)

Commando: Memoirs of a Fighting Commando in World War II, by John Durnford-Slater.

An excellent account of the chaotic birth, and amazing achievements of, of the Commandos in WW2:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Durnford-Slater


----------



## PPCLI Guy (23 Jul 2020)

Lamb:  The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal.

It is astoundingly good.


----------



## ModlrMike (24 Jul 2020)

The Good Shepherd by C.S. Forrester.

I just watched Greyhound, so it seemed like the right thing to do.


----------



## CBH99 (24 Jul 2020)

Don't Polish Your Ignorance: For It May Shine


Hard to find in Canada, but becoming easier.  Sadhguru is popular in India & amongst the Hindu population as a spiritual guide of sorts


----------



## dimsum (24 Jul 2020)

PPCLI Guy said:
			
		

> Lamb:  The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal.
> 
> It is astoundingly good.



I just read the wiki article on it.  In my mind it's very Monty Python-esque.  Is that the case?


----------



## PPCLI Guy (24 Jul 2020)

Dimsum said:
			
		

> I just read the wiki article on it.  In my mind it's very Monty Python-esque.  Is that the case?



Much better - it is actually very deep...and in a more substantial way than MP was.


----------



## dapaterson (24 Jul 2020)

My favourite piece of theological fiction is the autobiography of a computer game programmer, "Naked Before God", by Bill Williams.

He wrote it as he was studying Lutheran theology in advance of his death from cystic fibrosis.


----------



## dimsum (25 Jul 2020)

PPCLI Guy said:
			
		

> Much better - it is actually very deep...and in a more substantial way than MP was.



Thanks to Amazon Prime, I just received my copy today   :nod:


----------



## FJAG (26 Jul 2020)

Dimsum said:
			
		

> Thanks to Amazon Prime, I just received my copy today   :nod:



I'm reading it on Cloud Library.

 :cheers:


----------



## Retired AF Guy (26 Jul 2020)

_The Devil's Bridge: The German Victory at Arnhem, 1944_ by Antony Tucker-Jones. As the title states, this book explores the Arnhem battle from the German viewpoint and the first book in almost thirty years to do so. The last one (I know of) is _It Never Snows in September_ by Robert Kershaw published in 1944.

The first few chapters fills the reader into events leading up to the battle (e.g.) the escape of the 15th Army; the situation inside Holland, including status of both the Dutch resistance and Nazi occupation forces and their Dutch collaborators, and the German buildup prior to the Allied Offensive. 

So far, I've found the author writes in, what I find very short, "clipped" sentences which left me wanting for more information. Also, he tends to jump around from one subject to another which can be a little confusing. However, having said that, just finished Chapter Five and it was written a lot better. Will see how the rest of the book comes out.


----------



## CBH99 (27 Jul 2020)

Just started "Soldier Spy" by Tom Marcus...holy cow.   

HIGHLY RECOMMEND FOR EVERYBODY IN THIS FORUM!!!


It's written by a former MI5 officer about some of the things he was involved in.  I'm only a few chapters in, but haven't been able to put it down.  Well written, brutally honest about as much as he can say without violating OPSEC, and a real eye opener into the domestic terror plots facing the UK during his time there.  


So far, a 12 out of 10


----------



## daftandbarmy (27 Jul 2020)

CBH99 said:
			
		

> Just started "Soldier Spy" by Tom Marcus...holy cow.
> 
> HIGHLY RECOMMEND FOR EVERYBODY IN THIS FORUM!!!
> 
> ...



Mixed reviews here https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32330232-soldier-spy

Regardless, ‘The Watchers’ probably saved our bacon, indirectly or otherwise, more than once in NI. They were a key reason why the IRA came to the bargaining table, mainly because of penetration by MI5 and others.


----------



## CBH99 (27 Jul 2020)

A lot of folks seem turned off by his 'ego stroking' mania, whereas I read it simply as a dark & twisted sense of British humour


If folks who haven't served in the military or emergency services reads it, I don't think they'll understand just how dark & dry the humour can be.  

When he says things like "Obviously, it was up to me to save the world" -- I chuckled, and read it as tongue in cheek humour.  Some others apparently took his sarcastic ego stroking a bit too seriously.


----------



## Retired AF Guy (28 Jul 2020)

CBH99 said:
			
		

> Just started "Soldier Spy" by Tom Marcus...holy cow.
> 
> HIGHLY RECOMMEND FOR EVERYBODY IN THIS FORUM!!!
> 
> ...



We have to put it on my reading list.


----------



## FJAG (6 Aug 2020)

Mark Critch, "Son of a Critch: A Childish Newfoundland Memoir" https://www.amazon.ca/Son-Critch-Childish-Newfoundland-Memoir/dp/B07H8PLJK2

An absolutely priceless work of wonder by Mark Critch - he of This Hour has 22 Minutes fame. Who knew that growing up in Newfoundland in the 1970s was exactly the same as growing up in Toronto in the 1960s (although much much funnier)

Got this from my daughter on my birthday (her in-laws are all Newfoundlanders) and finally sat down to read it. A terrific book.

 :cheers:


----------



## LittleBlackDevil (19 Aug 2020)

I'm re-reading an "oldie but a goodie", Robert A. Heinlein's Starship Troopers.

If you've only ever seen the movie by the same name, the movie has almost nothing in common with the novel aside from some of the characters' names. The novel is superb, my favourite of Heinlein's and with so much stuff that rings true for anyone who's served. I highly recommend it and forget that trash that they slapped the _Starship Troopers_ name onto.


----------



## daftandbarmy (19 Aug 2020)

LittleBlackDevil said:
			
		

> I'm re-reading an "oldie but a goodie", Robert A. Heinlein's Starship Troopers.
> 
> If you've only ever seen the movie by the same name, the movie has almost nothing in common with the novel aside from some of the characters' names. The novel is superb, my favourite of Heinlein's and with so much stuff that rings true for anyone who's served. I highly recommend it and forget that trash that they slapped the _Starship Troopers_ name onto.



On the bounce!


----------



## blacktriangle (19 Aug 2020)

daftandbarmy said:
			
		

> On the bounce!



Did Camp Arthur Currie make anyone else think of Wainwright?


----------



## Weinie (19 Aug 2020)

Immediate action by Andy McNab.


----------



## daftandbarmy (20 Aug 2020)

reverse_engineer said:
			
		

> Did Camp Arthur Currie make anyone else think of Wainwright?



Apparently, Heinlein watched the Canadians training for the Korean War at Ft Lewis, Washington, and picked up some of his ideas for the book there.


----------



## ModlrMike (20 Aug 2020)

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a FCK. - Mark Manson


----------



## dimsum (20 Aug 2020)

ModlrMike said:
			
		

> The Subtle Art of Not Giving a FCK. - Mark Manson



That was a great book.  His sequel (Everything is F*cked) is ok.



			
				daftandbarmy said:
			
		

> Apparently, Heinlein watched the Canadians training for the Korean War at Ft Lewis, Washington, and picked up some of his ideas for the book there.



So we were the inspiration for the hyper-militaristic training/society?  That's rich.


----------



## LittleBlackDevil (20 Aug 2020)

Dimsum said:
			
		

> So we were the inspiration for the hyper-militaristic training/society?  That's rich.



Canadian Forces training back in the 50s was the inspiration for some of the training depicted in the novel, not the general society in Starship Troopers, at least according to the anecdote posted here.

Frankly, I saw definite similarities between my time in Gagetown and the MI training, albeit the training in Starship Troopers is cranked up to 11 and no one died on my Phase training. That said, the OCS in that book was nothing like phase training, and I actually wish we covered some of the stuff that the MI officer candidates did.


----------



## J.J (20 Aug 2020)

The Boy Who Followed His Father Into Auschwitz: Jeremy Dronfield

A great book, hard to believe it is a nonfiction.

https://www.harpercollins.ca/9780063019300/the-boy-who-followed-his-father-into-auschwitz/


----------



## ueo (1 Sep 2020)

Muskokans Fight the Great War, J. Patrick Boyer. A well researched and presented historical recap of the First World War events in a specific geographic area of Canada. Illustrates, in microcosm, the trials and tribulations that were experienced across the country. Well illustrated and written. A good Sunday afternoon read.


----------



## daftandbarmy (1 Sep 2020)

An outstanding read... puts all the whingeing we hear today about how 'hard done by we all are' into the proper context 

The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz

On Winston Churchill’s first day as prime minister, Adolf Hitler invaded Holland and Belgium. Poland and Czechoslovakia had already fallen, and the Dunkirk evacuation was just two weeks away. For the next twelve months, Hitler would wage a relentless bombing campaign, killing 45,000 Britons. It was up to Churchill to hold his country together and persuade President Franklin Roosevelt that Britain was a worthy ally—and willing to fight to the end.

In The Splendid and the Vile, Erik Larson shows, in cinematic detail, how Churchill taught the British people “the art of being fearless.” It is a story of political brinkmanship, but it’s also an intimate domestic drama, set against the backdrop of Churchill’s prime-ministerial country home, Chequers; his wartime retreat, Ditchley, where he and his entourage go when the moon is brightest and the bombing threat is highest; and of course 10 Downing Street in London. Drawing on diaries, original archival documents, and once-secret intelligence reports—some released only recently—Larson provides a new lens on London’s darkest year through the day-to-day experience of Churchill and his family: his wife, Clementine; their youngest daughter, Mary, who chafes against her parents’ wartime protectiveness; their son, Randolph, and his beautiful, unhappy wife, Pamela; Pamela’s illicit lover, a dashing American emissary; and the advisers in Churchill’s “Secret Circle,” to whom he turns in the hardest moments.

The Splendid and the Vile takes readers out of today’s political dysfunction and back to a time of true leadership, when, in the face of unrelenting horror, Churchill’s eloquence, courage, and perseverance bound a country, and a family, together.

https://www.amazon.ca/Splendid-Vile-Churchill-Family-Defiance-ebook/dp/B07TRVW6VX


----------



## Xylric (6 Sep 2020)

Currently reading the graduate thesis of my cousin, so that I may understand and properly edit her dissertation.


----------



## dangerboy (27 Sep 2020)

Just picked up "A Drop Too Many" by Major General John Frost https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2275241.A_Drop_Too_Many for $0.99 off the Kobo website. MGen Frost was the CO of 2nd Parachute Battalion during Operation MARKET GARDEN and this is his account of the battle.


----------



## FJAG (9 Oct 2020)

"Rage" by Bob Woodward.

A tad tedious. While writing this Woodward's focus obviously shifted from the presidency in general to the Covid crisis. While he does cover other events (such as N Korea and China and some of the key members of his administration) the focus is clearly on Trump's lack of performance on the Covid file.

Woodward had 18 interviews with Trump, 17 of which he recorded (the other he was away from his tape recorder and took notes instead) so there are many quotes by Trump either addressing or dodging the issues presented with.

The trouble with the book is that if you've kept abreast of events over the last three plus years you've undoubtedly heard much of these events before. If I could summarize three issues that were new to me it's these:

1)  The letters from Kim Jong Un to Trump were crafted by a master schmoozer who knew exactly how to play up to Trump's ego and feelings of pomposity (..."Your Excellency"...);

2)  Kushner is more industrious and smarter than most folks give him credit for while nonetheless lacking insight into most of the files put into his hands; and

3) Lindsey Graham  is a shrewd politician and political strategist who has often given Trump good advice which Trump has mostly ignored.

Those who already feel Trump is a failure, will find much ammunition to stoke their arsenal. Trump apologists, on the other hand, will write the book off as "fake news"

 :cheers:


----------



## PPCLI Guy (10 Oct 2020)

Digital transformation at scale: why strategy is delivery.

https://www.amazon.ca/Digital-Transformation-Scale-Strategy-Delivery/dp/1907994785

I know.  I am a strategy geek.


----------



## TCM621 (10 Oct 2020)

I'm reading Cynical Theory by Helen Pluckrose and James Lindsay.
https://www.amazon.ca/Cynical-Theories-Scholarship-Everything-Identity_and/dp/1634312023

In it they chart how Postmodern thought morphed into today's Theory (capital emphasized) as applied in Critical Race Theory, Queer studies, Postcolonial studies, intersectionality, Whiteness studies and other Social justice studies. The compare the contrasts between classical postmodern thought and their new progeny as well as the differences and inconsistencies between various offshoots. I'm only about a 10th of the way in but they have done a good job breaking down the history and the philosophical foundations of that have led to books like White Fragility and movements like BLM. 

For those of you that follow these things, you may remember that Pluckrose and Lindsay, along with Peter Boghossian, were the authors of a number of hoax papers accepted for publication, and in some cases actually published, with titles like "Human reactions to rape culture and queer performativity at urban dog parks in Portland, Oregon" (published in Gender, Place and Culture) and "Our Struggle is My Struggle: Solidarity Feminism as an Intersectional Reply to Neoliberal and Choice Feminism" (accepted by Affilia: Journal of Women and Social Work but unpublished by the time the hoax was revealed). The latter was a Feminist re-write of Mein Kampf.

As hilarious as I found the hoaxes, the authors are serious academics and the book so far reflects that.


----------



## daftandbarmy (13 Oct 2020)

Tcm621 said:
			
		

> I'm reading Cynical Theory by Helen Pluckrose and James Lindsay.
> https://www.amazon.ca/Cynical-Theories-Scholarship-Everything-Identity_and/dp/1634312023
> 
> In it they chart how Postmodern thought morphed into today's Theory (capital emphasized) as applied in Critical Race Theory, Queer studies, Postcolonial studies, intersectionality, Whiteness studies and other Social justice studies. The compare the contrasts between classical postmodern thought and their new progeny as well as the differences and inconsistencies between various offshoots. I'm only about a 10th of the way in but they have done a good job breaking down the history and the philosophical foundations of that have led to books like White Fragility and movements like BLM.
> ...



In other words: Femi-nazis?


----------



## Eye In The Sky (13 Oct 2020)

I'm looking forward to the book on my *Next* list;  pre-orderd it back in August and have had it on my Clara since mid-Sept.  I ended up deciding to start it around the time-change end Oct.  I really enjoyed both _The Pillars of the Earth_ and _A Column of Fire_...

The Evening and the Morning


----------



## FM07 (26 Oct 2020)

I just finished "Unflinching, the Making of a Canadian Sniper", and it was a great read. It is written by Ret. MCpl Jody Mittic and is a autobiographical tale about his time from basic through till 2006 in Afghanistan where he was severely injured. I highly recommend.


----------



## FJAG (28 Nov 2020)

Disloyal: A Memoir by Michael Cohen.

Save your money. If you really want to read it, get it from a library. It does not need to be on the shelf of your home library or your Kindle.

Cohen goes on guilt trip to show that he's really seen the light and explains how it's really beyond him as to why he was taken in by Trump for the twelve years that he worked for him as his legal fixer other than his own lust for being close to the centre of the action.

Essentially he takes you through his rise as a privileged mediocre student in New York with his early exposure to the gangsters that frequented his uncle's country club from whom he learned his take no prisoners attitude, though his graduation from Michigan's worst law school to set up shop to become a highly successful lawyer in Manhattan to the series of events that brought him fame and power and eventually being introduced to Trump by Don Jr. It's a litany of name dropping all along the ride.

There is the expected recitation of numerous stories about what an narcissistic, unfeeling, cheap, lying, ignorant, psychopath Trump really is; how divorced from reality he becomes when the narrative suits him to be. At the same time there is some grudging respect for Trump's instincts which leads him to the presidency (apparently almost exclusively pushed by Cohen) when talent certainly didn't.

A good bit of time is spent on the Stormy Daniels matter but only from the point of view as to how this ultimately led to Cohen's demise and what an a*****e Avenatti is.

If you dislike Trump, this book will reinforce your negative opinions. If you're a Trump supporter this book will convince you that Cohen's ravings are those of a disloyal sycophant (hence the title "Disloyal"). In many respects both views are accurate.

There are two places where the book goes off the rails. 

The first is the issues that he does not cover well at all such as the Trump hotel issues in Moscow or his congressional testimony. These matters are hinted about several times but discussed so superficially that there is a clear feeling that there is much more to the story than Cohen is prepared to talk about.

The second is the matters relating to the FBI's case against him. Essentially at this point, Cohen cloaks himself in innocence and bleats that he was framed. The FBI allegedly had an indictment ready to go for dozens of charges against both him and his wife and that he was blackmailed into pleading guilty to three (quickly changed to eight) charges. This part is totally unbelievable and so wrapped up in self-righteous indignation that it just sounds hollow.

 :cheers:


----------



## daftandbarmy (1 Dec 2020)

Poilu... horrific e.g., highly recommended. Should probably be read by everyone, in any military, over the rank of MCpl as a 'how not to be a leader' reminder 

 Poilu: The World War I Notebooks of Corporal Louis Barthas, Barrelmaker

The harrowing first-person account of a French foot soldier who survived four years in the trenches of the First World War

Along with millions of other Frenchmen, Louis Barthas, a thirty-five-year-old barrelmaker from a small wine-growing town, was conscripted to fight the Germans in the opening days of World War I. Corporal Barthas spent the next four years in near-ceaseless combat, wherever the French army fought its fiercest battles: Artois, Flanders, Champagne, Verdun, the Somme, the Argonne. Barthas’ riveting wartime narrative, first published in France in 1978, presents the vivid, immediate experiences of a frontline soldier.

This excellent new translation brings Barthas’ wartime writings to English-language readers for the first time. His notebooks and letters represent the quintessential memoir of a “poilu,” or “hairy one,” as the untidy, unshaven French infantryman of the fighting trenches was familiarly known. Upon Barthas’ return home in 1919, he painstakingly transcribed his day-to-day writings into nineteen notebooks, preserving not only his own story but also the larger story of the unnumbered soldiers who never returned. Recounting bloody battles and endless exhaustion, the deaths of comrades, the infuriating incompetence and tyranny of his own officers, Barthas also describes spontaneous acts of camaraderie between French poilus and their German foes in trenches just a few paces apart. An eloquent witness and keen observer, Barthas takes his readers directly into the heart of the Great War.

https://www.amazon.ca/Poilu-Notebooks-Corporal-Barrelmaker-1914-1918/dp/0300191596


----------



## SeaKingTacco (1 Dec 2020)

Did you pick that up from Munro’s? I have walked by that book a number of times, but not picked it up.


----------



## daftandbarmy (1 Dec 2020)

SeaKingTacco said:
			
		

> Did you pick that up from Munro’s? I have walked by that book a number of times, but not picked it up.



That's exactly where I picked it up. I might have nailed the last copy.


----------



## dimsum (28 Dec 2020)

Has anyone read "A Game of Birds and Wolves"?  Apparently it's about how Wrens (as in female RN sailors) helped wargame ASW tactics in WWII.  If so, thoughts?






						A Game of Birds and Wolves: The Ingenious Young Women Whose Secret Board Game Helped Win World War II: Parkin, Simon: 9780316492096: Books - Amazon.ca
					

A Game of Birds and Wolves: The Ingenious Young Women Whose Secret Board Game Helped Win World War II: Parkin, Simon: 9780316492096: Books - Amazon.ca



					www.amazon.ca


----------



## PPCLI Guy (28 Dec 2020)

My Xmas reading list probably says more about the world than it does about me.

Just finishing Fareed Zakaria's latest - well worth the read

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53452906-ten-lessons-for-a-post-pandemic-world


----------



## dimsum (28 Dec 2020)

PPCLI Guy said:


> My Xmas reading list probably says more about the world than it does about me.
> 
> Just finishing Fareed Zakaria's latest - well worth the read
> 
> https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53452906-ten-lessons-for-a-post-pandemic-world


Cheery.

Then again, I'm also listening to Kim Stanley Robinson's The Ministry for the Future so I guess I'm also in that boat.  









						The Ministry for the Future by Kim Stanley Robinson review – how to solve the climate crisis
					

An international taskforce tackles global heating in this chilling yet hopeful vision of how the next few decades might unfold




					www.theguardian.com


----------



## dangerboy (5 Jan 2021)

First to Fight: The Polish War 1939
By Roger Moorhouse
Genre: Military History (World War II)

One aspect of World War II history that is glossed over is that of the defence of Poland by the Polish forces. One of the reasons for this is history is written by the winners and poor Poland was "liberated" from the Germans by the Soviet Army. The Soviets did their best to suppress knowledge of the beginning part of the War so as to keep knowledge of what they did to the poor country quiet. Poland during WWII due to its geographic location had the misfortune in September 1939 of not only being invaded by German forces from the west but also Russian forces from the east due to the secret Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact which divided the country between the two countries.

This book seeks to overcome the lack of knowledge about the defence of Poland by its forces as well as dispel some of the myths that have risen about the battles. I think the book did an excellent job of describing the battles and atrocities that occurred during the occupation of Poland by two ruthless forces. The author also does a good job of explaining how due to its location the nation had been screwed over by various nations (Russia, Prussia, France, etc..) over the centuries. The author also includes some good maps and photos that help you understand the information presented.

If you are interested in military history especially that of WWII history then this book is highly recommended. It will give you a greater knowledge of what occurred during what we sometimes call "The Phoney War" period of WWII, a period that no Poles would call Phoney as it is estimated that 200,000 Polish (military and civilian) citizens were killed during that period.


----------



## Weinie (5 Jan 2021)

dangerboy said:


> First to Fight: The Polish War 1939
> By Roger Moorhouse
> Genre: Military History (World War II)
> 
> ...


I don't know if you have ever been to Poland, but their collective hatred of Russia is intense.


----------



## mariomike (15 Jan 2021)

( President ) Harry Truman's Excellent Adventure: The True Story of a Great American Road Trip​When President Truman left office, he bought a Chrysler New Yorker, and drove it from Missouri to New York City and back home again. A 2,500 mile journey. Before the age of super-highways that bypassed Main Street America.  

Just him and his wife. ( There was no Secret Service protection for former presidents in those days. ) 

It was something no former president has done before, or since.


----------



## Eye In The Sky (18 Jan 2021)

After watching 22 July on Netflix, I bought the book it was based on; starting it this evening.
One of Us: The Story of Anders Breivik and the Massacre in Norway​


----------



## PMedMoe (18 Jan 2021)

mariomike said:


> ( President ) Harry Truman's Excellent Adventure: The True Story of a Great American Road Trip​When President Truman left office, he bought a Chrysler New Yorker, and drove it from Missouri to New York City and back home again. A 2,500 mile journey. Before the age of super-highways that bypassed Main Street America.
> 
> Just him and his wife. ( There was no Secret Service protection for former presidents in those days. )
> 
> It was something no former president has done before, or since.


Sounds interesting.  I am currently rereading Blue Highways: A Journey into America by William Least Heat Moon.  

In 1978, after separating from his wife and losing his job as a teacher, Heat-Moon, 38 at the time, took an extended road trip in a circular route around the United States, sticking to only the "Blue Highways".  He had coined the term to refer to small, forgotten, out-of-the-way roads connecting rural America (which were drawn in blue on the old style Rand McNally road atlas).


----------



## dimsum (18 Jan 2021)

PMedMoe said:


> Sounds interesting.  I am currently rereading Blue Highways: A Journey into America by William Least Heat Moon.
> 
> In 1978, after separating from his wife and losing his job as a teacher, Heat-Moon, 38 at the time, took an extended road trip in a circular route around the United States, sticking to only the "Blue Highways".  He had coined the term to refer to small, forgotten, out-of-the-way roads connecting rural America (which were drawn in blue on the old style Rand McNally road atlas).


When we can travel again, I'd love to do a road trip eastwards.  PEI is the only province I haven't been to yet.

I already avoid highways if at all possible, unless it would take too much more time.


----------



## PMedMoe (18 Jan 2021)

dimsum said:


> When we can travel again, I'd love to do a road trip eastwards.  PEI is the only province I haven't been to yet.
> 
> I already avoid highways if at all possible, unless it would take too much more time.


It's much harder to avoid highways in Canada than in the U.S.  Unless you _really_ want to go out of your way.


----------



## Edward Campbell (18 Jan 2021)

"War: How Conflict Shaped Us," by Margaret MacMillan, the distinguished Canadian historian. It was a Christmas gift.


----------



## daftandbarmy (20 Jan 2021)

I see Robin on LinkedIn alot.... it's good to see someone like that come out of the shadows and express his opinion from time to time in that kind of forum. Too many keep quiet about too many things, I find. And he's pretty funny too:

'As I pointed my rifle at the pub, I rested the magazine on the grass. Instead of coming to rest on soft turf, it scraped a metal surface. I pulled away the grass to discover a galvanized builder's bucket, half buried in the ground, with cardboard taped onto the open end. It was buried sideways in the mound of earth on which I lay, and was pointing towards the wall of the post office. It was a claymore mine, a directional bomb which, when it exploded, would send its shrapnel towards the wall, killing anyone standing there. I crawled back, keeping low in case anyone was waiting to fire it, then I scampered around the corner of the building and reported what I had seen to my patrol corporal, Pete Light, who radioed in the news. The operations officer at the time had received the same training as we had before deploying to Northern Ireland. He had seen the photos of bodies blown to bits by bombs, of headless corpses and butcher's slabs of meat. He had been taught that if a suspect device was found, it should not be touched. Yet his first command to Pete was to go and take another look, to make sure.'  

 



​


----------



## dangerboy (27 Feb 2021)

Just finished reading The Madman and the Butcher: the Sensational Wars of Sam Hughes and General Arthur Currie by Tim Cook (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9371064-the-madman-and-the-butcher). 

I enjoyed the book and thought the author did a good job of explaining these two important Canadian World War One figures. I especially liked the portion of the book talking about the libel trial.  Recommend this book to anyone interested in Canadian military history.


----------



## Journeyman (1 Mar 2021)

dangerboy said:


> _The Madman and the Butcher. _ I concur, it's a very good read.


Currently reading Anne Applebaum's Twilight of Democracy: The Seductive Lure of Authoritarianism.  It provides a very convincing look at how Trumpism isn't some anomaly, but rather a growing global trend.  It was justifiably listed as a "Best Book of the Year" by both The Washington Post and The Financial Times.  I'm almost finished, and it's not encouraging.


----------



## FM07 (1 Mar 2021)

Edward Campbell said:


> "War: How Conflict Shaped Us," by Margaret MacMillan, the distinguished Canadian historian. It was a Christmas gift.


How are you enjoying this so far? I have been meaning to read it.


----------



## dimsum (18 May 2021)

Just finished Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir (author of The Martian).  It's entertaining and definitely a page-turner, but unlike many of the reviewers I didn't think it was as good as The Martian.  It's a much bigger premise and there are some parts where things seemed a little convenient for the plot.

Apparently they already have secured movie rights to it.


----------



## dangerboy (18 May 2021)

dimsum said:


> Just finished Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir (author of The Martian).  It's entertaining and definitely a page-turner, but unlike many of the reviewers I didn't think it was as good as The Martian.  It's a much bigger premise and there are some parts where things seemed a little convenient for the plot.
> 
> Apparently they already have secured movie rights to it.


I enjoyed the book, there are a lot of similarities with The Martian but that is not a bad thing. With Andy Weir's books you know what the style of the book will be, a protagonist that uses math and science to solve problems.


----------



## dapaterson (18 May 2021)

Starting to read my way through my backlog... all the first four on the go, depending on my mood, but I have yet to crack open JMS' autobiography.


Lamb:  The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal

Forced to Change: Crisis and Reform in the Canadian Armed Forces

The Devil's Trick: How Canada Fought the Vietnam War

Solutions and other Problems

Becoming Superman


----------



## Weinie (18 May 2021)

dapaterson said:


> Starting to read my way through my backlog... all the first four on the go, depending on my mood, but I have yet to crack open JMS' autobiography.
> 
> 
> Lamb:  The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal
> ...


Just re-read The Stand extended version. It;s been about twenty years since I last looked at it. Captain Trips.


----------



## FJAG (18 May 2021)

Terra Incognita by Ruth Downie. Nice little novel about a Medicus on the northern frontier in Roman Britain who acts as an investigator to track down the murderer of a Roman legionary. Not as good as the Masters of Rome series by Colleen McCullough or the various Roman Series by SJA Turney, but engaging enough.

Reread The Girl Who Saved the King of Sweden by Jonas Jonasson. The story of a young latrine emptier from apartheid S Africa who ends up working in the plant creating S Africa's atom bombs but escapes and accidentally has one delivered to herself in Sweden instead of 20 kilos of antelope meat she wanted. What follows is a mixed tale of Israeli agents, bumbling anti-royalists and a twin that doesn't exist. Wonderfully satirical and droll sense of humour throughout. Well worth the read.

Reread the Old Man's War series by John Scalzi. You've reached the age of 75, are a widower and are about to buy the farm yourself. What do you do? You join the Colonial Defence Force, get a new bioengineered body and fight off the hundreds of alien species hell bent on stopping the Colonial Union from expanding into the universe. Great yarns.

🍻


----------



## medic5 (26 May 2021)

The Landmark Herodotus is what I'm reading next, basically just The Histories with plenty of maps and analysis for the more complicated parts. Whenever I read these old primary sources, I can never figure where things are happening and some parts I straight up don't understand. Saw some good reviews, so picking it up.


----------



## Colin Parkinson (26 May 2021)

medic5 said:


> The Landmark Herodotus is what I'm reading next, basically just The Histories with plenty of maps and analysis for the more complicated parts. Whenever I read these old primary sources, I can never figure where things are happening and some parts I straight up don't understand. Saw some good reviews, so picking it up.


I often google old maps or look up the area on Google Earth when reading old war histories.


----------



## medic5 (26 May 2021)

When I was reading Edward Gibbon's Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, it felt like I was googling every other word. Was Corsica the smaller or the larger island? Were the Dacians on the Danube or Euphrates? What was a franc worth in 1780? Was 70,000 francs Bezos level money or private pay? 

I think a big part of reading primary sources is understanding the context in which it was written, which gets more and more complicated the further back you go. Hell I struggled reading Caesar's writing, and that is widely regarded as one of the simplest books of the period.

It really is astounding to me that we can read what was written literally 2500 years ago.


----------



## dangerboy (2 Jun 2021)

Just got the newest Max Hastings book, Operation Pedestal: The Fleet that Battled to Malta, 1942. I have enjoyed every one of Max Hastings' books so I am fairly confident that I will like this one also.



> Renowned historian Max Hastings recreates one of the most thrilling events of World War II: Operation Pedestal, the British action to save its troops from starvation on Malta—an action-packed tale of courage, fortitude, loss, and triumph against all odds.
> 
> In 1940, Hitler had two choices when it came to the Mediterranean region: stay out, or commit sufficient forces to expel the British from the Middle East. Against his generals’ advice, the Fuhrer committed a major strategic blunder. He ordered the Wehrmacht to seize Crete, allowing the longtime British bastion of Malta to remain in Allied hands. Over the fall of 1941, the Royal Navy and RAF, aided by British intelligence, used the island to launch a punishing campaign against the Germans, sinking more than 75 percent of their supply ships destined for North Africa.
> 
> ...


----------



## Colin Parkinson (2 Jun 2021)

Reading the Naval Memoirs of Sir Roger Keyes the beginning of the book is about his time overseeing the development and deployment of the early sub fleet and the technology challenges they faced. Now I am into the Dardanelles Campaign and it's interesting to hear what they believe would be the political gain of forcing the passage and destroying the Turkish fleet. Written 1934.


----------



## CBH99 (7 Jun 2021)

I know it’s fairly mainstream, and I’m late to read it.  But I started Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willink on Friday.  

So far, enjoying it.  Nothing none of us don’t already know, but it’s highlighting things in my life Ive become far too complacent about & didn’t even know it.


----------



## Jarnhamar (7 Jun 2021)

​


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## FJAG (6 Jul 2021)

Okay. I've just started reading Peter Kasurak's A National Force: The Evolution of the Canadian Army, 1950-2000 and am only at page 15 but have already concluded this guy's got a massive hate on for all things British. Mind you I like the one quote he cites when talking about the Commonwealth following a standardized (i.e. British) divisional organization in the 1930s and attempts by a non-Brit to change anything:



> Hence, a Dominion officer who feels it is his duty to suggest improvements in military organization must argue the case for a change in all the Empire's forces, taking cognizance of the whole range of the army's duties, from first-class warfare to the suppression of religious maniacs in abominable deserts.



Sounds like what's facing us in the Force 2025 thread and real life. 

Notwithstanding this nugget, I have a feeling I'm off on a bit of a wasted journey here. Time will tell.

🍻


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## TCM621 (6 Jul 2021)

I just finished Explaining Postmodernism by a Stephen Hicks. It does a very good job explaining the philosophical routes of Postmodernism back the Kant and Hegel. It also pre-dates the current focus on Postmodernism by about a decade so it doesn't seem reactionary. 

I have also just started Chaos under Heaven by Josh Rogin about China under Xi Jinping. 

Of a less political variety, I just finished The Anarchist's Workbench by Christopher Shwartz. He writes great books on traditional wood working and this book is a great twist on building a traditional style workbench. 

I also just started a Woodworker's Apprentice by Roy Underhill from PBS's the Woodwright's shop. He has been teaching traditional woodworking for decades now.


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## FJAG (6 Nov 2021)

"I alone Can Fix It: Donald J. Trump's Catastrophic Final Year" by Carol Leonning and Philip Rucker.



> I Alone Can Fix It: Donald J. Trump's Catastrophic Final Year: Leonnig, Carol, Rucker, Philip: 9780593298947: Books - Amazon.ca
> 
> 
> I Alone Can Fix It: Donald J. Trump's Catastrophic Final Year: Leonnig, Carol, Rucker, Philip: 9780593298947: Books - Amazon.ca
> ...



A much better book than Woodward's latest effort. This one is well written and well researched. Numerous sources from within the White House contributed and laid open quite a view of the inner workings of what was a highly dysfunctional presidency. I surprisingly ended up with much more respect for William Barr than I thought I'd be able to muster. Clearly one of the few adults in the administration. On the other hand not enough contempt can be flung into the faces of Rudy Giuliani or White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows or Michael Flynn.

This book is a serious cautionary tale. Even when someone is as blatantly and overtly destructive of the basic principles of democracy, there will be enough enablers come out of the woodwork to give effect to his ravings. Leonning clearly demonstrates just how close-run thing Trump's insurrection was, how he was able to and continues to foster mass delusion within the Republican and how just a handful of Republicans, like Pence, Christy, McConnel held the line. 

Highly recommended.

🍻


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## dimsum (14 Nov 2021)

To Boldly Go: Leadership, Strategy, and Conflict in the 21st Century and Beyond​





						To Boldly Go: Leadership, Strategy, and Conflict in the 21st Century and Beyond: Klug, Jonathan, Leonard, Steven: 9781636240626: Books - Amazon.ca
					

To Boldly Go: Leadership, Strategy, and Conflict in the 21st Century and Beyond: Klug, Jonathan, Leonard, Steven: 9781636240626: Books - Amazon.ca



					www.amazon.ca
				




It seems dry by the title, but it's a collection (with one of the editors being Steven Leonard, or "Doctrine Man" as he's better known on the Internet) of short articles by various authors interweaving science fiction and military topics.  So, stuff like examining the civil-military leadership relationship using Battlestar Galactica's Adama and Roslyn, or a GBA+ article on why the Rebel Alliance cockpits were only designed for humanoids.  

It was a great read (maybe less so for people who hate sci-fi) and highly recommended.  Plus, the articles are generally 3-4 pages long so you don't feel the need to spend hours on it at a time.  I spaced (ha!) it out over a month and a half.


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## FJAG (14 Nov 2021)

dimsum said:


> To Boldly Go: Leadership, Strategy, and Conflict in the 21st Century and Beyond​
> 
> 
> 
> ...



I've always been a fan of science fiction, not just because of the great stories, but because it generally challenges the lethargy of bureaucracy by asking the question "what if?". In fact, if you're an old time reader of sci-fi like me you get disturbed by the fact that many of the predictions of what technology would exist in the 24th century are already in the hands of our children, much less the military, today.

It's about time that science fiction became part of the reading curriculum of professional military schools to largely augment military history. History runs in two directions and while I don't discount the lessons of the past, the predictions for the future should guide our way even more so. Can you imagine what the future could hold if we let some of the many concepts of Scalzi's _Old Man's War_ guide our research and development - BrainPals; SmartBlood; MP-35 high-density, nano-robotic ammunition blocks?


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## dimsum (14 Nov 2021)

FJAG said:


> It's about time that science fiction became part of the reading curriculum of professional military schools to largely augment military history.


Books like Starship Troopers and Ender's Game are already part of the USMC Commandant's reading list, and some others as well.

Not sure about newer stuff, but I heard about this book through NavyCon, so I have a feeling that some professional military schools are doing this already.

Funny enough, the CAF is cited in this book's foreword as one of the original leaders in this vein of thought with "Crisis in Zefra".  The RAF, US Army, USMC, and others followed suit.


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## Weinie (14 Nov 2021)

I am partway through reading "The Tiger's Prey' by Wilbur Smith, who unfortunately died today at 88. I have read about 25 of his books. Good yarns all. RIP Wilbur, and thanks.


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## FormerHorseGuard (29 Dec 2021)

Has anyone started the new WEB Griffin book written by  Brian Andrews and Jeffery Wilson
*ROGUE ASSET*​one of the Presidential Agent Novels. 
I really enjoy reading the books,  but always leery of new authors taking over a series of books.

any opinions yet?

Opie


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## dimsum (29 Dec 2021)

Finished Leviathan Falls, the last book in the Expanse series.

I wasn't sure how it would go, but they seemed to wrap things up nicely.  Too bad the TV series won't go as far as the books.


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## FSTO (29 Dec 2021)

Just about finished Margaret MacMillan's "War, how conflict shape us". Will then tackle Bruce Jones "To Rule the Waves"


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## medicineman (30 Dec 2021)

"Talking With Canadians" by Rick Mercer.


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## dangerboy (8 Jan 2022)

Logistics in the Falklands War
By Kenneth L.Privratsky
Genre: Military History

I will be the first to admit that I don’t pay enough attention to military logistics as I should. It has always been black magic, where stuff magically appears when you need it. Now, I know that is not really magic and that it requires work by people to make supplies appear but as I said I never really thought much about it.

This book goes over the challenges that the British Forces had in 1982 when they went to war with Argentina over the fate of the Falklands Islands, deciding if they would remain British Territory or if they would become Argentinian. The book covered these main logistics phases: 1) preparing to move the men, equipment, and supplies 2) Shipping the men, equipment, and supplies. 3) The amphibious assault to gain an initial foothold on the East Falklands Islands 4) Suppling the forces as they advanced inland 5) The post-war issues, dealing with the prisoners of war, supplying the civilian population, and restoring the infrastructure of the islands.

This conflict had some unique challenges that the British had not faced in quite a number of years. The primary being the distance, it is roughly 8,000 miles (12,875 km) from the UK to the Falklands Islands with the only staging area being the Ascension Islands which is about ½ way. The second was the fact that the British did not have air superiority, and this fact cost them hard. The Argentinian forces were able to penetrate the British air defence and caused major damage which caused havoc with the logistics effort. Finally, the actual terrain that they were fighting in, the islands are an inhospitable place that with the exception of inside the towns has no road or transportation network so it is hard to move supplies across the territory.

The author does a great job of explaining how the British forces handled these issues and were successful in supplying their forces enabling them to recapture the Islands and force the surrender of the invading Argentinian forces (spoiler 😊). He also explains what is going on in the actual war and some of the background to the conflict so if you are not overly familiar with the conflict you will not be lost reading this book.
If you are like me and not very knowledgeable about logistics issues then I recommend reading this book, I think you will find it quite enlightening. I also recommend it to anyone that is just interested in military history.


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## Blackadder1916 (8 Jan 2022)

dangerboy said:


> Logistics in the Falklands War
> By Kenneth L.Privratsky
> Genre: Military History
> 
> I will be the first to admit that I don’t pay enough attention to military logistics as I should. It has always been black magic, where stuff magically appears when you need it. Now, I know that is not really magic and that it requires work by people to make supplies appear but as I said I never really thought much about it.



I hadn't seen that one previously, thanks.

In the same vein, I would recommend "Moving Mountains: Lessons in Leadership and Logistics from the Gulf War" by William G. Pagonis.  LtGen (ret'd) Pagonis was the US theater logistics commander during the Gulf War.  His book has been on my military/leadership shelf for at least 25 years.  Besides a good read, I also had an opportunity to listen to him at a conference a couple of decades ago, an example of his style and message here.  And yes, I did use 3x5 index cards for a while.


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## Colin Parkinson (13 Jan 2022)

Just saw this, it might be some interesting reading


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## grayzone (14 Jan 2022)

J'ai serré la main du diable -RD

Which I erroniously thought was originally written in french.

   Any other Francos find some of the verb tenses off in the FR version?
I was reading aloud and got totally tripped up a few times... now I'm wondering if I accidentally have forgotten my native tongue, or if the translation was just a little off...


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## grayzone (14 Jan 2022)

MED_BCMC said:


> "Canada's Army" by JL Granatstein
> 
> "Don't Eat this book" by Morgan Spurlock. So far, overly dependant on statistics without details to explain what he is trying to prove.


the "Don't Eat this book" title reminded me of: 
"Sex in the Snow" by Michael Adams about Canadian demographics and values, due to it's odd title. 

The premise is that though generations have been shown to share values within age groups, these groups are no longer holding to their cohorts, rather their values evolved and transcend beyond their age groups Thus, while one's generation once indicated with some reliability their value-set, this is no longer the case.


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## daftandbarmy (18 Jan 2022)

Kokoda...

Very good in general, although I agree with this review on how long it takes to get tot he actual battle. But I assume that reflects what happened in reality:

*This book should be mandatory reading for all Australians.*

Nightmares plagued my Grandfather for the rest of his life after serving on the infamous Kokoda Track. Like many veterans, he rarely spoke of it. On the rare occasions he did, he would tell me stories that involved such things as: Japanese killing all his friends (and using them as bayonet practice), everything always being soaked through, and hacking his own path through the jungle because the Japs would hide up in trees and ambush them.

It was time I learned more about the Kokoda campaign and the horrors my Grandfather was unable to speak about. After all, if he hadn’t survived, I simply wouldn’t exist. I could already feel a lump in my throat just reading the prologue, so I know this was going to be an emotionally tough read.

This was my first Peter FitzSimons read, and I was a little concerned I may not enjoy his often talked about writing style (non-fiction in a novel-style). But I did, and found it quite effective in telling multiple stories at once. _Kokoda_ reads a lot like a documentary: it’s filled with loads of historically accurate info from multiple sources, re-enactment type passages that bring battles to life, and some central characters – which you develop personal connections with.

It becomes very apparent, that those in chain-of-command (politicians and military alike), were clueless and mostly incompetent. It’s truly a miracle and testament to the courage of soldiers, that we won this battle at all. It was enough for me to place my head in my hands in dismay at what my Grandfather had been sent into. If it wasn’t “Pig Iron” Bob Menzies forcing Australian workers to ship iron to Japan immediately prior to the war, then it was the debauched insanity of General Blamey or clueless arrogance of General MacArthur. FitzSimons doesn’t hold back in his (just) criticism of these and other muppets. Thank god for the likes of Ralph Honner!

Just a small example of how clueless Robert Menzies was is made evident when he went on a 16-week visit to England in 1941. There, he told an international audience, _“not only does Australia have no emerging problem in the Pacific”_, but in fact wanted it to _“draw closer to Japan and appreciate its problems”_. These examples are everywhere in the book.

There was a lot of detailed talk about military command and similar roles away from the frontline. While definitely relevant, it got a little bogged down (no pun intended), with soldiers not getting onto the Kokoda Track itself until page 150. Yet again, I was made to feel frustrated by our troops fighting against our own senior military incompetence, as well as the Japanese (example: no camouflage or jungle clothes available and 60% of air drop supplies never recovered)

It was slow-reading because I kept pausing for amazing pieces of information to sink-in, or just due to how angry situations made me feel. I felt the need to regularly come up for air. The suffocating conditions my Grandfather spoke of were always present in the book. The horrible humidity, mosquitoes, flies, weather, terrain, food going bad in under 3 hours. I couldn’t help but feel my Grandfather was with me while reading, due to specific echoes of him throughout:

- Soldiers using their machetes to hack a walking stick out of the jungle which helped walking the track.

- Soldiers having a dingo’s breakfast (a scratch, a leak and a look around).

- A whole lot of ambushes and people getting lost or making their way off the track.

- The moment the AIF arrived on the track to help out the decimated, yet heroic 39th.

The only time I liked the Japanese perspective being shared in the book, was when it was describing the courage of our Australians:

_“If the invasion is attempted, the Australians, in view of their national character, would resist to the end.”

"Though the Australians are our enemies, they must be admired."_

The horrific brutality of the Japanese made my stomach churn. I’m glad FitzSimons didn’t hold back on gory details, as the truth needs to be told in such books. The barbaric beheading of men, women, children, nuns, and priests in New Guinea came across like a forerunner to modern-day terrorists - especially when paired with events such as the Rape of Nanking. Cannibalism among the Japanese wasn’t omitted either.

However, due to terrain and supply issues, there was a time when no prisoners and no mercy was shown by both sides. Such was evident in the story of Lik Lik, the native helping the Australians, who disappeared after a battle. Later coming back with a bulging sack containing 13 Japanese heads. When criticized; _"But they were not dead when I found them boss, they were only wounded."_

The heroism of the Fuzzy Wuzzy Angels was thankfully displayed throughout the book too, because without them, many Australian mothers would never have had their sons return home. Welcome comedic relief was when they began muttering the English phrase, "bloody awful job that" - because of how often they had heard it. Unfair treatment of them and being unable to drink from a local river for generations (due to the blood once flowing through it) was heartbreaking though.

There were many stories of heroism in _Kokoda_ and it's those which I'll probably remember forever. The book wrapped up with FitzSimons talking about the significance of Kokoda over the likes of Gallipoli in WWI, and I have to agree. Thanks to these brave soldiers, (my grandfather included), Australians can enjoy the freedoms and fantastic way of life we have today. Thanks Peter FitzSimons, for highlighting these brave soldiers' plight.

*"They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old; Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning. We will remember them."*


Kokoda


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## Navy_Pete (26 Feb 2022)

Not really sure if it belongs here, but just finished watching the 'Reacher' adaptation (of the Killing Fields novel).

Not deep or anything, but really well done, and the casting of Alan Ritchson is probably the closest Hollywood to get to the book character, (too pretty but he's got the size and physicality down pat). The other casting was great, and the actress they picked for Neaghley was also particularly good and true to the books.

Those series are one of my guilty pleasures for shutting down the mind and really enjoyed the 8-episode arc here, and looking forward to more.


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## FJAG (26 Feb 2022)

My library copy of Altered Carbon got here and I'm half way through. Quite good - thanks for the recommendation.

I'm missing Poe. Does the hotel ever get a personality? - Don't tell me.


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## Kat Stevens (27 Feb 2022)

Navy_Pete said:


> Not really sure if it belongs here, but just finished watching the 'Reacher' adaptation (of the Killing Fields novel).
> 
> Not deep or anything, but really well done, and the casting of Alan Ritchson is probably the closest Hollywood to get to the book character, (too pretty but he's got the size and physicality down pat). The other casting was great, and the actress they picked for Neaghley was also particularly good and true to the books.
> 
> Those series are one of my guilty pleasures for shutting down the mind and really enjoyed the 8-episode arc here, and looking forward to more.


After the shitstain that was the two movies, I held out little hope. I was delighted by the series. Not going to win any high falutin awards, but very well done.


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## FJAG (27 Aug 2022)

Just got a new book "Militia Myths: Ideas of the Canadian Citizen Soldier, 1896-1921" by James Wood

Seems Canadian apathy to defence matters is nothing new to Canadians



> Apathy to defence preparation was deeply ingrained at this time ... (i.e. just pre Boer War)





> Militia Myths: Ideas of the Canadian Citizen Soldier, 1896-1921: Wood, James: 9780774817660: Books - Amazon.ca
> 
> 
> Militia Myths: Ideas of the Canadian Citizen Soldier, 1896-1921: Wood, James: 9780774817660: Books - Amazon.ca
> ...



🍻


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## dangerboy (27 Aug 2022)

Just started reading "Fire and Steel: The End of World War Two in the West" by Peter Caddick-Adams https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55332240-fire-and-steel. This book is about the last 100 days of the western front in the Second World War, from Jan 1945 to 8 May 1945. I liked the author's two other books on the Second World War so I am looking forward to reading this one.


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## OldSolduer (29 Aug 2022)

Started a "Small History of the Middle Ages" part 1. A bit dry but bearable.


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## FSTO (29 Aug 2022)

Still slogging my way through Frank McLynn's biography of Captain James Cook - "Master of the Seas"

When I hear of sailors bitching about slow wifi................


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## NavyShooter (31 Aug 2022)

Had a 3 day vacation in PEI with the family - re-read Red Storm Rising.  Still a damn good book.


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## Lance Wiebe (31 Aug 2022)

I found a copy of "Tug of War" in a used book store. Author is W.D. Whitaker, DSO.
It's all about the Canadian victory at Antwerp.
I'm only about 25% through, but so far, the author is quite critical of Eisenhower, Montgomery, and especially Crerar.
It certainly seems to be very well researched, and I'm enjoying it, so far anyway!


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## Skysix (1 Sep 2022)

"Boyd: The Fighter Pilot Who Changed the Art of War" by Robert Coram

A lot of influence on the entire US mititary for an O5. Not to mention inventing the OODA loop and the F15, F16, F18 and A10 programs.


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## JLB50 (1 Sep 2022)

“Appeasement: Chamberlain, Churchill and the Road to War” by Tim Bouverie

It’s a fairly long book that documents not only what many of the politicians said and did (or did not do) but also the attitudes of the general public at the time.  Almost every page reminds me of what has been happening in Europe as a result of Putin’s demand for breathing room for Mother Russia.


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## FJAG (3 Sep 2022)

I've now finished Wood's "Militia Myths: Ideas of the Canadian Citizen Soldier, 1896-1921". I quite liked it and at the end was wishing for more to carry on into and through WW2. It was quite a good work in describing the various attitudes of the public, the politicians, and the militiamen themselves as to Canada's role in the world and what its defence policies and priorities were and more importantly why those attitudes existed.

Does anyone have any suggestions for a definitive book on the subject of the militia during the interwar years?

I'll go one further; does anyone have access to a copy of the Otter Commission of 1919 and the Kennedy Board Report of 1954

🍻


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## SeaKingTacco (3 Sep 2022)

FJAG said:


> I've now finished Wood's "Militia Myths: Ideas of the Canadian Citizen Soldier, 1896-1921". I quite liked it and at the end was wishing for more to carry on into and through WW2. It was quite a good work in describing the various attitudes of the public, the politicians, and the militiamen themselves as to Canada's role in the world and what its defence policies and priorities were and more importantly why those attitudes existed.
> 
> Does anyone have any suggestions for a definitive book on the subject of the militia during the interwar years?
> 
> 🍻


I have a copy of Canadian Brass, but that only covers about the same period as your book, above. I am unaware of any book that covers the interwar period of the Canadian Army, definitively. I think it would be a fascinating read.


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## FJAG (3 Sep 2022)

SeaKingTacco said:


> I have a copy of Canadian Brass, but that only covers about the same period as your book, above. I am unaware of any book that covers the interwar period of the Canadian Army, definitively. I think it would be a fascinating read.


Yeah. Strangely enough, Relentless Struggle barely touches anything pre 1990. A good chapter on the background as to how the Army Reserve got to be what it was at that time would have been useful.

Just came across one in the Cloud Library that might do: Larry Rose's "Mobilize!: Why Canada was Unprepared for the Second World War". I'll get into just as soon as I finish George Gordon Meade's "Gettysburg" which should be in about a half an hour. - It's an extremely brief account.

🍻


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## SeaKingTacco (3 Sep 2022)

FJAG said:


> Yeah. Strangely enough, Relentless Struggle barely touches anything pre 1990. A good chapter on the background as to how the Army Reserve got to be what it was at that time would have been useful.
> 
> 🍻


I would have to reread Price of Command to see if it covers at least some of the 1930s- I can’t remember anymore.


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## dapaterson (3 Sep 2022)

Given the author and sources of Relentless Struggle, I'm giving it a solid pass as propaganda, not history.


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## FJAG (3 Sep 2022)

dapaterson said:


> Given the author and sources of Relentless Struggle, I'm giving it a solid pass as propaganda, not history.


I actually like it for the depth of research and his interviews. I do take it with a barrel of salt considering its genesis. 

I've been ambivalent for quite a while as to who is the Army reserve's biggest enemy: Reserves 2000 or the CAF leadership. I tend to think its a toss up and that between them they've managed to successfully stymie any hope for meaningful reform.

🍻


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## dapaterson (3 Sep 2022)

The Army Reserves' biggest problem is the profound institutional ignorance of its leadership (LCol+).


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## FJAG (3 Sep 2022)

dapaterson said:


> The Army Reserves' biggest problem is the profound institutional ignorance of its leadership (LCol+).


We're skating somewhat away from the thread's theme but I tend to agree although in respect of which I point out that the ARes leadership above brigade is the RegF by way of the divisions and the Army HQ. I've always found it interesting that the senior-most Army Reserve officer is a director general rather than a commander and that frequently it's someone who has served a considerable time as a regular or on Class B or C which IMHO frequently gets them disconnected with the issues facing Class A reservists.

There is, again IMHO, a disconnect as to developing a proper vision at the high leadership level for Class A service and executing that vision at the middle management (v leadership) level. Unfortunately, without a viable vision that Class As can buy into, it becomes both frustrating, as well as impossible, to develop a proper middle and lower level management program.

Class Bs, on the other hand, are muddling along fairly reasonably if you consider their use to be a proper use of the ResF in the first place. I don't. I consider them a long-term ersatz RegF which impede the development of a proper Class A ResF. Other opinions, especially in Ottawa, do not see it my way which, I presume, is why there is no viable vision for the Class A side of the ResF.

Again, IMHO, as long as the Class A ResF generates enough Class Bs, and occasional Class C, to feed the RegF's peacetime administrative machine, the CA and CAF leadership will be content with what the ResF Class A force is. No one is looking beyond peacetime requirements.

🍻


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## Blackadder1916 (4 Sep 2022)

FJAG said:


> I'll go one further; does anyone have access to a copy of the Otter Commission of 1919 . . .
> 
> 🍻



From a 1949 Army historical report titled "The Reorganization of the Canadian Militia, 1919-1920";






						The Reorganization of the Canadian Militia, 1919-1920 - Canada.ca
					

Report on how the Canadian militia reorganized following the First World War (WW1). This is one of the declassified Army Headquarters (AHQ) reports.




					www.canada.ca
				




". . .Unfortunately, the Otter Committee rendered no official report in full, . . ."


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## FJAG (4 Sep 2022)

Blackadder1916 said:


> From a 1949 Army historical report titled "The Reorganization of the Canadian Militia, 1919-1920";
> 
> 
> 
> ...


That's excellent. Thanks. It certainly shows how whatever the Committee reported was implemented.

🍻


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## Blackadder1916 (4 Sep 2022)

FJAG said:


> That's excellent. Thanks. It certainly shows how whatever the Committee reported was implemented.
> 
> 🍻



And another report that discussed pre-war Militia re-org






						The Reorganization of the Canadian Militia, 1936  - Canada.ca
					

The reorganization of the non-permanent, active Militia in 1936, with detailed tables of its structure.




					www.canada.ca


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## FJAG (4 Sep 2022)

Blackadder1916 said:


> And another report that discussed pre-war Militia re-org


Gold, Jerry! Gold!

🍻


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## Weinie (4 Sep 2022)

FJAG said:


> Gold, Jerry! Gold!
> 
> 🍻


So with all the reading will you slow down on the bitching.


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## FJAG (4 Sep 2022)

Weinie said:


> So with all the reading will you slow down on the bitching.


Never. And you mistake insight and constructive criticism for bitching.

😉


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## Weinie (4 Sep 2022)

FJAG said:


> Never. And you mistake insight and constructive criticism for bitching.
> 
> 😉


And you mistake some fellow "banter" for criticism. You do you.


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## armrdsoul77 (5 Sep 2022)

Starfighter: A Loving Retrospective of the CF 104 Era in Canadian Fighter Aviation, 1961 1986​https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/3679039-starfighter

You could tell who the '104 drivers were by the sound of their boot spurs clacking on the floor when they walked into a room.


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## Blackadder1916 (28 Sep 2022)

Tomorrow Will Be a Good Day: My Autobiography, Captain Sir Tom Moore








						Tomorrow Will Be a Good Day
					

Who is Captain Sir Tom Moore? You've seen him on the television walking the length of his garden. A frail elderly man, doing his bit at a...



					www.goodreads.com
				




An interesting and pleasant read from a gentleman whose steady pace up and down his garden inspired a nation.


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## mariomike (1 Oct 2022)

Got a couple. Both on the same subject, Naples, Italy in 1944.

"Naples '44"





						Naples '44 - Wikipedia
					






					en.wikipedia.org
				




There is also a film on the above.

Also, book #2, 

"The Gallery" is about the same time and place . ( The Gallery is the partly damaged Galleria Umberto in the centre of Naples in 1944. )


			https://www.amazon.ca/Gallery-York-Review-Books-Classics-ebook/dp/B00FO5W7G6


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## dimsum (2 Oct 2022)

Gwynne Dyer's latest:  The Shortest History of War



			https://www.cbc.ca/books/the-shortest-history-of-war-1.6561638


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## Kirkhill (10 Nov 2022)

The Highland Host of 1678
					





					books.google.ca
				




1678 - Ayrshire, Scotland

If you want to understand 

"no standing armies"
"no armies billeted on the citizenry"
"the right to bear arms"
"separation of Church and State"
"Whigs and Tories"
"Presbyterian Kirk and Episcopal Church"
"Anti-Establishmentarianism"
"Anti-Authoritarianism"
"Tcheuchters and Sassenachs"
" The Scots-Irish"
"The American Revolution"
"Trump, Brexit, Johnson and populism"

Read this book.

Real Scotsmen don't speak Irish nor wear kilts.  They speak English and wear trousers.

The Highland Host of Charles II, visited on the Covenanters of Ayrshire to force them to break their presbyterian Covenant with God and impose another episcopalian covenant, or bond, to accept the King's authority over their church, predated by a year the Dragonnades of Charles II's cousin Louis XIV which attempted to do the same thing to the Huguenots of France.

Kilwinning, the Mother Lodge of the Masons, is in Ayrshire.


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