What book are you reading now?

[FJAG]

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]

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]

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]

Reading, "Wearing the Green Beret  A Canadian with the Royal Marine Commandos" by Jake Olafsen.  Good read so far.

 

[PMedMoe]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

"The Empty Throne" or "Waterloo"? According to Chapters/Indigo "The Empty Throne" won't be released until the 28th of Oct..

Sorry Waterloo

 

[daftandbarmy]

I didn't know you could read.....

Don't let it get out. Bad for the image  8)

 

[Cloud Cover]

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]

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?