What book are you reading now?

[fake penguin]

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]

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]

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]

Just finished the "Ender" series. A good shallow read with many deep deep psych undertones.

 

[fake penguin]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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 g 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.

If anyone is interested in purchasing a copy, the Veterans Publication address is Box 223, Kemptville, ON, K0G1J0 and the website is VeteransPublications.com.

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]

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]

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]

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]

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).

The way the writer explains stuff and his use of first hand accounts of the efforts that went into getting enigma machines and various codebooks makes for a good read on what could easily be a very dry and technical subject.

If you don't know much about the struggle between the Axis and Allies Cryptologists then I would recommend this book especially if the only thing you know about the Enigma machine comes from that abortion of a movie "U571" which instead of tweaking history to make it a good story rewrote history completely to appease a market segment.

One last point, when you read this book you will gain a greater appreciation for the work of the Polish during and before the war and the vital contribution they made to the war effort. No matter who the official winners/losers of the Second World War were, the Poles were one of the countries that got screwed over the most during and at the end of the war.

 

[dimsum]

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]

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]

Mostly through "The Kraken Wakes" by John Wyndham. Next up "The Man in the High Castle" by Phillip K Dick

 

[dimsum]

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.