What book are you reading now?

[dangerboy]

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]

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]

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]

I gave in to the hype haha. Currently reading "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child". >

 

[cupper]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

"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]

"Combat Mission Kandahar"  I've received a review copy to check out - will share a review when done.

 

[ueo]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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.