Halifax Tar
Army.ca Fixture
- Reaction score
- 11,440
- Points
- 1,260
For Christmas I received:
Starship Troopers
12 Rules For life
and
Right Here Right Now
Starship Troopers
12 Rules For life
and
Right Here Right Now
What book are you reading now?
- Thread starter Ex-Dragoon
- Start date
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
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
- Reaction score
- 1,722
- Points
- 1,260
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.
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
Army.ca Legend
- Reaction score
- 13,880
- Points
- 1,160
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:
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:
- Reaction score
- 0
- Points
- 10
FJAG
Army.ca Legend
- Reaction score
- 13,880
- Points
- 1,160
FJAG said:
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:
- Reaction score
- 2,135
- Points
- 1,160
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 shipsRifleman62 said:
) is already well underway. 
- Reaction score
- 1,429
- Points
- 1,160
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.
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.
- Reaction score
- 2,135
- Points
- 1,160
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.
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
Army.ca Legend
- Reaction score
- 13,880
- Points
- 1,160
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:
https://www.amazon.ca/Fools-Mortals-Bernard-Cornwell/dp/0007504152
:cheers:
Retired AF Guy
Army.ca Veteran
- Reaction score
- 945
- Points
- 1,160
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.
- Reaction score
- 198
- Points
- 1,210
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.
Attachments
Blackadder1916
Army.ca Fixture
- Reaction score
- 2,787
- Points
- 1,160
Have been going through Occupied St John's: A Social History of a City at War, 1939-1945 by Steven High (Editor)
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).
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).
- Reaction score
- 4,317
- Points
- 1,260
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:
"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:
Retired AF Guy
Army.ca Veteran
- Reaction score
- 945
- Points
- 1,160
Retired AF Guy said:
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
Army.ca Veteran
- Reaction score
- 945
- Points
- 1,160
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.
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
Army.ca Legend
- Reaction score
- 13,880
- Points
- 1,160
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:
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:
- Reaction score
- 2,871
- Points
- 940
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.
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.
