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#241: Re: What are you reading? Author: papa_whisky PostPosted: Sun Sep 18, 2011 9:26 pm
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kawasaky wrote (View Post):
Simon Sebag Montefiore, Stalin: The Court of the Red Tsar

Excellent book that contains some recently declassified data, as well as an original perspective of already known stuff. In my opinion Montefiore's two books about Stalin and Deutscher's Stalin political biography make an awesome combination.


Yes an excellent book. Makes you feel paranoid just reading it.

#242: Re: What are you reading? Author: MajorFrank PostPosted: Sat Sep 24, 2011 5:51 pm
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papa_whisky wrote (View Post):
Reading Matterhorn, a novel about a young second Lt in the marines on his first tour in Vietnam. A compelling read written by a Vet that places you the reader very uncomfortably right in the middle of a place that nobody in their right mind would wish to be.


Browsed this at the bookstore, seems interesting. I just can't at least yet shell out the money for what is in reality a fictional book. Although the author was in the war etc. so much is based on reality. Might get it from a discount later on.

Waiting the arrival in mail of the last two Donald Burgett books, Road to Arnhem and Beyond the Rhine. Hopefully these will be as good as the two books by D. Burgett I've already read.

#243: Re: What are you reading? Author: papa_whisky PostPosted: Sun Sep 25, 2011 11:37 am
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[quote="MajorFrank";p="61428"]
papa_whisky wrote (View Post):
I just can't at least yet shell out the money for what is in reality a fictional book. Although the author was in the war etc. so much is based on reality.


The fact that its fictional is not really an issue from my point of view. It is an 'eyewitness-fictional account' that has depth and detail that anyone with an interest in that war probably makes it a must read. I think I obtained a lot of understanding from it. But sure there is time to wait for a discount or a birthday Smile

#244: Re: What are you reading? Author: Panzermayer PostPosted: Mon Sep 26, 2011 7:34 pm
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dj wrote (View Post):
Wow...it looks like I have plenty of books to read for a while thanks to the Borders blow-out.  Got the last few remaining Osprey's for only $2 each.  One book not shown in photo is Beacons in the Night...with recent declassified story of OSS (pre-CIA) operations in Yugoslavia to assist partisan uprisings against the German.


Nice collection you have there. I was wondering if 'For Europe' is a good read?

#245: Re: What are you reading? Author: Dima PostPosted: Tue Sep 27, 2011 2:20 pm
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The book of the Russian historian (he is the main expert on Kursk nowadays in Russia) about battle of Kursk. Have read three volumes in Russian, highly detailed and alot of archive material for both sides:

http://www.amazon.fr/Demolishing-Myth-Prokhorovka-Operational-Narrative/dp/1906033897/ref=sr_1_19?s=english-books&ie=UTF8&qid=1317038916&sr=1-19
 
Highly recommended for everyone!

#246: Re: What are you reading? Author: kawasakyLocation: Zagreb, Hrvatska PostPosted: Tue Sep 27, 2011 7:25 pm
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Dima wrote (View Post):
The book of the Russian historian (he is the main expert on Kursk nowadays in Russia) about battle of Kursk. Have read three volumes in Russian, highly detailed and alot of archive material for both sides:

http://www.amazon.fr/Demolishing-Myth-Prokhorovka-Operational-Narrative/dp/1906033897/ref=sr_1_19?s=english-books&ie=UTF8&qid=1317038916&sr=1-19
 
Highly recommended for everyone!


Does in introduce anything new in regard of Glantz's and Newton's works?

#247: Re: What are you reading? Author: Dima PostPosted: Tue Sep 27, 2011 7:33 pm
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Glantz Kursk is outdated.
Newton shows Kursk only from the German side.
Zamulin shows Kursk from the Russian side mainly, but using references from Newton and Zetterling regarding the German side.
Cheers Wink.

#248: Re: What are you reading? Author: kawasakyLocation: Zagreb, Hrvatska PostPosted: Tue Sep 27, 2011 7:49 pm
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I remember that when I read Glantz back in 2000 it was a very good read, but I'll take your word that it is outdated because I haven't read anything about that battle since 2003 or 04.

So, it's worth spending some money I guess(?).

#249: Re: What are you reading? Author: Ivan_Zaitzev PostPosted: Tue Sep 27, 2011 11:11 pm
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I just bought some literature.  Very Happy


#250: Re: What are you reading? Author: Dima PostPosted: Tue Sep 27, 2011 11:47 pm
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Quote:
So, it's worth spending some money I guess(?).

if you are interested in Kursk southern salient, than it is a must to spend some money Wink.
would not recommend it if it didn't worth spending money Smile

#251: Re: What are you reading? Author: dj PostPosted: Wed Sep 28, 2011 2:47 am
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Dima wrote (View Post):
The book of the Russian historian (he is the main expert on Kursk nowadays in Russia) about battle of Kursk. Have read three volumes in Russian, highly detailed and alot of archive material for both sides:

http://www.amazon.fr/Demolishing-Myth-Prokhorovka-Operational-Narrative/dp/1906033897/ref=sr_1_19?s=english-books&ie=UTF8&qid=1317038916&sr=1-19
 
Highly recommended for everyone!


I am curious about Kursk...seems like a good revisit.  Both sides account of the facts seem lost in history due to the aggressive political pressure of Boss Stalin and Josef Goebels whom scrubbed the facts to make it seem like the Germans won every battle.   It's good there are some fresh new sources without hidden agendas.

#252: Re: What are you reading? Author: dj PostPosted: Wed Sep 28, 2011 3:00 am
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Panzermayer wrote (View Post):
dj wrote (View Post):
Wow...it looks like I have plenty of books to read for a while thanks to the Borders blow-out.  Got the last few remaining Osprey's for only $2 each.  One book not shown in photo is Beacons in the Night...with recent declassified story of OSS (pre-CIA) operations in Yugoslavia to assist partisan uprisings against the German.


Nice collection you have there. I was wondering if 'For Europe' is a good read?


Haven't started yet, still finishing-up book about the financial meltdown of 2008 by Michael Lewis called The Big Short.  

For Europe is over 500 pages and seems very throughly researched and presented.  Robert Forbes chronicles the last days of the "Charlemagne" division of French volunteers.  Amazing that they held-out all the way to the end.

#253: Re: What are you reading? Author: MajorFrank PostPosted: Thu Sep 29, 2011 3:36 am
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dj wrote (View Post):
Dima wrote (View Post):
The book of the Russian historian (he is the main expert on Kursk nowadays in Russia) about battle of Kursk. Have read three volumes in Russian, highly detailed and alot of archive material for both sides:

http://www.amazon.fr/Demolishing-Myth-Prokhorovka-Operational-Narrative/dp/1906033897/ref=sr_1_19?s=english-books&ie=UTF8&qid=1317038916&sr=1-19
 
Highly recommended for everyone!


I am curious about Kursk...seems like a good revisit.  Both sides account of the facts seem lost in history due to the aggressive political pressure of Boss Stalin and Josef Goebels whom scrubbed the facts to make it seem like the Germans won every battle.   It's good there are some fresh new sources without hidden agendas.


Just to comment on this, there is so much potential stuff for serious historians to look at in the eastern front of WW2. A lot of what East German and Soviet historians studied was dismissed in the west as propaganda during the Cold War although I would say that much of the raw data collected by eastern block historians was actually either true or very close to truth.

The scale of the war was just bigger on the eastern front and there was a lot of cruelty towards the civilian population that should warrant closer neutral historical study. I'm sure there are still people alive who witnessed many horrible things during WW2 in the eastern front.

I hope that the eastern front gets a 'big historical treatment' in the future.

#254: Re: What are you reading? Author: MajorFrank PostPosted: Sun Oct 02, 2011 4:30 am
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MajorFrank wrote (View Post):
Right now reading An Army at Dawn - The War in North Africa, 1942-1943 by Rick Atkinson. If it's any good I might get his other book The Day of Battle - The War in Sicily and Italy, 1943-1944. It's supposed to be a trilogy with the final not yet published part covering the Normandy stuff and war in Europe.


Recently finished this, I had it as a kind of night table reading. Long book, over 700 pages but an interesting read with some good maps. Not a fast read though. Reminded me a little of Stephen Ambrose's style, anecdotes and a focus on the generals and other high echelon.

Just got the Italy-book in the mail, it's as long as the Africa one.

#255: Re: What are you reading? Author: mooxe PostPosted: Tue Oct 11, 2011 1:05 pm
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"Dancing with the Dushman" by LCol Ian Hope.

This was part of the base CO's "book club." Its about Canada in Afghanistan around 2006 and 2007. Its an ok book. There are some lessons learned from his tour that can be used in most any conflict. There are people in the book I used to work with so it make it interesting that way. It's kind oflike reading someone elses war story. I hear enough of those at work already though. It's still a good and fast read at 155 pages. I think maybe its a bit too early for Afghanistan books personally.

#256: Re: What are you reading? Author: MajorFrank PostPosted: Sun Oct 23, 2011 12:55 am
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Yesterday finished reading The Road to Arnhem by Donald Burgett, it's about the Market Garden fiasco from the perspective of a 101st paratrooper. It was a good read, just like all of Burgett's books so far. Now I'm down to his final book, Beyond the Rhine, after this one I've read all his books. Highly recommended if you want a Band of Brothers - type experience (Burgett was in A company whereas BoB is about E co.).

Edit. Well I finished the last book, I've now read all of them. Very good, recommended.

#257: Re: What are you reading? Author: MajorFrank PostPosted: Fri Nov 11, 2011 2:01 am
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Reading now: Killing Pablo by Mark Bowden. Seems ok.

Just ordered through mail: If You Survive by George Wilson and Soldat by Siegfried Knappe. The Wilson - book was recommended by someone here in this thread and I thought I'd get it.  Smile

#258: Re: What are you reading? Author: MF_Church PostPosted: Fri Nov 11, 2011 12:56 pm
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HEAVY reading there IVAN ~ Smile  Especially on CC2 side of that ledger ;)

Good Go @ Ivan.

ok.. I have just read something that just a bite.  Not a book.  Just some tidbit on the Canadian Army of today, in memory of our Vets etc.

I'll even paste it here.  It's cool and kind of sad.  Why?  Cuz i'm a Canadian.  :)

* Pic not Shown (in) here.  
A Canadian Leopard 2 tank drives through a mountain pass in Afghanistan's Panjwaii district in February 2009.

Canada maintained an armoured force of main battle tanks after the Second World War as part of its NATO contribution to forestall a Warsaw Pact attack in Europe, acquiring Leopard 1 tanks from Germany in the 1970s.

After the fall of the Soviet Union, the Canadian military planned to phase out its heavy tanks in favour of heavily-armed, rubber-tired armoured fighting vehicles such as the LAV 3, which seemed more in tune with the peacekeeping and rapid-response roles Canada expected to undertake.

Increasingly fierce fighting in southern Afghanistan forced it to reconsider. National Defence borrowed 20 Leopard 2s from the German Bundeswehr (federal defence force) and upgraded them for better protection against IEDs and rocket-propelled grenades. It is acquiring more second-hand Leopard 2s from the Netherlands. The 62-tonne Leopards sport a 120-mm main gun, two machine guns and can reach speeds of 70 km/h.

Pics / Images here @  http://www.bing.com/images?FORM=ESLAUT&mkt=en-ca&q=Leopard+2+tank#x0y0

#259: Re: What are you reading? Author: MajorFrank PostPosted: Tue Nov 29, 2011 10:06 am
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Reading a book called Citizen Soldiers by Stephen Ambrose. Seems pretty good, best from Ambrose that I have so far read.

#260: Re: What are you reading? Author: salhexe PostPosted: Tue Nov 29, 2011 4:47 pm
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Close Combat Series -> The Mess


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