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#321: Re: What are you reading? Author: chessmaster, Location: Antwerp and Ghent

Posted: Sat Apr 13, 2013 3:11 pm
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interesting ronson, i dont know all to much about the civil would like to learn more thanks

not been able to read books out lately.. busy a lot and my attention span hasnt been that great lately, but now with the good weather coming up i ll check some out again

#322: Re: What are you reading? Author: Pzt_Kanov, Location: México

Posted: Sat May 25, 2013 5:56 pm
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This past week I read the personal account of a soldier named Norman Mohar from WW2, from Anzio to Germany. It is very honest and tells you about his fears, the horrors of war, his friends and experiences.

He doesn't set himself as hero, as a matter of fact he admits to being scared most of the time and how every second away from the front was precious for I guess a lot of soldiers, also talks about all the loot he got from prisoners and with great detail tells about how some of his brothers in arms were killed in the battles he experienced.

It is written as if you sat there with him and he is telling you his story as he is remembering it, so sometimes he repeats some stuff and some other times he jumps or goes back in the dates. Everything gets the same writing detail, be it a battle, a mess hall experience, traveling etc. This form of writing although not polished feels real, It made me realize he is a real person who go through all of that oh so real hell.

I saw the link on matrix, there are other stories there but I haven't read them here it is:

http://normanmohar.icwest.com/index.php

Actual chapters of the story:
http://normanmohar.icwest.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=section&id=5&Itemid=77

#323: Re: What are you reading? Author: Ivan_Zaitzev,

Posted: Sat Jul 27, 2013 4:10 pm
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Hi! You might be already aware of this, but Amazon usually puts good kindle books for free in their sites. For example right now "Armored Bears: Vol. 2, The German 3rd Panzer Division in World War II" and "Hitler: A Very Brief History" are free.
The first volume of Armored Bears was free a couple of months ago.
In another forum where I participate we have a thread dedicated to these free books, we could have one here or use this same topic.

#324: Re: What are you reading? Author: MajorFrank,

Posted: Sun Sep 15, 2013 2:47 am
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Long time since I last posted, since then I've read, among others:

The Last Stand of Fox Company: A True Story of U.S. Marines in Combat . A good depiction of a tough battle in the Korean war. From an American perspective. Focuses on the experience of the individual soldiers well.

The Forgotten 500: The Untold Story of the Men Who Risked All For the Greatest Rescue Mission of World War II . About a daring rescue of downed airmen from then Yugoslavia.

The Black Banners: The Inside Story of 9/11 and the War Against al-Qaeda. A really good book by Ali Soufan, an FBI interrogator. Gives insight into the whole interrogation world including about the use of torture.

Last edited by MajorFrank on Sun Sep 15, 2013 10:12 pm; edited 1 time in total

#325: Re: What are you reading? Author: mooxe,

Posted: Sun Sep 15, 2013 5:40 pm
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The Holocaust: A History of the Jews of Europe During the Second World War

I've read lots of book on this subject. This one is a bit different though as it starts off in the 1930's with all the build up to the final solution. Also discusses how Germany's neighboring countries before 1939 started to believe the antisemitism and began treating the Jews in similar fashion. Covers the emigration to safer countries and countries like France where they believed they would be safe.

I am less than 100 pages into this 1000 pager, and I find it very interesting.

#326: Re: What are you reading? Author: Ivan_Zaitzev,

Posted: Tue Sep 17, 2013 12:41 am
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Have you read Hitler's Willing Executioners? It starts with antisemitism 100 years before the war. Thats not my field tough, just bought it because it was ridiculously cheap.

I'm currently reading Hitler's Pre-Emptive War: The Battle for Norway, 1940 by Henrik O. Lunde. Great book about a campaign I know nothing about.

#327: Re: What are you reading? Author: mooxe,

Posted: Thu Oct 17, 2013 7:07 pm
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I am on page 400 now. This book has got to be the gruesome account of butchery I have ever read. It's page after page of details on how groups and individuals were murdered. Not just murdered though but tortured in front of their families.

You can really learn empathy from this book.

#328: Re: What are you reading? Author: mooxe,

Posted: Mon Nov 25, 2013 3:07 am
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Finally finished Holocaust.

The most informative book I have ever read on the Holocaust. I have read many autobiographies but this one really captures the horror of it all. I was surprised, but I shouldn't of been, about how much hatred towards the Jews remained in the months after the war. Some liberated Jews who had been in hiding were murdered only mere hours or days after liberation by Polish and German civilians. There was so many examples of that. Also, 1000's died after liberation due their bodies being to weak to respond to medical treatment, or dieing from eating real food.

I have a number of Vietnam books to read now.

#329: Re: What are you reading? Author: mooxe,

Posted: Sun Jan 05, 2014 12:20 am
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Just finished Chickenhawk by Robert Mason, published 1983. Wow.... amazing book on his experiences as a Huey pilot in Vietnam. I found out after finishing the book that its a must read for helicopter pilots. Parts of the book are retold in the movie We Were Soldiers. This book is on par with The Forgotten Soldier. These two books are now my main recommendations for non-fiction war books.

You can visit the author's site at www.robertcmason.com. He has gained quite a bit of notoriety from Chickenhawk throughout the military and civilian helicopter aviation world as well as regular readers like us. He writes about how his introduction to Vietnam was flying for the Calvary into LZs under fire, dropping troops and ammo off, picking up dead and wounded and his off-time life in cities like Saigon and Hong Kong. The notoriety is not from the book being technical in how to pilot an helicopter, rather its his life as a pilot in war and his ability to describe whats going on around him. His descriptions put you right into the cockpit.

Best book I have read in years.

Excellent read!

#330: Re: What are you reading? Author: MajorFrank,

Posted: Sun Feb 23, 2014 8:57 pm
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I've read Chickenhawk. It's good, especially if you have an interest in helicopters.

From what I've read part of Robert Mason's notoriety also comes from the fact that he sought and got a release from his service due to stress related reasons. Some claim that he 'chickened' out. Not sure what the truth is about that. And also, after the war Mason was caught smuggling drugs and went to prison for it. His book was a success though.

About The Forgotten Soldier by Guy Sajer, I haven't read that one. In the field of first hand depictions of war, I've come to appreciate the ones that are very matter of fact. I don't like the ones with lots of emotional and florid subjective views by the writer. Just describe what happened. I've read some short bits of The Forgotten Soldier and didn't really like it. There's also been some doubts aimed at Sajer and his credibility, he could have made up basically the whole book since he gets many significant things wrong. It's apparently impossible to make sure if he was in the troops that he claims that he was in.

I've liked the books by David Webster (Parachute Infantry) and the books by Donald Burgett (4 books about his experiences). Very good and historically accurate descriptions.

Recently I read Flags of ouf fathers by James Bradley. It was good, about the flag raisers on Iwo Jima.

Right now I'm reading Masters of the Air by Donald Miller. It's about the US bombers in WW 2 ETO.

#331: Re: What are you reading? Author: mooxe,

Posted: Sun Mar 30, 2014 6:02 pm
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I just finished the audio book, "The Road." I seen the movie a few years ago and thought it was a pretty good father and son movie. I have never tried audio books before this one, I may certainly get into them now. Seeing the movie first lets you visualize in more detail maybe. There was differences between the movie and book of course but the movie was pretty true to the book overall. Next audio book is The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien. Some sort of middle earth tale, pre-dates LOTR I think.

Currently reading Guns Up! now. A firsthand look at Vietnam from a private in the marines perspective. Its non-fiction, however there a great amount of dialogue. I was apprehensive at first reading a non-fiction book so heavy on conversations but I am enjoying it, its a good book. Almost done with it.

After Guns Up! is Snake Pilot which is another first hand look from a Cobra attack helicopter pilot in the Vietnam war.

#332: Re: What are you reading? Author: MajorFrank,

Posted: Tue Apr 01, 2014 1:28 am
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mooxe,

I like audiobooks, I'm listening one almost constantly when jogging or at the gym etc. "The Road" was good, I think the book is better then the movie.

#333: Re: What are you reading? Author: mooxe,

Posted: Sun May 25, 2014 4:29 am
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The movie followed the book pretty closely. I liked them both. The only thing I remember the movie leaving out is the fathers multiple visits to the yacht and the flare.

I am still reading Snake Pilot. I am on the second half of the book and its really picked up, I like it.

#334: Re: What are you reading? Author: AT_Stalky,

Posted: Sun May 25, 2014 8:44 pm
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Just read: "Fiasco: The American Military Adventure in Iraq". By THOMAS RICKS. A very good book: “Fiasco is a masterful reckoning with the planning and execution of the American military invasion and occupation of Iraq. “ Heavy in qoutes, page after page...

Also read Heinz Linge’s memoirs. The book is a bit crude in style and language and structure. Much in contrast to: "He Was My Chief: The Memoirs of Adolf Hitler's Secretary" by Christa Schroeder.. . The later is a very very good insight to how things was run close to Hitler.

"Veil: The Secret Wars of the CIA, 1981-1987" by Bob Woodward
An excellent book, looking close at CIA under Casey and why and how’s of Contras, Iran, Lebanon, ON..

#335: Re: What are you reading? Author: dj,

Posted: Fri May 30, 2014 5:45 am
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AT_Stalky wrote (View Post):

"Veil: The Secret Wars of the CIA, 1981-1987" by Bob Woodward
An excellent book, looking close at CIA under Casey and why and how’s of Contras, Iran, Lebanon, ON..

Sounds like a good one. I wonder if the rumors about selling Cocaine in the 80's in America's own inner cities to fund clandestine wars are true. They could easily launder the money via shady "banks" like BCCI.

#336: Re: What are you reading? Author: MajorFrank,

Posted: Sat May 31, 2014 1:33 am
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MajorFrank wrote (View Post):

Right now I'm reading Masters of the Air by Donald Miller. It's about the US bombers in WW 2 ETO.

Finished this one. It's very good, with a lot of speculation over the wisdom behind the bombing war of the western allied. There's been discussion about turning this book into the next 'Band of Brothers' - type miniseries by Hanks and Spielberg.

#337: Re: What are you reading? Author: mooxe,

Posted: Sat May 31, 2014 1:55 am
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MajorFrank wrote (View Post):

Right now I'm reading Masters of the Air by Donald Miller. It's about the US bombers in WW 2 ETO.

I wonder if the action in that will be very good. You will know most of it is all computer graphics.

#338: Re: What are you reading? Author: hoop7,

Posted: Fri Jun 27, 2014 10:09 pm
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Harry Turtledoves " The War that Came Early ".

An alternative WW 2 history about what could have happened if WW 2 had started a year earlier.

#339: Re: What are you reading? Author: AT_Stalky,

Posted: Mon Jun 30, 2014 4:22 pm
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Room 39 : naval intelligence in action 1939-1945
By McLachlan, Donald
ISBN: 0297761153
Image of cover: http://wilkmans-antikvariat.storedo.com/p/room-39--naval-intelligence-in-action-1939-1945--mclachlan-donald

I fined this book to be very good. Filled with facts and development of doctrines… Hard to make such book interesting, but I fined the author succeeded rather well.

I give it 4/5

#340: Re: What are you reading? Author: mooxe,

Posted: Mon Jun 30, 2014 4:33 pm
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I am between books at the moment. I have been shopping Amazon and found this one I think I will buy...

The Divine Wind

Both authors were part of the Kamikaze force, so I think the book will really shed some insight into that time.

Close Combat Series -> The Mess

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