Hi guys. Just wondered what all you guys are reading right now.
I'd like this thred to become a real popular one where we can share ideas and books.
Post your current reading matter and a line or a synopsis of a bit you found interesting or whatever.
Well right now I'm reading Dean Koontz's midnight, I'd like to absorbe some of his wirting style to my own.
I also read tons of history books, about almost everything, I just got a shiopment of about 85 history books from arround the napoleonic war up to WW2.
I heard a guy on the radio suggesting that book recently. What's the story?
Ok, right now I'm reading non-fiction. It's a book called "A Time for War - The United States and Vietnam 1941-75" by Robert D. Schulzinger.
Overview:
It's a broad view of the way Vietnam policy effected the US during that time. Mostly political, Schulzinger has delved deep into the archives to find transcripts of meetings and discussions from the Whitehouse from several presidents and aides. An intriguing look at how the different presidents perceived the threat of Communism in South East Asia, "A Time for War" is a sometimes heavy going book but one which is sure to entertain any enthusiast of the times.
Problems:
I did have some problems with chrinology in the book. It was sometimes difficult to differentiate between years as the author jumps back and forth epending on the subject.
Intersting content:
There is a moment in the book where the nations at the Geneva conference, hosted by the UK, are getting ready to sign an agreement over Indochina (Vietnam). The US are there as an interested party, this is because they don't want to be seen as a controlling force in the South Vietnam government but they still want some sort of presence.
China is there as a member of the comitee, however the US will not recognise them as they have only recently become a Communist power. Something the USA was strongly against.
Each country is ready to sign except China. They will not sign unless the USA recognises their new government. The USA will not recognise their government because they are supposed to be at the conference only as an interested party and any interference would destroy their facade. This infuriates the Chinese who will not budge until the USA agree to recognise them.
This stand off continues until the Soviet union delegate takes the Chinese delegate aside and explains that the siuation is hopeless and that China should just sign the agreement. They do and the book carries on.
I liked this bit because it showed just how fikle men re. Even our world leaders have the potential in them to be stubborn and childish. I can just imagine the little China-man jumping up and down on the spot shouting, "You will recognise our Govornment!" and the US guy turning his back trying to look inconpicuous.
I'm currently reading "Soldier of Orange".
The book is about a group of students from Leiden, the Netherlands. Each of them happens to follow a different path and therefore has a different role in the Second World War, either as a collaborator or in the resistance. Part of the story is set in London, where Queen Wilhelmina has her residence. The main character escapes to England and is involved in secret operations in the Netherlands, and other representative tasks within the goverment around the liberation of the Netherlands.
Have only just started reading it, so not much to say about it yet...
Currently reading (always a couple on the go) -
Panzer Operations: The Eastern Front Memoir of Gen. Erhard Raus
A brilliant book with some nice insight, takes you through from the opening phase of Barbarossa up until the Soviets reach the Oder. Has given me some good ideas for OFP missions!
Russia at War 1941-45
by Alexander Werth
Mines an old copy not the newish re-release.
I have only got as far as Operation Uranus but so far it's pretty impressive. His write up of the Stalingrad battle is one of the best around - the author was in Stalingrad shortly after the German surrender.
The 10,000 Day War: Vietnam
by Michael MacLear
I haven't got very far with it so judgment is reserved.
"Heeresbericht" by Edlef Köppen, a WW1 novel. Köppen himself was a veteran and volunteer.
It's about a German volunteer, 21 years old.
A few days after his arrival at the western war zone his artillery regiment receives an enemy barrage while they are practising. They return fire and then it becomes quiet.
The Captain orders a Sergeant to continue the exercise and is already leaving as a last single round hits the position. - Volunteer Reisiger sees that the Sergeant, barking orders just a moment before, has been wounded...
[...]Reisiger is trembling, he chokes. So that's the war! There's a human standing, loud and strong, provokingly brave. The sun is shining and the sky is blue. Suddenly the human lies on the ground. And blood is splattering. And the human will go home and never again in his life he's going to have a left hand. Well, that's disgusting![...]
But still the book remains a little bit aloof compared to "All quiet on the western front" IMHO.
Good read so far, not read it for long
Original OFP-er and 'old' on here, with little to no idea what's going on these days, so go easy on me. Cheers mate!
When I'm finished midnight, I plan to read an old book about my great grandfather, he was forced to serve the germans in WW1.
by the way, I hope my own novel end up in this thread some day, if you havn't visited my thread I would like you to do so and post some comments, I'm a little stuck with the novel right now
hisotorical (slightly fiction) account of the british bombing campaigns entitled black buck, where a single vulcan bomber was sent 4000 miles via a network of inflight refuelers to the falklands and back to ascension... incredible read.
After reading "Black Hawk Down" I was incredibly impressed with the research and writing style of the author Mark Bowden. I recently bought 3 more of his books and highly reccomend the one I have read already.
"Killing Pablo" - The story of how the US used Special Forces to assist in the capture/assasination of Pablo Escobar.
I'm now reading "Doctor Dealer" a book about Larry Lavin, an Ivy League dentist who became the ruler of a vast cocaine empire in the 1980's.
And next week it will be "Finders Keepers," another true story. This one is about a Philidelphia man who found $1.2 million in unmarked bills that fell out of an armoured truck. Unfortounately the guy was a bonehead and what ensues is a tragic story that even Hollywood couldn't think of.
\"They must be TRYING to f___ this up. I mean nobody can make this many stupid decisions unless its on purpose!\"
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