Read any good books?
- Thread starter Scotty55
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fritz katzenjammer
Der Ubergrosserbudgie
- Location
- Deepest Darkest Canada
Just finished Panzer Ace by Richard von Rosen. A good read following the career of a German soldier who served in the tank corp from the start of the Russian campaign as a gunner in light tanks through to the end of the war when he was commanding a group in King Tigers. Relatively free of politics its the interesting story of an honourable soldier serving his country. The end is interesting when our friend finds out he really was fighting for the wrong side.
Previous to that I read a history of Rene Herse, the French touring bike specialist, available from the Rene Herse website its a painfully expensive book once one takes freight and duties into account, but its also an excellent read if you’re into bicycle history. There’s a ton of photographs courtesy of Rene Herse’s daughter as well as fabulous shots of surviving bicycles and factory documents. Proper hardcore porn for touring bike nuts or history buffs. Actually worth the hefty price.
Tonight I think its time for a Spiderman comic...
Previous to that I read a history of Rene Herse, the French touring bike specialist, available from the Rene Herse website its a painfully expensive book once one takes freight and duties into account, but its also an excellent read if you’re into bicycle history. There’s a ton of photographs courtesy of Rene Herse’s daughter as well as fabulous shots of surviving bicycles and factory documents. Proper hardcore porn for touring bike nuts or history buffs. Actually worth the hefty price.
Tonight I think its time for a Spiderman comic...
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cookiemonster
Legendary Member
- Location
- Hong Kong
Val McDermid's books '1979' and '1989.'
Both brilliant.
Both brilliant.
Profpointy
Legendary Member
I usually have a selection on the go at any one time. Currently reading Mechanised Force by the excellent David Fletcher of the Tank Museum. It covers the patchy and often misguided British tank development between the wars. I've already read the first volume (Land-ships & war cars) about the First World War tanks and armoured cars. Incidentally the Museum has a superb youtube channel and Fletcher's "tank chats" are particularly wonderful. I already have the next two covering the 2nd world war itself "Great tank scandal" , and the "universal tank" which covers the lessons learned leading to the excellent Centurion post war. For anything tank related Fletcher is an excellent writer and a real scholar too. His book on the Churchill tank which I also have is outstanding
Half way through the sequel to Mortal Engines already mentioned upthread. A steam punkish older kid's sci fi. Not bad but a few notches below Philip Pulman let's say
Just finished Eric Hobsbawm's third volume "Age of Empires 1875 to 1914.". Not an easy read, though there is meaning in every word, so you have to pay attention.He tries to analyse why things happened and how people thought, not merely the events. In my view excellent scholarship and worth the effort. I thought it was very telling that the chapter on the revolutions in physics of the early 20th century is spot on. This is an area I have a good, if amateur, understanding of, but Hobsbawm has absolutely done his homework, bearing in mind as a historian it's unlikely he's ever studied physics beyond o-level. I'm therefore included to trust him on the actual history stuff and analysis.
Already read his two earlier volumes, "Age of revolutions" and "age of capital" with the final volume "age of extremes" waiting in my pile
And for my current astrophysics fix, Big Bang. Not a beginner book exactly but still descriptive rather than mathematical/technical so still accessible, though you have to concentrate. Covers the different models and evidence for / against for, say, galaxy formation, inflation, cosmic background radiation and so forth. Pretty good book
Half way through the sequel to Mortal Engines already mentioned upthread. A steam punkish older kid's sci fi. Not bad but a few notches below Philip Pulman let's say
Just finished Eric Hobsbawm's third volume "Age of Empires 1875 to 1914.". Not an easy read, though there is meaning in every word, so you have to pay attention.He tries to analyse why things happened and how people thought, not merely the events. In my view excellent scholarship and worth the effort. I thought it was very telling that the chapter on the revolutions in physics of the early 20th century is spot on. This is an area I have a good, if amateur, understanding of, but Hobsbawm has absolutely done his homework, bearing in mind as a historian it's unlikely he's ever studied physics beyond o-level. I'm therefore included to trust him on the actual history stuff and analysis.
And for my current astrophysics fix, Big Bang. Not a beginner book exactly but still descriptive rather than mathematical/technical so still accessible, though you have to concentrate. Covers the different models and evidence for / against for, say, galaxy formation, inflation, cosmic background radiation and so forth. Pretty good book
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Tail End Charlie
Well, write it down boy ......
- Location
- In green and pleasant hills.
The Perfect Sword by Paul Gething. A lump of metal dug up in the 70's at Bamburgh castle is put away. Thirty years later it resurfaces and Gething feels it is something special. Analysis proves him correct. The book goes into sword development, how iron ore is extracted and techniques of sword making. Fascinating.
Profpointy
Legendary Member
Just had a look at the description. I think I might well be making a purchase !
mustang1
Guru
- Location
- London, UK
DRM
Guru
- Location
- West Yorks
I’ve just finished The Forgotten Soldier, by Guy Sajer, who as a 17 year old was in the German Armies Transport section on the Eastern Front, then he volunteers for The Gross Deutschland Division, and has to suffer the cold, and the retreat back to Germany, the saddest part of the whole thing is that despite describing the retreat from Russia, he’s actually in Ukraine, with mentions of Towns and Cities currently in the news for the same reason now, including crossing the Dnieper River whilst the Red Army is closing in on them, the worst being he’s half German/French, from Alsace, having backed the wrong horse to start with and doesn’t feel German , yet back in France after the war no longer feels French
fritz katzenjammer
Der Ubergrosserbudgie
- Location
- Deepest Darkest Canada
Tail End Charlie
Well, write it down boy ......
- Location
- In green and pleasant hills.
"Never Greater Slaughter" - about the battle of Brunanburh in 937 AD, which is as key a battle in English history as Hastings. Yet the location isn't known. The author, Michael Livingston, has his own theory and backs it up impressively. The book covers the history preceding the battle, his theories and examines other claimed locations.
The title is from The Anglo Saxon Chronicles which mentions the battle.
The title is from The Anglo Saxon Chronicles which mentions the battle.
gbb
Legendary Member
- Location
- Peterborough
I clearly remember 'The Forgotten Soldier' , I read iit maybe 50 years ago and loved it,
Currently just restarted Max Hastings 'Catastrophe, Europe Goes to War'
He starts by dissecting former works by eminent historians, highlighting that some are written to erase unfortunate truths or are written with bias,while accepting his own is what it is given the passage of time.
It only covers the run up to the Great War and the opening months, the lead up being more interesting, the sentiments of the time, the leaders, their alliances and allegiances, and already, it made me remember, we live in a time of strife...and so did they at the turn of the 20th century, assassinations and what we'd call terrorism, nationalism, old grudges were frequent occurances, particular in the Balkans.
Really interesting, not at all heavy , a really good read (if you like that kind of thing)
Currently just restarted Max Hastings 'Catastrophe, Europe Goes to War'
He starts by dissecting former works by eminent historians, highlighting that some are written to erase unfortunate truths or are written with bias,while accepting his own is what it is given the passage of time.
It only covers the run up to the Great War and the opening months, the lead up being more interesting, the sentiments of the time, the leaders, their alliances and allegiances, and already, it made me remember, we live in a time of strife...and so did they at the turn of the 20th century, assassinations and what we'd call terrorism, nationalism, old grudges were frequent occurances, particular in the Balkans.
Really interesting, not at all heavy , a really good read (if you like that kind of thing)
wiggydiggy
Guru
Damnation Alley by Roger Zelazny
Wonderful late 60s sci fi, set on an earth ravaged by nuclear war it really dials into the nuclear paranoia of the time as the planet is now wracked by storms, has building size giant geckos that eat everything and snakes a mile long. The premise is fairly simple that a city ravaged by plague is waiting for an urgent delivery of vaccine that has to be driven cross country through damnation Alley. There is only man that can do this - Hell Tanner! (Yes his first name is hell lol)
It was originally a novella and the author was apparently encouraged to write a longer version to be adapted for film, which I also have and will be watching later.
And it continues the tradition of the book cover artist not actually knowing what the car looks like, it's not this but it sure looks good!
Wonderful late 60s sci fi, set on an earth ravaged by nuclear war it really dials into the nuclear paranoia of the time as the planet is now wracked by storms, has building size giant geckos that eat everything and snakes a mile long. The premise is fairly simple that a city ravaged by plague is waiting for an urgent delivery of vaccine that has to be driven cross country through damnation Alley. There is only man that can do this - Hell Tanner! (Yes his first name is hell lol)
It was originally a novella and the author was apparently encouraged to write a longer version to be adapted for film, which I also have and will be watching later.
And it continues the tradition of the book cover artist not actually knowing what the car looks like, it's not this but it sure looks good!
Tail End Charlie
Well, write it down boy ......
- Location
- In green and pleasant hills.
Just noticed there are two threads about what books we are reading currently. @mods is there any reason why these threads cannot be merged?
Tail End Charlie
Well, write it down boy ......
- Location
- In green and pleasant hills.
@Moderators sorry - as above, I forgot to use your full title!
DCBassman
Guru
- Location
- The lumpy far South West
"Interesting Stories about Curious Words" by Susie Dent. Fascinating.
