What Are You Reading?

Adventure in Diamonds David E walker....Still trying to get to bottom of what my local hill at Bredon in UK was about in ww2...Van Moppes and diamond rescue in 1940 throwing up plenty of info now though.

 

Currently reading I-Boat Captain by Zenji Orita and Joseph Harrington. A very good read from the Japanese side.

 

A World at Arms: Global History of WWII
Still on page 134 and I've had it since October...

 

Yep that page 134....its a real bugger....Never got past it myself..Re read it dozens of times...Have you tried sending the wife out while you read it....that got me to half way down the page...Trouble with her though is she kept coming back.

 

urqh, The Rodney Dangerfield of WW2 Forums.

 

Most of the arguments to which I am party fall somewhat short of being impressive, knowing to the fact that neither I nor my opponent knows what we are talking about.
Rodney Dangerfield

Belsars got a new boaty thingy...

 

Back on topic....Allenbrooke diaries...And its about the 10th time I've tried to finish it so I sympathise Black Dragon...Some books need revisiting and putting down and revisiting...

 

http://www.amazon.com/Flying-Tiger-...=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1326848075&sr=1-1

Just finished chapter1. Too early for a synopsis/opinion yet. Reads pretty quickly, though.

 

Chilling:

 

I am reading, "No Less Than Victory" which is the third of Jeff Shaara's WWII trilogy. I am enjoying it and was surprised to learn that all of the characters were closely based (to the extent possible, I suppose) on actual people and events.

I also just received my copy of 'Hitler's Master of the Dark Arts...' which I will start this weekend. Amazon.com: Hitler's Master of the Dark Arts: Himmler's Black Knights and the Occult Origins of the SS (9780760337783): Bill Yenne: Books

I've also been working my way through, 'Human Smoke' on my kindle which is just amazing and conducive to casual reading on the side.

 

Why in God's name would you read a book about war by a pacifist? The author is neither a historian nor even knowledgeable about war or the military. His latest book is---per his Amazon bio--a comic sex novel called "House of Holes". His book offers nothing new or even original.(War is bad? WHO KNEW!) Heck, he is not even a philosopher!

I do not mean to jump on you, but books like "Human Smoke" offer nothing when it comes to understanding WWII. Expressing the idea that war is awful and that all nations involved in WWII were morally compromised is hardly an original thought. One need only read about the war to realize that war taints all involved. Reading books written by people who are not experts on the subject or field they are writing about is not a wise thing to do. I would suggest sticking to books written by historians(Norman Davies has written a book about the moral complexity of the conflict.) or writers who have a deep working knowledge of the subject they are writing about.

 

Gebhard Aders: History of the German Night Fighter Force 1917-1945 ,
Jane's Publishing Company 1979

Christopher Buckley: Norway, the Commandos, Dieppe
Her Majesty's Stationery Office 1977

 

I just finished reading The Death of the Scharnhorst by John Winton, this book was ABSOLUTELY amazing. It's a straightforward account, of the events that transpired that ended with the German battlecruiser Scharnhorst on Boxing Day 1943. It provides wonderful maps of the area of battle as well as movements of the combatant ships. It provides some wonderful pictures and tells the story of the demise of a great german warship.

I am now reading "FATAL VOYAGE" by Dan Kurzman. It is the story of the sinking of the USS Indianapolis. The author is lucky enough to interview survivors of the Indianapolis, and as well as some crew of the Japanese submarine I-58, and recalls through them the events of that fateful night where the Indianapolis sank after being torpedoed.

 

Also reading Finland's War Of Choice:

 

I've read many books with a pacifist angle. Including Bloody Hell. A couragous forward by Simon Weston included..Read what you like, but the facts are the facts. And if wrong can be contested...But read what you wish. I certainly would not argue with any of the contributers to a book like Bloody Hell. All fighters and mostly pacifists. They have a voice and a story to be told. Norman Davies's book on European war is biased in my view and although I refer to it on many occasions is full of inacuracies too. No one should be chastised for their choice of reading in my view. Their explanation of the facts is another matter.

 

My issue is that "Human Smoke" is written by a person who was never a soldier nor has an existence background on WWII or war itself.

Pacifists have a right to speak their mind--particularly those who have been in war. However, it must also be noted that it is easy to be a pacifist when you have not have the boot of oppression on your throat. It also should be said that it is easy to love war from the comfort of your armchair. Warmongers and pacifists are two groups of people I staunchly disagree with.

 

Blimey...So much for Martin Luther King, Jesus, Sister Theresa and Ghandi then. I quite lke the quiet stern unwavering courage of the Quakers myself. The courage to stand up and cross lines of police at anti nuclear demonstrations etc. Some of the bravest folk I've ever come across both in and out of the military years I've seen.

I'll go with you on the war mongers matey...Generally though you only have to look at who won the last vote to find them.

 

Warmongers don't fight. Pacifists don't want to fight. Rich people think fighting is beneath them. The middle class and poor folks end up with the short end of the stick and do most of the fighting. And the rich end up with most of the medals and make the most of the money at the same time. Sad but true.

The new Playboy Special Edition is in so that's what I'll be reading for the next few days anyway.