What is everyone reading?

Carl

Thanks for the welcome, it seems everyone is quite friendly here. Also thanks for the book suggestions, I'll see if I can get a copy of any of those books you mentioned. The sargeant sounds very cool.

 

Hi Monty--quite welcome. Yup, everyone is very friendly here with rare exceptions.

Quite welcome on the suggestions. I do highly recommend all three book series though. The Casca titles are usually easier to find then the next difficult will be The Black Eagles series and the most difficult of all are The Sergeant series.

Here is a little description of all three series.

Starting with "The Sergeant."

This book centers on a platoon sergeant in ww2. The first two in the series he and his pal--Corporal Edward Cranepool, are in the US Rangers. From book three till book nine, they are in a regular Infantry Division because they both were sick and tired of having to go on suicidal missions behind the lines. This is the best fiction series on ww2 I have ever had the pleasure to read. It makes you feel as if you are actually there and are observing what is going on around you.

This series pretty much starts you out taking place just before the Normandy D-Day landings (the first 2 books) through the fighting in France--the fighting in Metz to the Battle of the Bulge with Nr 9 in the series. After that, either the author passed away or simply decided not to finish the series. I don't know what happened?

The Black Eagles:

This unit you follow from its beginning to the last book printed. The main character is in book one till he gets promoted a few books later--is Capt Robert M. Falconi--an American born Russian. He is a Special Forces Capt who is ordered to form a group of men sort of like a Special Commando type of unit. Each man who becomes a part of the unit is fully qualified to be there.

These men can be Navy Seals, US Rangers or US Special Forces. They also "borrow" a few men from allied militarys to infuse with this team. For instance--they also "hire" a few from the SAS, US Marines, ROK Marines, ex-Viet Cong, etc. I'm not much into the Vietnam War but--these are the best series on Vietnam I have ever had the pleasure to read.

This series, the Black Eagles go on (every mission is basically a suicidal mission) special Ops. They are always behind the enemy lines destroying Nuclear reactors to facing a rival unit of Algerian volunteers to whatever.

This series I think ended with 24 volumes. The samething must have happened--I think the author passed away before completing this series.

The "Casca" series also has about 24 in its series--and this time it was legit--the author had died.

Casca is the series main character who starts out as a Roman Legionary in the time of Christ. Casca is damed to live through eternity because he took his speer and stabbed Christ in the side--so Christ gets even and makes Casca immortal. In a way.

Casca can be killed in battle, but being he tasted Christs blood--it made it where eventually he comes back to life---even after burning to death in a fire or whatever.

This series skips back-n-fourth in time with Casca always being a soldier, or a hired Mercenary. One book he could be fighting barbarians, the next he might be a Panzer Commander, then next he might be again fighting some other group of barbarians then he might be a modern day Mercenary.

This series is excellent as well. Hope this kinda helps you on wanting to look for these.

 

I'm re-reading Gen'l Doolittle's "I could never be so lucky again." I recommend it as an easy going read - full of the origins of safe flight, instrument flying, etc. This was a pilot with an MIT engineering degree who revolutionized flight before WWII and then..........

 

Hey Fred, that was on my list as one that I have to read next. Thanks for the input.

 

Just managed to pick up a couple of good books. Bought Carlo D'Estes book 'Decision in Normandy' picked this up fopr £1.99 in a discount bookshop Also managed to by a book called 'A study in air power: the battle for Norht Africa' this was published in 1944. I picked this one up on ebay

 

Just started on Ladislas Farago's ' The Last Days Of Patton ' found in a secondhand shop for £5 - quite a rare find as it was only published in the USA as a hardback, not in the UK. Looking at my shelves, realise that a LOT of books have been written about 'Old Blood & Guts'.....

 

Recently arrived at College, so only brought two books with me. Next weekend heading home and hopefully can bring more up. However, currently reading:

'The Victors' by Stephen Ambrose &
'The Battle of Alamein turning point of World War II' by John Bierman and Colin Smith

So far so good.

 

I'm reading "Roosevelt and Hopkins, an Intimate History" by Robert Sherwood.

Here the translated title become "Roosevelt and Hopkins, a World War II History".

It's a nice, but huge book (1036 pages). After a long introduction about the life of Hopkins as one of the leaders of the "New Deal", finally I'm reading about the first months of the WW2 and the earliests diplomatical contacts with Britain.

One thing that I like on it, it's about the documentation and notes about the meetings between Roosevelt and Hopkins, and even with Churchill, and other important personalities of that period.

 

Something a little different for me - I'm now reading ' Marianne In Chains - In Search Of The German Occupation ' by Robert Geldea ( an Oxford reader in modern history ).

I've been meaning for some time to read one of the several recent books about the Occupation of France ( a subject which, apparently, still causes much discomfort in France and has been the subject of much historical, er, re-interpretation over there ).

( ).

 

Heres what im reading at the Moment:

The Defeat of Imperial Germany: 1917-1918 By Rod Paschall (I love the fact that a book entitled 'defeat of Imperial Germany' features a picture of Americans advancing through no mans land on the front cover )

Damage Them All You Can: Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia By George Walsh


both are pretty good, i suggest both to all of you

CvM

 

I have just finished Red Devil a memoir by Lawrence Nickell, who was with the 5th US Inf. Div. A very good read.

Also finished The Dispatch Rider by Harry Watts. Harry was a dispatch rider for HQ of the the 5th Canadian Inf. Div. in Italy and Holland.

Am now half way through Company Commander by Charles McDonald. A VERY good read!

Looking forward to getting and reading John Hersey's A Bell For Adano. Although fiction, it seems to be a good description of the work of a US Military Government official, at work in an Italian town after the combat troops have left. Very current with the Iraq situation now, although not comparable perhaps.

[ 20. October 2003, 01:40 AM: Message edited by: Stevin Oudshoorn ]

 

Just bought the book Waffen-SS: the secret archives Eastern front.

Loadsa interesting pics...

http://www.barronseduc.com/0764156721.html

There also seems to be similar book on western front

http://www.barronseduc.com/0764156748.html

 

I recently flicked through both volumes in a London bookshop. I was a little put off by the 'Secret Archives' bit - a look at the sources didn't actually reveal much that was hitherto 'secret' and there certainly didn't seem to be any new revelations in the Ardennes Offensive section.

Mind you, one has to be careful with 'Waffen-SS' titles - there seem to me to be dozens in the shops, only a few of which are worth the price....

 

Martin, are you familiar with the so-called author from Scotland--a gordon williamson?

If so, I wish this had come up before because I just last week, threw away the titles I had that this dufus had published. I would have rather had sent them to you if you wanted them.

 

Carl, IMHO Gordon Williams falls into the 'SS admirer' category....

 

Hi Martin--yup I knew that. Can you guess why gw no longer writes books on the Waffen SS? and or Knights Cross Recipients as well?

Well, I have had more than one RKT tell me besides what i've already posted here many times, that apparently they all are very aware at gw's switching several RKTs RKs for low quality RKs or flat out fake ones.

This is one of the main reasons the Waffen SS vets hate its guts. Another main reason for that is because when interviewing the vets for its books, it renigged on the deals to pay these vets a certain amount of money for their stories.

Now days, all it writes books on are Iron Crosses, Awards and things like that. Flat out, German vets hate its guts with a passion and I don't blame them at all. I don't like that twit either but, its a personal thing for me as I have had dealings with it before.

I bet the reason it moved to Scotland was probably because of its well known admiration for the Waffen SS and I bet someone probably threatened the poor innocent creep.

I think we both share similar feelings for this so called author. Lucas he aint.

 

Ok, For you GW fans; I got a few books of his to sell...

Or should I save 'em for the upcoming book-burning-session? (DISCLAIMER: This is meant as a JOKE! I do not condone nor will I EVER join in any book burning events. This JOKE was meant in the light (haha) of the book burning that took place in the third reich.)

 

Never knew all that, Carl - but I'm not surprised....

Strangely enough, among all the Waffen-SS 'picture books' currently on the shelves one total classic has been quietly reprinted and is currently available in UK 'book warehouses' at a knock-down price.

It's George H Stein's ' Waffen-SS : Hitler's Elite Guard At War ' originally published in 1966 and very hard to find in the original edition. Cerberus/Cornell University republished it in 2002 and piles of them are sitting in bookshops at £9.99.

It's still a highly-regarded study - buy one while you can !

 

Hi Stevin/Martin.

Stevin--I WOULD enjoy seeing williamsons books burn. That would be one of two exceptions I would make--otherwise, I don't care to ever see any books burn. It makes me cringe at the thought. Also it's like someone scraping their fingernails down a blackboard----uggggggg.

Martin, Oh yeah--I also have more juice about williamson. Thing is on this juice--I can't prove any of it or have any proven sources for it--or I would have made that public as well--long ago.

In short, that author is a Michling. To say the least.

 

well if this is true I'll be having quite a brush burn this next February 2004 after my pruning season is over. Bring those yummy seleted titles along and we will have a weeny roast ! Waht a great way to dispose of some unwanted materials as well as get to know one another a little better around a nice cozy fire.

whose bringin the Bier ?

~E