View Full Version : What are you reading now...?
Streck-Fu
08-11-2012, 06:13
The author introduced his own opinion and judgement in the introduction. He did not write that he would not discuss the constitutionality of Lincoln's decisions. Period.
He qualified his declaration by describing those that do consider his some of his decisions as unconstitutional as 'bitter loser'...
It certainly seems that the author is declaring his bias and opinion. Why is my acknowledgement of his bias less important than his stating it?
Do notice that I did not claim to not read the book because of that declaration. I am still interested in what he has to say.
Dead Hand: The Untold Story of the Cold War Arms Race and its Dangerous Legacy - David Hoffman (2009)
Fascinating revelations of what was going on behind the scenes with regards to nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons during the Cold War years. No mention of Greenlight.
Starting Rommel: Leadership Lessons from the Desert Fox - Charles Messenger (2012)
It certainly seems that the author is declaring his bias and opinion. Why is my acknowledgement of his bias less important than his stating it?Here's the deal. From an academic's POV, the value of any work of history is the extent to which it advances the historiographical debate over the subject at hand. While it is your prerogative to read the way you want, I'm suggesting that by allowing yourself to get distracted by a historian's "bias", you are undercutting your ability to grapple with a SME's book on its own terms.
bandycpa
08-11-2012, 15:41
I just started (and finished) reading "The Warrior Ethos" by Steven Pressfield. It's a short read, but very interesting. Nearly wore out the highlight feature on my Kindle with this one.
Redspartan40
08-11-2012, 17:16
I'm diggin my kindle I got, here's what I've been reading...
In the Company of Heroes ~ Michael Durant
Black Hawk Down ~ Mark Bowden
Sua Sponte ~ Dick Couch
Battle of Mogadishu ~ Matt Eversmann, Dan Schilling
Lions of Kandahar ~ Rusty Bradley
Chosen Soldier ~ Dick Couch
Roberts Ridge ~ Malcolm MacPherson
I Hope They Serve Beer In Hell ~ Tucker Max
CA_TacMedic
08-12-2012, 20:39
Sua Sponte: The Forging of a Modern American Ranger
Dick Couch.
So far a good read. Much like Mr. Couch's other books. Very thorough and easy to read and follow. Not done yet, but so far a great read and one more good book from Dick Couch.
Wallace
Just finished "HARD MEASURES" by Jose Rodriguez.
Great read.
ZonieDiver
08-12-2012, 21:09
For the umpteenth time, I am trying to wade through Salt, A World History
by Mark Kurlansky.
It is very informative, but it is written in a manner I find extremely difficult to follow. I am picking portions I like and reading them. I hope to finish by next year! :D
I also was given How To Write a Children's Book and Get It Published by Barbara Seuling.
I like it, and it should be helpful for my new, next career!:lifter
Just finished listening to Rommel: Leadership Lessons from the Desert Fox - Charles Messenger (Tom Weiner) (2012)
Interesting biography on this combat leader with occasional comments comparing leadership principles in the first Gulf War. Covers his military career during WWI, the interwar years, the Ardennes campaign, N.Africa, Italy, and the Atlantic wall.
Starting Heaven Is for Real - Todd Burpo & Lynn Vincent (Dean Gallagher) (2011) and Outrage: How Gay Activists and Liberal Judges Are Trashing Democracy to Redefine Marriage - Peter Sprigg (2004)
"Whisky Tango Foxtrot" by Lynne M. Black Jr.
Excellent book written by a SOG warrior
Rob_Frey
08-17-2012, 22:01
"Beyond Band of Brothers" by Major Dick Winters.
South Paw
08-18-2012, 07:06
I'm currently reading For Whom the Bell Tolls by Hemmingway and Guerrilla Warfare by Che Guevara
Currently reading The Night Stalkers and See No Evil
Unapologetic Soldier
08-20-2012, 07:49
I’m currently reading Taliban by Ahmed Rashid.
Great book and I’m learning a lot; although it’s something I’ll have to go back and read again. There is a lot of detail and I have to re read large portions of it to keep up. Reads more like a history book than anything else.
In the past I have read
Chosen Soldier by Dick Chouch
Inside Delta Force by Eric Hany
Get selected for Special Forces by MAJ Joe Martin
All great reads with my favorite being Chosen Soldier.
Not sure what my next read will be; probably something I’ll find off this thread.
Hogan, Jackie. Lincoln, Inc.: Selling the Sixteenth President in Contemporary America. Rowman & Littlefield; Lanham, Md; 2011.
R3V3LATIONS
08-23-2012, 18:00
Fearless - Eric Blehm, just finished this one...it was a good read.
Badger52
08-27-2012, 14:19
COL Shackleton's un-redacted treatise (http://professionalsoldiers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=39271) on the Village Defense Program at Buon Enao. A phenomenal piece of history, but there is a very elegant economy of word. It needs to be read.
;)
ScubaNinja
08-29-2012, 02:38
After being a student of military history for many years, and from my own experiences in war it seems to me that our greatest enemies are often our own chain of command's instead the enemy we're supposed to be fighting. Thoughts, anyone... Anyways....
Currently reading Horse Soldiers about the first soldiers(who happen to be special forces) in Afghanistan. Obviously an amazing topic, but I don't like the way the book is written just yet. I think good military books should accomplish one of several things. Give good historical information, an overview of the conflict, sum-up the issue at hand, or make you feel like your there with the soldiers, this book does none of the above IMHO.
Just finished reading The Only Thing Worth Dying For by Eric Blehm, and Hero by Michael Korda. They are about the SF soldiers who fought with Hamid Karzai, and a biography of none other than TE Lawrence, respectively. Both amazing must read books for any SF or would be SF guy.
Next up is a biography on Teddy Roosevelt, then Mao Zedong's On Guerrilla Warfare. Then after I will treat myself to book 4 of Game of Thrones
craigepo
08-29-2012, 16:44
Just read "The Soul of Battle" by Victor Davis Hanson. In-depth look at how three generals from different time periods took armies from democratic societies and used them to conquer tyranny/slavery (Patton, Sherman, and Epaminondas).
An interesting snip from the book:
"The great danger of the present age is that democracy may never again marshal the will to march against and ultimately destroy evil. In the era of television, the image of war's brutality in our living rooms may stop the attack; the education system of the present, with its interest in self-esteem, sensitivity, and the therapeutic, may not turn out sufficiently idiosyncratic, audacious-and well-read-leaders; and instant communications may serve to bridle a mobile column at its moment of victor. But even a greater peril still in present-day democratic society is that we may simply have forgotten that there finally must be a choice between good and evil, that the real immorality is not the use of great force to inflict punishment, but, as the Greeks remind us, the failure to exercise moral authority at all. When men like Epaminondas, Sherman, and Patton go to war to stop evil and to save lives, there is a soul to their battle that lives on well after they are gone.
This tradition of democracy's mustering quickly huge armies, to be led by eccentric fighters, on a moral trek into the heart of slavery, is not the stuff of romance and it is not a fantasy from our past, but rather a rare and hallowed tradition as old as the beginning of the West itself. In the West epic marches for freedom across time and space have liberated us from our own worst enemies. Armies of liberation are the precious dividends of democracy, and we abandon the memory of Epaminondas, Sherman, and Patton and what their hoplites, Westerners, and GIs did only at our great peril."
Reading of 3336 ill-fated 2008 mission. Great read! Easy reading.
Just finished Countdown: H Hour by Tom Kratman (2012). This is the third in the Countdown series of SOF Porn where the M Day Corp. conducts a hostage rescue in the Philippines during a time of continuing global economic collapse. Next stop Mexico due in 2013.
Started rereading Under Fire: An American Story by Oliver North (1991) and started listening to Service: A Navy SEAL at War by Marcus Luttrell (2012).
This is a great book on SF during Vietnam conducting some great covet operations during Vietnam. I was looking for another book on the same topic when I found this electronic copy. I read through the book in a weekend
The Secret War Against Hanoi: The Untold Story of Spies, Saboteurs, and covert warriors in North Vietnam. By Richard H. Shultz Jr.
http://books.google.com/books?id=mGXgXY5eCtkC&printsec=frontcover&output=html_text
Another great boon in this topic is Project Alpha: Washington's Secret Military Operations in North Vietnam. By Sedgwick Tourison
I just started reading The Amateur. Much like the movie 2016, I think this should be a must read for anyone voting in this year's election.
I have only gotten through the chapter on Valerie Jarrett and why she has such influence over the Obamas. She has been Michelle's BFFsince they worked in Mayor Daley's office. She has dinner with the family just about every night. She "reports" to the Chosen One and Michelle what the rest of the staff is doing and saying. The rest of the staff is scared shitless of her, because they know if she wants them gone, they will be gone, so they toe the line. It also talks about how the rest of the Cabinet can't stand her, and how most of them have a low opinion of Michelle.
I will be finishing it this week.
Inflexible Six
09-06-2012, 05:41
CHINA, A History by John Keay
Through China's ancient past to the Last Emperor. A big, fascinating, inciteful book and a foundation piece for any serious student of China and the Chinese character. Excellent maps and appendices.
Pakistan on the Brink: The Future of America, Pakistan, and Afghanistan By: Ahmed Rashid
Pakistan is a very certain focus of this third part of the trilogy, because it is impossible to discuss Afghanistan without extensive excursions into the history of Pakistan. The focus of Rashid's two other books, "Taliban" and "Descent into Chaos" was Afghanistan focus. It was made clear in both books that the ISI, Pakistan's all-powerful intelligence service, had allowed the Afghan Taliban safe havens in Pakistan to which it could retreat after it was ousted in 2001,where it could regroup, and from where it could stage its increasingly successful comeback from 2003 till today. At least a third of the book is more of a continuation of Rashid's earlier books on Afghanistan than it is an analysis of what is wrong with Pakistan.
For me I think every leader going to Afghanistan should read all 3 these books. Great history, dialogue in subject in all 3 of these books.
Tweeder11
09-09-2012, 21:41
Fight Your Fear and Win by QP Don Greene. It was a great read and I feel the centering excersizes are a great mental training tool
Tweeder
Currently reading, "The Brain That Changes Itself: Stories of Personal Triumph from the Frontiers of Brain Science," by Norman Doidge.
Fascinating stories of people who have overcome brain disorders and brain injuries by retraining their brains. The accepted belief of the immutability of the brain is being replaced by the idea of neuroplasticity - that the brain can change itself - and the examples in this book are astounding.
S.
craigepo
09-17-2012, 07:24
Just finished this book. Well-documented and logical account of why the current president has acted in so many ways that seem to be contrary to the best interests of the United States.
http://www.amazon.com/Roots-Obamas-Rage-Dinesh-DSouza/dp/1596982764/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1347888130&sr=1-1&keywords=roots+of+obama%27s+rage+dinesh+d%27souza
CA_TacMedic
09-19-2012, 14:58
Reading it for the second time....great book with some impressive insight into ODA 574.
"How eleven Green Berets Forged a New Afghanistan"
By: Eric Blehm
Wallace
njmiller26
09-20-2012, 08:05
The Only Thing Worth Dying For by Eric Blehm - Absolutely fantastic book. The story of ODA-574's being the first SF team in Afghanistan, linking up with Karzai, and all the efforts that led up to the fall of the Taliban and Karzai taking power. Extremely valuable lessons for a potential 18A.
In Queue:
1. Coming Back Stronger: Unleashing the Hidden Power of Adversity - The Drew Brees autobiography (To be read at SFAS)
2. Mastars of Chaos
3. Lions of Kandahar
4. Gentlemen Batards
Just finished two books today.
Thor, Brad - Scot Harvath 11 Black List (Armand Schultz) 64kb (2012) is a typical thriller that starts off Tommy Gun slow and switches to a MG-42 towards the end. Deals with the pervasive amount of scrutiny and intrusion into peoples personal lives - with the resulting consequences of such power being wielded by a malicious state or corporation.
Recommend that you be familiar with some of the previous Scot Harvath series and the new Athena Project novel by Brad Thor.
Owen, Mark - No Easy Day (2012) was an easy, quick read. Covers the mission to get UBL fairly well with some interesting SEAL side trips into Iraq and Afghanistan. There are obvious omissions as well as plenty of new stuff for this FOG. The only SEAL book to discuss training after BUD/S, let alone Green Team that I've seen to date. If any of it can be believed...
Recommend that you have read a book describing BUD/S before this.
Norwegian author Jo Nesbø's "The Redbreast" - a "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo" like crime thriller.
Detective Harry Hole embarrassed the force, and for his sins he’s been reassigned to mundane surveillance tasks. But while monitoring neo-Nazi activities in Oslo, Hole is inadvertently drawn into a mystery with deep roots in Norway’s dark past—when members of the nation’s government willingly collaborated with Nazi Germany. More than sixty years later, this black mark won’t wash away, and disgraced old soldiers who once survived a brutal Russian winter are being murdered, one by one. Now, with only a stained and guilty conscience to guide him, an angry, alcoholic, error-prone policeman must make his way safely past the traps and mirrors of a twisted criminal mind. For a hideous conspiracy is rapidly taking shape around Hole—and Norway’s darkest hour may still be to come.
Just finished listening to Thor, Brad - The Athena Project (Elizabeth Marvel) 64Kbps (2010). Not as much a thriller as Brad Thor's Scot Harvath series. More along the lines of SOF Porn with a bit more futuristic stuff going on. I mean women Delta operators and Nazi scientists - come on...
On to Roughneck Nine-One; The Extraordinary Story of a Special Forces A-Team at War - Frank Antenori & Hans Halberstadt or Fearless; The Undaunted Courage and Sacrifice of Navy SEAL Team Six - Eric Blehm
MrBox2113
09-24-2012, 07:21
Petrus Romanus: The Final Pope is Here by Tom Horn and Cris Putnam. Very Very interesting read.
Ridgeback
10-01-2012, 15:08
"Tough times never last, But tough people do" By: Robert H. Schuller
Just finished listening to/rereading Roughneck Nine-One; The Extraordinary Story of a Special Forces A-Team at War - Frank Antenori & Hans Halberstadt (Patrick Lawlor) (2006).
SF and tanks! Shudder. Great story.
Dreadnought
10-07-2012, 22:45
Recently finished The Mission, The Men, and Me which I really enjoyed.
Currently making my way through The Bear Went Over The Mountain and will then take on The Other Side of the Mountain. To be honest, I'm more interested in the latter but so far Bear is good
Cool Breeze
10-08-2012, 07:21
Am reading, "Turning the Mind Into an Ally" by Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche. Am getting back into meditation and improving my focus on the important things.
Just finished listening to Fearless; The Undaunted Courage and Sacrifice of Navy SEAL Team Six Operator Adam Brown - Eric Blehm (Paul Michael) 64Kb (2012).
Quite a compelling story of another good kid from next door falling so low, persevering, and reaching a pinnacle. It was nice to not endure another BUD/S story, but rather concentrating on the boy, the man, the family, the SEAL.
Eyes Wide Open
10-20-2012, 11:53
Just finished listening to Fearless; The Undaunted Courage and Sacrifice of Navy SEAL Team Six Operator Adam Brown - Eric Blehm (Paul Michael) 64Kb (2012).
Quite a compelling story of another good kid from next door falling so low, persevering, and reaching a pinnacle. It was nice to not endure another BUD/S story, but rather concentrating on the boy, the man, the family, the SEAL.
Just finished Fearless. Damn good book!
Just finished "Using a Map and Compass" by Don Geary, so much better than the FM
Reading "Becoming a person of influence" by John Maxwell.
Nemesis by Norwegian Jo Nesbo.
Dozer523
10-30-2012, 19:47
The Biogeochemistry of Vertebrate Excretion
A classic treatise by G. Evelyn Hutchinson. I have a feeling this stuff is gonna come in handy.
Actually, "1493" Uncovering the New World Columbus Created. Charles C Mann.
njmiller26
11-10-2012, 10:51
Just read, "No Way Out" by Mitch Weiss and Kevin Maurer. Great and quick read despite it being 320+ pages. You get involved with each of the operators and feel their plight, while fighting up the Shok Valley in Afghanistan. Definitely recommend this one.
Moving on to, "Masters of Chaos."
ZonieDiver
11-10-2012, 12:06
The Biogeochemistry of Vertebrate Excretion
A classic treatise by G. Evelyn Hutchinson. I have a feeling this stuff is gonna come in handy.
Hey, I'm reading "Essential Elements of HVAC" by Leavon Liteson.
Perhaps we should get together and compare notes, since it may come in handy as well. :D
Actually, Big Russ & Me by Tim Russert. (Watching David Gregory makes me realize how much I miss Russert, and 'dad stuff' always chokes me up.)
I just finished "See No Evil" by Robert Baer. Its an interesting read that sheds light on how political agendas and bureaucrats can seriously interfere with getting the job done.
For Veterans day I'm rereading And Brave Men, Too - Timothy S. Lowry (1985). Fourteen personal stories of Vietnam veterans awarded America's highest honor. For those that did not return.
Stingray
11-11-2012, 15:43
"Tough times never last, But tough people do" By: Robert H. Schuller
Pretty good Book. In a similiar vein, I found ”Man's Search for Meaning” more moving. If you are looking for a follow up read. My .02 worth : )
Just picked up The Outpost by Jake Tapper. It's the result of his efforts in interviewing numerous individuals associated with the development, construction and ultimately the loss of COP Keating in 2009. So far a good read, seems like he's sticking solely to the facts without including any personal bias--would definitely recommend this read.
theis223
11-14-2012, 12:32
Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach. I read this a few times as a young kid and dug it out after cleaning the garage this afternoon. I find something new in it every time i read it. Anybody else ever read this oldie?
Team Sergeant
11-14-2012, 12:40
Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach. I read this a few times as a young kid and dug it out after cleaning the garage this afternoon. I find something new in it every time i read it. Anybody else ever read this oldie?
And one of your interests is Rugby? You might want to seek some professional help......dr. phil maybe? ;)
Go "NOW" and get Starship Troopers by Robert Heinlein
Hurry before it's too late.....
TS
Dozer523
11-14-2012, 13:53
:DJonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach. I read this a few times as a young kid and dug it out after cleaning the garage this afternoon. I find something new in it every time i read it.
About theis223
Occupation
Political Science Student (NOT A LIBERAL!)
How did you hear about Professional Soldiers?
"redneck engineering" in a google search
I'm not taking the hit on THIS one! :D:D:D
theis223
11-15-2012, 15:55
Being a scrum-half with health care professionals for parents, i cant tell you how much professional help i have ignored over the years:D. Hell I think the few head injuries I succumbed to kept the right marbles from being knocked out of me, seeing as I’m one of the far and few conservatives in the liberal bastion that is the UMN-Duluth, especially in the poli-sci program up here. Hence why i felt the need to declare my non-liberal tendencies Dozer.
Dozer Sir, you can blame this post (http://www.professionalsoldiers.com/forums/showpost.php?p=100893&postcount=180) for why I joined this BB. Redneck/SF engineering indeed.
As far as this particular post is concerned, I didn’t expect that a story of a transcendent bird would draw fire from you or TS. lol
Back to lurking ...
Being a scrum-half with health care professionals for parents, i cant tell you how much professional help i have ignored over the years:D. Hell I think the few head injuries I succumbed to kept the right marbles from being knocked out of me, seeing as I’m one of the far and few conservatives in the liberal bastion that is the UMN-Duluth, especially in the poli-sci program up here. Hence why i felt the need to declare my non-liberal tendencies Dozer.
Dozer Sir, you can blame this post (http://www.professionalsoldiers.com/forums/showpost.php?p=100893&postcount=180) for why I joined this BB. Redneck/SF engineering indeed.
As far as this particular post is concerned, I didn’t expect that a story of a transcendent bird would draw fire from you or TS. lol
Back to lurking ...
Nothing wrong with being a scrum-half. Just because a bunch of forwards are trying to squash you to prevent the ball getting to your back line doesn't mean you're nuts!
Pakistan: Terrorism Ground Zero covers events after 911 after the US/NATO campaign against the TB. What leads to capture Osama bin Laden and to defeat Al Qaeda within Pakistan. How US/ISAF campaigns drove TB into Pakistan's FATA region and how they grow from 2002 to current and the effects it has on Centeral Asia and Pakistan and US Policy. This book has some great background from teh British time and empire to the US intelligence and policy-making towards to Pakistan and Afghanistan. How the INTEL FUSION are created or policy made and action towards Pakistan and the effects of the popele. Poeple review this book as being or showing the complexity with the creation of the "Pakistan Taliban" and its subsequent factionalization into other groups with different leadership, precedents and practices which IMO is all BS by the Pakistani authors. It gives you a lot of GREAT Details, but they are one side. This book is good and if you are a militray guy or an INTEL Dude looking, working or studying on AF/PK and the effect everything here has, a MOST BOOK. Great background on how the TB grow in the FATA and how it has effected Pakistan but never, as of yet, covered how the ISI and the PAKMIL drove a lot of what is happening in Pkaistan is leading to events there and in Afghanistan and even in India.
http://www.amazon.com/Pakistan-Terrorism-Ground-Rohan-Gunaratna/dp/1861897685
Unapologetic Soldier
11-18-2012, 08:25
I finished reading, Taliban by Ahmed Rashid. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to know the history of the Taliban, who they are what they want and just how bat shit crazy they really are. It’s a very detailed book that’s hard to convert to memory and easy to get lost in the weeds with all the detail. I’ll be reading it again at some point just to make everything stick.
Now I'm starting Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand. What a whooper of a read!
Badger52
11-18-2012, 18:28
A little each night, like a mini-series, happened to get Lewis & Clark's journals 1804-1806 as a free Kindle download now that I've this app on the laptop. Literally, to boldly go where no (white) man has gone before.
One of the reasons I like old-school books is that if I fall asleep and the book falls on the floor, ok. One of these spendy toys, not so much.
I finished reading, Taliban by Ahmed Rashid. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to know the history of the Taliban, who they are what they want and just how bat shit crazy they really are. It’s a very detailed book that’s hard to convert to memory and easy to get lost in the weeds with all the detail. I’ll be reading it again at some point just to make everything stick.
Now I'm starting Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand. What a whooper of a read!
Read his second book, Descent into Chaos: The United States and the Failure of Nation Building in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Central Asia; but don't buy Pakistan on the Brink: The Future of America, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. His third book he didn;t want to write it but was under some contract. So for me it had little new information between Taliban, Chaos and No Country.
Unapologetic Soldier
11-19-2012, 03:20
Read his second book, Descent into Chaos: The United States and the Failure of Nation Building in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Central Asia; but don't buy Pakistan on the Brink: The Future of America, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. His third book he didn;t want to write it but was under some contract. So for me it had little new information between Taliban, Chaos and No Country.
I'll keep that in mind after this read thanks.
Badger52
11-22-2012, 17:35
by T.H. Breen. Covers War of Independence times from more of a "people" perspective rather than a few key historic figures, and that there must be one (insurgent) before there is the other (patriot). Also goes into what folks did in terms of local measures/actions against Crown supporters leading up to & through Lexington-Concord, as well as what their tipping point was, i.e., when do things become "intolerable" as relates to activities of the Crown.
Dog Pound Zulu
11-22-2012, 20:35
Life and War in Nicaragua by Stephen Kinzer Originally published in 1991, the author was a NYT reporter based there before, during, and after the Sandinista revolution which took apart the Somoza dictatorship. From William Walker to Ollie North, Nicaragua has a facsinating history that is drawing me in like a tractor beam. Having visited Corinto this year, I wanted know more about the history of this country and this book delivers.
Thread closed at 72 pages.
This thread is continued at "What are you reading now II".
Gutes lesen!
Richard