What Are You Reading Now...? II

[Flagg]

Originally Posted by Razor

Have you read "Lt Ramsey's War", by Edwin Price Ramsey?

Yup! I reckon it's a good one...above average for the topic.

Available on Kindle and good bang for the buck.

What I've come to learn from reading the range of content regarding US guerilla operations in the Philippines is that I received more value reading as much across the board as I possibly can, to the point of drowning in it.

My reason for this is to gain a more comprehensive perspective from what appears to be a bit of political infighting and conflicting narratives.

The best example I can find on that is using the book I'm currently reading:

They Fought Alone by John Keats. It's like a biographical novel of Wendell Fertig's perspective on the guerilla war waged in the PI in WWII.

But I've found this piece by Clyde Childress who fought alongside Fertig under his command that rebuts some substantial slices of the book:

https://fireinthejungle.files.wordpr...l_fertig_s.pdf

In no way am I trying to disparage what was done by anyone who improvised, adapted, and overcame during those years in the bush...especially considering the lack of specific training and resources available.

So I would think a whole lot of mistakes would have been made in trial and error as well as identifying and highlighting some of the human characteristics/qualities that SF compels and avoids.

I reckon the Jedburghs and OGs are fantastic to read about from the perspective of formal early SF training and doctrine development and execution.

But I think the subtle (and sometimes conflicting) bits and pieces of the Philippine on the job training UW marathon campaign has a lot of really valuable and timeless lessons.

I'm just an avid fan of the Philippine campaign and early SF/UW development, so I wouldn't call myself a UW SME by any means...which means take it with a grain of salt.

But with the recent conflicting narratives I've read about the OJT UW campaign in Philippines, I wonder if any part of it is analogous to the perception of conflicting narratives and viewpoints within the SF community earlier in the current conflicts?

In short...read it, and then read as much as you can about the topic from other perspectives.

Fortunately, there's a fair bit of inexpensive content out there and a good chunk of it on Kindle/PDF.

EDIT: Whoops! Didn't see you were a QP...you've probably read/done/taught it all.

[Razor]

Originally Posted by Flagg

EDIT: Whoops! Didn't see you were a QP...you've probably read/done/taught it all.

Not in the least. Those guys took basic concepts and created their own style of warfare, often independently, without the benefit of the training and preparation we receive today. Studs with true warriors hearts and spirits, every one of them.

[LarryW]

"What It is Like to Go to War" by Karl Marlantes

Great read.

[Richard]

JRR Tolkien - "Beowulf: A Translation and Commentary"

[Divemaster]

Originally Posted by Richard

JRR Tolkien - "Beowulf: A Translation and Commentary"

I had an English lit professor who would read us Chaucer in fluent Middle English, and it was haunting. I can only imagine what Beowulf would sound like in the original.

[Divemaster]

I'm currently reading Charlemagne- A Biography by Derek Wilson. Charles was a pivotal character in Europe. In my younger years I was told this period was called the Dark Ages. Not so, and that term no longer exists. This is my first exploration into this leader and it is an eye opener. His feud with his brother, the heavy involvement the Roman popes and opposition to Constantinople, and wars around his realm are fascinating.
http://www.amazon.com/Charlemagne-De.../dp/0385516703

[Richard]

Anabasis by Xenophon (an Athenian who marched with Sparta and was exiled by Athens) - this is the story of his march to Persia to aid Cyrus, who enlisted Greek help in his failed attempt to wrest the throne from the Persian ruler Artaxerxes, and the ensuing return march between 401 B.C. and 399 B.C. of the then abandoned Greek forces.

Richard

[EnderWiggin]

"Not a Good Day to Die: The Untold Story of Operation Anaconda" by Sean Naylor. Slow start, but I really appreciate the detail.

"The Only Thing Worth Dying For: How Eleven Green Berets Fought for a New Afghanistan" by Eric Blehm is next on the list.

[conco303]

1) Masters of Chaos: A Secret History of the Special Forces (Linda Robinson)

2) None Braver: USAF Pararescuemen in Afghanistan (Michael Hirsh)

3) Spy the Lie: How to Spot Deception the CIA Way (Houston, Floyd, Carnicero)

4) Les Miserables (Victor Hugo) + Sycamore Row (Grisham)

I'm about 3/4 through #1 and 2, halway through 3 and almost done with the last two novels. PJs are something else I really admire their hardcore approach. I feel like Masters of Chaos needed an author who had, I don't know, experienced more of the combat side of things as well.

[craigepo]

Founders' Son: A Life of Abraham Lincoln, by Richard Brookhiser.

A look at how the ideologies of the Founders shaped Lincoln's life and presidency.

[Ayydubb]

Lions of Kandahar by Major Rusty Bradley. The last two books I read about SF were much more formal and journalistic, so I've enjoyed the personality in this one.

On deck is The Ugly American by Lederer and Burdick. I don't know much about it aside from the Amazon blurb, but a QP highly recommended it in another thread.

[DDD]

Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand.
An amazing story, waiting for the movie at Christmas.

[Dive08]

Also reading Unbroken, so far so great.

Just finished The Starfish and the Spider. Interesting book on the effectiveness of different organizational structures.

Also just finished 13 Hours. Know that this is an account that focuses on the tactical level of how things played out and it is told from that perspective only. A quick read, nothing that blew me away.

[sytl]

Reading: The Oakland Army Base by Martin Meeker (ed); The Jedburghs by Will Irwin (audio).

Next: A Perfect Hell by John Nadler; Roger Williams and the Creation of the American Soul by John M. Barry.

[ZonieDiver]

I just finished "13 Hours; the Inside Account of What Really Happened in Benghazi" by Mitchell Zuckoff 'with the Annex Security Team'. Interesting read which 'avoids' the 'controversy' over video vs terrorists (but explodes the video narrative anyway).

Started"The Teacher Wars; A History of America's Most Embattled Profession" by Dana Goldstein. An interesting history so far.