What are you reading now...?

[Viking]

Just started Killing Rommel by Pressfield.

[Bill S.]

Originally Posted by greenberetTFS

I have to disagree with you on Nietzsche being consider great works..... I did an in depth paper on him a long while ago and my conclusion was that he was a madman...... I'm sure you know he died in an insane asylum in 1900. Hitler used his works to promote his superman concept on the german race in the mid 30's..

I did not mean to give the impression that I considered the collective works of Nietzsche "great". Allow me to clarify with the following:

From my original post

...Nietzsche's concept of "The Übermensch" is something I think anyone who is a member of this forum would relate to (overcoming oneself, etc.).

I wish I could push through the lot of Nietzsche without getting caught up in one of the million great works out there. I think there is a lot of good stuff buried in that translated German text.

I did not say that the works of Nietzsche are great. I meant to covey that there are millions of great works out there that usually distract me from making any real progress with Nietzsche. All I meant to say about Nietzsche is that I thought (or hoped, really) that there might be some "good stuff" in that text. This was based mostly on his concept of The Übermensch (not in the way the nazis misinterpreted it), in that one can overcome himself to make great progress. I find that similar to what one must do to get selected (as many of us have read on this forum - in one way or another).
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Additionally

1.)
Nietzsche undoubtedly showed symptoms of insanity. However, they manifested themselves instantly. His writings up to that point, such as Thus Spoke Zarathustra (what I based my hope of there being other "good stuff" on) were not influenced by his symptoms. Most believe that his insanity was not caused by his philosophy. Some claim that his mental breakdown was due to syphilis, which he may have contracted while serving in the military. Also, at least one study has suggested that brain cancer led to his symptoms and ultimately killed him and still others have suggested he suffered from frontotemporal dementia.

2.)
Hitler may have thought that what he was doing in the 30's was on par with the beliefs of Nietzsche, however, I believe that is untrue for 2 reasons. The first is that is sister perverted his most radical ideas. Michael Kalish writes:

What Nietzsche-biographer Walter Kaufmann calls the "legend of Nietzsche" was constructed mostly by Nietzsche's sister, Elisabeth Förster-Nietzsche, through two interventions: by censoring and editing Nietzsche's work to further her own anti-Semitic interest and to reconcile Nietzsche's work with Richard Wagner's (who was a radical, racist, anti-semite, nationalist). Second, in order to finance the Nietzsche archive Elisabeth exploited Nietzsche's prophetic and radical philosophy to appeal to her preferred political party (the Nazis). After Nietzsche's insanity in 1889, the rising tide of anti-Semitism in Germany soon drowned the Weimar Nietzsche Archive in a sea of swastikas.

The second is that Nietzsche himself wrote, "It is a matter of honor to me to be absolutely clean and unequivocal regarding anti-Semitism, namely opposed, as I am in my writings… I have been persecuted in recent times with letters and Anti-Semitic Correspondence sheets; my disgust with this party … is as outspoken as possible, but the relation to Förster, as well as the after-effect of my former anti-Semitic publisher Schmeitzner, always bring the adherents of this disagreeable party back to the idea that I must after all belong to them…"

So...

- I do not think the collective works of Nietzsche are great
- He may have been a madman, but most believe his insanity did not influence his work
- Hitler may cite Nietzsche as a reference to justify his own crazy-ass theories, but he did so incorrectly, thanks to Elisabeth Nietzsch

HOWEVER.... My knowledge of this subject matter is undoubtedly less than yours. Being as such, I would love to hear your opinion about the 2 points I brought up that really have nothing to do with me thinking (or not thinking) Nietzsche's works are great.

Thank you for your reply and I am sorry for being so lengthy in mine, I just wanted to make myself clear. I am not a supporter of ideas of a madman, or of the nazis. Or midgets

[LongWire]

Originally Posted by Stingray

Starship Troopers by Robert Heinlein. I have never watched the movie but began reading it with an open mind. Not at all what I expected. Very good book.
.

Do yourself a favor, and don't waste your time with the movie. You will be thoroughly disappointed if you are looking for anything resembling the book. MHO........

[Richard]

The Photographer: Into War-Torn Afghanistan With Doctors Without Borders. Guibert, Lefevre, Lemercier.

Stunning, original, powerful, insightful.

Richard's $.02

[swpa19]

The Son Tay Raid by John Gargus

[Defender968]

Five Years to Freedom: The True Story of a Vietnam POW, by Col James Row

[akv]

1) "Gentleman & Warrior" by Peter Robins, A biography of W.E. Fairbairn.

2) "Thoughts of a Philosophical Fighter Pilot" by Vice Admiral James Stockdale.

3) "Shibumi" by Trevanian.

4) "Japanese Destroyer Captain" by Captain Tameichi Hara.

5) "Eagle in the Snow" by Wallace Breem.

[VAKEMP]

Originally Posted by Swank

The Accidental Guerrilla: Fighting Small Wars in the Midst of a Big One by David Kilcullen

I just got this book, and it is a very eye-opening read so far.

I'm also currently (re)reading a personal favorite: Leadership And Training For The Fight: A Few Thoughts On Leadership And Training From A Former Special Operations Soldier by MSG Paul R. Howe.

[Sigaba]

Originally Posted by akv

"Shibumi" by Trevanian.

Have you had the opportunity to read The Eiger Sanction and The Loo Sanction? If not, you might enjoy both if you like Shibumi.

[akv]

Sigaba,

Thank You, I will check them out.

[Penn]

Jeffery Toobin, The Nine, the secret world of the Supreme Court.
FWIW: Through Toobin's writing slants this read slightly to the left, it is still a very interesting read; political pinochle and the psychology of the Justices’, culture and political party allegiance.

[Ret10Echo]

Originally Posted by Ret10Echo

Just finished "Slow Walk in a Sad Rain" by John P. McAfee.

Wide range of emotions while reading this.



Began "Night Drop" by S. Marshall

Interesting read concerning 82nd and 101st operations on D-Day. There are portions of very great detail and I find myself referring back to the maps in order to track locations and movements. This is representative of the actual operation so no surprise there. The writing seems a bit disjointed but overall a good read.

Update on Night Drop....

Interesting read and after getting a better understanding on how Marshall developed the book it is understandable how it appears a bit disjointed. The writing is a direct reflection of how the battle(s) and skirmishes developed following drops that threw together ad-hoc groups of men and created a C2 nightmare.

[LongWire]

Originally Posted by VAKEMP

I just got this book, and it is a very eye-opening read so far.

I'm also currently (re)reading a personal favorite: Leadership And Training For The Fight: A Few Thoughts On Leadership And Training From A Former Special Operations Soldier by MSG Paul R. Howe.

I've got this one as well........eye opening indeed. I've read alot of Killcullen's white papers as well, there's definitely a reason why he has Patraeus's ear.

[The antihero]

I lately finished (devoured is more like it) The UN Gang: A Memoir of Incompetence, Corruption, Espionage, Anti-Semitism and Islamic Extremism at the UN Secretariat by Pedro A. Sanjuan.

It is a precious insight on UN's inefficiency, corruption and ideological extremism by a man who worked for and with the United Nations throughout the '80s and '90s starting as a political appointee by then VP George Bush (as a spy on the UN Secretariat really). If you think you already know the United Nations are bad think again, they are much worse. Highly recommended.

[Roguish Lawyer]

I just finished The Reliance of the Traveler, A Classic Manual of Islamic Sacred Law.