What are you reading now...?

[Badger52]

Savoring a couple issues of Popular Mechanics and Mechanics Illustrated from June & July 1945 sent by a friend. Inside front-cover is a painting of the navigator's position on a B-29. Replete with hand-drawn artwork, War Bond drives ("to pay off the 7th lending") how-to's, fixit's (back when people repaired things), and ads for quality stuff (and some cheesy fad items) at less than a shot of Starbuck's.

Intermixed of course was the hand=sketched quiz "Name these 10 Jap planes, answers on page...."

I'm particularly interested in finding this "Radioman's Guide" replete with projects, fundamentals and tons of illustrations - 772 pages, four bucks. I need Mr. Peabody's Wayback Machine.

Reading "Black Ops Vietnam". Subtitled: "The Operational History of MACVSOG" By Robert M. Gillesppie. I Have only read the first 1/4th of the book because it is a wealth of information. I sometimes go back and re-read the first 1/4th again.

Second one is: "Migs over North Vietnam" By Roger Boniface. This one is kinda hard to read about your enemy and how many USAF airplanes were shotdown and pilots, GIBs, and co-pilots that were killed. OOoops, forgot the Navy and the Marines. This book gives after action reports on their "Shootdowns"

Third one will be read later this year. It will be the "Command and Control history of sall annexes" By Mr. Sherman and along with John's "Stryker" Meyers (new book(?) or something new called "Across the Fence".

Any and all books concerning MACVSOG are what I collect to learn more and more about MACVSOG. It is my hobby. My knowledge has tripled about them too.

[Richard]

1491: New Revelations Of The America's Before Columbus by Charles C. Mann.

Very well written and documented book of a world we only thought we knew and understood.

[Rob_Frey]

"To Hell and Back" by Audie Murphy

[cjwils3]

Originally Posted by Radar Rider

FEARLESS

The Undaunted Courage and Ultimate Sacrifice of Navy SEAL Team SIX Operator Adam Brown

by Eric Blehm

This is not your typical American hero story. The background of Adam Brown's civilian life prior to military service is very interesting, to say the least. Even as I knew the ultimate conclusion, I shed tears reading the amazing story of Adam Brown's life and service to the USA.

I read the opening pages of that book this evening, which was more than enough for me to place an order for it on Amazon. Rest in peace Chief Petty Officer Adam Brown and all who have made the ultimate sacrifice. I think about you all everyday and you will always be my heroes.

[SFOC0173]

Just finished a fictional story; “THE DEGÜELLO” by Scott A. Zastrow. The subject is about an ODA at the start of the Afghanistan War. The author goes into technical descriptions of equipment, somewhat in the manner that Dale Brown does. All-in-all it was a good read.

[Badger52]

Staying with friends in Howell, MI while shooting a nearby match, walking around after a too-big meal at Diamond's. Browsed a local shop, finding all 4 of his books on the shelf, one autographed. He's still there, occasional book signings, or just wandering in to the shop to buy books that he gives away to friends.

Starting with a nightstand re-read of "Currahee" since it's been 45 years...

[Streck-Fu]

The Fate of Liberty: Abraham Lincoln and Civil Liberties by Mark Neely, Jr.

Just picked this up at the library but am not enthused by the introduction....

The tedious historical debat over whether or not President Lincoln's policies were constitutional is a legacy of the brittle party platforms of a bygone era and the constitutional moralizing of sore losers .....

Rather than continue the fruitless debate over the constitutionality of Lincoln's acts, this book will examine instead the practical impact on civil liberties of the policies Lincoln developed to save the union.

I'll see how much of a 'ends justifies the means' approach this book has....

[Destrier]

SAGA OF THE RIDGE by J. Howard Pratt, pub. 1983, soft cover, 213 pages. About western NY history centering around the famous Ridge Road which runs from Lewiston through Orleans County.

Very interesting section on the Gaines Militia mounting up to head West to fight the British during the war of 1812, December, majority barefoot, three feet of snow, etc.

[Sigaba]

Originally Posted by Streck-Fu

The Fate of Liberty: Abraham Lincoln and Civil Liberties by Mark Neely, Jr.

Just picked this up at the library but am not enthused by the introduction....



I'll see how much of a 'ends justifies the means' approach this book has....

Streck-Fu

I think you are going to be disappointed continually if you keep evaluating works of professional academic history from the perspective of your political preferences. The operative phrase in the quotation you provide is "historical debat[e]." This phrase is a fifty foot tall neon sign to readers that a professional historian is trying to shift a historiographical debate away from questions centering around what should have happened to an examination of what actually happened.

Also, when reading works of academic history, you might be better served by looking first at the footnotes/endnotes and bibliography and then the introduction.

[Streck-Fu]

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.

[MR2]

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)

[Sigaba]

Originally Posted by Streck-Fu

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]

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]

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