What are you reading now...?

Originally Posted by kgoerz

Boy did our guys get Fu@$kd getting the M16 crammed down their throat. Very disturbing part of the Book.

Has the M4 w/add-ons changed your mind? Always thought the M14 was a great weapon, in either jungle or desert.

--BT--

Reading a novel, the first in countless years: Steve Pressfield, "Gates of Fire".

Man is weak, greedy, craven, lustful, prey to every species of vice and depravity. He will lie, steal, cheat, murder, melt down the very statues of the gods and coin their gold as money for whores. This is man. This is his nature, as all the poets attest.

Fortunately, God in his mercy has provided a counterpoise to our species’ innate depravity. That gift, is War.

War, not peace, produces virtue. War, not peace, purges vice. War and preparation for war call forth all that is noble and honorable in a man. Do not despise War,…, nor delude yourself that mercy and compassion are values superior to Andreia, to manly valor.

Polynikes, Defender of Thermopylae

[XJWoody]

Most recently finished MSG Newman's book The Night Eagles Soared. An excellent read, and I can see a couple of my QP buddies in there at times. I passed it along to a co-worker whose sis-in-law is currently dating an 18E or maybe he's an F(?) Standing orders are to read and pass it along. The other copy went to SCC Boyd Library as I sometimes do.

A quick & dirty read I just put down was Sh*t My Dad Says by Justin Halpern. Somewhat profane, and pretty close to how I communicate with my own stepkids & eldest grand. About 50% narrative & 50% quotes. IMHO hilarious & reminds me a lot of my own interaction with my WWII/Korea paratrooper father. (If you've ever been called a "free-thinking, idle-minded so & so" you'll "get" this book)

Currently into Pandora's Seed. The Unforeseen Cost of Civilization. by Spencer Wells. The premise is how the transition from a nomadic hunter-gatherer existence to more stationary agrarian societies has altered and continues to affect our path. It's interesting in a GTTC CTTG sorta way, good bedtime reading so far...

[Jack Dale]

I'm reading The Wave, by Susan Casey, about giant rogue waves thought to be mariner's fairy tales, but recently proven to be not only real, but common.

Just finished The Invisible Gorilla, by Christopher Chabris & Daniel Simons, about how we rarely see what's really in front of us and how our intuitions deceive us.

Also reading Bitch Creek, by William Tappley, and excellent murder mystery about a crime-solving Maine fishing guide. Well written, well plotted, a page turner.

All three are well worth your time.

[incarcerated]

Originally Posted by Jack Dale

Also reading Bitch Creek, by William Tappley

What, they made a book about my ex-wife?

Or is it about my Congresswoman…?
http://www.professionalsoldiers.com/...3&postcount=45

[CDG]

"Without Hesitation: The Odyssey Of An American Warrior"

GEN (Ret.) Hugh Shelton, 14th CJCS

Very enthralling book so far.

[Groleck]

Originally Posted by GratefulCitizen

Found multiple study bibles (w/commentaries) and translations to be useful (still primarily use a Scofield and Ryrie, KJV and NIV).
Your local library should have a series of monographs and commentaries on particular books in the Bible.
There are also a great many sermons which have been published over the centuries, though these may take a bit more research.

You'll find something new in it every time you read it.
"For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart."
-Hebrews 4:12

GratefulCitizen:

Thanks for your suggestions, I hadn't thought of using published sermons or commentaries. I'm using a Zondervan NIV. I'm experimenting with finding a happy medium for skipping over some of the scholarly notes, at least this time through. My goal is retention and understanding, so sometimes the notes really bog me down.

- Dan P

[DevilSide]

Originally Posted by wet dog

--BT--

Reading a novel, the first in countless years: Steve Pressfield, "Gates of Fire".

Man is weak, greedy, craven, lustful, prey to every species of vice and depravity. He will lie, steal, cheat, murder, melt down the very statues of the gods and coin their gold as money for whores. This is man. This is his nature, as all the poets attest.

Fortunately, God in his mercy has provided a counterpoise to our species’ innate depravity. That gift, is War.

War, not peace, produces virtue. War, not peace, purges vice. War and preparation for war call forth all that is noble and honorable in a man. Do not despise War,…, nor delude yourself that mercy and compassion are values superior to Andreia, to manly valor.

Polynikes, Defender of Thermopylae

I'm just curious, what are your thoughts on that quote?

As for what I'm reading, I'm almost done with a book called "The Perfect Soldier" and is a historical account of elite soldiers throughout the years, from Sparta to modern day SOF's. Pretty much discusses what makes them what they are, how nations, kings, and emperors desired the "perfect soldier". Also has a good section on Commando's of WW2, good for anyone interested in military history, which probably includes almost everyone here

[tiburon2112]

Acquired a used copy of this classic. Will start to read this week and post review.

Originally Posted by DevilSide

I'm just curious, what are your thoughts on that quote?

As for what I'm reading, I'm almost done with a book called "The Perfect Soldier" and is a historical account of elite soldiers throughout the years, from Sparta to modern day SOF's. Pretty much discusses what makes them what they are, how nations, kings, and emperors desired the "perfect soldier". Also has a good section on Commando's of WW2, good for anyone interested in military history, which probably includes almost everyone here

Given it's origin, spoken by a fictional character, 'Polynikes' I found it interesting that the author, arrived at his conclusions that war and the preperation for war create values unmeasured in typical social mainstreams, (i.e., the public).

The complete text is a bit more elaborate, speaking more of murder and killing. I took certain liberties in editing.

What are your thoughts to Polynikes' speach?

[Bushranger]

One soldier´s war in Chechnya from Arkady Babchenko, it´s unbelievable...

[incarcerated]

Originally Posted by Bushranger

One soldier´s war in Chechnya from Arkady Babchenko, it´s unbelievable...

OK, you‘ve gotten my attention…please elaborate.

[Bushranger]

Originally Posted by incarcerated

OK, you‘ve gotten my attention…please elaborate.

Well, the guy served there around the year 2000, which is not too long ago. Bullying of conscripts was on its top, throwing the guys out of the windows, breaking their jaws, beating them in sleep etc. When the author went to battalion commander to make official complain, he found out that the guy lies in the quartermaster´s store, wrapped in a pile of old coats, drunk as a skunk for two days already. Soldiers reguarly raided their own armory and sold their weapons (like RPGs, AKs, PKMs) on local bazaar, so they could get some money on food and drugs. If that´s true, that army is in much deeper sh.t than I thought.

[Stingray]

Originally Posted by wet dog

Reading a novel, the first in countless years: Steve Pressfield, "Gates of Fire".

Man is weak, greedy, craven, lustful, prey to every species of vice and depravity. He will lie, steal, cheat, murder, melt down the very statues of the gods and coin their gold as money for whores. This is man. This is his nature, as all the poets attest.

Fortunately, God in his mercy has provided a counterpoise to our species’ innate depravity. That gift, is War.

War, not peace, produces virtue. War, not peace, purges vice. War and preparation for war call forth all that is noble and honorable in a man. Do not despise War,…, nor delude yourself that mercy and compassion are values superior to Andreia, to manly valor.

Polynikes, Defender of Thermopylae

I am not much of a fiction reader either. But I enjoyed Gates of Fire a great deal. I found a lot of nuggets of wisdom throughout the book. I read the Afghan Campaign by Pressfield after as well. Both on my favorites list now.

Sincerely,

[Richard]

The Great Trials of Clarence Darrow: The Landmark Cases of Leopold and Loeb, John T. Scopes, and Ossian Sweet by Donald McRae.

[DevilSide]

Originally Posted by wet dog

Given it's origin, spoken by a fictional character, 'Polynikes' I found it interesting that the author, arrived at his conclusions that war and the preperation for war create values unmeasured in typical social mainstreams, (i.e., the public).

The complete text is a bit more elaborate, speaking more of murder and killing. I took certain liberties in editing.

What are your thoughts to Polynikes' speach?

I mostly agree with it, from my life experience so far, man is weak and greedy, causes conflict, and good comes out of us to make things right with force. Theres nothing more virtuous than dieing for something you believe in or someone/something you love, which comes in war. It can go both ways, I'd just hate to believe that we're all weak and greedy, I think what sets us apart from eachother and other species is that we don't have to be that way. Thats my thoughts on it for now anyway.