Books: What are you currently reading?

Michael Dorosh

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Rereading The Run of His Life: The People v. O. J. Simpson by Toobin, prompted by a whim rebinging of American Crime Story: The People vs O.J. Simpson
Finished that and rereading Vincent Bugliosi's Outrage: The 5 Reasons Why O.J. Simpson Got Away With Murder which touches on all the things Toobin apparently got wrong in his book.
 

jyoung

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Just finished "Over Fields of Fire", by Anna Timofeeva-Egorova, female Sturmovik pilot from 1942-45. Pretty cruel treatment by her own for "allowing" herself to be captured, and the "no POWs, just traitors" order.
 

jyoung

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I really liked Neptune's Inferno and Fleet at Hightide. The latter did a very effective job in getting at the perspective of U.S. leaders after and on Saipan firsthand that informed the use of the atomic bomb later.
Just finished reading The Fleet at Flood Tide, excellent, thanks for the recommendation. I was very struck by Nimitz's turn of phrase:
"Let us go forth in all friendliness, and with a desire to live in full amity with our neighbor, the world. But let us make certain that our olive branch is planted firmly in a rich soil with a high content of uranium-235".
 

Tuomo

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Just finished The Warsaw Uprising by George Bruce. It moves relatively quickly, which I tend to like, although perhaps that's because I tend to skim sections I'm not interested in. The book gives you an appreciation for the factions within the Polish Resistance, the efforts the British and Americans made to send supplies via airdrop, etc. Even though it's really easy to (IMO correctly) conclude that the Soviets doomed the Uprising by failing to support it, one does get a better sense of how the Uprising's timing was not good - the Soviets were nearby, true, but they seemed overextended and needed to retrench after some aggressive gains. Still, Stalin felt little urgency to help a people who he was intent on crushing himself anyway. IMO.

One thing the Kindle edition sorely lacks is maps of any kind. Having drawn the Warsaw HASL map for LFT, I could follow along just fine, but you don't get the feel for Warsaw without pictures.
 
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The Great Pyramid Void Enigma - Scott Creighton. P/B.

Since I have a strong interest in Ancient Archaeology - this is a very intriguing book. Well written with easy prose style. The background to the narrative is the discovery in 2017 of a great big void within the Great pyramid at Giza. This was done by the Scan/Pyramid Project by 3 separate groups who came up with the same astonishing results; namely that there is a dirty great big space which should not really be there. It is of the same dimensions of the great gallery beneath it.

The burning questions are - Why is it there and what is it for ?.

Scott Creighton rightly analyses the historical evidence to find clues. The first being that the Coptic Egyptians who believe themselves to be the direct and true descendants of the Ancient Egyptians andhave always claimed that the Great Pyramid was not built by Khufu as a burial place but was built as a recovery vault.

Apparently the ancient astronomer priests used the stars to predict a flood in the future and it was decided to build a stone mountain to survive rtsing water levels. Within the pyramid were to be placed the tools and equipment - records and most importantly, the ancestral mummies of Khufu;s predecessors who would spiritually aid the rebirth of the Egyptian civilization.

Secondly, there is the intriguing puzzle of why no mummies or tombs of Khufu's parent and ancestors have ever been found- mostly, there mummies have disappeared.

Thirdly; the fact that the Great Pyramid being a burial place for Khufu is destroyed by the evidence being forged by it's main proponent; The Archaelogist - Howard Vyse , who in the 1830's had a great time blowing holes with gunpowder above the King's chamber and claimed that he had found two of Khufu's cartouches in the relieving chambers above the King's Chamber; the only problem here being that they have the writing style effect of the Middle Kingdom and not of the Old kingdom.

Fourthly; the orientation of the so called Queens pyramids and the general layout of all the structures on the Giza plateau seem to reflect star positions and dating methodology which backs up that the structures are much older and provide a viable date for a sea level rise cataclysm and a possible future one. ( Do not worry - the next one is due to happen in about 4000 years )....

Why is this exciting - Well ; I notice that a so called prominent Egyptologist who has been a thorn in the side of the truth about the real age of the Spinx and purpose of the Pyramids, and who built them, has only last year stated that there are exciting treasures still to be found and numerous gaps in the Great Pyramid. The same guy who previously said that everything has been found. he small gantenbrink robotic device which went up one of the shafts from the Queens chamber found a small blocking stone slap with a corroded ccopper handle- these are just air shafts according to him.

Scott Creighton makes a good case for the Void being a secret chamber never to be disturbed for ancestral mummies and more intriguingly - a recovery vault with what.........? there has been for a long time; speculation about the lost Hall of Records somewhere on the Giza plateau....there have been legends of it being under the Sphinx and core drilling has been done on a limited scale with empty results. Lots of underground formations have also been found under the Giza plateau and most are water logged and blocked off by the so called prominent Egyptologist.

Maybe ; just maybe - The lost Hall of Records is as legends say on the Giza plateau but deviously designed into the Great Pyramid's structure to only be found by those who have the secret knowledge. They did not envision today,s scanning techniques. It even looks like all the known chambers in the Great Pyramid were designed to fool tomb robbers into believing there was nothing else there........Devious beyond belief, unless of course you are hiding something very significant and important.

The void could be the discovery of all time........so you have to wonder why no core drilling has been done and a small camera inserted to see inside........it has been 4 years and counting.

A fascinating and thought provoking read - my only gripe is that the Howard Vyse fraud evidence is too extensive.
 

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I just finished reading:


and:


and of course love listening to:


The 2 books are excellent day-to-day descriptions of life in the independent tank battalions/armored brigades.

And Mark Knopfler and Dire Straits are just gods.
 

Manilianus

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Just started Antony Beevor's "Ardennes 1944", so that I could read appropriate portions of the offensive each day from 18 XII 1944 to 26 XII 1944. Beevor at its' usual - very good book that reads itself.

Other than that I have "couple" (well slightly above 20) books to finish, one of them Robert Kershaw's "It Never Snows in September" - it's been couple of months since I've started this one and I struggle to finish it. It's so chaotic and at almost every page I feel like I'm being dragged through the narration. I know it's a classic, but it reads like a very disorganized classic. Anyone had the same experience, or is it me?
 

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Richard Frank has become my favorite author and has contributed to my belief that lawyers may make the most formidable historians. When his 3 volume treatment of the properly named Asia-Pacific War will be landmark for a long time to come.

I have had Decision in Normandy, but hadn't read it - book deficit of course. Have recently seen some things that indicate it needs to be read carefully and supplemented by more recent work, some of its narratives are just wrong apparently.
 

KhandidGamera

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Had seen the link to the video and finally listened and not watched it at work last night:

The Essel Bridgehead - The Battles on the River Aller

This is the author that did "No Triumphant Procession" that the TOT#2 April 1945: At The Sharp End drew on. The brand new book covered in the video is an expanded, based on research since the original book, on series of battles on the Aller River.

There's a lot of direct, map-oriented discussion of some of the scenarios and the maps are very good - color in the video, apparently black & white in the book.

Just bought both the old and the new and the Black Bull book on 11th Armoured Division (if its a British division it gets the British Spelling).

Only concern is the new book is published by Helion which like Stackpole is sometimes pretty sloppy with their book proofing.

One thing that struck me that might explain how well the German 2nd Marine Division did: crew cohesion and ship teamwork - if these guys were fielded with intact ship and U-boat crews.

Have always read the problem with the Luftwaffe troops is they weren't turned over to the Heer to be properly trained and soldierized, but they were much better raw material than average ground recruits - don't know if they were formed into units with an eye to keep former air units members together when forming into ground units.

In both cases, but maybe even more with naval personnel, there'd be some very useful transferable aptitudes: mechanical for both, gunnery for the naval troops.
 
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Yuri0352

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Richard Frank has become my favorite author and has contributed to my belief that lawyers may make the most formidable historians. When his 3 volume treatment of the properly named Asia-Pacific War will be landmark for a long time to come.
👍👍
Tower of Skulls (the first volume in the Asia-Pacific war trilogy) is excellent. I am very much looking forward to Frank's continuing study on the war in China.
 

KhandidGamera

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Tower of Skulls (the first volume in the Asia-Pacific war trilogy) is excellent. I am very much looking forward to Frank's continuing study on the war in China.
Can't right now, but will post some youtube links to him talking on the book and his concept and scope for the others.
 

KhandidGamera

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Yuri0352.

Richard Frank - Tower of Skulls MacArthur Foundation Interview

Origins of the Pacific Conflict (WW2HRT_35-01)

A Conversation with Richard Frank on Tower of Skulls and World War II

PMP: On the Homefront with Richard Frank - may have not listened to this or this: The Asia-Pacific War, 1937 to 1945: The New History and Its Implications for Today

Have to listen to this one yet, but like many you-tube vids, sound is low - need headphones to hear:
Meet the Author "Tower of Skulls: A History of the Asia-Pacific War July 1937-May 1942"

Some repeat of information between these, but still worth a listen.

Definitely have to listen to this one, just found: Historiography Of The Pacific War: Past Accomplishments And Future Challenges - has Jon Parshall in it too.

I need buy and read these two on the Chinese part of the war, which from what I gather are key "new-thinking" books what transpired, to include "Stillwell was bad, really bad".
Forgotten Ally: China's World War II, 1937–1945, Rana Mitter.
(He also published this, same year, not sure if they are the same book as above: China's War with Japan, 1937-1945: The Struggle for Survival, different country of pub.)

China at War: Triumph and Tragedy in the Emergence of the New China 1937-1952, Hans van de Ven. The American version on Amazon has a different cover, probably same story as above.

Good video on Operation Ichigo: Japan's Largest WW2 Offensive - you never heard of...
 

Yuri0352

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Yuri0352.

Richard Frank - Tower of Skulls MacArthur Foundation Interview

Origins of the Pacific Conflict (WW2HRT_35-01)

A Conversation with Richard Frank on Tower of Skulls and World War II

PMP: On the Homefront with Richard Frank - may have not listened to this or this: The Asia-Pacific War, 1937 to 1945: The New History and Its Implications for Today

Have to listen to this one yet, but like many you-tube vids, sound is low - need headphones to hear:
Meet the Author "Tower of Skulls: A History of the Asia-Pacific War July 1937-May 1942"

Some repeat of information between these, but still worth a listen.

Definitely have to listen to this one, just found: Historiography Of The Pacific War: Past Accomplishments And Future Challenges - has Jon Parshall in it too.

I need buy and read these two on the Chinese part of the war, which from what I gather are key "new-thinking" books what transpired, to include "Stillwell was bad, really bad".
Forgotten Ally: China's World War II, 1937–1945, Rana Mitter.
(He also published this, same year, not sure if they are the same book as above: China's War with Japan, 1937-1945: The Struggle for Survival, different country of pub.)

China at War: Triumph and Tragedy in the Emergence of the New China 1937-1952, Hans van de Ven. The American version on Amazon has a different cover, probably same story as above.

Good video on Operation Ichigo: Japan's Largest WW2 Offensive - you never heard of...
These all sound like excellent suggestions. Thank you very much!
 

KhandidGamera

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Yuri0352. My apologies on some of the links, there may be one or two in there that are actually same thing under different sources, but easy enough to figure that out. Picked up the Mitter and van de Ven books, the other day.
Find myself forming the same impressions about China today as I have for sometime about Russia's today from the period, don't think that can be overestimated. I don't see any evidence our leaders appreciate those points at all.
 

Jwil2020

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Halfway through Rick Atkinson's, An Army at Dawn. An excellent account of the Allied North African campaign of November '42-May '43. Well written, quick reading, and yet brings to light many interesting aspects of this neglected campaign. Atkinson does a superb job tracing the development of the American army from poorly trained and led green troops, to a force that would soon rival the best the Axis could field. He is unsparing of Allied strategy and American preparation, (especially some of the well-known personalities of the high command) while still being fair and intellectually honest in his appraisal.

Till now, I thought I had a good idea of the NA campaign. This book has shown me the large gaps in my knowledge base and given me a new appreciation of what a hastily prepared (and often maligned) army was able to accomplish.

I'm looking forward to reading the last two books of his trilogy.

EDIT: the book has some of the best maps I've ever seen. It has always been a mystery to me why so many military historians can't seem to figure out that key feature. If you're going to tell me about a battle- give me some decent maps!!
 
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Tuomo

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EDIT: the book has some of the best maps I've ever seen. It has always been a mystery to me why so many military historians can't seem to figure out that key feature. If you're going to tell me about a battle- give me some decent maps!!
PREACH BROTHER!
 

KhandidGamera

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Halfway through Rick Atkinson's, An Army at Dawn. An excellent account of the Allied North African campaign of November '42-May '43. Well written, quick reading, and yet brings to light many interesting aspects of this neglected campaign. Atkinson does a superb job tracing the development of the American army from poorly trained and led green troops, to a force that would soon rival the best the Axis could field. He is unsparing of Allied strategy and American preparation, (especially some of the well-known personalities of the high command) while still being fair and intellectually honest in his appraisal.

Till now, I thought I had a good idea of the NA campaign. This book has shown me the large gaps in my knowledge base and given me a new appreciation of what a hastily prepared (and often maligned) army was able to accomplish.

I'm looking forward to reading the last two books of his trilogy.

EDIT: the book has some of the best maps I've ever seen. It has always been a mystery to me why so many military historians can't seem to figure out that key feature. If you're going to tell me about a battle- give me some decent maps!!
You may want to check out the first book in his American Revolution trilogy also.
 
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