What Are You Reading Now?

[happyone]

A few books I've read recently that might be of interest

American Revolutions

https://www.goodreads.com/review/sho..._review_page=1


This is a revisionist look at the economic and political underpinnings of the American Revolution

Johannes Brahms: A Biography

https://www.goodreads.com/review/sho..._review_page=1

A thought this a really good look at the last of the Three B's of Classical Music

The Romanovs: 1683=1917

https://www.goodreads.com/review/sho..._review_page=1

Good over view of the Russian Imperial Family - his telling of their sexual lives is a little over the top

The Few: The American ""Knights of the Air"" Who Risked Everything to Fight in the Battle of Britain

I didn't type up my thoughts, but this is a very good look at the seven Americans who flew with the RAF in during the Battle of Britain

The Worst Hard Time: The Untold Story of Those Who Survived the Great American Dust Bowl

Some of you here have read this and commented on how good it was - I have to agree - great read

https://www.goodreads.com/review/sho..._review_page=1

The Frozen Hours: A Novel of the Korean War

Jeff Shaara looks at the Korean War - well researched, almost NF

https://www.goodreads.com/review/sho..._review_page=1

The Quest for El Cid

Not great, way too short and a little out of my usual reads, but an interesting look at Medieval Spain

https://www.goodreads.com/review/sho..._review_page=1

Rogue Heroes: The History of the SAS, Britain's Secret Special Forces Unit That Sabotaged the Nazis and Changed the Nature of War

Ben Macintyre always does a good job

https://www.goodreads.com/review/sho..._review_page=1

A couple I haven't typed up my thoughts on yet

Rising Tide: The Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 and How It Changed America

very good look not only at the flood, but the culture of the twentieth century south

The Perfect King: The Life of Edward III, Father of the English Nation

I really like the author, Ian Mortimer, as an author and he doesn't disappoint
about the only quibble I had with this is his dwelling on weather or not Edward II, Edward III father, was actually killed at Berkley Castle

The Legends Club: Dean Smith, Mike Krzyzewski, Jim Valvano, and an Epic College Basketball Rivalry

really fun read with some great stories about the relationship between the three men

I'm currently reading another book by Mortimer

The Time Traveller's Guide to Restoration Britain: Life in the Age of Samuel Pepys, Isaac Newton and The Great Fire of London (Time Traveller's Guides #3)

This is the third entry into his Time Traveller's guides - he looks a every day life in the particular period - not your usual history

Nine Days in May: The Battles of the 4th Infantry Division on the Cambodian Border, 1967

This fight took place while my father was part of the 4th. While he wasn't on the ground, was coordinating the fire support for these people

A little rough reading in spots - the description of the battles of the first day is riveting

[Katy Lied]

I always appreciate your book recommendations (and SteelBlue too!) even if they skew heavily testosteroney.

[happyone]

I always appreciate your book recommendations (and SteelBlue too!) even if they skew heavily testosteroney.

What can I say

[SteelBlue]

A few books I've read recently that might be of interest

The Worst Hard Time: The Untold Story of Those Who Survived the Great American Dust Bowl

Some of you here have read this and commented on how good it was - I have to agree - great read

One of my favorites.

[CardiacCoug]

The Worst Hard Time was great.

I read this one in 2 days recently and I shared a lot of passages with my teenage son -- great common sense book about priorities, values and goals:

https://www.amazon.com/Subtle-Art-No.../dp/B019MMUA8S

[Jeff Lebowski]

Finished The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah. Nicely crafted novel about a family working with French resistance during WW2. A minor quibble or two with the ending, but overall I liked it. Currently being made into a movie.

[BigPiney]

Finished The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah. Nicely crafted novel about a family working with French resistance during WW2. A minor quibble or two with the ending, but overall I liked it. Currently being made into a movie.

I remember not liking this book. Went back and looked and my complaints were about the obnoxious inner monologue and that I ended up hating all the characters. Maybe I am just jaded.

[Jeff Lebowski]

I remember not liking this book. Went back and looked and my complaints were about the obnoxious inner monologue and that I ended up hating all the characters. Maybe I am just jaded.

Maybe you just hate french people!

[clackamascoug]

Just finished Shoe Dog by Phil Knight. Yes, he actually wrote it himself. He goes into great detail about the early days of Blue Ribbon Sports and how NIKE came to be. For 18 years he was on the verge of going out of business without enough cash flow, and trying to grow the business. He shares some things that must have been difficult for him to disclose.

A very poignant moment was the death of Steve Prefontaine, and he goes into great detail of his last race. I found this part most interesting, because I was in Eugene that night as a 15 year old kid for the State T&F Championships at Hayward field the next day. I was at Pre's last race and my friend Dave got his autograph. I got the autograph of Mac Wilkins. We woke up the next morning to the news, and the whole city of Eugene was in shock. To say the Pre was a beautiful man would be an understatement. He was a 24 year old god.

[happyone]

Some more of my recent reads

If anyone is interested, I typed up my thoughts on Rising Tide: The Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 and How It Changed America

Very good look at the culture of the early 20th century south, specifically the Mississippi Delta and the power of the River

https://www.goodreads.com/review/sho..._review_page=1

and The Perfect King: The Life of Edward III, Father of the English Nation

https://www.goodreads.com/review/sho..._review_page=1

In addition I've complete and typed my thoughts on three more books that might be of interest

The Time Traveller's Guide to Restoration Britain: Life in the Age of Samuel Pepys, Isaac Newton and The Great Fire of London (Time Traveller's Guides #3)

This is a really fun read - sometimes laugh-out-loud.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/sho..._review_page=1

Nine Days In May: The Battles Of The 4th Infantry Division On The Cambodian Border, 1967

I had to read this one, because my Father was peripherally involved with it. He was assigned as one of the Fire Support Coordinators for the 4th ID during the fight and had to clear all indirect fires and Close Air Support. He was in radio contact with these people all through the fight.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/sho..._review_page=1

Tried by Fire: The Story of Christianity's First Thousand Years

Dr. Bill Bennett, Reagan's first Sec of Education and later Drug Czar, looks at Christianity's first 1000 yrs, from the death of the Apostles to the Great Schism. He is a practicing Roman Catholic and sometime is shows in his word and phrase choices, but that doesn't preclude him from telling the not so nice aspects of the early church.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/sho..._review_page=1

I've finished the next two, but haven't had a chance to type up my thoughts - both are excellent

Hero of the Empire: The Boer War, a Daring Escape, and the Making of Winston Churchill

Candice Millard's latest. She looks at Churchill's early life through his experiences in the Boer war. It is every bit as good as her earlier works!

Mission: Jimmy Stewart and the Fight for Europe

A very, very good look at Jimmy Stewarts war record and his life in prewar Hollywood. He was definitely a ladies man. According to the author he slept with half the A-list actresses in Hollywood, including such names a Ginger Rogers, Marlena Dietrich, Oliva DeHavilland. He reasons for joining the military and his fight to fly combat are also well done. Neither MGM or the War Department wanted him anywhere near a combat zone. He ended up flying 20 missions including an early trip to Berlin. The mental strain he was under and how it affected his post war career is also well done - highly recommended!

I'm currently reading an older Ben Macintyre book on the British MI5's wholesale penetration of Nazi intel networks in Britain and how they used this to influence German actions in 1943-45

Double Cross: The True Story of the D-Day Spies

[Jeff Lebowski]

Hero of the Empire: The Boer War, a Daring Escape, and the Making of Winston Churchill

Candice Millard's latest. She looks at Churchill's early life through his experiences in the Boer war. It is every bit as good as her earlier works!

Read that one a couple of months ago. He was an amazing guy.

[happyone]

Read that one a couple of months ago. He was an amazing guy.

No kidding!

[SteelBlue]

National Book Award longlist is out:

Fiction

Elliot Ackerman: Dark at the Crossing
Daniel Alarcón: The King Is Always Above the People: Stories
Charmaine Craig: Miss Burma
Jennifer Egan: Manhattan Beach
Lisa Ko: The Leavers
Min Jin Lee: PachinkoCarmen Maria Machado: Her Body and Other Parties: Stories
Margaret Wilkerson Sexton: A Kind of Freedom
Jesmyn Ward: Sing, Unburied, Sing
Carol Zoref: Barren Island

Surprised not to see Saunders (whose novel just made the Man Booker Shortlist) here as I thought this was the major prize that would most value that work. From this longlist I've read Ward, Eagan and Ko and have shared my brief impressions throughout this thread. You may recall that I was very high on Ward's novel. I still am and have read nothing that even approaches it yet this year. I continue to believe it will be considered 2017's most important work of fiction and that, as I've probably posted here before, it will prove to be a work of enduring literary significance.

[BigPiney]

National Book Award longlist is out:



Surprised not to see Saunders (whose novel just made the Man Booker Shortlist) here as I thought this was the major prize that would most value that work. From this longlist I've read Ward, Eagan and Ko and have shared my brief impressions throughout this thread. You may recall that I was very high on Ward's novel. I still am and have read nothing that even approaches it yet this year. I continue to believe it will be considered 2017's most important work of fiction and that, as I've probably posted here before, it will prove to be a work of enduring literary significance.

That is because Saunders' book was crap.

But I agree about Sing, Unburied, Sing. I read it in 2 days, finishing it yesterday, and it was great. Highly recommended.

[old_gregg]

target tokyo. jimmy doolittle=bamf