1

Not a book, but I always read First Wave at Omaha Beach by S.L.A. Marshall on this weekend.  Will probably dig into D-Day by Stephen Ambrose at some point today or tomorrow, as well.

2 Everyone should read "Unbroken" this weekend if they haven't already.

3 Hello, all!

Who knows bird calls?  I am in the forest in NY, northern Adirondacks, and a high toot whistle, like that of a truck backing up, a second apart, one, two, no more than three, high up in the woods.  Never any trill.  Solitary bird.

If you know the call of the northern saw-whet owl, this sounds like that, but just done once, twice, or three times.  Not a continuous series.

And this one is done in daylight, not at night.

4 "With the Old Breed" by Eugene Sledge (Sledgehammer in The Pacific) is excellent.

And can someone help a moronette out?

I was typing away and hit *something* and it's reduced the font size here to miniscule.

Help a retarded moronette out, please!

5 Well fact my checks!  AP pulls the wool off and sees the JEF's claims on spending are simply bullshit.

And in other news, Lady Gaga meets Sharia, and it ain't all fun and games.  Maybe she'll do a song about it.

6 Sharkman, #1: D-Day was very good. I strongly recommend Citizen Soldiers as well - Ambrose starts the day after D-Day and follows the US Army through VE Day.

7 Victor Davis Hanson is always a great read. My first and still favorite is The Soul of Battle. Highly recommended especially for his take on Sherman's march to the sea. We had a Borders in our area that was closing and I hit it at just the right time. Not much was left but there was still lots of global and military history. I got a big stack of VDH books for a couple of bucks each.

8 Still working through The ABCs of Reloading. I've been stalled at the chapter on ballistics because it seems like something I want to pay a lot of attention to - maybe read with a notepad at hand. Since I always have two or three going, I also read Moronnete Sabrina Chase's new book, The Long Way Home[\i]. Highly recommended for fans of Heinlein or Firefly[\i]. The second book is already available as an ARC. I'll have to get to it later as I've started on Discworld.

9 [\i] Oops.

10 Maybe this?

11 Wrapped up the audio book of "The Orchid Thief" by Susan Orlean this morning. I recommend it, but with reservations. It's largely the story of an odd man who lives on the fringes of the law in the exotic flower business. No shoot-outs, no sex, no real drama. You learn a lot about the hobby/obsession of orchid collecting, get a nice primer on Florida geography/topology and get familiar with the weird guy, LaRoche. If I had been reading it rather than listening to it, I might've put it down, but the audio version was worthwhile. More than a couple of chuckle worthy lines and next to no Lib-babble.

12 Just finished the chapter in "The Great Upheaval" where the author talked about the slavery debates in the late 18th century.  Pretty brutal stuff for those that think our current polarization is something new.  Plus I never realized what a major cocksucker Ben Franklin was to his own flesh and blood.


Plus on the side I'm reading "Loose Balls" Terry Pluto's chronicles of the American Basketball Association which is very entertaining and "Invisible Republic" by Greil Marcus which reflects on Bob Dylan's basement tapes (all of them; not just the ones that the robber barons at Clodumbia *officially* released) which I wish Monty was still here to discuss and "Across the Great Divide" about the group The Band which I started reading after Levon Helm died.

13 this?

14

15 read "Unbroken" this weekend if they haven't already.

Seconded.

I liked Laura Hillenbrand's Seabiscuit enough to look for more from her and though the wait was a long one Unbroken was worth it.

16 Sorry, doing this on an iPad.

17 The Mighty Eighth, a history of the U.S. 8th Army Air Force by Roger A. Freeman

18 12 - That's an excellent point, CH. We've always heard history tends to repeat itself, and there is nothing new under the sun, just a repackaging. We're living in dangerous times, but hardly the worst this country has ever seen, and certainly not one we can't overcome.

19 The Innocence of Father Brown, G.K. Chesterton, via Gutenberg.org.

20 Just read Hugh Howey's Wool 6.  I'm going to cry when they make the movie and screw it all up.

21 I am still working on the Merline series by Mary Stewart.   I have come to realize that it is really more of a Medieval history novel than a Merline novel.  But it is good.

22 Marcus Luttrell has a new book out called, Service.

http://tinyurl.com/7aodnfq

Think I'll buy it next week.

This is a must read, too:

American Sniper: The Autobiography of the Most Lethal Sniper in U.S. Military History

http://tinyurl.com/7foepnc



I also want this book, which Brad Thor reviewed on Amazon:

Outlaw Platoon: Heroes, Renegades, Infidels, and the Brotherhood of War in Afghanistan

http://tinyurl.com/7huyh59

Brad Thor:

How close can we get to really knowing what it's like to succeed in combat? To fight, to survive—even thrive—while facing enemy fire every other day? To get on-the-job training in what it takes to be a strong, decisive commander? These are a few of the things that make Outlaw Platoon by Sean Parnell and John Bruning such a kick-ass read

Two of the grittiest, most intense tales of courage and camaraderie under fire that I own are Black Hawk Down and Lone Survivor. Now I have a third: Outlaw Platoon.

It’s the Black Hawk Down for the 21st Century. It is an absolutely gripping, edge-of-your-seat ride that follows these men when the fates foolishly attempt to stack the deck against them. This book has Hollywood blockbuster written all over it. But there’s much more than just the guns-blazing action. It is an epic tale of leadership, heroism, and the bond among warriors who ply their deadly trade with a deceivingly simple mandate—to kill the enemy and return home together alive. It’s an absolute must read!

23 As for books, I'm about to start "Theodore Rex" by Edmund Morris. Anyone read it? Looks like a long, tough read, and if it's not worth it, I may move onto something easier to swallow. I'll be gone most of the day, so if anyone has a suggestion about it, I'll see it later. Thanks!

24 Coincidentally tarted reading Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors on and off a couple of weeks ago. Fits nicely this weekend. Unbelievable story.

25 We're living in dangerous times, but hardly the worst this country has ever seen, and certainly not one we can't overcome.

Posted by: BurtTC at May 27, 2012 11:27 AM (2pG7H)

Exactly.  One thing that was Reagan's best selling point, and one which I think Romney understands, is how upbeat he was about our ability to overcome problems.  And thanks again for recommending this; even though the prose doesn't always grab me as much as the words in the preface did, Winik is obviously a major talent in making history come alive.

26 I've been reading Michael Collin's 'Carrying the Fire' about his NASA experiences.  I'm about half-way through and Michael has been transferred from Gemini to Apollo.  An interesting and very engaging book.

27 Jane, couple of us answered you on the other thread.



CTRL and + will increase the font size.

28 @8 - Don't know a lot but if you start with factory recommended loads then make up 3 or 4 rounds each, varied by small increments, you should be able to find the load your rifle "likes" the most. Then find a ballistics table you can plug that load into. Viola.

29 Here's one. Just finished it. Very good period piece novel. "Waiting for Sunrise" by William Boyd. 1912 - 1915. Vienna, Geneva, London. Brit actor recruited to be a spy and find a mole. Sex, intrigue, terrific characters and plot.

30 The President Observes Memorial Day

http://tinyurl.com/7m3rbxg

31

@3-  here is a link to bird calls- just remove all the spaces.

http://www.  allaboutbirds.org/ guide/Northern _Saw-whet _Owl/id

32 Posted by: Tami at May 27, 2012 11:35 AM (X6akg)



Thanks.  Done. 

33 I am almost half way through "Ameritopia" by Mark Levin.

Holy effing excrement.  Just excellent.

34 17 The Mighty Eighth, a history of the U.S. 8th Army Air Force by Roger A. Freeman

Posted by: Velvet Ambition at May 27, 2012 11:25 AM (mFxQX

The Mighty 8th Museum outside Savannah (right off I-95) is amazing.  Still a few old vets working there as guides.  It's a must-see for anyone traveling up/down I-95.

35 Thanks, teej! I picked up the Lee 50th kit but since I'm moving in two weeks I haven't even tried mounting it to anything. Have a bunch of books though.

36 Got to the part in Breitbart's book where he talks about how the lefties want to shut up the other side's point of view so that they can be heard. This has been their plan for decades.

37 Enterprise: The fighting ship in the Navy by Barrett Tillman

This follows the Enterprise all thru WWII.  Tillman is a great Naval Historian and tell the story of the men like a techno-thriller.

38 "Got to the part in Breitbart's book where he talks about how the lefties want to shut up the other side's point of view so that they can be heard. " Yup..watching MSM debate about Massachusetts having the most freeloaders.

39 Massachusetts now has the highest percentage of illegal aliens in public housing.

40 Enterprise: The fighting ship in the Navy by Barrett Tillman

Yeah, I've been meaning to get that ever since listening to the podcast of his speech at the Pritzker Military Library.

41 After a brief memorial observance this morning, I came across a short article which reminds in a way the benefits made possible by the many sacrifices made on behalf of our country.

In the June 2012 issue of Smithsonian magazine (their first annual food issue) is a short article written by Ayaan Hirsi Ali entitled Shelter.

Ayaan H A recounts the travels in here life from her native Somalia, Saudi Arabia, and Kenya to arrive in the Netherlands after rejecting Islam. She later served in heh Dutch parliament and cooperated with the late Theo Van Gogh on the film Submission about violence against Muslim women. Van Gogh was murdered for his role. Ayann H A was virtually 'imprisoned' for her safety.

As a result Ayaan immigrated to the United States for safety as she had received a position with the American Enterprise Institute.Tthey assisted with her visa application and helped raise money for her private protection.

The point of her story is essentially, as she writes, "In terms of shelter and protection, this country has been so absolutely wonderful to me."

She continues: "For me America is a place of refuge and a great nation. I say this without being blind to the problems we have in this country. But the people I have encountered have given me protection, friendship, love. I feel not only safe, but also absolutely free to lead the life I wanted."

It seemed to be an appropriate reading for this day.

42 40 Massachusetts now has the highest percentage of illegal aliens in public housing. And every single one of them votes democrat.

43

Still reading The Tyranny of Cliches after which I swear I will go back to The Rise and Fall of The Third Reich.

 

I searched for The Big Story on librarything.com so I could add it to my books to read, and all I got was a bunch of porn.  <sigh> Even on LibraryThing, it's taken over.  (I found it by searching on the author.)

44 OK, let me help you guys out with military history books. First, I am a big fan of VDH, but he's uneven in of of the chapters in Carnage and Culture. The Midway chapter misses a LOT. Shattered Sword by Parshall and Tully is the real definitive history on Midway, with Lundstrom's The First Team for the aerial specifics. If you liked The Mighty Eighth, track down a copy of Winged Victory- The US Army Air Forces in World War II by Geoffrey Perrett. If you're a ground-forces guy, Perrett's earlier book There's A War To Be Won- The US Army in World War II is truly outstanding. And you can never really go wrong Googling up the online bookshelves at the US Army Center for Military History and the US Navy History and Heritage Command. Your tax dollars have helped produce a lot of really good history books that can now be found in .pdf format. I couldn't have done my master's thesis without sixty years of CMH's output. Other high points I read over the last year were: Allen, Thomas B. and Norman Polmar. Downfall: The Secret Plan to Invade Japan- And Why Truman Dropped the Bomb. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1995. Doubler, LTC Michael D. Closing With the Enemy: How GIs Fought the War in Europe 1944-1945. Lawrence KS: University Press of Kansas, 1994. Bergerud, Eric. Touched With Fire: The Land War in the South Pacific. New York: Penguin, 1996. Mansoor, COL Peter R. The GI Offensive in Europe: The Triumph of American Infantry Divisions 1944-1945. Lawrence, KS: University Press of Kansas, 1999.

45 BurtTC - I highly recommend "Theodore Rex."  It is the second book in Morris' trilogy-biography of TR.  I recommend all three.


I second the recommendation of pretty much anything Victor Davis Hanson writes.

46 Shit, I broke the blog. Sorry about that.

47 Posted by: nickless at May 27,2012 11:27 AM(MMC8r) I read that one free from Amazon just after getting my Fire. For some reason I didn't like it as much as I had as a teenager.

48 Professionals read John Keegan.

49 "And every single one of them votes democrat. " Yeah. Mass is third world. Well..Mass does have republican Scott Brown. I think Brown is now running as an independent?

50 I've been reading the Smithsonian magazine for nearly 20 years.  I let my subscription lapse because they drank deeply of the Globull Warmening Kool-Aid and inject it into EVERY FREAKING ARTICLE.

51 Posted by: BurtTC at May 27,2012 11:27 AM(2pG7H) I was just thinking of that this morning. We don't (yet) have or need something like the Underground Railroad. Will we, or is it necessary, or advisable to skip that step? I belive that it *is* a necessary part of the cycle, but am very willing to be convinced otherwise.

52 Sgt Dan's Cat - Check out ibiblio-dot-org slash hyperwar for WWII info. 

They have a pretty comprehensive set of US Army Green Books.

53 Polliwog - We might want to study how the samizdat functioned in the USSR, pre-interwebs, to distribute information.

54 "...but which was presented to the American people as a defeat by the lying rat bastard commies in the MSM/MBM/MFM/DBM/etc."

How dare you, Sir! I was not a bastard. Technically.

55 How many of the illegals living in public housing in MA are relatives of Obama?

56 Just finishing A GAME OF THRONES and ready to start reading A CLASH OF KINGS by George RR Martin.

Last night streamed Netflix THE VETERAN (2011, directed by Matthew Hope).

Tonight, TO HELL AND BACK (1955, starring Audie Murphy), and TO END ALL WARS (2001, directed by David Cunningham).

Tomorrow, THE TILLMAN STORY (2010 documentary, directed by Amir Bar-Lev).

57 I forgot:  I am listening to Inside Scientology by Janet Reitman.  Even if she is a NYTimes reporter, it's still a pretty good book.  It's absolutely amazing what a bunch of fascists the Scientologists are, the higher you go, and how insanely gullible you have to be to get into it in the first place.  And if you are a second-generation Scientologist, you don't stand a chance at normalcy at all.

58 40
They're registered to vote for Fauxcohontas. Rumor has it, she touts being 1/20th illegal alien.

59 How many of the illegals living in public housing in MA are relatives of Obama?
--

virtually all

60 Finished "Last Elf of Lantis" and am now trying to finish Dicken's "Our Mutual Friend". Also reading the Foglio's "Agatha H and the Clockwork Princess" outloud to my kids. Clearly I need to read Breitbart's book that I bought when he died.

61 I'm going to search out those science fiction books that qualify under the Human Wave movement, like Sarah Chase's excellent "The Long Way Home."  These have great similarities to the stories popular when we planned the moon landings.  Real heroes, full of warts to make them human or funny, but nevertheless real heroes.  Like we celebrate on Memorial Day.  I'm really wanting to read the Wool stories because I hear they're great, but the reviews talk like the society gone wrong is the main character.  I don't want to be told again about how humanity will descend to the lowest common denominator if allowed; like when heroes are outlawed, and when anti-heroes become the admired characters.  Are there real heroes in Wool?  And is there any sense of hope?  I'm too damn picky.  I want heroes and hope.  Brutality should move the story along, and should not be the entertainment.  Same for sex. Yes, I'm old.

62 50, Lampshade, may I refer you to bloodthirstyliberal.com, one of my favorite blogs.  Written by possibly the only two conservatives in Massachusetts.

63 What do the morons think of Amazon caving to the SEIU and dropping ALEC?

64 64, Pecos, this 'ette is pretty darned disgusted.  Since someone posted some e-book conversion sites last week, I'm temtped to dump them as much as possible.  Also to write a nasty letter to whatshisname, Bezos?

65 I always try to watch 3 things: 1 - Ken Burns' "The War" which is just incredible. Mercifully he keeps his liberal, moral-relativist bent out of 99.9% of it. 2 - "Remember," the 26th and final episode of the BBC's "The World at War" which sadly has a bit of relativism in it (it's 1972 and Great Britain after all) 3 - The full 8 hours of Claude Lanzmann's "Shoah." And not really off topic, but I just saw that Sandy Dahl, the widow of pilot Jason Dahl of Flight 93, died today, apparently of a broken heart.

66

"On the Origins of War:  And the Preservation of Peace " by Donald Kagan.  Kagan analysis how nations stumble into war and how peace can be maintained.  Hint:  the best way of keeping the peace is to be well prepared to defend it.  Also strips the mythology from the Cuban Missile Crisis.

 

This book should be jammed down every idiot Democrat's throat.  A must read for all lovers of history and common sense.  A classic.

67
   Believe I'll skip the Vietnam segments.  Been there, done that, and don't need to relive what they (the left) did to us.

    I will, however, gratefully thank the DS troops who gave us back our validity.  For that, you people have my undying  gratitude.

68

John Keegan, the guy who wrote "The Face of Battle", a multi-chapter scribbling wherein Keegan analyzes battles/wars where men, who were facing a likely death with no escape, find ways to avoid fighting (and avoid the fighting)... and Keegan can't seem to figure out why ... that John Keegan?

 

In fact, Keegan can't seem to identify the (in his case, explanatory) common thread in all the battles he studies in this book: the men who were avoiding fighting in the battles, believed that they were in fact going to die, unavoidably and to no purpose, so they did the only thing that offered them a chance to continue living.

 

FromWiki: "He writes mainly for the educated non-specialist reader."

69 Tonestaple: "It's absolutely amazing what a bunch of fascists the Scientologists are..."

Yeah, they have quite the racket and love the lawfare. As I understand it, members pretty much confess all their sins and crimes in a very methodical manner from the get go to get "clear." So, in essence, The Church builds up a dossier on you and your deeds. Their lawyers/admins then proceed to use such privileged information to extort you into behaving the desired way. There's a LOT more going on than that, but that's a pretty big stick they hold... and the members give it to them right off the bat. The tales would curl your blood.

70 Dear aoshqbookthread@gmail.com

Would you mind giving my boss's new cook book a plug? It's called Bow Wow Chow.

71 Professionals don't read Keegan. Much.

They read the Green Books.

Or S.E. Morrison, for the squids.

72 64 What do the morons think of Amazon caving to the SEIU and dropping ALEC? Posted by: Pecos, at May 27, 2012 12:34 PM (2Gb0y) It sucks. Just goes to show what a minority with a very loud voice, media-backing and not so subtle violent tendencies can do because they don't have to concentrate on trivial matters like working and raising families. If only the vast majority of Americans can effectively mobilize for these instances, just like Tea Party organizations have done for elections. Boycott Amazon!

73 "Lampshade, may I refer you to bloodthirstyliberal.com, one of my favorite blogs. Written by possibly the only two conservatives in Massachusetts." Thanks. I'll check it out.

74 Thanks. I have stayed clear of Amazon ever since the pedo book was very slow to be removed from Amazon's lists. I bought a Nook instead of a Kindle for that reason. Just wanted your take on the issue.

75 I deserve the free housing. And food stamps....and the bus pass...and the pin money.

76
   Good read is Downrange, by Dick Couch.  It's a chronicle of SEAL activities in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere.

    Compelling read.

77 Too nice of a day to be inside - and a great day to read out on the deck. Here's a health guide that I cannot live without, and have recommended to many. Have gone through at least 3 editions, I own the 4th, currently, but it's now on its fifth. Honestly, you won't regret buying this book. The information is simply amazing. Prescription for Nutritional Healing (Fifth Edition) http://tinyurl.com/d4tclsb

78 For those like Ticklebee who are wondering if Wool has heroes --most definitely. Resourceful and courageous people who do the best they can with what they have. There's a definite thread of the dangers of keeping information restricted to a caste of the powerful, instead of letting ordinary people know and make their own decisions.  My only caution would be to treat the first two "books" of Wool as a prequel to the real story.  The author kept adding on to the original short story so the core of the work shifts as you go.  My only quibble for the whole thing.  I'd consider it Human Wave, definitely.

79 Brad, thanks for the reminder.  I just bought the final two volumes of the US Naval Institute reprint of Morison's 14-volume "History of US Naval Operations in World War II."  Heartily concur on The Green Books; USA CMH has an astounding on-line collection.

80 You have the obligation to make me a citizen.

81 It would be our honor, Auntie Zeituni, and if there are any costs associated with it, we would be more than happy to pay double for the privilege.  Also, we will make you queen or something.  Maybe Dowager Empress.

82 Paul Fussell died last week, so I went out and paid full price for Thank God for the Atom Bomb and other essays. Lives up to the title. Takes on all the postwar moralizing against using this horrible weapon on targets where innocent Japanese civilians would be collateral damage.

He wrote from the perspective of the hundreds of thousands of American ex-civilians facing death invading the Japanese mainland. Snappy prose, a wide range of topics, and just the right amount of snobbery.

Also, he taught at Penn. The bookstore here was either sold out or doesn't stock his serious histories, so I'm limited to Amazon synopses. Any recommendations?

83 I guess I mean the Home Islands. Japan doesn't actually have much of a mainland.

84

Posted by: Sabrina Chase at May 27, 2012 01:00 PM (wfSF5)

 

Thanks. I was refraining from buying because they looked so unremittingly grim.

85 Whoever went back and fixed my exploded post- thanks.

86 Arbalest, 12:39: I'd read some fascinating articles and book excerpts by Keegan, but was disappointed in the first book of his that I read: Intelligence in War. Keegan spent a book arguing, basically, that intelligence does not necessarily predetermine the outcome of the battle. And I spent the whole reading time wondering, Who ever thought it did?

87 I am currently reading "They Fight like Soldiers, They Die like Children" by Romeo Dallaire, a retired general in the Canadian Army. The book is about the use of children (some as young as 9) as combatants in the various bush wars in Africa. Its a pretty good book, but GEN Dallaire has a rather liberal slant to his history of Africa, and his belief that the UN creating committees and councils and coalitions ad nauseum about this subject is somehow going to end the practice.

88

Actually was around Braestrup when he was finishing Big Story, enough to observe the discomfort it caused in the prissy, establishment, Beltway environment where he was at the time (Woodrow Wilson Center).

 

Many good books mentioned above.  Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors - or rather the story it tells - is simply amazing.  Talk about a great movie that's never been made (or probably even considered - pathetic).  Hornfischer's latest, Neptune's Inferno, is about the naval battles of Guadalcanal, and is next on my list (after finishing the disappointing Storm of War by Andrew Roberts, and The Third Reich at War, the final piece of Richard Evans' solid trilogy on Nazi Germany).

 

As I always do, need to mention to visitors or locals in San Diego that there is a nice monument to Taffy 3 and Adm. Sprague of Leyte Gulf fame on the dock opposite the USS Midway museum; also a few monuments to specific ships/airwings involved up at Rosecrans Nat. Cemetery (which is a must-see, along with the small coastal artillery museum at Cabrillo on the tip, and the views of the sub base, North Island, and the general area from up there).

 

For Midway you can't beat Shattered Sword, mentioned above.  And I found the fairly recent Battle of Midway by Symonds to add some interesting elements on topics not pursued as much by other histories, esp. the shenanigans of the Hornet's top brass and some of its air wing.

 

There are at least two Downfall books - the one mentioned above, and one by Richard Frank (he of the definitive history - and it seems so - of  the Guadalcanal campaign).  Frank's book is very compelling - a refreshing head-on debunking of silly revisionist nonsense about the war's final chapter.  Read both "Downfalls" if history and the end of WWII interest you.

 

But my main task remains summarizing and annotating the recorded interviews I've done for the Library of Congress Veterans' History Project - including an aviation Marine from Guadalcanal and Okinawa, an observer pilot from Saipan who is my oldest friend's father, and the junior radar tech from the USS West Virginia, which opened fire on the Japanese column at Surigao Strait after detecting it on radar, among others.  I strongly encourage all interested to look this up (log.gov/vets) and interview as many WWII vets as they can, while it's still possible ....

 

89 That Library of Congress url should have been loc.gov/vets - sorry.

90 The fact that Romeo Dallaire thinks the UN will stop any evil at all makes him the most delusional fuck to ever march in parade.

He was in charge of the UN troops in Rawanda at the time of the massacre and claims to have seen it coming and been prevented from acting to stop it by the UN's feckless politics. His book on  it , Shake Hands With the Devil, is a good though horrific read.

91 Obama is a stuttering clusterf*ck of a miserable failure.

92

World War II vetrans were heros because they were fighting to save "Uncle Joe's" behi!nd and make the world save for world communism.  Since then anyone who fight communism is evil.  There is this stupid saying, that winners write the hisory.  It is 100% BS!  History is written by the media and academics.  Missouri newspapers wrote about their hero Jessie James for years.  All sins were covered by the fact he claimed he fought for the Conferacy. In Hollywood he was a hero. He was a bank robber and murder pure and simple.