What are you reading right now? - Page 52

sharkbit · 03-14-11, 12:41 PM

"Wahoo" by Richard O'Kane. excellent so far.

Next read-"Clear the Bridge" by same.

It has been 25+ years since I read "Clear the Bridge". I'm looking forward to reading it again.

AirborneTD · 03-14-11, 08:05 PM

Reading, "Neptune's Inferno", the US Navy at Guadalcanal by James Hornfischer. This book is outstanding. I've read Frank's book (awesome) and others, but this book really makes you feel like your on the receiving end of a 14 inch shell. Highly recommended!!

Buck_O · 03-14-11, 10:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TLAM Strike

... but damn those are expensive...

True, if your buying new, but look at the price for the used 2002-2003 edition...I'd buy that...

04-04-11, 02:13 AM

Of some interest to the SubSim community, particularly those SH3 and SH5 players might be Black Flag: The Surrender of Germany's U-Boat Forces by Lawrence Paterson, ISBN 978-0-7603-3754-7.

The disposition of the boats and the men of the U-Boot waffe is generally a footnote in the final chapter of most books referencing the battle of the Atlantic but Black Flag takes the reader from the very last days of the Third Reich through to early 1946 by which time the vast majority of the captured boats had been sunk as targets, scuttled or otherwise disposed of.

The book is well illustrated and many of the photos will probably be new including KK Adelbert Schnee's U-2511 with its white conning tower nesting beside some other Type XXI's and a shot of a nameless U-Boat matlot sporting both his U-Boat badge and the Army's coveted tank killing badge, awarded for singlehandedly destroying an enemy tank. The relevance of the latter is that there are some all too brief descriptions of U-Boat crews in ground fighting in North Germany and those French ports (Lorient in particualr) that had remained in German hands until the Nazi surrender.

Black Flag is well annotated, an easy read and its appendicies basically detail the fate of every boat that surrendered as well as her last captain. Some of this material is out there elsewhere but this 2009 volume deserves a place in the library of anybody with more than a casual interest in U-Boats.

sharkbit · 04-10-11, 05:44 PM

Finished O'Kane's "Wahoo" and "Clear the Bridge". Both excellent books.

Just started "War in the Boats" by William Ruhe. So far so good. His description of life on the S-boats in 1942 is pretty incredible.

A over cautious captain, mechanical difficulties, the heat, sleeping in bunks near vents where the batteries vent their gases during the charge, not to mention the 1/2 inch puddle of sweat left over from the previous occupant, wondering if the boat will hold to together at the "deep submergence" of 135 feet, and cockroaches.

Herr Trigger · 04-11-11, 12:45 PM

Just coming to the end of the unabridged version of 'The Cruel Sea', it may be old now but is one of the finest written books I have ever read, the detail and the tension never fail, but dammit, he had to introduce a woman into it ! My exploits in SH3, 4 & 5 are an escape from a womans scorn, although I must confess, I have tinkered with the idea of buying wife a Wrens uniform !, I don't think it will be appreciated too well though !!
A well recommended book nevertheless.

Regards,
H.T.

Herr-Berbunch · 04-11-11, 02:59 PM

Escape from Germany: True stories of POW escapes in WWII - From the National Archives, released as a confidential document in 1951, an edited commercial release in 1956, and the whole lot from 1985.

Really good so far

vienna · 04-12-11, 01:16 PM

I am currently reading "The Immortal Game, A History of Chess (or How 32 Carved Pieces on a Board Illuminated Our Understanding of War, Art, Science, and the Human Brain)" [2006] by David Shenk. I have not played chess in many, many years and saw this book in the local library. The title interested me and I checked it out. The book is a complete surprise. The author is a journalist who admits to not being a high-level chess player. His interest in the game stems from an ancestor who was a Grandmaster, world-class chess player and analyst. Shenk has done an amazing amount of research into the history and impact of chess on the world in general. Even if you don't know much about the game or maybe even dislike the game, the story of how chess came into existence and the people and personalities involved in its evolution is more than one would expect from a book about chess. The story is framed around a famous chess match known as the "Immortal Game", considered to be the greatest game ever played. By moving back and forth from the game to stories about chess history, it is far from dry or boring. Politics, religion, psychology, cognitive science and many other subjects are shown to be interlaced with the history of chess in ways I never imagined. If you like a good read with intelligence, wit, and humor, I would strongly recommend this book (you don't even need to know the game to enjoy it). I may even break out the chessboard again.

Egan · 04-12-11, 03:08 PM

Just about to start reading 'The Big E - The Story of the USS Enterprise' by Edward Stafford. I was saving it for a holiday but I can't wait any longer.

Finally finished 'Quartered Safe Out Here' About George Macdonald Fraser's time with a Cumbrian regiment in Burma during the war. I've never read any of his Flashman novels but a colleague of mine is a huge fan and keeps trying to lend them to me so I might take him up on that now. It's very funny and seems very truthful. The Cumbrian dialect is superb and used throughout.

TorpX · 04-12-11, 11:43 PM

I'm half way through Unrestricted Warfare by James F. DeRose.

I've already read Wahoo and Clear The Bridge!, but still find the material about Morton and O'Kane fascinating. They are definately my favorite submariners. All very good books.

Castout · 04-13-11, 03:21 AM

Japanese classic The Heike by Eiji Yoshikawa. No where the greatness of his other work, Taiko.

I have been told Heike was finished by Yoshikawa's descendant instead of the man himself. Still an interesting read.

I finished Furinkazan by Yasushi Inoue last week. I just love Japanese samurai historical fiction.

aergistal · 04-13-11, 05:37 PM

The Grand Design by Stephen Hawking. Go unified theory of everything...

STEED · 04-24-11, 12:45 PM

Just started reading....

The German Fleet at War 1939-1945
By Vincent P. O`Hara

TLAM Strike · 04-24-11, 06:09 PM

I'm listening to Patriot Games by Tom Clancy on an audio book. I just don't have time to actually read a book for fun because of school.

sharkbit · 04-25-11, 07:25 AM

Because I'm a glutton for punishment

, I'm currently reading Clay Blair's "Hitler's U-Boat War: The Hunted", the second part ofhis two part series.

I finally found a used hardback copy for under $30 in so-so condition.

03-14-11, 12:41 PM	#766
sharkbit The Old Man Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Denver, CO Posts: 1,529 Downloads: 334 Uploads: 0	"Wahoo" by Richard O'Kane. excellent so far. Next read-"Clear the Bridge" by same. It has been 25+ years since I read "Clear the Bridge". I'm looking forward to reading it again. __________________ “Prejudice is blind. There will always be someone who says you aren’t welcome at the table. Stop apologizing for who you are and using all your energy trying to change their minds. Yes, you will lose friends, maybe even family. But you will gain your self-respect. You will know your worth. Once you have that, nothing can stop you.”

03-14-11, 08:05 PM	#767
AirborneTD Engineer Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Pennsylvania, USA Posts: 204 Downloads: 23 Uploads: 0	Reading, "Neptune's Inferno", the US Navy at Guadalcanal by James Hornfischer. This book is outstanding. I've read Frank's book (awesome) and others, but this book really makes you feel like your on the receiving end of a 14 inch shell. Highly recommended!! __________________ "You know, you might get surrounded." "We're paratroopers, Lieutenant. We're supposed to be surrounded." --Band of Brothers

04-10-11, 05:44 PM	#770
sharkbit The Old Man Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Denver, CO Posts: 1,529 Downloads: 334 Uploads: 0	Finished O'Kane's "Wahoo" and "Clear the Bridge". Both excellent books. Just started "War in the Boats" by William Ruhe. So far so good. His description of life on the S-boats in 1942 is pretty incredible. A over cautious captain, mechanical difficulties, the heat, sleeping in bunks near vents where the batteries vent their gases during the charge, not to mention the 1/2 inch puddle of sweat left over from the previous occupant, wondering if the boat will hold to together at the "deep submergence" of 135 feet, and cockroaches. __________________ “Prejudice is blind. There will always be someone who says you aren’t welcome at the table. Stop apologizing for who you are and using all your energy trying to change their minds. Yes, you will lose friends, maybe even family. But you will gain your self-respect. You will know your worth. Once you have that, nothing can stop you.”

04-11-11, 02:59 PM	#772
Herr-Berbunch Kaiser Bill's batman Join Date: May 2010 Location: AN72 Posts: 13,203 Downloads: 76 Uploads: 0	Escape from Germany: True stories of POW escapes in WWII - From the National Archives, released as a confidential document in 1951, an edited commercial release in 1956, and the whole lot from 1985. Really good so far __________________

04-12-11, 11:43 PM	#775
TorpX Silent Hunter Join Date: Sep 2010 Posts: 3,975 Downloads: 153 Uploads: 11	I'm half way through Unrestricted Warfare by James F. DeRose. I've already read Wahoo and Clear The Bridge!, but still find the material about Morton and O'Kane fascinating. They are definately my favorite submariners. All very good books.

04-04-11, 02:13 AM	#769
Randomizer Stowaway Posts: n/a Downloads: Uploads:	Of some interest to the SubSim community, particularly those SH3 and SH5 players might be Black Flag: The Surrender of Germany's U-Boat Forces by Lawrence Paterson, ISBN 978-0-7603-3754-7. The disposition of the boats and the men of the U-Boot waffe is generally a footnote in the final chapter of most books referencing the battle of the Atlantic but Black Flag takes the reader from the very last days of the Third Reich through to early 1946 by which time the vast majority of the captured boats had been sunk as targets, scuttled or otherwise disposed of. The book is well illustrated and many of the photos will probably be new including KK Adelbert Schnee's U-2511 with its white conning tower nesting beside some other Type XXI's and a shot of a nameless U-Boat matlot sporting both his U-Boat badge and the Army's coveted tank killing badge, awarded for singlehandedly destroying an enemy tank. The relevance of the latter is that there are some all too brief descriptions of U-Boat crews in ground fighting in North Germany and those French ports (Lorient in particualr) that had remained in German hands until the Nazi surrender. Black Flag is well annotated, an easy read and its appendicies basically detail the fate of every boat that surrendered as well as her last captain. Some of this material is out there elsewhere but this 2009 volume deserves a place in the library of anybody with more than a casual interest in U-Boats.

04-11-11, 12:45 PM	#771
Herr Trigger Electrician's Mate Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Landlocked inside M25, U.K. Posts: 132 Downloads: 191 Uploads: 0	Just coming to the end of the unabridged version of 'The Cruel Sea', it may be old now but is one of the finest written books I have ever read, the detail and the tension never fail, but dammit, he had to introduce a woman into it ! My exploits in SH3, 4 & 5 are an escape from a womans scorn, although I must confess, I have tinkered with the idea of buying wife a Wrens uniform !, I don't think it will be appreciated too well though !! A well recommended book nevertheless. Regards, H.T.

04-12-11, 01:16 PM	#773
vienna Navy Seal Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Anywhere but the here & now... Posts: 7,502 Downloads: 85 Uploads: 0	I am currently reading "The Immortal Game, A History of Chess (or How 32 Carved Pieces on a Board Illuminated Our Understanding of War, Art, Science, and the Human Brain)" [2006] by David Shenk. I have not played chess in many, many years and saw this book in the local library. The title interested me and I checked it out. The book is a complete surprise. The author is a journalist who admits to not being a high-level chess player. His interest in the game stems from an ancestor who was a Grandmaster, world-class chess player and analyst. Shenk has done an amazing amount of research into the history and impact of chess on the world in general. Even if you don't know much about the game or maybe even dislike the game, the story of how chess came into existence and the people and personalities involved in its evolution is more than one would expect from a book about chess. The story is framed around a famous chess match known as the "Immortal Game", considered to be the greatest game ever played. By moving back and forth from the game to stories about chess history, it is far from dry or boring. Politics, religion, psychology, cognitive science and many other subjects are shown to be interlaced with the history of chess in ways I never imagined. If you like a good read with intelligence, wit, and humor, I would strongly recommend this book (you don't even need to know the game to enjoy it). I may even break out the chessboard again.

04-12-11, 03:08 PM	#774
Egan Admiral Join Date: Sep 2001 Posts: 2,019 Downloads: 15 Uploads: 0	Just about to start reading 'The Big E - The Story of the USS Enterprise' by Edward Stafford. I was saving it for a holiday but I can't wait any longer. Finally finished 'Quartered Safe Out Here' About George Macdonald Fraser's time with a Cumbrian regiment in Burma during the war. I've never read any of his Flashman novels but a colleague of mine is a huge fan and keeps trying to lend them to me so I might take him up on that now. It's very funny and seems very truthful. The Cumbrian dialect is superb and used throughout.

04-13-11, 03:21 AM	#776
Castout Silent Hunter Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Jakarta Posts: 4,794 Downloads: 89 Uploads: 6	Japanese classic The Heike by Eiji Yoshikawa. No where the greatness of his other work, Taiko. I have been told Heike was finished by Yoshikawa's descendant instead of the man himself. Still an interesting read. I finished Furinkazan by Yasushi Inoue last week. I just love Japanese samurai historical fiction. __________________ My blog: http://exposingsingapore.wordpress.com/

04-13-11, 05:37 PM	#777
aergistal Chief Join Date: May 2010 Location: France Posts: 326 Downloads: 23 Uploads: 1	The Grand Design by Stephen Hawking. Go unified theory of everything...

04-24-11, 12:45 PM	#778
STEED Lucky Jack Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Down Town UK Posts: 27,695 Downloads: 89 Uploads: 48	Just started reading.... The German Fleet at War 1939-1945 By Vincent P. O`Hara __________________ Dr Who rest in peace 1963-2017. To borrow Davros saying...I NAME YOU CHIBNALL THE DESTROYER OF DR WHO YOU KILLED IT!

04-24-11, 06:09 PM	#779
TLAM Strike Navy Seal Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Rochester, New York Posts: 8,633 Downloads: 29 Uploads: 6	I'm listening to Patriot Games by Tom Clancy on an audio book. I just don't have time to actually read a book for fun because of school. __________________

04-25-11, 07:25 AM	#780
sharkbit The Old Man Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Denver, CO Posts: 1,529 Downloads: 334 Uploads: 0	Because I'm a glutton for punishment , I'm currently reading Clay Blair's "Hitler's U-Boat War: The Hunted", the second part ofhis two part series. I finally found a used hardback copy for under $30 in so-so condition. __________________ “Prejudice is blind. There will always be someone who says you aren’t welcome at the table. Stop apologizing for who you are and using all your energy trying to change their minds. Yes, you will lose friends, maybe even family. But you will gain your self-respect. You will know your worth. Once you have that, nothing can stop you.”