Books We Read/Listen To

[USS Utah]

I love books, and I like to hear about what other people are reading. Sometimes I'll even read a certain book because someone else liked it. So, what are you reading now, what's it about, and is it any good? And don't forget to comeback when you finish and tell us what your reading next. We can include audio books, as well.

[USS Utah]

I am currently reading:

All In: The Education of General David Petraeus by Paula Broadwell with Vernon Loeb.

Excellent book by the mistress on Petraeus's year as ISAF commander in Afghanistan. Progress was made in the summer and fall of 2010, but the real test would come in the spring and summer of 2011 with the resumption of the fighting season.


Some other books I have read recently:

Tell Me How This Ends: General David Petraeus and the Search for a Way Out of Iraq by Linda Robinson

An excellent book on Petraeus and his role in the decisive years of the Iraq War.


Threat Vector by Tom Clancy with Mark Greaney

Jack Ryan Sr. is back in the White House for a second, non-consecutive term as president. A failing economy leads to a coup against the Chinese president and politburo chairman who is saved by the head of the Chinese military. To save the Chinese economy the president repays the military by launching an operation to take islands in the South China Sea, end Hong Kong autonomy and retake Taiwan. To weaken the U.S. a secret cyber army launches a cyber attack. Excellent!


Serenade to the Big Bird by Bert Stiles

Bert Stiles volunteered to join the U.S. Army Air Forces in January 1943, becoming an aviation cadet and receiving his wings and his commission as a 2nd lieutenant in November of that year. In the spring of 1944 he began flying missions as a co-piliot on a B-17 Flying Fortress in the 91st Bomb Group. He would fly 35 missions with the 91st before volunteering to fly fighters and joining the 339th Fighter Group. On his 16th mission as a fighter pilot, Stiles apparently became disoriented after shooting down a Gerrman Fw-190 in a dog fight that descended to low altitude. Stile's P-51 impacted the ground almost immediately, killing him.

Before joining the Army, Stiles had already become an accomplished author, having had short stories published by The Saturday Evening Post, Liberty, and The American magazines. While in the USAAF, Stiles continued to write and had articles published in the London Daily Mail, Yank, and Air Force Magazine. He also worked on a manuscript about his experiences in the 91st Bomb Group, and after the war the manuscript was published under the title Serenade to the Big Bird. The book earned almost instant cult status among aviation enthusiasts for its honest depictions of bomber combat and also won favorable literary reviews for its "spare, Hemingway-style prose and its anti-war sensitivity." Knowing that Stiles didn't not survive the war gives his writing even more meaning; the book is very moving.

Excellent!


Final Patrol: True Stories of World War II Submarines by Don Keith

A good book about the 16 WWII era U.S. Navy submarines that have become museum ships, plus the U-505 which is on display in Chicago.


The Chase by Clive Cussler

It is 1906 and the western United States is being terrorized by a bank robber who murders any and all witnesses. The Van Dorn Detective Agency is hired by the federal government to track down the killer and Isaac Bell is assigned to the case. From Arizona to Colorado to the streets of San Francisco, Bell pursues the smartest and deadliest criminal mind he has ever encountered. Fantastic!


The Secret of Stalingrad by Walter Kerr

Why Stalingrad? What happened there in 1942? How did it affect allied strategy in World War II? These are questions Kerr, a war correspondent in Moscow during the war, tried to find the answers to when he returned to Russia in the years between 1967 and 1972. As a result, Kerr provides a compelling account of one of the bloodiest battles of World War II. Excellent.


Enterprise: America's Fightingest Ship and the Men Who Helped Win World War II by Barrett Tillman

An excellent history of the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise (CV-6), from her authorization to her scrapping. Tillman is a very good writer and an expert on U.S. Navy aviation.


The Finish: The Killing of Osama bin Laden by Mark Bowden

An excellent book by the author of Black Hawk Down on the trail that found bin Laden and the mission that killed him.


Into the Fire: A Firsthand Account of the Most Extraordinary Battle in the Afghan War by Dakota Meyer and Bing West

The battle of Ganjigal resulted in the largest loss of American advisors, the highest number of distinguished awards for valor, and the most controversial investigations of dereliction of duty in the entire Afghanistan war. This is the story of a man who was awarded the Medal of Honor for his bravery in that battle. At Ganjigal, Afghan soldiers and their U.S. Marine advisers walked into an ambush and Dakota Meyer charged in to rescue them.

Excellent!


Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Dafoe

This was the first novel ever published in England (1719) and is definitely a classic. It started out very strong as Crusoe went from one misadventure to the next before ending up as a cast away on a desert isle in the Caribbean Sea (possibly Tobago, near Trinidad). It got a little slow with Crusoe's descriptions of his housekeeping, but readers should definitely stick around for the second half of the book as it gets much, much better.

Fantastic book!

[U-Ute]

I watched the first season of Game Of Thrones on HBO last spring and got hooked, so I bought the 4-pack of ebooks and loved them. I just started book 5. 4 was kind of weak, so I hope 5 returns back to how the first 3 books were.

[kccougar]

Right now I'm reading The Johnstown Flood by David McCullough. I listened to an audio recording years ago, and I lived near Johnstown for a short time. My wife bought it for me for Christmas after I finished The Great Bridge.

The Johnstown Flood is about the breaching of the South Fork Dam above Johnstown, PA in 1889 after a period of very heavy rain. The steel town of Johnstown got the worst of it, and over 2,200 people were killed.

[UtahDan]

If you are reading all of those at once then your nightstand probably looks like mine. Most of my stack is either popular science or Mormon History/Mormon Studies.

I don't have the time to read I used to but am working on:

Before the Dawn: Recovering the Lost History Of Our Ancestors, by Nicholas Wade (http://www.amazon.com/Before-Dawn-Recovering-History-Ancestors/dp/014303832X)

Brigham Young: Pioneer Prophet, by John G. Turner (http://www.amazon.com/Brigham-Young-John-G-Turner/dp/0674049675/ref=sr_1_sc_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1361291870&sr=1-1-spell&keywords=brgham+young) (my wife actually went and heard him speak here in VA a week or so ago).

T (http://www.amazon.com/Demon-Haunted-World-Science-Candle-Dark/dp/0345409469/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1361291970&sr=1-1&keywords=demon+haunted+world+carl+sagan)he Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark, by Carl Sagan (http://www.amazon.com/Demon-Haunted-World-Science-Candle-Dark/dp/0345409469/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1361291970&sr=1-1&keywords=demon+haunted+world+carl+sagan) (re-reading, one of my all time favs).

[mpfunk]

5 is better than 4, but not on par with 1-3. Soon you will join the rest of us extremely frustrated readers waiting for Winds of Winter. You will also start fearing that GRRM dies before he finishes the series.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7lp3RhzfgI

[Pheidippides]

If you are reading all of those at once then your nightstand probably looks like mine. Most of my stack is either popular science or Mormon History/Mormon Studies.

I don't have the time to read I used to but am working on:

Before the Dawn: Recovering the Lost History Of Our Ancestors, by Nicholas Wade (http://www.amazon.com/Before-Dawn-Recovering-History-Ancestors/dp/014303832X)

Brigham Young: Pioneer Prophet, by John G. Turner (http://www.amazon.com/Brigham-Young-John-G-Turner/dp/0674049675/ref=sr_1_sc_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1361291870&sr=1-1-spell&keywords=brgham+young) (my wife actually went and heard him speak here in VA a week or so ago).

T (http://www.amazon.com/Demon-Haunted-World-Science-Candle-Dark/dp/0345409469/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1361291970&sr=1-1&keywords=demon+haunted+world+carl+sagan)he Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark, by Carl Sagan (http://www.amazon.com/Demon-Haunted-World-Science-Candle-Dark/dp/0345409469/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1361291970&sr=1-1&keywords=demon+haunted+world+carl+sagan) (re-reading, one of my all time favs).

You and I have bandied about this before, of course, but I love the Turner bio of BY.

I just got done with the Tippett/Newell bio of Emma Smith (Mormon Enigma) and I'm in the middle of Givens' bio of Parley P Pratt and Daymon Smiths' The Book of Mammon. I am also rereading The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series for the umpteenth time just for good measure.

[Danimal]

I'm a huge John Irving fan and reading his latest In One Person. His books are typically full of irresponsible sex and personal tragedy and this one does not disappoint. The World According to Garp and A prayer for Owen Meany are two of my favorites.

[DrumNFeather]

I listened to World War Z not too long ago...I'm interested in how that translates into film.

Speaking of Zombies, apparently there is a trilogy of books about the Governor that I might be checking out as well.

Additionally I've got Guns, Germs and Steel hanging around as well as a book called Against the Gods; the Remarkable Story of Risk.

[Utebiquitous]

Big thumbs up for Givens' Pratt biography and the God Who Weeps - amazing that Givens can do history so well and then turn to Mormon Doctrine and write (with his wife Fiona) one of the finest contributions to a commentary on religious doctrine that I've ever read.

[Pheidippides]

Big thumbs up for Givens' Pratt biography and the God Who Weeps - amazing that Givens can do history so well and then turn to Mormon Doctrine and write (with his wife Fiona) one of the finest contributions to a commentary on religious doctrine that I've ever read.

The God Who Weeps is on my short list - it comes highly recommended by a number of friends (one of whom is here).

[LA Ute]

The God Who Weeps is on my short list - it comes highly recommended by a number of friends (one of whom is here).

:D

I just finished "A Man in Full" by Tom Wolfe. It's a great read, very Dickensian. Speaking of ol' Charles, I am finishing "The Old Curiosity Shop" too.

[SgtUte]

Into the Fire: A Firsthand Account of the Most Extraordinary Battle in the Afghan War by Dakota Meyer and Bing West

The battle of Ganjigal resulted in the largest loss of American advisors, the highest number of distinguished awards for valor, and the most controversial investigations of dereliction of duty in the entire Afghanistan war. This is the story of a man who was awarded the Medal of Honor for his bravery in that battle. At Ganjigal, Afghan soldiers and their U.S. Marine advisers walked into an ambush and Dakota Meyer charged in to rescue them.[/B]]





I have read most everything that has come out of our currents wars, and this book is by the far the best one I've read. Riveting!


HOUSE TO HOUSE by David Bellavia is a very close second. It's a firsthand account of the house to house fighting that occurred in Fallujah in 2004. Some of the hand to hand combat fights that occur, literally almost made me start sweating.

[GUBA]

I am currently reading Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking. It has been a life changing read so far.

[USS Utah]

I have read most everything that has come out of our currents wars, and this book is by the far the best one I've read. Riveting!


HOUSE TO HOUSE by David Bellavia is a very close second. It's a firsthand account of the house to house fighting that occurred in Fallujah in 2004. Some of the hand to hand combat fights that occur, literally almost made me start sweating.

Bing West's No True Glory about Fallujah is excellent.

[big z]

I liked the book No Easy Day

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2

[NorthwestUteFan]

DnF, I loved 'Guns, Germs, and Steel'. Reading that book and then trying to read about horses, steel, wheat, barley in the BoM is an interesting transition. I did enjoy watching Mitt Romney totally put his foot in his mouth when he mangled and twisted a quote from Jared Diamond, when I knew the actual context was the polar opposite of Diamond's intent.

I most recently read 'Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed', also by Diamond. He rolls through the history of a number of civilizations which succeeded or failed based on their economic, food production, environmental, and other choices. Of particular interest to me was the exploration of the failures of societies in Rwanda, on Greenland (juxtaposing the Norse settlers with the Inuit) and on Easter Island. I was intrigued but the follow thought: "What went through the mind of the person as he felled the last tree on Easter Island? "

[Devildog]

[QUOTEInto the Fire:

HOUSE TO HOUSE by David Bellavia is a very close second. It's a firsthand account of the house to house fighting that occurred in Fallujah in 2004. Some of the hand to hand combat fights that occur, literally almost made me start sweating.

I agree that Into the Fire was a good book.

I'll check out House to House, sounds cool.

[USS Utah]

Let's not forget Lone Survivor, which was fantastic.

[BYU71]

Seems most of these books are serious reading.

If anyone likes golf and humor, Rick Reilly has written two great books in that realm. They are Missing Links and Who's Your Caddy.

[Viking]

"No Easy Day" was a great read.

[Diehard Ute]

"No Easy Day" was a great read.

It was. If you haven't read "American Sniper" "SEAL Team Six", "Inside Delta Force" or "One Perfect Op" I recommend those as well.

I just finished "Damn Few" which came out last week. Written by Lieutenant Commander Rorke Denver, a SEAL who overseas BUD/S, and was one if the main stars of "Act Of Valor". It's a very good read as well.

[OrangeUte]

Announced today that Dan Brown's new Langdon book is names Inferno (think Dante) and will be released in May. I pre-ordered it today.

I am half way through feast of crows. Not bad but nothing like the first 3 books. Book 3 was absolutely riveting and this season of GoT is supposed to be the first half of That book. Awesome!

Next on my list is a book by Neil Gaiman "American Gods".

[Redbird]

Right now I'm reading:

"Lolita" by Nabokov
"East of Eden" by Steinbeck
"V for Vendetta" by Alan Moore
The 5th Harry Potter

V for Vendetta and Harry Potter are nice, easy reads where I can knock out a chapter to fall asleep. Lolita and East of Eden are books I like to spend an hour or two at a time absorbing the language and style.

[San Diego Ute Fan]

Let's not forget Lone Survivor, which was fantastic.

I almost thought I read "Sole Survivor" when I saw this post. Great book about Ensign George Gay. If you've ever seen the film "Midway" you'll immediately know who I'm talking about. I have a signed copy of it from a live lecture.

[SoCalPat]

Connie Mack and the Early Years of Baseball, Norman Macht.

This is the first of (eventually) three biographies on the longtime manager's life. It might be the most extensive single project on a single figure in the history of sport. The first two books cover in excess of 600 pages, and the author began this project nearly 30 years ago. Part I was released in 2007, Part II was released in 2012. I hope the final installment is published soon -- Macht is over 80, although if he has the staying power of his subject, I don't have to worry.

I read the second installment first (titled, Connie Mack: The Turbulent and Triumphant Years, 1915-1931), but it really doesn't matter which one you tackle first. And with 1,300 pages between the two books, it's impossible to pick the high points. The best summary of these books is this: Connie Mack was born in the Civil War and lived to see transcontinental air travel. He saw everything in baseball. With the possible exception of PEDs, there is nothing about today's game that Mack didn't see. As part-owner (and eventually full owner) of the Philadelphia Athletics, Mack's salary interactions with players destroys the long-established myth held by many that money didn't motivate yesterday's ballplayer.

Mack, along with Ban Johnson and Charles Somers, deserves full credit for the establishment of the American League and putting organized professional baseball on solid ground. You gotta have a good chunk of hardcore baseball history to fully appreciate this book, but if you recognize the names of Collins, Bender, Waddell, Cochrane, Foxx, Simmons, etc., then it's a great read. Self-professed A's fans like mpfunk would appreciate the origins of the franchise, although how the A's left for Kansas City (and ultimately Oakland) is certainly for the third installment -- the second one goes up to 1931, which was Mack's last A.L. pennant winner.

[happyone]

I'm currently reading Alison Weir's new historical fiction novel

http://www.amazon.com/Dangerous-Inheritance-Novel-Rivals-Secret/dp/0345511891/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1361867768&sr=1-1&keywords=alison+weir+-+a+dangerous+inheritance

Very timely as one of the main characters is Richard III's illegitmate daughter Katherine Plangenet

[happyone]

finished Dangerous Inheritance - meh, average at best. I didn't like the structure of the book or the ending

currently reading

http://www.amazon.com/Dog-Company-Hoc---Accomplished-Toughest/dp/0306820293/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1362297058&sr=1-1&keywords=dog+company+the+boys+of+pointe+du+hoc

About the Rangers who assulted Pointe Du Hoc on D-Day

[LA Ute]

finished Dangerous Inheritance - meh, average at best. I didn't like the structure of the book or the ending

currently reading

http://www.amazon.com/Dog-Company-Hoc---Accomplished-Toughest/dp/0306820293/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1362297058&sr=1-1&keywords=dog+company+the+boys+of+pointe+du+hoc

About the Rangers who assulted Pointe Du Hoc on D-Day

That's a great book. I have a spoiler for you but will hold off until you've read it.

[UtahDan]

Just starting The Righteous Mind by Jonathan Haidt.

[happyone]

That's a great book. I have a spoiler for you but will hold off until you've read it.

It's a quick read - I should be finished tomarrow or Tuesday

[USS Utah]

The Tenth Fleet by Ladislas Farago

In the early spring of 1943, the Battle of the Atlantic shifted from the coastal areas of the United States -- where in the previous year a Pearl Harbor of the east, a disaster few Americans have understood, occurred -- back to the convoy routes to Britain. Everywhere the war had turned against the Axis powers, everywhere, that is, except in the Atlantic, where a new U-boat offensive put victory for the allies once again in doubt. Yet within a matter of months the Battle of the Atlantic would turn irrevocably against the German U-boats. This is the backdrop for a fantastic book about the U.S. Tenth Fleet, a fleet without ships, which was organized to fight U-boats in the Atlantic. Admiral Ernest J. King, COMINCH and CNO, created the Tenth Fleet with four major points dominating all his considerations:

1. Antisubmarine warfare needed a commander of the highest rank whose prestige and influence would be paramount and who could make his decisions prevail. The first commander of the Tenth Fleet would be none other than King himself.
2. The organization King had in mind would have no ships of its own, but would have recourse to every vessel of the U.S. Navy with inherent and explicit power to commandeer whatever forces when and where needed for ASW operations.
3. It had to be a small organization with assured and easy access to any and all agencies of the Navy, and especially to the various existing intelligence services and their resources.
4. It had to have the status of a fleet, partly to simplify its personnel and administrative structure in a headquarters-type organization, partly to function along operational lines, and mainly to be able to use the channels of fleet communications.

Ladislas Farago had a tengential connection to the Tenth Fleet and the Battle of the Atlantic as he worked as a civilian -- recently emigrated from Hungry -- in the Office of Naval Intelligence's propaganda section (OP-16-W). Farago is a master of the subject here and his writing is excellent. Farago would go on to write two books about U.S. Army General George S. Patton, Ordeal and Triumph (which I read a number of years ago and greatly enjoyed) and The Last Days of Patton.

[happyone]

Finished Dog Company - good look at small unit actions ala Band of Brothers. Mr. O'Donnell follows D/2nd Ranger BN from it formation in Tennessee thru to the end of the war. He includes there major battles - Pointe Du Hoc (subject of Pres Reagans speech in 1984), the liberation of Brest, and Hill 400 in the Hurtgen Forest. They took incredible casualties during that stretch of combat. After PDH there were less the 15 men who where not casualties (Killed/Wounded/Missing), Hill 400 was the same. He does not sugar coat these men or make out to be super soldiers.

Mr. O'Donnell has a very readable writing style - almost novelistic (is that a word?)

I highly recommend this

currently reading something a little lighter - Ruth Donwie's newest Medicus mystery set in Roman Britain

http://www.amazon.com/Semper-Fidelis...ds=ruth+downie (http://www.amazon.com/Semper-Fidelis-Novel-Empire-Medicus/dp/1608197093/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1362701528&sr=1-1&keywords=ruth+downie)

[USS Utah]

American Aces by Edward H. Sims

"Of all the tasks assigned to on man in World War II," wrote Sims, "none compare to the job of handling a fighter, in terms of co-ordination, mental alertness, split-second timing, mastery of technical detail, skill, courage, and judgement." In American Aces, Sims writes about the most exciting missions of 12 of the top U.S. Army Air Forces fighter pilots of WWII -- not necessarily their greatest or highest scoring missions, but rather their most memorable. Sims, who was a fighter pilot himself during the war, earning six Air Medals, puts the reader in the cockpit and gives them a wild ride. Fantastic!

There is a companion book for Navy and Marine fighter pilots, Greatest Fighter Missions, which is also fantastic.

[happyone]

Just finished Douglas Waller's biography of William Donovan

http://www.amazon.com/Wild-Bill-Donovan-Spymaster-Espionage/dp/B0054U5CQI/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1363510131&sr=1-1&keywords=wild+bill+donovan

Solid biography, Mr. Waller doesn't whitewash Wild Bill. The Donovan that Mr. Waller presents is a flawed man. He is an indifferent manager/administrator, but a superb leader. His personal life is a mess as is his finances.

It is also a good look at the creation of the OSS and its operations in WW II. He does a good job covering the bureaucratic infighting that accompied the creation of the OSS and throughout its existance. J. Edgar Hoover particularly comes off poorly.

[LA Ute]

Finished Dog Company - good look at small unit actions ala Band of Brothers. Mr. O'Donnell follows D/2nd Ranger BN from it formation in Tennessee thru to the end of the war. He includes there major battles - Pointe Du Hoc (subject of Pres Reagans speech in 1984), the liberation of Brest, and Hill 400 in the Hurtgen Forest. The took incredible casualties during that stretch of combat. After PDH there were less the 15 men who where not casualties (Killed/Wounded/Missing), Hill 400 was the same. He does not sugar coat these men or make out to be super soldiers.

Mr. O'Donnell has a very readable writing style - almost novelistic (is that a word?)

I highly recommend this

currently reading something a little lighter - Ruth Donwie's newest Medicus mystery set in Roman Britain

http://www.amazon.com/Semper-Fidelis...ds=ruth+downie (http://www.amazon.com/Semper-Fidelis-Novel-Empire-Medicus/dp/1608197093/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1362701528&sr=1-1&keywords=ruth+downie)

This is a different book than the one I thought you were reading. Did the author cover the success of the mission? The movie "The Longest Day" depicted it as a failure, with the men discovering no guns when they finally got to the top. In fact, there were large artillery emplacements there and the Rangers destroyed them. The movie did "the boys of Pointe du Hoc" a great injustice.

[concerned]

Just started the third volume of Manchester's Churchill biography, which I picked up at Costco. Dubious at first, since Manchester became debilitated and ultimately died before it really got going, but I'm 60 pages in and love it so far. As good as the first two, but maybe he wrote the first 60. We'll see.

p.s. i always knew that Churchill loved alchohol, but holy cow, how he drank that much and prosecuted a world war in his late 60's is beyond imagining. he must have had a cast iron stomach.

[OrangeUte]

Just started the third volume of Manchester's Churchill biography, which I picked up at Costco. Dubious at first, since Manchester became debilitated and ultimately died before it really got going, but I'm 60 pages in and love it so far. As good as the first two, but maybe he wrote the first 60. We'll see.

p.s. i always knew that Churchill loved alchohol, but holy cow, how he drank that much and prosecuted a world war in his late 60's is beyond imagining. he must have had a cast iron stomach.

I hear it is the Best of the 3 and it is about ww2. I read part 1 and it was excellent.

[happyone]

This is a different book than the one I thought you were reading. Did the author cover the success of the mission? The movie "The Longest Day" depicted it as a failure, with the men discovering no guns when they finally got to the top. In fact, there were large artillery emplacements there and the Rangers destroyed them. The movie did "the boys of Pointe du Hoc" a great injustice.

Yes he does. The guns were not in the emplacements, but a few hundred yards away. The rangers found them and destroyed them. The story of the capture of the battery at Brest was probably my favorite. The Rangers basically bluffed the German commander to surrendering it.

[USS Utah]

Fallon by Louis L'Amour

Macon Fallon leads some settlers to an abandoned mining town in Nevada with the intent of passing it off as a good prospect for gold. His goal is to raise a good deal of money before leaving for San Francisco, but to his surprise he finds himself becoming attached to the town as a real-life community takes shape. When a band of outlaws threatens the town, Fallon might find himself risking his life to defend it.

Excellent!

[Jarid in Cedar]

Fallon by Louis L'Amour

Macon Fallon leads some settlers to an abandoned mining town in Nevada with the intent of passing it off as a good prospect for gold. His goal is to raise a good deal of money before leaving for San Francisco, but to his surprise he finds himself becoming attached to the town as a real-life community takes shape. When a band of outlaws threatens the town, Fallon might find himself risking his life to defend it.

Excellent!

Heh. I Remember reading this one in 7th grade.

[USS Utah]

Heh. I Remember reading this one in 7th grade.

Yeah, I started reading L'Amour in jr. high, but moved on to military/tecno thrillers as well was WWII nonfiction. I enjoyed the L'Amour books I had read and in recent years wondered why I stopped. So I've read a few in the last couple of years and enjoyed them.

My favorites of the few L'Amour novels I have read are Chancy, Milo Talon, Borden Chantry, Westward the Tide, Conagher and Dark Canyon.

[happyone]

Finished Craig Symond's http://www.amazon.com/Civil-War-at-Sea/dp/0199931682/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1364104083&sr=1-1&keywords=civil+war+at+sea

Short, just over 200 pages, but a good overview of Naval Operations during the Civil War. Dr Symonds looks at how technology affected operations as well as the lack of manufacturing capablity in the South. The South could not manufacture marine steam engines, as well as large guns and thick armor plate.

He divides operations into logical groupings - blockade by the North and the Souths response, comerece raiding, war on the rivers, the seige/blockade of Charleston SC and the final operations in '64-65

I thought it is a good companion to James McPherson's http://www.amazon.com/War-Waters-Confederate-1861-1865-Littlefield/dp/0807835889/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1364104440&sr=1-1&keywords=war+on+the+waters+by+james+mcpherson

currently reading Alex Kershaw's newest
http://www.amazon.com/Liberator-Soldiers-500-Day-Odyssey-Beaches/dp/0307887995/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1364104511&sr=1-1&keywords=the+liberator

About an officer in the 45th ID that fought with them from the landings in Sicly in July of 43 thru to the end of the war and the liberation of Dachau Concentration camp, over 500 days in combat

[LA Ute]

Finally finished "The Old Curiosity Shop," one of Dickens' later novels. A fun read, complete with a great villain.

[Big Kahuna]

1421 - The year China discovered America. Decent read, thought provoking. Takes away our western European bias. Only downer is some of the assertions are just that, many others supported by hard facts, including a Chinese junk found in California. I will not ruin the rest and I'm only half way through.

[OrangeUte]

Starting Cloud Atlas now.

[USS Utah]

Teachings of Thomas S. Monson

The only Monson I read is Thomas S., he has always been one of my favorite general authorities.

[USS Utah]

Ike's Bluff: President Eisenhower's Secret Battle to Save the World by Evan Thomas

Dwight David Eisenhower has often been viewed as a doddering lightweight of a president; in fact he was a surprisingly acute tactician, cold-blooded and brilliant at manipulating people in Washington, Moscow and Beijing. If people saw Ike as a lightweight it was because he wanted them to. The former army general had been so good at poker that he had to stop playing his fellow officers. He could be patient and ruthless and as the Cold War escalated with the H-bomb and ICBMs, he had to be. The conventional forces to defeat a Soviet offensive in Europe would have busted the budget, so Eisenhower threatened massive retaliation with a less expensive nuclear arsenal. But would he have actually given the order that could have lead to the destruction of the world? Nobody but Ike knew the answer to that question, and it is even possible that he did know it himself. But the key to avoiding World War III was that the Soviets believe he would give the order, so whatever his thoughts were on the question, he could not tell anyone about them. Thus, the loneliness of the being president greatly exceeded the loneliness of being Supreme Commander Allied Force Europe during World War II.

This is a fantastic book about a president who was and still is underestimated and underrated.

[USS Utah]

I'm also listening to Bill O'Reilly's Killing Kennedy as I take my daily walk. Killing Lincoln (which I also listened to) was great, but the Kennedy sequel is not nearly as good. Part of the problem is that Kennedy does not stand up very well next to Lincoln (who does?) -- or Eisenhower for that matter -- the other problem is that O'Reilly might give too much attention to JFK's sex life. There might be some aspects of Kennedy's affairs that are important, but I am sure that some details the author shares I just didn't need to know.

[happyone]

Finished The Liberator - excellent read! - I highly recommend this to anyone interested in WW II. Mr Kershaw tells the story of Felix Sparks who rose from a 2LT to a LTC and Bn Commander at 26 in the 157 INF. He made 4 amphibious invasions (Sicily, Salerno, Anzio and Southern France) twice loosing his command ( Once in Anzio as a Company commander - He was the sole non-casuality in his company and about 9 mths later in the Vosages Mtns of southern France, during the German assault - code named Operation Nordwind, as a Bn Co he lost his three line companies after they became surrounded). Sometimes his relationship with his superior officers was strained at best, but he was so good at his job, the didn't take his bn away from him.

As a personal note his bn was one of the bns that captured Nuremberg (where I lived as a teenager) and after that his bn did liberate the Dachau Concentration Camp near Munich. While living in Germany I visited Dachau twice. Unfortunately the first time, I was not impressed (rather boring - too young I guess, I was 13) the second time a couple of years later made a much greater/lasting impression on me. I really enjoyed reading those episodes.

Currently reading Robert Massie's biography of Catherine the Great

http://www.amazon.com/Catherine-Great-Portrait-Robert-Massie/dp/0345408772/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1364890580&sr=8-1&keywords=catherine+the+great+by+robert+massie

[USS Utah]

The Third Reich: A New History by Michael Burleigh

The subtitle might be a little misleading. This is not a chronological recounting of the history of Nazi Germany, but rather an in depth examination of many different aspects of the Third Reich beginning with politics of the Weimar Republic and finishing with post-WWII Germany. The author seeks the "serious intellectual issues almost buried beneath the avalanche of morbid kitsch and populistic trivia which this subject generates." The result is an excellent, if heavy, book. This one is not for the casual reader, unless they casually pick up heavy tomes such as The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich, Is Paris Burning? or The Pity of War -- actually, this book is much heavier than Rise and Fall seemed to be in retrospect.

[LA Ute]

At Amazon: bestsellers in military history. (http://www.amazon.com/s/?_encoding=UTF8&bbn=9&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=ur2&qid=1366412711&rh=n%3A283155%2Cn%3A%211000%2Cn%3A9%2Cn%3A5011&rnid=9&tag=wwwviolentkicom)

[USS Utah]

I'm still working my way through The Third Reich, but I took a couple of breaks from it to read two more Louis L'Amour novels, Last Stand at Papago Wells and The Man Called Noon, which were both very good.

http://www.louislamour.com/novels/laststand.htm

http://www.louislamour.com/novels/mancallednoon.htm

[San Diego Ute Fan]

I love L'Amour, (no pun intended) he weaves a lifetime of research and observation into his novels. The flora, fauna, and historical information are spectacular.

[USS Utah]

I'm taking another break from The Third Reich (I just finished the section on the Holocaust) and reading Chancy for the third time. This is one of my favorites, though its been over 20 years since a last read it.

http://www.louislamour.com/novels/chancy.htm

[concerned]

I have been slogging my way through Manchester's Churchill biography and had to put it down to read a book club book. The Orphan Master's Son. I had never heard of it, but it is terrific and I highly, highly recommend it. A spy novel sort of in North Korea. I cant put it down. Since I started it, it won the Putlitzer last week.

[USS Utah]

Project Azorian: The CIA and the Raising of the K-129 by Norman Polmar and Michael White

From the "truth is stranger that fiction" department, an excellent book about the most audacious salvage operation ever undertaken. The book also addresses the many conspiracy theories that have arisen from this event. I have been fascinated by the K-129/Glomar Explorer story since I first read about it in Blind Man's Bluff by Sherry Sontag and Christopher Drew back in 1998. You just can't make something like this up, as evidenced by some of the conspiracy theories connected to the story.

[LA Ute]

I have been slogging my way through Manchester's Churchill biography and had to put it down to read a book club book. The Orphan Master's Son. I had never heard of it, but it is terrific and I highly, highly recommend it. A spy novel sort of in North Korea. I cant put it down. Since I started it, it won the Putlitzer last week.

Been looking for some new fiction, so I've downloaded this to my Kindle account.

[mUUser]

Walking through Walmart the other day and noticed Dan Brown's new book Inferno is out. Bought it but haven't started it yet. Also reading Baseball as A Road to God by NYU President John Sexton. I'd join that church.

[concerned]

Been looking for some new fiction, so I've downloaded this to my Kindle account.

you will have to let me know what you think after you are done.

[Irving Washington]

you will have to let me know what you think after you are done.

The book I am reading now, The Longest Silence, The Life in Fishing, is a good read if you fly fish (not for Orvis-heads.)

If you are like me and need to read books with short chapters try The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein.

Of course, there are my old favorites: Brothers Karamazov and Catch 22. I recently stated reading Brothers K for the fourth or fifth time but got bogged down, so switched to The Longest Silence.

[LA Ute]

you will have to let me know what you think after you are done.

Halfway through already (most of that reading done last night and this morning). It is a great read so far. I'll probably finish it this weekend.

[LA Ute]

The book I am reading now, The Longest Silence, The Life in Fishing, is a good read if you fly fish (not for Orvis-heads.)

If you are like me and need to read books with short chapters try The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein.

Of course, there are my old favorites: Brothers Karamazov and Catch 22. I recently stated reading Brothers K for the fourth or fifth time but got bogged down, so switched to The Longest Silence.

Welcome! You need to go to Emiigration Canyon and introduce yourself. Not everyone here knows you. I promise not to tell stories oo you if you won't tell them on me.

The Brothers K is the greatest book I have ever read.

[Brian]

http://www.amazon.com/Room-A-Novel-Emma-Donoghue/dp/0316223239/ref=sr_1_1_ha?ie=UTF8&qid=1369629252&sr=8-1&keywords=room

Finished "Room" a few weeks back.
One of the most enjoyable reads in quite a while. Finished it just before the Cincinatti kidnapping thing broke. Bizarre timing. The narrator of the story is a 5 year old boy. Seemed like it would be pretty hard to pull off, but she did a fantastic job with it.

Started reading "The Tiger's Wife" by Tea Obreht. Not doing it for me.... I think I'm going to put it on the shelf and go buy something else.

[LA Ute]

you will have to let me know what you think after you are done.

Finished it yesterday. Powerful and absorbing. Before I hold forth on it further I want to make sure you've finished it so I can avoid spoilers.

[concerned]

Finished it yesterday. Powerful and absorbing. Before I hold forth on it further I want to make sure you've finished it so I can avoid spoilers.


i have a little bit left. I have to share it with my wife for the same book club, and she has it as the moment.

[DrumNFeather]

I picked up a book last year called The First American Republic (http://www.firstamericanrepublic.com/). It Chronicles the fourteen presidents of the United States prior to George Washington, those that presided over the Continental Congress and in some cases helped to shape the way that the role of the President of the United states works.

When I got the book, I quickly read through the first two; Peyton Randolph and Henry Middleton. I picked up the book once again this weekend and read through the story of John Hancock. I had never realized how much of an impact he had on the early American political scene and how much of a player he was in the process beyond just the big signature.

Here's an intro to the book for those that are interested:


George Washington's Inauguration in April 1789 marked the beginning of government under the new United States Constitution. What few Americans realize is that there had been a fully functioning national government prior to 1789. It was called the Continental Congress and it was, in every respect, the First American Republic (1774-1789).

It began on September 5, 1774, when elected delegates from eleven of the American colonies first assembled in Philadelphia. Surprisingly, that First American Republic is most often dismissed in textbooks and popular history as a failed attempt at self-government. And yet, it was during that fifteen year period that the United States won the war against the strongest empire on Earth, established organized government as far west as the Mississippi River, built alliances with some of the great powers of Europe and transformed thirteen separate entities into a national confederation.

When the Continental Congress initially met in 1774, its very first order of business was to elect one of its own members to serve as President. He functioned as Head of State, much as the Presidents of Germany and Italy do today. He signed all official documents, received all foreign visitors and represented the emerging nation at official events and through extensive correspondence. While Congress retained all other executive, legislative and judicial functions, the President even presided over its deliberations. Eventually, a house, carriage and servants were provided for the President as a sign of national pride and respect.

In all, fourteen distinguished individuals were chosen by their peers for this unique and awesome responsibility. They were the giants of their age, men of power, wealth and experience who often led their new nation through extremely difficult days largely on the strength of their character. For far too long they have been lost to history.

This is their story.

[pangloss]

Just finished Douglas Waller's biography of William Donovan

http://www.amazon.com/Wild-Bill-Donovan-Spymaster-Espionage/dp/B0054U5CQI/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1363510131&sr=1-1&keywords=wild+bill+donovan

Solid biography, Mr. Waller doesn't whitewash Wild Bill. The Donovan that Mr. Waller presents is a flawed man. He is an indifferent manager/administrator, but a superb leader. His personal life is a mess as is his finances.

It is also a good look at the creation of the OSS and its operations in WW II. He does a good job covering the bureaucratic infighting that accompied the creation of the OSS and throughout its existance. J. Edgar Hoover particularly comes off poorly.

I read "Wild Bill..." a couple months ago -- you're right, it's excellent and fascinating. Donovan is one of those heroes who is not known well enough. His contribution to history is less well known than that of Allan Dulles, for example, but should be more highly valued (IMHO).

One of my professors in business school at the U was Dr. James Gardner. His obituary doesn't mention it, but he was in the OSS in China during WWII. He was a wonderful man - brilliant, successful, caring and pleasant.

http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/DeseretNews/obituary.aspx?n=James-H-Gardner&pid=1335578#fbLoggedOut

[LA Ute]

I read "Wild Bill..." a couple months ago -- you're right, it's excellent and fascinating. Donovan is one of those heroes who is not known well enough. His contribution to history is less well known than that of Allan Dulles, for example, but should be more highly valued (IMHO).

One of my professors in business school at the U was Dr. James Gardner. His obituary doesn't mention it, but he was in the OSS in China during WWII. He was a wonderful man - brilliant, successful, caring and pleasant.

http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/DeseretNews/obituary.aspx?n=James-H-Gardner&pid=1335578#fbLoggedOut

Dr. Gardner was a wonderful guy. I interacted with him constantly during my stint in student government and enjoyed every minute of it. Something tells me he'd be happy to pass away while playing golf. Good for him.

[USS Utah]

The First Team: Pacific Naval Air Combat from Pearl Harbor to Midway by John B. Lundstrom

An excellent book about U.S. carrier operations during the first six months of the war. The primary focus is on the fighter squadrons and their actions, but the secondary focus on other facets of carrier operations is good. The author chose to focus on the fighters because he believed the dive and torpedo bombers had been well covered (I have to disagree regarding the torpedo bombers, at least before the Coral Sea and Midway battles).

[SoCalPat]

Cheating the Spread: Gamblers, Point Shavers and Game Fixers in College Football and Basketball, by Albert Figone

Most of the book deals with college basketball cheating scandals from the 1950s-1970s (CCNY, Seton Hall, Kentucky, Boston College, just to name a few) and a landmark Bear Bryant accusation in the 1960s. If you're a fan of sports history past individual accomplishments and ready-for-ESPN moments, then this book is for you. It also rips coaches and administrators for their apologist views and outright reluctance to take action when presented with strong circumstantial evidence that something was amiss. (I never thought much of Dan Henning the strategist, but my respect for him as a coach grew 100 fold when I read about how he went after rumors of point shaving on his BC football team in the 1990s).

As with any sports book, I look for the Utah connection and there are several in this book. It has been documented that Vadal Peterson was approached in throwing the 1944 NCAA championship game. He responded by punching the man in the face.

Our 1951-52 game against St. John's was fixed, although we lost the game. St. John's following game against BYU was also fixed. Utah lost by 9, BYU lost by 6. Given the records both teams had, that the games were in NYC and that St. John's was the better program at the time, it makes sense for the spreads in those games to have been higher.

Finally, while the 1961 Final Four wasn't fixed, our third-place game opponent St. Joseph's, ultimately vacated its Final Four appearance because of a point-shaving scandal that earlier that year. It has been suggested that Utah may have gotten a better game than it should have gotten from St. Joseph's, given the meaninglessness of third-place games.


As he talked, Majewski gave the suggestion of an answer to his own question. Basketball is a game, and somber Frank Majewski seemed to have reached a point where worry, pressure and fear made it impossible for him to enjoy a game any more.
Yet, ironically, basketball was about to offer him one last challenge that stirred him. He played well in a lost cause against Ohio State (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/topic/article/The_Ohio_State_University/1900-01-01/2100-12-31/mdd/index.htm) in that NCAA (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/topic/article/National_Collegiate_Athletic_Association/1900-01-01/2100-12-31/mdd/index.htm) semifinal. The next night, in a game against Utah (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/topic/article/Utah/1900-01-01/2100-12-31/mdd/index.htm) for national third-place ranking, Majewski was at his leaping, fighting best. Once he even outjumped Utah (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/topic/article/Utah/1900-01-01/2100-12-31/mdd/index.htm)'s 6-foot-9 Billy McGill (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/topic/article/Billy_McGill/1900-01-01/2100-12-31/mdd/index.htm).
Then, with the score tied and one second to play, Frank Majewski got the ball. He was all alone, 20 feet from the basket. He shot, and missed. St. Joseph's went on to win in four overtimes, but after the game Majewski was thinking only of the shot he missed. "I wanted it to go in so badly," he said.
It was almost as if he owed a debt to St. Joseph's and had tried to pay it off in his last game.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1072519/4/index.htm

http://www.amazon.com/Cheating-Spread-Gamblers-Football-Basketball/dp/0252078756 (http://www.amazon.com/Cheating-Spread-Gamblers-Football-Basketball/dp/0252078756)

[USS Utah]

The Mediterranean Caper by Clive Cussler

A dogfight between a World War II PBY Catalina flying boat and a World War I German Albatros D.III is how Cussler's first published novel (1973) opens. The mysterious appearance of the Albatros was supposed to encourage the NUMA scientific research vessel First Attempt to leave the waters around the Greek island of Thasos before it could uncover a dangerous secret. Excellent.

[USS Utah]

No Excuses, No Regrets: The Eric Weddle Story by Trent Toone

Fantastic! A must read for Ute fans.

[USS Utah]

Warthog: Flying the A-10 in the Gulf War by William L. Smallwood

The A-10 was the ugly duckling, the plane the Air Force didn't want, designed for a mission the Air Force was only marginally interested in. Then, when Iraq invaded Kuwait in 1990, the Hog got its chance to shine. The A-10 was tasked with missions it wasn't designed to preform; deep interdiction, night interdiction, Scud hunting and armed reconnaissance, to name just a few. The Warthog proved its value and led air campaign commander General Chuck Horner, an f-16 driver to say, "I take back all the bad things I have ever said about the A-10. I love them! They're saving our [butts]!"

This book is an excellent look at the A-10 in combat.

[USS Utah]

The Tigers are Burning by Martin Caidin

An excellent book on the Battle of Kursk. Caidin points out that the Porsche designed (built by Krupp) Tiger tanks and Ferdinand self propelled artillery did not have machine guns and were thus sitting ducks for Russian infantry.

[happyone]

I just finished Rick Atkinson's final volume of his Liberation Trilogy about the US Army in WW II - what a read. Excellent in all respects. I rated it 5 stars on goodreads. http://www.amazon.com/The-Guns-Last-Light-Liberation/dp/0805062904/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1373418562&sr=8-1&keywords=guns+last+light+atkinson

[Katy Lied]

I'm a huge John Irving fan and reading his latest In One Person. His books are typically full of irresponsible sex and personal tragedy and this one does not disappoint. The World According to Garp and A prayer for Owen Meany are two of my favorites.

A Prayer for Owen Meany stayed with me for months after reading.

[/QUOTE]

[happyone]

currently reading

http://www.amazon.com/FDR-Chief-Justice-Hughes-President/dp/B00BRAUETE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1373900125&sr=8-1&keywords=fdr+and+chief+justice+hughes

The author was on BookTV and it looked interesting

[USS Utah]

I have been listening to The Generals: American Military Command from World War II to Today by Thomas E. Ricks, finished it last week. It was pretty good and Ricks does make some valid points, but there are some problems. First, the book is primarily about the Army; two Marine generals are discussed to show contrast with Army generals in Korea and Iraq, and one Air Force general is discussed to make the case that generals are typically fired by civilians these days rather than other generals. Regarding that AF general, however, it was a chief of staff of the AF who had loose lips about planning during the run-up to Operation Desert Storm; the problem is that as chief of staff there were only two people who could have fired him and both were civilians, there was no superior officer in the AF who could have because a chief of staff is the top officer in U.S. service branch. Two more problems I found were that Ricks did not examine the role or impact of policy, set by civilians, on strategy, which is supposed to be formulated by generals; additionally, there was no discussion of the impact of the Goldwater-Nichols Act which created the area commands and made the chairman of the Joint Chiefs nothing but an adviser to the president.

With very few exceptions, Ricks finds areas of criticism for every Army general except George C. Marshall. He all but ignored Omar Bradley. Still, I have to agree with his premise that the Army has moved in the wrong direction since World War II in avoiding reliefs of generals and other officers. Ricks approached a retired general at a social gathering once and told him about the premise of his book and the general is supposed to have said "Why not just court martial them?" In effect, that is how the Army has come to view the relief of generals, yet Ricks argues that a relief does not need to be a career ender and uses the example of Terry Allen who was relieved as commander of the 1st Infantry Division by Patton in Sicily, but who returned to Europe a year later in command of another division. Ricks also suggested making the first six months in a combat command probationary, allowing an officer to be relieved without prejudice if they don't measure up. Finally, Ricks noted that the Navy has continued to relieve ship captains, even as many in the Navy are concerned that these reliefs, especially for offenses unrelated to ship handling, are happening too frequently.

[USS Utah]

Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage by Alfred Lansing

Simply Magnificent. This is the story of Ernest Shackleton's second Antarctic expedition which led to the loss of the ship Endurance and a desperate trek across ice and sea to safety.

[Diehard Ute]

Just finished "Lone Survivor" by Marcus Luttrell, USN SEAL (Ret)

If you want to read about heroes read this book.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 2

[USS Utah]

History of United States Naval Operations In World War II, Vol. VI: Breaking the Bismarcks Barrier, 22 July 1942-1 May 1944 by Samuel Eliot Morison.

An excellent book about operations in Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands which resulted in the isolation of Rabaul and the breaking, or bypassing of, the Bismarcks Barrier.

[LA Ute]

I'm reading "Gilead," which is unlike any other novel I've ever read. Summary:


Gilead is a novel (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Novel) written by Marilynne Robinson (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marilynne_Robinson) and published in 2004. It won the 2005 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pulitzer_Prize_for_Fiction), as well as the National Book Critics Circle Award (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Book_Critics_Circle_Award). The novel is the fictional autobiography (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autobiography) of the Reverend John Ames, an elderly congregationalist (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Congregational_church) pastor (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pastor) in the small, secluded town of Gilead, Iowa (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iowa) who knows that he is dying of a heart condition. At the beginning of the book, the date is established as 1957, and Ames explains that he is writing an account of his life for his seven-year-old son, who will have few memories of him.

It has really sucked me in. Has anyone else read this book?

[concerned]

I'm reading "Gilead," which is unlike any other novel I've ever read. Summary:



It has really sucked me in. Has anyone else read this book?

I read it when it came out, but hardly remember it; it got excellent reviews, but I didn't find it that compelling (as I remember). I also read Housekeeping years ago, and liked that quite a bit.

[USS Utah]

The First Hellcat Ace by Commander Hamilton McWhorter III (ret.) with Jay A. Stout

McWhorter first flew the Grumman F6F Hellcat into combat over Marcus Island on August 31, 1943. By November 20, when the Marines landed at Tarawa, McWhorter had become the first all-Hellcat ace, and the first ace of VF-9. This book is an excellent look at the realities of being a Navy fighter pilot during World War II.

[U-Ute]

Finally got some time to A Dance With Dragons (book 5 of the Game Of Thrones series).

I must say, it is a bit confusing with how books 4 and 5 are parallel timelines. I understand why he did it, but it can be confusing at times. :/

[cald22well]

Question for those on this thread regarding time for reading.

I love to read, but part of my problem is that when I get wrapped into a book, it's hard for me to put it down. Many times in school I stayed up way to late finishing the book instead of stopping at our reading assignment.

So, besides audiobooks, what are some suggestions for making time to read and only having a certain amount of time to read?

[U-Ute]

Question for those on this thread regarding time for reading.

I love to read, but part of my problem is that when I get wrapped into a book, it's hard for me to put it down. Many times in school I stayed up way to late finishing the book instead of stopping at our reading assignment.

So, besides audiobooks, what are some suggestions for making time to read and only having a certain amount of time to read?

I'm in the same boat. For me it is my Kindle. Portable and lightweight. I read in all sorts of random places at home: while laying down with a kid trying to put them to sleep, outside next to the BBQ, at kid's soccer practice, etc. Plus any books I buy are also transferred to my iPhone so I can get a bit of reading in if the opportunity presents itself when I am not home (lunch, work, family functions, etc).

I hate it myself, but basically, you just have to commit yourself to reading in fits and starts. :(

[USS Utah]

Hubener vs Hitler: A Biography of Helmuth Hubener, Mormon Teenage Resistance Leader by Richard Lloyd Dewey

A very good book about an amazing story. Huebener led a resistance movement that distributed handbills exposing the lies of the Nazi propaganda machine. He was so successful that the Gestapo assumed adults were behind the movement, or possibly even the British. Out of a fairly large movement, only three, including Huebener, were caught. Huebener would be the youngest resistance leader to be executed by the Nazi regime, and he has been so recognized in post-war Germany.

[LA Ute]

I just finished "Gilead, A Novel," by Maryanne Robinson. It's unlike any novel I've ever read, and I strongly recommend it. Anyone who reads the book -- a Pulitzer Prize winner -- need not fear being depressed, shocked, or offended. Instead, it will lift you. I can't say that about many novels.


http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/68210.Gilead

[USS Utah]

The Presidents Club: Inside the World's Most Exclusive Fraternity by Nancy Gibbs and Michael Duffy

An excellent book about the modern presidents club somewhat officially started by Hoover and Truman when Eisenhower was inaugurated. Previous to that, Truman had enlisted Hoover's help in feeding Europe after World War II and then in reorganizing the executive branch; in the process, Hoover was rehabilitated. The two former presidents became friends as Truman and Ike began a decade long feud that only began to heal on the day of JFK's funeral when, after the services, Truman invited Ike to have a drink with him. The only person who can understand what it means to be president is someone else who has held the same office, and often former presidents are a help to sitting presidents, but at other times they can be an enemy. JFK thought his youth and vitality could be an advantage over Ike's decades of experience, but this led to disaster at the Bay of Pigs, and a humbled president turned to his predecessor for help, and later LBJ often sought help from the old general. Nixon would conspire with and then betray LBJ in 1968, which helped lead to Watergate in 1972. Another aspect of this book also involves dealings between future presidents, such as between Nixon and Reagan during the latter's 1966 gubernatorial campaign.

I enjoy books like these because they shed light on events usually seen in more partisan half light, reinforcing the point that things are rarely the way they seem at the time.

[LA Ute]

The Presidents Club: Inside the World's Most Exclusive Fraternity by Nancy Gibbs and Michael Duffy

An excellent book about the modern presidents club somewhat officially started by Hoover and Truman when Eisenhower was inaugurated. Previous to that, Truman had enlisted Hoover's help in feeding Europe after World War II and then in reorganizing the executive branch; in the process, Hoover was rehabilitated. The two former presidents became friends as Truman and Ike began a decade long feud that only began to heal on the day of JFK's funeral when, after the services, Truman invited Ike to have a drink with him. The only person who can understand what it means to be president is someone else who has held the same office, and often former presidents are a help to sitting presidents, but at other times they can be an enemy. JFK thought his youth and vitality could be an advantage over Ike's decades of experience, but this led to disaster at the Bay of Pigs, and a humbled president turned to his predecessor for help, and later LBJ often sought help from the old general. Nixon would conspire with and then betray LBJ in 1968, which helped lead to Watergate in 1972. Another aspect of this book also involves dealings between future presidents, such as between Nixon and Reagan during the latter's 1966 gubernatorial campaign.

I enjoy books like these because they shed light on events usually seen in more partisan half light, reinforcing the point that things are rarely the way they seem at the time.

Thanks, that one sounds interesting. I'll probably download to my Kindle.

[USS Utah]

The Day of Battle: The War in Sicily and Italy, 1943-1944 by Rick Atkinson

The second volume of the author's Liberation Trilogy focuses on the Italian campaign, the personalities, the battles and the trajedy of war. Fantastic.

[USS Utah]

The Man from the Broken Hills by Louis L'Amour

Took this with me on a weekend getaway. Milo Talon signs on as a cowpuncher with an outfit he thinks might by run over by a rival outfit. As he helps in rounding up the herd, he discovers that most of the younger stock, 3 years old or younger, is missing. Have they been rustled by the rival outfit, or have its younger stock been rustled as well? Excellent. Milo Talon would return as the title character in a sequel a few years after Broken Hills was published. That second novel is one of my favorites from L'Amour, one I first read while in jr. high school, and again a fews years later. I'm looking forward to finishing Broken Hills and reading Milo Talon for a third time.

[USS Utah]

Viper Pilot: A Memoir of Air Combat by Dan Hampton.

Hampton flew 151 combat missions in his 20 year career, scoring 21 hard kills on SAM sites. He's been called the most lethal F-16CJ Wild Weasel in the USAF. His memoir is an irreverant, no holds barred portrayal of life as a combat pilot. Fantastic!

[USS Utah]

A Nightmare's Prayer by Michael Franzak

In October 2002 the Flying Nighmares of VMA-513 (Marine Attack Squadron 513) deployed for a six month combat tour in Afghanistan. The author served as the executive officer of the Harrier squadron, which was extended another six months because of the invasion of Iraq. This book is different from Viper Pilot as Franzak is more philosphical and intropestive and less irreverent than Hampton. Also, the book focuses on one deployment rather than an entire career. Either way, the result is another fantastic memoir of combat.

[USS Utah]

Silent Running: My Years on a World War II Attack Submarine by James F. Calvert, Vice Admiral, USN (ret.)

Clavert was a plank owner of the sumbarine USS Jack (SS-259) and served on board during all seven war patrols. His job during attacks on enemy shipping was to man the Torpdeo Data Computer (TDC) an analogue computer which assisted in the targeting process. Calvert has been recognized for his skill in operating the TDC; in the book's forward, Edward L. Beach, who also served on submarines during the war, and is a noted author of fiction and non-fiction books on submarine warfare and operations, labeled Calvert as a real TDC expert. Calvert is also a very good writer and this is a fantastic memoir of submarine combat.

[Scorcho]

Jeff Benedict and The System

The other day KALL 700 had Jeff Benedict on their show. For those of you that don’t remember Jeff Benedict, he was the douche-nozzle SI Writer that wrote the article about Hadley and the Weeping Inmates. I was hoping that Hans and Riley would grill him on aspects of the Hadley article, but instead he was in town promoting a book (his new book is about a guy who left the Taliban to become LDS). While there’s no question he’s an LDS Author with an agenda, I left that interview more impressed with him than I was previously. I think I judged him too quickly. Here’s why.

During the interview, they spent a good amount of time discussing another book he co-authored titled The System. The System is a book behind the scenes of big-time college football. It references details about Lane Kiffin’s time (all 4.6 months) at Tennessee, OSU Booster Boone Pickins and delves into the recruitment of Alphonso Marsh from Compton, CA to the University of Utah.

I guess it’s filled with positive and negative stories about college football. Benedict said he lost a few of his LDS Friends because one of the chapters deals with the BYU Gang Rape case back in 2005. Some of his LDS friends told him that he couldn’t write that chapter because it paints BYU and the Provo Community in such a poor light. Apparently that’s a graphic, horrific chapter of what went down in that situation and the injustice suffered by the victim.

Has anybody read this, if so I’d like your thoughts on whether it’s a good read?

[kccougar]

Jeff Benedict and The System

The other day KALL 700 had Jeff Benedict on their show. For those of you that don’t remember Jeff Benedict, he was the douche-nozzle SI Writer that wrote the article about Hadley and the Weeping Inmates. I was hoping that Hans and Riley would grill him on aspects of the Hadley article, but instead he was in town promoting a book (his new book is about a guy who left the Taliban to become LDS). While there’s no question he’s an LDS Author with an agenda, I left that interview more impressed with him than I was previously. I think I judged him too quickly. Here’s why.

During the interview, they spent a good amount of time discussing another book he co-authored titled The System. The System is a book behind the scenes of big-time college football. It references details about Lane Kiffin’s time (all 4.6 months) at Tennessee, OSU Booster Boone Pickins and delves into the recruitment of Alphonso Marsh from Compton, CA to the University of Utah.

I guess it’s filled with positive and negative stories about college football. Benedict said he lost a few of his LDS Friends because one of the chapters deals with the BYU Gang Rape case back in 2005. Some of his LDS friends told him that he couldn’t write that chapter because it paints BYU and the Provo Community in such a poor light. Apparently that’s a graphic, horrific chapter of what went down in that situation and the injustice suffered by the victim.

Has anybody read this, if so I’d like your thoughts on whether it’s a good read?

The way Benedict was lambasted locally during the Hadley thing was funny (if you weren't Hadley or Benedict).

[eldiente]

Jeff Benedict and The System

The other day KALL 700 had Jeff Benedict on their show. For those of you that don’t remember Jeff Benedict, he was the douche-nozzle SI Writer that wrote the article about Hadley and the Weeping Inmates. I was hoping that Hans and Riley would grill him on aspects of the Hadley article, but instead he was in town promoting a book (his new book is about a guy who left the Taliban to become LDS). While there’s no question he’s an LDS Author with an agenda, I left that interview more impressed with him than I was previously. I think I judged him too quickly. Here’s why.

During the interview, they spent a good amount of time discussing another book he co-authored titled The System. The System is a book behind the scenes of big-time college football. It references details about Lane Kiffin’s time (all 4.6 months) at Tennessee, OSU Booster Boone Pickins and delves into the recruitment of Alphonso Marsh from Compton, CA to the University of Utah.

I guess it’s filled with positive and negative stories about college football. Benedict said he lost a few of his LDS Friends because one of the chapters deals with the BYU Gang Rape case back in 2005. Some of his LDS friends told him that he couldn’t write that chapter because it paints BYU and the Provo Community in such a poor light. Apparently that’s a graphic, horrific chapter of what went down in that situation and the injustice suffered by the victim.

Has anybody read this, if so I’d like your thoughts on whether it’s a good read?

Excellent book that is disheartening to fans of college football (rather than fans of a particular team) because of the details it reveals about how silly "the system" has become. Strongly recommmended, although it isn't complimentary to U of Utah or it's football coach.

[eldiente]

But how credible is it? We're talking about an author who we know is okay with stretching the truth and presenting things in a one-sided way.

I found the details verifiable and the sources credible. Your view may vary, but you won't know until you read it. :-)

[USS Utah]

Tarawa: The Story of a Battle by Robert Sherrod

I first read this book many years ago in high school. Reading it again now I am finding it to be much better than I remembered. This isn't a campaign history, but rather the story of what Sherrod witnessed as a war correspondent during the battle for Tarawa in November 1943. Excellent.

[OrangeUte]

Currently reading "The Orphan Master's Son". Won the Pulitzer for fiction. Absolutely wonderful book/story m about North Korea.

[LA Ute]

Currently reading "The Orphan Master's Son". Won the Pulitzer for fiction. Absolutely wonderful book/story m about North Korea.

I just read that last summer. A chilling book, I couldn't put it down.

[OrangeUte]

I just read that last summer. A chilling book, I couldn't put it down.

Of all the places to set a book, North Korea is severely underutilized. This book made that a fascinating place to me.

[USS Utah]

The Dream Machine: The Untold History of the Notorious V-22 Osprey by Richard Whittle

Whittle cuts through the hype and the hysteria to present an engaging story on the tiltrotor aircraft. Since the early days of flight there were those who wanted to find the hybrid aircraft the could master the air and the convertiplane tiltrotor became the dream machine. For the U.S. Marine Corps, the titrotor was the answer to maintaining their relevance and status as a seperate service. The author takes the reader through processes of design, engineering and military procurement without getting too technical, making these arcane subjects accessable to the layman. Excellent.

[LA Ute]

I just finished "The Goldfinch," by Donna Tartt. I loved it. Here's a pretty good review of the book (http://www.npr.org/2013/10/31/242105656/dickensian-ambition-and-emotion-make-goldfinch-worth-the-wait). The reviewer says "The Goldfinch" is Dickensian, and I agree there are whiffs of Dickens throughout (most of you know I love Dickens), but this is a much harder-edged book than anything old Charles would write.

What I look for most in fiction -- whether books or movies -- are (1) a good story and (2) characters I care about. This book has both, in spades. I cared so much about the protagonist, Theo Decker, that for about half the book I found myself thinking, "Oh, no -- Theo, don't do that!" If you feel that way too, all I can say is "Hang on until the ending!" The book is 700 pages long, but don't let that discourage you. It is a page-turner, and highly-recommended.

[concerned]

I just finished "The Goldfinch," by Donna Tartt. I loved it. Here's a pretty good review of the book (http://www.npr.org/2013/10/31/242105656/dickensian-ambition-and-emotion-make-goldfinch-worth-the-wait). The reviewer says "The Goldfinch" is Dickensian, and I agree there are whiffs of Dickens throughout (most of you know I love Dickens), but this is a much harder-edged book than anything old Charles would write.

What I look for most in fiction -- whether books or movies -- are (1) a good story and (2) characters I care about. This book has both, in spades. I cared so much about the protagonist, Theo Decker, that for about half the book I found myself thinking, "Oh, no -- Theo, don't do that!" If you feel that way too, all I can say is "Hang on until the ending!" The book is 700 pages long, but don't let that discourage you. It is a page-turner, and highly-recommended.

I gave my wife the Goldfinch for Xmas. cant wait to read it when she is done with it. BTW, if you like the feeling "Oh no -- theo dont do that" then you would love Breaking Bad. Starting the 5th season, best show I've ever watched.

[LA Ute]

I gave my wife the Goldfinch for Xmas. cant wait to read it when she is done with it. BTW, if you like the feeling "Oh no -- theo dont do that" then you would love Breaking Bad. Starting the 5th season, best show I've ever watched.

Breaking Bad is on my list. It might take me a while to get to it....

[OrangeUte]

I just read that last summer. A chilling book, I couldn't put it down.

Finished. It took me several weeks to find time to read and get into it. Absolutely terrific and I would recommend it highly.

I thought the chapters narrated like propaganda were corny and the only weakness of the book. That's a very minor weakness.

[OrangeUte]

I just picked up "a visit from the goon squad". http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0307477479

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Visit_from_the_Goon_Squad

Has anyone else read this book? I am a little ways in and have to tell you that I think it's remarkable. I am curious to find out what other people's experience has been with this book.

I also picked up a copy of world war Z. I have been reading that on and off for the last month or so and I'm almost finished with it. The book is way better than the movie. I've read it in little bits and chunks here and there, and the make up of the book was various stories makes that possible.

[LA Ute]

"A Tale of Two Cities." In 9th grade I found it incredibly boring so I read the Cliff's Notes. A few weeks ago I decided on a whim to read the whole thing and I am loving it. Definitely Dickens' grittiest novel.

It's kind of a shame that teenagers are expected to read Dickens at an age when they can't possibly understand fully what's going on. As a kid I thought Miss Havisham in Great Expectations was comical. She's not comical at all.

[concerned]

"A Tale of Two Cities." In 9th grade I found it incredibly boring so I read the Cliff's Notes. A few weeks ago I decided on a whim to read the whole thing and I am loving it. Definitely Dickens' grittiest novel.

It's kind of a shame that teenagers are expected to read Dickens at an age when they can't possibly understand fully what's going on. As a kid I thought Miss Havisham in Great Expectations was comical. She's not comical at all.

On that note, I have never read Great Expectations even though it has been sitting on my self since I bought it for a college class on the Victorian Novel. I pulled it out the other day to start when I finish the Round House, which I am reading currently and put it on my bed stand. (maybe after the Goldfinch; havent decided).

[Mormon Red Death]

I finished Nick Offerman's "Paddle your own canoe". Most of us would know him as ron swanson on community.

It was a fun irreverant book that has a nice message. If you can handle the language I would recommend

Sent from my SGH-M919 using Tapatalk 2

[LA Ute]

Just started "Crime and Punishment" and am looking forward to it.

[Mormon Red Death]

Just started "Crime and Punishment" and am looking forward to it.

You've never read it?

Sent from my SGH-M919 using Tapatalk 2

[LA Ute]

You've never read it?

Sent from my SGH-M919 using Tapatalk 2

Nope. In my misspent youth I would have read it only for a class, and I didn't take one that required it. I'm loving it already. I also plan to read "The Idiot." "The Brothers Karamazov" is one of my favorite books.

[concerned]

it is a slippery slope from Raskolnikov to Walter White

[Utebiquitous]

LA,
It's a good thing you live in a warm place otherwise I'd recommend you wait to read Crime and Punishment until spring/summer. I read it in the winter many years ago. Reading at that time of year seemed to exacerbate the book's setting and tenor. I spent a month or so with Raskolnikov dominating my mind much more than a Communications Theory class. Alas, that was the grade that mattered. I was just reading Dostoevsky for pleasure - if you want to call it that. The Brothers Karamazov has been sitting on my bookshelf for many years and I've only taken the time to read the chapters comprising "The Grand Inquisitor." It's a goal to pick it up and read it all this year.

Speaking of "The Brothers Karamazov" have you read "The Brothers K?" That's an absolute must read. You would love it

[LA Ute]

Speaking of "The Brothers Karamazov" have you read "The Brothers K?" That's an absolute must read. You would love it

Yes, it is my favorite novel, and the reason I am reading C and P. It's sunny here, BTW, so I should be fine!

[Utebiquitous]

LA,
You do realize that I'm talking about a different book - definitely inspired by The Brothers Karamazov but titled, "The Brothers K" written by David James Duncan. Really good novel with sports and religion as strong underpinnings.

[LA Ute]

LA,
You do realize that I'm talking about a different book - definitely inspired by The Brothers Karamazov but titled, "The Brothers K" written by David James Duncan. Really good novel with sports and religion as strong underpinnings.

No, I had not heard of that book and thought you were simply abbreviating. It's now on my reading list!

[LA Ute]

Meanwhile, as I read a chapter or two of C&P each day, I've learned to whistle a happy tune for 5 minutes just after I finish so that I don't walk around with a black cloud hovering over my head.

[concerned]

Meanwhile, as I read a chapter or two of C&P each day, I've learned to whistle a happy tune for 5 minutes just after I finish so that I don't walk around with a black cloud hovering over my head.Walter white awaits

[LA Ute]

Walter white awaits

Har-har. Vince Gilligan as Fyodor's successor.

[USS Utah]

The Guns of August by Barbara W. Tuchman

A masterful history of the planning, outbreak and fighting during the first month of World War I.

[hostile]

Amazon lists 100 books that you should read in your lifetime.

http://www.amazon.com/b?ie=UTF8&node=8192263011

[LA Ute]

Amazon lists 100 books that you should read in your lifetime.

http://www.amazon.com/b?ie=UTF8&node=8192263011

Not sure I agree with the list, but maybe that's because I've read only13 of them....

[Devildog]

Just finished Damn Few. Light, good time, entertaining read.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xTTEwnQMd4c

[USS Utah]

Not sure I agree with the list, but maybe that's because I've read only13 of them....

That's better than me. I've only read three of them.

I did the same with this list (BBC's Top 200 Books):

http://flattopshistorywarpolitics.yuku.com/topic/1752/BBCs-The-Big-Read-Top-200-Books#.UvZ_RM4w5yE

[LA Ute]

I'm posting this here because it will probably interest those who have read "The Orphan Master's Son."

North Korea's Horrors 'Strikingly Similar' to Nazi Acts (http://www.nbcnews.com/news/asia/north-koreas-horrors-strikingly-similar-nazi-acts-n32121)

This U.N. report is horrifying.

[Mormon Red Death]

The Guns of August by Barbara W. Tuchman

A masterful history of the planning, outbreak and fighting during the first month of World War I.

If you are interested in this subject Dan Carlin's hardcore history has a two part podcast called "blueprint for the armageddon". Really interesting.

Sent from my SGH-M919 using Tapatalk 2

[ute4eva]

Two somewhat tied together books that are great reads are "The Alchemy of Air" and "Saltpeter: The Mother of Gunpowder" I had no idea how the production of ammonia, fertilizer, and gunpowder could rule the world. I know interesting, huh?

[concerned]

I gave my wife the Goldfinch for Xmas. cant wait to read it when she is done with it. BTW, if you like the feeling "Oh no -- theo dont do that" then you would love Breaking Bad. Starting the 5th season, best show I've ever watched.

My wife is about halfway through Goldfinch and cant put it down. Looking forward to it.

[Damage U]

Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage by Alfred Lansing

Simply Magnificent. This is the story of Ernest Shackleton's second Antarctic expedition which led to the loss of the ship Endurance and a desperate trek across ice and sea to safety.

This is one of my favorites. After seeing your post a few weeks ago I went looking for my copy. After a few moves I'm not sure where it is. One book I don't mind buying again.

[LA Ute]

My wife is about halfway through Goldfinch and cant put it down. Looking forward to it.

I think I blew through it in about a week.

[Damage U]

I was thinking of some my other favorites as a kid that are worth a reread.

When the Legends Die by Hal Borland

and

Alas, Babylon by Pat Frank

[Applejack]

This came up on another board, so I thought I'd post it here as well.

Gilead, by Marilynne Robinson, is probably my favorite book of the past decade. WARNING: It is a very "quiet" read; it is definitely not a Clancy novel. But, for those who are into fiction and those with an interest in the large, theological questions, I can't think of a better book.

I'm making it my recommendation of the month.

[concerned]

I think I blew through it in about a week.

My wife is a thoughtful reader.

[concerned]

This came up on another board, so I thought I'd post it here as well.

Gilead, by Marilynne Robinson, is probably my favorite book of the past decade. WARNING: It is a very "quiet" read; it is definitely not a Clancy novel. But, for those who are into fiction and those with an interest in the large, theological questions, I can't think of a better book.

I'm making it my recommendation of the month.

I'll say it again: Housekeeping is better.

[Mormon Red Death]

I was thinking of some my other favorites as a kid that are worth a reread.

When the Legends Die by Hal Borland


In my top favorite 5 books of all time.

Sent from my SGH-M919 using Tapatalk 2

[LA Ute]

My wife is a thoughtful reader.

LOL. I didn't mean that as a jab, just as evidence of how a great book grabbed me.

Applejack, I loved "Gilead." It's different from any novel I've ever read. "Housekeeping" is now on my list too.

[Damage U]

For those who like true survival stories. Skeletons on the Zahara by Dean King. It's about a US shipwreck off the northwestern coast of Africa in 1815. The Captain and crew make their way to shore only to be faced with the Sahara desert and being forced into slavery by nomadic Arabs.

[hostile]

For those who like true survival stories. Skeletons on the Zahara by Dean King. It's about a US shipwreck off the northwestern coast of Africa in 1815. The Captain and crew make their way to shore only to be faced with the Sahara desert and being forced into slavery by nomadic Arabs.

My wife read that and enjoyed it as well.

I just finished Boys in the Boat. It is the story of the 1936 gold medal 8-man crew from the University of Washington. Really good read.

[LA Ute]

"Red," a novella by Jack Ketchum. A good, entertaining quick read. It was made into a movie starring Brian Cox, who's really prefect for the role.

I'm still reading "The Brothers K" (thanks to Utebiquitous) and "Crime and Punishment." I can only take so much of Raskolnikov at a time so I'm jumping back and forth between both.

[USS Utah]

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

I recently watch both the 2005 movie with Kiera Knightly and the 1995 mini-series with Colin Firth, and was filled with the desire to read the book. It is excellent.

[hostile]

Just finished Flash Boys, the latest from Michael Lewis. We were just in NYC and I was able to take my 2 oldest onto the NYSE floor. I was commenting how quiet it seemed. The trader who was showing us around mentioned this book in his explanation of how equity trading had changed over the past few years. The book explores the explosion of high-frequency trading. I'm not a finance guy but I really liked the book. Viking, I'd be interested in your thoughts.

http://www.amazon.com/Flash-Boys-Wall-Street-Revolt/dp/0393244660

[concerned]

I have loved reading Garcia-Marquez over the years as much as any author I have ever read. I saw this tribute by Salman Rushdie the other day, and felt it expressed exactly why I loved reading him. so I thought I would share.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/21/books/review/gabriel-garcia-marquezs-work-was-rooted-in-the-real.html

[concerned]

I finally had a moment to read it this morning. Thanks for posting it. Great tribute. He compares the two authors who influenced my tastes more than any others: Dickens and Garcia-Marquez.


Add Faulkner to that and you have my three.

[Applejack]

Faulkner

:rockon:

Faulkner is my one true love. When I have more time I'll post about my current odyssey to read his entire catalog, front to back.

[LA Ute]

Add Faulkner to that and you have my three.

Mine: Dickens, Shakespeare, Dostoevsky (the latter a recent addition).

[concerned]

Mine: Dickens, Shakespeare, Dostoevsky (the latter a recent addition).


Shakespeare and Dostoevsky don't count; they are too canonical. That's like counting the Bible. (I did my senior essay on Dostoyevsky, and would have to count both him and WS too if they fit within the guidelines. Also Vince Gilligan).

[LA Ute]

Shakespeare and Dostoevsky don't count; they are too canonical. That's like counting the Bible. (I did my senior essay on Dostoyevsky, and would have to count both him and WS too if they fit within the guidelines. Also Vince Gilligan).

Rats. OK, Dickens, Tom Clancy and Tom Wolfe. (Kidding about Clancy. Don't really have a third.)

(Isn't Dickens pretty canonical?)

[concerned]

Well yeah, there's that.

[USS Utah]

I seem to be the outlier here. While I am starting to incorporate classic literature into my reading, I am still mostly reading non-ficiton, mostly military history.

Recent books I didn't post about here included:

The Endgame: The Inside Story of the Struggle for Iraq, From George W. Bush to Barack Obama by Michael R. Gordon & General Bernard E, Trainor.

This excellent book may stand for decades as the definitive accoun of the Iraq War -- post invasion phase (the authors wrote a previous book about that titled Cobra II). It is ambitious, well researched, and a highly critical at U.S. policy in Iraq.

The American Civil War: A Military History by John Keegan (Listened to, rather than read)

The book appealed to me because Keegan is one of the foremost military historians of our day, and he is neither a northerner nor a southerner, but a Brit. The book is fantastic, as in the narrator -- another Brit.

The Quiet Warrior: A Biography of Admiral Raymond A. Spruance by Thomas B. Buell.

Fantastic biography of the commander of Task Force 16 at Midway and the Fifth Fleet during the Central Pacific campaign.

History of United State Naval Operations in World War II, Vol. VII: Aleutians, Gilberts and Marshalls, June 1942-April 1944 by Samuel Eliot Morison.

An excellent book about operations in the Aleutian, Gilbert and Marshall Islands.


Unlike L.A., I actually would put Clancy in my top three, along with E. L. Beach. Too many to pick from after that.

[USS Utah]

Thach Weave: The Life of Jimmie Thach by Steve Ewing

Concerned about the disparity in performance between the Grumman Wildcat and the Japanese Zero -- based on prewar intelligence -- Thach developed his beam defense tactic, to which is friend Jimmy Flatley later gave the name the Tach Weave. Thach would use the weave just once in comabat, at Midway. Following that battle he served in the training command as gunnery officer, but ended up working with Disney and Warner Bros. on training films. After that he was sent back to the Pacific as Task Force 38's operations officer when the carrier force was commanded by Slew McCain. Thach's career would continue after the war, with an escort carrier command during the Korean War, command of the carrier Franklin D. Roosevelt, and finally assignment as Deputy Chief of Naval Operations (Air).

This this the third book in a trilogy authored or co-authored by Ewing about World War II fighter pilots, the first two being Fateful Rendezvous on Buth O'Hare and Reaper Leader on Flatley. And I seem to be reading them in reverse order.

Excellent.

[USS Utah]

The Longest Day: June 6, 1944 by Cornelius Ryan

The classic history of the invasion of Normandy. Fantastic.

[LA Ute]

The Longest Day: June 6, 1944 by Cornelius Ryan

The classic history of the invasion of Normandy. Fantastic.

I agree. I read this a few weeks ago while on my way to the Normandy memorials in France. It was great, and added greatly to the experience of seeing those places.

I'm now reading "The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich." It is both fascinating and depressing. I'm in the section describing Hitler's beginnings as a leader after WWI. What fascinates me is the question of how a nation like Germany, which gave the world Luther, Kant, Goethe, Bach, Beethoven and Brahms, fell under the spell of such a crazy, brutish man and perpetrated such a catastrophic war on the entire world.

[USS Utah]

Wow, did someone besides me read a book?

:rave:

[LA Ute]

Wow, did someone besides me read a book?

:rave:

I also read "A Tale of Two Cities" since the last time I posted here. I really enjoyed it (not having really read it back in high school. I read Cliff's Notes instead.)

I'll try to keep this up. Our board needs a shot or two in the arm.

[USS Utah]

I should finish Volume VIII of Samuel Eliot Morison's History of United States Naval Operations in World War II -- New Guinea and the Marianas, March 1944-August 1944 -- today. Excellent, as most volumes of this series are.

Before that I read July 1914: Countdown to War by Sean McMeekin.

In the summer of 1914, Europe was a powder keg set off by the assassination of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo, that is the conventional wisdom about the outbreak of the First World War. But is it an accurate assessment of what happened that fateful summer? Could a global, or even a Europe-wide war have been avoided? McMeekin presents a gripping narrative that suggests World War I might have been avoided entirely if not for the actions of a few statesmen in the month after the assassination. Fantastic.

[USS Utah]

Iceberg by Clive Cussler

Cussler's second published novel finds Dirk Pitt investigating a ship found inside an Iceberg, which leads to a large conspiracy. Excellent.

Now reading
The Age of Airpower by Martin Van Creveld.

A look at airpower -- its development and history -- which the author argues has been on the decline since the end of World War II. Excellent.

[Utebiquitous]

I just finished "Boys in the Boat" - the story of the 9-man crew that won the gold medal in the 1936 Berlin Olympics. It's a must-read. The author profiles all of the rowers but focuses on Joe Rantz and, of course, the stories leading up to the gold medal race. This one's a major motion picture waiting to happen. It has a Seabiscuit and Unbroken feel to it but a different author - Daniel James Brown. This one stays on the shelf and gets passed on to my sons.

[USS Utah]

Grunts: Inside the American Infantry Combat Experience, World War II Through Iraq by John C. McManus

Even as technology has advanced and changed warfare over the last 70 years, it is still the infantry, the "grunts", that do most of the fighting and dying. The common foot soldier is still needed for victory to be achieved, even on the Desert Storm-like techno-battlefield. As one World War II soldier put it: "There is no worse place than where the Infantry is . . . or what it has to do. A war is not over until the Infantry is done with it . . . finished moving on foot more than the other, finished killing more than the other. And when it is all done, and the Infantryman is taken home again, some of him will remain in that place . . . forever." In an end note, McManus paraphrases a point made by Lt. Col. David Grossman, US Army (ret.) in his book On Killing, that in today's society we seem to know much about the phenomenon of warfare but very little about actual killing in combat, which is like knowing a lot about relationships but nothing of sex.

In this book, McManus writes about ten different battles or situations from the last 70s years, starting with a jungle battlefield on Guam against a self-destructive enemy, then in the rocky crags of Peleliu against a defensive-minded enemy; he then moves to the European theater and the unrestrained urban battlefield of Aachen and the defensive struggle on the northern shoulder of the Bulge. Moving to the Vietnam War, the author writes about Westmorland's big-unit war, the Marines combined action platoons, and the battle of Dak To in 1967. In a more modern setting, we read about infantry moments during Operation Desert Storm, restrained urban combat in Fallujah, and then counterinsurgency combat as part of the so-called surge in Iraq. The author takes the reader onto the battlefield and hides nothing from his view, and thus he sees that the World War II soldier quoted above was right.

Fantastic.

[Devildog]

Wow, did someone besides me read a book?

:rave:

You seem to enjoy posting alone.

[LA Ute]

You seem to enjoy posting alone.

Hey, Devildog, good to see you around here!

I like USS Utah's reminders that there are books I should be reading. I'm still slogging through The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich. Slow going and often depressing, but really worth reading.

[USS Utah]

You seem to enjoy posting alone.

I could actually post about more books that I have read recently.

[OrangeUte]

I recently finished For Whom The Bell Tolls by Hemingway. Re-read it after about 20 years. Absolutely amazing.

[concerned]

I just read GoldFinch and All the Light We Cannot See back to back. Did not like Goldfinch at all; very disappointed after all thee hype and accolades; had to force myself through it.

Loved All the Light We Cannot See. My wife heard the author speak at King's English in June and gave it to me for Father's Day. Betsy Burton told my wife that this book had the fastest sales ever at KE for hardover Fiction in the first three months. Its been on the NYT best seller list since spring. About two very different teenagers--one German, one French--whose lives cross during WW II. Very lyrical and poignant. You will love and believe n every character (unlike Goldfinch.)

[concerned]

I recently finished For Whom The Bell Tolls by Hemingway. Re-read it after about 20 years. Absolutely amazing.

I just finished Farewell to Arms because my son had to read it for school. I really haven't read any Hemingway; I assume it was very risque and controversial, and its short declarative writing style very new, when it was first published, but has lost that impact now.

[OrangeUte]

Someone go read The Sun Also Rises for the board Hemmingway trifecta.

I've got it on my kindle to read soon.

I also have the goldfinch and all the light we cannot see (concerned mentioned them anove and I know laute enjoyed goldfinch). Those are my next 3, but not sure of the order.

[Applejack]

I just finished Farewell to Arms because my son had to read it for school. I really haven't read any Hemingway; I assume it was very risque and controversial, and its short declarative writing style very new, when it was first published, but has lost that impact now.

It is said that you can't like both Hemingway and Faulkner. I absolutely LOVE Faulkner, and enjoy Hemingway (but mostly his short stories). Sometimes I think his novels drag, which is weird because they are short.

[concerned]

It is said that you can't like both Hemingway and Faulkner. I absolutely LOVE Faulkner, and enjoy Hemingway (but mostly his short stories). Sometimes I think his novels drag, which is weird because they are short.

Me too. It was interesting to me that Farewell to Arms and Sound and the Fury were both published in 1929 (I think). I have read Sound and the Fury again recently, and continue to marvel at it. Gets better every time I read it.

[Applejack]

Me too. It was interesting to me that Farewell to Arms and Sound and the Fury were both published in 1929 (I think). I have read Sound and the Fury again recently, and continue to marvel at it. Gets better every time I read it.

Agreed. I reread tSatF last year - amazeballs.

[hostile]

I'm just starting An Army at Dawn. It is the first in Rick Atkinson's trilogy about the US military in WWII/Allied liberation of Europe, starting with the North African invasion. I'm only a few dozen pages in but the writing is very good. Looking forward to finishing the series.

[Devildog]

http://www.amazon.com/Sua-Sponte-Forging-Modern-American/dp/0425253600

:uzi: Yeah, I know it's an AK.

[USS Utah]

Battle Surface!: Lawson P. "Red" Ramage and the War Patrols of the USS Parche by Stephen L. Moore

On the night of July 31, 1944, "Red" Ramage found himself inside a Japanese merchant convoy, and maneuvered his submarine USS Parche to sink two ships, as well as get torpedo hits to get shared credit for sinking three others. For this action, which came to be known as Ramage's Rampage, Red would be awarded the Medal of Honor. Ramage had commissioned Parche, after making four war patrols in command of USS Trout; after his third Trout patrol, in which 5 of the 14 torpedoes he fired turned out to be duds, Ramage criticized the Mark 14 torpedo in the face of Admiral Ralph W. Christie -- Christie had been the project officer for the Mark 14, to the point that it was often referred to as Christie's torpedo. After three patrols, command of Parche passed to the commissioning XO, Woodrow "Mac" McCrory, and the submarine made three more war patrols before the Japanese surrender. Parche would earn five battle stars and two Presidential Unit Citations, making her one of the most decorated U.S. Navy submarines of World War II. Moore's history of Parche makes for a great read.

[concerned]

LA Ute

this is for you

http://www.buzzfeed.com/annehelenpetersen/why-i-read-marilynne-robinson#2bd33s6

[Applejack]

LA Ute

this is for you

http://www.buzzfeed.com/annehelenpetersen/why-i-read-marilynne-robinson#2bd33s6

Wait, is LA a MarRob fan? I love Marilynne - can't wait to read Lila.

[concerned]

Wait, is LA a MarRob fan? I love Marilynne - can't wait to read Lila.


great. It is for you too. And me.

[Applejack]

great. It is for you too. And me.

I'm glad to see this board is full of MarRob fans. It further confirms the justness of our cause.

Did you guys read Housekeeping? I LOVED Gilead and really, really liked Home. But Housekeeping was just OK, in my book.

[concerned]

I'm glad to see this board is full of MarRob fans. It further confirms the justness of our cause.

Did you guys read Housekeeping? I LOVED Gilead and really, really liked Home. But Housekeeping was just OK, in my book.

I'm the reverse; loved Housekeeping; Gilead ok.

[Applejack]

I'm the reverse; loved Housekeeping; Gilead ok.

Interesting. I read Housekeeping after reading Gilead, so I may have come in with high expectations (I consider Gilead in my top 10 all time).

[LA Ute]

Wait, is LA a MarRob fan? I love Marilynne - can't wait to read Lila.

Yep. Lila is on my list.

[USS Utah]

Lord Jim by Joseph Conrad

He jumped . . . jumped! . . and in that moment his life changed . . . irrevocably? One moment he stood on the deck of a ship he believed to be sinking, refusing to abandon her passengers, but in the next he found himself aboard a lifeboat with the rest of the ship's officers. He had jumped, and in his shame at that fact he chose to face alone the court of inquiry that followed. Stripped of his certificate he moved around the far east, trying to have some kind of life, but always his one moment shame kept coming would intrude, forcing him to keep moving. Then one day, in the jungles of a place called Patusan, the opportunity came for a redemption of sorts.

First published in 1900, Conrad's novel turns a seafaring adventure into a story about honor, courage, loyalty and betrayal. Fantastic!

[Applejack]

[Moved this from the Colorado thread]


Here is a very enjoyable literary novel centered in Brazil. It's Brazilian, 800 pages, written by a Frenchman originally in French, won distinguished French literary awards. What could be better? In this instance ignore the nitwit customer reviews and pay attention to the ones by professionals, especially the one from the NPR critic. It's very strong stuff, but the narrative moves and the ending will blow you away.


http://www.amazon.com/Where-Tigers-Are-at-Home-ebook/dp/B0084UQIEU/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1417220207&sr=1-1&keywords=where+tigers+are+at+home

Thanks for the tip. I see it is likened to Murakami, who I've read fairly extensively, but haven't figured out whether I like him or not. I will add this to my queue.

First up, however, I have promised myself that I will read Stegner's Big Rock Candy Mountain and Recapitulation. There is a void in my life for not having read the two most important novels about SLC.

[SeattleUte]

[Moved this from the Colorado thread]



Thanks for the tip. I see it is likened to Murakami, who I've read fairly extensively, but haven't figured out whether I like him or not. I will add this to my queue.

First up, however, I have promised myself that I will read Stegner's Big Rock Candy Mountain and Recapitulation. There is a void in my life for not having read the two most important novels about SLC.

Utah has criminaly ignored Stegner. He should be Utah's Faulkner. Instead he belongs to California.

[concerned]

When I was in Connecticut, I saw a Eugene ONeil statue, and I thought "SLC needs a Wallace Stegner statue somewhere downtown." This really should happen. Not only is he a great author, he's also unifying in the sense that he had both plenty of praise and criticism for Mormons.

Funny you should mention this. A couple of years ago I was on the Board of the SLC public library. In connection with the hoopla surrounding the centenniel of his birth, there was a push to place a statute on library plaza. There was a lot of objection, and a plaque was agreed upon, which is engraved into the wall on the walkway close to the city and county building close to Leanardo.

I read Big Rock Candy Mountain and Recapitulation (which is mostly autobiography) years ago, and they really bring old SLC (including west second south and Saltair) to life. The SLC of my parents and grandparents. My parents went to East high a decade or so after Stegner and my mother idolized him and all his books. (for by birthday that ended in a 0 a number of years ago, my mother gave me a first edition of BRCM that she found at Sam Weller's and inscribed). Gathering of Zion and Mormon country are also terrific non-fiction about early Utah and LDS church, as you note.

Other than the SLC books, I never liked Stegnar much. I thought Angle of Repose and Crossing to Safety wooden and stilted. He doesn't have Larry McMurtry's or Charles Portris's gift for frontier dialogue, IMHO.

[SeattleUte]

Funny you should mention this. A couple of years ago I was on the Board of the SLC public library. In connection with the hoopla surrounding the centenniel of his birth, there was a push to place a statute on library plaza. There was a lot of objection, and a plaque was agreed upon, which is engraved into the wall on the walkway close to the city and county building close to Leanardo.

I read Big Rock Candy Mountain and Recapitulation (which is mostly autobiography) years ago, and they really bring old SLC (including west second south and Saltair) to life. The SLC of my parents and grandparents. My parents went to East high a decade or so after Stegner and my mother idolized him and all his books. (for by birthday that ended in a 0 a number of years ago, my mother gave me a first edition of BRCM that she found at Sam Weller's and inscribed). Gathering of Zion and Mormon country are also terrific non-fiction about early Utah and LDS church, as you note.

Other than the SLC books, I never liked Stegnar much. I thought Angle of Repose and Crossing to Safety wooden and stilted. He doesn't have Larry McMurtry's or Charles Portris's gift for frontier dialogue, IMHO.

I tend to agree with your assessment of Stegner's fiction. (I've read Portis and McMurtry; well, True Grit and Lonesome Dove and loved them. But my favorite frontier novelist is Cormac. The Border Trilogy and Blood Meridian my be my favorite novels by a living writer.) But Stegner is to Utah what Faulkner is to the Deep South and he could helped increase the University of Utah's mystique had he been promoted as a part of its tradition.

I can tell you have/had a great mother. It's amazing to me people like that of her generation were born and raised in Salt Lake.

[concerned]

I agree with you regarding Cormac McCarthy. Like you I've loved everything he's ever written

[Mormon Red Death]

Funny you should mention this. A couple of years ago I was on the Board of the SLC public library. In connection with the hoopla surrounding the centenniel of his birth, there was a push to place a statute on library plaza. There was a lot of objection, and a plaque was agreed upon, which is engraved into the wall on the walkway close to the city and county building close to Leanardo.

I read Big Rock Candy Mountain and Recapitulation (which is mostly autobiography) years ago, and they really bring old SLC (including west second south and Saltair) to life. The SLC of my parents and grandparents. My parents went to East high a decade or so after Stegner and my mother idolized him and all his books. (for by birthday that ended in a 0 a number of years ago, my mother gave me a first edition of BRCM that she found at Sam Weller's and inscribed). Gathering of Zion and Mormon country are also terrific non-fiction about early Utah and LDS church, as you note.

Other than the SLC books, I never liked Stegnar much. I thought Angle of Repose and Crossing to Safety wooden and stilted. He doesn't have Larry McMurtry's or Charles Portris's gift for frontier dialogue, IMHO.
Bite your tongue. Angle of repose is fantastic. The last 80 pages are incredibly intense.

[Applejack]

Bite your tongue. Angle of repose is fantastic. The last 80 pages are incredibly intense.

I just saw this too. I love Stegner. Crossing to Safety is on my all-time top 10 list.

[concerned]

So does anyone else think this Harper Lee novel is a bad idea?


some people do, apparently

http://www.buzzfeed.com/spenceralthouse/i-thought-i-killed-that-mockingbird#.ppZxOo7ov


http://www.buzzfeed.com/jarrylee/tequila-mockingbird#.vkodJRZRk

[concerned]

Those were funny. Harper Lee ever after.

If her novel turns out to be great, I mean, that's just about the best thing ever. But how many great artists produce well in their old age? For every Time Out of Mind, there must be a hundred albums whose names we don't know from washed up musicians.

she wrote it in the 1950's, before TKAM. It has been sitting in a shoebox for 60 years. I dont see how it can be anything other than a huge letdown. Just hope it doesnt tarnish the original.

Speaking of Time Out of Mind, I see the Sinatra album is getting great reviews. Has anyone ever been so creative into old age? He is 73. Wallace Stevens? Tolstoy? Picasso? Matisse?

[LA Ute]

I am kind of worried about the new Harper Lee book. I'll hope against hope that it's good.

[LA Ute]

I'm reading "Gray Mountain," by John Grisham. It's my annual dive into escape literature. This one is actually a decent yarn, more believable than Grisham's others. (It might just be that he world of this novel -- Appalachian coal mining country -- is so foreign to me that I don't see the howlers, but still I'm having some guilty fun reading it.)

[OrangeUte]

I just finished Gilead by Marilyn Robinson. One of the best books I have ever read. Immersing book that is a page turner but not in the typical sense. If anyone else has read it, I would be interested in opinions on the book. It is unlike anything I have ever read before. It is a gentle story told by an aging father dying of heart issues to his young son, and really re-tells the father's life and his experiences as a minister as well as of his relationship with his own father and grandfather (both also ministers). Fantastic and beautiful.

There is a lot of detail in the book about the eyes of the characters. It is a piercing novel using what we see in the world around us and how religion can help us interpret what we see.

[OrangeUte]

I am kind of worried about the new Harper Lee book. I'll hope against hope that it's good.

I read that it was this book that inspired TKAMB. Apparently Harper Lee's agent read the prequel and suggested that she should write TKAMB, which she did. I think if it is read as a prequel and that it was setting up the events of TKAMB as flashbacks, then it shouldn't be disappointing. Perhaps it will be interesting to see how Scout deals with the trial as an adult woman.

[USS Utah]

First Man: The Life of Neil A. Armstrong by James R. Hansen

An excellent biography of the first man to walk on the moon. Armstrong is unique figure in history, but with a quiet personality, he presented a challenge to our understanding of him. As his Apollo II crew mate, Michael Collins, put it: "They say 'no man is an island'; well, Neil is kind of an island. . . . Sometimes what he is thinking and his inner thoughts were more interesting to him than somebody else's thoughts were to him, so why should he leave his island, go wading out into the shallows to shake hands with somebody, when he's perfectly happy back in his little grass hut or wherever." Hansen does as a good a job as possible of taking us to that island, while also addressing the exaggerations and myths that surround the First Man. The book is a must read for those interested in the history of Apollo and the U.S. space program.

[concerned]

Thanks to you and Seattle, I just finished my first McCarthy novel. Blood Meridian. I can't understand how such great writing is possible.

Here's the first thing out of many I highlighted:

That image of the judge dancing on the table at the end of BM is one of my very favorite images. Nothing else McCarthy writes will be a disappointment to you.

BTW, I went to SU's book reading at Sam Weller's in April, and quite enjoyed meeting him. I am going to read Logos as soon as I finish the one I am currently reading, and will report.

[SeattleUte]

That image of the judge dancing on the table at the end of BM is one of my very favorite images. Nothing else McCarthy writes will be a disappointment to you.

BTW, I went to SU's book reading at Sam Weller's in April, and quite enjoyed meeting him. I am going to read Logos as soon as I finish the one I am currently reading, and will report.

I really appreciated concerned coming to the event, which I enjoyed including especially meeting him. I hope I can meet more of you at he event on June 11 at King's English.

[SavaUte]

I hadn't seen this thread before but always like talking about and finding good books - although I'm an audiobook guy. A Higher Call by Adam Makos and Larry Alexander is one of the best books I've ever read. It is about a B17 pilot that nearly gets shot down over Germany and a pretty amazing story after that. I won't say more so as to not spoil.

I haven't read a ton of war books - I've read sole survivor, No Easy Day and Unbroken, but this was way better than all of those.. It is more about the human side of war, which I liked a lot better. I have no idea how much is revisionist history, but the two main guys involved met back in 2005? and everything in the book seemed to completely jive with their reunion and all. I think they've both died by now.

Currently I'm reading Station Eleven, which got a great score on goodreads so I was hoping for a good post-apocalyptic book. I've hated it so far

[LA Ute]

Thanks to you and Seattle, I just finished my first McCarthy novel. Blood Meridian. I can't understand how such great writing is possible.

Here's the first thing out of many I highlighted:

I may not be destined to be a Cormac McCarthy fan. I am almost halfway through Blood Meridian and almost quit once. I'm liking it better but I need someone to root for (or at least care about) in a novel. Haven't found anyone yet.

[concerned]

I may not be destined to be a Cormac McCarthy fan. I am almost halfway through Blood Meridian and almost quit once. I'm liking it better but I need someone to root for (or at least care about) in a novel. Haven't found anyone yet.

If I had started with BM, I might ahve had the same reaction. I started with All the Pretty Horses, then the rest of the trilogy, then the Road and No country for Old Men. Those all have protagonists to root for and hooked me.

[LA Ute]

If I had started with BM, I might ahve had the same reaction. I started with All the Pretty Horses, then the rest of the trilogy, then the Road and No country for Old Men. Those all have protagonists to root for and hooked me.

Thanks. I'll probably slog through the rest of BM (mostly out of stubbornness) and then try the others. The seemingly gratuitous violence and general meanness are a bit wearing.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[SeattleUte]

I get the impression that Blood Meridian is not entirely representative of his style, but someone else needs to confirm.

I almost quit towards the beginning when I thought the book might just be a hit-you-over-the-head-with-graphic-violence thing. It was mostly stubborness on my part that kept me going in the first third, and then it was the impressive writing that kept me going. I feel like things picked up quite a bit once the kid started riding with the gang. And, though there's not much reason for it, you start rooting for the kid eventually.

Blood Meridian is and isn't representative of is style. All of his Southwest novels (I haven't read the earlier ones set in the deep south) echo the King James Version vernacular and are fraught with Biblical allusions. There is always horrific cruelty and violence, and the natural descriptions and violence that are absolutely cinematic. I think the other novels have a more hopeful view of human nature. The horrors are punctuated by surprising acts of kindness -- usually by women. There is no kindness in Blood Meridian. It's all ISIS with six shooters, bowie knives, and riding horses in the old southwest. And the other novels have more traditionally personal narratives driven by characters we come to care about. Blood Meridian has a timeless, cosmic quality like the Iliad or the Bible or Shakespeare (that may sound over the top but I didn't invent the comparison). You never really get any internal monologue, like scripture. "The kid" is nominally the protagonist, but we're never in his head, the POV is essentially omniscient, and there is nothing to like or care for about the kid. He's as bad as any of the others, really.

All of McCarthy's novels have embedded narratives. The exMormon's story in The Crossing is one of my favorites (it has absolutely nothing to do with Mormonism per se; that name comes out of the blue and is never explained, which is kind of cool). Blood Meridian and the Crossing are my two favorites. His three most successful commercially have been The Road, which won the Pulitzer, No Country for Old Men, which the Coen Brothers made into a Best Picture, and All the Pretty Horses, which won the National Book Award and originally made him famous (these were his most successful at least at the outset; Blood Meridian started very slow, received mixed reviews and didn't sell, eventually became a cult classic, and now is regarded as a mainstream classic and is widely studied in universities; Harold Bloom really attracted attention to it by calling it the best novel written by any American living writer). And I think they are his three weakest novels that I have read.

I love Cormac McCarthy, and his books have really influenced my thinking and writing, were part of why I decided I wanted to write. I note that he writes in genres that are disfavored by the literary powers that be -- westerns and sci fi -- and is regarded as maybe America's greatest living writer. I wonder if he's got any more left in him. I hope so. The Judge make Blood Meridian truly special; he is the personification of pure evil, and all-knowing and terrifically witty and even sometimes funny, and thoroughly grounded in his own way, which is sui generis. The Comanche ambush is the greatest war scene ever.

[LA Ute]

I may have posted this elsewhere but Blood Meridian just got to be too much for me. I quit about halfway through and probably won't pick it up again. I will try some other McCarthy novels, however.

[concerned]

Well, technically, Harold Bloom said BM was the best American novel of the last 50 years, not ever and ever.

BTW, I am halfway through Logos (Jacob just got captured by the Romans), and have to say I am really enjoying it.

[SeattleUte]

BTW, I am halfway through Logos (Jacob just got captured by the Romans), and have to say I am really enjoying it.

I'm glad to hear that! It only gets better. That's the feedback I've been getting and I've always felt that. Like Blood Meridian, it's not one of those novels that has a nice set up and then peters out.

[USS Utah]

I finished A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens yesterday. Simply magnificent.

[SeattleUte]

I'll be at King's English tomorrow night at 7. I hope to see more of you there. There will be some die hard Ute fans there.

[LA Ute]

I'll be at King's English tomorrow night at 7. I hope to see more of you there. There will be some die hard Ute fans there.

Wish I could be there. It's right in the middle of the neighborhood where I grew up, BTW.

[concerned]

Wish I could be there. It's right in the middle of the neighborhood where I grew up, BTW.


and a couple of blocks from where I live; we walk there all the time. I am now about 2/3 through the book (Jacob just buried the old man with the scrolls), and am enjoying it quite a bit still. I highly recommend listening to SeattleUte, for anyone who can get there.

[SeattleUte]

and a couple of blocks from where I live; we walk there all the time. I am now about 2/3 through the book (Jacob just buried the old man with the scrolls), and am enjoying it quite a bit still. I highly recommend listening to SeattleUte, for anyone who can get there.

What a great neighborhood. I hope you can make it again! I'm expecting a good turnout. Even my famous brother says he'll be there. It won't be a rerun. I've modified the talk somewhat since I spoke at the Jewish Book Network a couple of weeks ago.

[concerned]

if I can twist her arm I will bring my wife

[Utebiquitous]

Seattle,
I've been planning on being there but a funeral in the family is taking me out of town tomorrow. I promise that I'll go into King's English Monday morning and buy the book. Per chance will you be signing a few copies and leaving them at the store? I'd really love to have a signed copy. Happy to pay extra. I was hoping to meet you - perhaps another time. Hope you have a great turnout and sell a ton of books.

[SeattleUte]

Seattle,
I've been planning on being there but a funeral in the family is taking me out of town tomorrow. I promise that I'll go into King's English Monday morning and buy the book. Per chance will you be signing a few copies and leaving them at the store? I'd really love to have a signed copy. Happy to pay extra. I was hoping to meet you - perhaps another time. Hope you have a great turnout and sell a ton of books.

Yes! I usually do leave signed copies. I'm sorry about you're loss

[SeattleUte]

if I can twist her arm I will bring my wife

I really hope you can and I get to meet her and talk to you again.

[LA Ute]

Seattle,
I was hoping to meet you - perhaps another time.

I can confirm that he's actually a very nice, pleasant guy in real life.

[concerned]

I can confirm that he's actually a very nice, pleasant guy in real life.

I was astonished to find out he is nothing like his message board persona.

[LA Ute]

I was astonished to find out he is nothing like his message board persona.

He's a great guy. I hope he doesn't mind that this information about him is leaking out now.


In real life, I'm a Stanford booster club member.

OK, you made me laugh. OL.

[scottie]

I can confirm that he's actually a very nice, pleasant guy in real life.


I was astonished to find out he is nothing like his message board persona.

I've always found SU to also be very nice and pleasant on the message boards over the years, and really never understood people who think/say otherwise.

[LA Ute]

I've always found SU to also be very nice and pleasant on the message boards over the years, and really never understood people who think/say otherwise.

For the record, I am teasing SU. We've always gotten along famously. Our sword-crossing is never personal. I.e., he is not really a miserable vomitous mass, at least not to my mind.

You, on the other hand, worry me. I know that someday you and I will meet, and I fear you'll turn out to be an insufferable jerk in real life. :rofl:

[DrumNFeather]

I've been working my way through Rough Stone Rolling, but I needed a distraction so I picked up The Martian. Not very far into it, but so far pretty good.

[scottie]

For the record, I am teasing SU. We've always gotten along famously. Our sword-crossing is never personal. I.e., he is not really a miserable vomitous mass, at least not to my mind.

You, on the other hand, worry me. I know that someday you and I will meet, and I fear you'll turn out to be an insufferable jerk in real life. :rofl:

:fight:

[DrumNFeather]

I've been working my way through Rough Stone Rolling, but I needed a distraction so I picked up The Martian. Not very far into it, but so far pretty good.

Finished The Martian last night. I enjoyed it quite a bit, and I'm very much looking forward to the movie this fall.

[Utebiquitous]

Drum,
How heavy or how light is the book? I'm looking for a lighter, summer-read. I just finished "Public Enemies" which I recommend but it was a pretty serious non-fiction about the exploits of John Dillinger, Pretty Boy Floyd, Baby Face Nelson, the Barker-Karpis gang, Bonnie and Clyde and Machine-Gun Kelly. Very interesting to me that all of them were active during the same time and all were apprehended or killed in during 1933-1935. The creation and rise of the FBI paralleled the same period.

Anyway, I'd like something a little less taxing for a next read.

[DrumNFeather]

Drum,
How heavy or how light is the book? I'm looking for a lighter, summer-read. I just finished "Public Enemies" which I recommend but it was a pretty serious non-fiction about the exploits of John Dillinger, Pretty Boy Floyd, Baby Face Nelson, the Barker-Karpis gang, Bonnie and Clyde and Machine-Gun Kelly. Very interesting to me that all of them were active during the same time and all were apprehended or killed in during 1933-1935. The creation and rise of the FBI paralleled the same period.

Anyway, I'd like something a little less taxing for a next read.
I would say it's perfect for summer reading. It gets a little techy, but it works.

Sent from my LG-D800 using Tapatalk

[Rocker Ute]

I read "Go Set A Watchmen" today. First fiction I've read in about 10 years. "Mockingbird" has been my favorite novel since I read it when I was 10.

Strangely enough I think it is apt and well timed for today and the rancor about marriage equality... In that I don't think it will fix any of the debates but remind us to see perspectives we don't agree with.

And I'll also say there is much ado about Atticus's racism, but it felt pretty ambiguous to me at the end whether he believed what he said or not, and also remained mostly consistent with his actions in "Mockingbird". In fact most of the book is dealing with the outrage Scout feels when she sees his apparent racism. So just like us who were raised to believe Atticus was near perfect only to have that notion shattered, the same is true for Scout.

Now if you are expecting an equal to "Mockingbird" you will be disappointed. You can understand why her publicist recommended she write another book focusing on the flashbacks of Scout's childhood; that is the part of the book that shines.

There was one great quote, again apt for today: "Prejudice, a dirty word, and faith, a clean one, have something in common: they both begin where reason ends.”

[LA Ute]

I've read two books on my vacation: "I Am Charlotte Simmons," by good old Tom Wolfe; and "Airframe," by Michael Crichton. "Charlotte" was pretty good. It's about a brilliant but innocent young woman who gets a full ride to a university that seems to be loosely based on an amalgam of Duke and Michigan. (Wolfe interviewed students at Duke, where his daughter went to school; Michigan; Alabama; Penn State; and one or two others.) You have to wade through some rubbish -- it is a pretty frontal attack on college athletics' corruption of the "student-athlete" concept (Wolfe was a star baseball player in college) and about the intellectual decay and debauchery -- and the rape/sex culture --on many prestigious campuses. I have not been on any campus as a student for 30+ years so I don't know how accurate the novel is. But I liked it.

"Airframe" is the kind of light reading you are looking for, 'biq. It's a fun and easy read with a whodunit feel and the usual bad guys (hidden from view for much of the book) and good guys. Perfect for vacation reading.

EDIT: I'm also trying to finish "Far from the Madding Crowd" before my vacation ends.

[chrisrenrut]

I used to be a big reader, but then life got busy and I haven't done much the past 7 years or so other than on vacation. I thought about listening to audio books, but could never get into it. I more of a visual person,so when reading off the page I am totally engrossed, and when listening I am easily distracted by what I see around me.

On my recent road trip, I gave it another try. I listened to Born To Run, and really liked it (both the book and the experience). I'm going to try more on my commute and when doing other activities like running, biking, or mowing the lawn, and use some of the recommendations in this thread to start.

Born To Run was very entertaining, probably even for someone that isn't a runner. It is mostly about the Tarahumara tribe in Mexico, who are super human runners. But it also mixes in stories from other runners around the world, and some science and history of human running. The stories are engaging, and even suspenseful at times.

[UTEopia]

I just finished an excellent book by Anthony Doerr - "All the Light We Cannot See." It is a parallel story of a young german orphan and a blind french girl leading up to and through WW2. Very well written.

[USS Utah]

Books I've read in the last year:

Command Authority by Tom Clancy. The final Clancy novel, published a few months after his passing, though his co-author is continuing the series. This one links a present day international crisis involving Russia and Ukraine with a thirty year old mystery involving a possible KGB assassin in western Europe. Excellent.

No Easy Day by Mark Owen, which is actually a pen name. The book is about the mission the killed Osama bin Laden and the author went out of his way to keep his identity, and those of his comrades, secure. The book is excellent and a quick read.

American Sniper by Chris Kyle who is supposed to have the most kills of any sniper in U.S. military history. Kyle lays more on the table as he did not feel the need to protect his true identity. Also included are written comments by his wife, Taya. Fantastic.

Resolution by Robert B. Parker, which is the second novel of the Virgil Cole/Everett Hitch series. In this story, the pair teams up to defeat a saloon owner bent on taking over the entire town of Resolution. Excellent, but not as good as the first book in the series, Appaloosa.

Corsair: The F4Uin World War II and Korea by Barrett Tillman. An excellent history of the bent-wing bird.

Devil's Backbone by Terry C. Johnston. A historical novel about the Modoc War of 1872-73, this is the fifth book of the author's Plainsman series. Great, but not as good as the first three novels in the series.

The Spy by Clive Cussler and Justin Scott. The third Isaac Bell adventure is set in 1908. Moving away from railroads, which featured strongly in the first two books, in this story, Bell must uncover who is killing key designers in America's dreadnought program. I've enjoyed the Bell novels more than I did the first few Dirk Pitt stories, with the exception of Raise the Titanic. This is another excellent one.

Bull Halsey by E. B. Potter. An excellent biography of Fleet Admiral William F. Halsey. Potter was surprised when he was asked to write a biography of Halsey, as he had been critical of him in previous writings. The author retains at least some of his criticisms of Halsey, but recognizes Halsey for the things he did well or got right.

Stalking the Red Bear: The True Story of a U.S. Cold War Submarine's Covert Operations Against the Soviet Union by Peter Sasgen. I don't quite know what to make of this book. While apparently based on true events, the author, due to security concerns and confidential agreements, uses pseudonyms for the submarine involved and its skipper -- Blackfin and Commander Hunter. Also much of the dialogue is reconstructed and the time frame condensed, at least in certain places, all of which give the book the feel of a novel, rather than a historical narrative. "Blackfin," a Sturgeon class nuclear attack boat is assigned a Holystone surveillance patrol in the Barents sea in the spring-summer of 1971. The author does a good job of taking the reader into the U.S. submarine community, and out on patrol for a cover mission, but the reader can't help but wonder what is real and what isn't. Also in the book, the author follows a Victor class soviet nuclear attack boat on a patrol, in the Barents Sea, supposedly around the same time at "Blackfin's" patrol, but that may very well have been completely fictional.

Support and Defend by Mark Greaney. It's got Tom Clancy's name on the cover, but this is Greaney's first solo effort with characters created by Clancy. Rather than take on a story with the full stable of characters for his first time going it alone, Greaney picks just one, former FBI agent Dominic Caruso, now an operative of the off the books intelligence group known as the "Campus." Caruso is in India, training with a former members of the Isreali Defense Forces, when he finds himself in the middle of a terrorist attack. This event launches Caruso on a quest to find the U.S. government employee who leaked information that led to the attack. That government employee is Ethan Ross, a deputy assistant director for Near East and North African affairs on the National Security Council, and he is soon on the run with a scrape of a large amount of critical intelligence, which could bring the U.S. intelligence community to its knees if it fell into the hands of the Russians or the Iranians, or anyone else trying to get it.

The book is excellent, and in many places easily reaches the "I can't put it down" stage of enjoyment. Greaney's style is different from Clancy's, but he is clearly a talented writer in his own right. If this book is any indication, Clancy left his Jack Ryan series in good hands.

The Twilight Warriors by Robert Gandt. A book about U.S. Navy pilots fighting against the Kamikaze onslaught during the battle for Okinawa. This is not a definitive account as it primarily follows the pilots of Fighter-Bomber Squadron (VBF) Ten, which flew off the carrier USS Intrepid. Of particular interest to the author is a group of pilots known as "tail end charlies." These were mostly junior pilots who flew the tail end positions in formation, but they were also seeing action for the first time at the tail end of the war. There are a couple of senior pilots who had been assigned to stateside training duties for most of the war. The author also writes about pilots and commanders on the Japanese side, particularly Vice Admiral Matome Ugaki, who commanded the Kamikaze offensive. The major portion of the book follows the one way mission of the super battleship Yamato and the pilots who sank her, proving once and for all that the day of the dreadnoughts had passed.

Historian David McCullough once said that history is not just about dates and statistics, but that it is human. Gandt does an excellent job of making the history of the battle for Okinawa human.

Duty: Memoirs of a Secretary at War by Robert M. Gates. Gates served alternately at CIA and on the National Security Council staff from 1969 to 1993. He returned to government when nominated to become secretary of defense in November 2006 and would serve until the end of June 2011. In 1996, he wrote his first memoir, From the Shadows: The Ultimate Insider's Story of Five Presidents and How They Won the Cold War. In 2014, he followed with this, his second memoir, which covers four and a half years fighting two wars and serving two presidents. When he first left government service in 1993, he never intended to return, but when asked to serve in 2006, he believed it was a duty he could not shirk as long as men and women in uniform were putting their lives on the line to fight the two wars he would oversee. In looking out for the men and women in uniform, in battling the Pentagon and Congress to get them what they needed in combat and after, he became known as the Soldier's Secretary. In writing his memoirs, he takes the reader beyond the partisan arguments of both sides to the realities as he saw them. Fantastic!

Lords of the Sky: Fighter Pilots and Air Combat from the Red Baron to the F-16 by Dan Hampton. Hampton is a former fighter pilot, who flew Wild Weasel missions in his F-16CJ during the invasion of Iraq in 2003, and has written an excellent memoir titled Viper Pilot. Lords of the Sky is Hampton's second non-fiction book and covers air combat from World War I to the Iraq War. It is fantastic!

In the spring of 1915, Roland Garros mounted a machine gun in front of the cockpit of his biplane and scored the first kill in areal combat. The Dutch aircraft manufacturer Fokker, followed suite with his invention of interrupter equipment, so that the pilot would not shoot of his own propeller, and by the end of the First World War, air power had become a significant element of war. This would continue during the Second World War as fighter pilots proved that the bomber would not always get through. Combat in the jet age first appeared in Korea as first generation jets mounting guns fought it out in MiG Alley. Air combat in Vietnam introduced air-to-air missiles, as well as surface-to-air missiles, and began a transition to an era where battling air defense systems has supplanted fighting other aircraft.

When the King Took Flight by Timothy Tackett. In October 1789, the king and queen of France had been forced to move from their palace at Versailles to the Tuileries Palace in Paris, where they became virtual prisoners of the revolution then underway. Louis XVI gave outward approval of the course of the revolution, but inwardly he was opposed. On June 20, 1791, Louis and his family donned disguises, sneaked out of the Tuileries Palace, and rode out of Paris in two carriages. The following night they were stopped in the small town of Varennes, just 15 miles from the border, and freedom. The people of France, who had believed Louis to be a good king badly advised, felt betrayed by the king's flight. The reaction to the events of June 1791 would change the course of the French Revolution and sow the seeds that would lead to the Terror of 1793-94. Tackett's book is an excellent recounting of the king's flight, from setting the stage to examining the results.

Gallipoli by Alan Moorehead. In February 1915, the Royal Navy launched an operation to force the Dardanelles Narrows in order to open a supply route to Russia. The operation was undertaken by a fleet of British and French ships, including several old battleships that were considered expendable -- if they were lost forcing the Narrows, that was acceptable. On March 18, after weeks of preliminary operations, the major push was launched, and by sundown, it was on the verge of victory; the defenders were about to run out of ammunition. But three old battleships were sunk in an unexpected way, and the British concluded that the Turks were setting mines adrift in the current, when in fact the ships had stumbled into mines that the Turks had managed to lay without the Allies knowing. Despite losing ships that were supposed to be expendable, and despite being on the cusp of victory, the allies elected to stop the naval campaign, and instead land troops on the Gallipoli peninsula.

A month went by as the allies planned a major amphibious operation on the quick -- the D-Day landings at Normandy during World War II had followed as many as two years of planning, but certainly more than six months of determined planning and preparation. Even so, the landings at Gallipoli came within a hairsbreadth of succeeding, at least the landing at what would become known as ANZAC Cove did, the landings at Cape Helles faced greater difficulties from the start. But at ANZAC Cove, soldiers were marching to the heights when they encountered a small force of Turks, which they drove off, but the opposition caused them to slow down, and that cost them the victory that was so nearly theirs. The lesson of the April landings on Gallipoli was the necessity for speed in movement, and this would have been applied in August during the landings at Suvla Bay if only the veterans would have been the ones carrying out the operation. Instead new troops were brought in with new commanders to carry out the landings, and the new commanders had paid too much attention to what they supposed were the lessons of the battles in France, and they elected to take their time and bring in the artillery. By the time they finally moved out to take the all important heights behind the beaches, it was too late.

With the failure at Suvla Bay, the British faced the choice of bring in more reinforcement to try more offensives from the beachheads already established, make yet another landing, perhaps at Bulair, at the neck of the peninsula, or to withdraw and conceded defeat. There was another choice, promoted by a young commodore, to once more attempt to force the Narrows with the fleet. In the end, the British government chose to withdraw, and the last troops left the peninsula in January 1916. The Gallipoli campaign cost a young Winston Churchill his place in government, and many thought that it should have finished his career. After Gallipoli a government inquiry decided that the campaign could never have succeeded, and the primary evidence to support this conclusion was the fact that the campaign did not succeed. Many people concluded also that amphibious operations could not succeed. But then, in the 1920s, the Turkish side of the battles were revealed, and it was learned just how close the allies had come to victory, and Churchill and the young commodore were vindicated. Of course, during World War II, there would be more than a few successful amphibious operations.

Moorehead's history of the Gallipoli campaign is magnificent, though perhaps not a definitive account of the campaign. The author focuses on a few battles -- the attempt to force the Narrows, the landing at Cape Helles, the Turkish attack at ANZAC Cove, Suvla Bay and the concurrent operations at ANZAC Cove -- while only mentioning others -- the battles at Cape Helles after the landings -- but the writing is excellent, and sometimes even poetic. The coverage of the politics, both in Britain and in Turkey, are also excellent.

Return of the Enola Gay by Paul W. Tibbets. This is a revised autobiography, published in 1998, a few years after the controversy regarding the display of the Enola Gay at the Smithsonian's Air and Space museum, and is excellent.

Why We Lost: A General's Inside Account of the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars by Daniel P. Bolger. "I am a United States Army general, and I lost the Global War on Terrorism." That is how Bolger begins this book on the GWOT, Iraq and Afghanistan. There are plenty of people out there ready to argue that we lost, and just as ready to point fingers at those they think are responsible, but only Bolger appears to be willing to accept his share of the blame. Of course, before you can declare defeat, you have to define what victory would have been. After reading the book -- and maybe its just because I am disinclined to be a naysayer -- it isn't entirely obvious that we did in fact lose the war(s). Certainly the grand idea of spreading democracy by the sword suffered defeat, and even the hope of stable governments in Iraq and Afghanistan at best face long odds, and may even be highly unlikely. But outright defeat? No, I didn't see that.

Some things, in fact, we did very, very well. Though we didn't know it at the time, by the summer of 2002, we had effectively defeated al Qaeda. After the opening campaign in Afghanistan, al Qaeda largely existed wherever its architect, Osama bin Laden resided. Many like minded groups adopted the name and claimed the heritage, but the pre-9/11 al Qaeda ceased largely to exist. At the same time, the Taliban would require 4 to 5 years to recover from the pasting they had received. Thus, a four year window existed in Afghanistan where an insurgency could have been avoided, or where we could have pulled out. Without the presence of American and NATO infidels in country, perhaps the Taliban would have lacked the impetus to revive.

That window of opportunity never existed in Iraq where military and civilian leaders who wanted to pull out found that we could not do so, and that Powell was right when he said that we would own the mess we created there. Iraq was a mistake from the get go, and by electing to take down Saddam Hussein's regime, the Bush administration backed itself into not one, but two counterinsurgency wars. Even so, in Iraq there lay greater odds for success with the adopted strategy of "al Qaeda out, Sunnis in, Iraqis in the lead," and the 2007-08 surge almost made that a reality, only to see the Shiites in power -- notably Prime Minister Maliki -- push out the Sunnis that had opted in. The surge in Iraq was so successful, that we tried a repeat in the other counterinsurgency war, only to learn that Afghanistan is a completely different place where there really could be no equivalent "Taliban out, Pashtuns in, Afghans in the lead."

There have been those who have argued that Iraq and Afghanistan have proved that counterinsurgency campaigns can't succeed, or that America cannot successfully execute the strategy. They may be right, but not necessarily for the right reasons. A successful counterinsurgency requires a commitment of decades, which would require an amount of patience that it is unlikely Americans will ever have. The closest example in recent American history to what is required is Korea, a hot war of three years followed by a continued commitment of 60 plus years, but Korea wasn't a counterinsurgency war. Nonetheless, a commitment to that kind of containment is likely what is going to be required in the future, even if we manage to avoid fighting counterinsurgency wars.

Rather, we will likely have to adopt the methodology of the British after their failed Afghan campaign of 1839-42. In 1839, the Brits marched into the Stan to create buffer state between their Indian colony and Russia. In the end, even the friendly government they installed in Kabul turned on them and the British were massacred as they marched out in the winter if 1842. After that, the Brits would return to Afghanistan a few more times, but each time they would conduct short, sharp campaigns and then leave. It is a strategy we could have adopted after 9/11, not just with Afghanistan but also with Iraq, a containment strategy which would have left terrorists and other bad guys rotting on the vine, even as we conducted occasional short, sharp campaigns to keep them in their boxes.

Rather than invading Iraq in 2003, we should have strengthened the box Saddam was already in. But, this kind of containment strategy requires patience, and after ten years of containing Saddam in the 1990s, we were already losing patience. Without the requisite patience, then, would a containment strategy be any more successful than a counterinsurgency strategy?

Undersea Warrior: The World War II Story of "Mush" Morton and the USS Wahoo by Don Keith. A very good book about the war patrols of the high scoring submarine USS Wahoo. The author contrasts the style of Wahoo's two commanding officers, "Pinky" Kennedy and "Mush" Morton. I have read two other books by Keith and this is the best of the three.

Exit Plan by Larry Bond. Jerry Mitchell is the executive officer of USS Michigan, an Ohio-class submarine modified to fire Tomahawks instead of ballistic missiles and to support special operations forces. The sub is ordered into the Persian Gulf to send a SEAL team to the Iranian shore where they will pick up two defectors with important information regarding Iran's nuclear program. Because of a silly accident, Mitchell is called upon to be the substitute pilot of the mini-sub that will take the SEALs to a position offshore and then wait for the the team to return with the defectors. A battery fire results in the loss of the mini-sub, stranding Mitchell, the SEALs and the defectors ashore. Mitchell and the SEALs must to find a way to leave Iran, and quickly, because the information carried by the defectors is needed to prevent a war.

This is the third of four books featuring the Jerry Mitchell character. Fantastic!

[LA Ute]

Just finished Far from the Madding Crowd, finally. Really enjoyed it. I like the Victorian authors, especially the later ones.


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[OrangeUte]

I just finished reading "Angle of Repose" by the wonderful Ute Wallace Stegner. http://www.amazon.com/Angle-Repose-Wallace-Stegner/dp/1101872764/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1461178144&sr=8-1&keywords=angle+of+repose

Has anyone read this book?

Most of you know SteelBlue and BlueGoose from CUF/whatever it's called now. The three of us started a men's book club (we call it the John Ames Society after the main character in the book "Gilead" by Marilyn Robinson) with another 3 guys. Despite the mockery we get from our wives and other people, it has been awesome and the discussions have sometimes gone on for more than 3 hours. When we read East of Eden we talked from 7pm until almost 11pm about the book. There are a lot of smart people in our little group, me being by far the most simple minded.

Anyway, we discussed Stegner's AORepose, which is a brilliant work. Reviews of what the book is are plentiful, and it is not easy to sum it up. Basically it is the perfect book to read every decade or so because depending on where you are at in your life and your marriage/relationship/lack of relationship, it makes you realize that nothing is perfect and kindness and forgiveness are difficult but essential.

[LA Ute]

I just finished reading "Angle of Repose" by the wonderful Ute Wallace Stegner. http://www.amazon.com/Angle-Repose-Wallace-Stegner/dp/1101872764/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1461178144&sr=8-1&keywords=angle+of+repose

Anyway, we discussed Stegner's AORepose, which is a brilliant work. Reviews of what the book is are plentiful, and it is not easy to sum it up. Basically it is the perfect book to read every decade or so because depending on where you are at in your life and your marriage/relationship/lack of relationship, it makes you realize that nothing is perfect and kindness and forgiveness are difficult but essential.

It's now on my over-loaded Kindle. Thanks to you.

[OrangeUte]

In case anyone is interested. These are the books we have read and discussed.

1. Gilead by Marilyn Robinson http://www.amazon.com/Gilead-Novel-Marilynne-Robinson/dp/031242440X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1461178999&sr=8-1&keywords=gilead
2. The River of Doubt by Candace Millard http://www.amazon.com/River-Doubt-Theodore-Roosevelts-Darkest/dp/0767913736/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1461179023&sr=8-1&keywords=river+of+doubt
3. East of Eden by John Steinbeck http://www.amazon.com/East-Penguin-Twentieth-Century-Classics/dp/0140186395/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1461179055&sr=8-1&keywords=east+of+eden
4. The Power of One by Bryce Courtenay http://www.amazon.com/Power-One-Novel-Bryce-Courtenay/dp/034541005X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1461179087&sr=8-1&keywords=power+of+one
5. The Razor's Edge by M. Somerset Maugham http://www.amazon.com/Razors-Edge-W-Somerset-Maugham/dp/1400034205/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1461179151&sr=8-1&keywords=razor%27s+edge
6. Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl http://www.amazon.com/Mans-Search-Meaning-Viktor-Frankl/dp/080701429X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1461179187&sr=8-1&keywords=man%27s+search+for+meaning
7. Tenth of December by George Saunders http://www.amazon.com/Tenth-December-Stories-George-Saunders/dp/0812984250/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1461179223&sr=1-1&keywords=the+10th+of+December
8. Angle of Repose (link above)
9. ???

Number 9 is pending. It is more difficult that one would ever expect to choose a book that you have to lead a meaningful discussion on.

[OrangeUte]

It's now on my over-loaded Kindle. Thanks to you.

hahaha! You are going to love this book LAUte!

[Applejack]

In case anyone is interested. These are the books we have read and discussed.

1. Gilead by Marilyn Robinson http://www.amazon.com/Gilead-Novel-Marilynne-Robinson/dp/031242440X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1461178999&sr=8-1&keywords=gilead
2. The River of Doubt by Candace Millard http://www.amazon.com/River-Doubt-Theodore-Roosevelts-Darkest/dp/0767913736/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1461179023&sr=8-1&keywords=river+of+doubt
3. East of Eden by John Steinbeck http://www.amazon.com/East-Penguin-Twentieth-Century-Classics/dp/0140186395/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1461179055&sr=8-1&keywords=east+of+eden
4. The Power of One by Bryce Courtenay http://www.amazon.com/Power-One-Novel-Bryce-Courtenay/dp/034541005X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1461179087&sr=8-1&keywords=power+of+one
5. The Razor's Edge by M. Somerset Maugham http://www.amazon.com/Razors-Edge-W-Somerset-Maugham/dp/1400034205/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1461179151&sr=8-1&keywords=razor%27s+edge
6. Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl http://www.amazon.com/Mans-Search-Meaning-Viktor-Frankl/dp/080701429X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1461179187&sr=8-1&keywords=man%27s+search+for+meaning
7. Tenth of December by George Saunders http://www.amazon.com/Tenth-December-Stories-George-Saunders/dp/0812984250/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1461179223&sr=1-1&keywords=the+10th+of+December
8. Angle of Repose (link above)
9. ???

Number 9 is pending. It is more difficult that one would ever expect to choose a book that you have to lead a meaningful discussion on.

I've read:

1. One of my top 10 books of all-time. Beautiful.
3. I'm kind of down on Steinbeck, but this one is great.
7. Saunders is weird.
8. Love everything by Stegner. GO UTES!

[LA Ute]

In case anyone is interested. These are the books we have read and discussed.

1. Gilead by Marilyn Robinson http://www.amazon.com/Gilead-Novel-Marilynne-Robinson/dp/031242440X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1461178999&sr=8-1&keywords=gilead
2. The River of Doubt by Candace Millard http://www.amazon.com/River-Doubt-Theodore-Roosevelts-Darkest/dp/0767913736/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1461179023&sr=8-1&keywords=river+of+doubt
3. East of Eden by John Steinbeck http://www.amazon.com/East-Penguin-Twentieth-Century-Classics/dp/0140186395/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1461179055&sr=8-1&keywords=east+of+eden
4. The Power of One by Bryce Courtenay http://www.amazon.com/Power-One-Novel-Bryce-Courtenay/dp/034541005X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1461179087&sr=8-1&keywords=power+of+one
5. The Razor's Edge by M. Somerset Maugham http://www.amazon.com/Razors-Edge-W-Somerset-Maugham/dp/1400034205/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1461179151&sr=8-1&keywords=razor%27s+edge
6. Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl http://www.amazon.com/Mans-Search-Meaning-Viktor-Frankl/dp/080701429X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1461179187&sr=8-1&keywords=man%27s+search+for+meaning
7. Tenth of December by George Saunders http://www.amazon.com/Tenth-December-Stories-George-Saunders/dp/0812984250/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1461179223&sr=1-1&keywords=the+10th+of+December
8. Angle of Repose (link above)
9. ???

Number 9 is pending. It is more difficult that one would ever expect to choose a book that you have to lead a meaningful discussion on.

I've read (1) and (6). Loved them both.

[OrangeUte]

I've read:

1. One of my top 10 books of all-time. Beautiful.
3. I'm kind of down on Stegner, but this one is great.
7. Saunders is weird.
8. Love everything by Stegner. GO UTES!

Steinbeck rings to me. I know several people who just couldn't get into EofEden or Grapes of Wrath, but I loved them both. I also just finished Cannery Row, which I thought was smart and very funny.

[chrisrenrut]

My last two listens/reads were Boys in the Boat, and Girl on the Train. Total coincidence that the titles are gender/transportation based. Both were entertaining.

I have consumed a lot of books based on recommendations in this thread. I have really enjoyed most. The one that I found it tough to slog through was Love in the Time of Cholera. Apologies to SU and AJ, but it didn't catch my attention very well. I don't know if they read in the native Spanish, and maybe it lost something in translation. I kept wondering why they gushed about it so much, when I felt like it was almost work to get through it.

[OrangeUte]

George Saunders has his first novel coming out. I agree with applejack that he is weird, but I love weird...

http://www.vulture.com/2016/04/george-saunders-lincoln-in-the-bardo-cover-art-qa.html

it sounds weird but wonderful.

[NorthwestUteFan]

Here is your #9. 'The Brothers K', by David James Duncan. (The book has a 4.4/5 rating on Goodreads, with over 10,000 reviews. It is fantastic).

http://www.amazon.com/The-Brothers-David-James-Duncan/dp/055337849X

It mixes the lives of four boys, humorously and poignantly blended through their passions for baseball, religion, politics, and life in a small Washington mill town in the 50s, 60s, and 70s. It may be the best book that nobody knows about. Absolutely charming and poignantly human.

Everybody I know who has read this book has loved it. I believe you will enjoy it as well.

[LA Ute]

Here is your #9. 'The Brothers K', by David James Duncan. (The book has a 4.4/5 rating on Goodreads, with over 10,000 reviews. It is fantastic).

http://www.amazon.com/The-Brothers-David-James-Duncan/dp/055337849X

It mixes the lives of four boys, humorously and poignantly blended through their passions for baseball, religion, politics, and life in a small Washington mill town in the 50s, 60s, and 70s. It may be the best book that nobody knows about. Absolutely charming and poignantly human.

Everybody I know who has read this book has loved it. I believe you will enjoy it as well.

I liked lots of it a lot but couldn't finish it. (It's still on my nightstand.) The looong digressions from the story were too much for me. I haven't given up on it yet.

From one review:


Unfortunately, paying good attention to "The Brothers K" is difficult. While this is the sort of work where the sum of the parts is greater than the whole, it is also true that the sum of the parts is just too big a sum. No one--most particularly including Duncan's editor--knows when to say "No, thank you."

. . .

As clever as Duncan is, he just does try you. So you've to read him as you watch a baseball game, where there is no clock, and we may go into extra innings, and the fun is to ruminate and speculate and contemplate . . . and second-guess the manager. And suddenly, before you even realize there's a rally going, we may have to call for the southpaw in the bullpen.

http://articles.latimes.com/1992-07-05/books/bk-2494_1_david-james-duncan

I kind of saw it the same way.

[NorthwestUteFan]

Get it on Audible. You need to experience the whole thing to pull it all together.

[OrangeUte]

Get it on Audible. You need to experience the whole thing to pull it all together.

this is the second time it is has been recommended to me. Unfortunately i don't get to select the next book. but i may choose this one.

i just ordered it on Amazon and will read it and let you know what i think. I won't get another choice for 5 more books (Stegner was my selection). I currently plan on making Shaara's Killer Angels for my next book right now. That changes often.

[NorthwestUteFan]

The first ~100 pages are slow, character development. But the characters are great and there is a LOT of baseball. I am entirely indifferent about baseball , but I ended up loving the discussions and zen aspects of the game.

The impact on the family of a rigid fundamentalist religion (Seventh Day Adventist) is fascinating to watch.

(side note - the author's older brother died when he was young and one of the reasons he was given by the SDA leaders and members for the brother's death was that the author didn't pray hard enough. This book unpacks some of that baggage for him in an enlightening manner).

[Mormon Red Death]

I just finished reading "Angle of Repose" by the wonderful Ute Wallace Stegner. http://www.amazon.com/Angle-Repose-Wallace-Stegner/dp/1101872764/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1461178144&sr=8-1&keywords=angle+of+repose

Has anyone read this book?

Most of you know SteelBlue and BlueGoose from CUF/whatever it's called now. The three of us started a men's book club (we call it the John Ames Society after the main character in the book "Gilead" by Marilyn Robinson) with another 3 guys. Despite the mockery we get from our wives and other people, it has been awesome and the discussions have sometimes gone on for more than 3 hours. When we read East of Eden we talked from 7pm until almost 11pm about the book. There are a lot of smart people in our little group, me being by far the most simple minded.

Anyway, we discussed Stegner's AORepose, which is a brilliant work. Reviews of what the book is are plentiful, and it is not easy to sum it up. Basically it is the perfect book to read every decade or so because depending on where you are at in your life and your marriage/relationship/lack of relationship, it makes you realize that nothing is perfect and kindness and forgiveness are difficult but essential.
I love this book. The last 100 pages are so riveting. I'm never forget how I finished reading it. I was so engrossed

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[OrangeUte]

I love this book. The last 100 pages are so riveting. I'm never forget how I finished reading it. I was so engrossed

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Ditto. I read the last 70 pages on a bench down by the Sacramento River. i kept getting interrupted at work so I took a very long lunch. It was one of the only books that I have ever cried while reading. Honestly, I think this is my new favorite book (although be advised that I have about 10 of them).