What are you currently reading ?

[FierceKitty]

I wonder if Skype and webcams can't make long-range games a real possibility these days?

[kipt]

Also finished a quick read of a guide book: "The Arc de Triomphe" by Marc Gaillard, translated to English.

Interesting background of triumphal arcs in general, and then the history of this one.  Lots of pictures and explanations of the different scenes.

[slugbalancer]

I've just finished Iron Hulls, Iron Hearts: Mussolini's Elite Armoured Divisions in North Africa by Ian W. Walker.  It explains how & why the Italian armoured divisions performed so well in North Africa and why they never got the credit they deserved.

[Westmarcher]

Currently reading The Audacious Crimes of Colonel Blood by Robert Hutchinson. As the Prologue in the book says, "Thomas Blood is one of these mysterious and charismatic characters in British History whose breathtaking exploits underline the wisdom of the old maxim that truth can be stranger than fiction." Born in the 17th Century, this adventurer participated in the English Civil War first on the Royalist side and then on the Parliamentary side before becoming a spy for Charles II in Restoration Britain (and that, apparently, despite involvement in plots to assassinate Charles!). So far he has been involved in an attempted coup d'etat in Ireland, led a daring rescue of a leading rebel of a failed uprising in Northern England who was being transferred from London to York and led an unsuccessful and almost farcical attempt to kidnap and kill the former Lord Lieutenant of Ireland. I am now about to read how he stole the Crown Jewels (!) and I'm not even half way through the book! Found it slow to start with but now getting into it and looking forward to seeing what further 'adventures' lie ahead.   

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

But was it an inside job for Charles?

[Subedai]

Not militarily orientated at all but I found out how to download all of the E E Doc Smith's Lensman series to my Kindle. Had them all in the '70's and fancied reading them again. They are next after I finish the current pot-boiler of a D&D novel trilogy.

MickS

[FierceKitty]

A spotter's guide to sci-fi aliens:

An Arthur Clark alien is tall, benign, god-like.

An Isaac Asimov alien speaks exactly like every other character.

A Philip K. Dick alien is the normal-looking chap next to you on the subway; also possibly yourself.

A Clifford Simak alien is trembling under a bush, waiting to be protected.

A Ray Bradbury alien is sitting on the porch in dungarees waiting for Mom to finish cooking the apple pie.

A Douglas Adams alien is drunk.

An E. E. Doc Smith alien is dead.

[Ithoriel]

So if films are made of their works who should play the aliens?

An Arthur Clark alien is tall, benign, god-like - Morgan Freeman

An Isaac Asimov alien speaks exactly like every other character - Sean Connery

A Philip K. Dick alien is the normal-looking chap next to you on the subway; also possibly yourself - Me, obviously

A Clifford Simak alien is trembling under a bush, waiting to be protected - Woody Allen

A Ray Bradbury alien is sitting on the porch in dungarees waiting for Mom to finish cooking the apple pie -

A Douglas Adams alien is drunk - Brian Cox or Ken Stott

An E. E. Doc Smith alien is dead - so many actors have qualified themselves for this part in 2016. Anton Yelchin or Kenny Baker maybe.
[/quote]

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

Neal Asher alien is a 20 wide crab that will rip your head off...

[fsn]

Are they the ones that eat their young?

Nasty B's.

[Steve J]

Neil Thomas' Napoleonic Wargaming. Just arrived so glancing through it this afternoon

[FierceKitty]

So if films are made of their works who should play the aliens?

An Arthur Clark alien is tall, benign, god-like - Morgan Freeman

An Isaac Asimov alien speaks exactly like every other character - Sean Connery

A Philip K. Dick alien is the normal-looking chap next to you on the subway; also possibly yourself - Me, obviously

A Clifford Simak alien is trembling under a bush, waiting to be protected - Woody Allen

A Ray Bradbury alien is sitting on the porch in dungarees waiting for Mom to finish cooking the apple pie -

A Douglas Adams alien is drunk - Brian Cox or Ken Stott

An E. E. Doc Smith alien is dead - so many actors have qualified themselves for this part in 2016. Anton Yelchin or Kenny Baker maybe.

Don't know about Morgan Freeman and "god-like" - he seems to me to have based his career on a look of suffering victimhood (mind you, I suppose that's true of one popular god too).

Billy Bob Thornton for the Bradbury?

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

Are they the ones that eat their young?

Nasty B's.

Yup

[Leman]

So why are they still around?

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

Large broods

[Leman]

Large boobs?   

[Ithoriel]

Don't know about Morgan Freeman and "god-like" - he seems to me to have based his career on a look of suffering victimhood (mind you, I suppose that's true of one popular god too).

Billy Bob Thornton for the Bradbury?

Billy Bob Thornton works for me! Hadn't realised I'd missed that one.

[Westmarcher]

But was it an inside job for Charles?

Well history tells us that Charles had his secret Treaties with (and subsidies from) Louis XIV so who knows what other secrets he had. However, after Blood was captured, he managed to obtain an audience with Charles, Prince Rupert and Prince James so this suggests either extreme curiosity on Charles part or someone at Court persuaded him to do so. It was also quite uncharacteristic of Blood to commit a crime for personal gain - usually his activities were politically motivated. Blood said he did it for financial gain, saying he thought they were worth about £100K but as Charles had only paid about £6K for them it seems unlikely Charles was trying to raise funds for himself (although I seem to recall £30k was advanced for furnishing new regalia - Cromwell's regime had sold the old regalia to build warships, etc.). I'm still on the follow-up chapter and other theories have been postulated by the author but obviously I don't wish to say too much more in case someone else wishes to read this book.

[T13A]

Hi

Just finished 'Burma '44', by James Holland. Excellent account of the Japanese HA-Go offensive in February 1944 and the 'battle of the Admin Box'. This was the first real victory by the British and Empire troops over the Japanese. Particularly useful for the use of tanks in the jungle (Grant/Lees of the 25th Dragoons).

Highly recommended.

Cheers Paul

[kipt]

Finished volume 80, No. 4 of "The Journal of Military History".

Articles on "Alexander's Cavalry Charge at Chaeronea, 338 BCE", "One Battle and Two Accounts: The Turkish Brigade at Kunu-ri in November 1950", Orphan of the Mekong Delta: The Army-Navy Mobile Riverine Force", as well as others.

Also many book reviews - good place to find books for a wants list.