What are you currently reading ?

[fsn]

Part way through The Soviet Airborne Experience [Illustrated Edition] by Col Glantz.

Interesting stuff about the birth of airborne forces, and the Soviet experience of using them.

Got to the bit where they think it's a good idea, but have purged all the officers who know what they're talking about.

[kipt]

Finished "Stalin's Hammer" by John Birmingham.  This is a continuation of his "Axis Of Time" novels that I noted before, but some 10 years after WWII ended.  This has a bunch of James Bond cold war action with the Russians being the bad guys.

A main character is Harry Windsor, red-headed, who is now not in the succession to the Throne.  In fact, since he came from 2021 into 1942, he is older than his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth.

Stalin is still alive and has deployed an orbital kinetic energy system.  The action is that both sides are trying to keep or snatch a German scientist.  The poor German goes back and forth.

At the end, the Russians have started WWIII and attacked across the Fulda gap after using their kinetic energy weapon to take out the defending allied forces, as well as knocking out the allies' satellites.  Supposedly there are more novels about that but I haven't seen them as of yet.

Fun read.

[kipt]

Finished "The Good Years: MacArthur and Sutherland", by Paul Rogers.  Rogers was Sutherland's stenographer starting in the Philippines and went with him to Australia.

The book discusses the happenings from before the war started to Buna, September to December 1942.  A subsequent book, which I have not yet started, continues the story.

Interesting to read about the happenings and people in MacArthur's HQ.  At this point Sutherland speaks for MacArthur. but the next book is "The Bitter Years" when there is a falling out between Sutherland and MacArthur.

Interesting look at command during the war in this theater.

[paulr]

I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on MacArthur

[kipt]

My thoughts on MacArthur... My opinion is that he was ego driven but this book presents him in a much better light.  Rogers ended up working for him so is sympathetic (so far; I haven't read the second book yet).

However, all men, and women for that matter, that make a name for themselves need to have confidence in themselves.  MacArthur was good and seemed to get the most out of his command.  Ultimately he forgot the chain of command and Truman "retired" him.

He was Chief of Staff of the US Army and his time after he first retired and went to the Philippines was probably more difficult than he thought it would be.  His attitude towards Marshall was somewhat strained but correct.  After all, everyone in the army was subordinate to him.  He came back as a 4 star, but still Marshall outranked him at that point.  He handled that with grace.

It puts him in the same school as Montgomery, Mark Clark and Patton as far as ego driven, but competent.  Along with Admiral King, they were bullies, but in a war that isn't necessarily bad.

[Malbork]

Totally agree Cameronian

[Leman]

And the good news is I am virtually back to normal (ernergy levels still lower than before), continuing to plan and paint (hurrah) the 1870-71 Armee du Nord, and re-reading Douglas Fermer's translation of Leonce Patry's The Reality of War.

[paulr]

Thanks Kipt, definitely agree on the ego, need to do some more reading on the 'competent' at some point

[kipt]

Re: Armee du Nord.  I have that painted for my "Sappy Nappy" rules. We played the Hallue battle from the "1870" Weigle rules. French held their positions at the north due to the range of the Chassepot (Prussians couldn't cross the Hallue) and held their positions in the south due to the entrechments.

I have photos but the change to Photobucket has left me out. I have Flickr but haven't tried posting from that. Several other battles we have done: Ladonchamps, Mars la Tour and yesterday we did Noisseville.

[Leman]

Litterally just put Patry's book down after reading about Pont Noyelle. Haven't played a Weigle game for a good few years now; the big battles have been replaced by BBB which are a much more manageable set. However, since buying 1871 and seeing how Bruce has 'cleaned up' his rules. I am now planning to play his scenario for Villers Bretonneux.

[Terry37]

Just getting into the 6th of 7 books in the Extinction Cycle series titled "Aftermath". Nicholas Salisbury is a very superb author and his books are both believable and well written. They are Post Apocalyptic genre.

Terry

[Leman]

Cheery stuff then, but with Trump in charge, who knows.

[Terry37]

Yeah, post apocalyptic stories can get a little more than grim - in fact some have been down right scary! I also realized I gave hte author's name incorrectly. His name is Nicholas Sansbury Smith. Sorry abut that.

As for the last comment, I am beyond comment! I just pray for all of us.

Terry

[Womble67]

An artilleryman in Stalingrad by Jason D Mark

Take care

Andy

[FierceKitty]

I've just tried some Paul Theroux. What is his reputation based on?

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

1970s and 80s journalism from places no one else would go, saying things no one else would dare say.

Dark Star Safari is good though.

[FierceKitty]

Nobody called Richard Burton a great novelist!

[Lord Kermit of Birkenhead]

Nobody called Richard Burton a great novelist!

Which one - actor or explorer ?

[FierceKitty]

Either. Take your pick.

[kipt]

Finished "At the Sign of the Triumph" by David Weber, a novel of the "Safehold" series.

This is a novel set in the far future, on a colonized planet, Safehold.  Earth had fought a loosing war against a species called the Gabba, and were all but wiped out.

The Gabba are drawn to planets radiating the evidence of high technology, so the colonists on Safehold have been proscripted from developing any, through the laws of the Church.  However, the Church has been in the power of its Grand Inquisitor, and has trampled the rights of the people.

To make it interesting there is the presence of a long dead female warship commander, whose being had been kept in stasis for centuries.  She awakes and occupies the body of an avatar but rouses the people to fight against the Church.  Previous novels in the series are about the combats and the increasing tech base used by these rebels.  Essentially early firearms against bows and swords, increasing in each book to muzzle loading rifles and then breach loaders.  Ships to ironclads and eventually a dreadnought type, with the Church always behind.

Very good combat descriptions as well as story, but long.  This last book is 738 pages.  There are 8 earlier books and all are good.  Weber wrote the Honor Harrington series (Space fighting etc. which is also vary good if one likes that type of story).  Highly recommended for some escapist reading.