Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => Aces High General Discussion => Topic started by: SysError on December 30, 2013, 03:38:01 PM
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Santa was nice to me this year. I got three aviation themed books. A record for me (I usually read popular science, some light philosophy and general fiction).
Here is what I'm digging into:
Great Book of World War II Airplanes.
http://www.amazon.com/Great-Book-World-War-Airplanes/dp/0517160242 (http://www.amazon.com/Great-Book-World-War-Airplanes/dp/0517160242)
A remarkable book (originally published as 12 separate volumes) covering: P-38s, F6Fs, F4Us, P-51s, B-17s, Spits, Lancs, Moscqutoes, 190s, 109s, Ju-87s and A6Ms.
Great art work by Rikyu Watanabe in a large format.
The Forgotten 500: The Untold Story of the Men Who Risked All for the Greatest Rescue Mission of World War II
http://www.amazon.com/Forgotten-500-Untold-Greatest-Mission/dp/0451224957/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1388438177&sr=1-1&keywords=the+forgotten+500 (http://www.amazon.com/Forgotten-500-Untold-Greatest-Mission/dp/0451224957/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1388438177&sr=1-1&keywords=the+forgotten+500)
Just started reading this (on page ~50). So far it seems well written. It tells the story of the rescue of 500 mostly US bomber (B17s and B24s) crews stuck in modern day Yugoslavia.
Fighting aircraft of the World
http://www.amazon.com/Fighting-aircraft-World-Michael-Sharpe/dp/1904687024/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1388438900&sr=1-2&keywords=fighting+aircraft+of+the+world (http://www.amazon.com/Fighting-aircraft-World-Michael-Sharpe/dp/1904687024/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1388438900&sr=1-2&keywords=fighting+aircraft+of+the+world)
My kid picked this up for me in a used book store. Nice thought. Seems like an OK reference book covering WWI WWII and some cold war planes. I then read the ONE review on amazon for the book. A one star rating with the following write up:
The a/c profiles are nice along with the descriptions, but that is where usefulness of this books ends. Many of the specifications are full of typo's or are just plainly not reasearched out. (exp. page 169 top speed stated as 507 mph), in fact top speed for the Convair F-106 is 1,525 mph and there are many other discrepencies. I was tired of counting and used the book for a paper weight in the barn.
I think I'll take up the challenge and see if I can spot the reported errors.
So what are you reading this winter (or summer for our southern hemisphere friends.)
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I generally like suspense, fiction, historical non-fiction, Sci-fi, and Fantasy. In the last month I just finished up the Game of Thrones books, along with Neil Gaiman's American Gods, Ozzy's Autobiography, and The Demonologist by Ed and Lorraine Warren.
On my To Read list currenty: Bruce Campbell's memoir If Chins Could Kill, another read through of Neil Stephenson's Cryptonomicon, Neil Stephenson's Baroque Cycle, and whatever I can find about ACM and dogfighting.
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I got 1 book! Weapon (a visual history of arms and armor)
There are many contributors to this book and it's mostly pictures and drawings on the subject,including many museum pieces and artifacts. The final chapter is on the evolution of firearms and ammo and it appears to be quite thorough.
I did get 2 dvd sets,the first is the complete history of WW2 and the second covers mostly the airwar during WW2,with some bonus blue angel vid and a topgun aircombat training disc on top of it. The 2 sets are about 108 hours of video for those long cold winter nights up here in the Great White North!
:salute
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I actually recieved 4 books this Xmas. All Clive Cussler , Oregon files series, book 1 through 4 . I am 3/4 the way through book one .
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Been reading the series Marching with Caesar, by R.W. Peake. It is a historical novel that follows the career of the fictitious Titus Pullus from legionary to camp prefect. I am on the last book of the series and enjoyed them all very much. :aok
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Presently on book three of the five book trilogy Hitchikers Guide to the Galaxy. Been reading them to my 10 yo daughter. Son got me book one for christmas as i lost mine so we will finally get to book one at some point. I have already read them a ton myself.
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I am too busy reading all the silly threads on this forum to open a book :uhoh.
semp
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"BURY US UPSIDE DOWN: The Misty Pilots and the Secret Battle for the Ho-Chi-Min Trail"
Pretty good so far.
Just finished "PETTIBONE'S LAW" and I laughed for a week straight. So darn funny and allegedly half true.
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Presently on book three of the five book trilogy Hitchikers Guide to the Galaxy. Been reading them to my 10 yo daughter. Son got me book one for christmas as i lost mine so we will finally get to book one at some point. I have already read them a ton myself.
That's an excellent series! You might dig some of Neil Gaiman's stuff too... If you don't mind comics, the Sandman graphic novels are an excellent read.
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I'm reading this thread.
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9 Innings of Hitting
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I just finished "The Outpost: An Untold Story of American Valor" and thought it was a great book.
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I just finished "The Outpost: An Untold Story of American Valor" and thought it was a great book.
If you liked that, you'll love "Kill bin Laden" by Dalton Fury (Delta assault team leader).
The 2005 failed effort to get him when we had him in Tora Bora. The actual when's, whys, and betrayals. Nothing like having 200 of your own men turn their AK47s on you at the moment of truth.
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I like a lot of factual and historical book but when it comes to trashy adventure fiction I love Wilbur Smith books.
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War and Peace
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Just got done reading Four Came Home (autographed by Robert Hite) about the four surviving Doolittle Raiders captured by the Japanese. Currently reading the Faust-Ball Tunnel about German POW attempts to escape captivity in Arizona.
Didn't get any books for Christmas, but I did get some very nice antique pieces for my collection.
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Got two for Christmas:
Gun Button to Fire by Tom Neil - BoB
Watching War Films with My Dad by Al Murray - Autobiography
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The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. By Edward Gibbons
Just finished The Twelve Caesars by Suetonius. Great read
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The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. By Edward Gibbons
Good for you! I read through the end of the western Roman Empire (so about 2/3 of the way through the set).
Once you recuperate from reading it, here are some others (mercifully much, much shorter, of course) that you might enjoy:
A History of Greece, by Cyril Robinson
The Birth of Britain, by Winston Churchill
The Commentaries, by Julius Caesar
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I'm currently reading Lone Survivor!
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I'm currently reading Lone Survivor!
Greatest non-fiction story of this era.
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Would any of you happen to have a copy of The Last Adventurer by Rolf Steiner that you would sell me? :pray
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The truth about Chernobyl.
Seems you have to read it a few times over a couple of weeks to get the whole picture.
Well......that and other sources.
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Greatest non-fiction story of this era.
It was good but I wouldn't go that far (greatest of this era) unless era is a narrow timeframe.
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I wouldn't go that far unless era is a narrow timeframe.
I was considering re-reading "SHATTERED SWORD" about the Battle of Midway. Really engrossing. Brought to light some stuff I had not read before.
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Currently immersed in Neil Armstrong's biography.
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It was good but I wouldn't go that far (greatest of this era) unless era is a narrow timeframe.
Easily the last 20 years. Era was a poor word choice. That mothers in America are still producing sons that are willing to put it out there and in that community where the book itself, no matter the context or intent, is easily an act of communal betrayal. That makes it worth even more. Readers rarely appreciate that aspect of the writing.
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restarted the "Destroyermen" series by Taylor Anderson, half way through book 2 at the moment.
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I read an interesting book that focused on the experience of the woman who fought North Vietnams war. It really gave me a sense of their sacrifices and how much the state let them down after the war. Also the terror of being up against American air power.
I read all three Hunger Game books. Again, in another way, the books examined the effects of sending youth off to war and how violence has become just another televised "sport" in modern societies. As well as how people will give up their Political rights for such diversions, "the Romans called in Bread and Circuses". Give the people that and they dont care if they are slowly enslaved.
I read a fascinating book that chronicled the involvement of the average German in the holocaust. Not so much active participation by the guy on the street but "yes" active participation by much of the German Army and many low level bureaucrats and workers. Ive long held the thesis that the War against the Jews was the worst kept secret of the war. Not only that but there also was significant opposition to the slaughter and persecution and Hitler and the Nazis were always concerned about it.
I'd like to find some books on the forgotten air wars you dont hear much about. For instance the Finnish/Soviet conflict. The air war over Africa. The volunteer air war between Chinas volunteers vs Japan....ect
I found a fantastic foreign movie on Netflix about the atrocities in Nanjing http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1124052/ in 1937. Its not for the faint hearted and much of it is brutal but its important to remember exactly what kind of enemy Imperial Japan really was. The Japs are still in denial over it.
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I was considering re-reading "SHATTERED SWORD" about the Battle of Midway. Really engrossing. Brought to light some stuff I had not read before.
Just finished reading that - great read! I highly recommend this book.
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Tom Clancy's Command Authority.
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Easily the last 20 years. Era was a poor word choice. That mothers in America are still producing sons that are willing to put it out there and in that community where the book itself, no matter the context or intent, is easily an act of communal betrayal. That makes it worth even more. Readers rarely appreciate that aspect of the writing.
"Black Hawk Down" would be ahead of it on my list, but your point is well taken. :salute
Interestingly enough I worked with one of the Rangers who secured the landing site for the helos to get him (Luttrel) out. Never even suspected it until I showed him the book at the office and asked if he had read it. And then to find out Luttrel lived about ten miles up the road. Talk about ironic or coincidental or whatever...
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I'd like to find some books on the forgotten air wars you dont hear much about.
Here are a couple that aren't about forgotten air wars, but they are from points of view not normally heard by Americans (some RAF, but lots of Aussie and New Zealand stories), and I think they're very good books:
Flak, by Michael Vietch
Fly, by Michael Vietch
Attack of the Airacobras, by Loza is a good one about Soviet use of P-39's. Not very engagingly written, but good info within, putting an end to much misinformation about the P-39 in WWII.
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Lions of Kandahar by Rusty Bradley :aok
The Red Circle by Brandon Webb :aok
Into The Fire by Dakota Meyer :rock
Re-reading- On the Beach by Nevil Shute- came across if after losing it several years ago
All those who have read or are reading Lone Survivor, as I have posted on other threads, read Service by Marcus Luttrell
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The Republic - Plato