Read a good book lately?

[Winston001]

Looks like "The Terror" is an account of Franklin's ill-fated quest for the North-West Passage. His ship was The Terror. I like Simmons so thanks for the heads-up.

On the topic of icy adventures, Aspley Cherry-Garrard's epic "The Worst Journey In The World" stands head and shoulders above anything else I've read. He was a member of the tragic 1912 Scott expedition but not on the South Pole team so he survived. Cherry-Garrard returned to England just in time for World War I so off he went to the Western Front. As if he hadn't suffered enough.

Just for perspective, C-G and two others went on a winter journey from Ross Island man-hauling in perpetual darkness to Cape Crozier for the scientific reason of watching the penguins hatch in spring. In 1912. That journey was never done again until 2001 when an NZ team of scientists with a snow-cat traced his route. Nobody has even attempted it on foot.

Hard men. It was known as the Heroic Age. Damn right.

[Macontour]

[QUOTE=HenryDorsetCase;1130270797]Rutger Hauer would have been perfect but he is a bit old now.

Rutger Hauer was the one whose name I couldn't remember!! He was great in "The Hitcher"? I am sure that was the name of the movie.

[Macontour]

Iacocca the Autobiography is interesting for businesss type people even if a little out of date. Lee Iacocca started at Ford in the 60s and was a major player in the release of the original Mustang. At 36 he was the Vice President of the 2nd largest company in the world. Went on to save Chrysler.

Oddly enough the big American Auto makers recently went through the same dramas that they went through in the 70s, and for much the same reasons as well.

An interesting life story but plenty of practical management type lessons in there as well.

[Winston001]

Rutger Hauer was the one whose name I couldn't remember!! He was great in "The Hitcher"? I am sure that was the name of the movie.

Yep. The Hitcher - excellent movie. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0091209/

As for Lee Iacocca he is a legend, I remember him taking over as CEO of Chrysler and his salary for that rescue job was NIL. Presumably he got paid for success in the end but it was very unusual at the time. Must read that book its been at the back of my mind for ages.

[HenryDorsetCase]

[QUOTE=Macontour;1130274431]

Rutger Hauer would have been perfect but he is a bit old now.

Rutger Hauer was the one whose name I couldn't remember!! He was great in "The Hitcher"? I am sure that was the name of the movie.

You need to buy a DVD of a film of his called HOBO WITH A SHOTGUN. Its great. Whats it about you ask? Why a hobo, who has a shotgun, shenanagins ensue.

[flyingcrocodile46]

The protocols of the learned elders of zion.

Smashing conspiracy story of world domination through manipulation over centuries. Supposedly written as anti Semitic propaganda in the late 1800's yet nothing that's happened since is out of synch. Scariest story I have ever read. 5 stars Highly recommended.

[jrandom]

Good thing I went up Taranaki prepared yesterday.



If you haven't read Roald Dahl's autobiographies 'Boy' and 'Going Solo', I highly recommend them.

[Usarka]

Low Level Hell: A Scout Pilot in the Big Red One - Hugh Mills

An account of an OH-6 scout chopper pilot in Vietnam. These guys intentionally drew small arms fire while flying a few feet off the ground in order to locate the enemy. Balls the size of coconuts (including and if not more so the crew chief). A very good military aviation book from a role we don't see much of. My only criticism is that it's every chapter is about a significant engagement and doesn't give any impression of the long periods of boredom [probably] faced between encounters. But that's not necessarily a bad thing in a book i guess.

Me liked.

[Swoop]

Low Level Hell

That is also in my collection.

[blue rider]

The little Prince
by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

[nudemetalz]

Low Level Hell: A Scout Pilot in the Big Red One - Hugh Mills

An account of an OH-6 scout chopper pilot in Vietnam. These guys intentionally drew small arms fire while flying a few feet off the ground in order to locate the enemy. Balls the size of coconuts (including and if not more so the crew chief). A very good military aviation book from a role we don't see much of. My only criticism is that it's every chapter is about a significant engagement and doesn't give any impression of the long periods of boredom [probably] faced between encounters. But that's not necessarily a bad thing in a book i guess.

Me liked.

Love that book !! but think that Chickenhawk was slightly better.

I'm currently reading Sweating The Metal,...a book about the experiences of an RAF Chinook pilot in Afghanistan 2008. Nearly finished it,..can THOROUGHLY recommend it to you war chopper pilot book fans
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sweating-Met.../dp/1444707981

[Usarka]

I'm currently reading Sweating The Metal,...a book about the experiences of an RAF Chinook pilot in Afghanistan 2008. Nearly finished it,..can THOROUGHLY recommend it to you war chopper pilot book fans

Did you spot the speights towel hanging up in the back of the IRT tent photo?

[bogan]

The Destroyermen series by Taylor Anderson is a good read. About a WW2 destroyer that is transported to a different earth, kind of war story crossed with sci-fi. The pace is kind of slow, but what it lacks there it makes up in character developement. Also noteable is the way he write about the technology shock, and resources.

[nudemetalz]

Did you spot the speights towel hanging up in the back of the IRT tent photo?

I did indeed

You like the book?

[Swoop]

Seal Target Geronimo.
The hunt for Osama bin Laden.


The author is a former assault element commander of SEAL Team Six and as such has access into the teams. This has been required to clarify information, especially as there has been so much of a rush to exploit this raid (unfortunately).

The book essentially has four parts. SEAL training and selection process (including two operational missions - one being the rescue of the captain of the Maersk Alabama who was in a lifeboat with four somalian pirates). The second part covers a history of the middle east and the Arab/Palestinian/Israeli conflict. Osama's life and the formation of Al Quaeda, including his hilarious attemp at being a warrior in Afganistan...
Finally there is the planning and execution of the raid on his compound in Abottabad.

A very interesting read.
Interesting to find that only twelve shots were fired during the entire raid.

There appears to be a strong amount of evidence that Os was deliberately betrayed by his deputy, Ayman al-Zawahiri. Internal politics and egomania are rampant in their mickey-mouse organisation. The sooner this moron is hunted down, the better.

9:10.