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Thread: Read a good book lately?

  1. #1066
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    Quote Originally Posted by R650R View Post
    Yeah I’ve watched most of his stuff. Did love that he threw political correctness out the door with the Hultgreen tragedy, he didn’t mince any words on women flying jets in there.
    Yeah, Revlon's death was a clear case of not doing the wrong thing at that precise time. Pilot error alright!

    The Tailhook '21 interviews have been superb! The one about 4 MiG kills in one mission (single handedly!) and then having it covered up is downright amazing.
    As for not being "PC"... Tailhook conventions sealed that issue.
    TOP QUOTE: “The problem with socialism is that sooner or later you run out of other people’s money.”

  2. #1067
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    My two science fiction recommendations of late are:

    Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells - its really good. Sentient killing machine that might go on a murder spree but first has to binge-watch this TV series its really into.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Murderbot_Diaries

    I also enjoyed this "Bobiverse" series. Lot of sci fi tropes but almost Larry Niven-ish "Hey what if.... then taking the idea to its logical extreme". I'd call it a light read but very entertaining

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dennis_E._Taylor#Works

    Also an honourable mention: I read this Stone Sky trilogy basically because it won all the awards. I dont enjoy "fantasy" books usually but this was brilliantly imagined and well done. Theres a reson it won the Hugo each year. Also it falls into the Arthur C Clarke category of "technology sufficiently advanced is indistinguishable from magic".

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fifth_Season_(novel)


    I am currently looking for recommendations too so if you have read anything good let me know.
    I thought elections were decided by angry posts on social media. - F5 Dave

  3. #1068
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    The Premonition

    The Premonition by Michael Lewis is an excellent dramatisation of the functioning of the US health sector and its (mis)management which gives a great insight as to why the COVID issue has been dealt with so badly in the US. Lewis's previous books include The Big Short which is a novel covering the sub-prime mortgage market and its contribution to the GFC, and was also made into a movie.

    As one reviewer wrote 'Lewis could write a book on can opener manufacturing and make it enthralling'.

  4. #1069
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    Most recent completed book was Alex Vindman's "Here Right Matters". The oft used phrase 'needs no introduction' should apply. Vindman was a witness at Trump's first impeachment hearing. He writes about his family history in Ukraine, his grandma was both smart and tough. Staying alive under Stalin was not easy. Millions didn't.

    He writes about his US Army military career, although we already had an idea because the various insignia on his uniform tell the story. He details the fall out from his appearing as a witness against Trump. I enjoyed the read but it might just make Trump fans angry. The ones that can read, and seriously, that's by no means all of them. But that's another book.*


    I've started reading "Vietnam ANZACS" a history of the nine New Zealand rifle companies that served in Vietnam as part of Australian battalions.


    * Next book is "Drums In The Distance: Journeys Into The Global Far Right". The author joined various far right organisations such as the Klan, militia groups in the US, and their British equivalents. There is an interview with the author Joe Mulhall here:

    https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR...AAAAHQAAAAAQAQ
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  5. #1070
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    Free download The Wirm in the Rose

    Some great facts and physics of petroleum vs electric and the China problem

    https://www.netzerowatch.com/content...Security-2.pdf
    Govt gives you nothing because it creates nothing - Javier Milei

  6. #1071
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    Another B52 bomber genre....

    For Alert Force Klaxon... by Jim Clonts fiction.

    It’s 1987 a military coup removed Gorbachev from power and some trigger happy ruskies kick off WW3. There’s some epic Sabre rating/cowboy actions at start that I won’t plot spoil that lead up to a full nuclear exchange. Some good background info on real world missions outside of bombing carried out by b52 included too.

    And read previously very similar but forgotten to mention at time,

    Pale Horse 3: A Tale of Cold War gone Hot by Russel L Greer fiction.

    Spetznaz team infiltrates USA via sub with suitcase Nuke only one B52 from base gets airborne and let’s just say the pilot doesn’t get along well with the crew....
    Govt gives you nothing because it creates nothing - Javier Milei

  7. #1072
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    Currently a 1/4 of way into ....

    Under the Red Sea Sun by Edward Ellsberg non-fiction

    Just like his submarine salvage book I mentioned recently this is an excellent read too all about trying to clear the Fascist Italians sabotaged harbour of destruction in port Massawa in Eritrea so the allies can have a naval port as Rommels tanks stomp across Africa.
    It’s quite staggering the number of flat out lazy, useless, wimpy, drunks, incompetent staff that had to be dealt with in wartime. The trip across the Atlantic Ocean in they metchant vessel SS Pigs Knuckle really sets the tone for rest of book.
    Govt gives you nothing because it creates nothing - Javier Milei

  8. #1073
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    I have LEVIATHAN FALLS by James SA Corey. Very good and satisfying conclusion to a nine book epic. The Expanse is currently showing on Amazon Prime. It is the best science fictionTV show currently screening. Do yourself a favour.

    I finished Andy Weir's PROJECT HAIL MARY this morning. He wrote THE MARTIAN which I liked a lot and they made a decent movie out of it too. PHM is a sort of logical next step for that and a very enjoyable romp through exobiology and orbital mechanics and scientific problem solving. His characters arent that compelling but the plots are sufficiently well constructed and engrossing you can overlook it.

    I have a bunch of work related reading to catch up on. willl start next week.
    I thought elections were decided by angry posts on social media. - F5 Dave

  9. #1074
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    Not in to wizards and shit so not seen or read LOTR or any of the Harry Potter stuff. Did buy a 'crime thriller' type book the other week which turned out to be by JK Rowling under a pseudonym. Liked it, have nearly finished the second of the Strike series.

    I possibly posted about Mick Herron earlier in this thread. If you have read all of his work then Robert Galbraith and the Strike series will certainly fill in the gaps until the next Jackson Lamb novel.

  10. #1075
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    Quote Originally Posted by Berries View Post
    Not in to wizards and shit so not seen or read LOTR or any of the Harry Potter stuff. Did buy a 'crime thriller' type book the other week which turned out to be by JK Rowling under a pseudonym. Liked it, have nearly finished the second of the Strike series.
    Yeah, I read the first few. They've been on TV too.

    Rowlings first adult fiction was mercilessly panned by critics. We aren't the only ones who operate a tall poppy syndrome. To avoid a repeat she used a pseudonym for her next effort. One of the partners at the law firm she used let the cat out of the bag. She may have a different law firm now.
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  11. #1076
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    Excellent thorough account of the true story of the only open ocean ditching of commercial airliner

    https://www.amazon.com/35-Miles-Shor.../dp/0977897109

    Covers the setup of the airline and a few shady things in setting route and approval. Very thorough coverage of pilot history and individual passenger accounts, rescuers and actions.
    Quite interesting accounts of true behaviours of human behaviour in real disaster.
    Also includes follow up investigations.
    One big takeaway I’m definitely reading the instructions on lifejacket next time I fly....

    10/10 read cover to cover in several days.
    Govt gives you nothing because it creates nothing - Javier Milei

  12. #1077
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    Quote Originally Posted by R650R View Post
    Yeah I’ve watched most of his stuff. Did love that he threw political correctness out the door with the Hultgreen tragedy, he didn’t mince any words on women flying jets in there.
    Nothing to do with women flying jets. EVERYTHING to do with throwing unprepared pilots into aircraft they weren't suited to or trained well enough to fly. His objection is to a system that valued equality for women and public perception above the lives of service pilots. His YouTube channel is fantastic. He's not the misogynistic dickhead you imagine him to be.
    If a man is alone in the woods and there isn't a woke Hollywood around to call him racist, is he still white?



  13. #1078
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    Quote Originally Posted by James Deuce View Post
    His objection is to a system that valued equality for women and public perception above the lives of service pilots.
    Also known as Political Correctness.

    Either you have a Merit based, standards assessed criteria - whereby if someone passes the requirements, they get the job.

    Or you have Diversity quotas and you eventually have to fudge things to make the stats look better, resulting in under qualified people being pushed into areas they aren't ready for.
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  14. #1079
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    Quote Originally Posted by TheDemonLord View Post
    Also known as Political Correctness.

    Either you have a Merit based, standards assessed criteria - whereby if someone passes the requirements, they get the job.

    Or you have Diversity quotas and you eventually have to fudge things to make the stats look better, resulting in under qualified people being pushed into areas they aren't ready for.
    And dying unnecessarily. Carrier-based aviation has always needed a particular mindset towards procedural flying and the ability to rapidly switch procedures in response to rapidly developing scenarios. He goes into what caused this accident on his YouTube channel and makes it painfully clear that she was already in big trouble well before she realised she was. That was down to not knowing how to combine stick and rudder stuff with well-understood and documented responses to the situation she was in.
    If a man is alone in the woods and there isn't a woke Hollywood around to call him racist, is he still white?



  15. #1080
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    https://www.amazon.com/When-Penguins.../dp/B0044R98VC

    Another B-52 book, this time a memoir of a navigators service with couple interesting tidbits about gulf war ops. Overall a disappointment after the previous books read above covering both true and fictional stories.
    While it’s well written there’s not a lot of interesting substance to it.... 2/10
    Govt gives you nothing because it creates nothing - Javier Milei

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