Read a good book lately?

[Smifffy]

No Better Death
The Great War diaries and letters of William G. Malone

I found this to be a real page turner, and it made for some deep thinking as well. An ordinary bloke, (if a bit of a fusspot), simply trying to do the best he can with what he has. Certainly evoked some scenes from Blackadder goes forth.

Rate it highly, will probably read again.

[BuzzardNZ]

Neuromancer is my favourite book by the way. Its, um, hero is Henry Dorsett Case. I am very biased.

Well, I'm glad someone enjoyed it because I certainly didn't

It's very rare that I'll start a book and not finish it, but this is what happened to me with this book, halfway through I thought 'fuck it, why am I bothering with this shit' and took it back to the library.

Each to their own though

[HenryDorsetCase]

Well, I'm glad someone enjoyed it because I certainly didn't

It's very rare that I'll start a book and not finish it, but this is what happened to me with this book, halfway through I thought 'fuck it, why am I bothering with this shit' and took it back to the library.

Each to their own though

BURN THE WITCH.

Nah, I feel you. People here raved about the M John Harrison books (Nova Swing and errrr others. a trilogy). I read them and hated every second of it.

[pete376403]

I read that a few years ago. Actually got pulled aside at Heathrow & questioned as to why I was reading it. In hindsight it's a bit big for travel reading.
I keeping getting echoes from the book when I watch whats happening in the world at the moment. Particularly the quote given when the Treaty of Versaille was signed. "If it takes a hundred years we will restore the Caliphate".
And recently the chem weapons dumps in Iraq, American tech, European hardware, American assembled factories..
Either Robert Fisk has a crystal ball or history repeats more often than we realise.

Time to revisit methinks.

Mostly "history repeats" I think. People seem uninterested in what has gone before, yet : “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” (Santayana, 1905)

[george formby]

Mostly "history repeats" I think. People seem uninterested in what has gone before, yet : �Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.� (Santayana, 1905)

Ain't that the truth. Read to broaden the mind.

I'm 2/3rds the way through CW2, Layne Heath. A novel about a Vietnam chopper pilot. I've read a fair bit on Vietnam, mainly historical, but this book has really given me a feel for it. Lots of short eloquent paragraphs in the story which fuse an image in your mind & take you into the heads of the individuals involved and the environment they have to deal with. The missions, base operations, the choppers etc. No love stories, just soldiers.
Good wee read which basically details an individuals two tours with no fantastic hero bullshit but all about the bottom line day to day human war & it's consequences.

[HenryDorsetCase]

Ain't that the truth. Read to broaden the mind.

I'm 2/3rds the way through CW2, Layne Heath. A novel about a Vietnam chopper pilot. I've read a fair bit on Vietnam, mainly historical, but this book has really given me a feel for it. Lots of short eloquent paragraphs in the story which fuse an image in your mind & take you into the heads of the individuals involved and the environment they have to deal with. The missions, base operations, the choppers etc. No love stories, just soldiers.
Good wee read which basically details an individuals two tours with no fantastic hero bullshit but all about the bottom line day to day human war & it's consequences.

You will likely also enjoy CHICKENHAWK by Robert Mason. Also a Vietnam chopper pilot.

http://www.bookdepository.com/book/9...FcKUvQodWWMAAw

[Akzle]

As far as my feet will carry me - Josef M. Bauer

feels a bit rushed (cramming 10 years into a thin paperback...) but a helluva story and well delivered.

[Tazz]

You will likely also enjoy CHICKENHAWK by Robert Mason. Also a Vietnam chopper pilot.

http://www.bookdepository.com/book/9...FcKUvQodWWMAAw

Bastard, this sprang to mind instantly also. +1 for Chickenhawk. Great read

[Tazz]

...I am reading some Bryce Courtenay stuff at the moment...never read any of his until the neighbour left one at our place, Four Fires...very humorous and familiar stuff, now my bro has given me another of his, The Potato Factory...not far into it but already thinking that I may read more of this blokes stuff...I had a period recently where I couldn't find a book to carry on with, in the vein of stuff that I was looking for...I even ate through a few Jack Reacher stories recently, until I had to ask myself, why.

You tried any 'Andy McNab' stuff? Kinda lost interest in the later ones but enjoyed the first few.

[BuzzardNZ]

You tried any 'Andy McNab' stuff? Kinda lost interest in the later ones but enjoyed the first few.

Only read the first one but thought it was reasonably good.

[pete376403]

Bastard, this sprang to mind instantly also. +1 for Chickenhawk. Great read

+++a few more for Chickenawk. Excellent book. Mason also wrote another book - Back in the World - about his life after Vietnam, attempted drug smuggling and his time in jail

[pete376403]

"Chavs - the demonization of the working class" - Owen Jones. Describing how politicans from Thatcher onward have destroyed the unions and working classes in UK, for the benefit of the upper classes. reads like a playbook for the current government of NZ

"All the devils are here" Bethany McLean and Joe Nocera. The hidden history of the GFC (in the US, but it had worldwide repercussions

"The smartest guys in the room" Bethany McLean and Peter Elkin. The rise and fall of Enron

(Kindle makes it far to easy to find and purchase interesting books...)

[Swoop]

You will likely also enjoy CHICKENHAWK by Robert Mason. Also a Vietnam chopper pilot.

http://www.bookdepository.com/book/9...FcKUvQodWWMAAw

Also:
http://www.amazon.com/Wings-Eagle-Wi.../dp/080411062X

The Bible:
http://www.amazon.com/Low-Level-Hell.../dp/0891417192

http://www.amazon.com/To-The-Limit-P.../dp/0451222180

Ed Macy. Both from the Brit point of view in Afganistan. Good reading.
http://www.amazon.com/Hellfire-Ed-Macy/dp/0007288204
http://www.amazon.com/Apache-Inside-.../dp/0802144780

All of them are bloody good reading!

[HenryDorsetCase]

I think it might have been you that recommended the Ed Macy AH64 books - on KB even. They were excellent. the descriptions of being able to read two different books simultaneously amazed me.

We've all read Antony Beevor, right?

Stalingrad, The fall of Paris etc? His book on Stalingrad is amazingly good.

http://www.bookdepository.com/Stalin.../9780141032405

[HenryDorsetCase]

looking through the last few pages of this thread (don't laugh - looking for something to read) it seems KB'ers like books on war, science fiction, and the occasional motorbike book.