What are you reading at the moment?

About 12 years ago, I picked up a 6 volume set about WWII written by Winston Churchill. It has been collecting dust for a long time.

I was worried that I would not like Winston's literary stye.
I guess I thought it would be a bunch of facts written in old stye english which I wouldn't understand or would put me to sleep.

I started reading them about 3 weeks ago, and I'm already on volume 5.

If you want a view from the inside.......you have to read these.
I have learned a lot of stuff that I never knew.
:sign_wow:

 

Charlie's war is great stuff Gage.
If you're in the mood for quality comics then check out Art Spiegelman's 'Maus',(V.1:My Father Bleeds History v.2:And Here my troubles began.) It's about his parent's experiences in Auschwitz, the Jews presented as Mice and the Nazi's as Cats. Sounds weak but I promise you it aint, it's heavy heavy heavy... Frankly bloody marvellous, an acutely moving study of survivors and their children. They even created a special pullitzer category so it could get an award.


In fact... It's what I'll be reading again for the next day or so.


Check this site out for 'Charley's War' stuff. http://charleyswar.tripod.com/index.html
Thanks VP I'll check that out.

 

Tim Collins Rules of Engagement

 

About 12 years ago, I picked up a 6 volume set about WWII written by Winston Churchill. It has been collecting dust for a long time.

I was worried that I would not like Winston's literary stye.
I guess I thought it would be a bunch of facts written in old stye english which I wouldn't understand or would put me to sleep.

I started reading them about 3 weeks ago, and I'm already on volume 5.

If you want a view from the inside.......you have to read these.
I have learned a lot of stuff that I never knew.
:sign_wow:



You're not the first to think it. I was given some copies of History of the English speaking peoples, expecting it to be historian/ political babble. Ends up the great man speaks on the level appealing to the man in the street. I found myself reading each of the books in one go.

 

Blood, Sweat and Arrogance by Gordon Corrigan. 2/3's of the way through, quite bizarre.

 

Just got volume II of Charley's War.

 

About half way through Barnes Wallis' Bombs, and if visitors didnt keep coming in and interrupting my reading at work, i'd be further through. Quite a good read though. Not heavy on technical detail so good for a general background of the bombs and their uses. Also some quite interesting snippets of info in there.

 

Ain't Bank Holiday weekends great?
Just started 'Under an English Heaven' by Robert Radcliffe. It's fiction and based around an B-17 base in Suffolk, England.
So far so good. The description of a B-17 on a 'Milk run' to France is exceptional.
Has anybody else read it?

 

Now on Sharpe's Triumph.

 

Blood, Sweat and Arrogance by Gordon Corrigan. 2/3's of the way through, quite bizarre.

He's not worried about being controversial, he has a reputatation for ferreting out the facts and he's not worried about having a go at the generals. Some of his critics might say he is harsh on Churchill, but he has done his homework.

 

Now on Sharpe's Triumph.

never liked the tv progs. never read the novels!

 

Now on Sharpe's Triumph.

Cornwall is a great writer. But I haven't got round to his Sharpe stuff yet. A few guys at work say that it's great.

 

I like his books but I am not mad on the medieval stuff like Excalibur, Harlequin whatever. He goes slightly off track in the Sharpe books but overall I like them. He researches the material and builds a story around it. As has probably been said he is on a parallel with Hornblower.

 

I had just finished reading Stalingrad byAnthony Beevor.

Immensely detailed and thoroughly researched and having finished it I cannot wait to be more from the same author.

Like his other book - Berlin - he goes into practically every conceivable detail, outlining in no uncertain terms the disastrous effects that can be brought about from such encounters. War is certainly not for the squeamish.

Anthony Beevor is undoubtedly one of the finest war writers we have today and whose books should be made compulsory reading for anyone who has a genuine interest in furthering their knowledge and understanding of events during World War II.

 

Battle of Britain: The Jubilee History, by Denis Richards and Patrick Hough

Good stuff.

 

Just finished Barnes Wallis' Bombs, and well worth the read. very informative, and goes into every raid carried out by 617 & 9 Squadrons, with results and problems entailed, and lots of info on all the bombs he designed. Also has a brief history of what happened to the main protagonists after the war as well. Well worth the £25.
Now starting Beam Bombers on the history of 109 Squadron and their specialist use of Oboe and PFF duties. Shaping up well so far.
As to Cornwall, not my cup of tea, though i am told the Alan Evans WW2 books are good (naval).

 

BLACK DEVILS MARCH - A DOOMED ODYSSEY : The 1st Polish Armoured Division 1939-1945. by Evan McGilvray