OT - Book (Fiction) Review/Recommendations Thread

[Legbreaker]

Leg, is that the same author who wrote the Dorsai books I read a few of those in high school.

That would be correct, yes.
Originally "Wolf and Iron" was a short story, however he re-wrote it years later as a full blown novel after discovering his assumptions of wolf behaviour in the original story were incorrect.
The book really shows how after an unspecified world wide catastrophe (economic I think) settlements become extremely, even violently insular and only the very brave, very stupid, or very prepared brave the wilderness between settlements.

[pmulcahy11b]

I came across this on Amazon and thought it might be of some interest to some of you. Hopefully its not been posted on here before

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Essential-WW...R16D16NYX345PS

I actually have 11 out of the 13 on that list.

[TiggerCCW UK]

I actually have 11 out of the 13 on that list.

I'm sadly lagging behind at 5 of the 13. Tempted by Chieftains, but I think its a wee bit outside my budget at the moment - two wee ones are soaking up my cash

[Raellus]

Just finished the semi-autobiographical Vietnam War novel, Matterhorn, and it was outstanding. I highly recommend it. Not only was it incredibly powerful and moving, it helped me better understand how a depleted Marine rifle company functions (and I plan to use this in a T2K setting eventually).

[Legbreaker]

...I plan to use this in a T2K setting eventually.

The Elblag scenario Looking forward to seeing how that pans out - very interesting situation you've detailed so far and fits in very nicely with both what we know from canon materials and the most logical extension of that.

[Sanjuro]

For anyone who enjoyed On The Beach, I can recommend any of Nevil Shute's books. My favourite is probably Ruined City; set in the Great Depression, it is the story of a banker who sets out to save a small town in return for some kindness shown to him there.
Scale up the problems involved slightly and there is a some great material there for rebuilding a town in a T2k scenario...

[HorseSoldier]

Just finished the semi-autobiographical Vietnam War novel, Matterhorn, and it was outstanding. I highly recommend it. Not only was it incredibly powerful and moving, it helped me better understand how a depleted Marine rifle company functions (and I plan to use this in a T2K setting eventually).

Matterhorn is on my to-read list (okay, along with about a hundred others) -- reviews on it seem to be universally very good. I'll probably end up with it as an audio book, though in that format it is apparently narrated by Bronson Pinchot ("Cousin Balki" from the 80s sitcom Perfect Strangers, for those who recall it), which seems like it might be a bit off-putting, though I'm assuming he doesn't do the weird Eastern European/Greek/whatever accent . . .

[Rainbow Six]

Just finished the semi-autobiographical Vietnam War novel, Matterhorn, and it was outstanding. I highly recommend it. Not only was it incredibly powerful and moving, it helped me better understand how a depleted Marine rifle company functions (and I plan to use this in a T2K setting eventually).

My other half bought me a copy of this last week so I plan to start on it fairly soon.

[Raellus]

Matterhorn was so good, I seriously considered an immediate re-read. But, due to my rather long to-read list, I decided to save the 2nd reading for at least a couple of months down the road. I hope I don't set expectations to high, but it really was the cat's meow.

@Leg: You, sir, are correct.

[James Langham]

Just finished Andy McNab's War Torn which is possibly the best military novel I've read. It's the story of an ordinary infantry platoon in Afghanistan and their wives back home. Excellent read.

[DCausey]

I just got a package from Amazon containing Red Army and First Clash based on your guys' recommendations in this thread. I'm looking forwards to reading them.

[Twilight2000v3MM]

http://www.blackwinter.freeservers.com/Front.htm

Heres a blast from the past........

[Adm.Lee]

Once an eagle by Anton Myrer.

An US Army officer's career, through both World Wars. Sam Damon is a mustang and a fighter, contrasted by the much-more cultured Courtney Massengale, who often ends up in the same organization. A great book for those who sympathize with the lonely professionals of the peacetime service. A friend of mine who went to West Point told me they loved that book when he was there.

There was a TV miniseries made for it about 1976, I saw some of it back when I was 8. Sam Elliott (the gravel voice of many a Western) is the star. I remembered that for a long time, and then found the book in 1993. I read it then, I just found the DVD set on Amazon for $6. So I am re-reading it now as I watch the Hollywood version (sorta butchered).

As with most historical novels, the characters are similar to Real-World people. Damon is some of Sam Woodfill and some of Robert Eichelberger. Massengale is some of Douglas MacArthur and some of his staffers.

[Adm.Lee]

Fobbit

Fobbit by David Abrams.

This is an attempt to be something like the Catch-22 of the Iraq War. It shifts between several characters, some good NCOs and some bad NCOs, some good officers and some (pathetic, really pathetic) officers, all in or around one of the big palace FOBs in Baghdad. It wasn't laugh-out-loud funny to me, but it had the feel of what I've read in memoirs. It felt both real and surreal to me.

The author was in the Public Affairs Office of an armored division around 2005, just like some of the characters.

One tiny bit that is sticking with me: some mystery over why troops get so many baby wipes in care packages. One FOBbit who has some can't figure it out why they keep showing up, what's he supposed to do with it An infantryman who left his wife with a one-month-old at home takes one after rough patrols just to remind himself what a clean baby butt smells like. Then he sobs for an hour.

[Adm.Lee]

The Centurions

The Centurions by Jean Larteguy. This is one I read a long time ago, but just noticed isn't on this list.

It came out in 1962. The main character is a French paratroop officer, coming out of Dien Bien Phu and a Viet Minh PW camp. He forms a new parachute unit and leads them into the Algerian War. It's a classic of "muddy-boots" soldiers cutting through staff BS to get to the enemy, and perhaps losing their morals.

Basis for the Anthony Quinn movie, The Lost Command.