OT - Book (Non Fiction) Review/Recommendations Thread

[Raellus]

3 Para wasn't bad, but there is a similar one about the marines (can't remember the title off hand) which I thought was better.

Ooh! Royal Marines You gotta tell me what it's called.

Also, a couple of Cornelius Ryan books have been mentioned, all of them great. My favorite, though, is A Bridge Too Far- an all-time classic of the genre.

I also like Max Hastings. Overlord, Armageddon, and Retribution (all WWII) are all great, as is The Falklands.

[Rainbow Six]

Ooh! Royal Marines You gotta tell me what it's called.

Also, a couple of Cornelius Ryan books have been mentioned, all of them great. My favorite, though, is A Bridge Too Far- an all-time classic of the genre.

I also like Max Hastings. Overlord, Armageddon, and Retribution (all WWII) are all great, as is The Falklands.

Could be 3 Commando Brigade by Ewen Southby Tailyour. I've come close to buying it a few times, but as I currently have a backlog of books to get through decided to wait until the paperback comes out. The author is a former Royal Marine officer who saw active service in the Falklands.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ewen_Southby-Tailyour

Also, Patrick Bishop has just released a sequel to 3 Para entitled Ground Truth, which focuses on 3 Para's return to Afghanistan in 2008.

[Adm.Lee]

Recommendations for Hornfischer, Max Hastings and Cornelius Ryan-- I concur with all of those.

Eisenhower's lieutenants / Russell Weigley- is a nifty look at the higher commanders in WW2.

Guadalcanal / Richard B. Frank- was awesome. His later one (forget the title-- Downfall) on the projected landings in Japan, 1945-46 was scary. The Japanese had slipped one by Magic-- there were going to be a lot more on or near the beaches than we knew.

If ya can't guess, I'm mostly a wargamer at the "operational" level.

General Kenney reports / George Kenney- is very likely a biased book, but a fun read.

[TiggerCCW UK]

@Rael - 3 Cdo is the one I was talking about. Good read. Anyone read Excursion to Hell by Vince Bramley Another Falklands book, very very good.

[Littlearmies]

I'll second anything by Beevor or Atkinson. Beevor's new one about D-Day is coming out soon. Woo-hoo!

Actually Beevor's D Day book is out now in the UK - I bought an airport edition at Luton's WH Smith on a 4 for 3 deal on Friday morning (unfortunately my friend who took great care of my wife and I over the weekend lusted after it so obviously that I weakened and gave it to him as a "thank you").

However I can now second An Ordinary Soldier, A Million Bullets and Phoenix Squadronas being jolly good (Phoenix Squadron finished and the other two half read - my wife packed the one I'd started in my case so I had no option.....)

I also thought of another two books Hitler's U-Boat War:The Hunters 1939 - 1942 and Hitler's U-Boat War:The Hunted 1942 - 1945 both by Clair Blair. These are pretty much the definitive story of the real Cruel Sea in the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. Highly detailed you can't come out of these without feeing a great deal of respect for the men on both sides.

[Adm.Lee]

I also thought of another two books Hitler's U-Boat War:The Hunters 1939 - 1942 and Hitler's U-Boat War:The Hunted 1942 - 1945 both by Clair Blair. These are pretty much the definitive story of the real Cruel Sea in the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. Highly detailed you can't come out of these without feeing a great deal of respect for the men on both sides.

That reminds me of his also excellent one-volume book on the Pacific sub campaign-- Silent victory, IIRC. And back on dry land, I really liked his Forgotten War. It covered the opening year of the Korean War, with special emphasis on US Army leadership, battalion-level on up, and on the integration of African-Americans.

[Targan]

I'm currently reading House to House by David Bellavia and John Bruning which is about US Army Infantry Staff Sgt Bellavia's experiences during the Battle of Falluja in November 2004. I'm really enjoying this book, very gritty and conveys well the nastiness of close-in urban warfare. One aspect I particularly enjoy is that Bellavia is quite self-depricating, and he doesn't pull any punches.

Sorry if this book has previously been mentioned in this thread, I am at work and don't have time to go back through the posts to check.

[natehale1971]

(kato13 edit moved here since I felt the thread needed a bump and it fits better in this thread)

I just bought a copy of "Glen Beck's 'Common Sense'" tonight when i went to walmart to get my disability check cashed. I would recommend it to everyone to read. it is very good from what i have just gotten to read... it's not left, nor right... it's just plan common sense that people really should look at and... welll, when i get this finished, and anyone wants to borrow it, let me know and i will send it your way.

[Targan]

I am currently reading "The Unthinkable: Who Survives When Disaster Strikes and Why" by Amanda Ripley, published by Arrow Books. It is very interesting. The book's subject is pretty well explained by its title. The author has conducted hundreds of interviews with accident, combat and disaster survivors from all over the world and has also used dozens of academic papers in her research.

Reading this book has given me food for thought in a number of areas related to T2K but especially about Coolness Under Fire, Initiative, leadership and panic. In one chapter there is some very interesting information about how the structure of some peoples' brains make them more susceptible to suffering Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. It seems that people who have a larger than average hippocampus are much more resistant to PTSD. There is also some interesting stuff about the differences in brain chemistry between your average soldier and special forces-type personnel, and hundreds of examples of accidents, combats and disasters and how those interviewed dealt with them.

In keeping with the rating system introduced in the Fiction Books thread I rate this one 4.5 out of 5 mushroom clouds.

[smokewolf]

Band of Brothers - Stephen Ambrose

Citizen Soldiers - Stephen Ambrose

Both good books about soldiers in WWII

[Rainbow Six]

Bumping this thread as Christmas is coing up and there's a few new books out there that might be of interest.

A couple I've read lately or am reading at the minute

1. Finest Years by Max Hastings. reading this at the moment - an account of the premiership of Sir Winston Churchill during the War Years. Up to Hastings' usual excellent standard. Highly recommended.

2. Danger Close by Colonel Stuart Tootal. Another of the Afghanistan books on the market in the UK, and about 3 Para in Helmand in 2006. Written by the Battalion's Commanding Officer at the time.

3. Attack State Red by Colonel Richard Kemp. Like Danger Close, written by a former Battalion Commander in Helmand, in this case the CO of the 1st Battalion, Royal Anglian Regiment.

4. The Defence of the Realm: The Authorized History of MI5 by Christopher Andrew. A good read for anyone interested in how an Intelligence Service operates.

Cheers

[Adm.Lee]

I'm interested in those Afghan books by battalion commanders. About a month ago, I read "Apache" by a British chopper pilot, after his 2nd tour there, supporting the Royal Marines. I liked it.

[TiggerCCW UK]

I'm interested in those Afghan books by battalion commanders. About a month ago, I read "Apache" by a British chopper pilot, after his 2nd tour there, supporting the Royal Marines. I liked it.

Thats the one by Ed Macy, isn't it He has a second book out this year called (I think) 'Hellfire'.

[Adm.Lee]

Thats the one by Ed Macy, isn't it He has a second book out this year called (I think) 'Hellfire'.

Yes, thank you-- I couldn't remember the author OTTOMH. Second one Hmm, have to keep my eyes on it.

[fightingflamingo]

How to Make War: A Comprehensive Guide to Modern Warfare in the Twenty-first Century 4th Ed. - good theoretical basis for warfare and the issues encountered by combatants in high intensity to low intensity conflict... has become my bible of sorts... have every edition released since the 1st...