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- #44
Been a while since I posted here. I promised my next read would not be SciFi and I did not lie.
This is more of an update because I have gotten myself halfway thru an epic tale of America At War. AAW is a collection of essays originally published in Military History Quarterly. The articles have been edited and an introduction to each provided by some dude named Calvin L. Christman.
The essays are arranged in chronological order beginning in the Pre-USA Indian wars. I would consider this British military history myself. But still quite informative. Because the book was published in 1995 the First Gulf War is the end point of the timeline.
I am a little over half thru the book and am at post Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.
I will just give an overview of my favorite chapter so far - Bywater's Pacific War Prophecy. I am a bit of a history buff. One of my favorite periods to read about is WW1 including the actions before and the period between the end of WW1 in 1945 (see what I did there). Anyways I had never heard of Bywater but WOW
Bywater was a British journalist and an unofficial naval expert. Bywater spent considerable time in America and spoke fluent German. Anyways the essay talks about the 1921 book Sea-power in the Pacific. Bywater's book predicted a surprise Japan aerial attack on a major US Navy base to begin any Pacific war. The book also predicted that given time the USA would Island Hop their way to victory over Japan. The book was translated into Japanese and Yamamoto totally ripped Bywater off with his plan to attack Pearl Harbor. And of course we all know the US totally ripped Bywater off with their island hopping strategy. The original US plan was just a suicide charge across the Pacific - LOL
It must be noted that Bywater predicted the surprise attack on Manila not Pearl Harbor. But still the guy totally nailed the grand stratey of the Pacific theatre of WW2 and he did it 20 years prior.
This is more of an update because I have gotten myself halfway thru an epic tale of America At War. AAW is a collection of essays originally published in Military History Quarterly. The articles have been edited and an introduction to each provided by some dude named Calvin L. Christman.
The essays are arranged in chronological order beginning in the Pre-USA Indian wars. I would consider this British military history myself. But still quite informative. Because the book was published in 1995 the First Gulf War is the end point of the timeline.
I am a little over half thru the book and am at post Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.
I will just give an overview of my favorite chapter so far - Bywater's Pacific War Prophecy. I am a bit of a history buff. One of my favorite periods to read about is WW1 including the actions before and the period between the end of WW1 in 1945 (see what I did there). Anyways I had never heard of Bywater but WOW
Bywater was a British journalist and an unofficial naval expert. Bywater spent considerable time in America and spoke fluent German. Anyways the essay talks about the 1921 book Sea-power in the Pacific. Bywater's book predicted a surprise Japan aerial attack on a major US Navy base to begin any Pacific war. The book also predicted that given time the USA would Island Hop their way to victory over Japan. The book was translated into Japanese and Yamamoto totally ripped Bywater off with his plan to attack Pearl Harbor. And of course we all know the US totally ripped Bywater off with their island hopping strategy. The original US plan was just a suicide charge across the Pacific - LOL
It must be noted that Bywater predicted the surprise attack on Manila not Pearl Harbor. But still the guy totally nailed the grand stratey of the Pacific theatre of WW2 and he did it 20 years prior.
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- #45
Definitely! Big Gaiman fan, although I think American Gods is one of his weaker novels. Try The Graveyard Book next.
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Finally finished America At War
what a slog. Some of the essays were of little interest to me. Some were really excellent but some, towards the end and most especially concerning Vietnam, were veering toward the PC.
Of particular note were a couple of essays about POW's. 'Death and Life at Three Pagoda Pass' explained just how arbitrary living thru being a POW is. Too tall or short was bad. Raised in the city was bad but raised on a farm good. Have a sadistic dick in charge of your work detail ect... No man is an island everyone who lives has a buddy who attempted to watch their back. Some guys just stop attempting to live. Literally just sit down and wait to die. 'Thats Ocay XX Time is on Our Side' was about American POWs in Vietnam. Good essay about how they coped with the situation and how unlike other actions in Vietnam some of America's best and brightest were POWs instead of the typical grunts.
excellent essay called 'The American Rommel' about US Major General John S. Wood or Tiger Jack as his troops called him. Wood's advocacy of speed, maneuver & force concentration was so radical he was eventually relieved of duty by Patton! Of course he was correct and everyone in charge of more than 1 tank attempts to be a modern Tiger Jack
another good one was 'Murderers of Koje-do!' about a commie North Korean take over of an allied POW camp. They actually captured an American General and held him ransom. It was literally a case of the insane running the asylum. I had never heard of this particular episode of American stupidity before. Fascinating.
Nice essay called 'The Christmas Bombings' explaining Nixon's thought process in 1972. Probably the most PC one was simply called 'MIA' written by a widow concerning her treatment by US State Department and foreign (French & Vietnam) governments and the US Navy. I will go ahead and spoil it. Her husband died on impact but nobody told her for like 30 years because she was being used as a political pawn by everyone.
The Gulf War 1 stuff was not as good as when this was written it was more of a current event than history.
overall excellent read and it was arranged in a timeline so that was good. But the material is not dumbed down. On the plus side it is dirt cheap on Amazon.
what a slog. Some of the essays were of little interest to me. Some were really excellent but some, towards the end and most especially concerning Vietnam, were veering toward the PC.
Of particular note were a couple of essays about POW's. 'Death and Life at Three Pagoda Pass' explained just how arbitrary living thru being a POW is. Too tall or short was bad. Raised in the city was bad but raised on a farm good. Have a sadistic dick in charge of your work detail ect... No man is an island everyone who lives has a buddy who attempted to watch their back. Some guys just stop attempting to live. Literally just sit down and wait to die. 'Thats Ocay XX Time is on Our Side' was about American POWs in Vietnam. Good essay about how they coped with the situation and how unlike other actions in Vietnam some of America's best and brightest were POWs instead of the typical grunts.
excellent essay called 'The American Rommel' about US Major General John S. Wood or Tiger Jack as his troops called him. Wood's advocacy of speed, maneuver & force concentration was so radical he was eventually relieved of duty by Patton! Of course he was correct and everyone in charge of more than 1 tank attempts to be a modern Tiger Jack
another good one was 'Murderers of Koje-do!' about a commie North Korean take over of an allied POW camp. They actually captured an American General and held him ransom. It was literally a case of the insane running the asylum. I had never heard of this particular episode of American stupidity before. Fascinating.
Nice essay called 'The Christmas Bombings' explaining Nixon's thought process in 1972. Probably the most PC one was simply called 'MIA' written by a widow concerning her treatment by US State Department and foreign (French & Vietnam) governments and the US Navy. I will go ahead and spoil it. Her husband died on impact but nobody told her for like 30 years because she was being used as a political pawn by everyone.
The Gulf War 1 stuff was not as good as when this was written it was more of a current event than history.
overall excellent read and it was arranged in a timeline so that was good. But the material is not dumbed down. On the plus side it is dirt cheap on Amazon.
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- #51
Relic of Empire - Forbidden Borders #2 is plus 30 chapters and 626 pages of pure Space Opera magic.
We pick up the Space Opera exactly where book 1 left off. And the next 350ish pages has many many characters stopping to examine the events that led to their current situation. I will not say some 'catching up' is not good, but Gear used more than 100 pages doing this. Although often necessary for characters off the main story line, the sheer amount of pages struck me as excessive.
But still this book is a typical bridge of a trilogy... Gear told a great story in book 1 and had to tear that down in book 2 to set up the final story in book 3 Counter Measures.
We pick up the Space Opera exactly where book 1 left off. And the next 350ish pages has many many characters stopping to examine the events that led to their current situation. I will not say some 'catching up' is not good, but Gear used more than 100 pages doing this. Although often necessary for characters off the main story line, the sheer amount of pages struck me as excessive.
But still this book is a typical bridge of a trilogy... Gear told a great story in book 1 and had to tear that down in book 2 to set up the final story in book 3 Counter Measures.
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- #55
read a 'toilet book' titled My Life In & Out of the Rough by John Daly and ghost writer Glen Waggoner
what is a 'toilet book' ? I define it as a book read exclusively on the throne.
picked this book up for free in McKays freebie bins. Not sure I got a good deal
This book was written in an attempt to mitigate the damage to John Daly caused by like his 8th wife's arrest for money laundering. Appears Waggoner took a ride on Dalys bus between tour events. Basically an outline of Dalys life with John filling in some details. You will learn that John liked his momma's chocolate gravy and some about what goes on in the background of a PGA event.
Basically Daly claims his innocence about the money laundering and he attempts to explain away the other bizarre aspects of his life.
toilet book
what is a 'toilet book' ? I define it as a book read exclusively on the throne.
picked this book up for free in McKays freebie bins. Not sure I got a good deal
This book was written in an attempt to mitigate the damage to John Daly caused by like his 8th wife's arrest for money laundering. Appears Waggoner took a ride on Dalys bus between tour events. Basically an outline of Dalys life with John filling in some details. You will learn that John liked his momma's chocolate gravy and some about what goes on in the background of a PGA event.
Basically Daly claims his innocence about the money laundering and he attempts to explain away the other bizarre aspects of his life.
toilet book
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- #56
Well he's dead so....
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- #59
Thread has two year old posts referencing graphic novels. Whats done is done.
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