Do yall read (Books)

[dmccarty]

The book about Heisenberg is called "Heisenberg's War" by T. Powell. Its a big book but it reads like a Clancy novel.

Later,
Dan

 

[Egon]

Want to relax, read Agatha Christie.

 

[czechsonofagun]

Frederick Forsyth

 

[dmccarty]

I am wading my way through the Oxford History of the Biblical World. Kinda boring at first since I have very little knowledge of places and names in the preBiblical times that is at the start of the book. The book is getting more interesting now that its getting into Biblical people/places.

We love to watch the Naked Archaeologist and some of the Archaeologist one the show have been referenced in the book.

Later,
Dan

 

[tugboat-2]

Now that I found Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey-Maturin series,...I can't put 'em down. If you like sea stories and especially square rigged sailing ships of old, ...man this guy takes you to sea in a way that sucks you right in!!

I know this author was mentioned a couple pages back,...but he's worth another mention!!

Before that it was Patricia Cornwell's fantastic series on the criminal side of the Medical Examiner with all the gory details,...prior to her I read every book Robert Parker wrote on crime fiction. Loved all John Grisham's books too, Ed McBain etc and everything Wilbur Smith ever wrote, the minute they come out,...made me want to visit Africa!

Now that I finally got to read for "my" enjoyment I just can't get enough !!!

CHEERS!
. . tug

 

[buckeyefarmer]

I wish I had time..
I've been reading zoning regulations and now I have a major headache.

 

[/pine]

...Patricia Cornwell's fantastic series on the criminal side of the Medical Examiner...

I read a couple of her books but after that it just became too over the top unbelievable that a ME would become personally involved in every criminal case...too "Quincy" for me...

 

[dmccarty]

Now that I found Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey-Maturin series,...I can't put 'em down. If you like sea stories and especially square rigged sailing ships of old, ...man this guy takes you to sea in a way that sucks you right in!!

I got about half way through the Aubrey-Maturin books and stopped buying them. Still want to finish the series but I just not had the time/inclination to finish. As I read the books I thought there was no way much of what is in the stories could really happen. It was just too far fetched.

Then I read a book on the Royal Navy during that time frame! Apparently what O'Brian did was read the history of the time and ship log books to weave his stories. Most or all of the battles in the books are based on real actions. O' Brian might change some time frames and people around to fit his story but the major points in the battles seem to be true.

One of the criticism's about the books and the movie was that they are repetitive. Which I think is true. But I suspect for many of the men in the Navy the predictability of the lifestyle was an attraction. Or a curse.

As a tid bit. There was a Royal Navy ship of this period that was sent to the Pacific and was gone for something like 15 years. Nobody thought the ship would make it home. Well it did return and the crew thought they were rich! They were owned years worth of back pay!

Problem was that the people in the Admiralty had stolen the money.

The book is The Sea Warriors by Richard Woodman. Who want to have fun with the name.....

If you read The Sea Warriors you can see the story lines in the O'Brian series as well as the people mentioned in the books. Aubrey is a mixture of some of the men of the time.

C. S. Forrester's Horneblower books are also good. I read all of them years ago. For those books you have the a movie with Gregory Peck. And there was a series on A&E a few years ago that was really good at following the Horneblower books. The A&E movies are really good.

Over the last year or so I have read some books on the development of the ships of the line. Not sure if I picked up this tid bit from one of those books or from Woodman's book. The Royal Navy built, launched, and commissioned a new ship. I think it was a frigate. There had been complaints from the Captain and others about the construction of the ship but she was put into service. She was lost on one of her first voyages in the North Sea.

Apparently the shipbuilders used shortened pieces of copper/bronze "nails", forgot which. The fasteners were supposed to have been something like 15-24 inches long but they used much smaller pieces that made it looked that the ship was build correctly. The shorter pieces were used so they could sell the expensive metal. It was suspected that the ship just fell apart in a storm.

Stealing from the King was a constant problem in ship building and the Admiralty. The Kings of GB had their metal thieves and we have expensive toilet seats. See how the worm turns.

Later,
Dan

 

[WalterDonovan]

I've been reading a lot lately...mostly menus and road signs.

 

[Western]

Just finished Bill O'riellys "A bold fresh piece of humanity" Better than I thought it would be and really political. Interesting read, quite humorous

 

[RobertN]

A change of pace... My son is 15. We have been reading some teen books lately. The Percy Jackson Olympiad books by Rick Riordan. Fun books, based on the modern equivalent of the Greek myths. Imagine Hercules in 2009... They are fun, easy reads.

The other book I am 2/3rds thru, is "Inside the Crosshairs; Snipers in Vietnam" by Michael Lanning. Interesting read. Gives more background than some of the other books on the subject, like Hendersen's writing about Gunnery Sargent Hathcock.

 

[Western]

Sniper book sounds good.

I used to read every popular mechanics I could get my hands on, I like those kind of "projects" type books and magazines.

 

[jimmyj]

I was lying in bed reading last night and thinking of this post. I just bought a book about the Afghan conflict written by an embedded journalist. Nasty place over there. I think i'm going to buy more books about it if I can find them, or Iraq.

Any recommendations?

 

[dmccarty]

https://www.militarybookclub.com has quite a few books on Iraq, Afghanistan, as well as previous wars, conflicts, and Police Actions.

Going to Amazon and searching would likely work just as well though.

Later,
Dan

 

[Western]

Bringing an old thread back.

The book I originally talked about, Indian Depredations in Texas (Hardcover), Is why.

Last Fall I had bought a boat from a real nice guy. During our conversations, I had expressed my interest in old west history, Indians and the like. He seemed interested so I gave him my copy of the book when we met to exchange boat and cash, he hesitated , so I told him I would just order me another one. He has since e-mailed me and loves the book.

The Kicker: I go on Amazon to order another one this evening, I had paid around $40 for my other one, I was SHOCKED, If you can find a new one, you can pay over $1000!!!!!

I bought a used copy..

 

[jimmyj]

Just read Life by Keith Richards, very interesting. Also, I recommend Roger Welsch as a country funny guy writer. His books titles are funny too....

Love *** and tractors

Old tractors and the men who love them

Everything I know about Women I learned from my tractor

And so on.....

 

[forgeblast]

Book called 'Castners Cutthroats" about the alaskan scouts during ww2...it is a book of fiction based on actual events. I wanted to buy a copy (read it through the library) and was shocked at the price on it. I heard it was re-released in paperback but it was a great read.

 

[RobertN]

Rogers books are a riot! When I read most of them, I had just become owner of a partially restored Farmall-A. I did some repiars to it; the books described some moments of my efforts.

Just read Life by Keith Richards, very interesting. Also, I recommend Roger Welsch as a country funny guy writer. His books titles are funny too....

 

[RobertN]

I have been reading something totally different lately. The Temeraire series by Naomi Novik.

The series is about dragons, from a different perspective. These dragons are not magical. They are set in the time of Napoleon's conquests. They are used as an Air Force by various countries.

Pretty good reading, interlaced with history. And, a totally different perpective compared to the typical fantasy depiction of dragons.

Otherwise, I have been deep in reading US EPA Energy Star 5.2 spec's and test procedures.

 

[jimmyj]

Otherwise, I have been deep in reading US EPA Energy Star 5.2 spec's and test procedures.

Ok the dragon thing sounds interesting, but this bit, not so sure!!!:laughing: