Book Recommendations

[KIR]

What have you read lately?
I just finished "The Life, Times & Treacherous Death of Jesse James" by Frank Triplett.
Interesting and easily readable with pictures of Jesse, Frank, their mother and Jesse's wife, amongst many more like the Fords and Governor Crittenden, who had no small hand in Jesse's murder.
Luckily, I got my hard cover from the Sparks Senior Citizens Library, practically new condition. Many books donated by the well-to-do who read books once then donate them.
If you get a chance I am sure you will enjoy it.
My next book is called "Act of Treason" by Vince Flynn.
<settling back with an Ultra in my lawn chair on the front porch on a beautiful day in Sparks, NV>

 

[blume357]

Easy answer, "A Third Face" the autobiography of Samuel Fuller.... one of the best books I have ever read. In fact if you send me your address, I'll see if I can get you a copy. I think it should be required reading in school.

After that I would suggest the strangest story and book I have ever read: "Carrying Albert Home." by Homer Hickam

 

[wwb]

"UP Front" by Bill Mauldin

If you're a combat veteran, you will understand it. If you are not a combat veteran, this will give you a wry insight as to the life of a grunt. During WW II, Bill Mauldin, a grunt, was drawing cartoons for his buddies.... ended up doing them for the Stars & Stripes. He pissed off General Patton, who was intent on hanging his butt out to dry until Eisenhower told Patton, "Anything good for morale is good for the war."

A classic example:

https://dailyhistory.org/images/b/b5/Drysocks.JPG

 

[KIR]

Although not a vet of combat, I am familiar with your recommendation as I read it while in the AF in the early 60's. Great book.

 

[41Dude]

If you like a little ice with your adventure.

 

[41Dude]

"UP Front" by Bill Mauldin

If you're a combat veteran, you will understand it. If you are not a combat veteran, this will give you a wry insight as to the life of a grunt. During WW II, Bill Mauldin, a grunt, was drawing cartoons for his buddies.... ended up doing them for the Stars & Stripes. He pissed off General Patton, who was intent on hanging his butt out to dry until Eisenhower told Patton, "Anything good for morale is good for the war."

A classic example:

https://dailyhistory.org/images/b/b5/Drysocks.JPG

Or the one where Willie and Joe are sitting in a foxhole in the rain, helmets on. One says to the other "You're right, it does sound like rain on a tin roof."

I just checked over at thiftbooks.com Many copies of "Up Front" available. Well worth getting

 

[ole442]

Just finished Peter Schweizer's book "Blood Money". A lot of good info about the BS that's going on between DC and the Chinese!

Up next........Tulsi Gabbard's new book "For Love of Country, Leave the Democratic Party Behind" !

A while back I read a book about the Endurance and Shakleton's expedition that turned into a nightmare. I'm not sure if it was the same book but the book highlights about the amazing ability of some men to survive the worst conditions you can imagine!

 

[41Dude]

Just finished Peter Schweizer's book "Blood Money". A lot of good info about the BS that's going on between DC and the Chinese!

Up next........Tulsi Gabbard's new book "For Love of Country, Leave the Democratic Party Behind" !

A while back I read a book about the Endurance and Shakleton's expedition that turned into a nightmare. I'm not sure if it was the same book but the book highlights about the amazing ability of some men to survive the worst conditions you can imagine!

They were much much tougher than I am. Amazing true story.

 

[Wyandot Jim]

I'm currently reading "Masters Of The Air" It tells how and why the 8TH Air Force was formed and not just about the 100th Bomb Group. It also goes into detail of the slaughter of the aircrews during the early bombing missions over Europe.
If you enjoy WWII history I recommend it.
Yes I saw the TV series which was very good.

I just finished "Lightning Down" which was an outstanding read along with being both sad/angry and joy to read of a very little known act in WWII. When Joe Moser first told his story to ones that should have known better they thought he was lying about what he had lived through.

I have read how the Japs treated POWs.

Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption is a 2010 non-fiction book by Laura Hillenbrand. Unbroken is a biography of World War II veteran Louis Zamperini, a former Olympic track star who survived a plane crash in the Pacific Theater, spent 47 days drifting on a raft, and then survived more than two and a half years as a prisoner of war (POW) in three Japanese POW camps.

The treatment to these Airmen by the German SS was much worse.

An American fighter pilot doomed to die in Buchenwald but determined to survive.

On August 13, 1944, Joe Moser set off on his forty-fourth combat mission over occupied France. Soon, he would join almost 170 other Allied airmen as prisoners in Buchenwald, one of the most notorious and deadly of Nazi concentration camps. Tom Clavin's Lightning Down tells this largely untold and riveting true story.

Moser was just twenty-two years old, a farm boy from Washington State who fell in love with flying. During the War he realized his dream of piloting a P-38 Lightning, one of the most effective weapons the Army Air Corps had against the powerful German Luftwaffe. But on that hot August morning he had to bail out of his damaged, burning plane. Captured immediately, Moser's journey into hell began.

Moser and his courageous comrades from England, Canada, New Zealand, and elsewhere endured the most horrific conditions during their imprisonment... until the day the orders were issued by Hitler himself to execute them. Only a most desperate plan would save them.
An American fighter pilot doomed to die in Buchenwald but determined to survive.

On August 13, 1944, Joe Moser set off on his forty-fourth combat mission over occupied France. Soon, he would join almost 170 other Allied airmen as prisoners in Buchenwald, one of the most notorious and deadly of Nazi concentration camps. Tom Clavin's Lightning Down tells this largely untold and riveting true story.

Moser was just twenty-two years old, a farm boy from Washington State who fell in love with flying. During the War he realized his dream of piloting a P-38 Lightning, one of the most effective weapons the Army Air Corps had against the powerful German Luftwaffe. But on that hot August morning he had to bail out of his damaged, burning plane. Captured immediately, Moser's journey into hell began.

Moser and his courageous comrades from England, Canada, New Zealand, and elsewhere endured the most horrific conditions during their imprisonment... until the day the orders were issued by Hitler himself to execute them. Only a most desperate plan would save them.

 

[BearBiologist]

I am re-reading the "Joe Pickett" series by C. J. Box. He's a Wyoming Game Warden.

If you are familiar with Los Angeles, Michael Connelly series about Harry Bosch is good. He also wrote the Lincoln Lawyer, and others.

Tony Hillerman writes mysteries on the Navajo Rez.

 

[ProfessorWes]

I'm in the need for some escapist fiction right now, so I'm re-reading Larry Correia's "Saga of the Forgotten Warrior" fantasy series. Just started the third book (of four so far), "Destroyer of Worlds." The fifth novel of the series is due later this year.

Like pretty much everything else Correia writes, it's excellent.

 

[SamV]

Recently, I read “The Mysterious Case of Rudolf Diesel: Genius, Power, and Deception on the Eve of World War I “ by Douglas Brunt.

I thought it a little slow at first and I didn’t really like the way the author jumped around, but I thought it was a good book. I thought that the author made a valid argument about his disappearance. Lots of fun trivia about the history of the Diesel engine.

 

[KIR]

Early 60's: I read several books about submarines. Sadly, I don't remember authors nor titles, but they showed me that I might be a little claustrophobic. Books and movies and about subs can make good horror/suspenseful stories.

 

[Johnny-Baseball]

The favorites of my youth: Leatherstocking Tales (edited: James Fenimore Cooper). The Horatio Hornblower series of books (British navy in the 1700s). And a series about salvage operations in the Red Sea and North Africa during WW II.

Update:

The Leatherstocking Tales, all written by Cooper between 1823 and 1841, include: The Pioneers (1823), The Last of the Mohicans (1826), The Prairie (1827), The Pathfinder (1840), and The Deerslayer (1841). Two of those Cooper novels were made into movies: "The Last of the Mohicans" (starring Daniel Day-Lewis), and "The Deerslayer," starring Lex Barker, Rita Moreno and Forrest Tucker.

The 17-volume Hornblower series of books were written by C S Forester. Forester wrote over 40 other fiction and non-fiction books, the most well-known work being, "The African Queen," which was made into the movie starring Humphrey Bogart and Audre Hepburn, and another novel about the WW II search-and-destroy actions of the British Navy which was the basis for the movie entitled, "Sink the Bismarck." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C._S._Forester

The author of the salvage operations books was Rear Admiral Edward Ellsberg. He wrote numerous books on his active duty tasks both in the Red Sea (early in WW II) and thereafter. In 1944, Ellsberg was sent to England in time for the Normandy Invasion, where he was instrumental in setting up the Mulberry harbour off the Normandy Beach. His 1931 book on WW I submarine operations entitled "Pig Boats" was the basis for the movie "Hell Below" starring Robert Montgomery, Robert Young and Walter Huston. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Ellsberg

 

[Watertender]

John Steinbeck, James Michener, Owen Parry for Civil War historical novels. I have the luxury of being able to read at work as long as things are running right.

 

[41Dude]

From the book Tigrero by Sasha Siemel.
With the cat he killed with spear. Not thrown spear. Hand held during charge spear. Sasha holding S&W .357 given to him by Doug Wesson. Late 40's early 50's

 

[bobsyouruncle]

Pirate, naturalist, travel guide

 

[Watertender]

I forgot to mention Leon Uris. His novels are excellent

 

[foolslife]

I generally read biographies. Nothing exciting to you all. However I found the books below to be among my top reads of the last few years.
You can look them up:

Marching Powder, The story of Thomas McFadden
Black Horse Tales was good
Among the Headhunters, Very good

 

[Shamus2022]

Read that last year, I think. Great surprise book.

 

[Colonialgirl]

For sheer entertainment and fun; Try reading Terry Pratchett's disc world collection !!

 

[el caminero]

First grownup book i read was richard connell's the most dangerous game, after hearing orson welles do the radio version of it. Ten years old. Had already read all the encyclopedia browns and vintage hardy boys (what a gang of idiots!) And moved on to agatha christie, mary stewart, rex stout, and the odd mickey spillane. Then alistair mclain, and clive cussler, among heinlein, smith, del rey, asimov, clarke, l'amour, then dick francis, and hillerman. Louis l'amour tricked me into picking up every ambler written....

 

[Watertender]

First grownup book i read was richard connell's the most dangerous game, after hearing orson welles do the radio version of it. Ten years old. Had already read all the encyclopedia browns and vintage hardy boys (what a gang of idiots!) And moved on to agatha christie, mary stewart, rex stout, and the odd mickey spillane. Then alistair mclain, and clive cussler, among heinlein, smith, del rey, asimov, clarke, l'amour, then dick francis, and hillerman. Louis l'amour tricked me into picking up every ambler written....

Now you have me thinking! Brains Benton and Rick Brant mystery novels!

 

[Armybrat]

Here's an interesting read…

 

[KIR]

Horatio Hornblower series by C.S. Forester are great reads, sort of like Richard Sharpe series by Bernard Cornwall. Don't know which were written first though. One if by land the other by sea! Both highly recommended!

 

[el caminero]

Now you have me thinking! Brains Benton and Rick Brant mystery novels!

Dont recall benton, but read brant when i found them.

 

[bobsyouruncle]

revolver by Jim Rasenberger., really enjoyed it

 

[bobsyouruncle]

The lost city of the Monkey God

 

[steveodtw]

First grownup book i read was richard connell's the most dangerous game, after hearing orson welles do the radio version of it. Ten years old. Had already read all the encyclopedia browns and vintage hardy boys (what a gang of idiots!) And moved on to agatha christie, mary stewart, rex stout, and the odd mickey spillane. Then alistair mclain, and clive cussler, among heinlein, smith, del rey, asimov, clarke, l'amour, then dick francis, and hillerman. Louis l'amour tricked me into picking up every ambler written....

The Most Dangerous Game was my first also book. I've never forgotten it. I just watched the original movie again a few months ago, starring a young Joel McCrea and Fay Wray, 1932. The biggest book I tackled was Atlas Shrugged. Very prophetic in today's times.

 

[Watertender]

Stephen Hunter is another author I read. Charles and Earl Swagger are interesting characters and Bob Lee uncovers little nuggets of interesting information on them in the course of the novel.