What book are you reading now?
- Thread starter Ex-Dragoon
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My favourite piece of theological fiction is the autobiography of a computer game programmer, "Naked Before God", by Bill Williams.
He wrote it as he was studying Lutheran theology in advance of his death from cystic fibrosis.
He wrote it as he was studying Lutheran theology in advance of his death from cystic fibrosis.
Retired AF Guy
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The Devil's Bridge: The German Victory at Arnhem, 1944 by Antony Tucker-Jones. As the title states, this book explores the Arnhem battle from the German viewpoint and the first book in almost thirty years to do so. The last one (I know of) is It Never Snows in September by Robert Kershaw published in 1944.
The first few chapters fills the reader into events leading up to the battle (e.g.) the escape of the 15th Army; the situation inside Holland, including status of both the Dutch resistance and Nazi occupation forces and their Dutch collaborators, and the German buildup prior to the Allied Offensive.
So far, I've found the author writes in, what I find very short, "clipped" sentences which left me wanting for more information. Also, he tends to jump around from one subject to another which can be a little confusing. However, having said that, just finished Chapter Five and it was written a lot better. Will see how the rest of the book comes out.
The first few chapters fills the reader into events leading up to the battle (e.g.) the escape of the 15th Army; the situation inside Holland, including status of both the Dutch resistance and Nazi occupation forces and their Dutch collaborators, and the German buildup prior to the Allied Offensive.
So far, I've found the author writes in, what I find very short, "clipped" sentences which left me wanting for more information. Also, he tends to jump around from one subject to another which can be a little confusing. However, having said that, just finished Chapter Five and it was written a lot better. Will see how the rest of the book comes out.
Just started "Soldier Spy" by Tom Marcus...holy cow. 
HIGHLY RECOMMEND FOR EVERYBODY IN THIS FORUM!!!
It's written by a former MI5 officer about some of the things he was involved in. I'm only a few chapters in, but haven't been able to put it down. Well written, brutally honest about as much as he can say without violating OPSEC, and a real eye opener into the domestic terror plots facing the UK during his time there.
So far, a 12 out of 10
HIGHLY RECOMMEND FOR EVERYBODY IN THIS FORUM!!!
It's written by a former MI5 officer about some of the things he was involved in. I'm only a few chapters in, but haven't been able to put it down. Well written, brutally honest about as much as he can say without violating OPSEC, and a real eye opener into the domestic terror plots facing the UK during his time there.
So far, a 12 out of 10
daftandbarmy
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CBH99 said:Just started "Soldier Spy" by Tom Marcus...holy cow.
HIGHLY RECOMMEND FOR EVERYBODY IN THIS FORUM!!!
It's written by a former MI5 officer about some of the things he was involved in. I'm only a few chapters in, but haven't been able to put it down. Well written, brutally honest about as much as he can say without violating OPSEC, and a real eye opener into the domestic terror plots facing the UK during his time there.
So far, a 12 out of 10
Mixed reviews here https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32330232-soldier-spy
Regardless, ‘The Watchers’ probably saved our bacon, indirectly or otherwise, more than once in NI. They were a key reason why the IRA came to the bargaining table, mainly because of penetration by MI5 and others.
A lot of folks seem turned off by his 'ego stroking' mania, whereas I read it simply as a dark & twisted sense of British humour
If folks who haven't served in the military or emergency services reads it, I don't think they'll understand just how dark & dry the humour can be.
When he says things like "Obviously, it was up to me to save the world" -- I chuckled, and read it as tongue in cheek humour. Some others apparently took his sarcastic ego stroking a bit too seriously.
If folks who haven't served in the military or emergency services reads it, I don't think they'll understand just how dark & dry the humour can be.
When he says things like "Obviously, it was up to me to save the world" -- I chuckled, and read it as tongue in cheek humour. Some others apparently took his sarcastic ego stroking a bit too seriously.
Retired AF Guy
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CBH99 said:Just started "Soldier Spy" by Tom Marcus...holy cow.
HIGHLY RECOMMEND FOR EVERYBODY IN THIS FORUM!!!
It's written by a former MI5 officer about some of the things he was involved in. I'm only a few chapters in, but haven't been able to put it down. Well written, brutally honest about as much as he can say without violating OPSEC, and a real eye opener into the domestic terror plots facing the UK during his time there.
So far, a 12 out of 10
We have to put it on my reading list.
FJAG
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Mark Critch, "Son of a Critch: A Childish Newfoundland Memoir" https://www.amazon.ca/Son-Critch-Childish-Newfoundland-Memoir/dp/B07H8PLJK2
An absolutely priceless work of wonder by Mark Critch - he of This Hour has 22 Minutes fame. Who knew that growing up in Newfoundland in the 1970s was exactly the same as growing up in Toronto in the 1960s (although much much funnier)
Got this from my daughter on my birthday (her in-laws are all Newfoundlanders) and finally sat down to read it. A terrific book.
:cheers:
An absolutely priceless work of wonder by Mark Critch - he of This Hour has 22 Minutes fame. Who knew that growing up in Newfoundland in the 1970s was exactly the same as growing up in Toronto in the 1960s (although much much funnier)
Got this from my daughter on my birthday (her in-laws are all Newfoundlanders) and finally sat down to read it. A terrific book.
:cheers:
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I'm re-reading an "oldie but a goodie", Robert A. Heinlein's Starship Troopers.
If you've only ever seen the movie by the same name, the movie has almost nothing in common with the novel aside from some of the characters' names. The novel is superb, my favourite of Heinlein's and with so much stuff that rings true for anyone who's served. I highly recommend it and forget that trash that they slapped the Starship Troopers name onto.
If you've only ever seen the movie by the same name, the movie has almost nothing in common with the novel aside from some of the characters' names. The novel is superb, my favourite of Heinlein's and with so much stuff that rings true for anyone who's served. I highly recommend it and forget that trash that they slapped the Starship Troopers name onto.
daftandbarmy
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LittleBlackDevil said:
On the bounce!
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daftandbarmy said:On the bounce!
Did Camp Arthur Currie make anyone else think of Wainwright?
daftandbarmy
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reverse_engineer said:
Apparently, Heinlein watched the Canadians training for the Korean War at Ft Lewis, Washington, and picked up some of his ideas for the book there.
