What book are you reading?

[Hosakawa Tito]

I'm almost finished with " (http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0PBZ/is_2_83/ai_106732258)April 1865: The Month That Saved America" by Jay Winik. (http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0PBZ/is_2_83/ai_106732258)

[seireikhaan]

College Textbooks...:wall:

[Thermal]

of mice and men- john steinbeck

for english exam
:thumbsdown:

[shlin28]

of mice and men- john steinbeck

for english exam
:thumbsdown:

You are reading "Of Mice and Men" in Year 10? Last year we just did all our coursework, we only gonna start "Of Mice and Men" after Christmas :sweatdrop: (I take it that the book is bad?)

Currently reading "Vietnam: A War Lost and Won" for my coursework.

[edyzmedieval]

Yeah everyone is doing Of Mice and Men in year 10 in high school.

I'm reading:

Christopher Buckley - Thank You For Smoking
Clive Cussler - Plague Ship

[CountArach]

Reading The Social Contract by Rousseau.
:2thumbsup:

[Craterus]

:2thumbsup:

Wait till you see what I'm planning to read next... :undecided:

[King Henry V]

An Introduction to Anglo-Saxon England by Peter Hunter Blair (applying to read Anglo-Saxon, Norse and Celtic at Cambridge, so I have to brush up on the period)

A Question of Upbrining by Anthony Powell.

[seireikhaan]

Principles of Macro-Economics- 3rd ed.

By Robert Frank and BEN BERNANKE. Midterm tomorrow.

:wall:

[Lord Winter]

Brave New World,
Just finished Acellerendo which I recomenned though it is pretty weird.

[CountArach]

Wait till you see what I'm planning to read next... :undecided:
Adam Smith? :sad:

Anyway, I'm reading Suetonius' Life of Domitian and I am soon to read Tacitus' Agricola.

[Kralizec]

Right now only college books, including two about psychiatry (for an optional course, it's not what I study)

[Yoyoma1910]

Right now only college books, including two about psychiatry (for an optional course, it's not what I study)


Mmmm-hmmm that not what you study... yah, yah... mmmm-hmmm....


Why don't you lay on the couch right there and tell us about your mother?

[Kralizec]

:laugh4:

[Subedei]

"History of the Baiuvarii" by I forgot...will look it up.

Very interesting book, as it provides lots of detailed archeological accounts of sites in my region. Gotta do some travelling...yeah!

[Hooahguy]

"Band of Brothers"
by Stephen Ambrose

gonig to watch TV series later.....

[Rhyfelwyr]

I've been reading on the classic thinkers recently. Aristotle: The Politics, Plato's Republic, Machiavelli's Discourses, the Prince etc.

The basics really because we only start these topics in our second year...

[Thermal]

You are reading "Of Mice and Men" in Year 10? Last year we just did all our coursework, we only gonna start "Of Mice and Men" after Christmas :sweatdrop: (I take it that the book is bad?)

Currently reading "Vietnam: A War Lost and Won" for my coursework.

actually, with the help of a funny english teacher, i gave the wrong impression, its quite intreseting now :2thumbsup:
about to people called lennie and george who go to a ranch for money to get there own farm and live off of the 'fat of the lan'
only Lennie relys on george completely, hes dumb clumsy fool, but is kind inside, its quite complex but relatively short, 6 sections, ive got to the fifth section, just as lennie accidently kills a puppy...it is funny in parts

[Fragony]

I've been reading on the classic thinkers recently. Aristotle: The Politics, Plato's Republic, Machiavelli's Discourses, the Prince etc.

The basics really because we only start these topics in our second year...

Machiavelli is a joy to read, Morgentau is a wuss. Aristotle and Plato are unreadable if you ask me not fun at all.

[Rhyfelwyr]

Machiavelli is a joy to read, Morgentau is a wuss. Aristotle and Plato are unreadable if you ask me not fun at all.

Agreed. Aristotle's ideas are so vague I've no idea why everyone thinks he's so clever. Machiavelli actually fits his ideologies into practical ideas, much more interesting to read IMO.

[Ramses II CP]

Of Mice and Men is a decent book. The themes are a little obvious and the story itself is quite manipulative towards the reader (To some extent even condescendingly manipulative), but overall it's an enjoyable book.

I thought Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath was a more interesting book, especially since it directly attacked some of the social taboos of the era. There's less blatant manipulation in GoW and the ending is not at all obvious. Ultimately it serves as a good counterpoint to M&M since, at least IMHO, it reverses Steinbecks's thrust of attack and implies that the chaos of the Great Depression was primarily an institutional, top down problem, and not due to local prejudice or ignorance, as M&M can be interpreted to suppose.

I understand why M&M is more often taught, but I find it a substantially less interesting book as well. It's very difficult to identify with a character who is presented as quite intelligent and yet who is written to repeatedly do foolish things.

You have to consider the translation and the period when pursuing Aristotle or Plato. Plato is particularly inapplicable to modern life and his ideas are almost purely mental excercises with zero practical application. Aristotle took a broader, more realisitic view and as a result laid the groundwork for the western concepts of moral philosophy and in some ways science itself. When you read Aristotle try to put yourself in the mindset of someone to whom the idea of building a large idea out of the details of small observed facts is alien. The western tradition of philosophy before Aristotle was based almost exclusively (generalization alert!) on ideas that were assumed to be universally acknowledged by acclaim rather than discoverable in and of themselves.

Which is to say that unexamined beliefs which were popular at the time formed the basis of the various philosophical systems. This was one of the core values that Socrates himself often took aim at, though it's generally accepted that he proposed no comprehensive system to replace it. Aristotle proposed a system, crudely, by which beliefs could be evaluated for their utility before they were incorporated into a larger philosophy, thus resulting in, most importantly, a more consistent philosophical end product. That's one of the core concepts underlying our idea of the scientific method. It's so widely accepted in the west today that it's very, very difficult to get people to set it aside when they first approach Aristotle's works, which can be why they don't seem very interesting.

Imagine if we lived in a society where common assumptions were accepted not just as true, but as a valid basis for the organization of society and science. Studies show that the majority of Americans, for example, believe in angels. Now imagine a scientist who publishes a paper saying that he got in touch with those angels and they told him some things about how the world works, for example who to vote for in the elections and what causes earthquakes (Voting for the wrong person perhaps!). In Aristotle's day, that was science, virtually by definition. Men who had a reputation for wisdom could say anything, even things that couldn't be verified, and it was taken for truth. Not so today, and in no small part due to Aristotle's work. Be grateful.

...but, yes, it can be hard to muddle through, especially if you've got a questionable translation.

:egypt:

[Fragony]

Agreed. Aristotle's ideas are so vague I've no idea why everyone thinks he's so clever. Machiavelli actually fits his ideologies into practical ideas, much more interesting to read IMO.

I find it stupid students have to read that crap, why is it not enough to know their points. The actual texts are only interesting if are into greek poetry/literature.

[Thermal]

Of Mice and Men is a decent book. The themes are a little obvious and the story itself is quite manipulative towards the reader (To some extent even condescendingly manipulative), but overall it's an enjoyable book.

I thought Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath was a more interesting book, especially since it directly attacked some of the social taboos of the era. There's less blatant manipulation in GoW and the ending is not at all obvious. Ultimately it serves as a good counterpoint to M&M since, at least IMHO, it reverses Steinbecks's thrust of attack and implies that the chaos of the Great Depression was primarily an institutional, top down problem, and not due to local prejudice or ignorance, as M&M can be interpreted to suppose.

I understand why M&M is more often taught, but I find it a substantially less interesting book as well. It's very difficult to identify with a character who is presented as quite intelligent and yet who is written to repeatedly do foolish things.

You have to consider the translation and the period when pursuing Aristotle or Plato. Plato is particularly inapplicable to modern life and his ideas are almost purely mental excercises with zero practical application. Aristotle took a broader, more realisitic view and as a result laid the groundwork for the western concepts of moral philosophy and in some ways science itself. When you read Aristotle try to put yourself in the mindset of someone to whom the idea of building a large idea out of the details of small observed facts is alien. The western tradition of philosophy before Aristotle was based almost exclusively (generalization alert!) on ideas that were assumed to be universally acknowledged by acclaim rather than discoverable in and of themselves.

Which is to say that unexamined beliefs which were popular at the time formed the basis of the various philosophical systems. This was one of the core values that Socrates himself often took aim at, though it's generally accepted that he proposed no comprehensive system to replace it. Aristotle proposed a system, crudely, by which beliefs could be evaluated for their utility before they were incorporated into a larger philosophy, thus resulting in, most importantly, a more consistent philosophical end product. That's one of the core concepts underlying our idea of the scientific method. It's so widely accepted in the west today that it's very, very difficult to get people to set it aside when they first approach Aristotle's works, which can be why they don't seem very interesting.

Imagine if we lived in a society where common assumptions were accepted not just as true, but as a valid basis for the organization of society and science. Studies show that the majority of Americans, for example, believe in angels. Now imagine a scientist who publishes a paper saying that he got in touch with those angels and they told him some things about how the world works, for example who to vote for in the elections and what causes earthquakes (Voting for the wrong person perhaps!). In Aristotle's day, that was science, virtually by definition. Men who had a reputation for wisdom could say anything, even things that couldn't be verified, and it was taken for truth. Not so today, and in no small part due to Aristotle's work. Be grateful.

...but, yes, it can be hard to muddle through, especially if you've got a questionable translation.

:egypt:

well we've been told steinbeck was always on the side of the underdog, i think the characters are easy enough to identify, at the time it was made the 'american dream' was desired more than ever, as a massive economy fall took place, coincedencely as is happening around now

[CountArach]

Agreed. Aristotle's ideas are so vague I've no idea why everyone thinks he's so clever.
Hmmm. I have read many parts of it for Philosophy and I understodd it at first (For the most part), however it became much clearer to me once it was explained. He really was an intelligent man for his time and that context is something we should remember.

[Fragony]

Shake hands with the Devil, Romeo Dallaire. A must read if you have the stomach for it. And your stomach will be tested. Rwanda, it's the place to be.

[Hosakawa Tito]

Six Frigates :The Epic History of the Founding of the U.S. Navy
Ian W. Toll

[TevashSzat]

I've been reading Chaucer's The Cantebury Tales, the untranslated version. Middle English looks alot harder than it actually is to read. I only need minimal footnotes to understand everything. Also, it is actually readable compared the the god awful horrendous stream of consciousness stuf I had to read before

[Alexanderofmacedon]

In the middle of "Inside the Third Reich" by Albert Speer. Great book by a great man...(a bit blind at times, though).

[Decker]

Six Frigates :The Epic History of the Founding of the U.S. Navy
Ian W. Toll

That's an interesting looking book. Lemme know how this goes :2thumbsup:

And I just finished reading Doubt. It's not necessarily a book as it is more a playwrite. I found it to be VEEERY good and entertaining. It's quite a short read and could be done in about an hour of solid reading or less. I'd suggest anyone who has the time to get to the library, pull it and read it. Shouldn't have to check it out :2thumbsup:

And right now I am currently reading Fahrenheit 451 for my english class. I've only just finished the first chapter and it's already reminding me of 1984 lol. I've always wanted to read this so this is a treat :medievalcheers:

[Martok]

Just started re-reading In the Presence of Mine Enemies by Harry Turtledove. While I like his Guns of the South and (especially) Ruled Britannia more, it's still a good read.

[Ferret]

Burning Shore by Wilbur Smith

[Craterus]

Nineteen Eighty-Four and A Clockwork Orange

[Megas Methuselah]

Oh, God... Well, here we go:

The exact and trve relation of that bloody battell fought betweene his Royall Majeftie of Swethland, and the Imperiall Army the 5 and 6. of November 1632. In the which battell his Majeftie was killed. Befides Luelzen, two Germane myles from Leipfeich.
Written from Erdfoord by a worthie Captaine the 12 of November, who was an eye witneffe to the Battell.
Edinbvrgh, Printed by John Wrettoun, 1633

Yeah, yeah. Go ahead, laugh. It's for my history essay. :smile:

[Decker]

Nineteen Eighty-Four

SHhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!.......... Don't speak, don't think, just DO ~;)

[Gaius Scribonius Curio]

Have just finished Ilium by Dan Simmons. :dizzy2:! Personally I think its brilliant. My friend recommended by saying that he was completely confused by it but that it would be right up my alley... Lol. He was right.

A bizarre combination of an Iliad with real Gods/Goddesses, a far future earth where people are somewhat like the Eloi from H.G. Wells's Time Machine, and some partly organic robots fromthe moons of Jupiter with an unexplainable interest in Shakespeare and Proust, all narrated by a 20th century classics professor who is trying to turn the Greeks and Trojans against the Gods!!!

Convoluted and very confusing, but well worth reading if you have the time and inclination.

Just started rereading A Feast for Crows By George Martin.

[drone]

Zipped through Fight Club on a flight back from Austin. Good read, the movie was pretty faithful to it.

[Hosakawa Tito]

@ Decker - Six Frigates was excellent, I recommend it.

Just started, Champlain's Dream by David Hackett Fischer.

[Alexanderofmacedon]

Re-reading Roman Warfare by Adrian Goldsworthy. Such a great book for anyone interested in Roman warfare.

[TWFanatic]

On the Meaning of Life, by John Cottingham.

Self-explanatory title.

[naut]

Beyond Good and Evil, Nietzsche.

[Martok]

Conquerors' Heritage by Timothy Zahn; it's the 2nd book in his Conquerors trilogy.



Beyond Good and Evil, Nietzsche.
Is this by your own choice, or is it required reading?

[Strike For The South]

Discovering Sociology using the microcase exploit software, a facisinating read if I say so myself.

Down and out in Paris and London by George Orwell.

[Quirinus]

Barrelling through George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire. Just finished A Game of Thrones last night, reading A Clash of Kings now. Haven't been turning the pages so intently since I finished Harry Turtledove's Timeline-191 series.

[Kralizec]

Just reread Animal Farm by George Orwell, starting on The Island of the Colorblind by Oliver Sacks.

[Thermal]

non

other than crappy scottish poems at school made in 1745 by a person who lived to the age of 27 :tired:

[Decker]

Reading this atm:
https://i109.photobucket.com/albums/n73/kawaiku/PerdidoStreetStation.jpg

It's fairly interesting... My biggest gripe with most Sci-Fi and Fantasy books is names that I have too much trouble pronouncing. China keeps them exotic yet pronounceable :2thumbsup: I still have yet to make out what exactly the main character is (he has a tail lol) and his girlfriend is some bug thing :inquisitive:... other than that I am really enjoying the book, whough I wish I had a dictionary for what felt like every paragraph haha.

[Hooahguy]

"Holocaust on trial" by Deborah Lipstadt

[Decker]

Okay I finished Perdido Street Station which turned out to be VERY good in my expert opinion. China used a LOT of imagery in the story creating a very believable and fictional world with it's own races, places, languages, ect... (ala Tolkien). It pulled me in and had me continually wanting to read, though I should have gotten sleep instead haha (the first time that that is happened with me and any book). He went very deep into descriptions of the world, the people, and the history to the point where a few I times I wish he expanded more on them only to pull away and get back on the story. Overall I found the story to be very engrossing with an ending that seemed a little too abrupt. Only that thinking back on it, it fit the book perfectly.

I am now currently reading another book of his that takes place in the same world he created:
https://i109.photobucket.com/albums/n73/kawaiku/TheScar.jpg

[Alexanderofmacedon]

"Hitler's Enforcers: Leaders of the German War Machine 1939-1945" by Jason Lucas

[Martok]

Have finally gotten my hands on Cornwell's Arthur trilogy. I just started on The Winter King, so it's too early to really get any impressions just yet.

[shlin28]

"Dreams from My Father" by Barack Obama

Interesting book with interesting insights into the African American mind (and indeed of Africans and their culture), and of course into the man himself. Tad too preachy though, in my opinion. It gets tiring after a while to hear him expound on how African Americans are not doing enough, or that the majority are trying to keep them down. (His reverend's views are also quite objectionable, but thats too political-ish to be discussed here I think)

I'm hope his other book on his policies will be better.

[Maion Maroneios]

Physics for Scientists and Engineers by Serway. Not really because I want it, but I have to pass my exams this upcoming January:beam:

Maion

[Legosoldier]

Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley

[Martok]

I'm close to wrapping up The Archer's Tale by Bernard Cornwell. Will be moving on to the next book (Vagabond) in the series shortly.

[penguinking]

Reading The Fires of Heaven by Robert Jordan. It is amazing.

[The Fuzz]

Rereading Thundering Zeus by Frank L. Holt because I love it. And also because I just read that stupid psuedo-history book by the dude that said China colonized the world and moon and Mars, and I needed a reminder of what history should be. 11-something or another. Utter shite.

[Kralizec]

Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley

Enjoy, it was a lot better than any movie adaption I've ever seen.

[TevashSzat]

Pride and Prejudice for school

I've been assigned it for 2 weeks and am still at the end of Chapter 1.....I have no idea how I'll manage to finish the book and write my essay

[Scurvy]

Have finally gotten my hands on Cornwell's Arthur trilogy. I just started on The Winter King, so it's too early to really get any impressions just yet.

Easily my favourite Cornwell series, well worth reading :2thumbsup:

currently reading 'An Inroduction to Political Philosophy' by J Wolff, but not for fun :pirate2:

[desert]

Any of you ever read that sci-fi novel Nightwatch?

[desert]

Mrmm

[Dutch_guy]

Enjoy, it was a lot better than any movie adaption I've ever seen.

And also a lot more depressing than any movie adaptation, in my opinion at least.

:balloon2:

[Warluster]

Yes; the only thing I didn't like about the Frankenstein book was that it was too short.

I am currently reading a few books. Just finished Caeser by Colleen Mccullough; a cross between a novel and history text; not very good at that start but when the Civil War starts; very good. Defintly taught me a lot about Roman history.

The Jeff Shaara Civil War series. Even though I am Australian always liked American Civil War History; now am fascinated. Superb series, taught me about the ACW but also makes you want to read more as its also a novel. Anyone else know some good Civil War books? Want to read a bit more into the Western theatre (Sherman from '63 to '65)

The Jeff Shaara WWII series; though it defintly focuses completely on the Americans (Sometimes very annoying, but he is an American author...) same as the ACW books.

And finnally... the Twilight series. Someone I knew knew someone who had read the book so I borrowed it off someone I knew who knew someone who also had the book (A diffrent person) and read it. Was hooked by it and within three days had read the series. A very popular series it appears (Obviously by the lengths I had to go to to get it) and worth a look (Defintly thought the series went off track a bit in the third one, but it might've been nesscary)

[The Fuzz]

Pride and Prejudice for school

I've been assigned it for 2 weeks and am still at the end of Chapter 1.....I have no idea how I'll manage to finish the book and write my essay

I actually sorta enjoyed that, but it might have been because the girl I was dating at the time loved it...

Just approach it with an open mind and you'll see it's not that bad after all.

[Mooks]

Just got done reading Catch-22. Hilariously funny book. Made me realize I find bureaucracy inefficiency funny.



I am currently reading a few books. Just finished Caeser by Colleen Mccullough; a cross between a novel and history text; not very good at that start but when the Civil War starts; very good. Defintly taught me a lot about Roman history.

A very good book. Recommend it too all.

[Alexanderofmacedon]

Catch-22 is indeed a hilarious book. I don't remember many that I was able to laugh out loud.

Now reading "Paths to Russia: From War to Peace"

It's about a German man Helmut Schmidt who is a key figure in Deutsche Bank and his dealings with the Soviet Union around the 1960's onwards. He was a Wehrmacht soldier and he recalls (only briefly) some of the parallels between his life as a quasi-brainwashed soldier and the life as a representative for natural gas pipelines from Russia to the west that have changed the world. Very interesting, and well written.

[Decker]

Just finished reading The Day of Battle: The War in Sicily and Italy 1943-1944 by Rick Atkinson. This is the second book in the Liberation Trilogy that he is writing about the American Army during the War in Europe. This was a very well written and fantastically told work on the fighting for both Sicily and Italy, though he never finishes with the war in Italy once D-Day happens which really bumbed me out because I've hardly heard of what happens in Italy after the liberation of Rome. And it seems that he will cover D-Day to VE-Day. But besides this little "missing-link" as I like to call it, I'd say it was a very enjoyable book covering the American Army's "preformance" during the war. It's a good overview that will allow you to do your own research if you wish to delve deeper into anything. But, if you're looking for more details about the UK and Commonwealth, then this isn't the book as it focuses more mainly on the American aspect.

Right now, I just started The Great Mortality: An Intimate History of the Black Death, The Most Devastating Plague of All Time by John Kelly. I'm not far into it but I'm finding this to be quite the fascinating read to be square.

[Subedei]

A Distant Mirror: The Calamitous 14th Century by Barbara Tuchman. I would like to have more time to read these days, but what can you do...anyways, very good read. I think i mentioned this one before?!?!?

[Wishazu]

I`m currently reading The Singularity is Near by Ray Kurzweil. A very good book, but then again I`m a Transhumanist so I`m probably biased.

Between Christmas and now I have read two other books, The Temporal Void by Peter F. Hamilton, the second in the Void trilogy. This series so far is not his best but is still certainly worth checking out. The other book I just finished, The Cole Protocol by Tobias S. Buckell (I`m a massive Halo Geek) it was pretty good, not nearly as good as the Halo novels by Nylund but not the weakest in the entire series.

the Twilight series. Someone I knew knew someone who had read the book so I borrowed it off someone I knew who knew someone who also had the book (A diffrent person) and read it. Was hooked by it and within three days had read the series. A very popular series it appears (Obviously by the lengths I had to go to to get it) and worth a look (Defintly thought the series went off track a bit in the third one, but it might've been nesscary) Warluster

I too crammed these all in during the week before the movies release in the UK, My girlfriend has been going on and on about them for months, I finally dived in and was hooked. Funnily enough, my favourite book was actually the third Eclipse, it had the most action in it. My least favourite was Breaking Dawn it read a bit more like a soap opera with an anti climatic ending. I would still reccomend the entire series.

[shlin28]

"Ghost" by Robert Harris - Decent read, but went into sharp decline around the halfway point. The ending was extremely rushed. The worst book by Harris by far. Now I got to find "Imperium", the last Harris book I havn't read yet.

A bunch of Horus Heresy books - "Legion", "Battle for the Abyss" and "Mechanicum". L and M were absolutely brilliant, but Battle for the Abyss? Blarghhhhh... I hope the 3 Horus Heresy books out this year will be be of the same quality as Legion and Mechanicum.

"Of Mice and Men" by Steinbeck - Interesting storyline with good descriptions, but too short. This is also for school so that takes the fun out of it as well :no:

[Gbone]

Centennial
James Mitchner

[ajaxfetish]

Finally finished Don Quixote (a project that ended up taking several years), so now I'm on to Canterbury Tales.

Also rereading the Wheel of Time series in the hopes that the 12th installment will be finished by the time I get there.

Ajax

[Ramses II CP]

The Celestine Prophecy (On the recommendation of a pretty girl).

:egypt:

[Martok]

Just started Anathem by Neal Stephenson. It's a rather dense/heavy read, but that's pretty much par for the course with his books. :book:

[Andres]

Had to dig this thread up.

Currently reading Albert Camus' "The Plague" ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Plague) Fascinating (and in a way pretty hilarious) stuff.

Still have Kafka's "The Castle" and Camus' "The Fall" on my shelf. Catching up on my existentialism, so it seems. Woud this be the prelude to my midlife crisis :stupido2:

[Ramses II CP]

The Celestine Prophecy, by the way, carries a pretty good story for new age claptrap and if you can boil away all the nonsense the points behind them are actually solid. I was surprised to enjoy reading it and clearing away the weird bits to get to the meat of it.

The pretty girl was a bit of a nut (I fault myself for liking 'em that way) but she has good taste in books.

:egypt:

[Craterus]

Had to dig this thread up.

Currently reading Albert Camus' "The Plague" ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Plague) Fascinating (and in a way pretty hilarious) stuff.

Still have Kafka's "The Castle" and Camus' "The Fall" on my shelf. Catching up on my existentialism, so it seems. Woud this be the prelude to my midlife crisis :stupido2:

I intend to read The Myth of Sisyphus in the near future. ~:)

For now, I am reading The Count of Monte Cristo by Dumas and some Thomas Hobbes on the side (but I can't say I'm enjoying it).

Lots (almost too many) books on my shortlist though, I don't know where I'll find the time.

[Hooahguy]

lets dig this thread up, shall we?

right now im reading Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six.
ok, im playing the game, now why not read the book?
after 200 pages, i have officially determined it is one of the best books ive ever read. when Chavez and his team sneaks up on the castle with the terrorists inside, i can almost feel as if im sneaking in with them.

[miotas]

Am I the only one who thinks that its a bit pretentious the way his name is in all those titles? Tom Clancy's Rainbow six by Tom Clancy. You know, the one by Tom Clancy?

Anywho, I'm reading The Light Fantastic. I'm becoming more and more convinced that Terry Pratchett is in fact the best author alive. I've read a few of his novels in a bit of a random fashion, but now I've decided to go through and read them in order.

It is impossible to read a Discworld novel and not laugh. If you find someone who doesn't laugh at one, then you have found yourself an evil sadistic maniac and you should call the authorities to lock them up before they hurt anyone.

[Scurvy]

Just started Anathem by Neal Stephenson. It's a rather dense/heavy read, but that's pretty much par for the course with his books. :book:

I really enjoyed Snow Crash, but despite that never got round to reading anything else by him, I might look it up.


Currently reading Albert Camus' "The Plague" Fascinating (and in a way pretty hilarious) stuff.

Still have Kafka's "The Castle" and Camus' "The Fall" on my shelf. Catching up on my existentialism, so it seems. Woud this be the prelude to my midlife crisis

I really rate 'The Castle' (and The Trial), both well worth reading.

I didn't enjoy 'The Plague' (although the English translation I think did it no favours). I thought 'The Stranger' was better. For existentialism I much preffered Sartre's 'Nausea'.

--> Currently reading 'Stand on Zanzibar' by John Brunner, solid but unspectacular so far, although i'm only about a 1/5 through.

:book:

[Hooahguy]

Am I the only one who thinks that its a bit pretentious the way his name is in all those titles? Tom Clancy's Rainbow six by Tom Clancy. You know, the one by Tom Clancy?
its not much different than the other authors who have their names in huge letters in the front and the titles are smaller.
and tom clancy has become a staple of military books, so i guess the Tom Clancy name makes the book identify with the awesomeness.

anyhow, the name isnt important.

[Monk]

The Fall of Carthage by Adrian Goldsworthy.

Got it for pretty cheap off Amazon for something to read in between classes after I finished the Hitchiker's Guide series. The book is a historical look at the Punic Wars, their causes, their impact and the personal motivations for many who were involved. It's pretty cool, but it could really use some quality illustrations where it attempts to explain what the soldiers of each side looked like or were equipped with. The maps provided are decent enough though which is a huge plus.

Other than that, it's a dense read and you can easily find yourself overwhelmed with just how much information Goldsworthy throws at you. There are times when you just wanna say "I get it, please move on!" and in that vain I'll admit I've skipped over a few parts. :book:

[Crazed Rabbit]

Am I the only one who thinks that its a bit pretentious the way his name is in all those titles? Tom Clancy's Rainbow six by Tom Clancy. You know, the one by Tom Clancy?

There are some books were, apparently, Clancy helped create the idea for the book, but somebody else did the writing. So it'd be Tom Clancy's Infowars by Some Jerk You've Never Heard Of. So it does have some use.

CR

[Hooahguy]

There are some books were, apparently, Clancy helped create the idea for the book, but somebody else did the writing. So it'd be Tom Clancy's Infowars by Some Jerk You've Never Heard Of. So it does have some use.

CR
QFT

an example of this would be Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter (the book).

also, he wrote a lot of books under pen names.

[Martok]

I began re-reading the Honor Harrington series a couple months ago -- including several books in the larger "Honorverse" that I *hadn't* read til now -- and am finally getting towards the end now.

Am currently reading one of the "new" novels: Shadow of Saganami, which is (surprise!) the first book in the spin-off "Saganami Island" series. Only two more books left after this one: At All Costs (which is the most recent book in the main series) and Storm of Shadows, which is the second book in the Saganami series (just released earlier this year).

I'm not sure what I think about Shadow of Saganami yet, but it's been good enough that I haven't had to "force" myself to read it, so I suppose it can't be too bad. :beam:



I really enjoyed Snow Crash, but despite that never got round to reading anything else by him, I might look it up.
I'd certainly recommend it. It's a *very* dense, read, however -- one that you pretty much have to read slowly, just so your brain has time to wrap itself around the concepts the book discusses.

As a "primer", you might want to read Stephenson's Cryptanomicon (sp?) first. In terms of complexity, I found it to be a nice intermediate step between Snow Crash and Anathem, myself.

[HopAlongBunny]

Went on a book buying binge.

Discipline and Punish: Michel Foucault
The Gilded Age: Mark Twain & Charles Dudley Warner
Anna Karenina: Leo Tolstoy
The Lost Massey Lectures: CBC Massey Lectures Series

Should set me up for the Summer.

Foucault is the shortest, but will probably take the longest; so I'm starting with that.

[Maion Maroneios]

Just finished reading Stephen King's 'Salem's Lot. It was a good book. I guess I'll have to go to the library soon to get some more.

Maion

[Craterus]

Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad

[Mouzafphaerre]

.
Back to reading, sort of, after a long while.

Presently reading the "Bizans" (Byzantium) issue of the periodical "Cogito", from 1999. Recently finished "Târih Lenk", a harsh yet well deserved critical on fake, careless, plagiarised and otherwise faulty history books and a fair translation of Gotthelf Bergsträßer's History of Semitic Languages: "Elsine-i Sâmiye Târîhi" (published and annotated as "Sâmî Dilleri Târihi").
.

[Louis VI the Fat]

Currently I am reading:


'Six Easy Steps to Picking up Trashy Women'

[Tratorix]

Reading Stephen King's The Stand. About halfway through and it's quite good. Doesn't seem to meander about like lots of King's other books, lots of stuff going on.

[CountArach]

Teach Yourself Ancient Greek... because I want to teach myself Ancient Greek.

I'm also reading through the official guide to the 2009 Tour de France... only a few more days.

[Veho Nex]

The Celestine Prophecy (On the recommendation of a pretty girl).

:egypt:

Last time I read a book on recomendation of a pretty girl, it was Vanity Fair...

[drone]

I'd certainly recommend it. It's a *very* dense, read, however -- one that you pretty much have to read slowly, just so your brain has time to wrap itself around the concepts the book discusses.

As a "primer", you might want to read Stephenson's Cryptanomicon (sp?) first. In terms of complexity, I found it to be a nice intermediate step between Snow Crash and Anathem, myself.

I just finished Snow Crash, having already read Cryptonomicon and the entire Baroque Cycle. It moved along much faster (probably due to heavy editing, I imagine he didn't have the leeway he gets now), but you can see where his tangential tendencies come from. A good read overall.

Now I'm reading Imperium by Robert Harris. About halfway through it, I'm pleasantly surprised so far.

[Beirut]

Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad

Going to have to finish that one day.

Reading The Trial and Death of Socrates, and Baptism of Fire about the Canadian Army at the Second Battle of Ypres (WWI).

Ordering some Aristotle from Amazon tonight.

Few things are as much fun as ordering books from Amazon. :sunny:

[Prussian to the Iron]

right now i'm reading 'The Man in the Iron Mask'. Alexandre Dumas is one of my favorite writers; The Three Musketeers was great, and The Count of Monte Cristo was very, very interesting, yet hard to read.

I would recommend both, along with the D'Artagnan Series

[Owen Glyndwr]

For school, I'm reading and annotating Jean Paul Sartre's "Existentialism" which should be fun!

For fun, I'm thinking of picking up Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift, I always love a good satire!

If anyone's interested, I recently finished reading Norman Davies's 1400 page Europe: A History, which was an absolutely fascinating read!

[Beirut]

If anyone's interested, I recently finished reading Norman Davies's 1400 page Europe: A History, which was an absolutely fascinating read!

Yes, I am interested. Was just looking at it on Amazon. I'd be happy to read any other thoughts you have on the book.

Looking to get Barbara Tuchman's The Distant Mirror as well, about the 14th century. Plague, war, religious strife. What's not to love?

[GeneralHankerchief]

Reading Stephen King's The Stand. About halfway through and it's quite good. Doesn't seem to meander about like lots of King's other books, lots of stuff going on.

Standard or uncut edition?

And afterwards, you should try his Dark Tower series if you haven't already. The first book is subpar, but if you can get through that it's really excellent stuff. :yes:

[Beirut]

Pardon me if I go ever so slightly OT, but does anyone else buy Dover Thrift Editions?

I adore these books. They might not look as sexy on the shelf as more expensive editions, but buying a classic book, brand new, for as little as $1.75 - with most in the $2.50 to $4.00 range - is great. And they have a fantastic selection.


http://www.doverthrift.com/

[Tratorix]

Standard or uncut edition?

And afterwards, you should try his Dark Tower series if you haven't already. The first book is subpar, but if you can get through that it's really excellent stuff. :yes:

Uncut edition. Honestly, I was expecting it to include more filler than it does, i've only come across a chapter or two where he rambles on about nothing, which for a Stephen King book this long is impressive. I've got the first Dark Tower book on my bookshelf, maybe I'll start it once I finish this.

[Craterus]

Going to have to finish that one day.

I'll be honest, it hasn't grabbed me yet but I haven't read much.

Anyone have any idea how long this book should be? The version I've got seems short and I've got a feeling it's probably abridged but can't find the info anywhere on the inside covers... :shame:

[Lemur]

I'm not reading it, but I wish I were: Moon People (https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showthread.php?t=118982)!

[Mouzafphaerre]

.

For fun, I'm thinking of picking up Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift, I always love a good satire!
Very good choice. :yes: Unfortunately I was busy with... lazy with... GAH! I don't remember why I didn't complete it after reading about 3/4rd. :embarassed:
.

[Beirut]

Gah! I just got the Iliad from Amazon and it's the prose translation edition, not the original translation of the poetry. :wall:

I was ready for it, man! I was *^&^%# ready for it. I was going to punch my way through every word of Homeric Heroism and I got smudged with the twinky prose edition. All my training down the drain.

The only good part is that I bought the Dover Thrift Edition and it cost me all of $4. I think I'll give it to the library.

Going to be more careful at Amazon next time.

[Wishazu]

I`m currently reading "The God Delusion" by Richard Dawkins and have found it fascinating. Two days in a row now I`ve settled down to read it in the bath without noticing the water turning cold after an hour or more lol.

[Centurion1]

Gah! I just got the Iliad from Amazon and it's the prose translation edition, not the original translation of the poetry.

Hey man i HAVE to read it for AP Latin. Plus the Aeneid. Trust me learning a language while reading homer and Vergil is way better than the alternative...... *shudders* french

Anyway I'm reading Dr. Zhivago by Boris Pasternak. Eh, its all right a little lovey-dovey but whatever. i read pretty fast so now that I've found this thread ill have a new book every week or so. lol

[CountArach]

Hey man i HAVE to read it for AP Latin. Plus the Aeneid. Trust me learning a language while reading homer and Vergil is way better than the alternative...... *shudders* french
You are reading the Iliad... for latin? :inquisitive:

[Lemur]

I was going to say, "Maybe he means the Aeneid," but then he mentions it as another title he's reading. I'm stumped. Maybe he's reading Horace's lost Latin translation or something? If so, this could be huge news for classicists ...

[Hooahguy]

currently reading "for whom the bell tolls" by Hemingway. im only on the third page, but so far its great.

[CountArach]

I was going to say, "Maybe he means the Aeneid," but then he mentions it as another title he's reading. I'm stumped. Maybe he's reading Horace's lost Latin translation or something? If so, this could be huge news for classicists ...
I think I have it. Virgil took a lot of inspiration from Homer for his Aeneid and as such an understanding of the Iliad would most probably help when it comes to looking at thematic links.

[Beirut]

Hey man i HAVE to read it for AP Latin. Plus the Aeneid. Trust me learning a language while reading homer and Vergil is way better than the alternative...... *shudders* french


You're reading the Iliad in Latin?

You're able to read the Iliad in Latin?

I am profoundly jealous. :shame:

[Centurion1]

no not a direct translation of Homers Illiad. As im sure all of you know it was written before latin was a written language (and barely spoken, if at all) Afterwards though the Romans discovered the epic during the greek takeover. They of course copied it by Virgils Aeneid and then they also translated the original into latin. Trust me, even if they didnt you could probably find the iliad in any language because it is an international piece of work.

as someone said our teacher is making us do both to determine grammar, syntax, and disparities between the two stories. Oh and the iliad is in my textbook which is all latin and the aeneid, i had to buy.

And yes i can read the iliad in latin, think about it its not that hard, i dont have to listen to it which would be impossible, its always easier to translate the written word than the spoken tongue. Hope this clears up my Latin homework for everyone.

[Beirut]

And yes I can read the Iliad in latin,

I hate you. I hate your clothes, the air you breathe, and the ground you walk upon. I loathe the very sun rays that warm you on a spring day.

:brood: Bun'cha intellectual hoity-toyties doing things I'm too stupid to do... mumble-grumble....

[Centurion1]

Ahh, hate is not a good thing young one.

Centurion-san have three easy steps to read in latin
1. Love what your reading
2. Take the language in High School with an amazing teacher
3. pack a pocket dictionary

With these three steps you too can read the iliad in latin

P.S. *sniffles* i aint hoity-toity

[Beirut]

Ahh, hate is not a good thing young one.

You are of course correct. But I am probably old enough to have fathered you.

Did I father you? :inquisitive:


Centurion-san have three easy steps to read in latin
1. Love what your reading
2. Take the language in High School with an amazing teacher
3. pack a pocket dictionary

With these three steps you too can read the iliad in latin

1. Cool.
2. Fairly impossible at this stage.
3. Pockets? I have pockets.



P.S. *sniffles* i aint hoity-toity

You are every possible thing I can think of if you are able to read the classics in Latin. There is no exageration or hyperbole strong enough to adequately define the potency of my jealousy.

[Centurion1]

Let me describe the scenario. I am a relatively popular kid, play sports, blah, blah, blah. but i am also a smart kid and slightly nerdy. When i enroll my dream was to take Latin. one because i'm a history nerd. And most importantly the teacher is a hoss. He will teach me latin and let me drink when we go to Rome my senior year. Dude it is anything but hoity toity, i learn and it can be a study hall if i want it to be so.

[Alexandros_III]

"The Virtues of War" by Pressfield as well as glancing through The Iliad.

[Martok]

"The Virtues of War" by Pressfield
A very good book, although not my personal favorite by Pressfield. His superb Tides of War and Gates of Fire are tops on my list, with Last of the Amazons receiving honorable mention. The man knows his ancient Greek history. :2thumbsup:


As for myself, I'm nearing the (current, temporary) end of the Honor Harrington books. Am over halfway through At All Costs, with only Storm From the Shadows left to go after that.

[Mouzafphaerre]

.
Europe in Islam by Jack Goody :book2:
.

[Centurion1]

Amen to steven pressfields work. I especially loved gates of fire and virtues of war. He portrays sparta and alexander perfectly

[Alexandros_III]

The Afghan Campaign was also very well done.

[Centurion1]

It was at that! Ususally that campaign is glossed over to preserve the illusion of Alexander never losing large numbers of men. It was nice to see the whole picture again (especially in novel format!)

[Furunculus]

Treasons Harbour by Patrick O'brien.

[Craterus]

I've read The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde and The Catcher in the Rye over the past 2 days.

Next up is We Need To Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver. I'm less keen on the format of this one though.

[Centurion1]

Treasons Harbour by Patrick O'brien.

My father got me hooked on those books. O'brien is an excellent period writer about the british navy.

[Kralizec]

I bought a prose translation of the Illiad and the Oddesey a couple of weeks ago, but I haven't gotten very far yet. I suppose you have to skim through all the passages describing every detail about every single grunt being killed and where they came from and their ancestors three generations back etc., but I'm accustomed to reading thoroughly - and then it becomes pretty boring.

[Centurion1]

Well from my experience reading them it is best to read the first few parts aloud. it may sound stupid but it is the way it was meant to be read. After awhile you begin to really feel the flow and ebb of the piece and you wont have to look like a maniac describing the kills of the god-like men on the fields of red.

Oh and after reading one epic poem i would recommend reading the others, because you will start to feel the pieces as all were written for the same reason (to entertain people in the winter months) I mean of course the greats like Beowulf, Aeneid, Gilgamesh, Hiawatha by longfellow, etc.

[Beirut]

Well from my experience reading them it is best to read the first few parts aloud. it may sound stupid but it is the way it was meant to be read.


I heard that people didn't read silently until the Middle Ages.

And I think you're quite right. :yes:

[Alexander the Pretty Good]

Currently I'm reading Hell in a Very Small Place by Bernard Fall about Dien Bien Phu. A little dry but very thorough. I haven't gotten to the "why" part of it - the French essentially did everything wrong strategically and tactically regarding the set-up of their base there, and I find that baffling. But then again, Monday morning quarterbacking is easier than the actual endevour...

[Centurion1]

the French essentially did everything wrong strategically and tactically regarding the set-up of their base there, and I find that baffling.

Why is that surprising to you? jk

And did you know that Ho Chi Minh was originally a capitalist favoring nationalist who liked America. God, instead we sided with someone who just lost a world war in like 10 days, a racist colonial power, and their leader was an obnoxious git (sorry to any de gaulle fans out there). Just chalk it up to idiocy. Of course as you said everything does look much easier in hindsight.

[CountArach]

New Spring by Robert Jordan. Once again I am attempting to finish the entire series.

[Furunculus]

My father got me hooked on those books. O'brien is an excellent period writer about the british navy.

agreed, i'm on my second run through of the first eight, intending to reach the sixteenth this time around.

[Martok]

New Spring by Robert Jordan. Once again I am attempting to finish the entire series.
You're aware that two more books remain? (The next one is apparently due out this fall.) Personally, I'm holding off until they're *both* released.

[Alexander the Pretty Good]

I got The Invisible Hook for my birthday so I'm probably going to put HIAVSP on hold until I finish it. It's an analysis of pirate cooperation and self-governance on the high seas - the title of course being a play on Adam Smith's invisible hand. So far excellent! :2thumbsup:

[||Lz3||]

Chronicles of an announced death. By literature Nobel winner Gabriel García Marquez.

[CountArach]

You're aware that two more books remain? (The next one is apparently due out this fall.) Personally, I'm holding off until they're *both* released.
Oh yeah I know that - though I believe they are going for 3 more books, one per year, starting this year. I have to read other stuff for Uni at the same time so I suspect that at least the first of the 3 books will be released. I remember the story well enough so that I could still enjoy the last two.

[Centurion1]

agreed, i'm on my second run through of the first eight, intending to reach the sixteenth this time around.

have you read the golden ocean yet, (its outside the master and commander series). Very good but i recommend reading after the entire series is finished

[Avicenna]

Chronicles of an announced death. By literature Nobel winner Gabriel García Marquez.

Are you enjoying it?

I recently read two of Senor Garcia's works: One Hundred Years of Solitude, and the General's Labyrinth.
I must admit that they both seemed quite peculiar to me.

[Zim]

On Killing, by Dave Grossman. I bought it earlier this summer to see why it was such a big deal in the law enforcement community. Kind of breezed through it so now I'm rereading it.

Some of the conclusions in the later chapters don't seem to have stood the test of time well, but all the research on how soldiers react to combat conditions is very interesting.

[Martok]

I just finished Fool by Christopher Moore. It's utterly frickin' HILARIOUS.

I'm not kidding -- I honestly either laughed just about every other page on average. The book is essentially King Lear written as a (extremely bawdy/lewd) comedy, with the Middle English replaced by modern English and most of the character's lines spoken with a Cockney accent. (Yeah, try and wrap your mind around *that* concept -- I dare you!) :laugh4:

I also love one of his other books Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal (which I own). For as much as I enjoy that one, however, I must confess Fool is even better. I checked out this copy from my local library, but I'd already realized about 10 pages in that I was going to have to purchase it for myself.

This book is an absolute stitch; I can't possibly recommend it enough! :thumbsup:

[Decker]

Currently I'm reading Hell in a Very Small Place by Bernard Fall about Dien Bien Phu. A little dry but very thorough. I haven't gotten to the "why" part of it - the French essentially did everything wrong strategically and tactically regarding the set-up of their base there, and I find that baffling. But then again, Monday morning quarterbacking is easier than the actual endevour...
I personally enjoyed that book a lot. It's a good read for seeing the French version of Vietnam, something you do not hear very much about...

I just finished reading
https://i109.photobucket.com/albums/n73/kawaiku/TheMarchUp-TakingBaghdadwiththe1stM.jpg

A really good book imho. A good insight into the invasion of Iraq seen through the eyes of two ex-Marines who had fought in Vietnam and their commentary on the latest generation of Marines. The main author Bing West paints a rather frank picture of the invasion, all the miscommunitations between the combatants and the civilians (which is something in of itself :wall:)... the misconception of having on the spot information (like the popular use of whiteboards for instance). I'd recommend it for anyone trying to understand the war in Iraq from the perspective of those on the ground.

[CountArach]

Reading Sharpe's Triumph by Bernard Cornwell.

[Centurion1]

Bernard Cornwell *bows in supplication*. I have read every book he ever wrote and am waiting for the next one about his Alfred the Great series to come out.

[Marshal Murat]

I'm working on Starship Troopers right now, gearing me up for college.
While I do agree that the book is very utopic in it's overall view, it does do a good job illuminating the basics of civic duty, respect, basic human character, military life, and civic responsibility. I kinda wish Heinlein didn't have the later combat parts simply because it slowed it down too much for me while reading the message in the book.

I'm also breezing through a biography on Cochrane, but the author seems too laudatory than serious or in-depth.

[Martok]

Bernard Cornwell *bows in supplication*. I have read every book he ever wrote and am waiting for the next one about his Alfred the Great series to come out.
Ah yes, his "Saxon Tales" series. Definitely my favorite of all of Cornwell's works so far (not that the rest of his books are anything to sneer at either)! I too am eagerly looking forward to the next book. :2thumbsup:


By the by: I've been meaning to thank those of you who encouraged me to try out Cornwell. He's quickly become one of my favorite historical authors, right up there with Steven Pressfield. Many, many thanks for the recommendation. :bow:



I'm working on Starship Troopers right now, gearing me up for college.
While I do agree that the book is very utopic in it's overall view, it does do a good job illuminating the basics of civic duty, respect, basic human character, military life, and civic responsibility. I kinda wish Heinlein didn't have the later combat parts simply because it slowed it down too much for me while reading the message in the book.
I just finally got around to reading it myself earlier this year. I was pleasantly surprised by how insightful I found it to be. Not that I necessarily *agree* with everything Heinlein says, but he does offer some genuinely interesting perspectives.

[CountArach]

Got my University textbooks and it is times like these I love doing an Ancient History degree... I got 5 textbooks and they are:

The Iliad
The Odyssey
The Aeneid
The Civil War (Lucan)
A Very Short History of the Spanish Civil War

The first 4 are all for one course in Ancient Epic and the last book is obviously for a Modern History course in the Spanish Civil War.

[Togakure]

Just finished The Gap into Conflict - The Real Story (by Stephen R. Donaldson, author of the Thomas Covenant Unbeliever series). About to start the second book, The Gap into Vision: Forbidden Knowledge. Quite different from Donaldson's fantasy-ish stuff. Liking it so far.

[Ser Clegane]

Just started the "Augustus" biography by Anthony Everitt

[Marshal Murat]

I just finished Carriers by Tom Clancy, just to brush up on Navy stuff (Doing NROTC in College) and I'm about to read Team Yankee by Harold Coyle.
I actually found the book in the local Goodwill, picked it up (read about it on Amazon), read the first chapter and I got hooked. It so succinctly encapsulates the emotions that lie in a company of soldiers, and then what that becomes in war and conflict. It's a great short read about WW3.

[Decker]

Nice find on Team Yankee, I've been keeping an eye out for it at local bookstores. Looks like I need to change where I look :dizzy2:

[Martok]

The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett. I've had a couple people recommend him for historical fiction, so I figured I'd give this one a go.

[Centurion1]

Just started the "Augustus" biography by Anthony Everitt

i enjoyed it. It was actually a pretty fast read as compared to most books of that nature.

[Furunculus]

You're aware that two more books remain? (The next one is apparently due out this fall.) Personally, I'm holding off until they're *both* released.

three more.

the last book was split into three parts, as one story.

[Martok]

three more.

the last book was split into three parts, as one story.
Ah, so that's been confirmed then? I wasn't aware of that; thank you. :bow:

Although I suppose that means I'll have to wait at least *three* years now before the series is finished. Gah! :wall:

[drone]

Now I'm reading Imperium by Robert Harris. About halfway through it, I'm pleasantly surprised so far.

Liked Imperium enough to buy and start on Pompeii. Oddly enough, my water main line broke when I started the book, if I smell sulfur all Orgahs in the DC vicinity are advised to evacuate. :beam:

[edyzmedieval]

Teutonic Knights by Henryk Sienkiewicz.
Brilliant book, one of the best when it comes to medieval stories.

On my list:
- David Gibbins Templar Gold
- Clive Cussler Arctic Drift

But first, I'm reading and writing my own book. :grin:

[Beirut]

The Iliad. (The poetry, not the prose.) Found a nice little hardcover edition at the flea market for a buck. Sweet!

Also found Herodotus: The Histories. That cost $3.00.

I love good cheap books. :sunny:

[CountArach]

The Iliad. (The poetry, not the prose.) Found a nice little hardcover edition at the flea market for a buck. Sweet!
I'm reading this too at the moment, though in prose because it is faster (Have to finish it in 3 weeks whilst doing my other Uni work) and my lecturers recommended the translation.

[Fragony]

I recommend wiki because that old crap is a pain to read. Fun if that happens to be fun to you I guess.

[Craterus]

The Three Musketeers currently, but at a much slower pace than the last few I've read.

[Mouzafphaerre]

.
The Lord of the Rings

For the nth time. Lost count after the fourth. :book2:
.

[Fragony]

Rereading the Undutchables, book about the Netherlands by an American couple, it's hilarious, we are lovingly torn to tiny little bits. It's fun watching your culture from a foreigners perspective, things that are completely normal here are total insanity and anarchy to them. Bottom line: the dutch are insane. And they kinda have a point.

[Beirut]

Just finished Warrior Politics by Robert Kaplan. Very good read. Brief, historical, and insighful. Took it out from the library but I might buy it.

http://www.amazon.ca/Warrior-Politics-Leadership-Demands-Pagan/dp/0375505636/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1249641903&sr=8-2

[rajpoot]

Reading 'The Once and Future King'.
I've wanted to read this since I was like 13....when I first heard about it. But it was only a week back that I actually managed to find a copy. On book three now.

By the way, I once read a translation of The Odyssey by T E Lawrence. I found it err...'nice' to read, better than another one I'd read. Been trying to find Iliad by T E Lawrence since then, but no luck. Can anyone direct me to an online copy or something?

[Lemur]

Plodding through Ex Libris (http://www.amazon.com/Ex-Libris-Ross-King/dp/0142000809), which is a dry, dry read. I may have to take it back to the library early.

-edit-

Ditched the interminable and boring Ex Libris, started reading Giles Milton's White Gold: The Extraordinary Story of Thomas Pellow and Islam's One Million White Slaves (http://www.amazon.com/White-Gold-Extraordinary-Thomas-Million/dp/0374289352). Much better read.

[Beirut]

By the way, I once read a translation of The Odyssey by T E Lawrence. I found it err...'nice' to read, better than another one I'd read. Been trying to find Iliad by T E Lawrence since then, but no luck. Can anyone direct me to an online copy or something?

I had no idea he translated those books. I'm going to look into that.

[Lemur]

Little known fact: T.E. Lawrence and Robert Graves (the classicist and novelist who wrote I, Claudius) were friends, and Graves encouraged the desert warrior to do the translations. Also, I believe Lawrence carried a copy of Apuleius' The Golden Ass through his entire war in Arabia.

[Legosoldier]

My Antonia, by Willa Cather. Most of my friends say it's boring... but I find it quite interesting to read.

[Hooahguy]

The Hunt for Red October
Tom Clancey

so far its pretty good, even though i dont really like books that center on intelligence activities.

[Lemur]

Re-reading the Sharpe novels (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Sharpe_%28fictional_character%29). Not as good as Patrick O'Brian (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aubrey-Maturin_series), but big fun nonetheless.

[Craterus]

Lucky Jim (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucky_Jim) by Kingsley Amis.

Almost finished that though so will be starting The Stranger next unless I find something else.

[Beirut]

The Hunt for Red October
Tom Clancey

so far its pretty good, even though i dont really like books that center on intelligence activities.

I thought it was a whonking good book. :yes:

His latest(?), The Bear and the Dragon, was also very good. The last two-hundred pages are a barn burner. You can read them over and over just a for a quick hour or so of solid action.

(Actually, I've read every Clancy book several times. Might not be high-class literature, but it's great fun and the guy really knows how to tell a story.)

[Mouzafphaerre]

.
Ordered 17 books. My friend currently on vacation in NJ will bring them along in a couple weeks:


The Hittites and Their Contemporaries in Asia Minor (Ancient Peoples and Places; V. 83)
Sumer and the Sumerians
A Natural History of Latin
The Origin of Language: Tracing the Evolution of the Mother Tongue
The Roman Empire and Its Germanic Peoples
Vox Graeca: the Pronunciation of Classical Greek
Structural Function of Harmony
The War of the Ring: the History of the Lord of the Rings, Part Three
A History of the Vikings
Fundamentals of Musical Composition
On the Sensations of Tone
The Sumerians: Their History, Culture, and Character
Theory of Harmony
The Trojan War: a New History
Archaeology and Language: the Puzzle of Indo-European Origins
Civilization Before Greece and Rome
History of the Goths


The Schönbergs (#s 7, 10, 13) and the Helmholtz (tr. Ellis, # 11) relate to my ancient interest and semi-profession; the Tolkien (# 8) is essential for my geek library; the rest, especially #s 6 and 14, are partly about my new line of study, my spoils from EB bibliography and my general keenness on language and history.

:jumping:
.

[Decker]

Going to start The Spy Who Came In From The Cold by John Le Carre. Apparently it's famous but I never heard of it. I'm reading it for class and will eventually get to The File by Timothy Garton Ash and Tea In The Harem by Mehdi Charef. That is all for one class!

[Fragony]

Recommendation for dutch/flemish/german(think it was translated) members, 'Het Diner' by Herman Koch. One of the best books I have read in quite some time, 2 brothers, their wives, a night out. And there is some uhmmmmmmm well tension between them, clearly something must have happened. Well something has happened alright, as they 'have to talk about their children'. One brother is the casual observer who doesn't want any parade, the other is the candidate for prime minister. The brothers don't get along very well, the casual observer who doesn't want any parade obviously finds his brother somewhat vulgar, every move his brother makes is scorned, up to the way he eats his steak, but he isn't that bad a guy really just one of these guys that are good with people. It gets a bit hard to swallow in the end and my parents would have dragged me to the police had they learned what their offspring has done, it's not very convincing to me. But good it is.

[Martok]

Was feeling the need for a bit of Star Trek, so I picked up Deep Space Nine's Terok Nor trilogy, which covers the Cardassians' 50-year occupation of Bajor. Am currently in the midst of the second book Night of the Wolves.

[Centurion1]

Am reading Henry Kissinger's Years of Upheaval.

Really not dry at all because Kissinger plays the role of storyteller as well as historian. Would probably anger many American democrats however.

[Lemur]

Would probably anger many American democrats however.
Why?

[CountArach]

Am reading Henry Kissinger's Years of Upheaval.

Really not dry at all because Kissinger plays the role of storyteller as well as historian. Would probably anger many American democrats however.
Sure, if you want to use the word historian in the loosest possible sense...

Reading Lucan's Civil War - not far into it, but I really am enjoying it, certainly far more than I enjoyed The Iliad. Maybe because the subject matter appeals to me more.

[johnhughthom]

Nearly finished Cormac McCarthy's The Road. Man that a bleak read.

[Lemur]

Nearly finished Cormac McCarthy's The Road. Man that a bleak read.
Yea, that book is bleak on bleak with a side of despair. Why Oprah recommended it to bored housewives, I have no idea. As I explained to Mrs. Lemur, "It's like Road Warrior without the sense of humor."

[woad&fangs]

Silent Night by Stanley Weintraub

It is about the Christmas truce during WWI. So far so good, but I'm not very far into it yet.

[Centurion1]

Would probably anger many American democrats however.



Why?

Ardent conservative, does not paint a positive picture of democrats ideology.


Sure, if you want to use the word historian in the loosest possible sense...

If you are talking about a slanted view then i say that 90% of modern historical literature needs at least 60 years before any bias is gone. The concept of a truly objective writer is almost impossible to find. Same reason i don't like the book about Kennedy that was written right after his death by a family friend.


Nearly finished Cormac McCarthy's The Road. Man that a bleak read.

Very well written though. I enjoyed it but it was more than a little unsettling.

[Lemur]

Ardent conservative, does not paint a positive picture of democrats ideology.
Well, the period of time that book covers was dominated by the Watergate scandal, so I'd be curious to see how he spins that into an attack on the opposing political party. Eh, he's a smart guy, I'm sure he manages it.

[Adrian II]

The concept of a truly objective writer is almost impossible to find.Define 'objective'.
Same reason i don't like the book about Kennedy that was written right after his death by a family friend.You mean Arthur Schlesinger's book A Thousand Days? What's not to like about it? Schlesinger was part of the Kennedy administration, the book is in many ways an eyewitness accounta and it contained a lot of news when it appeared. Besides it reflects the mentality and atmosphere of that administration, which is interesting in itself. Mr Schlesinger couldn't have waited sixty years - that is, till 2023 - to come up with something 'objective'. He died two years ago!

[Louis VI the Fat]

Define 'objective'.You mean Arthur Schlesinger's book A Thousand Days? What's not to like about it? Schlesinger was part of the Kennedy administration, the book is in many ways an eyewitness accounta and it contained a lot of news when it appeared. Besides it reflects the mentality and atmosphere of that administration, which is interesting in itself. Mr Schlesinger couldn't have waited sixty years - that is, till 2023 - to come up with something 'objective'. He died two years ago!The devastating thing is, that unlike me and my perennial bluffing, I quite suspect you of actually having read this book too.

And all those other books. :cry:


How many books do you read anyway? And how long does it take you to read one? :bittertears:

[CountArach]

If you are talking about a slanted view then i say that 90% of modern historical literature needs at least 60 years before any bias is gone. The concept of a truly objective writer is almost impossible to find. Same reason i don't like the book about Kennedy that was written right after his death by a family friend.
Professional historian > Amateur historian with a partisan story

Neither is unbiased, but one of them is in it for themselves. Can you guess which one that is?

[Centurion1]

Professional historian > Amateur historian with a partisan story

Neither is unbiased, but one of them is in it for themselves. Can you guess which one that is?

Can you guess where i said that a professional historian is not more objective than a amateur.

*hint* it is nowhere :clown:

And i never said that i trusted Kissinger implicitly. I just said it was interesting to read a book about the time period from someone who was actively there. Doesn't mean i take each word as god-given truths.

[Lemur]

Gents, let's try to avoid getting all Backroom over the subject. Nobody has done so yet, but it's easy to see how to get there from here.

[Adrian II]

How many books do you read anyway?About 3 a week on average. That makes 156 a year, which (starting from age 15) makes for a total of about 5600 books. Which is absolutely nothing, less a speck of dust in mankind's cumulative library. I just reacted to the post above because I happened to know that Schlesinger book and the other one he wrote about Robert Kennedy.

I didn't read Kissinger. But I imagine that it is interesting. Memoirs from historians who were politically active are often fascinating because both during the action and during the writing afterwards, they were bound to feel that history was looking across their shoulder and holding them accountable, as it were.

Nixon and Kissinger saw eye to eye on a lot of topics, but Nixon had made a career as a hard-hitting lawyer and knew his fellow man and his weaknesses, Kissinger was a theoretician who was knowledgeable about states and statecraft. Interesting match.

[Centurion1]

Yes i am not saying that the kennedy book was bad. i read it and i really enjoyed it to be honest. i wouldn't consider everything they say to be super accurate though. I feel the same way about the kissinger book. so far it is very good, the man is classy enough that he hasn't turned it into a bashing of other politicians which i cannot stand no matter who the politician is.

[Hooahguy]

just wanted to give an update after i finished The Hunt for Red October. it was great, and i highly recommend it.
although the ending scene where the Russian officers stay up late mezmerized by the tv sounds a bit silly, and reminds me of Borat.

[Centurion1]

The Hunt for Red October

Ah excellent novel. i recommend most of the books he wrote. i know you play a lot of rainbow six right, hooah (or is it counterstrike, sorry not sure)? You should read his rainbow six book then, big book but very good.

[OverKnight]

I just started "K Blows Top (http://www.amazon.com/dp/1586484974/?tag=googhydr-20&hvadid=3159202791&ref=pd_sl_830vciijx8_b)". It's a book detailing Nikita Khrushchev's nearly two week visit to the United States in 1959.

So far I'm greatly enjoying it. Any book that has the Soviet Chairman and Vice-President Nixon arguing over which sort of animal dung smells worse is a grabber.

[Hooahguy]

Ah excellent novel. i recommend most of the books he wrote. i know you play a lot of rainbow six right, hooah (or is it counterstrike, sorry not sure)? You should read his rainbow six book then, big book but very good.
yea rainbow six was an amazing book.

[Beskar]

Currently reading Assegai (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assegai_(novel)).

[Fragony]

Satanic Verses, I promised to give it another try but it doesn't change my opinion Salman Rushie is a terrible writer. Well not really terrible but absolutely overrated. Is the man capable of constructing a sentence I think not it's longwinded and it goes from here to there and I don't know where it started?

Get your fashion out of here I like to read I don't necesarily like writers.

[johnhughthom]

Ah excellent novel.

I was a big fan of Tom Clancy when I was younger, reading his stuff now now I find him difficult to take seriously. If he cut out his characters giving political lectures and stuck to what he does best I would still read his books. "Without Remorse" is probably my favourite Clancy novel, followed by "Rainbow Six" (that ruined any chance of actually studying during my first few weeks at uni!).

I'm currently reading "The Bell Jar", not enjoying it, and a biography of Edward I (the English King in Braveheart), loving it. Anybody else finding it difficult to enjoy fiction the older they get? The only fiction I have really enjoyed reading this year was "The Road" and Grisham's latest.

[Lemur]

Anybody else finding it difficult to enjoy fiction the older they get?
Nope, but then I'm immature. I'll admit, though, that some authors and books lose their shine as I mature. I tried to re-read the Elric of Melniboné (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elric_of_Melnibon%C3%A9) books recently, and found that I have simply gotten too old and savvy to enjoy them properly. Yet another series of books that you either encounter young or miss the ride. I'd also include the Conan books, the Sherlock Holmes stories, the John Carter of Mars books, etc.

[johnhughthom]

although the ending scene where the Russian officers stay up late mezmerized by the tv sounds a bit silly, and reminds me of Borat.

I may be getting mixed up (around twenty years ago I read it and never watched the film) but doesn't Clancy reference Eisenstein throughout the book, and the Russian characters love of his work? Seemed like a nice way to end it to me.

[Centurion1]

and a biography of Edward I

Ah edward longshanks right. Is it good i have been looking for some good literature on the warrior kings of england.

[johnhughthom]

Ah edward longshanks right. Is it good i have been looking for some good literature on the warrior kings of england.

My knowledge of Edward I isn't extensive so I can't comment on the accuracy but it is well written and managed to suck me in. I sat down only planning to read the first chapter as I had to get up early for work and ended up reading 100 pages. I haven't got to his actual kingship yet, but what I have read about his early life is very interesting so far, so many cases of faction hopping and double crossings.

It's called "A Great and Terrible King", by Marc Morris.

[Adrian II]

Anybody else finding it difficult to enjoy fiction the older they get?Good point. I have the same experience. Reality is much more interesting than most fiction. I have never liked purely imaginary tales like scince fiction and my taste has narowed even more with age. The only fiction I read these days is stuff that is 'close' to reality, in the sens of (quasi-)autobiographic: Philip Roth, Heinrich Böll, Céline.

[Centurion1]

It's called "A Great and Terrible King", by Marc Morris.

Hmm, i will be sure to check that out.


I don;t know about fiction, i have always been more drawn to realistic fiction and things like alternative history. Can't say that i don't enjoy some total sci fi books like r.a. salvatore or the like.

[Xiahou]

I've had kind of a book drought for awhile, but recently, I've been getting back into it more. In the last few weeks I read Wilderness Navigation (http://www.amazon.com/Wilderness-Navigation-Finding-Altimeter-Mountaineers/dp/0898869536/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1252550273&sr=8-1), World War Z (http://www.amazon.com/World-War-Oral-History-Zombie/dp/0307346617/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1252550310&sr=8-1) and have almost finished A Game of Thrones (http://www.amazon.com/Game-Thrones-Song-Fire-Book/dp/0553381687/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1252550227&sr=8-1). I have the next in the series, A Clash of Kings, in the mail from Amazon already.

The 'A Song of Ice and Fire' series promises to be excellent. I just hope the author doesn't go all Robert Jordan on me.... :sweatdrop:

[Tratorix]

I've had kind of a book drought for awhile, but recently, I've been getting back into it more. In the last few weeks I read Wilderness Navigation (http://www.amazon.com/Wilderness-Navigation-Finding-Altimeter-Mountaineers/dp/0898869536/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1252550273&sr=8-1), World War Z (http://www.amazon.com/World-War-Oral-History-Zombie/dp/0307346617/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1252550310&sr=8-1) and have almost finished A Game of Thrones (http://www.amazon.com/Game-Thrones-Song-Fire-Book/dp/0553381687/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1252550227&sr=8-1). I have the next in the series, A Clash of Kings, in the mail from Amazon already.

The 'A Song of Ice and Fire' series promises to be excellent. I just hope the author doesn't go all Robert Jordan on me.... :sweatdrop:

The chance of him finishing the series is low by this point, methinks. :no: He's been working* on the last book for about five years now.

I'm currently reading Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury.

*By working, I mean blogging about football and eating pizza. But, hey, check out the series coming soon on HBO!

[Hooahguy]

i just finished Patriot Games, by Tom Clancy. im turning out to be a TC junkie, arent i? :laugh4:
it was, in all honesty, sort of boring. sure, when the action is there is very good, but most of the book, and it was quite long, was talking. only a few pages in the beginning, a few pages in the middle, and a a dozen pages in the end had action, which was a letdown.

i just requested The Bear and the Dragon from my local library, and cant wait to get that one started.

[johnhughthom]

The Bear and the Dragon isn't great. Have you read Red Storm Rising, I think you would enjoy that.

[Alexander the Pretty Good]

Recently read Battles of the Bible, an account of ancient Israel's military history. It felt too high-level and rather dry without also being really informative. I think part of the problem is a lot of work went on behind the scenes - they'll take a passage from the Bible, say "this probably meant this strategic or tactical move" and then follow it up with "and that's why X historical figure was such a great general." What would be more interesting to me would be a little more information on how they reach the conclusions about what the Bible was saying in such-and-such a battle.

Also re-read Animal Farm on a whim when looking for something short to read. It's a little too short and I'm a little too familiar with it now. The preface inspired me to get the library to put Homage to Catalonia on hold so I'm waiting on that.

Currently in the middle of Mere Christianity. Starts out very philosophically punchy, which I like. Lewis does a good job of going right for the jugular. Then as he goes from broader goals (establishing there is a God or eliminating moral relativity) he gets mired in the details of Christian religion. Which is the point, I suppose, but it also slows things down. Part of the problem is also probably ideological. I simply disagree with some of the premises he uses (not a lot but some niggling ones).

And I've got the book on the Wehrmacht that was mentioned in the Monastary on order from the library system as well, so once those come in I'll have plenty of material to read while not doing my course work.

[johnhughthom]

Saw Dan Brown's new book at half price so thought I may as well give it a go, predictably it's exactly the same as Angels and Demons and the da Vinci Code with a different "secret". I never come across an author with such a lack of subtlety, it's almost like he writes with a sledgehammer.

[Hooahguy]

for shame johnhughthom, The Bear and the Dragon is an excellent book. about 200 pages into it and loving every page of it.

[johnhughthom]

for shame johnhughthom, The Bear and the Dragon is an excellent book. about 200 pages into it and loving every page of it.

Fair enough, if you're enjoying that then the rest of the Clancy back catalogue will be a real treat for you. You have many months of good reading ahead of you, just remember to read the Jack Ryan books in order otherwise some of the later books may spoil the earlier. I think you've read Red October and Patriot Games so you're on the right track, Cardinal of the Kremlin is next AFAIR.

[Hooahguy]

yea... i just realized that i jumped too far ahead with TBATD, but im too far into the book and it took me too long to get it, thanks to some :daisy: (3 weeks having it on hold FTW).

[SwordsMaster]

Reading several at the moment:

For entertainment: "Letters to the Undercover Economist" Tim Hartford. More of the same Hartford stuff, this time replying to letters from readers. Entertaining, great for commutes due to short, self contained chapters.

"Bringing down the House" Can't remember the name of the author. About the MIT Blackjack team's success in the mid 90s. Entertaining although not faithful to facts. Light reading.

"Angry White Pijamas" Robbert Twigger. About the author's struggle in getting the discipline to get out of the "rut" he is in in 80's Tokyo through learning aikido in one of the toughest dojos in the city. Surprisingly insightful, easy to read, and entertaining. My great and pleasant discovery.


Classics:

"Hagakure" Yamamoto Tsunetomo. The Way of the Samurai. Tsunetomo reflects on the role of the samurai in a more peaceful society and his interpretation of the old Bushido. Some philosophy mixed with tips for behaviour, etiquette, etc. Surprisingly relevant even though was written in 1716.

"Amiable renegade: the memoirs of Capt. Peter Drake" Capt. Peter Drake - ridiculously difficult to find, by the way. What is says on the tin. Capt. Drake was one of the Irishmen who left the country with the great "Flight" of the 17th century, and had served as a mercenary in several european armies. Quite easy to read, provides insight into the army life of late 17th and early 18th century, and entertainment at the man's stories. Drake is a gambler, soldier, drunk, and womaniser, and provides a rare account of himself without the need for justification. Great read.

"Yama" ("The Pit") Alexander Kuprin - this one barely started, and on hold for the moment.

Recommend all of the classics, and Angry white pijamas. The other 2 are more or less up to everyone's taste and background. I find them entertaining airport reads, but nothing mindblowing. Airport fiction as I said. Better than Dan Brown though...

[Lemur]

The preface inspired me to get the library to put Homage to Catalonia on hold so I'm waiting on that.
Great book, great book. Won't let you down.

[Mouzafphaerre]

.
Vox Graeca
A Natural History of Latin

(LotR is going on...)
.

[Mouzafphaerre]

.

Vox Graeca
A Natural History of Latin


(LotR -nth time- is going on, at v.2...)
.

[Subotan]

"Thus Spoke Zarathustra" - Firedrich Nietzsche
Absoloutely kickass. I highly recommend it.

[Lemur]

"Thus Spoke Zarathustra" - Firedrich Nietzsche
Absoloutely kickass. I highly recommend it.
"Women are not yet capable of friendship; they are cats and birds, or at best cows."

For some reason that's the quote that stuck in my mind all of these years. "At best cows" became a bit of a running joke with my friends, since it was so utterly absurd.

[Viking]

Kalkulus by Tom Lindstrøm, one of the lecturerers at uni. The most interesting chapter so far, was the one concerning complex numbers.. :book:

On relatively more serious note, I did read quite a few books of fiction this summer; all written by a local author, now passed away, whom I have had the pleasure of to talk to in person.

[Subotan]

"Women are not yet capable of friendship; they are cats and birds, or at best cows."

For some reason that's the quote that stuck in my mind all of these years. "At best cows" became a bit of a running joke with my friends, since it was so utterly absurd.

Part of the reason why I said it was kickass was because there are parts of it which I disagree with, such as that bit, "On Tarantulas" (Read: Socialists, even though I thought it was excellent satire of Communists), and his general rejection of democracy. Besides, you can't blame the poor bastard for being so scornful about women, seeing as both of his marriage proposals were rejected.

[Hosakawa Tito]

I just finished "The White Tiger" by Aravind Adiga (http://www.mostlyfiction.com/world/adiga.html). A quick reading thriller of a man determined to break out of his caste in India. It is a scathing commentary on the divide between the poor and the rich, the benevolent and the corrupt – but, it is ultimately just a very good yarn.

[Mouzafphaerre]

.

"Women are not yet capable of friendship; they are cats and birds, or at best cows."

For some reason that's the quote that stuck in my mind all of these years. "At best cows" became a bit of a running joke with my friends, since it was so utterly absurd.

Girls make good cows! ~D


The word for a nerd in Turkish slang means cow. Girls make good nerds. :yes:
.

[Martok]

I just finished Gates of Fire by Steven Pressfield....for probably the 4th-5th time now. (I really do love his works.) ~D

Am about to start in on The Island of the Sequined Love Nun by Christopher Moore. I've not read it before, but given that it's Moore, I fully expect my sides to be splitting with laughter before long!

[Centurion1]

I just finished Gates of Fire by Steven Pressfield....for probably the 4th-5th time now. (I really do love his works.)

Yerah he is a great author, have you read virtues of war?


I just started harry turtledove and the second book of the atlantis series. I also just finished the scourge of god by s.m. stirling and can't wait to start sword of the lady.

[Martok]

Yerah he is a great author, have you read virtues of war?
I own that one as well, yes. :yes:

Pressfield is easily one of my favorite authors of historical fiction; I believe I've read and/or own every single (fictional) novel he's published thus far. (I seem to recall he wrote one non-fiction book, but I don't remember what it's about.) Tides of War remains my favorite, with Gates of Fire being a very close second; Last of the Amazons rounds out my top three.

[johnhughthom]

Just finished the new Dan Brown. Garbage, absolute rubbish. How on earth can you get away with writing the same book three times and just changing the character names and swapping Illuminati for Catholic Church for Masons? I thought Angels and Demons was kinda interesting when I read it (probably helped it came out soon after Deus Ex and the Illuminati angle interested me), The da Vinci Code was pretty poor and The Lost Symbol is awful. I know I am probably telling this to a lot of people who had no intention of reading it, but if you were slightly interested don't, just don't.

In brighter news I am about to start The Prefect by Alistair Reynolds, science fiction involving physics I can barely begin to understand is exactly what I need after polluting my mind.

[Avicenna]

I just finished "The White Tiger" by Aravind Adiga (http://www.mostlyfiction.com/world/adiga.html). A quick reading thriller of a man determined to break out of his caste in India. It is a scathing commentary on the divide between the poor and the rich, the benevolent and the corrupt – but, it is ultimately just a very good yarn.

I read that a few months back, and liked it.
It seems to be the dominant theme in modern indian literature though (the existence of the 2 indias for the haves and have-nots), which is getting quite boring, to be honest.


"Thus Spoke Zarathustra" - Firedrich Nietzsche
Absoloutely kickass. I highly recommend it.

Ah, my friend Friedrich. So far the only philosopher I've read (beyond good and evil), and I liked how despite all the (seemingly, at first glance) messed-up-ness of the ideas, they were usually sound (in terms of logic), much of it making sense.


Just started reading Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie, a book of the genre magical realism. The narrator is an Indian who was born on the stroke of India's independence, and tells the story of the transition from a colony to an independent state.

[Hooahguy]

i just finished The Bear and the Dragon.
truly an excellent book, kept me hooked for the entire thing.

i also just requested a copy of Red Storm Rising and Cardinal of the Kremlin.
cant wait to start them.

[Ja'chyra]

Rereading the Robert Jordan books in light of the next book coming out soon, I know he's dead but hey ho.

[Martok]

Island of the Sequined Love Nun by Christopher Moore. Relatively speaking, it's more straight-laced than most of his other works I've read (which means I merely snicker every couple pages as opposed to laughing out loud). It's still interesting enough, however, that I'm already over halfway through the book.


Next on deck: The Gatehouse by Nelson DeMille; it's a sequel to his earlier novel The Gold Coast (which I own). 'Twill be interesting to see if his writing is still as sharp as it was a decade ago.

[Ibrahim]

currently readin plenty of books. here they are:


Robert T.Bakker's Dinosaur heresies. most awesome popular science book EVAR!!:2thumbsup:

and I got to meet the author in the flesh-it was pure awesomez!!

its a must read for anyone into dinosaurs, or paleontology in general.

also reading: Luis Chiappe's Glorified dinosaurs, Farlow et. al's the complete dinosaur,, Weishampel, Larson, and Osmolska's Dinosauria, and Larson and Carpenter's Tyrannosaurus rex: the tyrant king


saying all this reminds me of the end of this clip, where sargeant harper, under the alia O'keefe, does his thing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gbGIfc3Dgac&feature=related (9:19-9:46)

[shlin28]

Went on a reading binge in the last month...

I have read:


"Political Theory: An Introduction" by Andrew Heywood - I wouldn't call a nigh on unreadable book 400 pages thick an "introduction"... but it did the job and contained a lot of useful information, but the style needs work.
"Pretty Straight Guys" by Nick Cohen - Much much much better than the previous one, gives me a nice overview of recent British political history, as well as a dash of Left-wing bias - me like :yes:
"You Are Here" by Bremner, Bird and Fortune, - Written by a trio of British comedians, takes a light-hearted look at politics. Very good as a way of introducing people to recent politics.

I also read two fiction books - "Ravenor" and "Ravenor Returned" by Dan Abnett. Both are great sci-fi books.

Currently reading "Lloyd George and Churchill: Rivals for Greatness" by Richard Toye. Not too far into the book yet, but from what I have read it is very good and very engaging. :yes:

[Hosakawa Tito]

"Truman" (http://litsum.com/truman/) by David McCullough. Excellent book!

[OverKnight]

Currently reading "Angler (http://www.bartongellman.com/): The Cheney Vice-Presidency"

Some jaw dropping stuff. I'm not a fan of the former Veep, but the book takes you beyond the usual caricatures.

[Fragony]

Wages of Guilt. I feel cheated, on the backside it says it is a SS-soldier and a Japanese soldier talking about and reflecting upon their past. But it isn't. How did this get so much love?

[Craterus]

Utilitarianism by Mill soon, I think.

[The Stranger]

theataetus by plato

[Hooahguy]

Utilitarianism by Mill soon, I think.
great book, very thought-provoking.

[Subotan]

The Republic, Plato.

[Hooahguy]

i finished The Cadinal of the Kremlin last night. it truly was an amzing book. not my favorite, but has to be inmy top 5.
i truly did not see that coming with the Archer, and the ending really shcoked me.

im waiting for Red Storm Rising to arrive from the library.

[Subotan]

Ladies and Gentlemen of the Orgah, prepare to be amazed, astounded by the link which I am about to share with you.

Presenting...Ulysses, by James Joyce (http://ulyssesseen.com/landing/read-the-comic/) in graphic novel format.

[Beskar]

The Lost Symbol - Dan Brown

(Some one had to say it)

[Subotan]

Man, having Dan Brown mentioned straight after Joyce is a tad ironic :no:

[Fragony]

finally read Watchmen. I thought the movie was confusing, it's strangely fascinating. I also thought the movie was overly violent. The comic, oh boy. What I don't get about the movie is why there is no squid, in the movie you don't get a feel for the horrible thing Ozzymandias did, it's clean and bloodless, odd considering how violent the movie is.

[Centurion1]

Sword of the lady by sm stirling, love my alternate history.

[Craterus]

An Enquiry concerning Human Understanding, Hume.

[Mouzafphaerre]

.
Vox Graeca: Pronounciation of Ancient Greek by the late Sidney Allen :book2:
.

[Hooahguy]

Red Storm Rising

so far, about halfway through, its amazing.

im also reading Catch-22 which is also funny as :daisy:.