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Thread for interesting or insightful books we've come across recently.
I'm currently reading the following books for work, and have found them extremely useful:
Dying to Win: The Strategic Value of Suicide Terrorism by Robert A. Pape
Muhammad: A Biography of the Prophet by Karen Armstrong
And for pleasure, reading the following:
The Roman Nobility, Gelzer
The Roman Middle Class in the Republican Period, Hill
Apulieus' Metamophoses, damn course forcing me to read a dirty book.
Why Religion is Bad for Your Health, by multiple authors from the org.
Otherwise, I'm reading Tocqueville's The Old Regime and the Revolution (much more interesting than Democracy in America), Sueton's De Vita Caesarum (piece of crap if you ask me, he basically invented tabloids), Stocker's Dracula (I feel like being an emo-goth dude atm) and pulp sci-fi that shall not be named here.
Great Captains unveiled by B.H. Liddell Hart.
I have read it before some time ago, a great book written in 1927. Liddel hart makes the case for combined arms warfare and speed with examples from history like Gustavus Adolphus, and sabutai. Its really an essay in rebuttal to the tactics of WWI, but he gives you a good glimpse at some historic generals who's names have become somewhat obscured with time.
Based on recommendations from fellow Orgahs, I'm halfway through The Ladies of Grace Adieu, by Susanna Clarke. It's a pile of short stories that kinda-sorta relate to Jonathan Strange and Mister Norrell.
After seeing EA endorse it in the Sci-Fi/Fantasy thread, I'm reading Titus Groan at the moment.
In non-fiction, I'm working on Tony Judt's Post War.
Excellent book. Finally found it at Amazon a few years ago and it's on the shelf next to my other Liddell Hart books. I liked the chapters on Ghengis Khan and Wolfe the most. Just got The German Generals Talk by Liddell Hart a week ago, but I got into John Keegan's A History of Warfare first and I'll finish that off before I get back to Mr. Hart.Quote:
Originally Posted by Odin
Me, I'm reading:
L’Illusion de la fin ou la grève des événements; and Le Paroxyste indifférent, by Baudrillard.
In this postulate, the erosion of meaning via its excess, Baudrillard —against Foucault, Kantian rationalism, and liberal humanism— sought to understand the world neither in terms of the subject's desire to coherently know the world, nor in terms of the interpolation of power within subjectivity (in the manner of Foucault), but in terms of the object, and its power to seduce (its power to stand for, or to simulate). His political stance led him —drawing upon the anthropological work of Marcel Mauss and Georges Bataille— to oppose semiotic logic —meaning, sign, signification, and commodity exchange— in favor of the symbolic realm —gift exchange, potlatch (the practice of sumptuous destruction), and analyses of the principle of Evil (and the meaning of invoking said principle). This prompted him to characterize the world in terms of the binary opposition of symbolic cultures (based upon gift exchange) and the expanding 'globalized' world (based upon sign and commodity exchange), a world which has no answer to symbolic logic.
And Astérix at the Olympique Games.
Oh, I AM sorry. Take 2 Ayn Rand's and call Don Corleone in the morning. '... a world which has no answer to symbolic logic...' is a sad (tho' pretty) place, indeed.Quote:
Originally Posted by Louis
To be honest he picked wallenstein and Adolphus from the 30 years war which I found pretty good. I hadnt read any other books by him but had heard about him in conversation. I was under the impression he was a military tactian primarily so I didnt bother.Quote:
Originally Posted by Beirut
This book gave a nice history to the "captains" as well, I prefer the presentation in this book then straight tactics, he captured a nice blend of history and tactics.
I recently reread the devils horsemen by James chambers (1979) if you like Ghengis Khan and his heirs, this book discusses thier invasions westward (leaves the Sung, and Kiri Kitia kingdoms of china alone mostly) good read if you can find it.
The "What Are You Reading" thread on the .Org.
Oh come one, someone had to say it.
Seriously though, when I have time I am re-reading Caesar's Civil Wars.
"The Map That Changed the World" by Simon Winchester.
It's the story of William 'Strata' Smith who produced the first geological map - and suffered quite tragically until finally being recognised for his achievements.
The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers 1500-2000 By Paul Kennedy. Interesting book, but I suspect that his ending predicitions may be somewhat erroneous, due to the unfortunate publishing date of 1988.
The Communist Manifesto, for the millionth time.
For school, Life After George by Hannie Rayson. It's good, but I really can't analyse it meaningfully.
The knight of Mauleon, by Dumas. The last Dumas book available in the libraries here, can't think of what to read after that...
I just finished The picture of Dorian Grey by Oscar Wilde.
Currently reading 'In cold blood', the Capote movie got me interested. Also reading some non-fiction (AdrianII would disagree ~;)) dutch stuff.
The Backroom, obviously.
I jsut finished a speech about that at school today. I filled it with mind-numbing left-wing propoganda!Quote:
Originally Posted by Rythmic
Am presently re-reading "Once an Eagle" by Anton Myrer - an easy read (for a book nearly 1300 pages long). Very inventive method of showing the US militarys leadership from WWI to the beginnings of Vietnam. The chief character is a "mustang" (awarded commission on the battlefied), a dead breed today - but, demonstrates that the cream did once flow to the top in our military (as well as, the politics in it).
Read Mao's On Guerrilla warfare, again a short time ago - seems alQuaeda and the Taliban have as well. Hope it is still mandatory for our own officers - doubt it - we enjoy relearning lessons as though they were new.
My chemistry notebook. :wall:
Just finished "The Rise of Bronze Age Society" by Kristian Kristiansen and Thomas B. Larsson, which has reshaped my impressions of pre/proto-history. The authors have a very syncretistic approach and combine textual, mythological and archaeological evidence to create a very interesting analysis of the era and its beliefs and societal organisation. It's bit of a scholarly work, but very readable and well argued. Recommended for anyone with an interest in that period :2thumbsup:
Machiavelli's "The Prince", Huxley's "Brave New World" and Orwell's "1984" tend to stay on permanent standby beside my bed as well.... but I think I'm about due for some more sci-fi for light relief ~D
Course books, mostly. I'm trying to keep track of the Belgian federal elections which are pretty interesting (to me) this time since the big, evil right wing party* isn't determining the agenda or making a big impact at the moment, the current government party (European liberals/libertarians) probably won't win again (because people feel it's time for a change, i'm possibly one of the few people in the country who thinks they didn't actually do that badly, but I digress...) The socialists have their base but I don't think they can count on too much 'swing votes', the Catholics will be the big winners in Flanders but they'll have a difficult negociation position with the Walloons, who have their own share of problems right now, and the political opinions of Brussels and Wallony seem to be diverging too.
It's going to be an interesting few weeks.
*not that right wing parties are inherently evil, but this one really is.
Thomas Harris - Red Dragon
and
Hunter S. Thompson - The Great Shark Hunt
It was a joke.Quote:
Originally Posted by KukriKhan
The discrepancy between the self-inflated postmodern philosophical works and the children's comic was meant to make you laugh. ~:mecry:
Oh well, it works better in a bar.
What I'm really reading right now is:
The European City by Leonardo Benevolo, Italian architect and architectural historian.
And an animal atlas book, don't remember the title. Lots of pictures and descriptions of animals and ecosystems.
I found it amusing, Louis - but that's hardly a recommendation, to be fair. Asterix is my idea of a good read in philosophy, particularly the observations on post-imperial British national identity.Quote:
Originally Posted by Louis VI the Fat
Don't give up the day job. :wink3:
Niall Ferguson's latest, The War of the World, and Lucianus' How to Write History properly (De Historia Conscribenda). And occasional paragraphs from Edward Castronova's Synthetic Worlds about the economy of on-line role-playing games.
Semiconductor Device Physics, for a class I'm taking.
Winning (Jack Welch) for some management tips.
And while I appreciate the nod from Kurki, I'm afraid I'm not reading anything so heady for personal reading. Right now, I'm reading "In the Name of Rome" (a series of biographical essays of Roman generals). Though if I had it in me to do some serious thinkin, Ayn Rand would be top of my list.
https://img67.imageshack.us/img67/83...androboce2.jpg
Brilliant book; real art. Shame the mangaka stopped. That and the Naruto-crazed (boo) US oh-so-proud otaku community completely ignored this masterpiece.
All the better!Quote:
Originally Posted by CountArach
Also reading/listening too Malcom X's The Bullet or the Ballot.