What book are you reading?

[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". 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.

[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 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, World War Z and have almost finished A Game of Thrones. 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....

[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, World War Z and have almost finished A Game of Thrones. 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....

The chance of him finishing the series is low by this point, methinks. 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?
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 (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]

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Vox Graeca
A Natural History of Latin

(LotR is going on...)
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[Mouzafphaerre]

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• 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.