What book are you reading?

[Cyclops]

...
I also just finished reading The Art of War by Sun Tzu. I'll say while he covered quite a few topics in the simplist of ways I don't see how this is a huge classic. Granted it is a good read and a fast one at that, but it just seems little overrated, it's good but not great/legendary.

Context.

He was up against a literary culture with a lot of bogus stuff in it like "if the wind is in the east the army camped on the plain will be victorious, but if the goose is sacrificed and its liver has a spot do not pass Go".

The bit where he says "make decisions based on information from people with military knowledge" is golden, a great moment in military theory: likewise when he does the cost/risk analysis of paying bribes to spies. Its obvious to us but he's the giant who first expressed this rational maxim.

It's the moment war stops being a noble pastime and becomes a profession. You're very right it is simple, its very stripped back because it has no ********.

I'm awaiting the third Cornish book, lovely little series that with the Lamplighters. In the meantime I'm reading everything I can find on Phillip 2 of Macedon.

[woad&fangs]

I just finished The Travels of Marco Polo. I'm not sure what to read next but I'm leaning towards Bram Stoker's Dracula.

[Marshal Murat]

Reading "Assegai" by Wilbur Smith. Some escapist British empire literature isn't too bad these days. Also working on the biography of Mandela, which is one thick book as you might imagine.

[Ser Clegane]

The Fall of the West - the Death of the Roman Superpower by Adrian Goldsworthy, Last Night in Twisted River by John Irving is next.

[Martok]

I'm halfway through By Schism Rent Asunder, the second book in David Weber's Safehold series. I'm definitely enjoying it, almost more so than even his Honor Harrington novels; I haven't plowed through the pages of a book at this frenetic a pace in a while!

[Mouzafphaerre]

.
Lessee...

Herwig Wolfram's History of the Goths is awaiting completion. Miranda Carter's triple biography of George, Nikolai [sic.] and Wilhelm is a leisurely reading. For professional or academic purposes I'm reading On Tyranny: An Interpretation of Xenphon's Hiero by Leo Strauss and re-reading (since I'm working on translating it) W. Sidney Allen's Vox Graeca: The Pronunciation of Classical Greek. Bed times are, as has become habitual for a few years now, accompanied by Tolkien, presently The Return of the Shadow, which is the first volume of the textual history of The Lord of the Rings, as the familiar ones would recognize.

It's great to be able to read again!
.

[woad&fangs]

Finished Bram Stoker's Dracula. Turns out it was 50% vampires and 50% commentary on Victorian gender roles. It was still a good book though.

[Caesar the IIIV]

Needful things.

[Beskar]

Reading "Assegai" by Wilbur Smith. Some escapist British empire literature isn't too bad these days. Also working on the biography of Mandela, which is one thick book as you might imagine.

I read it, unfortunately, I read so many of Wilbur's books, I knew the ending near the beginning.

Not as bad as Scott Mariani though. I read the back of the cover of his last Ben Hope and I actually could tell you who the main characters were in it and the entire plot and sub-plots (Even the Romance and lost re-union). What made it even worse, I read it and I was correct. Now he went and wrote some Vampire Federation nonsense which I have zero interest in.

[Myrddraal]

The world is incredibly deep, the plotlines are intertwined to a level I haven't seen before, all teh characters have their own goals and pursue them relentlessly and (what I like best of all) - sometimes things go wrong for the main characters and they have to work within those constraints. The characters seem incredibly human (except some of the women, but for the most part) and all of them have some character flaw.

I think one difference between Tolkein and Jordan is that Lord of the Rings is truly an epic. The Wheel of Time has a little more realism in the realms of human politics. The politics of the world are very deep and add so much to the books.

EDIT: except for the first book. Politics doesn't really feature in that book, but then I think the series is finding it's feet in that book.

Each book is a continuation of the same story. Some books focus on one character or the other more, but they are all always mentioned, and the plotline runs through all of them.

[Decker]

Okay as you meantion that Myrddraal, someone told me the books start to dry out as the series dragged out... are they still solid through till the latest?

[Myrddraal]

Well there is certainly some truth to that. It's not so much that the books dry out as the pace getting very slow. Not very much happens in about three of the books, then suddenly the pace picks up again (almost as if RJ realised he wouldn't have time to write twenty books at the rate he was writing). So I'd say it's more of a lull than a drying out. Some people prefer the slower pace of the mid-series books but I didn't, and it's one of my few gripes about the series.


An example of what bugged me in Knife of Dreams in these spoilers, don't read if you don't want the story spoiled

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

An example that really bugged me was Aram. For about three books he follows Perrin around, loyal to a fault, then suddenly in Knife of Dreams he decides to kill Perrin, having been convinced he is a darkfriend. What?

Couldn't RJ have spent those three books describing Arams fall into Masema's grip? I really get the feeling that RJ, knowing he didn't have long to live, decided to wrap up some loose ends, and did so in a manner which was completely inconsistent with his previous writing.

Perhaps I'm being unfair, but that particular sub-plot really struck a negative chord with me. Don't get me wrong, I still love the series, but I wish I could reach back in time to ask RJ to re-write that one.

[Decker]

Thanks! The guy I talked to pretty much bemoaned those parts lol. And I shall not spoil the story for myself. I have yet to read the first book (got LOTS of books to cover atm but having info of the ones I am going to read is nice). Mind pming me more about the series??

[vartan]

Chahin's Kingdom of Armenia for the bazillionth time because nothing fun is happening until I leave for vacation next month.

[Centurion1]

Steven Pressfields Gates of Fire, i read Virtues of war last week. This is about the gazillionnith time ive read them. Um after gates of fire; have about ten pages left im thinking Gunga Din for some quick enjoyment.

[Martok]

I just started A Mighty Fortress, the fourth and most recent novel in David Weber's Safehold series. The third book (By Heresies Distressed) ended what was more or less the first "arc" of the storyline, so I'm curious to see where this one goes.

Steven Pressfields Gates of Fire, i read Virtues of war last week. This is about the gazillionnith time ive read them. Um after gates of fire; have about ten pages left im thinking Gunga Din for some quick enjoyment.

Have you read Pressfield's Tides of War yet? That one's probably my personal favorite of his, even ahead of Gates of Fire.

[gaelic cowboy]

Just started rereading Gardens of the Moon I have them all up to the new one I usually wait till they come out in paperback I cant stand big hardback books.

It is fast becoming another group of book's I reread regular along with the Dune and Foundation saga's.

[Centurion1]

I just started A Mighty Fortress, the fourth and most recent novel in David Weber's Safehold series. The third book (By Heresies Distressed) ended what was more or less the first "arc" of the storyline, so I'm curious to see where this one goes.




Have you read Pressfield's Tides of War yet? That one's probably my personal favorite of his, even ahead of Gates of Fire.

No I have to get all my pressfield books from the library and I don't think they have it. After seeing what it is about I may buy it.

My father is reading last of the amazons and hunting rommel so we will see how those go.

[naut]

Breakfast of Champions. Vonnegut, who else?

[Centurion1]

Ah i do love some of kurts work.

[Cyclops]

Lao Tzu again, thinking about a Spring/Autumn or Warring States boardgame with philosophers roaming the map affecting the states they settle in, and armies that eat one a village per turn (so war is really disasterous).

How to embody Chinese philosophical principles in a board game? The game that can be played is not the eternal game...

[Centurion1]

Lao Tzu again, thinking about a Spring/Autumn or Warring States boardgame with philosophers roaming the map affecting the states they settle in, and armies that eat one a village per turn (so war is really disasterous).

How to embody Chinese philosophical principles in a board game? The game that can be played is not the eternal game...

Thread?

depends on what philosophers we talking the classic ones? Confucius, Lao Tzu, the legalist bro?

[Ferret]

Finished Bram Stoker's Dracula. Turns out it was 50% vampires and 50% commentary on Victorian gender roles. It was still a good book though.

Best book I have ever read, only half way through at the moment though.

[Cyclops]

Thread?...

I don't understand. I'nm reading the Tao Te Ching, isn't this thread about what book I'm reading?

..depends on what philosophers we talking the classic ones? Confucius, Lao Tzu, the legalist bro?

Yes all of them. I thought it'd be interesting to have a number of schools embodied by certain famous names eg Master Kung, Master Mo, that legalist bloke, the egoist bloke, maybe a "Way of Heaven" to represent the Chou mindset. Maybe throw in Master Sun (or both, Sun Wu and Sun Pin). Not central to the game, just flavouring a players approach if the opportunity arose.

Each philosopher would move around the map and if they entered your kingdom you could employ them and gain certain bonuses. Eg Confucius might give you a legitimacy bonus for extra filial piety. Mo Tzu might give more benevolence, the legalist might make ruler actions more decisive (but with higher stability costs for being more cruel or whatever), Sun Tzu might guive a military bonus, haven't thought it through really.

Lao Tzu would be the joker in the pack, sort of a Socratic smartalec who negates other master's bonuses (he's reputed to have shut Confucius up one time) or maybe give some bonus if the player refrains from action that turn.

Of course there'd be action/event cards (with cool names and matching qoutes eg Straw Dogs card: remove one official from a neighbouring state The fates treat people like straw dogs : Lao Tzu) and a "Chou Ruler" piece in Loy Yang. If you control the Chou Ruler you win under the "Spring and Autumn" victory conditions, but if he's killed or you've lost too much legitimacy then you have to win under the warring states victory conditions (aka Total Victory).

[Subotan]

Just finished a Very Short Introduction to the European Union. It's so refreshing to read a pro-Europe viewpoint in English for once.

I'll probably start on some more Nietzsche after exams finish on Wednesday, or (God help me) Leviathan, by Hobbes.

[Secura]

I'm reading Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows for only the second time since I bought it way back in July '07... s'actually a good book, really enjoying it. :3

*prepares flame-retardant and anti-troll charms*

[Myrddraal]

Just started reading the Flashman Papers I... what a scumbag, although a shamefully believable depiction of the Victorian upper classes.

[God Emperor]

Dune Will ofc always be a master piece
But right now I read The Count of Monte Cristo

[Lemur]

I was jonesing for some good history lit, so I picked up Julian by Gore Vidal at the library. About halfway through, haven't been disappointed. It's not I, Claudius, but it's quite excellent in its own way.

[CountArach]

A Clash of Kings by George Martin - the second book in the series. He is very close to becoming my favourite author. Martin takes a brutal view of what humanity is capable of and he pulls no punches. The only people who seem to be untainted by any sort of major character flaws are the children and even they are forced into horrible situations and are clearly affected by what occurs around them. The 5-way civil war is just astounding and the plot lines are amazing in their complexity. Yet, unlike Robert Jordan, Martin manages to immerse you in a complex web of plots whilst also keeping the pace very high. The gritty realism is also a refreshing change in a genre that sometimes takes itself too seriously - Martin is not ashamed of swearing or detailed sex scenes.