Books, books, books

[Launchbury 1]

So I'm tearing my way through my library now that I commute to work on the train, so I need to add to it, and desperately. I'm smack in the middle of Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey-Maturin series, which, if you're never read before, you're cheating yourself of one of life's greatest pleasures. Does anyone have any purchasing suggestions? I read a pretty wide variety, but I try to avoid dry historical accounts. Among my favourites are Wallace Breem's Eagle in the Snow, V. M. Yeates' Winged Victory, all of the Aubrey-Maturin books as mentioned above.

 

I've read a Bernard Cornwell (of Sharpe's fame) novel which was a horrible boring predictable slog, and a Tom Clancy book which was also a boring over-profanitised turd (American authors seem fond of bad language and worse writing). So if anyone could point me in the direction of a book you've enjoyed I would appreciate it. Any manner of genre, mind you, doesn't have to be WW1. Clever turn of phrase and dry wit also preferred. Thanks.

[Rickitycrate 10]

Oh Launchbury, O'Brian's Aubrey/Maturin books are fine literature. O'Brian's series is unsurpassed. I can recommend The Goshawk Squadron by Derek Robinson. C.S. Forester's Hornblower series is not O'Brian but very good and in that vein. German Ace Rudolph Stark wrote a very interesting account of his time as a WWI pilot. Some unromanticized accounts, very enlightning, not dry, I thought. I have a huge library of WWI, WWII and Age Of Sail. Both fiction and non-fiction. Have not read them all of course. We had a long sticky thread back at the old forum.The top vote getter was perhaps Sagittarius Rising by Cecil Lewis. No Parachute also got many votes.

[+Paarma 0]

Oh Launchbury, O'Brian's Aubrey/Maturin books are fine literature. O'Brian's series is unsurpassed. I can recommend The Goshawk Squadron by Derek Robinson. C.S. Forester's Hornblower series is not O'Brian but very good and in that vein. German Ace Rudolph Stark wrote a very interesting account of his time as a WWI pilot. Some unromanticized accounts, very enlightning, not dry, I thought. I have a huge library of WWI, WWII and Age Of Sail. Both fiction and non-fiction. Have not read them all of course. We had a long sticky thread back at the old forum.The top vote getter was perhaps Sagittarius Rising by Cecil Lewis. No Parachute also got many votes.

 

 

Ricktycrate, what was name of the Rudolph Stark´s book?

And can you people add list of favorite ww1 books.

 

Thanks

[Creaghorn 10]

i can recommend james clavell's "shogun" and "tai pan"

 

two of the best books i've red.

[JimAttrill 24]

The sea books of C. Northcote Parkinson aren't bad. Not as funny as Aubrey/Maturin but well researched and written. Better than the rubbish written by Dudley Pope, anyway.

 

I have read the whole canon of O'Brian a few times now and always spot something new.

[Tripe & Flaming Onions 0]

Hi Guys,

Almost finished Jack D. Hunter's "The Blue Max" and I am amazed how much better & darker it is than the film.

 

Well worth the read.

 

"Hornet's Sting" by Derek Robinson was very good too.

 

I get good ideas of books to chase through threads like this :yes:

 

Cheers,

 

T&FO.

Edited July 29, 2009 by Tripe & Flaming Onions

[Dej 17]

... I can recommend The Goshawk Squadron by Derek Robinson... The top vote getter was perhaps Sagittarius Rising by Cecil Lewis. No Parachute also got many votes.

 

I'll back RC on those. Derek Robinson's War Story is worth a read too, while his Battle of Britain novel, 'Piece of Cake' remains one of the finest fiction works on the subject I've read.

 

Non-fiction-wise, I recently finished Peter Hart's 'Aces Falling', about the war in the air in 1918 and which isn't dry at all.

[OvS 8]

I'll back RC on those. Derek Robinson's War Story is worth a read too, while his Battle of Britain novel, 'Piece of Cake' remains one of the finest fiction works on the subject I've read.

 

Non-fiction-wise, I recently finished Peter Hart's 'Aces Falling', about the war in the air in 1918 and which isn't dry at all.

 

My 2-cents...

 

Sagitarrius Rising

The Red Baron - Peter Killduff version

Wings aka Diary of an Aviatior

 

Those are very good especially Wings. It's an actual diary from an American aviatior in WWI who started early in the war. It's actually illustrated by Elliot White Springs who was a close friend of the author. It might be hard to find though.

 

OvS

[Tonyo - legion 2]

I've just finished Aces falling & Bloody April - both by peter Hart Very well researched, especially with the experiences of pilots & observers of the RFC. towards the end of the books you find out if the peoples experiences youve been reading about survived the war, or if they were killed in action.

 

also can recommend First Blitz, by Neil Hanson which describes the first bombing campaign of london by the germans in the first world war. interestingly enough quite a few bombs fell where I work which i didnt know,

 

September evening - life & final combat of Werner Voss by Barry Diggens is also good,

 

BOOKS STILL TO READ...

I've got the following still to read & i'll let you know my verdicts afterwards....

 

Flying Fury - five years in the royal flying corps by James McCudden, VC

 

Captain Albert Ball, by R.H.Kiernan

 

Jasta Boelcke, by Norman franks

 

Fighting the flying circus by eddie rickenbacker

 

TonyO

[Rickitycrate 10]

Paarma, Stark's book is Wings of War. He also was an artist. See this link http://www.crossandcockade.com/pdf/Stark.pdf

[BirdDogICT 3]

So I'm tearing my way through my library now that I commute to work on the train, so I need to add to it, and desperately. I'm smack in the middle of Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey-Maturin series, which, if you're never read before, you're cheating yourself of one of life's greatest pleasures.

 

Launchbury,

 

If you'd like to read about the real character that inspired Patrick O'Brian Jack Aubrey and C.S. Forrester's Horatio Hornblower, check out the following: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.p...toryId=14505058 O'Brian is absolutely shameless in basing his books on Cochrane's life story, including Cochrane's political downfall following his unwitting involvement in a stock market scam. Cochrane's true life naval tactics were no less revolutonary and successful than Lord Nelson's and are worth learning about. You might also try Alexander Kent's Richard Bolitho series http://www.sea-room.com/series/kent-series.html

 

I'm big fan of George MacDonald Fraser's Flashman series. You might also enjoy Bernard Cornwell's Richard Sharpe series, Saxon Chronicles or Starbuck Chronicles.

 

I just finished Jeff Shaara's "To the Last Man: A Novel of the First World War" and am now inspired to read The Red Fighter Pilot: The Autobiography of the Red Baron that I found in a used bookstore. I just read Rick Atkinson's An Army at Dawn: The War in Africa, 1942-1943, Volume One of the Liberation Trilogy and The Day of Battle: The War in Sicily and Italy, 1943-1944 (Liberation Trilogy) and am anxiously awating Volume 3 to be published next year. I also just finished John Keegan's A History of Warfare. Keegan is top notch. Currently reading Gordon Prange's At Dawn We Slept: The Untold Story of Pearl Harbor. Rather dry, but fascinating how the U.S. screwed that one up.

 

Good reading!

[Flyby PC 23]

I know you mention you don't like dry historical accounts, but Anthony Beevor's 'Stalingrad' is pure history cover to cover, but I found it absolutely gripping. I must have read it four or five times now - and I'm not really a great reader. I might read a lot for a few months, then don't pick up a book for a whole year or two.

 

Beevor has also written about the fall of Berlin, Crete, and most recently D-Day, -all pretty good, but I think Stalingrad is the best read by far. (Sorry Mr Beevor if you ever read this). Follow it up with Forgotten Soldier by Guy Sajer, and your ideas of the Eastern Front in WW2 will never be the same again.

 

'Tail End Charlies' by John Nichol and Tony Rennell is another WW2 read, and was recommended as a pretty accurate summary of his own experiences by a genuine veteran Lancaster tail gunner at the Sim Outhouse. (Grandguy). It's a good read too, especially with such an authentic endorsement.

 

I'm not very well read on WW1 at all, but Sagittarius Rising was a good read. (Mentioned before too I see).

 

WW1 is more difficult to recommend I find. I find the futility of it all just so utterly depressing. I don't even feel the compassion I rightfully should, because I get so angry about the stupidity and stalemate.

 

A possible exception might be 'Forgotten Voices' - put together by Max Arthur. Its a snap shot collection of stories written by the soldiers themselves. A few words of common sense in the midst of all that insanity.

[Pips 5]

If you would like a book that is deep, fascinating and a marvellous read (900 odd pages) grab a copy of "Musashi" by Eiji Yoshikawa.

 

More than anything it is an adventure, starting with Musashi lying wounded on the famous battlefield at Sekigahara (October 20, 1600). The book follows the development of a man - Miyamoto Musashi - who began life as an over-eager and rather brutish young lout but who, through the discipline of Japan's 'way of the sword', turned himself into a master of his chosen weapon. Musashi himself claimed that he fought in over 60 combats, so he was certainly no slouch with the blade. It was Musashi too who developed the art of fighting with two swords. Indeed he became arguably the greatest swordsman in Japanese history, certainly the most famous.

 

The book is written more in the vein as an historical novel, rather than a dry biographty. So there's plenty of action, reflection, Zen, and all things Japanese. In many ways the book is, as much as anything, a very insightful look into life in Japan, how attitudes over time were shaped and the potency of the belief in the Way of the Warrior.

 

In his latter years Musashi wrote a very famous book on strategy titled 'The Book Of Five Rings', which in Japan is regarded as the equal of The Art Of War by Sun Zu. If you read Musashi, you'll want to also read the Book Of Five Rings.

 

By the by the Hornblower series (IMHO) by C.S. Forester is superior to that of O'Brian or Kent (both of which are fun reads. Forester succeeds in creating a more realistic image of life in the late 1700's than do either of the other two. His language is better, his descriptions more potent, you can smell the salt on the breeze. As for Pope (sheesh) bin it.

 

And if you are looking for something to read on WWI aviation you can't go past "Hostile Skies" by James J. Hudson. It's the most detailed book on the development and combat history of the American Air service in WWI. Full of many first hand accounts it charts the growth of the Service and it's very tempestuous seven months of combat in 1918. Truly a great read.

[Rickitycrate 10]

Pips I may acquire the Musashi books on your recommendation and the fact that I so thoroughly enjoyed the movie trilogy based on the story starring Toshiro Mifune. I read the Hornblower set after having finished the O'Brian set. Enjoyed both a immensely. The next set of such books for me to read is the Alexander Kent series. It may not be as good as Forester or O'Brian but I do so love the genre. Sometime I will get to the Parkinson and Pope sets as well, and others, hehe, ie. Marryat. Thanks for the tip on Hostile Skies.

[+Nightshade/PR 7,931]

Stepping in from across the aisle (so to speak) but anything by Douglas Reeman will fir the ticket. My 2 favorites are "A Prayer For The Ship", and "Winged Victory".

 

Also, Craig Thomas of "Firefox" fame is great; "The Last Raven" is a rare gem.

[Rickitycrate 10]

Yes, Douglas Reeman. The real name of Alexander Kent. I have a number of Reeman books. How does one man write so much?

[Oswald Bastable 0]

Maybe I was spoiled by discovering Alexander Kent before ever reading C.S. Forester or Patrick O'Brian, great stories!!

 

Even though it is "dry" history probably the BEST history books I have read are Alfred Thayer Mahan's books on Naval history.

 

Manybooks A. T. Mahn link

Edited July 30, 2009 by Oswald Bastable

[Pips 5]

Rickity, you won't be disappointed.

 

Nightshade. Yes absolutely agree with your recommendation of Douglas Reeman (who also writes as Alexander Kent). His books are wonderful reads. I too consider 'A Prayer For The Ship' as my favourite. Brilliant descriptions of fast close battles between MTB's, S-Bootes and F Lighters.

 

Another book (novel) I meant to mention is "Thunder At Dawn" by Alan Evans. Describes a Commander fallen from grace in WWI who is sent out to the South American station where he joins HMS Thunder, a slow, poorly armed, old four-funnelled armoured cruiser and sole representative of the Royal Navy on the Coast. Excellent characters, crisp word play and an almightly final sea battle that is easily the best described that I have ever read. Some of the lines are classic dry British humour eg "Had to call 'er Thunder, didn't they? 'Cause it's a bleeding certainty you couldn't call 'er Lightning!" Or "Called 'er Thunder 'cause she's one long roll!" in reference to her bad sea-going qualities.

[Rickitycrate 10]

Maybe I was spoiled by discovering Alexander Kent before ever reading C.S. Forester or Patrick O'Brian, great stories!!

 

Even though it is "dry" history probably the BEST history books I have read are Alfred Thayer Mahan's books on Naval history.

 

Manybooks A. T. Mahn link

 

I think we may tend to favor whatever we may have read first. That becomes our basis for all future comparisons. I look forward to Kent and will have an open mind for new adventures although familiar. The thing I like about historical fiction is the large dose of fact to be had. Yes O'Brian based Aubrey in large part on the life and exploits of Lord Cochrane. So much the better are his stories for that fact and that the naval records are to be had for researchers at the Admiralty Office or whatever it's called. Sorry to have gotten OT.

 

I can recommend "German War Birds" by Vigilant aka Claude W. Sykes. I read it maybe 10 years ago. As I recall besides being informative it was an exciting read. Besides the usual cast of Hun characters and crates lesser known pilots and less typical craft are accounted for including 2-seaters and bombers. Also includes other theaters, Palestine, Macedonia, Turkey and more. Originally published in the early 30's this book is the predecessor to most of the other books you may read about WWI aviation. Great fun really, German balloon busters and naval air ops all written in a lively style. Get it! I'll be rereading mine soon.

 

Thought I would check to see if it was at Amazon http://www.amazon.com/German-War-Birds-Cla...s/dp/1853671649

Edited July 30, 2009 by Rickitycrate

[hood 2]

So I'm tearing my way through my library now that I commute to work on the train, so I need to add to it, and desperately. I'm smack in the middle of Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey-Maturin series, which, if you're never read before, you're cheating yourself of one of life's greatest pleasures. Does anyone have any purchasing suggestions? I read a pretty wide variety, but I try to avoid dry historical accounts. Among my favourites are Wallace Breem's Eagle in the Snow, V. M. Yeates' Winged Victory, all of the Aubrey-Maturin books as mentioned above.

 

I've read a Bernard Cornwell (of Sharpe's fame) novel which was a horrible boring predictable slog, and a Tom Clancy book which was also a boring over-profanitised turd (American authors seem fond of bad language and worse writing). So if anyone could point me in the direction of a book you've enjoyed I would appreciate it. Any manner of genre, mind you, doesn't have to be WW1. Clever turn of phrase and dry wit also preferred. Thanks.

 

To anyone interested in WW1 Western Front infantry activity I can thoroughly recommend the novel The Middle Parts of Fortune by Frederick Manning.

You won't be able to put it down.

[Creaghorn 10]

If you would like a book that is deep, fascinating and a marvellous read (900 odd pages) grab a copy of "Musashi" by Eiji Yoshikawa.

 

More than anything it is an adventure, starting with Musashi lying wounded on the famous battlefield at Sekigahara (October 20, 1600). The book follows the development of a man - Miyamoto Musashi - who began life as an over-eager and rather brutish young lout but who, through the discipline of Japan's 'way of the sword', turned himself into a master of his chosen weapon. Musashi himself claimed that he fought in over 60 combats, so he was certainly no slouch with the blade. It was Musashi too who developed the art of fighting with two swords. Indeed he became arguably the greatest swordsman in Japanese history, certainly the most famous.

 

The book is written more in the vein as an historical novel, rather than a dry biographty. So there's plenty of action, reflection, Zen, and all things Japanese. In many ways the book is, as much as anything, a very insightful look into life in Japan, how attitudes over time were shaped and the potency of the belief in the Way of the Warrior.

 

In his latter years Musashi wrote a very famous book on strategy titled 'The Book Of Five Rings', which in Japan is regarded as the equal of The Art Of War by Sun Zu. If you read Musashi, you'll want to also read the Book Of Five Rings.

 

By the by the Hornblower series (IMHO) by C.S. Forester is superior to that of O'Brian or Kent (both of which are fun reads. Forester succeeds in creating a more realistic image of life in the late 1700's than do either of the other two. His language is better, his descriptions more potent, you can smell the salt on the breeze. As for Pope (sheesh) bin it.

 

And if you are looking for something to read on WWI aviation you can't go past "Hostile Skies" by James J. Hudson. It's the most detailed book on the development and combat history of the American Air service in WWI. Full of many first hand accounts it charts the growth of the Service and it's very tempestuous seven months of combat in 1918. Truly a great read.

 

 

myamoto musashi! one of my favourite mental coaches ( i mean a person who's attitude and spirit very much inspiried me since i was 12 years old) and favourite personalities of all times

Edited July 30, 2009 by Creaghorn

[themightysrc 5]

If you're looking for an interesting read, I can strongly recommend Tom Holland's 'Rubicon', which covers the end days of the Roman Republic - absolutely fascinating stuff; quite unputdownable.

 

For a non-depressing and highly illuminating series of reads about WWI in general, make your way over Hugh Strachan's excellent single volume history. That chap can certainly write, and is an excellent historian. Also, make room in your bookcase of Gary Sheffield's 'Forgotten Victory: 1918', which goes a long way towards explaining how and why the war ended as it did, and how it ended in victory - a fact seemingly often overlooked by some writers.

 

Certainly, both books are quite rigorous, and actually explain why it is that the war occurred, what the stakes were for the participants, and why victory for the Entente side wasn't the calamity that it's sometimes made out to be.

 

Read those three and you'll pick up some new and very interesting views.

[Guest British_eh]

Having read C. Lewis - S Rising, I felt that it was too much poetry and snipits of candor and eloquence.

 

Having said that a more dramatic book, although somewhat repeditive, is McCuddens excellent Flying Fury.

 

Cheers,

 

British_eh

Edited July 31, 2009 by British_eh

[RAF_Louvert 101]

British_eh, your point about "Sagittarius Rising" is spot on, but I still love it. McCudden's work is indeed dramatic and a very good read. Others that I have enjoyed several times each are: James McConnell,s "Flying for France"; "Five Years in the Royal Flying Corps", by James McCudden; A.R. Kingsford's "With the Earth Beneath"; "An Aviator’s Field-Book", by Oswald Bolcke; and perhaps my all-time favorite of the genre, "Wind in the Wires", by Duncan Grinnell-Milne.

 

So many great books, so little time.

 

Cheers!

 

Lou

[Luftace 0]

Still reading To the Last Man by Jeff Shaara, perhaps i can stay focused and read it, because it really is a good read, chocked full of historical detail. As far as other WWI books, the only other I have read any extent of is Eddie Rickenbacker's Fighting the Flying Circus, which is also very compelling in my opinion, though I only got halfways done w/ that one, but now have my own copy in hopes of finishing it soon.

 

My all time favorite historical-fiction author would have to be David L. Robbins. I have 3 of his books, all of which were most excellent in the fact that he has very believable characters as well as thorough historical detail. War of the Rats- classic sniper action at Stalingrad with historical research on the actual Vasili Zaitsev as well as his German rival (the name escapes me at the moment). The End of War- the race to berlin in 1945 through the eyes of Russian soldiers, Berlin residents, and the Americans; really an eye opener as to the individual human struggle for all involved. Citadel- both Russian and German tankers' perspective of the fierce armoured battles in the Kursk offensive, as well as some partisans and a couple others. Lots of action.

 

One of my favourite reads so far concerning the Pacific theatre in WW2 would have to be The Pilots by James Spencer. This is a fictional account mostly based on his real life experiences as a pilot in the Pacific as well as his comrades. Has some nice flying scenes, tense moments between some squadron members, everyday life and dealing with victories and the loss of friends. This is probably the book I pick up to reread the most often if not just for the engaging atmosphere the author so vividly paints.

 

Hope those may catch someone's attention, that is basically the books at the top of my list that I have read so far and have enjoyed the most.

 

Tchuss! -Luftace