Book What are you reading?

[IDF_TANKER]

The Right Stuff by Tom Wolfe. Has been for long time on my reading list. Fantastic book. Incredibly informative and entertaining. In retrospect, the movie was very good in capturing the book spirit.

Rise and Kill First: The Secret History of Israel's Targeted Assassinations by Ronen Bergman. I'm about a quarter through, and so far it exceeded all my expectations. It's incredibly comprehensive, giving a very rich and detailed historical and personal context to every development in the Mossad and Israel's history. Which makes this book much more than the title suggest - it's more like a history of the country and Mossad with emphasis on the Mossad's direct action type of operations. Despite it's main theme, the book is incredibly engrossing, to the point you forget you read an historical account rather than a spy novel. For a highly controversial subject it covers, the author does a remarkable job at keeping objective and level-headed tone, whilst not forgetting to touch on the moral aspects of the subject.

The Thread Podcast by Jocko Willink and Darryl Cooper. Yes I know, not a book... Anyway, a fantastic podcast by Jiocko Willing (ex Navy SEAL) and Darryl Cooper (an author of his own history podcast) about the war in Iraq and the following insurgency. What makes this podcast so great is the combination of two points of views. Jocko brings his own experience as someone who participated in the events (in particular battle of Ramadi) and Darryl Cooper brings a more academic/historical perspective. Absolutely brilliant piece of history.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLIEQamvEuqUfwyt4JYwXrUvucEruuz1FH
(in the playlist above two episodes are missing, but you can find them on Youtube and on Google Podcasts).

 

[guest0001]

I just finished Mar Bowden‘s „Hue 1968“.

Imho it is an excellent book. Quit concise and detailed but yet very readable. It offers a good synopsis about the war from the French debacle until Tet and a good analysis of the US involvements strengths and weaknesses.

 

[stormtrooper7.92]

Good read 'til now (1/3)

and that one

 

[uktabber]

Relentless Strike by Sean Naylor - GREAT BOOK about U.S. SOCOM & JSOC, some great activity discussion and very detailed explanation and background about it's growth and actions, some of which I was not even aware of, rather neat stuff they pulled!

 

[riderboy]

Any recommendations for first person accounts of war experiences, preferably WW 2 or WW 1. Just finished The Fall of Fortresses by Elmer Bendiner, a B17 navigator. Right up there with Eugene Sledge and With the Old Breed. German accounts (or Russian) of the Eastern Front particularly interesting.

 

[PEMM]

I just finished reading book by Finnish historian Teemu Keskisarja called Murhanenkeli. That goes through the Great Northern War 1700-1721 (from Finnish perspective).

It was brutal era, GoT tries, but doesn't quite get there. For example it goes through the Trondheim campaign where 11 000 set off and about 2000 survive (live). Most die from hunger, disease and cold. What the campaign accomplishes is enormous suffering for civilians, as Sweden is unable to send supplies, and the army lives off the land.

In last act of the campaign the Swedish army is retreating through mountains. The main army had already retreated in south, after the Swedish King was shot dead, but it took two months to get that message to the troops fighting in north. When they start the retreat they still have 5700 men. Commander of the army sees the storm coming but sets off anyway. As the blizzard sets in (we are talking about 30m/s winds and very cold temperatures) the exhausted people and animals simply start falling. Some 2700 manage stagger to safety amid the chaoes, where they will have to start treating the gangrene by cutting off limbs, toes, fingers, noses etc. most medical personnel have died on the hills, together with proper tools, so they have to use carpenter tools instead. 700 more die of complications. 600 of the survivors were crippled for life.

I think we should stop filming epic fiction, and just go through historical events instead, so people would learn something... But I'm not sure if people would be able to enjoy it as entertainment.

 

[DACT]

The Arab Israeli wars by Chaim Herzog, Greek edition

 

[colin traveller]

This would make for a Great Film

 

[DACT]

Good read 'til now (1/3)

and that one

Grossman's book made quite an impact when it was published.

 

[digrar]

Just finished Eleven Bats by Harry Moffitt.

Cricket nuffy, 30 years in the Army, a good 25 of them in SASR, 11 deployments in 11 years. He obviously knew IGADF was going on as he was writing the book, and it's interesting to get his perception of the changes the unit was going through at the time, migrating from that Special Reconnaissance mastery into an almost wholly focused direct action Infantry unit.

 

[Telmar]

Not a book "book" but a remarkable collection of maps from Babylonian BC era to modern era, arranged more according to context than time...

Not only world maps, but maps of cities, of oceans, of forts.... Each map explained and contextualized so you don' t miss out.

300 pages of enjoyment (note: I always was a geography buff).

 

[digrar]

@Telmar Brilliant, looking for a copy now.

 

[IDF_TANKER]

Riding Rockets: The Outrageous Tales of a Space Shuttle Astronaut by Mike Mullane.

I've read probably half a dozen books by now about space program, either by insiders, i.e. astronauts or professional writers. And it's always interesting to see just where this or that particular book falls on the idealistic spectrum - from outrageous The Right Stuff and somewhat critical Scott Kelly's Endurance to an almost PR quality Chriss Hadfield's book (not to diminish its quality, I liked it very much). Riding Rockets is most certainly on The Right Stuff side of spectrum... and then some.
It reads like more like a space version of Catch 22, than what you'd expect from an astronaut autobiography. Nothing is out of limits in this book - the brutally honest characterization of the fellow astronauts (including himself) and their relationships, how scared they all were during the launches, how repeatedly close those launches came to a disaster, the horrible bureaucracy and leadership at NASA at the time, everything you ever wanted to know (and not) about feces-smeared wonders of the Shuttle toilet and morning erections when is space... etc etc. It is very well written, often hilarious and sometimes with some seriously heart-breaking and horrifying moments, e.g. the Challenger disaster (Judith Resnik, who was one of the astronauts there, was a close friend of the author). Very much recommended.

 

[Siberian Tiger]

More like a magazine "special", Portuguese Secret Wars in Africa 1960s and 70s.

The storys are:

How some european countries (Germany, France and Spain) more or less covertly help Portugal bypassing the UN arms embargo.

Congo, how Portugal help the Katanga rebels.

Biafra, the Nigerian Civil War, it was mostly a British vs French confrontation for the exploration of oil, this war become sadly known by the millions that starve to death on the Biafra side, the portuguese participation to help Biafra, from allowing the use of São Tomé and Principe islands to fly humanitarian flights ...and weapons smugling, and the creation of the nearest of a black ops air unit, used french T-6 planes refurbished in Portugal, piloted fy former portuguese air force T-6 pilots, they would become one of the squadrons in the Biafra Air Force.

Rodesia, Portugal help to avoid British embargo.

Operação Mar Verde (operation green sea), the most controversial portuguese military operation in the colonial war, the raid at Conakry, 200 portuguese elite troops and 200 ginean oposition elements, make an amphibious landing during the night, with several objectives, from rescue portuguese POWs, to destroy navy ships and Migs, capture PAIGC top leaders, help the Guinea oposition elements to do a coup d'etat, some things were accomplished, others weren`t. This force had the characteristic of the weapons and uniform used being completly diferent from those used by the portuguese army, the portuguese government didn`t want anything that connect Portugal with this attack, even today it`s not acknowledged, only the veterans and POWs rescued brought this story to light.

Jorge Jardim, the portuguese 007, an industrial men that lived in Mozambique, with important connections worldwide from diplomats to secret services, even KGB, operate from Europe to India to Africa, Malawi becomes almost is personal protectorate, it will never be a safe heaven for the independent movements for the duration of the portuguese colonial war, had is own personal intelligence service in Mozambique outside of PIDE control, organizer of the local miss contest, will use some of the girls as spys.

PIDE operations in Africa, from assassination to coups, joint operations with other countries intelligence, mostly the French and South African, even create is own "army" in Africa, the Flechas (Arrow group) composed by African natives, first use to protect PIDE personnel in unsafe areas, they got other tasks, colecting intel from locals, and even direct action attacks on guerrilla forces.

AginterPress, an international spy agency locate in Lisbon, its members were right wing radicals, fanatical anti-communists, some are even survivers of Germany, Italy and France fascist organizations of WWII, would operate worldwide disguise has news reporters, cooperate with PIDE (but other countries intelligence agencies too, like CIA), supposedly they were connected to controversial operation gladio, after the portuguese revolution their members run away to Latin America, their archives were taken to Portugal National Archive, but after a Lisbon newspaper do a publication about them and put Aginterpress in public, suddently the archives will disapear... only the empy boxes will be left.

 

[Siberian Tiger]

I forget this parts about the previous magazine.

Exercise Alcora, the secret alliance between South Africa, Rodesia and Portugal, the objective, create a white man stronghold in southern Africa.

And the last part is about many former portuguese colonial army personnel (whites and blacks) that after Angola independence went to South Africa and serve in that army, including the famous 32nd battalion.


Has a personnal note i would like to say that i got surprise about many of those things, they are pratically unknown to general population, and if a small country like Portugal can create this caos, and operate in this "fog", we can compare with what is happening today in the world, with the fake news, the nationalism groups in europe and the US, there a lot of caos today too.

 

[Euroamerican]

Enola Gay Mission to Hiroshima

by Gordon Thomas and Max Morgan-Witts

An engaging and quick read about the 509th's formation, training, and ultimate use against Japan. People centric, with lots of focus on Tibbetts.

 

[IDF_TANKER]

Enola Gay Mission to Hiroshima

by Gordon Thomas and Max Morgan-Witts

An engaging and quick read about the 509th's formation, training, and ultimate use against Japan. People centric, with lots of focus on Tibbetts.

For a moment there, before remembering that the plane name was Enola Gay, I've read it as "Enola's Gay Mission to Hiroshima" and thought to myself "Here's an interesting millennial twist on the history..."

 

[Euroamerican]

ha ha.... I did debate on how to type the title, maybe it should be "Enola Gay, Mission to Hiroshima"

Enola Holmes.... John Holmes' gay sister? Maybe that's what you where thinking? :

 

[Jake84]

A former MilitaryPhotos.net very valued member generously sent me his « memoirs » or, book about his multiple experiences in the Middle Eastern regions. I just received it today and I don’t think I’ll wait longer than tonight to dive into it. Many thanks to him, who afaik isn’t a registered user of this forum. Those who know him... know.

 

[uktabber]

GO, GO, Go, about the SAS raid on the Iranian Embassy siege & assault