What are we reading?

Started by Martok, March 05, 2012, 01:13:59 PM

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W8taminute

^Are you referring to Catton's Centennial History of the Civil War Series?
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bob48

Quote from: Longdan on June 16, 2013, 07:28:53 PM
James McPherson's Battle Cry Of Freedom for a great one volume overall treatment.

Agreed. Also a very good read.
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Longdan

Quote from: W8taminute on June 17, 2013, 12:27:21 PM
^Are you referring to Catton's Centennial History of the Civil War Series?

I do not know about the others.  I refer specifically to the Army of the Potomac  trilogy which is my fave of his.
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mirth

Quote from: bob48 on June 17, 2013, 01:27:28 PM
Quote from: Longdan on June 16, 2013, 07:28:53 PM
James McPherson's Battle Cry Of Freedom for a great one volume overall treatment.

Agreed. Also a very good read.

+1 I have read Battle Cry Freedom
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JasonPratt

Walter McDougal's Throes of Democracy provides a lot of helpful socio-political context for the Civil War, before during and after. (Much like his previous work Freedom Just Around The Corner for the American Revolution. Neither work spends much time on the actual wars, but the Sitz Und Leben so to speak is excessively good.)
ICEBREAKER THESIS CHRONOLOGY! -- Victor Suvorov's Stalin Grand Strategy theory, in lots and lots of chronological order...
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Toonces

Quote from: W8taminute on June 17, 2013, 12:27:21 PM
^Are you referring to Catton's Centennial History of the Civil War Series?

This is what I was referring to.  I've only read book 1 of the Army of the Potomac trilogy.

The Centennial trilogy is easier to read than Foote's in my opinion.  It's shorter and while usually I like longer books the Catton trilogy moves just fast enough to be satisfying without being overwhelming.

I read McPherson twice and it's very good as well.  I felt McPherson focused a lot on the political stuff at the expense of the military side (which is more interesting to me) but I could be wrong.  I read McPherson quite a while ago.
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Martok

Well I did go ahead and pick up McPherson's Battle Cry of Freedom from the library a couple days ago.  Have gone through the preface & intro, and will start reading it in earnest this evening. 


I looked for Catton's stuff too, but to my disgust, the entire library system had only volumes 2 & 3 of the Centennial History of the Civil War (and nothing at all from his Army of the Potomac trilogy).  >:( 

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bob48

Just keep looking every now and again as they get reprinted quite frequently it seems, but certainly, 'Battle Cry' is a good read and covers more of the war. Obviously, the Catton books deal mainly with the Army of the Potomac.
'We few, we happy few, we band of brothers'

'Clip those corners'

Recombobulate the discombobulators!

Toonces

I started Tigana last night.

About 1/3 of the way through The Day of Battle.

And I just placed an Amazon order for First Man in Rome, Legions of Rome: The History of Every Imperial Roman Legion, and The Guns at Last Light.
"If you had a chance, right now, to go back in time and stop Hitler, wouldn't you do it?  I mean, I personally wouldn't stop him because I think he's awesome." - Eric Cartman

"Does a watch list mean you are being watched or is it a come on to Toonces?" - Biggs

MetalDog

I just finished Get Laid or Die Trying: The Field Reports by Jeff Allen.  I started Enter Night: A Biography of Metallica by Mick Wall.  When I'm done with that, it'll be The Third Reich At War by Richard J. Evans.
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Silent Disapproval Robot

I feel like I'm teetering very close to Gus level OCD madness.  I've always liked anything to do with the strategic bombing operations of WWII, particularly those involving Bomber Command.

I've been on a bit of a tear lately and I'm currently reading Bomber Boys: The RAF Offensive of 1943.   I also just finished watching The Dam Busters for about the 5th time.  I'm also about 2/3rds of the way through the 2nd DVD of a 3 DVD set I ordered from Amazon entitled The Ultimate Dam Busters Collection narrated by Stephen Fry.  It's a little simplistic and too concerned with personalities and not enough on the technical aspects for my tastes but it's not bad.

I think I'll re-read Brickhill's excellent book The Dam Busters again once I'm through with Bomber Boys.

Damn, I'd kill for a flight sim similar to Battle of Britain II but focused on Bomber Command.  That'd be pretty much the best sim ever!

Gusington

Welcome. There is no cure.


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JasonPratt

Quote from: Silent Disapproval Robot on July 03, 2013, 12:10:24 AM
Damn, I'd kill for a flight sim similar to Battle of Britain II but focused on Bomber Command.  That'd be pretty much the best sim ever!

Microprose's Mighty 8th made a noble attempt. A rather buggy and borderline unplayable attempt, but a noble attempt.
ICEBREAKER THESIS CHRONOLOGY! -- Victor Suvorov's Stalin Grand Strategy theory, in lots and lots of chronological order...
Dawn of Armageddon -- narrative AAR for Dawn of War: Soulstorm: Ultimate Apocalypse
Survive Harder! -- Two season narrative AAR, an Amazon Blood Bowl career.
PanzOrc Corpz Generals -- Fantasy Wars narrative AAR, half a combined campaign.
Khazâd du-bekâr! -- narrative dwarf AAR for LotR BfME2 RotWK campaign.
RobO Q Campaign Generator -- archived classic CMBB/CMAK tool!

Silent Disapproval Robot

I'd prefer something that doesn't look like it's from the VGA era.

Gusington

Spring-Heeled Jack was a great read...awesome steampunk tech and a great sense of humor throughout...will definitely be buying the rest of the series.

Now I am about to start Three Empires on the Nile: The Victorian Jihad 1869-1899 by Dominic Green.


слава Україна!

We can't live under the threat of a c*nt because he's threatening nuclear Armageddon.

-JudgeDredd