What are you reading?

[Britchot]

I learned a lot from this book, back when I first started flying online.  I still have the book laying around and actually flew a couple sorties with the author on the Spits vs. 109s server.

http://www.angelsandairspeed.com/

[Klaiber]

4 hours ago, Britchot said:

I learned a lot from this book, back when I first started flying online.  I still have the book laying around and actually flew a couple sorties with the author on the Spits vs. 109s server.

http://www.angelsandairspeed.com/

The author was in JG1 for a time.  And then helped with the Ghost Skies tournament.  I didn't know if you knew that.  He was Bard.

[Britchot]

I bet you told me about it once but I had forgotten.  

[Snaggle]

As the Allies raced to defeat Hitler, four men, all in the same unit, earned medal after medal for battlefield heroism. Maurice “Footsie” Britt, a former professional football player, became the very first American to receive every award for valor in a single war. Michael Daly was a West Point dropout who risked his neck over and over to keep his men alive. Keith Ware would one day become the first and only draftee in history to attain the rank of general before serving in Vietnam. In WWII, Ware owed his life to the finest soldier he ever commanded, a baby-faced Texan named Audie Murphy. In the campaign to liberate Europe, each would gain the ultimate accolade, the Congressional Medal of Honor.
 
Tapping into personal interviews and a wealth of primary source material, Alex Kershaw has delivered his most gripping account yet of American courage, spanning more than six hundred days of increasingly merciless combat, from the deserts of North Africa to the dark heart of Nazi Germany. Once the guns fell silent, these four exceptional warriors would discover just how heavy the Medal of Honor could be—and how great the expectations associated with it. Having survived against all odds, who among them would finally find peace?

[Ludwig]

The book covers Howard and his achievements in all interests which are many, but emphasized the importance of the aviation, technology and genius not the eccentric and sad years of his life. 

The Beemans?  Well...  you have to chomp on something while you are reading....

[Snaggle]

Dune Messiah continues the story of Paul Atreides, better known—and feared—as the man christened Muad’Dib. As Emperor of the known universe, he possesses more power than a single man was ever meant to wield. Worshipped as a religious icon by the fanatical Fremen, Paul faces the enmity of the political houses he displaced when he assumed the throne—and a conspiracy conducted within his own sphere of influence.

And even as House Atreides begins to crumble around him from the machinations of his enemies, the true threat to Paul comes to his lover, Chani, and the unborn heir to his family’s dynasty...

 

[Klaiber]

3 hours ago, Snaggle said:

Dune Messiah continues the story of Paul Atreides, better known—and feared—as the man christened Muad’Dib. As Emperor of the known universe, he possesses more power than a single man was ever meant to wield. Worshipped as a religious icon by the fanatical Fremen, Paul faces the enmity of the political houses he displaced when he assumed the throne—and a conspiracy conducted within his own sphere of influence.

And even as House Atreides begins to crumble around him from the machinations of his enemies, the true threat to Paul comes to his lover, Chani, and the unborn heir to his family’s dynasty...

 

Can't wait to talk about it when you finish.

[Snaggle]

On 11/18/2023 at 3:55 PM, Klaiber said:

Can't wait to talk about it when you finish.

Finished.

 

[Snaggle]

From the New York Times best-selling author comes the definitive history of one of the greatest battles ever fought - a riveting nonfiction chronicle published to commemorate the two-hundredth anniversary of Napoleon's last stand.

On June 18, 1815, the armies of France, Britain, and Prussia descended upon a quiet valley south of Brussels. In the previous three days, the French army had beaten the Prussians at Ligny and fought the British to a standstill at Quatre-Bras. The Allies were in retreat. The little village north of where they turned to fight the French army was called Waterloo. The blood-soaked battle to which the town gave its name would become a landmark in European history.

In his first work of nonfiction, Bernard Cornwell combines his storytelling skills with a meticulously researched history to give a riveting chronicle of every dramatic moment from Napoleon's daring escape from Elba to the smoke and gore of the three battlefields and their aftermath. Through quotes from the letters and diaries of Emperor Napoleon, the Duke of Wellington, and the ordinary officers and soldiers, Cornwell brings to life how it actually felt to fight those famous battles as well as the moments of amazing bravery on both sides that left the outcome hanging in the balance until the bitter end.

Published to coincide with the battle's bicentennial in 2015, Waterloo is a tense and gripping story of heroism and tragedy - and of the final battle that determined the fate of nineteenth-century Europe.

[Klaiber]

10 hours ago, Snaggle said:

Finished.

 

We'll have to discuss.  I remember when I first read it in my 20s.  I was a bit taken aback by it.  

[Snaggle]

9 hours ago, Klaiber said:

20 hours ago, Snaggle said:

 

We'll have to discuss

Oh yes we will!!!

[wheelsup_cavu]

About 10 chapters in and I am hooked.

 

Wheels

[Snaggle]

Publisher's summary

With The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors and Ship of Ghosts, James D. Hornfischer created essential and enduring narratives about America’s World War II Navy, works of unique immediacy distinguished by rich portraits of ordinary men in extremis and exclusive new information. Now he does the same for the deadliest, most pivotal naval campaign of the Pacific war: Guadalcanal.

Neptune’s Inferno is at once the most epic and the most intimate account ever written of the contest for control of the seaways of the Solomon Islands, America’s first concerted offensive against the Imperial Japanese juggernaut and the true turning point of the Pacific conflict. This grim, protracted campaign has long been heralded as a Marine victory. Now, with his powerful portrait of the Navy’s sacrifice - three sailors died at sea for every man lost ashore - Hornfischer tells for the first time the full story of the men who fought in destroyers, cruisers, and battleships in the narrow, deadly waters of “Ironbottom Sound”. Here, in brilliant cinematic detail, are the seven major naval actions that began in August of 1942, a time when the war seemed unwinnable and America fought on a shoestring, with the outcome always in doubt. But at Guadalcanal the US proved it had the implacable will to match the Imperial war machine blow for violent blow.

Working from new interviews with survivors, unpublished eyewitness accounts, and newly available documents, Hornfischer paints a vivid picture of the officers and enlisted men who took on the Japanese in America’s hour of need: Vice Admiral William “Bull” Halsey, who took command of the faltering South Pacific Area from his aloof, overwhelmed predecessor and became a national hero; the brilliant Rear Admiral Norman Scott, who died even as he showed his command how to fight and win; Rear Admiral Daniel Callaghan, the folksy and genteel “Uncle Dan”, lost in the strobe-lit chaos of his burning flagship; Rear Admiral Willis Lee, who took vengeance two nights later in a legendary showdown with the Japanese battleship Kirishima; the five Sullivan brothers, all killed in the shocking destruction of the Juneau; and many others, all vividly brought to life.

The first major work on this essential subject in almost two decades, Neptune’s Inferno does what all great battle narratives do: It cuts through the smoke and fog to tell the gripping human stories behind the momentous events and critical decisions that altered the course of history and shaped so many lives. This is a thrilling achievement from a master historian at the very top of his game.

©2011 James D. Hornfischer (P)2011 Random House Audio

[Ludwig]

Just got this one, well recommended by the jacket reviews and it has not disappointed. A good easy read, I can really use that right now.

 

 

[Snaggle]

Ludwig

Good to hear on my audible list:

[Vonrd]

I've read all of his WWII books. Well researched and reads more like a novel than straight history. Putting it on my list.

 

Edit: He does have his opinions which could be perceived as bias (but I happen to agree with him so it's not an issue ).

[Snaggle]

Going with something a little lighter this time.

These are like radio shows back in the day!!

About This Audible Original

The latest installment of Audible’s new Sherlock Holmes adventure series, now featuring Helen Mirren in a deliciously villainous performance, with Dominic Monaghan and Phil LaMarr returning to their leading roles.

Professor James Moriarty (Monaghan) is back for a gripping new adventure that finds him joining forces with his bitter rival, Sherlock Holmes (LaMarr). Moriarty tracks down the woman he loves, but discovers that she is trapped in the web of a shadowy cabal of evil that’s growing stronger every day. To fight it, Moriarty must face Lady Milverton (Mirren), a ruthless mastermind whose blackmail poisons the highest levels of power. When he learns that his nemesis Sherlock Holmes is also in Milverton’s grip, the two must set their animosity aside to stop an escalating threat of world war.

The all-star cast’s performances, paired with a meticulously crafted sound design, make Moriarty: The Silent Order a truly electrifying audio experience. Come for the heart-pounding thrills, and stay for the biting wit and shocking twists. You’ve been warned: The game is once again afoot.

©2023 Treefort Media LLC (P)2023 Audible Originals LLC

[Ludwig]

It is quite well written, I know that audible books have their advantages but this one I think would play better in your own head. No, not C.S. Forrester.... but really smooth read, it just flows.

[Snaggle]

A MUST Read a great history of Naval Aviation from the 50s - 80s. Brought back tons of memories for me!!!

On the 50th anniversary of the creation of the "Topgun" Navy Fighter School, its founder shares the remarkable inside story of how he and eight other risk-takers revolutionized the art of aerial combat.

When American fighter jets were being downed at an unprecedented rate during the Vietnam War, the US Navy turned to a young lieutenant commander, Dan Pedersen, to figure out a way to reverse their dark fortune. On a shoestring budget and with little support, Pedersen picked eight of the finest pilots to help train a new generation to bend jets like the F-4 Phantom to their will and learn how to dogfight all over again. 

What resulted was nothing short of a revolution - one that took young American pilots from the crucible of combat training in the California desert to the blistering skies of Vietnam, in the process raising America's Navy combat kill ratio from two enemy planes downed for every American plane lost to more than 22 to 1. Topgun emerged not only as an icon of America's military dominance immortalized by Hollywood but as a vital institution that would shape the nation's military strategy for generations to come.

Pedersen takes listeners on a colorful and thrilling ride - from Miramar to Area 51 to the decks of aircraft carriers in war and peace - through a historic moment in air warfare. He helped establish a legacy that was built by him and his "Original Eight" - the best of the best - and carried on for six decades by some of America's greatest leaders. Topgun is a heartfelt and personal testimonial to patriotism, sacrifice, and American innovation and daring.

[Snaggle]

An exhilarating, accessible chronicle of the ruling families of France and England, showing how two dynasties formed one extraordinary story

The twelfth and thirteenth centuries were a time of personal monarchy, when the close friendship or petty feuding between kings and queens could determine the course of history. The Capetians of France and the Angevins of England waged war, made peace, and intermarried. The lands under the control of the English king once reached to within a few miles of Paris, and those ruled by the French house, at their apogee, crossed the Channel and encompassed London itself.

In this lively, engaging history, Catherine Hanley traces the great clashes, and occasional friendships, of the two dynasties. Along the way, she emphasizes the fascinating and influential women of the houses—including Eleanor of Aquitaine and Blanche of Castille—and shows how personalities and familial bonds shaped the fate of two countries. This is a tale of two intertwined dynasties that shaped the present and the future of England and France, told through the stories of the people involved.

[Vonrd]

Halfway through Masters of the Air. It's long but keeps my interest. I haven't read much so far that I didn't know with the exception of the common belief that Hitler was the cause of the Me-262 delay due to his insistence on it being a Schnellbomber. He did insist but nobody obeyed and he relented soon after. Difficulties in getting the engines produced and made (somewhat) reliable is what mostly killed it.

Also didn't know this interesting bit that the raids on oil production (Ploesti, etc.), even though extremely costly eventually had a fair affect on POL production. However, not many raids on the synthetic fuel facilities (POL from coal, which Germany has in abundance) were done and Speer said that 2 to 3 weeks of attacks on them would have completely crippled the ability to wage war. They produced the vast majority of POL as well as the chemicals needed for explosives / munitions. 

It's a good accompaniment for watching the series.

 

[Snaggle]

Surprisingly Funny and very enjoyable!!

About This Audible Original

Emmy Award-winning actor Jeff Daniels brings his iconic career to life in Alive and Well Enough, a captivating audio-only adventure produced with his son Ben. In this musical memoir, Daniels charms listeners with his alluring voice and intimate, emotional retelling of his star turns in movies ranging from Terms of Endearment to Dumb and Dumber, his songs and plays written straight from his midwestern soul, and the hopes and dreams that led him from a small town to a career as one of America's best-loved actors. Alive and Well Enough is uniquely structured to take listeners on a delightful and imaginative adventure, flashing forward and backward in time with calculated abandon, reviving some of his most memorable characters, all while stitching together Daniels’ own life story. In Alive and Well Enough, Jeff Daniels, whose body of work spans genres and generations, returns to what he knows best: his stories, songs, and guitar.

©2023 Alive & Well Enough, Inc. (P)2023 Audible Originals, LLC

[Snaggle]

42 Hours and 58 minutes, might take awhile.

The Civil War: A Narrative, Vol. 1 begins one of the most remarkable works of history ever fashioned. All the great battles are here, of course, from Bull Run through Shiloh, the Seven Days Battles, and Antietam, but so are the smaller ones: Ball's Bluff, Fort Donelson, Pea Ridge, Island Ten, New Orleans, and Monitor versus Merrimac. 

The word “narrative” is the key to this extraordinary book’s incandescence and its truth. The story is told entirely from the point of view of the people involved in it. One learns not only what was happening on all fronts but also how the author discovered it during his years of exhaustive research.

This first volume in Shelby Foote’s comprehensive history is a must-listen for anyone interested in one of the bloodiest wars in America’s history. 

[wheelsup_cavu]

In honor of my 214th post.

Baa Baa Black Sheep:

 

Wheels

Post # 214 on March 14th, 2024.

[Ludwig]

Came across this the other day. It was printed in 2007 as Walter never wanted to write the book but was encouraged to do so by friends and family. WHAT a book. The detail is amazing. Obviously he kept journals and took lots of personal pictures. SO wonderful to see this stuff come to life. Walter died in 2015 so very thankful that he shared this with the world.