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What book is on your nightstand right now?
- Thread starter Swayin
- Start date
LOLOL I think it might be! I've always been fascinated by military history; my father was a naval aviator and my uncle was a Ranger. I think I just picked it up by osmosis. I grew up in NYC (moved to outside Philly when I was 13, then college at Carolina etc.) but spent all my summers on my grandmother's farm in SW Virginia just north of Roanoke, where I picked up the Civil War bug. Had ancestors on both sides of Pickett's Charge and got totally immersed when I tackled Shelby Foote's three-volume Civil War: A Narrative, which remains the gold standard IMO.Tastylicks said:Is it a secret requirement for 'Dads' to get big into WWII / Civil War history?
FurmanCock
Grand Poohbah
History major in the House!
Such a good series. Like that they shined some light on stuff like Cape Gloucester and Peleliu which so many folks don't really know about.
FurmanCock
Grand Poohbah
What can I say...I've always been an "old" man. By the way, get off my lawn!Tastylicks said:so you've been a 'Dad' since college?
I did that a few years ago with Jules Verne's The Mysterious Island. I read it when I was about 11 or 12, and it's always been a favorite. I really wish someone would do a good film adaptation of it. The one from the 60s was hot garbage.
Thankfully...no...and I like a good historical account of all sorts of things. There is a weird sort of 'romanticizing' that goes on with both WWII and the Civil War that is odd to me. I believe the WWII one comes from the fact that it was such a clear cut example of 'Good' vs 'Bad'...and of course we came out on top...the Civil War thing is a complete mystery to me...especially when it seems to be people from the South who do it the most...add to that the bizarre love by many for the Confederate battle flag and the existence of 'Civil War' reenactors/reenactments. People don't play/pretend 'Vietnam'.Tastylicks said:Is it a secret requirement for 'Dads' to get big into WWII / Civil War history?
That being said...I did just finish...I had started this years ago and never finished so I re-read it...'Empire of The Summer Moon' about Quanah Parker and the Comanches by S.C. Gwynne...who wrote a GREAT book about how Hal Mumme, Mike Leach and others invented the 'Air Raid' offense and hence changed the game of football forever called 'The Perfect Pass'
For those World War Z / Max Brooks fans...WWZ is...IMHO...THE best 'Zombie' book ever written...and I've read a ton of them after reading WWZ first...the movie doesn't even sort of begin to touch what the book did/is...I just started 'Devolution: A First Hand Account of the Rainer Sasquatch Massacre' by Max Brooks...his take on the Bigfoot story similar to his take on the Zombie story that was WWZ...its early but it feels like it could be another fun ride!
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Agree about WWII, the ultimate battle between good and evil. There are millions of great stories about it and how the Allies overcame all of the obstacles and head start advantages the Axis had. I've also read "Empire of the Summer Moon" and really enjoyed it. I have several books in my private collection of Indian wars/actions to include some fascinating stories written by people who were captured by various tribes and lived with them in some instances as slaves and others as equals who become respected members of the tribe. The stories ranged from a few months to several years and in one case nearly 30 years.
Much of what we see on TV and the movies about Indians centers on the West but life on the early American frontier was brutal with Indian warfare, raiding, etc. As far as the Civil War goes I believe much of the fascination with it is that we can see the history of it in our own States and most of us have not to distance relatives that were involved in the conflict, sometimes on both sides. I also agree with your assessment about WWZ, an excellent read. There's enough material in there for at least 3-4 more movies. I pulled out my WWZ DVD and watched it over the weekend. It holds up pretty well.
Also on the subject of Civil War reenactors when I was stationed in Germany there were actually Germans who were involved in American Civil War reenacting which I found really weird.
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My time in the US Navy was spent aboard the USS Tarawa LHA-1...Eagle of the Sea...Amphibious Assault Ship. Amphibious assault is the closest the Navy and Marines work together in any capacity at any time. We bring the Marines and all their shit to your backyard. There were 5 'Tarawa Class' Amphibious Assault Ships...Tarawa, Saipan, Belleau Wood, Nassau and Peleliu...so I do admit to digging a good amphibious assault tale.
LurkerinTheRoost
Member
"Promise me you'll shoot yourself": The mass suicides of ordinary Germans in 1945.
Not well written but interesting read nonetheless.
Not well written but interesting read nonetheless.
SC Gywnne wrote a good book on Stonewall Jackson which is not romanticized. Dude was very neurotic.
I don’t read about the Civil War to empathize with the South. I don’t have a personal connection like probably many on here. I don’t read Robert E Lee fanboy books, of which there are plenty. But it is fascinating to me to read the personal accounts of what men on both sides went through during the course of the war, such as Life of Billy Yank and Johnnie Reb, and This Republic of Suffering. I did read a book on Jubal Early who was one of the big spreaders of the Lost Cause. I was disappointed in the book because it spent very little time about this. He harbored a lot of bitterness toward Longstreet for becoming a Republican after the war. But to your point, the Civil War is very much argued over and misunderstood by many so I enjoy trying to understand it.
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Muhammad AliTastylicks said:
I'm pretty sure that's right...I could have easily looked this up online but the reason I believe this is right is that a co-worker once told me this during a discussion of who the single greatest athlete was...as we got into what 'Greatness' even meant
This same dude had one hell of an argument for why Barry Sanders was the best running back of all time and the Redwings the best American sports team but I can't remember all the reasons now...we were fairly deep into the Basil Hayden by then but I do remember thinking he was right about both at the time.
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I understand the politics forum is a nasty place and frankly I don't think it should be on this board, but that's not my call. But when we aren't in that forum, can we leave that bile and nastiness there? He said nothing in that post warranting negging him, and slapping a -1 on someone every time they type a word isn't constructive, doesn't build community, and is pointless anyway. Just leave all that in that forum.Tastylicks said:
Negging somebody not because of the content of a particular post but because “you don’t like them or anything they have to say” is absolutely being nasty, and it baffles me. But at least you answered honestly, so thanks for that.Tastylicks said:
I picked this up from Goodwill over the weekend for $1. My favorite Union General.
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I have had Amazon Prime since forever but I did not know until pandemic that I could buy certain books for absolutely free. Not the lending library and not for extra $, just free. I get an e-mail from these peeps every day with a list of deeply discounted e-books. A few each day are free just for that day. Some are by new authors, some part of a series, some suck. However I have fund some real gems too. Here is the site: https://www.bookbub.com/launch
