What are you reading?

[Pags]

anything by Hornfisher is great. Once you're done with "last stand" I highly recommend "neptunus inferno." I've also read The Admirals and enjoyed it.

@Brett327, stick with shattered sword, it's worth it. For those of you who have read "shattered sword," read "the first team." It can be a bit of a slog but it's a great in-depth look at naval aviation at the beginning of world war 2. "A dawn like thunder" is also a decent read on early war U.S. naval aviation, specifically VT-8.

I'll recommend "six frigates" as well.

I also enjoyed "the Martian", not as cerebral as the others above, but a good, easy, and enjoyable read.

Off the naval aviation topic, if anyone likes space opera sci fi I'd recommend the expanse series.

@jmcquate, I'll have to look in to the books you mentioned. Most of the overland campaign took place not too far from me.

 

[jmcquate]

Enjoy Pags

http://www.amazon.com/Battle-Wilder...9LQ_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1431917011&sr=1-1
http://www.amazon.com/North-Anna-Ri...9LQ_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1431917011&sr=1-2
http://www.amazon.com/Battles-Spots...9LQ_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1431917011&sr=1-3
http://www.amazon.com/Cold-Harbor-G...=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1431917209&sr=1-1

 

[Uncle Fester]

Just started David McCullough's biography of the Wright Brothers. Kind of re-confirmed my opinion that, while they were undoubtedly hard workers and self-taught intuitive geniuses*, Orville and Wilbur were also two of the most boring human beings of the 20th century.

* For example, two seasons into glider experiments at Kitty Hawk, they realized that all the data they had been given on airfoil theory and wing sections from the day's leaders of the field were totally useless. They discarded it all and invented modern aerodynamic engineering by intuition and farting around after working in the bicycle shop all day, and with nothing more high school educations and reading a hell of a lot. A lot of very smart people were trying to figure out powered flight...it was damn near the equivalent of someone today building a cold fusion reactor in their garage.

Also finished P.T. Deutermann's latest novel, Sentinels of Fire. Told from the point of view of the new XO of a radar picket destroyer off Okinawa in 1945, who's starting to realize the popular and respected Captain is coming apart under the strain of the kamikaze raids.

 

[squorch2]

Also finished P.T. Deutermann's latest novel, Sentinels of Fire.

His books are almost universally good reads - for USNA types, Darkside is a great Canoe U-centric yarn.

Just finished re-reading Skinny Legs and All by Tom Robbins, now back to Hannah Arendt's On Violence and James Nathan's Soldiers, Statecraft, and History. Lots of thought about relationships between power, violence, the state, and non-state actors.

 

[Pags]

I wasn't familiar with PT Deutermann but liked what I saw on Amazon. I'll have to check those out as well.

I for one appreciate the more lighthearted "summer reading" recommendations.

 

[Uncle Fester]

I wasn't familiar with PT Deutermann but liked what I saw on Amazon. I'll have to check those out as well.

He's a retired Shoe O-6. His military thrillers are pretty good because he understands how the company really works. I think his first book, Scorpion in the Sea, is his best.

 

[Recovering LSO]

Not sure if any of you consider yourselves strategists (I'm sure some of you got the nod with the recent NAVADMIN), but regardless take a look at the survey here and provide your inputs. You may help inform some improved reading lists and course materials, somewhere. Survey is open until 29 May.

 

[Randy Daytona]

Not sure if any of you consider yourselves strategists (I'm sure some of you got the nod with the recent NAVADMIN), but regardless take a look at the survey here and provide your inputs. You may help inform some improved reading lists and course material. Survey is open until 29 May.

Congratulations on your selection. Looks like you will got some choice duty locations!

 

[Recovering LSO]

Congratulations on your selection. Looks like you will got some choice duty locations!

My bad. Typo when linking the NAVADMIN. That's not my bag, but I saw how the original wording made it appear otherwise (since been edited). But congrats to those who did get "tagged" with this... I'm sure there's major staff somewhere waiting for you....

 

[hooflys]

Great thread.

Squorch, I'll second Tom Robbins and Skinny Legs and All; one of my favorites. Given the season, Vince Flynn novels (Mitch Rapp series) are good, quick beach reads (suggest reading in order). Also, recently read the Art of Racing in the Rain and thoroughly enjoyed it.

 

[RMP]

Fate is The Hunter! Tall tales from the dawn of commercial air travel.

 

[nittany03]

I for one appreciate the more lighthearted "summer reading" recommendations.

If you're looking for the literary equivalent of a damn good burger and fries, I'd recommend the Old Man's War series by John Scalzi or the Monster Hunter International series by Larry Correia. Strangely, it appears those two authors really really don't like each other, but whatever.

 

[Recovering LSO]

Interested in what Bin Laden was reading while living as a guest of the Paks? Some pretty interesting titles...

Here's the DNI link.

 

[Pags]

If you're looking for the literary equivalent of a damn good burger and fries...

At the end of the day I don't always have a lot of mental stamina left for cerebral heavy lifting. Sometimes a simple, enjoyable read is what the doctor ordered.

 

[SynixMan]

@Pags thanks for the tip on The Expanse. Half way through the first one and really liking it.