Book Recommendations

[Coyotesfan97]

Bernard Cornwell's newest book in the Saxon Tales series is a Kindle deal of the day today. (Sun. 03-12-17)

The Flame Bearer (Saxon Tales Book 10) Kindle Edition (https://smile.amazon.com/Flame-Bearer-Saxon-Tales-Book-ebook/dp/B01CNK63N2/ref=as_li_ss_tl?_encoding=UTF8&deviceType=desktop&qid=1489330468&ref_=sr_1_13&s=books&sr=1-13&linkCode=ll1&tag=pistolforum-20&linkId=41c48fd99be762df8e91365babbe4b31)

$3 for this book on Kindle. I couldn't hit one click fast enough!

[Glenn E. Meyer]

Got the Kloos Fields of Fire book. It was a good read. The series is interesting and I wonder how it will play out. The two sides are at a stalemate now.

[NEPAKevin]

Brad Thor's Foreign Agent (https://smile.amazon.com/Foreign-Agent-Thriller-Scot-Harvath-ebook/dp/B0176M3X5S/ref=as_li_ss_tl?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=merchandised-search-3&pf_rd_r=41BTGM0DB4S92YH49JPJ&pf_rd_r=41BTGM0DB4S92YH49JPJ&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=769250cb-6deb-46e2-87fd-31e4ecf46efc&pf_rd_p=769250cb-6deb-46e2-87fd-31e4ecf46efc&pf_rd_i=7533915011&linkCode=ll1&tag=pistolforum-20&linkId=e7b2aee737037dbf94061030d7d34c09) is one of Amazon's Sunday "Gold Box" Kindle reads for Sunday 3/26/17. While I tend to agree with the criticism of Thor's latest books not having the edge of his previous works and even thought the last one had a lot of elements of one of Tom Clancy's books, they are still entertaining enough and among the better of the genre. Also finished Fields of Fire and thought it was as good as the others and look forward to the next installment. (Also think they would be a good candidate for a TV limited series like the Expanse. )

[ReverendMeat]

Dark Rivers of the Heart by Dean Koontz. One of the scariest books Ive read; in a 1984 way-- not ghosts and monsters. Recommended to anyone who has even a slight libertarian bent.

[Stephanie B]

Got the Kloos Fields of Fire book. It was a good read. The series is interesting and I wonder how it will play out. The two sides are at a stalemate now.

I'll be pre-ordering the next one as soon as it's offered.

[cheshire_cat]

Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy SEALs Lead and Win by Jocko Willink
Leadership and Training for the Fight by Paul Howe
Resilience: Hard-Won Wisdom for Living a Better Life by Eric Greitens
Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion by Robert Cialdini
How to Speak How to Listen Mortimer J. Adler

Shooting / Guns
Dry Fire Reloaded – Ben Stoeger
Practical Pistol Reloaded –Ben Stoeger
Skills and Drills – Ben Stoeger
Refinement and Repetition – Steve Anderson
Get to Work: The Practice of More Points Per Second by Steve Anderson
Practical Shooting: Beyond Fundamentals – Brian Enos
The Law of Self Defense by Andrew Branca
Their Arrows Will Darken the Sun: The Evolution and Science of Ballistics- Mark Denny
Surgical Speed Shooting – Andy Stanford
To Ride, Shoot Straight, and Speak the Truth – Jeff Cooper
Guns, Bullets, and Gunfights - Jim Cirillo
Glock: The Rise of America’s Gun by Paul Barrett

Other
Combatives for Street Survival by Kelly McCann
Tao of Jeet Kune Do by Bruce Lee
Defensive Tactics: Modern Arrest and Control Techniques for Today’s Police Warrior by Loren W. Christensen

Non-Fiction
A Rifleman Went to War by Herbert McBride
Book of Five Rings by Miyamoto Musashi
Band of Brothers by Stephen Ambrose
On Guerrilla Warfare by Mao Zedong
The Art of War – Sun Tzu
The Road to Serfdom – Friedrich Hayek
The Republic – Plato
The Prince – Machiavelli
The Law – Frederic Bastiat
Stick and Rudder: An Explanation of the Art of Flying by Wolfgang Langewiesche
Flyboys: A True Story of Courage by James Bradley

Fiction:
Dune – Frank Herbert
Ray Bradbury – I like all his stuff
Gates of Fire – Steven Pressfield
Hyperion Series – Dan Simmons
Dark Tower Series - Stephen King
The Forever War – Joe Haldeman
Armor – John Steakley
14 – Peter Clines
Homeland by R.A. Salvatore
LOTR by Tolkien
Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis
Dresden Files series by Jim Butcher
Sherlock Holmes stories– Arthur Conan Doyle
The Complete Works of Edgar Allen Poe
Animal Farm by George Orwell
Ender’s Games –Orson Scott Card
Ender’s Shadow – Orson Scott Card
Starship Troopers – Heinlein
Brave New World – Aldous Huxley
1984 – George Orwell
All Quiet on the Western Front - Erich Remarque

I have a couple books on my to read list from this thread. I read Nueromancer and enjoyed it.

[Coyotesfan97]

Six Frigates: The Epic History of the US Navy by Ian Toll

https://www.amazon.com/Six-Frigates-Epic-History-Founding-ebook/dp/B000W5MINK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1491803313&sr=8-1&keywords=six+frigates+ian+toll

I bought this on the recommendation of a friend who is a Navy JAG. I love this period of US history and I grew up reading books about the Constitution and this era. I'm bout a quarter through and it's a great read.

[ReverendMeat]

No Room for Error: The Story Behind the USAF Special Tactics Unit, by Col. John Carney

Great book about the history of a group of guys who never seem to get the recognition they deserve, mostly deals with Combat Controllers and PJs (SOW-Ts are never mentioned, unfortunately). Some interesting tidbits about Delta as well. Like apparently the guy running the show stubbornly insisted on teaching point shooting until Secret Service came by and showed them how stupid that was.

[blues]

No Room for Error: The Story Behind the USAF Special Tactics Unit, by Col. John Carney

Great book about the history of a group of guys who never seem to get the recognition they deserve, mostly deals with Combat Controllers and PJs (SOW-Ts are never mentioned, unfortunately). Some interesting tidbits about Delta as well. Like apparently the guy running the show stubbornly insisted on teaching point shooting until Secret Service came by and showed them how stupid that was.

I have a buddy that was a PJ (and is now a successful businessman). You'd look at him and think this skinny little guy is barely 145 lbs soaking wet...and though he never talks about himself, everything I've ever heard is that he was in every respect the real deal.

[Glenn E. Meyer]

I just had the latest Sandman Slim arrrive from Amazon. He's a half-angel/ human hybrid who was sent to Hell and served as a Gladiator there. It's not stupid, he returns to Earth as a very jaundiced individual.

Also have Norman Friedman's big new book on US Battleships arriving.

[FNFAN]

I just had the latest Sandman Slim arrive from Amazon. He's a half-angel/ human hybrid who was sent to Hell and served as a Gladiator there. It's not stupid, he returns to Earth as a very jaundiced individual.
.

We seem to share tastes in mind candy. Hope this one is better than the last Kadry book. The first 3 were excellent.

[Bigguy]

Fourth Book in my series went live on Amazon March 27.
http://www.guywheatley.com./photos/FutureCoverSmall.jpg (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XW7TPF6/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1491945363&sr=8-4&keywords=guy+b+wheatley)

[walker2713]

The President and the General by H W Brands....story of Truman, MacArthur & the Korean war....very interesting and well done. Brands is also a biographer of Grant.

[Coyotesfan97]

I just had the latest Sandman Slim arrrive from Amazon. He's a half-angel/ human hybrid who was sent to Hell and served as a Gladiator there. It's not stupid, he returns to Earth as a very jaundiced individual.

Also have Norman Friedman's big new book on US Battleships arriving.

Ordered and read. Looks like I have another series to follow.

[Paltares8]

Does/did anyone like the Mitch Rapp series from Vince Flynn? I was pretty deep into the series when he passed and another author took over, but I liked the few that I read. Scrolling through Facebook I came across the American Assassin trailer (first book in the series.) Hopefully it'll be good.

[peterb]

I just finished "Leviathan Wakes", the first book of the series that "The Expanse" SyFy series is based on. Highly recommended.

Before that was a collection of Raymond Chandler's short stories. He wasn't much on plots, but great with characters and atmosphere.

"The Oxford book of American detective fiction" -- a nice historical anthology, and the best mystery anthology I've read in a while.

[FNFAN]

Another John Sandford 'Prey' series book on the 25th. This will be the first with Lucas Davenport in his new gig as a Deputy U.S. Marshal.

[NEPAKevin]

Does/did anyone like the Mitch Rapp series from Vince Flynn?

I liked the early books in the series. The latter ones, date of publication not chronology, seemed to loose something. Have not read the ones published after Flynn's passing.

[Glenn E. Meyer]

I like Rapp books in general. The new ones are ok. They are a much better follow up than occurred with the Spenser books by Robert Parker's take over by Atkins.

Spenser the superman and superduper Hawk grate on me as do superduper Reacher books.

Davenport is great. I would promote the Letty vs. Cartel shootout as an literary example of true grit, wounded techniques and training your kid. She was a monster in that one. Lucas was a ruthless SOB but has mellowed a bit. I think he would return to his rather unique take on dealing with bad guys if pushed.

[troydobe]

If you like the genre of rapp, prey, reacher but sometimes they are over the top especially the later ones. Try Dewey Andreas, gray man, will robie, John puller, court gentry, Nathan McBride, all six good series. Others not the single soldier hero type that are more cop/lawyer are Mickey haller, Michael Bennett, nypd red, Shane scully. None are deep thinkers just good escapes while working out or doing projects etc.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Coyotesfan97]

Aliens Bug Hunt
https://www.amazon.com/Aliens-Bug-Hunt-Jonathan-Maberry-ebook/dp/B01IZT7YXS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1492684928&sr=8-1&keywords=aliens+bug+hunt

Grab your pulse rifle and let's go hunting! Larry Corriea's Episode 22 of Saga of the Gun is a great read about the M41 and M41A1.

[Paltares8]

troydobe, I've read a few Dewey books, and I think one or two of Nathan McBride (retired army that does security work and flies a heli?) They were good. Someone recommended Andy Mcnab's "Nick Stone" series on here, and I've been breeding through them. Just started Recoil last night, which I think is 88th in the series. He also has other books outside of this series that I hear are good.

Eta: I also cannot recommend the "Tourism" trilogy by Olen Steinhauer enough. Really good books, as are his others. He has a series on some cable network called Berlin Station that I have heard is good but haven't seen.

[blues]

troydobe, I've read a few Dewey books, and I think one or two of Nathan McBride (retired army that does security work and flies a heli?) They were good. Someone recommended Andy Mcnab's "Nick Stone" series on here, and I've been breeding through them. Just started Recoil last night, which I think is 88th in the series. He also has other books outside of this series that I hear are good.

Eta: I also cannot recommend the "Tourism" trilogy by Olen Steinhauer enough. Really good books, as are his others. He has a series on some cable network called Berlin Station that I have heard is good but haven't seen.

Read the Steinhauer trilogy. I think the first was best and the third weakest. I'd have hoped that they'd have built upon what came before and raise the bar but this is, of course, just one man's opinion on the series. That said, worth reading imho.

[Paltares8]

^^^^ I totally agree. I remember waiting in vain for it to get better as I read it. It'd be nice to see him revisit it, and try to end on a better note, but I'm not holding my breath.

[Lon]

If you're a Star Wars/Zahn/Grand Admiral Thrawn fan, there's a new book out titled "Thrawn". Covers his escape from exile to his rise to the post of Grand Admiral. Pretty good book. Fills in some holes nicely.

[BehindBlueI's]

The Ocean at the End of the Lane.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B009NFHF0Q/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1

It's not a very long book, I read it over a few hours, but it's a good story. The ability to see the story unfold through the eyes of a child is unusual in it's realism. It reminds you what it was like to be 7, what mysteries adults were, etc. "You made my daddy hurt me" was one of the most poignant lines I've read in fiction in a long time.

Gaiman takes myths and legends, ones we are generally familiar with, ties them into the modern world, and presents them in new and fresh ways. "American Gods" is what introduced him to me, and I've read that one a few times. I'll probably read The Ocean again at some point. Anansi Brothers was an Amazon deal of the day, and I've started on it now before returning to non-fiction.

[Dismas316]

Some different reads to consider.

Ben Mezrich is pretty good, he wrote "bringing down the house" Two other books that are must reads from him are "sex on the moon" true story of an outrageous heist of moon rocks at NASA. If you like finance at all, his book "ugly Americans" is fantastic. About the first hedge fund managers expat american running their funds in Japan, great gritty Japanese culture issues they get into.

Bio's
The Closer - Mariano Rivera
Mo & Me, story of the greatest golfer you never heard of.
Shattered - story of Frank Pastore - Professional baseball player.
Unbroken
Stores I only tell my friends - Rob Lowe. Don't laugh, it's actually pretty good.

Harlan Coben books are good as is John Sandford
Defending Jacob by William Landy

Larry Correia's Dead Six & Swords of Exodus are fun reads.
Black Site, Dalton fury. Another Delta SF fun read.

Same kind of different as me, Ron Hall & Denver Moore - True story of a homeless drifter who befriends a wealthy Fort Worth art dealer.
The Divine Conspiracy by Dallas Willard - Faith based book, excellent.

Girl with the dragon tattoo

The Road - Cormac McCarthy - Dark postapocalyptic story
The Captured, by Scott Zesch. True story of abduction by Indians on the Texas Frontier.

[Stephanie B]

I like Rapp books in general. The new ones are ok. They are a much better follow up than occurred with the Spenser books by Robert Parker's take over by Atkins.

Agree on Atkins. His Spencer books are off. Not by a whole lot, but they are off. I thought that Michael Brandman's Jesse Stone books were better than Reed Coleman's.

[Glenn E. Meyer]

Agree - the Stone books are good. The Atkins books seemed more interested in quips than a coherent story. Also, Hawk / Spenser, we all love Susan as a god are grating. I thought the native american new guy was a terrible and stereotypical addition to the crowd.

New Lucas arrived yesterday. Have to see how it plays out.

[Coyotesfan97]

The Ocean at the End of the Lane.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B009NFHF0Q/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1

It's not a very long book, I read it over a few hours, but it's a good story. The ability to see the story unfold through the eyes of a child is unusual in it's realism. It reminds you what it was like to be 7, what mysteries adults were, etc. "You made my daddy hurt me" was one of the most poignant lines I've read in fiction in a long time.

Gaiman takes myths and legends, ones we are generally familiar with, ties them into the modern world, and presents them in new and fresh ways. "American Gods" is what introduced him to me, and I've read that one a few times. I'll probably read The Ocean again at some point. Anansi Brothers was an Amazon deal of the day, and I've started on it now before returning to non-fiction.


I ordered American Gods and started reading it yesterday. Part of the fun for me so far is googling the names as they come up.

[Drang]

I ordered American Gods and started reading it yesterday. Part of the fun for me so far is googling the names as they come up.

I had no idea a movie was coming out. Ian ("Lovejoy", "Al Sweringen") McShane is either Mr. Wednesday or Lyesmith. I expect this will be one of the few first run movies we see in the theater, HH6 was a huge Lovejoy fan.

[BehindBlueI's]

I ordered American Gods and started reading it yesterday. Part of the fun for me so far is googling the names as they come up.

I've read that one twice and lent it out several times. Pick up Ocean if you enjoy American Gods.

[Glenn E. Meyer]

Golden Prey - about Lucas Davenport, mentioned above. It's ok so far. Interestingly 'tactics' issue about watching too much TV and shouting a warning before opening fire on incredibly obvious lethal threat. Pretty positive SD incident portrayal with a 10/22 and extended magazine.

[Coyotesfan97]

I've read that one twice and lent it out several times. Pick up Ocean if you enjoy American Gods.

Yepp I plan to. I'm really liking American Gods

[Grey]

Red Rising by Pierce Brown. Immensely entertaining and a very quick read. Its a trilogy.

[Glenn E. Meyer]

Finished Golden Prey. Spoilers below
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.

It's ok. The villains are not as compelling as some of Lucas' best and there is not a sense of tension to catch them. They are bad but not the psychopathic monsters that Lucas crosses path with.

The interesting twist is more in Lucas' job. In the previous book, where Lucas prevented the assassination of a presidential candidate who was a Hillary type, he lost his Minnesota job and the Hillary type offered him a job as a US Marshal to do 'hard' jobs for her as president. So the author was setting up the next book for him to be a secret agent type on the Federal level and interact with the Hillary (who thought he was hot). Oops - she lost and the book mentions her failure to carry the states that HRC lost. So the author seems to be altering that path for Lucas to be a Marshal based in Minnesota and probably not have big deal presidential level skullduggery. Oh, well. I guess Mitch Rapp will have to do that kind of thing. Mist be a bummer to have a series of stories trashed.

[Drang]

I had no idea a movie was coming out. Ian ("Lovejoy", "Al Sweringen") McShane is either Mr. Wednesday or Lyesmith. I expect this will be one of the few first run movies we see in the theater, HH6 was a huge Lovejoy fan.

Well.

It's not a theatrical release (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1898069/?ref_=ttep_ep_tt), it's a Starz (and Amazon?) series. Starts tomorrow, April 30.

Ad Ian McShane is Mr. Wednesday.

[BehindBlueI's]

Yepp I plan to. I'm really liking American Gods

I finished Anansi Brothers. Meh. The first third is much better than the rest of the book. I hit a point I was no longer invested in the characters and the story was bland. I finished it, and it did pick back up a bit, but the book isn't a patch on American Gods or Ocean...

[Drang]

I finished Anansi Brothers. Meh. The first third is much better than the rest of the book. I hit a point I was no longer invested in the characters and the story was bland. I finished it, and it did pick back up a bit, but the book isn't a patch on American Gods or Ocean...

Concur.

[Coyotesfan97]

I preordered Craig & Fred: A Marine, A Stray Dog, and How They Rescued Each Other for my Kindle. I follow them on FB at Fred the Afghan. Short story is Craig a Marine rescued Fred, a stray dog, from Afghanistan.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V74Jr9WuaLg&sns=em

[Hambo]

I'm reading The Power of Time Perception, Jean Paul Zogby, which is $.99 on Kindle. It won't make me a neuroscientist but it's pretty interesting.

[Coyotesfan97]

BBI I bought Ocean. I'll start it as soon as I finish Fighter Pilot. American Gods had several chapters of it to read. Thanks for the recommendations.

[Coyotesfan97]

I'm reading Fighter Pilot which is a biography of Robin Olds. Awesome book recommended by an AF friend.

[blues]

Needed a bread from mysteries / detective procedurals I've been reading lately so:

"The Fetterman Massacre" by Dee Brown

My wife and I visited this site back in 2000 on a motorcycle trip up to Montana and environs. We had just left the Custer Battlefield and felt compelled to visit the site of another tragic battle with no survivors (predating the Battle of the Little Big Horn by ten years). From there we continued on down to Ft. Laramie.


"A Cop's Tale - NYPD: The Violent Years" by Jim O'Neil and Mel Fazzino

A memoir of the NYPD from the early 60's to the 80's. (My own formative years in NYC, from youth to when I joined federal law enforcement. A time I remember quite vividly.)

[Stephanie B]

I just finished "Leviathan Wakes", the first book of the series that "The Expanse" SyFy series is based on. Highly recommended.

I'm about 3/4ths of the way through "Caliban's War". I'm going to cheer if I read a scene in which somebody punches out Jim Holden.

[Palmguy]

Does/did anyone like the Mitch Rapp series from Vince Flynn? I was pretty deep into the series when he passed and another author took over, but I liked the few that I read. Scrolling through Facebook I came across the American Assassin trailer (first book in the series.) Hopefully it'll be good.

Yes, I like the series. Looking forward to the movie even though the trailer makes it clear they are changing quite a bit.

I wish the first book in the series (not chronologically in that universe, but the first one Flynn wrote, Transfer of Power) could have been made into a movie....they can't do it now though after the two White House siege movies that came out a few years ago.

[ReverendMeat]

"Son of the Black Sword" by Larry Correia.

Normally not into magical fantasy type stuff but about two chapters into this one I was pretty well hooked. As anyone who's read the Monster Hunter series knows, you'd be hard pressed to find someone better at writing action sequences than Correia and he does every bit as good a job writing stabby sword stuff as shooty 'splody stuff. Can't wait for the next in the series

[NEPAKevin]

13 Hours: The Inside Account of What Really Happened In Benghazi Kindle Edition
Amazon Kindle Daily Deal, Wed. 05-10-17 (https://amazon.com/13-Hours-Account-Happened-Benghazi-ebook/dp/B00LEWR0SS?_encoding=UTF8&redirect=true&ref_=pe_170810_237810820_pe_row1_b4)

[blues]

13 Hours: The Inside Account of What Really Happened In Benghazi Kindle Edition
Amazon Kindle Daily Deal, Wed. 05-10-17 (https://amazon.com/13-Hours-Account-Happened-Benghazi-ebook/dp/B00LEWR0SS?_encoding=UTF8&redirect=true&ref_=pe_170810_237810820_pe_row1_b4)

A painful but worthwhile read.

[BehindBlueI's]

A co-worker recommended "The Night Angel Trilogy" to me awhile back. I got around to it finally and have finished the first book over 4 days. It's a tough one to put down. It's a good story and the characters are well done, but it is also full of rather seedy characters and evil acts. Rape as a tool to keep gang-members in check, for example. Not all the side stories have a happy ending, and the main story line certainly has some moral ambiguity.

[OnionsAndDragons]

Almost finished with Musashi, and it has been well worth the investment.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[ReverendMeat]

"Columbus Day," first in a series of military/sci-fi novels by Craig Alanson. There are a lot of typos, but otherwise very entertaining, funny at times, doesn't take itself too seriously, and the author gets enough of the military stuff right that I assumed he was prior service. I think it's a dollar for the kindle version, so I'll reimburse anyone who buys and doesn't like it.

[NEPAKevin]

Almost finished with Musashi, and it has been well worth the investment.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Agreed. I found it a little difficult at first as I am not used to Japanese names and trying to grasp cultural differences was challenging, but it is well worth the effort.

[ACP230]

Just finished Neptune's Inferno by James D. Hornfischer.
Published in 2011, it tells of the sea battles between the U.S. Navy
and the Japanese Imperial Navy early in the war in the Pacific in World
War II. I thought the main threat to our navy then was kamikaze attacks.
Turns out torpedoes from Japanese surface ships, and navel gunfire from them
did a lot of damage too.

I lived south of where the action took place for a while as a kid.
Spent some time north of it, later. It was interesting to read what
took place 20 or 25 years before I got to the Pacific. I don't think
I passed over any of the sunken ships involved, but my father may
have. He got around more than I did. He traveled for work and I had
that pesky thing called school to deal with.

[NEPAKevin]

Who not to read. Some anti-gun authors, illustrators, etc. Everytown Author Council (https://everytown.org/authors-council)

[Coyotesfan97]

Shoe Dog the memoir of Phil Knight the founder of Nike. It's an excellent read. My Dad got it from my uncle and passed it on to me. The last chapter? Outstanding!

[BehindBlueI's]

Night Angel trilogy. A co-worker recommended them and I burned through pretty quickly. They were good enough I had to force myself to put the book down and go to sleep a few times.

[NickA]

Shoe Dog the memoir of Phil Knight the founder of Nike. It's an excellent read. My Dad got it from my uncle and passed it on to me. The last chapter? Outstanding!
You might also like "Bowerman and the Men of Oregon". Obviously it's more about Bill Bowerman and the building of the Oregon track program, but the latter part gets into the early days of Nike.

[Coyotesfan97]

You might also like "Bowerman and the Men of Oregon". Obviously it's more about Bill Bowerman and the building of the Oregon track program, but the latter part gets into the early days of Nike.

Thank you I'll look for that one. BBI got me started on Night Angels

[BehindBlueI's]

BBI got me started on Night Angels

It's really good, you'll probably burn through them in no time. At least 3 people in my office have read them so far, and everyone said the same thing. Tough books to put down.

Moving on, https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00NIUGG5M/

The World’s First SWAT Team: W. E. Fairbairn and the Shanghai Municipal Police Reserve Unit

The Kindle edition is just over $1. For $1, it's well worth it. I read it in less than 6 hours, so don't expect a lengthy treatise on the topic. There's also a lot of pictures, manning charts and other rather dry and tedious information, and the editing is poor with a lot of repetition and misspelled words (maybe the fault of text to Kindle, usually the last letter is left off). Despite that, it's pretty damn interesting and does give you a taste of what Shanghai and the SMP was like in the 20's and 30's. It's also a good read to get the background you need to shut up the idjits prattling on about point shooting and you can't use your sights. Maybe they couldn't, but we train to shoot on the move, carry with a loaded chamber, can use more than 32 rounds a year to train, etc.

[Coyotesfan97]

I'm done with the first one. Excellent!

[Kukuforguns]

I've read that one twice and lent it out several times. Pick up Ocean if you enjoy American Gods.

Stardust by Neil Gaiman is another one that I enjoyed. The movie also was fun. Recommended.
I enjoyed Neverwhere, but not as much as Stardust or American Gods.

The Graveyard Book is pretty much a beat for beat retelling of the The Jungle Book. I enjoyed The Jungle Book more, but The Graveyard Book was mildly entertaining.
Coraline is for middle schoolers down to probably third grade. Quite well done for the intended audience.
Fortunately the Milk is pure nonsense suitable for everything from age 7 up. It's a quick read and very enjoyable nonsense. Recommended.

I'd kept hearing how awesome Good Omens is and finally read it recently. Gaiman co-wrote it with Terry Pratchett (author of the Discworld series). Meh.

[Bigguy]

I've just published my first non-fiction. It chronicles my bout with bladder cancer in 2011. Pretty quick read, just 25K words.
The Funny Thing About Bladder Cancer. (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0711TGJ3G)

[Drang]

Quartered Safe Out Here: A Harrowing Tale of World War II eBook: George MacDonald Fraser (https://www.amazon.com/Quartered-Safe-Out-Here-Harrowing-ebook/dp/B004TC14HI/ref=zg_bs_10332436011_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=H8PTCHC2E7PB3352TFT4) is $1.99 on Kindle. I think it's come up in other threads. I'm pretty sure Flashman has come up, and I just now decided I need to go watch the Richard Lester Three and Four Musketeers, which MacDonald did the screenplays for, again.

[JSGlock34]

Just finished Special Forces Berlin: Clandestine Cold War Operations of the US Army's Elite, 1956–1990 (https://www.amazon.com/Special-Forces-Berlin-Clandestine-Operations/dp/161200444X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1498012854&sr=8-1&keywords=special+forces+berlin). Interesting read that shed light on another dimension to the failed 1980 Iran rescue mission, as well as early US Army counterterrorism efforts.

17483

[FPS]

Enjoying Vince Flynn's work at the moment.

[BehindBlueI's]

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B009KUX1KM/_encoding=UTF8?coliid=ICO0L50L6G4TB&colid=2OOLWFB07EWR6

Has anyone read this? The "Shadow Campaigns" series. It's billed as a fantasy series with a setting based on the time/place of the Napoleonic Wars. I've not bought it yet, looking for feedback one way or the other.

[JSGlock34]

If anyone is looking for ultra-violent hard core cyberpunk sci-fi, try Altered Carbon (https://www.amazon.com/Altered-Carbon-Takeshi-Kovacs-Richard/dp/0345457684/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1498094377&sr=8-1&keywords=altered+carbon) by Richard K. Morgan before the Netflix series (https://www.netflix.com/title/80097140) comes out.

http://images.gr-assets.com/books/1387128955l/40445.jpg

[peterb]

In the "obscure military history" catagory, I just finished "Fu-Go", a history of the Japanese balloon bomb campaign in WWII.
https://www.amazon.com/Fu-go-Curious-History-Balloon-Military/dp/0803249667

I learned about the book from a Radiolab podcast. http://www.radiolab.org/story/fu-go/

[Coyotesfan97]

Enjoying Vince Flynn's work at the moment.

That looks interesting. I might try it.

I'm reading the Empire of Man series by David Weber and John Ringo right now. I'm in the second book. Good stuff.

[BehindBlueI's]

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B009KUX1KM/_encoding=UTF8?coliid=ICO0L50L6G4TB&colid=2OOLWFB07EWR6

Has anyone read this? The "Shadow Campaigns" series. It's billed as a fantasy series with a setting based on the time/place of the Napoleonic Wars. I've not bought it yet, looking for feedback one way or the other.

Off to a good start. Cops and military folks may find it humorous.

One early scene has a soldier being field promoted to sergeant.

Paraphrased:
Capt (handing over rank insignia pins): Take these and put them on.
Troop: With all due respect, this is a mistake. I don't know how to be a sergeant.
Capt: It can't be too damned hard or sergeants couldn't do it. Put the pins on.

:D

I'm only 6% into the first book, but so far the characters and setting seem quite interesting.

[TDA]

My personal favorite to date is South Sea Vagabonds by John Wray. I wouldn't buy it off Amazon because their algorithm wants to charge you a ton for it, but it's an amazing book. It's the onset of the great depression and our protagonist has a job he hates in NZ, from which he is promptly fired. He proceeds to build a cruising sailboat on his parent's lawn from materials he begs, borrows, salvages and steals, then takes to the sea. Once you've read it, it's always going to feel like that's an option, so it's like -20% baseline life stress.

[Coyotesfan97]

The Man of Legends

I got it for free for the monthly reading selection. I really enjoyed it. I don't want to go too much more into the details but here's some of the Amazon description.

"New York City, New Year’s weekend, 2001. Jillian Guthrie, a troubled young journalist, stumbles onto a tantalizing mystery: the same man, unaged, stands alongside Ulysses S. Grant, Theodore Roosevelt, and Gandhi in three different photographs spanning eighty-five years of history.

In another part of town, Will—an enigmatic thirty-three-year-old of immense charm, wit, and intelligence—looks forward to the new year with hope and trepidation. Haunted by his secret past and shadowed by a dangerous stranger, he finds himself the object of an intense manhunt spearheaded by an ambitious Vatican emissary and an elderly former UN envoy named Hanna."

[Coyotesfan97]

Beneath a Scarlet Sky by Mark Sullivan

This was in my Amazon feed as a recommended book. It's $4.99 for Kindle. It has 4.8 stars with 4500 reviews. None below a 3. A long way of saying I bought it but I haven't started it yet.

It's a true story. Here's the Editor's view:

"What makes a hero? If you are Pino Lella, the protagonist in Mark Sullivan’s riveting World War II thriller, you risk everything to save as many souls as you can by sneaking them over the Swiss Alps to safety. You put yourself in harm’s way, enlisting as a German soldier and becoming an Allied spy inside the German High Command. And you forgo the life you thought you’d have to do whatever you can to stop the madness.

It’s not often I get to publish true stories, especially ones that have been crafted into page-turning fiction. But after I picked up Beneath a Scarlet Sky and read into the wee hours, I was absorbed and amazed by the story of Italy’s Pino Lella, a real-life unsung hero of World War II, and felt compelled to publish this one. The tale of a young man, at the tender age of seventeen, pushed headlong into the horrors of war is timeless, relevant, and inspiring.

I’m not sure I would ever be as brave as Pino, and I’m so honored to share his story with you. But ultimately my feelings are superseded by my hope that Beneath a Scarlet Sky will be a “stay up all night to read” book that you will not soon forget."
Show less
- Danielle Marshall, Editor

[Drang]

Amazon has a bunch of Donald Hamilton's Matt Helm books on Kindle for $1.99. (https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=matt+helm)
(PF.com Amazon link.)

[Coyotesfan97]

Amazon has a bunch of Donald Hamilton's Matt Helm books on Kindle for $1.99. (https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=matt+helm)
(PF.com Amazon link.)

Oh crap just take my money Amazon!

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_Hamilton

Drang's post reminded me I've wanted to get another copy of his book On Guns and Hunting. I haven't had one for a long time but I read it multiple times. A copy is on its way.

https://www.amazon.com/Guns-Hunting-Donald-Hamilton/dp/B001LS9NMQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1498769436&sr=8-1&keywords=Donald+Hamilton+On+guns+and+hunting

[Drang]

Also: MATT HELM: The War Years - Kindle edition by Keith Wease. (https://www.amazon.com/MATT-HELM-Years-Keith-Wease-ebook/dp/B00BIS495K/ref=sr_1_24?ie=UTF8&qid=1498768127&sr=8-24&keywords=matt+helm)

[BehindBlueI's]

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B009KUX1KM/_encoding=UTF8?coliid=ICO0L50L6G4TB&colid=2OOLWFB07EWR6

Has anyone read this? The "Shadow Campaigns" series. It's billed as a fantasy series with a setting based on the time/place of the Napoleonic Wars. I've not bought it yet, looking for feedback one way or the other.

I've read the first two and am about 1/4 of the way through the 3rd. I recommend the series.

Essentially, it's flintlock and bayonet technology, with a bit of magic. The majority of people do not believe in magic (and the magic system is pretty interesting, depending on which side is talking you're either inviting a demon into your body to do what it does or your engaging in some sacred rite that grants you power) and even fewer have any ability. It's very occult, and the author plays on that. You're often not sure who's actually using magic vs who's just really good vs who's faking it. (Ie, is that desert scout just a fucking beast of a scout through long experience and knowledge of his home terrain, or is he supernaturally enhanced in his speed and senses?) Sometimes the 'magic' has quite mundane explanations and isn't magic at all, which keeps it interesting.

It also means it's not just epic wizards battling and the actual fighting with gun and sword doesn't matter. It's sort of like if Napoleon and his opponents had a few supernatural agents at their disposal, but still needed to rely most heavily on their political and military might.

The characters are well written and the military banter is believable. The battle scenes are very well done. The complexity of the series increases as it engages in politics and is very reminiscent of the issues of the French revolution as well as the struggles between religious and secular authority in Europe. However it doesn't make an epic adventure, the entire world falling on the head of some young reluctant hero. It's a host of military, religious, established political entities, revolutionaries, and competing empires all working toward what they feel is the best vision of the future.

It's worth the read.

[Hambo]

This is not riveting, but if you're interested in SF camps, construction materials, and the like, it may be for you. Try before you buy.

https://www.amazon.com/Special-Forces-Vietnam-1961-70-Fortress/dp/1841768391/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1499545310&sr=8-1&keywords=special+forces+camps+in+vietnam

A more interesting history is Neil Sheehan's Bright Shining Lie.

[Coyotesfan97]

I got this in the mail yesterday. It's basically MHI in the Old West. If you know the series Larry Corriea is the first author and it's Bubba Shackleford in Wyoming. Lots of great authors here. I need to sit down and start reading.

[Coyotesfan97]

I've read the first two and am about 1/4 of the way through the 3rd. I recommend the series.

Essentially, it's flintlock and bayonet technology, with a bit of magic. The majority of people do not believe in magic (and the magic system is pretty interesting, depending on which side is talking you're either inviting a demon into your body to do what it does or your engaging in some sacred rite that grants you power) and even fewer have any ability. It's very occult, and the author plays on that. You're often not sure who's actually using magic vs who's just really good vs who's faking it. (Ie, is that desert scout just a fucking beast of a scout through long experience and knowledge of his home terrain, or is he supernaturally enhanced in his speed and senses?) Sometimes the 'magic' has quite mundane explanations and isn't magic at all, which keeps it interesting.

It also means it's not just epic wizards battling and the actual fighting with gun and sword doesn't matter. It's sort of like if Napoleon and his opponents had a few supernatural agents at their disposal, but still needed to rely most heavily on their political and military might.

The characters are well written and the military banter is believable. The battle scenes are very well done. The complexity of the series increases as it engages in politics and is very reminiscent of the issues of the French revolution as well as the struggles between religious and secular authority in Europe. However it doesn't make an epic adventure, the entire world falling on the head of some young reluctant hero. It's a host of military, religious, established political entities, revolutionaries, and competing empires all working toward what they feel is the best vision of the future.

It's worth the read.

I forgot I ordered the first one! I've been reading the Matt Helm series and this book slipped my mind. Thanks for the review and the reminder.

[Guerrero]

I'd like to "+1" a couple recommendations thus far:

Fiction
+1 for Dead Six by Larry Correia
+1 for the "Monster Hunter" series by Larry Correia
+1 for pretty much everything by William Gibson. I came across an interesting analysis of his fiction a while ago: if you think about it, his "Sprawl" trilogy (Neuromancer, Count Zero, and Mona Lisa Overdrive) are really about the '80's (or rather, the zeitgeist of the '80's projected into the future). Similarly, the "Bridge" trilogy (Virtual Light, Idoru, and All Tomorrow's Parties) are really about the '90's, and the "Blue Ant" (Pattern Recognition, Spook Country, and Zero History)trilogy is really about post-9/11 living.

Non-Fiction:
+1 for 13 Hours by Michael Zuckoff
Black Hawk Down by Mark Bowden
Angel in the Whirlwind by Benson Bobrick

[WobblyPossum]

I'd like to "+1" a couple recommendations thus far:

Fiction
+1 for Dead Six by Larry Correia
+1 for the "Monster Hunter" series by Larry Correia
+1 for pretty much everything by William Gibson. I came across an interesting analysis of his fiction a while ago: if you think about it, his "Sprawl" trilogy (Neuromancer, Count Zero, and Mona Lisa Overdrive) are really about the '80's (or rather, the zeitgeist of the '80's projected into the future). Similarly, the "Bridge" trilogy (Virtual Light, Idoru, and All Tomorrow's Parties) are really about the '90's, and the "Blue Ant" (Pattern Recognition, Spook Country, and Zero History)trilogy is really about post-9/11 living.

Non-Fiction:
+1 for 13 Hours by Michael Zuckoff
Black Hawk Down by Mark Bowden
Angel in the Whirlwind by Benson Bobrick

1. I agree with your recommendations. We seem to have very similar tastes in books.

2. William Gibson wrote two more trilogies!??!? How have I not known this? I love the Neuromancer trilogy. I almost never keep fiction books after I've read them. I generally donate them to the local library. I'm not donating that trilogy.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Guerrero]

DanM, Wikipedia is your friend (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_works_by_William_Gibson) ;)

D'oh! Forgot one, probably the best sci-fi (-ish) novel that I've read in years:

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline (unfortunately, his follow-up, Armada, was crap)

[Glenn E. Meyer]

The Daedalus Incident (Daedalus Series Book 1) - and two follow ups. Another tech and 'magic' book. Premise - in the age of sail - alchemy allows sailing ships to reach the planets which are inhabitable in this alternate universe. The Royal Navy fights pirates, American rebels, the French and and a resurgent ancient Martian empire. Neat twist - tachyon experiments in the year 2100 ish in our time on Mars allow our folks to cross over.

[Drang]

Amazon.com: The LawDog Files eBook: D. LawDog, Larry Correia: Kindle Store (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B073XSYG63)

[blues]

Recently finished "The Force" (https://www.amazon.com/Force-Novel-Don-Winslow/dp/0062664417) by Don Winslow. Thought it pretty good but not special. (Some of the characterizations were a bit too cookie cutter for my taste but putting aside a few objections it is a worthwhile read and story.)

Currently reading "The Power Of The Dog" (https://www.amazon.com/Power-Dog-Don-Winslow/dp/1400096936/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_14_img_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=VH5PQ16X306MDCYXVGC7) by the same author. Started a bit slow but has pretty much hooked me now due to my familiarity with the subject matter and the politics of the international "war" on narcotics trafficking. Some of the stuff cuts pretty close to the bone.

These are my first two books by this author. I intend to follow up with "The Cartel" (https://www.amazon.com/Cartel-Vintage-Crime-Black-Lizard/dp/1101873744/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_14_img_0?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=VH5PQ16X306MDCYXVGC7) which I believe continues the saga begun in "The Power Of The Dog".

[SeriousStudent]

Amazon.com: The LawDog Files eBook: D. LawDog, Larry Correia: Kindle Store (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B073XSYG63)

I have been an avid reader of the LawDog files for years. My faves are "The rise and fall of the Nigerian space program" and "The Ratel Pit".

His childhood seemed to bear many resemblances to mine, although on opposite hemispheres. I am honestly unsure how I survived it.

[Drang]

I have been an avid reader of the LawDog files for years. My faves are "The rise and fall of the Nigerian space program" and "The Ratel Pit".

His childhood seemed to bear many resemblances to mine, although on opposite hemispheres. I am honestly unsure how I survived it.

These are his Roll Call stories, so to speak. The Africa stories will be out later this year.

[BehindBlueI's]

"A Texas Ranger" is 99 cents on Amazon at the moment: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B071RXTX1P/ref=oh_aui_d_detailpage_o00_?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I've read the first few chapters and am enjoying it.

[Coyotesfan97]

Meddling Kids

https://www.amazon.com/Meddling-Kids-Blyton-Detective-Adventure/dp/0385541996/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1500247593&sr=8-1&keywords=meddling+kids

SUMMER 1977. The Blyton Summer Detective Club (of Blyton Hills, a small mining town in Oregon’s Zoinx River Valley) solved their final mystery and unmasked the elusive Sleepy Lake monster—another low-life fortune hunter trying to get his dirty hands on the legendary riches hidden in Deboën Mansion. And he would have gotten away with it too, if it weren’t for those meddling kids.

1990. The former detectives have grown up and apart, each haunted by disturbing memories of their final night in the old haunted house. There are too many strange, half-remembered encounters and events that cannot be dismissed or explained away by a guy in a mask. And Andy, the once intrepid tomboy now wanted in two states, is tired of running from her demons. She needs answers. To find them she will need Kerri, the one-time kid genius and budding biologist, now drinking her ghosts away in New York with Tim, an excitable Weimaraner descended from the original canine member of the club. They will also have to get Nate, the horror nerd currently residing in an asylum in Arkham, Massachusetts. Luckily Nate has not lost contact with Peter, the handsome jock turned movie star who was once their team leader . . . which is remarkable, considering Peter has been dead for years.

I'm looking forward to reading this.

[Coyotesfan97]

Amazon.com: The LawDog Files eBook: D. LawDog, Larry Correia: Kindle Store (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B073XSYG63)

Larry book bombed this today on his blog. The last I saw it was #104 on the Top100 Paid list in the Kindle Store

[Drang]

Amazon.com: The LawDog Files eBook: D. LawDog, Larry Correia: Kindle Store (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B073XSYG63)


These are his Roll Call stories, so to speak. The Africa stories will be out later this year.

"Later this year" being in two weeks, available now for pre-order... (https://thelawdogfiles.blogspot.com/2017/07/lets-see-if-this-pre-order.html).
Amazon.com: The LawDog Files: African Adventures eBook: D. Lawdog, Peter Grant: Kindle Store (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0742GD4B7/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1500503852&sr=8-2&keywords=the+lawdog+files)


Larry book bombed this today on his blog. The last I saw it was #104 on the Top100 Paid list in the Kindle Store
OldNFO, AKA Jim Curtis, author of the Gray Man series, says that The Lawdog Files hit #82. (https://oldnfo.org/2017/07/19/building-on-success/)
Overall.

LawDog had the honor of representing law and order in the Texas town of Bugscuffle as a Sheriff’s Deputy, where he became notorious for, among other things, the famous Case of the Pink Gorilla Suit. But long before he put on the deputy’s star, he grew up in Nigeria, where his experiences were equally unforgettable, and in most cases, every bit as funny. In THE LAWDOG FILES: AFRICAN ADVENTURES, LawDog chronicles his encounters with everything from bush pilots, 15-foot pythons, pygmy mongooses, brigadier-captains, and Peace Corp hippies to the Nigerian space program.

THE LAWDOG FILES: AFRICAN ADVENTURES are every bit as funny as the previous volume, as LawDog relates his unforgettable experiences in a laconic, self-deprecating manner that is funny in its own right. Africa wins again, and again, and again, but, so too does the reader in this sobering, but hilarious collection of true tales from the Dark Continent.

[Kukuforguns]

Meddling Kids

https://www.amazon.com/Meddling-Kids-Blyton-Detective-Adventure/dp/0385541996/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1500247593&sr=8-1&keywords=meddling+kids


I'm looking forward to reading this.

Please review when done. This sounds silly enough to be a lot of fun if done well. Just reading the description was worthwhile.

[Coyotesfan97]

"Later this year" being in two weeks, available now for pre-order... (https://thelawdogfiles.blogspot.com/2017/07/lets-see-if-this-pre-order.html).
Amazon.com: The LawDog Files: African Adventures eBook: D. Lawdog, Peter Grant: Kindle Store (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0742GD4B7/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1500503852&sr=8-2&keywords=the+lawdog+files)


OldNFO, AKA Jim Curtis, author of the Gray Man series, says that The Lawdog Files hit #82. (https://oldnfo.org/2017/07/19/building-on-success/)
Overall.

Yep Larry posted the next day it went to 82 overnight. I ordered it but haven't started it yet


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Coyotesfan97]

Please review when done. This sounds silly enough to be a lot of fun if done well. Just reading the description was worthwhile.

I'll do a better review but thumbs up. If you read the Hardy boys, Nancy Drew, and watched Scooby Doo you'll get a kick out of it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[walker2713]

"The Road to Jonestown: Jim Jones and the Peoples Temple" by Jeff Guinn

I'm old enough to remember the most dramatic events in the Jim Jones/Peoples Temple/Guyana story, but didn't know much about his early life, his personality and character.

From a life in rural Indiana, to a period of growth and success in Indianapolis and then on to California....Guinn tells an interesting story which appears to be fairly even handed. The reader knows the tragic story of how it all ended, but here's also the story of how Jone's "ministry" was born and grew over the years.

I'm listening to it with Audible on my iPhone, but I expect it'd also be a good read on a Kindle or an old fashioned paper book.

George

[Glenn E. Meyer]

Iron Dawn: The Monitor, the Merrimack, and the Civil War Sea Battle that Changed HistoryNov 1, 2016
by Richard Snow

Got the CD out of the library. Fascinating story behind the development of those two ships. Insights into the politics, personalities, construction, battles and implications. Before someone complains it was the Virginia, i seems that even many of the Confederates called it the Merrimack as they served in the Navy before the war started and respected that name.

Interesting nuance, we complain about leaks today. The Northern and Southern papers followed the construction and deployment of both ships in detail, annoying both navies. In fact, both navies leaked to each other.

[minengr]

Just about finished the Vince Flynn series of books and enjoyed them all. If you liked them, you might enjoy "I am Pilgrim" by Terry Hayes. It's my most recent favorite.

Most all my other favorites have already mentioned.

[ACP230]

I am enjoying The Last Founding Father by Harlow Giles Unger.

It's a biography of James Monroe. Some of the events in his early revolutionary life took
place at Williamsburg, VA. I was at some of the places during a visit to
Colonial Williamsburg some years ago.

[BehindBlueI's]

Facing Violence by Rory Miller
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0182WEMGA...ng=UTF8&btkr=1

This is a pretty solid book that is well worth the read, particularly if you've not been punched in the face as an adult or if you have been punched in the face but weren't sure why. It's a stark and helpful look into the world of violence, the break down of different types (social status vs resource seeking, for example), and how to deal with each. It does touch on unarmed self defense as well as weapons, "command presence", etc.

Remember this is written for a national audience and is colored by the author's west coast experience. I think that, for my state, he vastly overstates the legal consequences of self defense without withdrawal and also incorrectly talks about minimal force (we use reasonable force). He also makes some minor mistakes on Miranda (he confuses arrested for detained). It does give you an idea of the mindset should you be forced to defend yourself in less friendly jurisdictions, though, and that broader exposure is not a bad thing.

It's also a good read for professionals who deal with violence often, soldiers, jailers, bouncers, cops, etc. You'll probably see something you've done that he explains why doing that is stupid. I sure had several "yeah, I've done that, and yeah, it was dumb" moments while reading it. He calls it your inner monkey. It's a combination of ego and what you believe social expectations are (especially powerful for younger guys in front of women they are attracted to...) and leads us to do lots of dumb things, violence related or not.

I also appreciate that several times in the book he refers you to someone else or simply says "I don't know". An example is dealing with identity issues as an aging fighter, as in coming to terms with the fact you aren't as fast, as strong, etc. as you used to be and how that fits with your image of who you are. He points out it exists and admits he has no good answers of how to cope.

"Meditations on Violence" by the same author is also a good read.

[SeriousStudent]

Agreed, I really do like Rory Miller's books. I think I have all of them, I'll have to go look.

I also think that Force Decisions should be a required read before any reporter ever opens their cakehole and asks a question in public.

[JSGlock34]

Just finished Jeff Shaara's The Frozen Hours (https://www.amazon.com/Frozen-Hours-Novel-Korean-War/dp/0345549228/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1501808176&sr=8-1&keywords=the+frozen+hours) about the battle of Chosin Reservoir during the Korean War. I enjoy historical fiction and Shaara's formula works well here.

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51-JP7PEMgL._SX326_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg

[SeriousStudent]

Neat - I have that one sitting on the pile next to the reading recliner.

Did you like it?

[JSGlock34]

Yes, I thought it was very good. Admittedly I haven't read much on the Korean War aside from T.R. Fehrenbach's outstanding This Kind of War (https://www.amazon.com/This-Kind-War-Fiftieth-Anniversary/dp/1574883348/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1501810613&sr=8-1&keywords=this+kind+of+war). I generally like Jeff Shaara's stuff, especially his American Revolution series and To The Last Man (https://www.amazon.com/Last-Man-Novel-First-World/dp/0345461363/ref=sr_1_9?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1501810685&sr=1-9&keywords=jeff+shaara) (WW1), though I didn't enjoy his WW2 series as much as his other works.

[SeriousStudent]

Very good, I will get to it. I also liked To The Last Man, and his Civil War books as well - probably his father's influence.

[JSGlock34]

The Killer Angels (https://www.amazon.com/Killer-Angels-Classic-Novel-Trilogy/dp/0345348109/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1501814435&sr=8-1&keywords=the+killer+angels) was required reading in my ROTC program. I periodically re-read it, though my father currently has my copy. Still the best of the genre.

[Welder]

Since getting back into riding, I've been re-reading Leanings and Leanings 2 by Peter Egan, and just finished my first time through Leanings 3. If you only like 2 wheels with your engine, you owe it to yourself to check these books out.

[blues]

The Killer Angels (https://www.amazon.com/Killer-Angels-Classic-Novel-Trilogy/dp/0345348109/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1501814435&sr=8-1&keywords=the+killer+angels) was required reading in my ROTC program. I periodically re-read it, though my father currently has my copy. Still the best of the genre.

That book and Shelby Foote's three volumes on the Civil War are personal favorites.

You may enjoy this. A few years ago I was introduced to a local gentleman at a friend's home. He was a retired Marine Lt. Colonel.

His family has been serving in the U.S. military going back to the Revolution.

Anyway, he is a direct descendant of Gen. John Buford who figures prominently in The Killer Angels (and shares his name).

When I pulled up some images of Gen. Buford I was bowled over by the fact that the man I met was the spitting image of the Civil War general. And I mean you'd 100% mistake one for the other...it was uncanny.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/25/John_Buford.jpg/220px-John_Buford.jpg

[SeriousStudent]

Killer Angels is on the Commandant of the Marine Corps reading list for Sergeants and above.

I remember picking it as a Lance Criminal and immediately appreciated Michael Shaara's writing style. That paperback got passed around like a handle jug of cheap Bourbon.

[peterb]

Yes, I thought it was very good. Admittedly I haven't read much on the Korean War aside from T.R. Fehrenbach's outstanding This Kind of War (https://www.amazon.com/This-Kind-War-Fiftieth-Anniversary/dp/1574883348/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1501810613&sr=8-1&keywords=this+kind+of+war). I generally like Jeff Shaara's stuff, especially his American Revolution series and To The Last Man (https://www.amazon.com/Last-Man-Novel-First-World/dp/0345461363/ref=sr_1_9?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1501810685&sr=1-9&keywords=jeff+shaara) (WW1), though I didn't enjoy his WW2 series as much as his other works.

A Korean war book to consider is https://www.amazon.com/Last-Stand-Fox-Company-Marines/dp/0802144519"The Last Stand of Fox Company" by Bob Drury and Tom Calvin, also from the Marine Corps reading list. It's the true story of the unit that held the Toktong Pass open during the Chosin retreat.

[Coyotesfan97]

The Whiskey Rebels by David Liss

I was fortunate to see this on the shelf of a used book store in Palmer Alaska. I highly recommend it. If you like historical fiction this is for you. Liss makes you feel you're walking the streets of Philadelphia.

--------------------------------

From Amazon


Ethan Saunders, once among General Washington’s most valued spies, now lives in disgrace, haunting the taverns of Philadelphia. An accusation of treason has long since cost him his reputation and his beloved fiancée, Cynthia Pearson, but at his most desperate moment he is recruited for an unlikely task–finding Cynthia’s missing husband. To help her, Saunders must serve his old enemy, Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton, who is engaged in a bitter power struggle with political rival Thomas Jefferson over the fragile young nation’s first real financial institution: the Bank of the United States.

Meanwhile, Joan Maycott is a young woman married to another Revolutionary War veteran. With the new states unable to support their ex-soldiers, the Maycotts make a desperate gamble: trade the chance of future payment for the hope of a better life on the western Pennsylvania frontier. There, amid hardship and deprivation, they find unlikely friendship and a chance for prosperity with a new method of distilling whiskey. But on an isolated frontier, whiskey is more than a drink; it is currency and power, and the Maycotts’ success attracts the brutal attention of men in Hamilton’s orbit, men who threaten to destroy all Joan holds dear.

As their causes intertwine, Joan and Saunders–both patriots in their own way–find themselves on opposing sides of a daring scheme that will forever change their lives and their new country. The Whiskey Rebels is a superb rendering of a perilous age and a nation nearly torn apart–and David Liss’s most powerful novel yet.

[blues]

I seem to remember reading that one a few years back, CF97, but I can't remember now if I was taken with it or not.

[ReverendMeat]

Bush War Rhodesia, Peter Baxter. Good, succinct, and unbiased overview of the conflict. Kindle version is cheap but has a lot of typos.

Dingo Firestorm: The Greatest Battle of the Rhodesian Bush War, Ian Pringle. Just FANTASTIC. First half sets the stage, second half details the titular raid which got more than a few "holy shits" out of me, great stuff. Don't know how those guys were able to contain their huge brass balls in their lil' shorts, highly recommended if you're at all interested in military aviation (ETA: not that the grunts get overlooked, but the RhAF is the focus).

I am 'Soldier of Fortune', Robert K Brown. Just a lot of fun, I wasn't really familiar with the magazine outside of knowing that it exists so everything in this book was new to me. Even if half the stuff Brown claims is fabricated (not that there's any reason to believe it is) dude's still lived one hell of a crazy life. Highly entertaining, but holy shit the typos and misspellings.

How to Choose & Use Fonts & Typefaces, Tony Seddon. Not sure what I was expecting out of this, but something about it made me go "ooh, fonts! This might be interesting!" It's basically a guide for graphic designers, but I was hoping it would go into more of the history and stylistic differences between various fonts. I think I've officially gone too long without a girlfriend.

[peterb]

understanding Comics by Scott McCloud
Yeah, I know -- if you need a book to understand comics......

It introduced some things I hadn't thought about --- ways of representing time and space, levels of abstraction, what goes on between frames, etc.

[Glenn E. Meyer]

The Allure of Battle: A History of How Wars Have Been Won and Lost 1st Edition
by Cathal Nolan (Author)

Military history that stresses:

1. Good generals tried to avoid battles
2. There is an illusion of the short decisive war - Pearl Harbor, Shock and Awe, The Germans repeatedly through history
3. Most wars fall into a battle of attrition

Very interesting if you like a scholarly approach to military history as compared to the glory of battle.

[willie]

Don't laugh and giggle. Go find the book. ( I, The Jury) was Mickey Spillane's first novel. Published in 1947, it introduces the famous Mike Hammer who is politically incorrect in every way. The novel has enjoyed cult status for some folks(me). I hope nobody tells me it's dated or insensitive or presents others in a bad light or is sexists or violent. Why of course it is.

[Chance]

Pardon me if someone has review this before, but I've written up some of my thoughts on Go! Go! Go!: The Definitive Inside Story of the Iranian Embassy Siege (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B072L5XYF8/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B072L5XYF8&linkCode=as2&tag=pistolforum-20) in this thread (https://pistol-forum.com/showthread.php?26752-6-Days-The-SAS-and-the-Iranian-Embassy-Siege&p=634235&viewfull=1#post634235).

[LittleLebowski]

Don't laugh and giggle. Go find the book. ( I, The Jury) was Mickey Spillane's first novel. Published in 1947, it introduces the famous Mike Hammer who is politically incorrect in every way. The novel has enjoyed cult status for some folks(me). I hope nobody tells me it's dated or insensitive or presents others in a bad light or is sexists or violent. Why of course it is.

Plenty of books older than that and just as politically incorrect mentioned in this thread.

[Bigguy]

Just finished "The Law Dog Files," mentioned earlier in this thread. My favorites from his blogs are there. Good reading. Just don't have a mouth full of anything you don't wan't to paint your walls with as you read.
https://www.amazon.com/LawDog-Files-D-ebook/dp/B073XSYG63/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1502155285&sr=8-1&keywords=the+lawdog+files

[Stephanie B]

"Zone Policeman 88", by Harry Franck, is an interesting look at the building of the Panama Canal. It's available on Project Gutenberg.


Sent from my NSA-approved tracking device using Tapatalk

[Francis]

Confederate thread brought these back to mind.

"Rebels From West Point" by Gerard A Patterson

"Complicity" by Anne Farrow, Joel Lang and Jennifer Frank.

[Coyotesfan97]

Just finished "The Law Dog Files," mentioned earlier in this thread. My favorites from his blogs are there. Good reading. Just don't have a mouth full of anything you don't wan't to paint your walls with as you read.
https://www.amazon.com/LawDog-Files-D-ebook/dp/B073XSYG63/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1502155285&sr=8-1&keywords=the+lawdog+files

I just ordered and read the Africa Files. Hilarious!

[Coyotesfan97]

Monster Hunter Siege by Larry Corriea. The saga continues! Cliffhanger ending. I've got my Camp Frostbite coffee mug.

[Dismas316]

Monster Hunter Siege by Larry Corriea. The saga continues! Cliffhanger ending. I've got my Camp Frostbite coffee mug.

I've read his dead six books and enjoyed them. Ned to pick up the monster hunter series.

About halfway through The Cartel by Don Winslow. Great read so far with a number of different storylines intertwined.

[blues]

I've read his dead six books and enjoyed them. Ned to pick up the monster hunter series.

About halfway through The Cartel by Don Winslow. Great read so far with a number of different storylines intertwined.

I'm 60% through "The Cartel" but at this point I'm kinda wishing that Winslow would hurry the tale along. (Though I'm at a point where I think it will get "interesting".)

[Dismas316]

I'm 60% through "The Cartel" but at this point I'm kinda wishing that Winslow would hurry the tale along. (Though I'm at a point where I think it will get "interesting".)

Definitely a longer read, had the same thoughts buts it's been entertaining, hoping it all ties in for a good ending.

[JSGlock34]

I'm 60% through "The Cartel" but at this point I'm kinda wishing that Winslow would hurry the tale along. (Though I'm at a point where I think it will get "interesting".)

I discovered Don Winslow about 10 years ago when I read The Winter of Frankie Machine. Since then I've worked my way through most of his books. Savages is probably his most original work and was much better than its prequel, The Kings of Cool. I found the movie adaptation of Savages a poor reflection of the book. California Fire and Life and The Death and Life of Bobby Z were solid. The Boone Daniels books - (The Dawn Patrol and The Gentlemen's Hour) - are good light summer/airport reads. I'm pretty sure all of these books take place in the same fictional universe of San Diego, and there are characters that cross over.

The Power of the Dog and its sequel, The Cartel were good reads, but I thought the former was better than the latter, which I found dragged in places. I really didn't care for his most recent effort, The Force.

I'm excited about the fact that Winslow has partnered up with Michael Mann (http://deadline.com/2016/03/don-winslow-michael-mann-tony-accardo-sam-giancana-the-cartel-michael-mann-books-1201722508/). Will be interesting to see what those two hatch up.

[blues]

The Power of the Dog and its sequel, The Cartel were good reads, but I thought the former was better than the latter, which I found dragged in places. I really didn't care for his most recent effort, The Force.

I'm excited about the fact that Winslow has partnered up with Michael Mann (http://deadline.com/2016/03/don-winslow-michael-mann-tony-accardo-sam-giancana-the-cartel-michael-mann-books-1201722508/). Will be interesting to see what those two hatch up.

The bolded section reflects my feelings as well. I thought "The Force", while it had some interesting sections, was way too stereotyped on a multitude of levels and missed an opportunity to be something special. Instead it became cliched.

Also agree with "The Power of the Dog" being the better of the two novels despite the fact that I have yet to finish "The Cartel" as I'm reading three other books at the same time which are slowing down my nightly progress.

I'm just about to finish the last episode of Narcos on Netflix in a few minutes and I have to say that this is the best season yet. It has a very strong ring of authenticity rarely encountered in such adaptations. I hope the series will continue.

[Cheap Shot]

Never Call Me a Hero: A Legendary American Dive-Bomber Pilot Remembers the Battle of Midway by Jack "Dusty" Kleiss

On the morning of June 4, 1942, high above the tiny Pacific atoll of Midway, Lt. (j.g.) "Dusty" Kleiss burst out of the clouds and piloted his SBD Dauntless into a near-vertical dive aimed at the heart of Japan’s Imperial Navy, which six months earlier had ruthlessly struck Pearl Harbor. The greatest naval battle in history raged around him, its outcome hanging in the balance as the U.S. desperately searched for its first major victory of the Second World War. Then, in a matter of seconds, Dusty Kleiss’s daring 20,000-foot dive helped forever alter the war’s trajectory.

Plummeting through the air at 240 knots amid blistering anti-aircraft fire, the twenty-six-year-old pilot from USS Enterprise’s elite Scouting Squadron Six fixed on an invaluable target—the aircraft carrier Kaga, one of Japan’s most important capital ships. He released three bombs at the last possible instant, then desperately pulled out of his gut-wrenching 9-g dive. As his plane leveled out just above the roiling Pacific Ocean, Dusty’s perfectly placed bombs struck the carrier’s deck, and Kaga erupted into an inferno from which it would never recover.

https://www.amazon.com/Never-Call-Hero-Legendary-Dive-Bomber/dp/0062692054/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1504577168&sr=8-1&keywords=dont+call+me+a+hero

Greatest generational indeed. I've read about 1/3 and I'm very very impressed

[JSGlock34]

I just finished Go! Go! Go! (https://www.amazon.com/Go-Definitive-Inside-Iranian-Embassy-ebook/dp/B072L5XYF8/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1504577698&sr=8-2&keywords=firmin) about the 1980 SAS operation to end the siege of the Iranian Embassy in Princes Gate. Best $2.99 I've spent on Kindle. Excellent book - full of details on the operation. Great companion to the movie Six Days.

[modrecoil]

Just finished Radical: My Journey out of Islamist Extremism by Maajid Nawaz. Could've used tighter editing, took a few chapters to get interesting, but worth it for the unique perspective on the topic. Overall recommended. Also just finished A Problem from Hell: America and the Age of Genocide by Samantha Power. Only took me 6 months. Terrific writer and a very good book but it's a heavy subject (obviously). Highly recommended regardless.

[BehindBlueI's]

Just finished Radical: My Journey out of Islamist Extremism by Maajid Nawaz.

I thought it was a pretty solid book. It busts a lot of myths on how Radical Islam spreads, and among who, in Europe (and by extension in the US).

I just finished Rory Miller's "ConCom" on communications and found it a worthwhile read. I read the first chapter of "Wolf Hall" based on recommendations in this thread.

[blues]

I read the first chapter of "Wolf Hall" based on recommendations in this thread.

"Wolf Hall" is an excellent book, imho. The sequel, "Bring Up the Bodies", equally so. I am looking forward (hopefully) to the eventual release of "The Mirror and the Light".

(There are a lot of characters to familiarize yourself with. When I read the first volume I printed out a list for reference so I didn't have to go darting back and forth in the e-book. I found it helpful and shortly thereafter didn't need it.)

[Paltares8]

I finished the last book in Andy McNab's [
Nick Stone series last week. Out of 16 books, some were much more engaging than others, but none were so bad as to convince me to give up on them. Just started "House of Spies" by Daniel Silva 3 days ago. I've read all of the Gabriel Allon series, and they're decent enough entertainment, but if you're looking for more than that you'll likely be disappointed. I'm 38% (kindle) into this one, and its ok so far, but there was the tiniest bit of "mysticism," for lack of a better word, thrown in that kind of left a sour taste in my mouth. I'll still finish it though, and will probably not feel that I wasted my time. After that I think I have the last Jack Teacher book to read, and then I'll be on a search for a new espionage-type series to dig in to.

[ACP230]

Just started Last Bus To Wisdom by the late Ivan Doig.
It was published in 2015 but I didn't hear about it till a few
weeks ago. Bought it as soon as I found out about it.

Enjoying it.

[Coyotesfan97]

I ordered/purchased Never Call Me a Hero. It looks good. I read a lot about the Pacific naval war growing up. It's next on the list after I finish On Wings Of Eagles. Thanks LL!

Which reminds me I just reread Once an Eagle. As always it was dusty in the room at the end. It's about time to reread The Forgotten Soldier too.

[NEPAKevin]

Amazon has The Warrior Ethos (https://www.amazon.com/Warrior-Ethos-Steven-Pressfield-ebook/dp/B004S7JHY6/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1506098824&sr=1-1&keywords=warrior+ethos)by Steven Pressfield (Gates of Fire, Legend of Bagger Vance, etc. as a Kindle deal of the day. Fri, 9-27-17

[holmes168]

Splitting my time between Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand and Don Quixote. Both outstanding!

[FrankinCA]

I just read Street Warrior. It's about Rob Friedman, NYPDs most decorated detective. Also, reading Dune again.

[Hambo]

I just finished Go! Go! Go! (https://www.amazon.com/Go-Definitive-Inside-Iranian-Embassy-ebook/dp/B072L5XYF8/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1504577698&sr=8-2&keywords=firmin) about the 1980 SAS operation to end the siege of the Iranian Embassy in Princes Gate. Best $2.99 I've spent on Kindle. Excellent book - full of details on the operation. Great companion to the movie Six Days.

It made me appreciate how much detail was in the movie, right down to red/blue tape on gas mask canisters.

Greg Ellefritz recommended this Behave: The Biology of Humans at Our Best and Worst so I downloaded a sample, which is good enough that I'll buy the book.

[will_1400]

For some hard sci-fi I recommend "Vignettes of the Star Empire" by Alistair Young. Mr. Young has created a universe called the "Eldraeverse" in which you have weakly god-like creatures, civilizations that have undergone a Vingian Technological Singularity, and other civilizationss that are on the verge of the same. The book itself is a well-written series of bite-sized stories (including a futuristic version of the infamous Skippy List and a rather humorous mention of the Kzinti Lesson), the author has an encyclopedic knowledge of hard math and science which he uses to come up with plausible versions of well-established sci-fi hypertechnology and their related tropes.

For those who like that kind of sci-fi, I highly recommend it.

[Jim Watson]

Do you like John Sandford's cop stories about Lucas Davenport and that fuckin' Virgil Flowers?
Do you like science fiction?

If so, try 'Saturn Run'. I figure Sandford did the quirky characters and Ctein did the spaceships.

[gtae07]

You can't find it on Kindle, but if you're into science fiction google "The Last Angel". There's just some random person on the internet writing it, but holy crap. I heard about it right when book 1 finished, so I started reading, and pretty much accomplished nothing else that weekend while I read the whole story and all of the commentary. It had been a long time since I'd read a fiction book that got that much of an emotional response from me. Author is now about midway through book 2 and just posted a new chapter. It's rare to find a book where the antagonists are portrayed so realistically.

I've never read anything but this person's posts on the hosting site so I can't speak to anything going on there, other than the nerdiness is strong. But it's worth a visit.


Further:

John Scalzi's Old Man's War series is pretty good, too. Heinlein's stuff is golden, particularly Starship Troopers (has nothing to do with the movie, and is infinitely better) and The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress.

Neal Stephenson's Anathem was very enjoyable. A lot of Terry Pratchett's Discworld books are good; my particular favorites are anything with Captain Vimes of the Night Watch, and the ones with Moist von Lipwig.

I have a huge paperback with the collected short stories of Arthur C. Clarke. I reread it every now and again, because it's just that good.

The entire Expanse series is quite the page-turner too. The TV series isn't bad--the production is great, though the story got mangled to amp up drama for the audience--but read the books. I was pleasantly surprised that they got acceleration gravity right, almost everything else is gravy.

[ReverendMeat]

Re: Heinlein, "Door Into Summer" is fantastic and underrated.

[holmes168]

I enjoyed Bosch on Amazon. Are the books worth reading? Thinking about either the Bosch series or digging into Nelson Demille.

[RJ]

I enjoyed Bosch on Amazon. Are the books worth reading? Thinking about either the Bosch series or digging into Nelson Demille.

Yes, I found the Bosch novels to be pretty well written.

[Coyotesfan97]

I just started rereading Lawrence Block's Keller the hitman series. Good stuff

[holmes168]

Just finished Unbroken- to me it's a must read book.

[Lester Polfus]

My new release, Rose City Free Fall is out on Kindle:

Rose City Free Fall (https://www.amazon.com/Rose-City-Free-Fall-Thrillers-ebook/dp/B075PNK53L/ref=la_B075PXYD3M_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1509855032&sr=1-1)

Big thanks to Tom for being ok with me plugging my wares here on P-F.

Before anybody asks, yes I know the guy's finger is on the trigger on the cover. I'll ask my cover artist not to do that next time...

[Kukuforguns]

The Lies of Locke Lamora (https://www.amazon.com/Lies-Locke-Lamora-Gentleman-Bastards-ebook/dp/B000JMKNJ2/ref=la_B001DABSBQ_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1511810901&sr=1-1).
*Starred Review* On a distant world, orphan Locke Lamora is sold into a crew of thieves and con artists. Soon his natural gifts make him an underworld celebrity, leader of the flamboyantly larcenous Gentleman Bandits. But there is someone who covets Locke's talents, his success, his very life, forcing him to put everything on the line to protect himself. With a world so vividly realized that it's positively tactile, and characters so richly drawn that they threaten to walk right off the page, this is one of those novels that reaches out and grabs readers, pulling us into the middle of the action. With this debut novel, Lynch immediately establishes himself as a gifted and fearless storyteller, unafraid of comparisons to Silverberg and Jordan, not to mention David Liss and even Dickens (the parallels to Oliver Twist offer an appealing extra dimension to the story, although the novel is no mere reimagining of that Victorian classic). Fans of lavishly appointed fantasy will be in seventh heaven here, but it will be nearly as popular with readers of literary crime fiction. This is a true genre bender, at home on almost any kind of fiction shelf. Expect it to be among the year's most impressive debuts. David Pitt
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Three novels so far in the series. Very well written. Takes place in a fictional universe where magic exists, but is not common. Thus, the solution to most problems is wit and steel. The protagonist prefers wit. His best friend slings the steel.

[Coyotesfan97]

That sounds good. It’s two dollars on Kindle and it’s purchased

[Coyotesfan97]

Kukuforguns The Lies of Locke Lamora is awesome. Thanks for the recommendation!

[BigT]

My new release, Rose City Free Fall is out on Kindle:

Rose City Free Fall (https://www.amazon.com/Rose-City-Free-Fall-Thrillers-ebook/dp/B075PNK53L/ref=la_B075PXYD3M_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1509855032&sr=1-1)

Big thanks to Tom for being ok with me plugging my wares here on P-F.

Before anybody asks, yes I know the guy's finger is on the trigger on the cover. I'll ask my cover artist not to do that next time...

Just bought it to read on my flight

[Lester Polfus]

Just bought it to read on my flight

Thanks!

If you like it, reviews on Amazon are always appreciated. Sales are going better than I expected, but reviews, as usual are slow to come in.

[ReverendMeat]

The Fate of Africa: A History of the Continent Since Independence, Martin Meredith. Absolutely fantastic. Kind of a niche topic judging from the amount of bookshelf space it takes up, and it may be intimidatingly lengthy but it's well written, readable, and entertaining--particularly in that "can't look away from a car crash" sort of way. No happy endings here (except for Botswana, for some reason) but enlightening all the same.

[Corey]

The Art of Worldly Wisdom by Balthasar Gracian. Sort of like Marcus Aurelius' Meditations, but from a 17th century Spanish Jesuit priest. The book is full of good advice.

[Coyotesfan97]

I’m starting Book 2 of the Gentleman Bastards ie Locke Lamora. It’s Red Seas Under Red Skies. I’m looking forward to this book.

[Kukuforguns]

I’m starting Book 2 of the Gentleman Bastards ie Locke Lamora. It’s Red Seas Under Red Skies. I’m looking forward to this book.
Amazon lured you in with the $2 price for the first book. Glad you are enjoying the series. I've found many books that I've enjoyed from this thread. It's nice to contribute.

[Coyotesfan97]

Amazon lured you in with the $2 price for the first book. Glad you are enjoying the series. I've found many books that I've enjoyed from this thread. It's nice to contribute.

Yes they did. I saw it’s going to be a seven book series with some short stories too.

[Jim Watson]

SF. 'Saturn Run'

[Drang]

if you're interested in cyberpunk military/detective SF:
AmazonSmile: Armageddon's Princess (A Lexus Toulouse Mystery Book 1) eBook: Anthony Pacheco: Kindle Store (https://www.amazon.com/Armageddons-Princess-Lexus-Toulouse-Mystery-ebook/dp/B00BGS9VDC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1513017998&sr=8-1&keywords=anthony+pacheco)
AmazonSmile: The Wælcyrie Murders (A Lexus Toulouse Mystery Book 2) eBook: Anthony Pacheco: Kindle Store (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00PF91QE0/ref=series_rw_dp_sw)


I should maybe explain, that might be more accurately described as "Libertarian cyberpunk military/detective SF with lots of sex." F/M, F/F, F/AI...

[Coyotesfan97]

https://www.amazon.com/Altered-Carbon-Takeshi-Kovacs-Novels-ebook/dp/B000FBFMZ2/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1513020991&sr=1-1&keywords=altered+carbon

I’m not sure if it was this thread or the movie thread that Altered Carbon got mentioned. I’m enjoying reading it.

[ReverendMeat]

My new release, Rose City Free Fall is out on Kindle:

Rose City Free Fall (https://www.amazon.com/Rose-City-Free-Fall-Thrillers-ebook/dp/B075PNK53L/ref=la_B075PXYD3M_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1509855032&sr=1-1)


I liked it and will buy the next one when it's ready. I do have a question about the end though: What happened to the guy who was chilling by cover with a revolver being worthless? Unless I missed something we hadn't gotten any update on him after that (highlight to read in case of spoilers)

[Cheap Shot]

One Man's Wilderness: An Alaskan Odyssey

by Sam Keith and Dick Proenneke

his best-selling memoir from Richard Proenneke's journals and with firsthand knowledge of his subject and the setting, Sam Keith has woven a tribute to a man who carved his masterpiece out of the beyond. To live in a pristine land unchanged by man . . . to roam a wilderness through which few other humans has passed . . . to choose an idyllic site, cut trees by hand, and build a log cabin. . . to be self-sufficient craftsman, making what is needed from materials available...to be not at odds with the world, but content with one's own thoughts, dreams and company.

https://www.amazon.com/One-Mans-Wilderness-Alaskan-Odyssey/dp/0882405136/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1513043576&sr=8-1&keywords=alone+in+the+wilderness+book

One of the best books I've read about living in AK. Highly recommend. Book is based on the PBS special alone in the wilderness

[SeriousStudent]

I saw that PBS special, and then read the book.

An excellent use of one's time to do both.

[Shotgun]

I have watched the PBS documentary but have not read the book. I have been fascinated with Proenneke. He built his cabin and other structures entirely with hand tools. No power tools were used. Then, he lives in the Alaskan wilderness for 30 years alone. I can’t imagine living alone like that, but it suited him.

[Stephanie B]

Rogue Heros, by Ben MacIntyre. It's about the founding of Britain's Special Air Service during the Second World War.

[Glenn E. Meyer]

Kaigun: Strategy, Tactics, and Technology in the Imperial Japanese Navy 1887-1941
David C. Evans

Good read for naval history buffs.

It is not a replay of WWII shoot'em ups but the theoretical, tactical and strategic processes in the Imperial Navy up to the Pacific War.

[Drang]

Nomonhan, 1939: The Red Army's Victory That Shaped World War II: Stuart D. Goldman: 9781591143390: AmazonSmile: Books (https://www.amazon.com/Nomonhan-1939-Armys-Victory-Shaped/dp/159114339X/ref=sr_1_sc_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1513107937&sr=8-1-spell&keywords=NOMONHON)
Detailed account of the battles between the Soviets and the Japanese in Manchuria/Mongolia, known to the Soviets as Battles of Khalkhin Gol. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battles_of_Khalkhin_Gol)

Not only does it frame the account in terms of the global conflict, it also, to be blunt, shows just how fucked up the Imperial Japanese Army was.

Amazon blurb:

Stuart Goldman convincingly argues that a little-known, but intense Soviet-Japanese conflict along the Manchurian-Mongolian frontier at Nomonhan influenced the outbreak of World War II and shaped the course of the war. The author draws on Japanese, Soviet, and western sources to put the seemingly obscure conflict--actually a small undeclared war-- into its proper global geo-strategic perspective.

The book describes how the Soviets, in response to a border conflict provoked by Japan, launched an offensive in August 1939 that wiped out the Japanese forces at Nomonhan. At the same time, Stalin signed the German-Soviet Nonaggression Pact, allowing Hitler to invade Poland. The timing of these military and diplomatic strikes was not coincidental, according to the author. In forming an alliance with Hitler that left Tokyo diplomatically isolated, Stalin succeeded in avoiding a two-front war. He saw the pact with the Nazis as a way to pit Germany against Britain and France, leaving the Soviet Union on the sidelines to eventually pick up the spoils from the European conflict, while at the same time giving him a free hand to smash the Japanese at Nomonhan.

Goldman not only demonstrates the linkage between the Nomonhan conflict, the German-Soviet Nonaggression Pact, and the outbreak of World War II , but also shows how Nomonhan influenced Japan s decision to go to war with the United States and thus change the course of history. The book details Gen. Georgy Zhukov s brilliant victory at Nomonhan that led to his command of the Red Army in 1941 and his success in stopping the Germans at Moscow with reinforcements from the Soviet Far East. Such a strategy was possible, the author contends, only because of Japan s decision not to attack the Soviet Far East but to seize the oil-rich Dutch East Indies and attack Pearl Harbor instead. Goldman credits Tsuji Masanobu, an influential Japanese officer who instigated the Nomonhan conflict and survived the debacle, with urging his superiors not to take on the Soviets again in 1941, but instead to go to war with the United States.

[Lester Polfus]

I liked it and will buy the next one when it's ready. I do have a question about the end though: What happened to the guy who was chilling by cover with a revolver being worthless? Unless I missed something we hadn't gotten any update on him after that (highlight to read in case of spoilers)

Thanks! #2 should be out sometime in March. Buoyed by the success of #1, I just paid for a professional edit of both books, so the release date is a still little fluid depending on the timing of all that.

Highlight for answer to spoiler question: LOL. I did leave old Mickey kind of sitting there in the field, didn't I? He may actually show up again, and be a problem for Dent and Co, but not for a another book or two.

[Qaz98]

Just started reading Glock: The Rise of America's Gun

https://www.amazon.com/Glock-Americas-Paul-M-Barrett-ebook/dp/B004X6PRXC

Fascinating read. Even if you have been with Glock from the beginning, a lot of nice details and backstories. I haven't finished yet, half way through, but it's loaded with great background/details.

[Stephanie B]

Sue Grafton, the author of the "alphabet" series of detective novels, died yesterday at age 77 (https://www.apnews.com/da95e9f22674419a8ee2fbe21736164d/Sue-Grafton,-writer-of-popular-'alphabet'-mysteries,-dies).

[Jason F]

I asked for (and got) American Buffalo by Steven Rinella (https://www.amazon.com/American-Buffalo-Search-Lost-Icon/dp/0385521693/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1514676780&sr=8-1&keywords=american+buffalo+steven+rinella) for Christmas and I've chewed through it pretty quickly. Really enjoyed it and I'd highly recommend it.

The thing I appreciated but didn't really know about going in to the book was that Rinella spends a lot more time researching and discussing the history of the buffalo than discussing his hunt, but he weaves the two tales together well. The research shed a lot of interesting history on the buffalo that I wasn't aware and I thoroughly enjoyed that. If I had to guess the book was 75% history and 25% his hunt, but considering how much history there is to the buffalo and it's influence on the topography & cultures of America, he could have written an even longer and more involved history only book, so the restraint he showed by shedding historical light without going overboard was well done. And read the footnotes - there is usually one or two per chapter and they're very interesting.

22706 (https://www.amazon.com/American-Buffalo-Search-Lost-Icon/dp/0385521693/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1514676780&sr=8-1&keywords=american+buffalo+steven+rinella)

[RJ]

Just started reading Glock: The Rise of America's Gun

https://www.amazon.com/Glock-Americas-Paul-M-Barrett-ebook/dp/B004X6PRXC

Fascinating read. Even if you have been with Glock from the beginning, a lot of nice details and backstories. I haven't finished yet, half way through, but it's loaded with great background/details.

Seconded; given the impact of Glock on American SFA pistols, it’s especially relevant. The fact that it’s pretty interesting, as well as being easy to read is great.

[Qaz98]

Seconded; given the impact of Glock on American SFA pistols, it’s especially relevant. The fact that it’s pretty interesting, as well as being easy to read is great.Finished the book. It's great. Like I said, a great book for a lot of backstories to the Glock.

I moved on to the Red Dot Club. Excellent, too, about LEO involved shootings from the first perspective.

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk

[BN]

Sue Grafton, the author of the "alphabet" series of detective novels, died yesterday at age 77 (https://www.apnews.com/da95e9f22674419a8ee2fbe21736164d/Sue-Grafton,-writer-of-popular-'alphabet'-mysteries,-dies).

We just finished reading "Y". I've read them all. Too many good authors have died in recent years.

[peterb]

The Marko Kloos "Frontlines" series is on sale at the Kindle store. I've enjoyed them all. Good military sci-fi.
-------------------
POINTS OF IMPACT was picked by the Amazon Books editors to be a featured “Best Books of the Month” selection for January. It will be released officially on January 9, which is in…uh, six days already. Yikes.

But that’s not all, friends and neighbors. Over at Crazy Jeff’s Electronic Book Emporium (a.k.a. the Kindle store), the other five books of the Frontlines series are on sale for $1.99 each for the entire month of January. That’s five books for ten bucks total, which means that if someone wanted to buy the whole series on Kindle, they’d be out only $14.94 this month.

http://www.markokloos.com/?p=1893

[blues]

I'm nearing the end of the first book of the "Flashman Papers" series and I can't get over how apropos it is relative to the present day quagmire in Afghanistan. (In which "same as it ever was" has been par for the course over the centuries. Funny how that works. (Though not funny ha ha.)

[csheehy]

The Marko Kloos "Frontlines" series is on sale at the Kindle store. I've enjoyed them all. Good military sci-fi.
-------------------
POINTS OF IMPACT was picked by the Amazon Books editors to be a featured “Best Books of the Month” selection for January. It will be released officially on January 9, which is in…uh, six days already. Yikes.

But that’s not all, friends and neighbors. Over at Crazy Jeff’s Electronic Book Emporium (a.k.a. the Kindle store), the other five books of the Frontlines series are on sale for $1.99 each for the entire month of January. That’s five books for ten bucks total, which means that if someone wanted to buy the whole series on Kindle, they’d be out only $14.94 this month.

http://www.markokloos.com/?p=1893

+1000 on this. And the Audible versions are excellent as well. Narrator is a guy named Luke Daniels, who uses a pretty impressive array of voices for the various characters.

[SeriousStudent]

Question - I am almost finished with the book ZeroZeroZero (thanks Dagga Boy).

Does anyone have any recommendations for a book discussing Los Zetas - their evolution and role in drug trafficking?

Thanks very much.

[blues]

Question - I am almost finished with the book ZeroZeroZero (thanks Dagga Boy).

Does anyone have any recommendations for a book discussing Los Zetas - their evolution and role in drug trafficking?

Thanks very much.
SeriousStudent

See if this one does anything for you:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34217508-bloodlines

[karmapolice]

Just finished this one in about two days. The author post on arfcom and I saw something about the book and figured I’d give it a go for 5 bucks on kindle and throughly enjoyed it (Link should be through P-F Amazon search!).

https://www.amazon.com/Gentle-Propositions-J-Economos-ebook/dp/B00JQXSF0O/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1515117411&sr=8-1&keywords=gentle+propositions

[Hambo]

Halberstam's The Powers that Be and The Reckoning are $1.99 on kindle. That's a lot of reading for under $4.

https://www.amazon.com/Powers-That-Be-David-Halberstam-ebook/dp/B00AG8FZ1K/ref=sr_1_2?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1515154977&sr=1-2&keywords=the+powers+that+be

https://www.amazon.com/Reckoning-David-Halberstam-ebook/dp/B00AG8FZ4C/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

[SeriousStudent]

SeriousStudent

See if this one does anything for you:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34217508-bloodlines

Thank you, I just ordered it.

[Coyotesfan97]

The Marko Kloos "Frontlines" series is on sale at the Kindle store. I've enjoyed them all. Good military sci-fi.
-------------------
POINTS OF IMPACT was picked by the Amazon Books editors to be a featured “Best Books of the Month” selection for January. It will be released officially on January 9, which is in…uh, six days already. Yikes.

But that’s not all, friends and neighbors. Over at Crazy Jeff’s Electronic Book Emporium (a.k.a. the Kindle store), the other five books of the Frontlines series are on sale for $1.99 each for the entire month of January. That’s five books for ten bucks total, which means that if someone wanted to buy the whole series on Kindle, they’d be out only $14.94 this month.

http://www.markokloos.com/?p=1893

Make sure you get the short story Lucky 13!

[Coyotesfan97]

To whoever recommended Marc MacYoung’s book In the Name of Self Defense thank you very much!

[Drang]

I've been requesting The Centurions in Kindle format monthly for quite a while. Some rich dude who apparently was pals with some bigwigs in SOCOM brought out a deluxe limited hardbound edition a few years ago.
...
ETA: Did I mention earlier that This Kind of War by T.R. Fehrenbach (http://www.amazon.com/This-Kind-War-Fiftieth-Anniversary/dp/1574883348/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1415614373&sr=8-1&keywords=this+kind+of+war) has been released on Kindle?

Reviving a necrothread, because I have some book recommendations that I think will appeal specifically to those who liked these:
AmazonSmile: Infantry Attacks: eBook: Erwin Rommel: Kindle Store (https://smile.amazon.com/Infantry-Attacks-Erwin-Rommel-ebook/dp/B01GCESEXC/ref=sr_1_92?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1516374905&sr=1-92) is a monthly Kindle Deal this month.
That page had links to the following books, also of potential interest to the warrior-scholar:
Men Against Fire: The Problem of Battle Command (https://smile.amazon.com/Men-Against-Fire-Problem-Command-ebook/dp/B00A8I385I/ref=pd_sim_351_12?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=FSVEJHJAA86KARYA5KMR)
Battle Leadership (https://smile.amazon.com/Battle-Leadership-Adolf-Von-Schell-ebook/dp/B008RDNT96/ref=pd_sim_351_3?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=FSVEJHJAA86KARYA5KMR)
The Bear Went Over the Mountain: Soviet Combat Tactics in Afghanistan (https://smile.amazon.com/Bear-Went-Over-Mountain-Afghanistan-ebook/dp/B008F06UIS/ref=pd_sim_351_8?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=FSVEJHJAA86KARYA5KMR)
The Other Side of the Mountain: Mujahideen Tactics in the Soviet-Afghan War (https://smile.amazon.com/Other-Side-Mountain-Mujahideen-Soviet-Afghan-ebook/dp/B008HLQMWO/ref=pd_sim_351_27?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=FSVEJHJAA86KARYA5KMR)
Once an Eagle (https://smile.amazon.com/Once-Eagle-Anton-Myrer-ebook/dp/B0089LOFQW/ref=pd_sim_351_39?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=FSVEJHJAA86KARYA5KMR)

[blues]

Once an Eagle (https://smile.amazon.com/Once-Eagle-Anton-Myrer-ebook/dp/B0089LOFQW/ref=pd_sim_351_39?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=FSVEJHJAA86KARYA5KMR)

I'm in the midst of reading it now. (It seems somewhat familiar so I may have read it years ago but enjoying either way.)

[Drang]

I'm in the midst of reading it now. (It seems somewhat familiar so I may have read it years ago but enjoying either way.)

There was a TV mini-series back in the 70s.

[blues]

There was a TV mini-series back in the 70s.

Could be that is the source of my recollection, though it wouldn't be the first time I picked up a book that I hadn't realized I'd read previously.
In any case, it's a good story and I'm enjoying it (again).

[Glenn E. Meyer]

The Rook and Stiletto by O'Malley. Both books are of the supernatural law enforcement agencies - these are in England. These are in England and have a different take and interesting enemy. Not the standard genre plot.

[Josh Runkle]

I'm in the midst of reading it now. (It seems somewhat familiar so I may have read it years ago but enjoying either way.)

That’s my favorite book of all time. The tv shows and movies don’t do the book justice.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[blues]

That’s my favorite book of all time. The tv shows and movies don’t do the book justice.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

My biggest criticism is that the characters are drawn a bit too one dimensionally. Doesn't ruin the story or the "moral" but at times I wince a bit.

[Josh Runkle]

My biggest criticism is that the characters are drawn a bit too one dimensionally. Doesn't ruin the story or the "moral" but at times I wince a bit.

I think that is important to the point of the book. When you read the poem (the the title comes from), and then read the end, I think the book is a lot about “one dimensional, straightforward, America” eventually loosing itself to itself.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[blues]

I think that is important to the point of the book. When you read the poem (the the title comes from), and then read the end, I think the book is a lot about “one dimensional, straightforward, America” eventually loosing itself to itself.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks. It'll be a while until I finish as I'm reading a couple other books as well. Maybe we can discuss it further at that point.

BTW, have you read "Matterhorn"? I highly recommend it. Highly. (There's a handful of other novels of this genre I can recommend as well.)

[BaiHu]

Love his lectures and interviews. Very sharp man.
12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01FPGY5T0/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_SrwAAbJXNXSZF

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk

[Bigguy]

My latest novel is out. This one is a political Thriller that takes place in my hone town of Gillett Arkansas. The main character, Gibb, is pretty well based on my father.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075WG9VVR
23275

[Drang]

To my utter astonishment, some of Sven Hassel's books are available in Kindle format.
(http://www.amazon.com/Sven-Hassel/e/B000APCYHC/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1433120778&sr=1-2-ent)
Well, if that post didn't make people wonder about my taste in "literature", this will: The 1980s pulp action thriller series "They Call Me The Mercenary (https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=sr_pg_1?fst=p90x%3A1&rh=n%3A133140011%2Ck%3Athey+call+me+the+mercenary&keywords=they+call+me+the+mercenary&ie=UTF8&qid=1517588243) is also available on Kindle.
The series as originally published just listed "Axel Kilgore" as the author, now some of them list Jerry Ahern as author or co-author.
I recall an article somewhere that reviewed the genre as it stood at the time, these, Mack Bolan, The Destroyer, etc -- and concluded that these seemed to treat the nuts 'n' bolts and gritty details of being a mercenary, not to mention weaponry, in a more realistic way, or at least with greater verisimilitude. (If I use ten dollar words do I get some slack for reading the male version of bodice rippers?)

[JSGlock34]

With Korea in the news, and having recently read The Frozen Hours (https://www.amazon.com/Frozen-Hours-Novel-Korean-War/dp/0345549228/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1517677647&sr=8-2&keywords=shaara), I decided to re-read This Kind of War (https://www.amazon.com/This-Kind-War-Fiftieth-Anniversary/dp/1574883348/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1517677705&sr=1-1&keywords=this+kind+of+war) by TR Fehrenbach. Definitely one of the best military histories ever written, and as relevant today as when it was first released.

My only complaint is the Kindle edition, which would have benefitted from someone proof-reading and running 'spell-check'. Far too many typos and errors.

[peterb]

With Korea in the news, and having recently read The Frozen Hours (https://www.amazon.com/Frozen-Hours-Novel-Korean-War/dp/0345549228/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1517677647&sr=8-2&keywords=shaara), I decided to re-read This Kind of War (https://www.amazon.com/This-Kind-War-Fiftieth-Anniversary/dp/1574883348/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1517677705&sr=1-1&keywords=this+kind+of+war) by TR Fehrenbach. Definitely one of the best military histories ever written, and as relevant today as when it was first released. .

For the Korean war there's also "The Last Stand of Fox Company", which is on the official USMC reading list.
https://www.amazon.com/Last-Stand-Fox-Company-Marines/dp/0802144519

[JSGlock34]

For the Korean war there's also "The Last Stand of Fox Company", which is on the official USMC reading list.
https://www.amazon.com/Last-Stand-Fox-Company-Marines/dp/0802144519

Since you brought it up, This Kind of War has the distinction of not only being on both the US Army (https://history.army.mil/html/books/105/105-1-1/CMH_Pub_105-5-1_2017.pdf) and USMC (http://grc-usmcu.libguides.com/usmc-reading-list/intermediate-level-officer) professional reading lists, but is apparently the book Secretary Mattis is passing around the Pentagon on Korea. :D

Politco: The Book Mattis Reads to Be Prepared for War With North Korea (https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/10/15/the-book-mattis-reads-to-be-prepared-for-war-with-north-korea-215712)

Newsweek: NORTH KOREA THREAT: MATTIS WANTS ARMY LEADERS TO READ THIS BOOK TO PREPARE (http://www.newsweek.com/book-mattis-wants-army-leaders-read-prepare-north-korea-threat-685468)


https://www.c-span.org/video/?c4696382/tr-fehrenbach-quoted-general-james-mattis

[LSP552]

Just finished House to House. Outstanding read!

https://m.barnesandnoble.com/p/house-to-house-david-bellavia/1100332328/2674215326040?st=PLA&sid=BNB_DRS_Core+Catch-All,+Low_00000000&2sid=Google_&sourceId=PLGoP79700&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIo-3Bqr-K2QIVxIl-Ch1OowWrEAQYAiABEgI-YfD_BwE

[ranger]

Since you brought it up, This Kind of War has the distinction of not only being on both the US Army (https://history.army.mil/html/books/105/105-1-1/CMH_Pub_105-5-1_2017.pdf) and USMC (http://grc-usmcu.libguides.com/usmc-reading-list/intermediate-level-officer) professional reading lists, but is apparently the book Secretary Mattis is passing around the Pentagon on Korea. :D

Politco: The Book Mattis Reads to Be Prepared for War With North Korea (https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/10/15/the-book-mattis-reads-to-be-prepared-for-war-with-north-korea-215712)

Newsweek: NORTH KOREA THREAT: MATTIS WANTS ARMY LEADERS TO READ THIS BOOK TO PREPARE (http://www.newsweek.com/book-mattis-wants-army-leaders-read-prepare-north-korea-threat-685468)


https://www.c-span.org/video/?c4696382/tr-fehrenbach-quoted-general-james-mattis

As a Infantry Officer, "This Kind of War" was on my reading list. My first assignment was a Mortar Platoon Leader in 2nd BN, 9th Infantry Regiment, 7th ID (Light) and we had historical ties to Korea and the Korean War. At the end of my career, I again had ties to Korea and specifically 2nd Infantry Division so I re-read "This Kind of War". I highly recommend it - especially in this time of tension with North Korea.

[Qaz98]

As a Infantry Officer, "This Kind of War" was on my reading list. My first assignment was a Mortar Platoon Leader in 2nd BN, 9th Infantry Regiment, 7th ID (Light) and we had historical ties to Korea and the Korean War. At the end of my career, I again had ties to Korea and specifically 2nd Infantry Division so I re-read "This Kind of War". I highly recommend it - especially in this time of tension with North Korea.Wait, if we're talking Korean, I hope someone has mentioned Breakout: The Chosin Reservoir Campaign by Martin Russ.

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk

[Bigghoss]

Based on recommendations in this thread I bought Memoirs of a Public Servant and I just finished it a few minutes ago. A good read and fairly quick too.

[Glenn E. Meyer]

Inspector Singh mysteries. It's a series about a Singapore police inspector who solves complex mysteries. He is a Sikh, fat and loves beer and curries. The books are not your punch out Jack Reacher kind of violent stories. They are great because they take place in different parts of Asia, where he is sent or involved. The plots are interwoven with the cultures and that makes them very interesting. A nice relaxing read.

[Cheap Shot]

Full Battle Rattle: My Story as the Longest-Serving Special Forces A-Team Soldier in American History

From amazon description. "Over 100 combat missions, 24 years as a Green Beret―Full Battle Rattle tells the legend of a soldier who served America in every war since Vietnam.

Master Sergeant Changiz Lahidji served on Special Forces A teams longer than anyone in history, completing over a hundred combat missions in Afghanistan. Changiz is a Special Forces legend. He also happens to be the first Muslim Green Beret."

Great read

[Olim9]

Varg Freeborn recently released his first book: Violence of Mind

24477

It touches on several topics pertaining to violence such as defining your mission, self control, the aftermath of violence and training. I purchased two physical copies with the intention of passing around the second book to people that share an interest in self defense. While I haven't read that many books on this topic and considering I'm only halfway through it, I can say this is one of those books someone who wants to carry a gun or wishes to be LE should absolutely take the time to read. What I like about the book in particular is that there isn't any scientific mumbo jumbo and is easily digestable for the average person which is something he did on purpose. That and the book reads as if Varg is speaking to you if that makes any sense.

There's also a kindle version that was released a few days ago

[Drang]

The Grey Man books are on sale through Monday: The Grey Man... - Nobody Asked Me... (http://oldnfo.org/2015/09/05/the-grey-man-2/)

Jim has put most of the series on sale through the weekend again. (https://smile.amazon.com/JL-Curtis/e/B00J06YA56/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_6?qid=1521188943&sr=8-6)

[Coyotesfan97]

Varg Freeborn recently released his first book: Violence of Mind

24477

It touches on several topics pertaining to violence such as defining your mission, self control, the aftermath of violence and training. I purchased two physical copies with the intention of passing around the second book to people that share an interest in self defense. While I haven't read that many books on this topic and considering I'm only halfway through it, I can say this is one of those books someone who wants to carry a gun or wishes to be LE should absolutely take the time to read. What I like about the book in particular is that there isn't any scientific mumbo jumbo and is easily digestable for the average person which is something he did on purpose. That and the book reads as if Varg is speaking to you if that makes any sense.

There's also a kindle version that was released a few days ago

If you have Kindle Unlimited you can read it for free. I just downloaded it.

[Olim9]

If you have Kindle Unlimited you can read it for free. I just downloaded it.

You will not be dissapointed. His patreon page is full of good information and he does these podcasts with his patreon supporters with one of them discussing the book with a couple of LE guys on. You should check it out.

[Qaz98]

For those that geeked out in the 80s, Ready Player One by Ernest Cline. Yes, yes, you could just watch the movie. We all know that the books is always better than the movie.

Anyways, sci-fi virtual reality, with endless 80s references to movies, songs, and video games. I read it, and pulled up the referenced games and songs and movies on youtube while I read it. It's a fast and fun read, and it's like a trip down memory lane.

[Joe in PNG]

From the graphic novel front, read and re-read "Gotham Central". Basically, "Homicide: Life on the Streets" in the Batman universe.

I've also picked up Thomas Sowell's "Black Rednecks and White Liberals". Pretty interesting.

[ACP230]

Currently reading Travels With Barley A Journey Through Beer Culture, by Ken Wells.

It's his search for good beer and the best barroom in the US of A.

Wells used to write for the Wall Street Journal and has written some novels.
I had never run across him before.

He does write some on beers I will not drink, like Bud Lite, but also covers a lot of craft beers and
the folks who make them.

[Guerrero]

Rereading "Ready Player One" before the movie comes out. Good stuff.

[Drang]

AmazonSmile: Rough Riders: Theodore Roosevelt, His Cowboy Regiment, and the Immortal Charge Up San Juan Hill eBook: Mark Lee Gardner: Kindle Store (https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B014DTHGAU/ref=oh_aui_d_detailpage_o05_?ie=UTF8&psc=1)

Interesting account of The Rough Riders and their war.

One interesting thing to me was the account of what was yet to be called "Fake News": Theodore Roosevelt (he hated being called "Teddy") seemed to garner all the press, and although he always emphasized the troops over himself, and was careful to give credit to the rest of the Army, he also loved the limelight, which generated a lot of hostility. There were constant attacks on him, including claims that neither he or the Rough Riders were even at San Juan Hill. TR (his preferred nickname, although I forget where I first learned that) explained in his own memoirs that "San Juan Hill" was actually a long ridge, that there were three major blockhouse installations on it, and that his battle was only one of them.

[HGGMB]

About Face.
and
Steel My Soldiers Hearts.

Col David Hackworth
About Face is one of my all-time faves.

Hackworth was also a war correspondent in the 90s for NewsWeek. I read in another piece -- not sure in a book or magazine article -- his take on the Croatian War of Independence. Never knew how much an influence French anti-armor weaponary had on the final outcome of that war. Interesting stuff.

Anyway, About Face is a must read.

Let me add my own recommendation:

Little America: The War Within the War for Afghanistan
by Rajiv Chandrasekaran

Pretty good insight on the difficulty, or rather inability, of anyone making substantial lasting improvements in Afghanistan.

[Jason F]

AmazonSmile: Rough Riders: Theodore Roosevelt, His Cowboy Regiment, and the Immortal Charge Up San Juan Hill eBook: Mark Lee Gardner: Kindle Store (https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B014DTHGAU/ref=oh_aui_d_detailpage_o05_?ie=UTF8&psc=1)

Interesting account of The Rough Riders and their war.....

I'm presently about half way through reading The River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt's Darkest Journey (https://www.amazon.com/River-Doubt-Theodore-Roosevelts-Darkest/dp/0767913736/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1521596499&sr=8-1&keywords=river+of+doubt) about this expedition through the Amazon rainforest in 1913. It's a really interesting story and very well written, I'm blazing through it because I can't put it down. If you're in to TR or old school adventure / exploration type sagas, this is a pretty good book so far.

[Qaz98]

Just finished Ghettoside by Jill Leovy. She was embedded in the South LA homicide unit for several years and follows several detectives. It was a fascinating window to urban violence. Not surprisingly, she never once blamed guns as the cause, but the cultural and legal failings of that area. They call it the Monster.

Utmost respect for these detectives.

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk

[Dismas316]

If you are a fan of Mafia/mob books, I just finished a book by Charles Brandt, "I heard you paint houses" (this is a mob term for hitman). It about mod hitman Frank Sheeran. Much of the book is about his dealings in the mob and about the Jimmy Hoffa murder as well as the JFK assassination and mob involvement with all of it. Scorsese is making it into a movie. Pretty interesting read if you like that genre.

Another interesting read given what's transpired in the news recently is Columbine by Dave Cullen. It was a bit ironic that I had just finished reading the book and the next week the Parkland shooting in Florida took place. Cullen probably knows the details about this more than anyone, he was there that day as a reporter and spend 10 years investigating and researching. It covers two themes, the killers evolution up to the shootings and the aftermath of the survivors. It was an excellent read.

[Wyoming Shooter]

I've enjoyed The Power of the Dog, The Cartel, and The Force by Don Winslow. All are dark, and very good.

[Dave Williams]

I tried to read The Force, but his NRA bashing ruined it for me.

[RevolverRob]

On my vacay I read:

Starship Troopers (my first actual foray into Heinlein) - Highly recommend.
My Uncle Oswald by Roald Dahl - which was hilariously debauched and quite entertaining (not for the children).
Catch-22 - Joseph Heller's classic - it's fabulous, just read it.

Still on my list: Juliet, Naked by Nick Hornby. Hornby is one of my favorite writers and High Fidelity and A Long Way Down are really funny.

Before I left, I finished The Second Life of Nick Mason by Steve Hamilton. Set in Chicago, I found it an entertaining and localized read, not the best ever written, but certainly not the worst. The next installment with this character, Exit Strategy is due out next month. We'll see how it is after that.

And finally, the first books I read of the year were the John Ringo "fan fictions" set in Larry Correia's Monster Hunter Universe. Both were quite good, not as good as Larry himself, but I really liked them both.

[Olim9]

Any recommenations for books about plainclothes military/govt personnel working overseas in places like the Middle East, Southeast Asia, Africa etc.?

[blues]

I've enjoyed The Power of the Dog, The Cartel, and The Force by Don Winslow. All are dark, and very good.

I enjoyed them as well, with a few nitpicks here and there. "The Force" was a bit too stereotypical for my taste in several respects but all are fairly fast paced reads.

[blues]

Catch-22 - Joseph Heller's classic - it's fabulous, just read it.

A brilliant book I need to revisit one of these days. Had tremendous impact on me in my younger years. As RR says, just read it. You won't regret it.

[RevolverRob]

A brilliant book I need to revisit one of these days. Had tremendous impact on me in my younger years. As RR says, just read it. You won't regret it.

It is truly absurd, hilarious, and darkly accurate. I can't read it and not think that Alan Alda used Captain John Yossarian as his model for Captain 'Hawkeye' Pierce in M*A*S*H.

[NickA]

I'm presently about half way through reading The River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt's Darkest Journey (https://www.amazon.com/River-Doubt-Theodore-Roosevelts-Darkest/dp/0767913736/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1521596499&sr=8-1&keywords=river+of+doubt) about this expedition through the Amazon rainforest in 1913. It's a really interesting story and very well written, I'm blazing through it because I can't put it down. If you're in to TR or old school adventure / exploration type sagas, this is a pretty good book so far.

That's one of my all time favorites. It's got that "aging lion on his final adventure with his son" vibe that's so poignant. It also really shows you how hardcore TR was, even later in his life.

Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk

[blues]

It is truly absurd, hilarious, and darkly accurate. I can't read it and not think that Alan Alda used Captain John Yossarian as his model for Captain 'Hawkeye' Pierce in M*A*S*H.

If you've not seen the 1970 movie adaptation of Catch-22 (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0065528/) with Alan Arkin and a brilliant supporting cast, you owe it to yourself. It's not the book, but it's damned good.

[Unisaw]

I just finished Reluctant Warrior. It’s about a Marine 2nd lieutenant in the latter stages of the Vietnam War.

[feudist]

On my vacay I read:

Starship Troopers (my first actual foray into Heinlein) - Highly recommend.
My Uncle Oswald by Roald Dahl - which was hilariously debauched and quite entertaining (not for the children).
Catch-22 - Joseph Heller's classic - it's fabulous, just read it.

Still on my list: Juliet, Naked by Nick Hornby. Hornby is one of my favorite writers and High Fidelity and A Long Way Down are really funny.

Before I left, I finished The Second Life of Nick Mason by Steve Hamilton. Set in Chicago, I found it an entertaining and localized read, not the best ever written, but certainly not the worst. The next installment with this character, Exit Strategy is due out next month. We'll see how it is after that.

And finally, the first books I read of the year were the John Ringo "fan fictions" set in Larry Correia's Monster Hunter Universe. Both were quite good, not as good as Larry himself, but I really liked them both.

I envy you in being able to read Heinlein for the first time. I highly recommend his "Juvenile" series. Thy are juvenile only in the sense that their is no sex involved, and the protagonists are young males on the verge of manhood.

[Drang]

I envy you in being able to read Heinlein for the first time. I highly recommend his "Juvenile" series. Thy are juvenile only in the sense that their is no sex involved, and the protagonists are young males on the verge of manhood.

Most of them were written to be serialized in Boy's Life magazine, and it's not like the Boy Scuts of America were in competition with Playboy...

[feudist]

Most of them were written to be serialized in Boy's Life magazine, and it's not like the Boy Scuts of America were in competition with Playboy...

I was addressing the quality of the novels, they are not kiddie fare, or even YA, they are simply great stories.

[GMSweet]

I've been reading and recommend "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom. This is the biographical account of the ten Boom family and their role in the "smuggling" of Jewish men and women through an anti-nazi underground.

I've known about the book for sometime and had never set aside the time to read it. My grandmother had mentioned years ago that she had met Miss ten Boom and had listened to her speak, but sadly that wasn't enough to spur me into action while Grandma was still here. My Grandpa was an amphibious marine in WWII and never spoke about the atrocities he saw and this book is bringing me just a little bit closer to both of them again.

Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk

[Drang]

Bunch of interesting titles on Amazon for sale books under History (https://smile.amazon.com/s/ref=as_li_ss_tl?rh=n:11552285011,n:156576011&bbn=11552285011&sort=featured-rank&ie=UTF8&qid=1525516617&linkCode=ll2&tag=pistolforum-20&linkId=ae92cb896d6629529a03ae8038369b8f) today.

Including The White Sniper: Simo Häyhä (https://smile.amazon.com/White-Sniper-Simo-H%C3%A4yh%C3%A4-ebook/dp/B01M11MNIJ/ref=as_li_ss_tl?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1525515946&sr=1-43&linkCode=ll1&tag=pistolforum-20&linkId=28b5bffa6ec8d70aea14b0625c5c70c7).

[Bigguy]

I just started The Unsettling of America: Culture & Agriculture (https://www.amazon.com/Unsettling-America-Culture-Agriculture/dp/161902599X). I caught a PBS special about it then bought the book. WOW! This guy has, what I believe is, a stunningly accurate view of American culture and the arch it's taken. Most unsettling is where it seems he thinks we're going.
I wish I had read this book before I wrote "From The Delta Mud." (https://www.amazon.com/kindle/dp/B075WG9VVR/ref=rdr_kindle_ext_eos_detail) It would have given me more insight on the topic of the death of the family farm.

[BehindBlueI's]

I just picked up "Wolf Hall" again. I got about 1/4 through it and got distracted by something awhile back and forgot to pick it back up. Now that I'm done with 1493 and don't have anything I *need* to read I went back to it. Since I've forgotten the entirety of the quarter I've read I started over and am through "Part 1" again.

[blues]

I just picked up "Wolf Hall" again. I got about 1/4 through it and got distracted by something awhile back and forgot to pick it back up. Now that I'm done with 1493 and don't have anything I *need* to read I went back to it. Since I've forgotten the entirety of the quarter I've read I started over and am through "Part 1" again.

I've read the first two volumes of the trilogy, I hope Mantel comes out with "The Mirror and the Light" sometime in the foreseeable future. Seems less and less likely with each passing year.

I found that when I read the first volume, it was helpful to have a list of the dramatis personae nearby for referral. After a short while it was no longer necessary.

[BehindBlueI's]

I've read the first two volumes of the trilogy, I hope Mantel comes out with "The Mirror and the Light" sometime in the foreseeable future. Seems less and less likely with each passing year.

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2017/jul/05/hilary-mantel-says-final-wolf-hall-book-unlikely-to-come-out-in-2018-as-planned

[blues]

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2017/jul/05/hilary-mantel-says-final-wolf-hall-book-unlikely-to-come-out-in-2018-as-planned

I'll believe it when I see it.

[Bigguy]

I just started The Unsettling of America: Culture & Agriculture (https://www.amazon.com/Unsettling-America-Culture-Agriculture/dp/161902599X). I caught a PBS special about it then bought the book. WOW! This guy has, what I believe is, a stunningly accurate view of American culture and the arch it's taken. Most unsettling is where it seems he thinks we're going.
I wish I had read this book before I wrote "From The Delta Mud." (https://www.amazon.com/kindle/dp/B075WG9VVR/ref=rdr_kindle_ext_eos_detail) It would have given me more insight on the topic of the death of the family farm.

OK, I spoke WAY too soon. By the time I finished chapter five, I felt like I'd simply read chapter 1 five times. It's repetitive and tedious. Then it gets worse. From chapter 6 on, he starts to sound like a Wiccan. He expresses great admiration for the Amish and seems to think that technology is general is bad. Worse of all is his arrogant dismissal of what he call's "specialists." This would be people like doctors.
I hope nobody has wasted money buying this rubbish on my premature recommendation.

[rob_s]

got several flights coming up and while I'm banking on watching some bad films/shows, I need to have some books in the pipeline.

Looking for fiction or bios, funny or (not too) serious. Can't take any more management/leadership/history/serious stuff. Probably the single biggest reason I don't read anymore is that I have a half-dozen unfinished books in those categories that I feel guilty about not reading. I'm going on vacation, so I can take a vacation from that stuff too!

Probably worth saying, I've enjoyed Carl Hiaasen and James Carlos Blake fiction in the recent past, and picked up both of their most recent efforts.

[BN]

Looking for fiction or bios, funny or (not too) serious.
Probably worth saying, I've enjoyed Carl Hiaasen and James Carlos Blake fiction in the recent past, and picked up both of their most recent efforts.

Stephanie Plum books are hilarious. :) https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_4_6?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=janet+evanovich+stephanie+plum+series+24&sprefix=Janet+%2Caps%2C2589&crid=3LQDNTUW73NF8

[BehindBlueI's]

got several flights coming up and while I'm banking on watching some bad films/shows, I need to have some books in the pipeline.

Looking for fiction or bios, funny or (not too) serious. Can't take any more management/leadership/history/serious stuff. Probably the single biggest reason I don't read anymore is that I have a half-dozen unfinished books in those categories that I feel guilty about not reading. I'm going on vacation, so I can take a vacation from that stuff too!

Probably worth saying, I've enjoyed Carl Hiaasen and James Carlos Blake fiction in the recent past, and picked up both of their most recent efforts.

In the 'funny' category, I've liked the following by George Saunders:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B009QJMU04/ Civilwarland in Bad Decline.
https://www.amazon.com/Brief-Frightening-Reign-Phil/dp/1594481520/ The brief and Frightening Reign of Phil

Read reviews, the humor isn't for everyone.

A bit lighter, Adam Corolla's "In 50 Years We'll All Be Chicks" https://www.amazon.com/Fifty-Years-Well-All-Chicks-ebook/dp/B003F3PLOE

And, in oddball nonfiction, check out Moby Duck. https://www.amazon.com/Moby-Duck-Beachcombers-Oceanograp-Environmentalists-Including-ebook/dp/B004H4XHVE
It's the story of nearly 30k rubber ducky toys that were lost overboard on a shipping container, and the opportunity it provided scientists and others.

[TheNewbie]

The Rational Bible by Dennis Prager. It's written by a Jew for Jews, Christians, atheists, and everyone else. It's a verse by verse commentary on the book of Exodus. It is one of the most interesting books I have ever read.

I also agree that Adam Carolla is hilarious. The funny thing is, Dennis Prager turned me onto Adam Carolla via his radio show.

[Coyotesfan97]

I chanced on One Last Gasp by Andrew Piazza on FB. I checked it out and it’s on Kindle Unlimited. I really enjoyed this book. It’s a great mix of Military Sci Fi/Horror. I stayed up to 3AM reading it.


https://www.amazon.com/One-Last-Gasp-Andrew-Piazza/dp/1491249080/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1530654182&sr=8-1&keywords=one+last+gasp+by+andrew+c.+piazza&dpID=41HSsfADf8L&preST=_SY291_BO1,204,203,200_QL40_&dpSrc=srch


Near the end of World War II, during the Battle of The Bulge, a US Army unit pursues a renegade SS panzer battalion into the secluded Ardennes forest. There, hidden deep in the snow-covered pines, they find an ancient manor house containing an inhuman evil that defies any sense of reality.

Confronted with a supernatural evil inside the manor, and surrounded by enemy troops outside, the soldiers will have to unravel the mysteries of the creature called The Geist and face a nightmarish battle for body and soul if they are to survive

[Coyotesfan97]

Monster Hunter Memoirs: Saints by Johnny Ringo and Larry Correia just came out today to finish the trilogy. I just started reading it.

[Glenn E. Meyer]

Night Fall by Simon Green - if you like urban fantasy it brings to an end the Drood and John Taylor stories. Pretty decent fluff.

Chasing Hillary by Amy Chozick. NY Times reporter covering the Hill and Bill campaign show. Gossipy and clearly shows why she lost. Got it from the library. Makes you realize that the folks who surround politicians of all flavors are scum of the Earth.

Now reading a book on the role of food in WWII. The deaths from associated starvation equal those from battle and deliberate genocides.

[Joe in PNG]

Just read this book about a serious bit of bad justice in my hometown back in the 50's:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B074DH4G9L/ref=oh_aui_d_detailpage_o01_?ie=UTF8&psc=1