mjmooney Posted May 9, 2014 VT Supporter Share Posted May 9, 2014 Haven't read An Army at Dawn, but I have read Together We Stand by James Holland, which covers the same subject. Would be interesting to compare. I'll give you my full report upon completion, cap'n. What I love about it already is that is has all the commanders from both sides listed, dozens of maps, and a key with different symbols for infantry, tank divisions, etc. I love that kind of stuff. Me too. Have you read Together We Stand? James Holland's approach is very much based on weaving in first-person stories from veterans. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maqroll Posted May 9, 2014 Share Posted May 9, 2014 I haven't, but I've marked it down for a future read. Which hopefully will be later rather than sooner, as this book I've started is the first part of a trilogy (Invasion of Sicily and Italy vol. 2, Normandy, Low Countries, Germany vol. 3) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colhint Posted May 9, 2014 Share Posted May 9, 2014 I have been reading a lot of G A Henty novels. He was a prolific writer in the Victorian era. His main thrust was historical novels. Quite a bit boys own stuff really, and mainly armed conflict. I suppose he was the equivalent to Bernard Cornwell only 150 years earlier. The thing is he wrote so many books. I spotted the first as a freebie for the kindle, I think most of them are free. Anyway he has enlightened me on historical stuff a bit more off the beaten track, like the wars of succession or Captain Cochrane or the siege of Gibralter. Anyway I like them Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeyp102 Posted May 9, 2014 Share Posted May 9, 2014 Just finished Running by Ronnie O 'Sullivan.. Interesting read explaining some of the things that go on in his head. He lists some pretty interesting friends (Ronnie Wood). I've always liked the bloke anyway, seems to have more character than not snooker players. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeyp102 Posted May 9, 2014 Share Posted May 9, 2014 Just starting Papilon again.. Anyone read it? One of my all time favourites (even if I think done of it is exaggerated). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Rev Posted May 11, 2014 Share Posted May 11, 2014 Just finished the new Irvine Welsh book Sex Lives of Siamese Twins. I've been on the Welsh bandwagon since the film version of Trainspotting came out and he is the only author I've read the complete works of, I always buy his books when they are first released. This one is a bit of a departure from the usual formula, it's not set in Edinburgh and it doesn't feature alcohol or drug abuse. The protagonists are female too. It's a hell of a lot of fun, much more so than his last book Skagboys. I really enjoyed it, it's his best book in years. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo985 Posted May 12, 2014 VT Supporter Share Posted May 12, 2014 I nearly bought that in the aforementioned bookshop I was in in Ireland. Never read his books though so decided I'd read one of his others first. Recommendation of where to start? (I was going to go with Trainspotting) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarewsEyebrowDesigner Posted May 12, 2014 Share Posted May 12, 2014 (edited) Filth for the lulz. I didn't finish it. I don't really like his style. It's all a bit relentless. One of the few books I didn't finish and I haven't gone near his stuff since. Edited May 12, 2014 by CarewsEyebrowDesigner Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xela Posted May 12, 2014 Share Posted May 12, 2014 I nearly bought that in the aforementioned bookshop I was in in Ireland. Never read his books though so decided I'd read one of his others first. Recommendation of where to start? (I was going to go with Trainspotting) Trainspotting is a very good place to start. Porno was the follow up and then Skagboys, although that is set before Trainspotting (however you don't need to read it before Trainspotting). Filth is an excellent stand alone book... although a few characters from the above 3 are mentioned in passing. Glue is another good one - it follows the lives of a few of the lesser know characters from the Welsh books. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theboyangel Posted May 12, 2014 Share Posted May 12, 2014 Maribou Stork Nightmares is my favourite Welsh book - have enjoyed all of them, Filth and Trainspotting are up there with his best work too IMO. Thanks for the heads up on the new book, Rev - will certainly read it! Currently reading Easy Money by Jens Lapidus, having seen and enjoyed the film which centres around 3 characters all involved somehow in the drug trade in Sweden. About a quarter of the way through and (unsurprisingly) it's much better than the film! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Rev Posted May 12, 2014 Share Posted May 12, 2014 Trainspotting is definitely the place to start. It's a masterpiece. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarewsEyebrowDesigner Posted May 12, 2014 Share Posted May 12, 2014 Jeez, AVFCforever1991 likes everything you say, doesn't he? Awfully quick about it too. Creep. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maqroll Posted May 13, 2014 Share Posted May 13, 2014 (edited) Mr. Mooney- An Army at Dawn is fantastic, btw....I'm learning all kinds of interesting things, like the botched attack on the port of Oran by an Anglo-American operation. Total calamity. I also didn't know how fierce the Vichy forces fought against us... The book is really well written too. Some great insights into the personalities and smaller clandestine activities involved in Operation TORCH. If you're looking for a good early summer read, I'd suggest this one. Edited May 13, 2014 by maqroll 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YLN Posted May 13, 2014 Share Posted May 13, 2014 Just read John Swartzwelder's first book, 'The time machine did it'. It's silly, but a lot of fun lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjmooney Posted May 15, 2014 VT Supporter Share Posted May 15, 2014 Just finished: Very good indeed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rugeley Villa Posted May 29, 2014 Share Posted May 29, 2014 Sherlock holmes, complete illustrated novels. I shall be starting it sometime this week, love watching old black and white holmes films. Also love reading stories from this era. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Rev Posted May 29, 2014 Share Posted May 29, 2014 I picked up Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson on a recommendation. Seems good so far but the name of the lead character makes me cringe every time it is referenced... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjmooney Posted May 29, 2014 VT Supporter Share Posted May 29, 2014 I picked up Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson on a recommendation. Seems good so far but the name of the lead character makes me cringe every time it is referenced... Hiro Protagonist? Yeah, very Stephenson. It's a good book, but he didn't really hit form until Cryptonomicon, and its prequel-of-sorts The Baroque Cycle (Quicksilver, The Confusion and The System of the World), which are less SF, more historical fiction with a sly twist from reality. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MakemineVanilla Posted May 29, 2014 Share Posted May 29, 2014 I picked up Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson on a recommendation. Seems good so far but the name of the lead character makes me cringe every time it is referenced... Hiro Protagonist? Yeah, very Stephenson. It's a good book, but he didn't really hit form until Cryptonomicon, and its prequel-of-sorts The Baroque Cycle (Quicksilver, The Confusion and The System of the World), which are less SF, more historical fiction with a sly twist from reality. I read Cryptonomicon and I thought it was brilliant the way he explained the Enigma machine, with the example of a bicycle with a weak link in the drive chain. I much preferred the WW2 narrative to the modern one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjmooney Posted June 12, 2014 VT Supporter Share Posted June 12, 2014 Just finished a couple: Now started on: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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