What are you reading?

I have done 1 Sec too and have heard that one year was not really that great.

Also reading the Federalist Papers.
 
KEVLAR84 said:
Once Second After by William R. Forstchen. It's about an EMP strike on the US, and how the people of Black Mountain NC react. Its up my alley for a story and being local always helps!
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I truly enjoyed all 3 books in that series.

If you like Forstchen then you really need to read "Day of Wrath". It will change your outlook on things...at least it did for me in a big way.
 
just finished: When the English Fall by Williams
 
wsfiredude said:
Courtesy of the kind fellow who just posted right before this post, I have started on the "Enemies" trilogy by Matt Bracken.
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I liked this trilogy so much, I've read it three times. Currently reading Unintended Consequences for the 2nd time; anyone who likes EFAD should absolutely read this. I'd go so far as to suggest it's the most important English-language work ever on the RKBA.

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I'm also mixing in as much 200 Years Together by Solzhenitsyn as I can take at a time.
 
OverMountainMan said:
I liked this trilogy so much, I've read it three times. Currently reading Unintended Consequences for the 2nd time; anyone who likes EFAD should absolutely read this. I'd go so far as to suggest it's the most important English-language work ever on the RKBA.

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I'm also mixing in as much 200 Years Together by Solzhenitsyn as I can take at a time.
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My goodness that will be the most expensive book I have purchased since college! Think I will have my wife buy it for me for Father's Day as I really want to read it. Thanks for the tip @OverMountainMan !
 
JustKeepSwimming said:
My goodness that will be the most expensive book I have purchased since college! Think I will have my wife buy it for me for Father's Day as I really want to read it. Thanks for the tip @OverMountainMan !
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As it is currently out of print, I found a PDF copy online, and read that version first, with the internal promise that I'd buy it when I could find a copy. The UnderMountainGirl is reading that PDF now, and I found an excellent-quality hard-bound copy for $55 on ebay. I found that copy because I kept looking for it over the course of perhaps 6 months.

It is THE book that EVERY American gun owner should read.
 
OverMountainMan said:
I liked this trilogy so much, I've read it three times. Currently reading Unintended Consequences for the 2nd time; anyone who likes EFAD should absolutely read this. I'd go so far as to suggest it's the most important English-language work ever on the RKBA.

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One of the best books I have ever read and I agree 100% with your comments.

If you value liberty at all, you need to read this book.
 
Just finished this little...ummmm...primer? Pamphlet?
It's a quick read and it doesnt say anything we don't already know, but what fascinates me most are the sources. It is extremely well sourced.
Little book has 59 pages of written text and 22 pages of sources.
Well worth the $1.50 at the used bookstore lol.

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I just started "On Desperate Ground" by Hampton Sides.
About the Marines at Chosin Reservoir, I use to work with a Marine that was there.
 
RetiredUSNChief said:
Add Starship Troopers to you list, next.

The movie could not do the book justice.
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I have been meaning to get that book.

I have read about 85% of all of Jay Allan books. His and a few others I just get lost in. I love space books.

I am currently on book 10 (Nightfall) of the Blood on the Stars series.
 
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backwoodsshooter said:
I have been meaning to get that book.

I have read about 85% of all of Jay Allan books. His and a few others I just get lost in. I love space books.

I am currently on book 10 (Nightfall) of the Blood on the Stars series.
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Heinlein's philosophy on responsibility, liberty, force, government, etc. is probably no better written than it is in Starship Troopers.

Remember the scene in the movie where one of the characters asked Sgt. Zim why we didn't just nuke the enemy from orbit?

Ace Levy: Sir, I don't understand. Who needs a knife in a nuke fight anyway? All you gotta do is push a button, sir.

Sgt Zim: Cease fire. Put your hand on that wall trooper. PUT YOUR HAND ON THAT WALL!

[Zim throws a knife and hits Ace's hand pinning it to the wall]

Sgt Zim: The enemy can not push a button... if you disable his hand. Medic!


That was pure bullsh*t and in no way reflects the real philosophy from the book. Here's the book version:

If we can use an H-bomb--and as you said it's no checker game; it's real, it's war and nobody is fooling around--isn't it sort of ridiculous to go crawling around in the weeds, throwing knives and maybe getting yourself killed . . . and even losing the war . . . when you've got a real weapon you can use to win? What's the point in a whole lot of men risking their lives with obsolete weapons when one professor type can do so much more just by pushing a button?

Zim didn't answer at once, which wasn't like him at all. Then he said softly, 'Are you happy in the Infantry, Hendrick? You can resign, you know.'

Hendrick muttered something; Zim said, 'Speak up!'

I'm not itching to resign, sir. I'm going to sweat out my term.

I see. Well, the question you asked is one that a sergeant isn't really qualified to answer . . . and one that you shouldn't ask me. You're supposed to know the answer before you join up. Or you should. Did your school have a course in History and Moral Philosophy?

What? Sure--yes, sir.

Then you've heard the answer. But I'll give you my own--unofficial--views on it. If you wanted to teach a baby a lesson, would you cuts its head off?

Why . . . no, sir!

Of course not. You'd paddle it. There can be circumstances when it's just as foolish to hit an enemy with an H-Bomb as it would be to spank a baby with an ax. War is not violence and killing, pure and simple; war is controlled violence, for a purpose. The purpose of war is to support your government's decisions by force. The purpose is never to kill the enemy just to be killing him . . . but to make him do what you want him to do. Not killing . . . but controlled and purposeful violence. But it's not your business or mine to decide the purpose of the control. It's never a soldier's business to decide when or where or how--or why--he fights; that belongs to the statesmen and the generals. The statesmen decide why and how much; the generals take it from there and tell us where and when and how. We supply the violence; other people--"older and wiser heads," as they say--supply the control. Which is as it should be. That's the best answer I can give you. If it doesn't satisfy you, I'll get you a chit to go talk to the regimental commander. If he can't convince you--then go home and be a civilian! Because in that case you will certainly never make a soldier.


OBVIOUSLY it's difficult to translate a book into a movie...but recent years have proven this not to be impossible. What Hollywood wanted to do was translate this particular memorable scene in the book (to anybody who has actually read Starship Troopers) into a catchy action scene in the movie. What they did NOT want to do was translate the real meaning behind the use of force, of any kind, as legitimate beyond the scope of the movie's theme of man-against-alien-monsters for survival.

The movie is all about man-against-alien-monsters. The book, however, is about the long term survival of man-against-man with the stark realities of human behavior plainly stated...set against the background of man-against-alien-monsters.
 
RetiredUSNChief said:
Heinlein's philosophy on responsibility, liberty, force, government, etc. is probably no better written than it is in Starship Troopers.

Remember the scene in the movie where one of the characters asked Sgt. Zim why we didn't just nuke the enemy from orbit?

Ace Levy: Sir, I don't understand. Who needs a knife in a nuke fight anyway? All you gotta do is push a button, sir.

Sgt Zim: Cease fire. Put your hand on that wall trooper. PUT YOUR HAND ON THAT WALL!

[Zim throws a knife and hits Ace's hand pinning it to the wall]

Sgt Zim: The enemy can not push a button... if you disable his hand. Medic!


That was pure bullsh*t and in no way reflects the real philosophy from the book. Here's the book version:

If we can use an H-bomb--and as you said it's no checker game; it's real, it's war and nobody is fooling around--isn't it sort of ridiculous to go crawling around in the weeds, throwing knives and maybe getting yourself killed . . . and even losing the war . . . when you've got a real weapon you can use to win? What's the point in a whole lot of men risking their lives with obsolete weapons when one professor type can do so much more just by pushing a button?

Zim didn't answer at once, which wasn't like him at all. Then he said softly, 'Are you happy in the Infantry, Hendrick? You can resign, you know.'

Hendrick muttered something; Zim said, 'Speak up!'

I'm not itching to resign, sir. I'm going to sweat out my term.

I see. Well, the question you asked is one that a sergeant isn't really qualified to answer . . . and one that you shouldn't ask me. You're supposed to know the answer before you join up. Or you should. Did your school have a course in History and Moral Philosophy?

What? Sure--yes, sir.

Then you've heard the answer. But I'll give you my own--unofficial--views on it. If you wanted to teach a baby a lesson, would you cuts its head off?

Why . . . no, sir!

Of course not. You'd paddle it. There can be circumstances when it's just as foolish to hit an enemy with an H-Bomb as it would be to spank a baby with an ax. War is not violence and killing, pure and simple; war is controlled violence, for a purpose. The purpose of war is to support your government's decisions by force. The purpose is never to kill the enemy just to be killing him . . . but to make him do what you want him to do. Not killing . . . but controlled and purposeful violence. But it's not your business or mine to decide the purpose of the control. It's never a soldier's business to decide when or where or how--or why--he fights; that belongs to the statesmen and the generals. The statesmen decide why and how much; the generals take it from there and tell us where and when and how. We supply the violence; other people--"older and wiser heads," as they say--supply the control. Which is as it should be. That's the best answer I can give you. If it doesn't satisfy you, I'll get you a chit to go talk to the regimental commander. If he can't convince you--then go home and be a civilian! Because in that case you will certainly never make a soldier.


OBVIOUSLY it's difficult to translate a book into a movie...but recent years have proven this not to be impossible. What Hollywood wanted to do was translate this particular memorable scene in the book (to anybody who has actually read Starship Troopers) into a catchy action scene in the movie. What they did NOT want to do was translate the real meaning behind the use of force, of any kind, as legitimate beyond the scope of the movie's theme of man-against-alien-monsters for survival.

The movie is all about man-against-alien-monsters. The book, however, is about the long term survival of man-against-man with the stark realities of human behavior plainly stated...set against the background of man-against-alien-monsters.
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wow.

Looks like there isn't an electronic version lol.

But this book is starting to sounds along the line of "The Forever War" book. Which is a good book also
 
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RetiredUSNChief said:
Add Starship Troopers to you list, next.

The movie could not do the book justice.
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That's because Verhoeven is a whiny little bitch who thought it was too Fascist and made it up as he went along.

As for me, I'm rerererereading David Drake's Reaches trilogy (Igniting the Reaches, Through the Breach, Fireships).
 
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"With Winning in Mind" by Lanny Bassham

Maybe not directly related to the title of this sub-forum but I think some of the principles could help in all phases of ones life.
 
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I finally just read the copy of Day of Wrath that I got ages ago. Damn. Hits close to home in too many ways.
 
Well I just finished A Higher Call about Franz Stigler of the Luftwaffe and Charlie Brown of USAF...incredible true story or honor and respect in the skies of a world war.

Yesterday I started the Guy Sajer book, Forgotten Soldier, the autobiography, well war-time one, about a german on the eastern front
Only about 70 in of close to 500.
Makes me realize how miserable 'war' can be...even if you arent fighting or doing, what most of us civilians, would consider 'war things' (ie: traveling, guarding transportation, shoveling snow etc)
 
I just finished the A. American home series. I read all 10 books in around 2 weeks lol. Good stuff. I've also read the 1 second, 1 year, and final day books.
Oh and Lights Out was really good.
Guess now I gotta find some new apocalypse books to read lol.
 
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