What Are You Reading?

I just start reading a book' the second world war in pictures' written by David Boyle with 2 DVD's. A lot of pictures, comments are quiet brief. No sources which might give a clue were pics are taken.

 

I am just beginning the last chapter of "The Bedford Boys", the story of a National Guard unit from the town of Bedford, Virginia that went in with the first wave at Omaha Beach. They were assigned to the US 116th Infantry of the 29th Infantry Division, and of course they were cut to pieces as they off loaded from the LVPs. Pretty good reading, but the style of writing is a marked difference from Rick Atkinson's. I finished reading his third installment of the Liberation Trilogy, "The Guns at Last Light", last month.

"Unbroken" is next! I plan to have it finished before I go see the movie version. The trailers look great, but you know how that goes.

 

I still have yet to read that book (Unbroken). After I'm done working on my documentary, that's definitely going to be on my "next to read" list. My broadcasting teacher is a movie critic and works for Fox and is a big movie person, and he saw the movie himself and said that the movie was good.

 

Rather appropriately, I'm reading - and hugely enjoying - Peter Caddick-Adams' 'Snow & Steel - The Battle Of The Bulge 1944-45'.

 

How is it Martin?

 

Very good indeed, IMPO. In fact I've recommended it highly to another contributor here who contacted me via PM.

I had my doubts as I'd never even heard of Mr Caddick-Adams, and also I wondered if, being a British author, he would get into any 'Monty won it really' silliness.

Not so. The author is a battlefield tour guide who has been studying the Bulge for nearly 40 years, and uses absolutely all of the most recent research to provide an excellent overview of the Battle. The first third of the book makes a brave attempt to put the Offensive in context and goes some way toward explaining the peculiarly bitter and desperate nature of the fighting. It also has an incredibly comprehensive bibliography ( which is already costing me money ! ).

The best general Bulge history since MacDonald, I think. There are downsides ( the picture content is poor & the author does harp on a bit about his own military service ) but hey, I've been reading about the Bulge since I was at school and this book has revitalized my interest, which is saying something..................

 

just started [SIZE=14.4444446563721px]Peter Caddick-Adams' [/SIZE]'Snow & Steel - The Battle Of The Bulge 1944-45'

..and acquired his ' Monty and Rommel - Parallel Lives'

 

One of the hardest things about having a large amount of books in your own library is that you don't know what to read first. I have the 9/11 Commission Report that I want to read, but because of the controversy with the CIA in the US I also have a book on the CIA. Then I still have that book that I have to read for my documentary on the Beverly Hills Supper Club fire in Kentucky. I know I should be reading the one for my documentary, but I really want to read the other too books that I mentioned.

There's just so many books! :hypnotize:

 

Quick off topic, wont happen again but does anyone know about about how H.G. Wells, the one who wrote War of the Worlds wrote two volumes on history called Outline of History? Thought that was kind of surprising. Alrighty back on topic!

 

Unbroken was an excellent read. I highly recommend it to my fellow rogues. In addition to the protagonist's misadventures and exploits, it gives a seldom looked at view of the US bombing campaign in the PTO outside of the final pounding of Japan proper in '45. Now I have to get through several copies of Civil War Times Illustrated and Military History that have piled up while I was reading The Bedford Boys, Unbroken and Playboy's Special Lingerie Christmas Editions.

 

I hate to say this, but I still have not read that book and I NEED to read that. But since Otto Carius just recently died, I kind of want to read his book Tigers In the Mud after I finish reading Ordinary Men by Christopher R. Browning.

 

Good book! It's been a little while since I have read it, but I remember it being a good book that I managed to finish in a very short amount of time since I loved it so much.

 

I second that. Unbroken was a great read, as was the Christmas addition. I started a thread about the movie but, sadly, doesn't seem like many saw it. Thought it was pretty good.

Browning's Ordinary Men was a well researched book and gave a horrific account of the brutal treatment of the Jewish people by PB 101. However, his afterword almost ruined his position. He was very pompous in his attempt to prove his theory at the expense of another colleague with a separate psychological viewpoint. In other words I felt it completely weakened his argument and was an insult to the memory of the innocent victims the PB 101 murdered.

 

Getting plenty of airtime now. The political ding bats are having a good pillow fight over it.

 

That is an example where I wish people such as Browning would keep that kind of stuff to themselves and not say it "out loud."

 

Now I do not agree with him yet, because I have not yet seen the movie, but my broadcasting teacher who is a professional reporter and movie critic says that it was just "okay." He said it wasn't bad, but it didn't overly impress him. Either way I still want to see the movie no matter what my teacher said, but I probably should read the book first which might be a while before I can get to it :unsure: .

 

The book was definitely better. The movie was a nice tribute to Zamperini. I give Jolie some credit for doing a decent job.

The B-24 combat scenes were incredible though. Especially in the theater.

 

I just completed Unbroken. Now for the movie.