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What are you reading - Part II


jrlx

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4 hours ago, jrlx said:

I've finished Arthur C. Clarke's "Childhood's End" a few days ago. I found it interesting but with an unexpected theme from a rationalist as Clarke (won't go into details to avoid spoilers). However, it should be noted that in the original edition Clarke put a note at the beginning saying that "the author does not agree with the opinions expressed in the book" and in the Foreword of my edition he said even more in disagreement.

I loathe Childhood's End and those sanctimonious, smarmy aliens. Better to go down fighting those star-dorks than tamely roll over and let human civilization come to an end.

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Burma 44 by James Holland.The British Campaign in the Arakan region of Western Burma/South Eastern Bengal, now Bangladesh. It gives a good impression of a thoroughly unpleasant place to fight a war. Some interesting back ground to more recent events in the area.

Steve.

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18 hours ago, Procopius said:

I loathe Childhood's End and those sanctimonious, smarmy aliens. Better to go down fighting those star-dorks than tamely roll over and let human civilization come to an end.

:laugh:

Oh how I would love to see that printed as one of the reviewers' endorsements on the cover of the next edition of that book Edward...

 

I reread his Sands of Mars recently for the first time since a teenager and was horrified that I'd forgotten he envisaged the colony would be like transplanting 1950s Croydon onto the Red Planet. The domes couldn't burst quickly enough...

 

 

 

 

 

 

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I have been slowly getting through Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot "The Complete Short Stories". there are more than 50 of them and they were first published in magazines such as The Sketch etc.. You can easily get through one or two of them each night lying in bed prior to falling asleep. I did however take a break last night and started "Stiff Upper Lip, Jeeves" by P G Wodehouse, I was surprised to see that he dedicated the book to David Jansen.

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I did not know that P G Wodehouse had a biographer called David Jansen I thought it was David Jansen the actor, however looking more closely the actors name is spelt Janssen so yeah you are probably correct it is dedicated to his biographer. Thanks for pointing that out.

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Currently enjoying "Trailblazer in Flight" by Yvonne Pope Sintes. The first British woman to captain a jet airliner, Yvonne Sintes has an assured place in the history of British aviation. Her autobiography is an amazing story of determination and ultimate success in the face of tradition, prejudice, ignorance and sexism. She also had to cope with personal tragedy when her husband collapsed and died the day after the birth of their second child. She tells her story straightforwardly with grace and good humour and occasional dry wit. It's a great read.

 

(Incidentally, Yvonne Sintes is sometimes wrongly referred to as Britain's first female commercial pilot. That title belongs to Winnie Drinkwater who was a pilot with Midland and Scottish Air Ferries in the 1930s and was the first female commercial pilot in the world, not just Britain, when she got her licence in 1932 aged 19).

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Just finished Daisy Jones and the Six, a novel about a classic rock band from the '70's which imploded after making an album that became a worldwide best seller, the 5 men and 2 women band members having affairs with each other, taking drugs, and internecine quarrels over song writing credits, who plays what, etc..

 

Hmmm, that sounds just like a band called Fleetwood Mac!

 

Daisy Jones clearly takes elements of the Rumours era Fleetwood Mac story but it isn't a book about Fleetwood Mac by another name.

 

It is written in an interesting style, and for me, wasn't a bad read at all.

 

 

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Just read,, Holt Hartmannn vom Himmel,, the third time since i was 16 years old ,1981

 

raymond-f-constable-t50krj.jpg

 

 

 

 

 

 I am still fascinated by his story, when he came onto the front, the russian pilots was already better educated and not easily get shot down as before. Then 10 years a POW in russian jails. 1955 one of the last prisoner of war who came home to Germany, to his wife who have waiting for him 10 years, thats true love.

To old for an medicine study, he decide to go to new german Luftwaffe, first stationed in Oldenburg, my home town, later he set up the first fighter squadron Jagdgeschwader 71 ,,Richthofen,, in Ahlhorn/Oldenburg of the german Luftwaffe and combat ready as the first flying wing in whole Luftwaffe.

1971 he quit his job at Bundeswehr because of bad leadership of the politicans and some officers in the Luftwaffe

 

He died at September 20, 1993

Edited by Harry Callahan
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Am on a bit of a fiction roll at the moment, have started Dead White by J K Rowling - and wondering how the BBC are going to make a tv programme out of its 700 pages !

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Elephant Company, by Vicki Constantine Croke. The story of J H Williams aka Elephant Bill, author of a book by that name as well as Bandoola. He did great things with his elephants in the jungles of Burma during WW2. A super read.

Steve.

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5 hours ago, Harry Callahan said:

Just read,, Holt Hartmannn vom Himmel,, the third time since i was 16 years old ,1981

 

 I am still fascinated by his story,

 

You will be interested in a new book forthcoming from Casemate entitled "Black Tulip" by Erik Schmidt. Or maybe not. Subtitled  " The Life and Myth of Erich Hartmann " the author demolishes the narrative of 'chivalrous knight of the sky' and the 'comfortably clean view' of the Luftwaffe fighter aces 

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2 hours ago, FalkeEins said:

 

You will be interested in a new book forthcoming from Casemate entitled "Black Tulip" by Erik Schmidt. Or maybe not. Subtitled  " The Life and Myth of Erich Hartmann " the author demolishes the narrative of 'chivalrous knight of the sky' and the 'comfortably clean view' of the Luftwaffe fighter aces 

This is right in my wheelhouse! Thanks.

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2 hours ago, FalkeEins said:

 

You will be interested in a new book forthcoming from Casemate entitled "Black Tulip" by Erik Schmidt. 

I'll be interested to read this, the Tolliver book could never be accused of rigid objectivity. Fawning & idolatrous are words the spring to mind. Sorry @Harry Callahan, just the way I find it.

Steve.

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On 02/02/2020 at 13:21, FalkeEins said:

 

You will be interested in a new book forthcoming from Casemate entitled "Black Tulip" by Erik Schmidt. Or maybe not. Subtitled  " The Life and Myth of Erich Hartmann " the author demolishes the narrative of 'chivalrous knight of the sky' and the 'comfortably clean view' of the Luftwaffe fighter aces 

Thanks for the recommendation. It's already in my wish list!

 

Cheers

 

Jaime

 

 

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Re-reading the whole of the Discworld series by the most wonderful, but sadly missed Sir Terry Pratchett.

 

Started with The Colour Of Magic, which introduced us to the inept Rincewind, and through Guards, Guards - with Carrot Ironfounderson and Captain Samuel Vimes.

 

Now on Interesting Times, which has the Silver Hoarde (a group of 70 & 80 year old warrior barbarians) invading the Agatian empire, with help (or is that distraction) from the Wizzard Rincewind (yes he has returned yet again, like the proverbial bad penny)!

 

Brilliant writing, fantastic humour, and very sadly missed as a series of books. Sir Terry, taken too early by the ravages of a dreadful disease 😞

 

Extremely recommended to anyone.

 

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On 02/02/2020 at 14:21, FalkeEins said:

 

You will be interested in a new book forthcoming from Casemate entitled "Black Tulip" by Erik Schmidt. Or maybe not. Subtitled  " The Life and Myth of Erich Hartmann " the author demolishes the narrative of 'chivalrous knight of the sky' and the 'comfortably clean view' of the Luftwaffe fighter aces 

 

Well, without to start a discussion, he did what all soldiers did for their country, they did the best to get victories right? And i am very very far of judge all german soldiers as Nazi's. Only very small amount  was a Nazi, you will give me right if i m telling you that the german Wehrmacht had totally 15 million soldiers from 1939 till 45 all in all, its clear there were also some Nazi's.Today we know they fought for a wrong politican system, but this time they believed to fight for their country and for their rights, and they didnt have a overview about the whole worlds situation, as we have today, today we have TV, radio, internet, neutral newspapers, we get a lot of informations, but those generation didnt have this. So better we stay fair.

 

And Erich Hartmann was absolut not a Nazi, and its doesnt matter for me what any american or bristish author in his ,,winner mentality saying about him, he did just his duty, but just very successfully, thats it. If he been a Nazi, he didnt got a chance to hire in german new Luftwaffe in 1956.

 

I will buy this new book by Erik Schmidt, just to have a comparison.

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22 hours ago, Harry Callahan said:

 

If he been a Nazi, he didnt got a chance to hire in german new Luftwaffe in 1956.

I'm going to leave the rest of it aside for now, but you can't possibly believe this. West Germany was notorious for not prosecuting former Nazis and for the weakness of the denazification process. 

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3 hours ago, Pete in Lincs said:

I'm already halfway through Terry Pratchetts Men at arms. Probably for the fifth or sixth time. Love it.

I have a couple more to catch up on too. Lucky me!

Now on Feet of clay (about 2/3rds of the way through it) - I am somewhat of a speed reader, and can get through each of the books in 4 or 5 days depending on my mindset, and how tired I am feeling when I get to the time of day I have set aside for reading.

 

But most of the books are definite "cant put downs", and you cant say I'll read 'x' number of chapters as good old Terry didn't write in chapters...…...

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"In the Footsteps of Elephant Bill" by Susan Williams aka Mrs Elephant Bill,  a view from the other side & equally interesting, an English woman in a challenging colonial environment, she comes across as a can do girl. :)

Steve.

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