Belesarius Posted May 2, 2015 Report Share Posted May 2, 2015 Currently reading Dead Beat by Jim Butcher. The Harry Dresden universe is always a fun read. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sturgeon Posted May 2, 2015 Author Report Share Posted May 2, 2015 Speaking of that clade of people, I finished Kratman's short on sentient robot tanks. It was certainly colorful, but I'm not sure what point he was trying to make. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Belesarius Posted May 2, 2015 Report Share Posted May 2, 2015 Speaking of that clade of people, I finished Kratman's short on sentient robot tanks. It was certainly colorful, but I'm not sure what point he was trying to make. It's Kratman. Delusional wankery of some sort. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LostCosmonaut Posted May 21, 2015 Report Share Posted May 21, 2015 Just bought Soviet Air Defence Aviation 1945-1991 and MiG-25 'Foxbat' MiG-31 'Foxhound': Russia's Defensive Front Line. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xlucine Posted May 28, 2015 Report Share Posted May 28, 2015 Read dis book. The author is one half of the team that discovered the mechanism that makes ceramic turbine blades possible, so he really knows his stuff. Also don't expect to understand his explanation of beam bending, for some reason he refuses to acknowledge moments Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T___A Posted May 29, 2015 Report Share Posted May 29, 2015 Finally got this in the mail: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xthetenth Posted May 29, 2015 Report Share Posted May 29, 2015 Shiny, also many thanks for spoilering the image. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Belesarius Posted June 2, 2015 Report Share Posted June 2, 2015 Found a hidden gem on the used bookshelf at work.. Reading Gehlen: Germany's Master Spy by Charles Whiting. Sturgeon 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sturgeon Posted June 4, 2015 Author Report Share Posted June 4, 2015 Picked it up for $30: T___A and Donward 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donward Posted June 5, 2015 Report Share Posted June 5, 2015 I've always dug Shelby Foote and feel that his writing is always very approachable. Plus he always struck me as someone who is willing evolve and to look at and examine new facts or narratives when they are dug up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Priory_of_Sion Posted June 5, 2015 Report Share Posted June 5, 2015 I don't know why, but I can't just buy a single book at a time. I must buy about half a dozen before I'm satisfied. My newest additions to my bookshelf: Kill Chain by Andrew Cockburn American Tanks and AFVs of WWII by Michael Green Germs, Guns, Steel by J. Diamond ISIS: State of Terror by J. Stern and J. M. Berger Tank Warfare on the Eastern Front by R. A. Forczyk Revenge of Geography by R. Kaplan The Kaiser's Holocaust by O. Olusoga Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tied Posted June 5, 2015 Report Share Posted June 5, 2015 The Great Divide- Joseph E. Stiglitz A good insight into the American economy in a commie flavor i can enjoy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T___A Posted June 25, 2015 Report Share Posted June 25, 2015 Finally got this in the mail: Finally finished the first volume and boy is it really good. I love how Shelby Foote just laces in personal anecdotes that really show how those people actually were. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Priory_of_Sion Posted June 26, 2015 Report Share Posted June 26, 2015 So I've finished 4 books over the last couple weeks. Kill Chain - This work explores the rise of drones in warfare and is ultimately extremely critical of their effectiveness in combat combated to CAS aircraft. It discusses Igloo White and American efforts to use sensors to target enemy "critical nodes" and the belief that killing off leaders and attacking these nodes will win wars. It is critical of smart bombs against targets as it uses an example of USAF claims of dozens of Serbian tanks killed in Kosovo contrasted with ground reports of light casualties and a total of 3 Serb tanks KO'd. Which I find similar to WWII "tankbuster" claims. The author discusses the convoluted history of the MQ-1's development and trials while constantly referring to errors of the drone pilots misidentifying nearly everything. It discusses several drone strikes which killed civilians and the US policy of identifying civilians as military-aged males which makes them targets. I also enjoyed the discussion on the Millennium Challenge 2002 wargame. It was a good fluid read and it does source its material. I find it is a little too critical on UAVs as a whole, but it doesn't devaule the book. ISIS: State of Terror - This is the story of how and why ISIS formed, how it operates, and what its motives are. It was really well put together, but it only goes up to Jan, 2015 so it has a short shelf life. Rommel Reconsidered - A stackpole book comprised of 4 different sections that explores Rommel's ties to Hitler, his failures in North Africa, and his (lack of) ties to the 20th July Plot, and the German and British media's portrayal of the man. Short and sweet. Byzantium - A basic history of the Greeks' Eastern Roman Empire exploring all different aspects of the geopolitics, trade, culture, and importance of Byzantium. Some parts I found particularly boring, but most of the book is rather fresh and makes a good read. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Collimatrix Posted June 26, 2015 Report Share Posted June 26, 2015 So I've finished 4 books over the last couple weeks. Kill Chain - This work explores the rise of drones in warfare and is ultimately extremely critical of their effectiveness in combat combated to CAS aircraft. It discusses Igloo White and American efforts to use sensors to target enemy "critical nodes" and the belief that killing off leaders and attacking these nodes will win wars. It is critical of smart bombs against targets as it uses an example of USAF claims of dozens of Serbian tanks killed in Kosovo contrasted with ground reports of light casualties and a total of 3 Serb tanks KO'd. Which I find similar to WWII "tankbuster" claims. The Serbs were skilled at making fake tanks is the explanation I heard. The decoys could have been identified as such if there had been anyone on the ground in contact with the USAF, but making something look convincingly like a tank from the air is apparently fairly easy to do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tied Posted June 26, 2015 Report Share Posted June 26, 2015 So I've finished 4 books over the last couple weeks. Kill Chain - This work explores the rise of drones in warfare and is ultimately extremely critical of their effectiveness in combat combated to CAS aircraft. It discusses Igloo White and American efforts to use sensors to target enemy "critical nodes" and the belief that killing off leaders and attacking these nodes will win wars. It is critical of smart bombs against targets as it uses an example of USAF claims of dozens of Serbian tanks killed in Kosovo contrasted with ground reports of light casualties and a total of 3 Serb tanks KO'd. Which I find similar to WWII "tankbuster" claims. The author discusses the convoluted history of the MQ-1's development and trials while constantly referring to errors of the drone pilots misidentifying nearly everything. It discusses several drone strikes which killed civilians and the US policy of identifying civilians as military-aged males which makes them targets. I also enjoyed the discussion on the Millennium Challenge 2002 wargame. It was a good fluid read and it does source its material. I find it is a little too critical on UAVs as a whole, but it doesn't devaule the book. ISIS: State of Terror - This is the story of how and why ISIS formed, how it operates, and what its motives are. It was really well put together, but it only goes up to Jan, 2015 so it has a short shelf life. Rommel Reconsidered - A stackpole book comprised of 4 different sections that explores Rommel's ties to Hitler, his failures in North Africa, and his (lack of) ties to the 20th July Plot, and the German and British media's portrayal of the man. Short and sweet. Byzantium - A basic history of the Greeks' Eastern Roman Empire exploring all different aspects of the geopolitics, trade, culture, and importance of Byzantium. Some parts I found particularly boring, but most of the book is rather fresh and makes a good read. kill chain sounds great Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brick Fight Posted June 26, 2015 Report Share Posted June 26, 2015 I've played the hell out of the games, but with Amazon's free books system on my Kindle, I finally started reading Metro 2033. It's obviously had some translation issues, but overall I'm enjoying it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sturgeon Posted June 27, 2015 Author Report Share Posted June 27, 2015 My girlfriend really liked it; she's never played the games. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeeps_Guns_Tanks Posted June 27, 2015 Report Share Posted June 27, 2015 I dug out The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors, and have started it again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walter_Sobchak Posted June 29, 2015 Report Share Posted June 29, 2015 I just noticed that George Forty has a new book coming out. That dude has to be well into his 80's by now. Good for him I guess. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T___A Posted July 1, 2015 Report Share Posted July 1, 2015 T___A continues his slow decline into crimethink: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xthetenth Posted July 1, 2015 Report Share Posted July 1, 2015 Oh god. You need a drink. SergeantMatt 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Priory_of_Sion Posted July 1, 2015 Report Share Posted July 1, 2015 T___A has fat little toes. The Kaiser's Holocaust has been a fantastic read, only a chapter left to finish. It really links together the trend in Germany towards biological racism in the late 19th century and the wars against the Herero and the Nama and the links between SW Africa and early Nazi ideology. The narratives of Hendrik Witbooi and other African leaders shows their side of the story extremely well and documentary sources show them in a light than is rarely seen among native people in their struggle against imperialism. Wonderful read. LoooSeR 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T___A Posted August 12, 2015 Report Share Posted August 12, 2015 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LostCosmonaut Posted August 12, 2015 Report Share Posted August 12, 2015 Having a family member who works in a public library is great. Things I read recently: Too Far From Home Decent, but read like a magazine article at times. Could tell it wasn't written by someone with a spaceflight background. Felt it had spent a bit too much time on the background and not enough attention on dudes actually living in the incomplete ISS. 6/10 Forgotten Fifteenth Dry at times, but very good and detailed account of the 15th Air Force's operations in the Mediterranean. More interesting than I expected. 9/10 Currently reading: The Martian. Very good, only real complaint is that the main character is a colossal turbonerd (though I suppose that goes with the program). Haven't finished it yet, preliminary 9/10. Sturgeon 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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