What are you reading right now?

[Subnuts]

I'm on page 484 of Robert K Massie's Castles of Steel, an account of the naval conflict between Germany and Great Britain during the first world war. Right now I'm reading about the Dardanelles campaign (that's Gallipoli for everyone else :)) and I'm looking forward to reading Massie's take on Jutland. I should be done in a few days and I'll post a review shortly afterwards.

I've spent the last 50 pages muttering to myself "this is a bad idea, this is a bad idea!" I mean, sending a battleship squadron through the Dardanelles, blasting away at Turkish forts as they go, and sending trawlers in at night to clear mines under heavy fire? Something was bound to go wrong! I have to say Winston Churchill isn't coming across all that great right now...:nope:

[zaza]

Now I reading is
"Igou dai 366 sensuikan funsenki dongame taiheiyou wo iku"
This mean is(The record of I-366 submarine Fight desperately)
Written by Katsutake Ikeda.

And
"I17sen funsenki"
This mean is (The record of I-17 submarine Fgiht desperetely)
written by Genji Hara.

I-366 as you know, suplly submarine.
By this book saying ,They don't have torped tube because
this submarine for shipping suplly things for isolated island.
So when they saw big American convoy,they have to dive and hide.
Writter says how they wish to sink them but they dosent have any torped.
After that operation I-366 carrying surside submarine "Kaiten".
And they had launched "Kaiten" Only 4days before war ended.


I-17 was well kown as first submarine where fire ammo directly to American mainland.
Writter was worked as watch crew and radio crew.
He saying how submarine crew anxiety when captain transfered to another
ship.
They thought next captain will worth to die with him and worth to fight with him.

[Onkel Neal]

Katsutake Ikeda: No match in Amazon
I guess that means no English version. :cry:

[Egan]

Iron Coffins. Again. For about the millionth time. Find something new in it every time I pick it up. :up:

[CB..]

i've been reading

"Execution for Duty"
"the life, trail and murder of a U-Boat Captain"

by Peter Hansen


it's a little confusing as i'm not entirely sure why most of the book deals with a captain not specifically related to the main plot--but it's doesn't really matter as it is a good read---is historically accurate (one has to assume any way) and is quite a complex attempt to explain in detail exactly what happened and why the Captain in question was executed-including court documents and lots of details--

it's getting a little hard work now as i near the end dealing the period after the war--as it is tracing the officials and characters involved in the case and their roles in government and industry--it's all getting rather complicated and a tadge "Boys from Brazil"

[Subnuts]

Iron Coffins. Again. For about the millionth time. Find something new in it every time I pick it up. :up:
A great book, just don't take everything in it to be 100% accurate...:yep:

[Enigma]

SSN. Strategies for Submarine Warefare. Tom Clancy.

[awood6535]

Hunt For Red October

I just love this book tobad we can't make a great dw campaign for it iwth nice models

[DeepSix]

The Price of Admiralty (John Keegan) - stepping away from the submarine genre for a spell.:)

[Khayman]

I'm on page 484 of Robert K Massie's Castles of Steel

Great book. I keep meaning to buy that. Got it out the library a year or so ago and I'm itching to read it again.

I should have three books arriving tomorrow;
"Donitz: The Last Fuhrer" by Peter Padfield
"Second U-boat Flotilla" by Lawrence Paterson
"Hunt and Kill: U-505 and the U-boat War in the Atlantic" by Theodore P. Savas

Can't wait. Biding time re-reading "Business in Great Waters" by John Terraine.

[Subnuts]

Okay, now I'm on Page 668 of Castles of Steel, just 120 more pages to go. I just read about the Battle of Jutland. It seems like both Beatty and Jellicoe made mistakes that affected the outcome of the battle. Also, I find it kind of funny that the Germans considered it a victory after they ran back to port and their fleet never left again. :doh:

[Sailor Steve]

Well, they sank more ships, didn't they?

I'm not "reading" anything right now, but I spend a couple of hours every day inside my reference books:
Jutland, An Analysis Of The Fighting, by John Campbell (a Jutland book for bean counters)

Naval Weapons Of World War Two, by same

Jane's and Conway's ship series

Warship Quarterly (now yearly) by Conway

The Battleship Dreadnought, by John Roberts (a book for rivet counters)

World War II, Day By Day, from Time-Life

World War I, Day By Day, by I don't remember who

Three different Civil War Day By Day books

British Battleships, 1889-1904, by RA Burt

U.S. Cruisers, by Norman Friedman

German Destroyers Of World War Two, by MJ Whitley

The U-Boat War: 1914-1918, by Edwin Gray

Yes, I have my nose in most of them almost every day.

Here's one I've had for a while but still haven't read: Psychological Factors In Submarine Warfare, by the US Navy Department.

[Iku-turso]

Patrick O´Brian : Desolation island

Adrian Goldsworthy,John Keegan : Roman warfare

And i am planning to purchase : R. Cameron Cooke : Rise to victory,heard good things about it in forums

[Kapitan_Phillips]

Two books for me.

Stealth at Sea: The History of the Submarine
A Time To Die: The Kursk disaster


I highly recommend both. Was pleased to see our man Drebbel mentioned in the first book :up:

[Egan]

Iron Coffins. Again. For about the millionth time. Find something new in it every time I pick it up. :up:
A great book, just don't take everything in it to be 100% accurate...:yep:
Lol, yeah...According to one U-boat skipper who read it:" If I used a red pen to mark out every inaccuracy it would look like a bloodbath!" :D

But even so. I tend to read these books less for the accuracy of the technical and - i suppose - military history aspect and more as examinations of the reactions and actions of men put into a situation i hope to god i never have to emulate.

It is the same reason I like Das Boot so much. even though a lot of the attitudes in that novel seem to clash with the more expected confidence of U-boat crews during what was still very much a period of sucess (late '41) and also the feeling that Das Boot, to me at least, seems coloured by a Post-War understanding of what took place, it still seems to me quite an honest description of life aboard the boats where long periods of drudgery and filth are broken by bursts of instense fear and horror.

Likewise, I think Iron Coffins does a fairly good job of showing what life was like in a period where most U-boats that went out on patrol simply weren't going to be coming back again.

[blue3golf]

"The Cold War", a compilation of works from writers such as Stephen Ambrose. Many others that were actively involved, can't remember the names and don't have book with mne at this time.

[bradclark1]

Here's one I've had for a while but still haven't read: Psychological Factors In Submarine Warfare, by the US Navy Department.

I can't imagine why.:D

[Deadeye313]

I just finished "Rise To Victory" By R. Cameron Cooke. I like the book and was amazed than a Los Angeles class sub can't detect a type 214 further than a mile out. I mean, they must have better sensors than that.

Anyone recommend any other modern day submarine or surface books? I like to read about how the equipment is really suppose to work and Cooke did a good job of keeping the technical stuff to a minimum (Not that I mind it). If there was something I didn't like: The rescue of the away team was too much like the rescue of that group on Iceland in Red Storm Rising.

I've already read Red Storm Rising and loved the ASW and Navy parts. I don't feel like reading Hunt for the Red October, because I love the movie. I think it's the best submarine movie I've watch. I don't think something like Crimson Tide will ever happen. People are too cautious and lines are too secure for there to be any reason to not get confirmation to launch balistic missiles.

anyway, any other good modern day Navy novels?

[Nexus7]

Just finished reading P.Robinson "Seawolf class". Quite a lot of action in it, and an ending I'd never have expected...

Next book is "Nimitz class" by T.Clancy

[lesrae]

I'm working my way through C. Northcote Parkinson's 'Richard Delancy' series of novels on Napoleonic naval warfare, it's a bit like C S Forster stuff.

[Khayman]

Read my three books. "Donitz: The Last Fuhrer" by Peter Padfield is certainly one that got me thinking. The author makes a lot of claims he doesn't sufficiently back up, but he throws enough mud that some sticks.

Right now though I'm taking a break from U-boats. Started re-reading Clay Blairs "Silent Victory". I promised I wouldn't as it may make me yearn for SH4, but I couldn't resist.

[STEED]

Re reading The last year of the Kriegsmarine May 44 - May 45

By V.E. Tarrant

[JohnnyBlaze]

Hey guys!

I'm thinking about buying a book or two about U boats.

Never actually read any books about Uboats so where should I start?

Any suggestions? Anyways I've already ordered the U boat commanders handbook, "Convoy" and "Torpedo Junction".

What do you guys think of those books?

Thanks,

Johnny

[Khayman]

I'd recommend both the Clay Blair books, "Hitler's U-Boat War: The Hunters" and "Hitler's U-Boat War: The Hunted". For more personal stories then "Iron Coffins" by Herbert Werner , "Hirschfeld: The Secret Diary of a U-Boat" by Wolfgang Hirschfeld and "U-Boat Killer" by Donald Macintyre. Also the Micheal Gannon books are well worth a read, both "Black May" and "Operation Drumbeat".

That should be enough to be getting on with for now:D

[scandium]

Just finished "The Sum of All Fears" by Tom Clancy... reading "Master & Commander" now, which is ... different (set in the late 18th century).

[Linton]

I am reading Razor's Edge by Hugh Bicheno.It is an alternative view of he Falklands War.I thoroughly recommend it.The author is a former UK intelligence officer

[Raedwulf]

I've been laying submerged for a long while

Recently 2 books have come into my possession;
Corvettes of the Royal Canadian Navy 1939-1945, probably the bible if interested in the Flower Class Corvette
The Corvette Navy

I picked these books up as references, I recently purchased a scale model of HMCS Snowberry, going to build the HMCS Calgary, might have to settle for the Sackville, the very last Flower in existence

[JohnnyBlaze]

I'd recommend both the Clay Blair books, "Hitler's U-Boat War: The Hunters" and "Hitler's U-Boat War: The Hunted". That should be enough to be getting on with for now:D
Thanks Khayman, I'm possibly going to order those two books next. Of course only after I've read the ones I've allready ordered.

Hmm.. The place I ordered the books didnt have the commanders handbook..
Do you happen to know by any chance where to get that book? The closer to Finland, the better.

thanks

[Kaleun]

I'm reading Clay Blair Jr's : Silent Victory, the US Submarine war against Japan. To bulk up my sub knowledge of the Pacific War

[jumpy]

'The Forgotten Soldier' by Guy Sajer.
linky (http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1574882856/202-0203021-7237468?v=glance&n=266239)

Synopsis
This is the horror of World War II on the Eastern Front, as seen through the eyes of a teenaged German soldier. At first an exciting adventure, young Guy Sajer's war becomes, as the German invasion falters in the icy vastness of the Ukraine, a simple, desperate struggle for survival against cold, hunger, and above all the terrifying Soviet artillery. As a member of the elite Gross Deutschland Division, he fought in all the great battles, from Kursk to Kharkov. Sajer's German footsoldier's perspective make The Forgotten Soldier a unique war memoir, the book that the Christian Science Monitor said "may well be the book about World War II which has been so long awaited." Now it has been handsomely republished as a hardcover containing fifty rare German combat photos of life and death at the Eastern Front. The photos of troops battling through snow, mud,burned villages, and rubble-strewn cities depict the hardships and destructiveness of war. Many are originally from the private collections of German soldiers and have never been published before.

[bradclark1]

War On The Eastern Font
and
American Steam Locomotives

[Khayman]

Hmm.. The place I ordered the books didnt have the commanders handbook..
Do you happen to know by any chance where to get that book? The closer to Finland, the better.

thanks

Sorry for the late reply, been away. I bought mine at Amazon.com since Amazon.co.uk only sold it used;

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0939631210/sr=8-1/qid=1152038562/ref=sr_1_1/102-3073747-8843349?ie=UTF8

[JohnnyBlaze]

Hmm.. The place I ordered the books didnt have the commanders handbook..
Do you happen to know by any chance where to get that book? The closer to Finland, the better.

thanks
Sorry for the late reply, been away. I bought mine at Amazon.com since Amazon.co.uk only sold it used;

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0939631210/sr=8-1/qid=1152038562/ref=sr_1_1/102-3073747-8843349?ie=UTF8

No problem and welcome back :lol:

Thanks for the tip. My order is allready on it's way :up:

[Syxx_Killer]

Right now I'm on the last of five books I had ordered about a month ago. The book is "Ghosts of the Abyss by Don Lynch." It is very interesting. The other four books were:

The Discovery of the Titanic by Robert Ballard
The Discovery of the Bismarck by Robert Ballard
Exploring the Lusitania by Robert Ballard
Return to Titanic by, you guessed it, Robert Ballard


I'm not sure what I will read next. There's a few books I have my eye on.

[jumpy]

*holds fingertips to temples* I'm sensing a Bob Ballard theme here... :hmm::lol:

[DeepSix]

...
and
American Steam Locomotives

Which book (who's the author)? I'm interested in that - post back or pm me if it's good.:up:

[Sailor Steve]

I am now reading It Is A Good Day To Die, a recounting of the Battle of the Little Big Horn by Indians (excuse me, Native Americans) who were there.

[bradclark1]

Which book (who's the author)? I'm interested in that - post back or pm me if it's good.:up:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0760303363/qid=1152144515/sr=1-2/ref=sr_1_2/002-3103732-5920849?s=books&v=glance&n=283155
I like it. I would give it five stars. The used price can't be beat.

[DeepSix]

Which book (who's the author)? I'm interested in that - post back or pm me if it's good.:up:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0760303363/qid=1152144515/sr=1-2/ref=sr_1_2/002-3103732-5920849?s=books&v=glance&n=283155
I like it. I would give it five stars. The used price can't be beat.Oh good, thanks. I have one of Solomon's books on passenger stations and it's worth getting for the photographs alone.... http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1567995829/qid=1152152319/sr=1-2/ref=sr_1_2/104-0352382-7907973?s=books&v=glance&n=283155

[Syxx_Killer]

*holds fingertips to temples* I'm sensing a Bob Ballard theme here... :hmm::lol:

lol I just finished Ghosts of the Abyss today. I always hate finishing a good book. :cry:

I have started Arc Light by Eric L. Harry. It really isn't my kind of novel, but I thought I would give it a try after reading all the reviews highly praising the book. It is 624 pages so it should take a while. :)

[Wilko]

Just finished

Iron Coffins by Werner
and

Beneath Southern Seas the Silent Service - a coffee table sort of book on our Collins class, lots of good colour pics and interviews with the various crew, Captain, XO, Warfair Off, Comminications Off, Engineer, Navigator, nothing to detailed but just enough to give you a quick idea of them and their station. I think it is released to go with the documentary that SBS did on them. I enjoyed it alot.

Picking up Red Storm Rising from the Libary today

[Henry Wood]

Almost finished Operation Drumbeat by Michael Gannon which has been very good, then I have a few to dive into: Black May (M. Gannon) Convoy (Martin Middlebrook) U333 (Peter Cremer), amongst others.I always keep two books handy for reference: First U-Boat Flotilla (Lawrence Paterson) and U-Boat Command and the Battle of the Atlantic (Jak P. Mallmann Showell). Also I like to keep U-Boat War (Lothar-Gunther Buccheim) handy just to keep looking at and losing myself in his absorbing photos. And finally, I think it is time to dust off The Cruel Sea again, which I reread frequently. I consider this the best fiction book ever written about naval warfare. Henry

(Sorry about original post - I used quote marks around each title and that seemed to cause the errors.)

[Marcantilan]

Alternating between "Clashes: Air Combat Over North Vietnam" (3rd time reading) and "The Right of the Line" (by Jhon Terraine - Account of RAF operations in WW2)

[Subnuts]

Type VII U-boats by Robert C. Stern.

Review coming... soon enough. :D

[bradclark1]

Henry,
Could you edit your post so it's readable?

[Henry Wood]

Henry,
Could you edit your post so it's readable?

Sorry about that - I had used quote marks for the titles which did not work. :88)

[Subnuts]

I'm on page 249 of Silent Victory.

Damn, this is one FAT book...

[Bertgang]

"Caine's mutiny" by Wouk now on my bedside table.
I once saw the movie, but all what I remembered until now was a strange captain who often played with a pair of stell balls. The book is better, as often happens.

Just finished past days "The Diary of a U-boat Commander", a classic on WWI.
I had it as e-book, english version, by a friend of this community.
As I unterstand, it's a shareware version (little donation asked by the editor)
Maybe Subsim could host a copy for download, if not already doing that.

[Henry Wood]

"Caine's mutiny" by Wouk now on my bedside table.
I once saw the movie, but all what I remembered until now was a strange captain who often played with a pair of stell balls. The book is better, as often happens.


An absolute classic! Lt. Cmdr. Queeg (Humphrey Bogart) not only playing with his steel balls, but proving with absolute precision just what did happen to his strawberries. I've not read the book but I must hunt the movie down to watch again.:up:

[Khayman]

"Broadsides: The Age of Fighting Sail, 1775-1815"

Not submarines, but still fighting at sea :arrgh!:

[Linton]

Has anybody read a book called x marks the spot,the archaeology of piracy ?
http://www.upf.com/book.asp?id=SKOWRS05
Just wondered if it was worth ordering from the library?

[torpcatcher]

I am currently reading "Steel Boat, Iron Hearts" written by Hans Goebeler (former crew member of U-505) and John Vanzo. It is a story of life on U – 505 told from perspective of a sailor. This book gives you a valuable insight in to the life on board of the U – 505. Hans Goebeler (deceased 1999) clears few myths about U – 505. The book is written very straight forward, and it includes memories and experiences that Hans G. lived through.

[Onkel Neal]

I'm on page 249 of Silent Victory.

Damn, this is one FAT book...

Re-reading that one again myself now. Very easy reading for such a comprehensive book.

[lesrae]

Just got given 'The U-Boat War' by David Westwood, haven't really started it in earnest yet but it seems good, and Neal's review is encouraging.

http://www.subsim.com/books/book_uboatwar.htm

[Onkel Neal]

Thanks. As the review stated, I was glad to get a lot of info on the logistical and technical side of the U-boat war.

[U-snafu]

finishing up clay blair's "Hitler's U-boat War-the hunters"-----"The U-boat war" sounds like a good next purchase.

offhand, could anyone recemend a book that deals with the early WWII war training and naval life of the kriegsmarine??? werner gave brief glimpses into it in "Iron Coffins" such as his training schools and experiences in billiting at kiel,etc. specifically say 1930 to 39,40.

just started reading some of the reviews here but getting ready to make some book purchases shortly so any replies would be appreciated.

[gdogghenrikson]

Right Now I am reading "The Life and Death of Adolf Hitler" by Robert Payne.

[Sonarman]

I'm currently reading "The Sand Pebbles" by Richard McKenna, telling the tale of Jake Holman a machinists mate on board the USS San Pablo a gunboat in the backwaters of China in the 1920's.

It's a great book and the movie based on the book starring Steve McQueen, Richard Crenna and Candice Bergen is a very good adaptation of the novel.

There's also a great website about the movie here (http://www.thesandpebbles.com)

[Lil Kaleun]

I've just finished "HMS Ulysses" for the second time. I'm waiting for the original version of that and "U-boat War" by Buchheim. :)
It will take some time before I get them so currently I'm reading anything written by Alistair MacLean that I can find at home (at the moment it's "Puppet on a chain" (in English), hopefully after I finish posting this I'll dig out "Ice station Zebra" and "48 hours" - these are my favourites), so I have lots of books for the next few weeks.

And one opinion: After reading "Puppet on a chain" I can say that originals are way better than translations. Gotta learn German as well. :up:

[Subnuts]

Silent Steel - The Mysterious Death of the Nuclear Attack Sub USS Scorpion. I'm only 42 pages in and I've already learned a whole bunch of stuff I didn't know. A sure sign of a good book! :up:

[blue3golf]

Just started "Panzers on the Eastern Front" by Generaloberst Erhard Raus, commander of 6th Panzer Div. and eventually commanded the Third Panzer Army. It is edited by Peter G. Tsouras who compiled the work from different Department of the Army pamphlets he ran across while stationed in Germany. Most of the works were completed in the 50's by Raus for the U.S. so we could learn some lessons from the Germans instead of learning them the hard way in case the Cold War turned into a "Hot War." Pretty interesting so far, I'm only on the first chapter but its mostly small unit tactics in unusual situations, which is what one of the pamphlets was named.

[GrayFox]

I am startiing "Vertical Dive" by Michael Dimecurio- www.ussdevilfish.com (http://www.ussdevilfish.com)

[Khayman]

"Sea Of Glory" by Nathaniel Philbrick. Four years, six sailing ships and the 346 men of the United States South Seas Exploring Expedition of 1838-1842;

4,000 ethnographic objects, a third more than collected by Cook on all three of his voyages

50,000 plant specimens from 10,000 species.

2,150 birds along with 134 mammals and 588 species of fish.

300 fossil species, 400 species of coral. 1000 of crustacea.

280 Pacific Islands charted with incredible accuracy, 800 miles of the Oregan Coast, 100 miles of the Columbia River and 1,500 miles of the Antarctic Coast.

It's all quite astonishing, especially as most of the scientists on it became giants in their field e.g. James Dwight Dana who found proof of Darwin's theory of coral islands and is, I think, a father of plate tectonics.

Alas it was all soured by the Commander and politics. Though this is the second time I've read it and I think the childishness of politics was mostly to blame for this expedition not being more celebrated. I don't want to say more in case I give too much away beyond the fact that I don't blame Wilkes for assuming the rank of Captain and flying a Commodore's pennant when he was only a lieutenant.

[Sailor Steve]

I just finished the third of Alexandre Dumas' five Musketeer novels, The Vicomte de Bragelonne, and have started the fourth book, Louise de la Valliere. I'm reading the Oxford Classics version with footnotes and background materials by David Coward.

Fascinating stuff.

[Neptunus Rex]

By coincidence, I happened to be reading "Wahoo" by RAdm Richard O'Kane (a perennial favorite that I read every couple of years:rock: ) at the time of the news release that a Russian research group may have found her while looking for a Russian boat lost in the Sea of Japan.

By some other stroke of luck (in the same week!), I've obtained a hardcover, first edition, first printing of "Clear the Bridge", also by RAdm O'Kane, signed and dated by the Admiral at the time of release!:D

[Subnuts]

I just finished reading Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors. However, I'm not gonna post my review of it yet, or Neal's gonna think I have a compulsive reading disorder and I don't want him calling any psychologists.

[SubConscious]

I just finished Operation Drumbeat by Michael Gannon, which I thought was excellent, and U-Boats under the Swastika by Jak P. Mallmann Showell, which is a good reference book.

I'm starting my re-read of U-Boat Ace: The story of Wolfgang Luth by Jordan Vause.

I don't know what it is, but something has me interested in reading about U-boats... ;)

[AirborneTD]

About halfway through "Hitler's U-Boats" the Hunters 39-42 by Clay Blair. Very good, but I think I liked his "Silent Victory" better. I've got part II (the Hunted 43-45) on deck and just received Norm Friedman's "US Subs through 1945".

[Tchocky]

The Third Policeman - Flann O'Brien

[Dan D]

The Third Policeman - Flann O'Brien

Very funny book :-)

I am reading all Inspector Rebus novels by Ian Rankin right now. Scotland.

[Sailor Steve]

Been reading at the library while homeless.

Read all five of Dumas' 'Musketeer' novels: The Three Musketeers, Twenty Years After, The Vicomte de Bragelonne, Louise de la Valliere and The Man In The Iron Mask.

Read Casey Tefertiller's Wyatt Earp: The Man Behind The Legend, the only real biography I've found, hundreds of footnotes and all.

Have been having a lot of fun with Walter Mosely's Easy Rawlins mysteries: Devil in a Blue Dress, The Red Heat, White Butterfly, Black Betty and A Little Yellow Dog. Gone Fishin' is next.

Read several resource books: John Roberts' British Battlecruisers among them. Also the Time-Life Seafarers series book The U-Boats. Good stories from both wars, plus some of Bucheim's photos.

Also picked up cheap used copies ($.25) of Ludlum's Jason Bourne books. Read The Bourne Identity and currently reading The Bourne Supremacy. Boy, the movies changed a lot!

[Tchocky]

The Third Policeman - Flann O'Brien
Very funny book :-)

Aye, the wordplay is ingenious. I'd recommend Cruiskeen Lawn, it's a collection of his columns in The Irish Times, and the funniest, most intelligent book I have in my possession

[Detritus]

Arctic Convoys by 1941-45 by Richard Woodman. A very thorough and detailed book about the lesser known but absolutely crucial part of WW2 history, without which the Russians probably would've lost some important battles, if not the whole war. The perspective is heavily on the Allied side and a little opinionated at times but nevertheless the book is still a very sound source of the topic.

[Captain Nemo]

About halfway through "Hitler's U-Boats" the Hunters 39-42 by Clay Blair. Very good, but I think I liked his "Silent Victory" better. I've got part II (the Hunted 43-45) on deck.

Same here. Haven't read "Silent Victory" though, I'll have to look that one up.:up:

Nemo

[jumpy]

Currently, Lord of the Rings (yet again) and the usmc sniper manual :o

[Sailor Steve]

I finished Ludlum's Bourne trilogy, then dug into a trio of American classics: Shane, by Jack Schaefer and Zane Grey's Riders Of The Purple Sage and it's sequel, The Desert Crucible (originally published as The Rainbow Trail).

Now I'm back at sea: I stumbled across a copy of Nicholas Montserrat's The Cruel Sea. I'm loving the feel of the book; very few novels have made me feel like I'm really there. Interestingly, I've complained many times of Montserrat's attitude in his introduction to U-boat 977, which is of the "Don't believe a word they say, they were all die-hard Nazis" variety. In The Cruel Sea he goes out of his way to justify the attitude that they were all warriors doing their jobs. His descriptions of riding out gales in a little Flower-class corvette is truly amazing. Picture Das Boot's storm sequences, the major difference being you can't dive to get away from it.

His descriptions of the early convoy efforts are also quite dramatic. They suffer from a constant feeling of helplessness; they very rarely pick up a u-boat with the asdic or see one, mainly they spend their time picking up survivors. I'm currently in the middle of 1941, and so far the book is fantastic.

[Oberon]

Now that's a co-incidence Steve, I'm also reading The Cruel Sea...I find it a very good book, the atmosphere of the crew during the war both at sea and on land is well captured. :up:

[Dowly]

Das Boot. Just got it recently. Great great book! :up:

[Pants]

What am i reading right now?
This thread LOL:rotfl:
I'm reading that many this minute they seem to be merging into one HUGE book :cry:

[Sailor Steve]

Something else has struck me that I never thought about: Montserrat describes the escort groups escorting from Liverpool to a midpoint, then picking up an inbound convoy and returning home with them. Obviously the Canadian escorts would do the same thing from Halifax.

I find this to be immensely rational; I just never thought of it before, always picturing the escorts making the whole trip. Of course this would eliminate the need for finding berthing for the crews in a foreign port, and shorten the time away from home.

[Edit]I just finished the book, and realized I horribly mispelled the man's name: it's Monsarrat.

I also just discovered a collection of his sea tales, appropriately titled Monsarrat At Sea. It includes several collections of notes written during the war that eventually became The Cruel Sea. More to come

[UglyMowgli]

4 books, just receive them yestedray, begin with Unbroken:

Unbroken the story of a submarine by alastar Mars,
No higher honor saving the USS Samuel B Roberts in the Persian gulf by Bradley Peniston,
The death of the USS Thresher by norman Polmar,
Topedo by Jeff Edwards.

[Kresge]

I just started C.S. Forrester's Hornblower series after completing O'Brian's Aubrey/Maturin series. I think I've become addicted to that genre now.

I also have a copy of Torpedo Junction by Homer Hickam, jr. that a friend gave me. I'm a bit burned out on non-fiction right now, but it looks like a good book.

[Raptor]

"U-Boat Killer" - by Capt. Donald Macintyre :up:


"A classic of naval warfare, this is a royal Navy destroyer Captain's personal account of his experiences in the Second World War in the battle against the German U-boats as they attacked the Allied convoys in the harsh conditions of the North Atlantic.

In four unrelenting years Captain Macintyre fought a dozen convoys through the 'wolf packs', captured Germany's greatest U-boat commander and killed naother famous ace in one single savage night, to survive the war as the royal Navy's ace U-boat killer credited with seven U-boats destroyed."

from the book's jacket cover

[Lurchi]

"Shattered Sword, the untold Story of the Battle of Midway"

I am not even half through it but it is an amazing book which features incredible detail, even pilot rosters. It corrects many myths about this battle by trying to give an insight into japanese leader's psychology. Highly recommended ...

http://www.shatteredswordbook.com/

[Grayback]

I just started "The Submarine" by Parrish. I picked it up last summer knowing that I'd want some submarine books for the late autumn. I'm a bit skeptical because one book seems a bit stretched to cover the history of military submarines from before the 20th century through both world wars and the cold war; also it's got a blurb on the back by one of the authors of "Red Star Rogue" which I read and hated.

I recently read "On Dangerous Ground" by Larry Bond which despite some flaws (not the least of which is the title) loved it. Easily one of the best (and few really good) submarine technothrillers I've seen in the past decade. It's not an epic "Red October" style book. It's a small story but one that really makes clear just what sort of day-to-day complications make up the life of those serving in subs.

[nikimcbee]

I'm re-reading Silent Victory by Clay Blair. After reading the first 100 pages, it still amazes me that we survived. It was a good thing that the Japanese did not understand/respect submarines.

[blue3golf]

Just finishing up "Battles With the Luftwaffe" by Theo Boiten and Martin Bowman. Very informative, covered the strategic air campaign from 42-45. Alot of good pictures, most I have never seen before. Gets kind of repetitive, mostly tells where missions were flown too, who got what kills by bomber and/or fighter. Covers the evolution of the campaign. Overall I give it an OK.

[TarJak]

Currently in the middle of J E Macdonnell's Find And Destroy which has an interesting juxtaposition between a U-Boat in the Atlantic and a British submarine in the Med.

Anyone else read any J E Macdonnell? for the uninitiated he's one of Australia's most prolific writers on fictional WWII naval encounters. They are usually short novellas and only take a day to read if you have the time.

[mr chris]

Have started to read Shadow Divers.:up: Cant seem to put it down:hmm:

[Sailor Steve]

Finished Monsarrat At Sea. Great book. It's a collection of short stories and novellas written over a great period of time.

H.M. Corvette: The initial groundword for what would become The Cruel Sea. Monsarrat was a sub-lieutenant on a corvette he calls HMS Flower (he had to use fictional names, it being wartime and all). He relates many stories and anecdotes, and it's obvious to a reader of The Cruel Sea that several of his characters have experiences which in real life were Monsarrat's own. Though the character Lockhart is based on his own background, sub-lieutenant Ferraby gets one of the writer's real experiences: not knowing the correct command for taking in the stern lines, he gets help from the rating responsible for that job; all he has to do is give a general order to "take in the lines" and the enlisted rating does the rest for him. Again, when his is on his first night watch he starts to feel his power as the man actually in charge, and gives a course change order just to see what happens. The first lieutenant calls out "What the hell's going on up there?" Monsarrat answers that he saw a log in the water and changed course to avoid it, thus earning a dirty look from the lookout, who certainly would have shouted out had there been an actual log.

East Coast Corvette: Unlike his characters, who stay together for the war, Monsarrat was transferred to the British east coast when he was made first lieutenant. he relates many stories of dealing with attacks by German bombers and "e-boats" (Schnellboote).
Lookout: "Aircraft, 10 degrees to starboard, sir!"
Self (using loudhailer so foc'sle crew will understand: "The aircraft approaching the starboard bow is a Hudson of Coastal Command. It can be recognized by the twin tails and thick fuselage..."
Lookout (respectfully): "Stick of bombs coming down, sir!"

Corvette Command: Monsarrat gains command of his own ship. Since the east coast had quited down by 1944 he spends a lot of time talking about the loneliness of command; the captain is not part of the officers' wardroom, he is just a guest there. There is no one he can turn to for advice; he must work everything out for himself. He does relate one story about leaving a convoy to escort two ships into Hull. When racing to regain the convoy, they keep looking for "bouy number 25", but can't find it anywhere. As they approach the convoy, they can see the light from the bouy blinking on and off, but they can't seem to get any closer. Finally they discover the truth: one of the merchants ran over the bouy, severed its chain and is now towing bouy number 25 behind it. The chain finally fouled the merchant's propellor, and they had to call for a tug to tow the hapless merchant and a trawler to escort it to the nearest harbor.

I Was There: A delightful short story about three men delivering a yacht to its new owner. They are forced to anchor off Dunkirk for the night, and spend their time telling personal stories of the deeds done during the 1940 evacuation.

HMS Marlborough Will Enter Harbour...: Another fiction concerning a sloop which is torpedoed, losing half the crew instantly. It's an hour-by-hour account of the captain deciding whether to abandon ship or try to get her back to port.

It Was Cruel: A new account of Monsarrat's wartime experiences, written in 1970, so he can finally name the corvette he served on: HMS Campanula. He includes more anecdotes, and finally reveals that his first captain was regular Naval Reserve and didn't like the 'Volunteer' reserves, and never hesitated to say so. No love lost there. He relates two similar experiences: one time he feels sorry for a German Condor pilot who flies 500 miles each way to drop one bomb a mile-and-a-half from the convoy. "What does he report when he gets home?" He then tells how much he hates it when there is an attack on Liverpool and one stray bomber has one bomb left and manages to use it to sink a merchant just as they're entering port at the end of the voyage.

The Ship That Died Of Shame: One last fictional story about a Fairmile-type gunboat HMS MGB 1087. The story basically takes place in 1950, when the down-and-out former skipper is reunited with the boat and his former first lieutenant, who gets him involved in questionable smuggling operations. He knows that a ship is just steel and wood, and in no way like a woman, but the more illegal the jobs get, the more things seem to go wrong with the boat.

All-in-all, Monsarrat At Sea is a fascinating read, and I highly recommend it to anyone who likes the sea, naval history or naval fiction.


I am currently starting The Eyes Of The Fleet: A Popular History Of Frigates And Frigate Captains, 1793-1815, by Anthony Price.

[bookworm_020]

I just picked up some books from a second hand book seller (it was a antique shop as well so that kept my fiance busy!)

The last voyage of the Scharnhorst - descibes the last sortie of the ship from both points of view

The lone wolf- voyage of the Emden - A history of one of the most successful surface raiders of WW1 and what happened to the crew afterwards (the shore party got away while HMAS Sydney sank the Emden, they made it back to Germany, which was an adventure in itself!)

3 time life books about WW2

Prelude to war

The Italian Campain

Battle of the Adlantic

Plus one other

Lemon! : History of the cars that failed - has cars like the Edsel, Leyland P76 (pretty much any car produced by Leyand in the 60's and 70's), others that should never have been allowed on the road, Lada's Niki

[tedhealy]

Can't read about subs all the time.

I'm currently reading Hyperion and Fall of Hyperion by Dan Simmons. After that I'll probably start on re-reading George RR Martin's Song of Ice and Fire series to refresh my memory before A Dance with Dragons comes out.

If you are into fantasy even the slightest bit or even medieval europe, you owe it to yourself to check out Martin's Song of Ice and Fire series, it's outstanding.

[Sailor Steve]

I've just finished Eyes Of The Fleet, and am starting another history from the age of sail: USS Essex and the Birth of the American Navy, by Frances Diane Robotti and James Vescovi. It has some very entertaining stories about the construction of an early frigate and the people who built and served in her.

[STEED]

The Battle of Kursk
By Glantz

This has too be the best book on this battle for me, two thirds into it and enjoying it.

[AVGWarhawk]

Have started to read Shadow Divers.:up: Cant seem to put it down:hmm:

Good book. Currently I'm reading Twilight of the U-boat. It reads more like a story book with facts interjected. Not bad.

[TarJak]

Just started Convoy by Dudley Pope. Not a bad read all up so far. Really strange photo on the cover of one of the US battleships being sunk in Pearl Harbour, considering it is a British book about a RN Leiutenant trying to work out how to stop Uboats attacking from within the middle of convoys!

[Sailor Steve]

After only two days I finished USS Essex and the Birth of the American Navy. It's a nice little book, telling the complete story from its launch to its capture by the British in 1813. USS Essex was the first American warship to enter the Pacific Ocean, and also participated in actions against the Tripoli pirates. It's a fun little book, and fills in quite a few answers I didn't know about the period before.

I've started another classic, The Caine Mutiny. More to come soon.

[Oberon]

I just picked up Das Boot from the library, a bit tattered but otherwise in good nick....not bad for 20p ;)

So...no need to guess what I'm reading now :up:

[Sailor Steve]

The Caine Mutiny, by Herman Wouk: not a review, but a book report.

If anyone is familiar with the movie they'll know the story: in the middle of the Second World War an old WWI 'four piper' destroyer now converted to a mine sweeper is shackled with a captain who is slowly losing his grip on reality. The crew suffers under his strange behaviour as best they can. Then comes a situation so desparate that the XO feels he must sieze control of the ship. The Caine is saved, and the XO finds himself facing a court-martial, and the charge is mutiny. If he is found guilty, he might hang. The trial is the highlight of the story, and it is all seen through the eyes of a young ensign, who is facing possible accessory charges himself.

The Caine Mutiny and The Cruel Sea:
Having recently read The Cruel Sea, I couldn't help but notice remarkable similarities between the two books. Both Authors served during the war, Nicholas Monsarrat in Corvettes and Herman Wouk in Destroyer-Minesweepers. Both books were published the same year, 1951. There are similarities in their experiences, and those show up in the books. Both stories start with young officers arriving on board; both feature wonderful descriptions of life at sea in small ships; both feature good men and detestable ones and both have scenes of the men coping with life ashore while their ships are in safe ports for refit. Both authors also put pieces of themselves into more than one character; Keefer, like Wouk, is a budding author; Keith is the new boy on the block and Greenwald, like Wouk, is Jewish, which has a bearing on the story.

"Corvettes will roll on wet grass"-The Cruel Sea

"These buckets will roll in drydock. Pretty poor stability. Wind on the beam pushes her right over"-The Caine Mutiny

Both books also partly hinge on the dislike of Regular and Volunteer officers for each other.

The Caine Mutiny-book and movie:
The book is a fantastic read; the old phrase "I couldn't put it down" is apt. It seems overlong at some points; reviewers of the movie complained that it would have been better without the long romance between the ensign and his girl, and the relationship with his mother. This is easier to take in the book, because it sets up his emotional state and frames the main story in seeming real life. In the movie it seems to get in the way, rather than help. There are many more scenes in the book of Commander Queeg's slow breakdown, and it flows more naturally. When it comes to the actual trial, there is a lot more in the book, making the movie seem a little choppy. That said, Queeg is certainly one of Humphrey Bogart's finest roles, and it's well worth seeing. The book also has a lot more on Ensign Keith's training days, leading up to his assignment to the Caine. The movie leaves a lot of this out, as movies must. The book also contains a bit of anti-semitism: The lawyer, Barney Greenwald, is Jewish, and reflects some of Wouk's feelings about his perception of his treatment while in the navy.

The end of the movie is far different from the book. In both, when Keith first comes aboard he is appalled by what he considers to be a slovenly ship run by a slovenly captain, and he is glad when the the very martial Queeg first comes aboard. By the end of the movie Keith is glad to be reunited with Commander de Vriess, realizing that he is a good example of a captain who understands his men and knows how to get the best out of them. In the book this never happens. Instead, Keefer, the unlikable man who started it all, ends up being the Caine's new skipper. He gets a commupance, finding out that he and Queeg are not so different after all. Probably the saddest figure is the XO, Lieutenant Maryk, who decides to make the navy his life, only to have that destroyed after the court-martial; even though he is aquitted he'll never have a real career as an officer.

In spite of some flaws, this is one of the best books I've ever read. I've been a fan of the movie for years; now I have to see it again just so I can make a better comparison.

[bookworm_020]

Just got "Clear the Bridge" by Dick O'Kane - the story of U.S.S Tang's war against Japan. I read it years ago, but only got a copy from ebay, I had bought the book in August but it took a sceinic trip on the way to Australia!

[GrayFox]

Finished "Debot of Honor by" Tom Clancey and now reading the next installment in the line "Executive Orders" Awsome books both.

[HunterICX]

Kirsten - Fabric of Officers

still reading it , still good

[Bungo_Pete]

Black may by michael gannon,I'm really liking this book:up:.After that clay blairs hitlers u boat war then panzers on the eastern front by gerhars raus.

[AirborneTD]

Blair bashes Gannon somewhat in his first volume--Hitler's U-Boat War, but I like both authors nonetheless.

[Sailor Steve]

I've just started The Mammoth Book Of Eyewitness Naval Battles, by Richard Russel Lawrence.

It covers pretty much every major naval battle from the first ones, and goes all the way to the first Gulf War. The author isn't the best, and he actually makes quite a few errors (at least compared to others I've read), but reading Herodotus' report on the battle of Salamis, or Cassius Dio giving an eyewitness account of Actium is utterly fascinating.

Right now I'm in the middle of the Anglo-Dutch wars.

[nightdagger]

Battle Beneath the Waves by Robert C. Stern.

It has a collection of U-boat stories, a couple from WW1 but most from WWII.

[Sailor Steve]

Well, I finally finished The Mammoth Book Of Eyewitness Naval Battles. It's quite poorly written, with a lot of typos and a lot of actual technical errors. The fun part is having all the eyewitness accounts collected in one place. The bad part is that there are probably so many more accounts he left out, either due to space (the book is already huge) or to bias, of which he does show quite a bit.

On the whole I recommend it, but also recommend that you save your money and try to find a copy at a library as I did. It's pretty good, but not a keeper.

Now back to some detective stories for a while.

[Venatore]

I'm currently reading the book "Hitler's U-Boat Fortresses". It's written by "Randolf Bradham" who was a 20yr old Staff Sergeant & Squad Leader of the 3rd Squad, 3rd Platoon, Company E, 262nd Regiment, 66th Infantry Division. He fought in Brittany against the Germans that were contained in St. Nazaire & Lorient.

This is different to alot of other U-Boat books that I have read in the past, because this book focuses on Commando raids/bombardments/French underground movements/ and the desperate battle of the Germans to deny the allied forces the vital U-Boat bases.

An excellent book.

[_Seth_]

Currently: A Donald Duck pocket book :rotfl:, and "Ubåtkrig" (Uboatwar), by an Norwegian writer. BTW: @ Stabiz: You are a writer, arent you? When can we expect to read some of your work?

[JSF]

Currently reading "Submarine" for the umteenth hundred time...I read this book for the first time while still in junior high. I saw a movie as a youth called "Operation Pacific" and eventually read this book and I became hooked on submarines for life.

[blue3golf]

Just finished "Fortress Third Reich." Extremely well written, basically a chronological history of German field fortifications throughout WW2. Plenty of technical drawings, maps, tables, etc. Also some interesting observations on damage caused to bunkers by certain weapon systems.

[bradclark1]

The Battle of Kursk
By Glantz

This has too be the best book on this battle for me, two thirds into it and enjoying it.
I have a few Glantz books and the problem with him is his writing style. Very dry. My eyes start glazing over after about 10 pages.

[Subnuts]

Six Frigates: The Epic History of the Founding of the U.S. Navy. It's interesting but not the masterpiece everyone describes it as. Then again, my standards are annoyingly high.

[blue3golf]

Just finished Day Of Infamy by Walter Lord. I found it a great account of Pearl harbor and the events leading up to it. He went into great detail about every event and caught them from all different peoples angles. A good work of history and drama. Would read it again.

[hocking]

Just finished Michael Gannon's "Operation Drumbeat" last week. Just started Clay Blair's "Hitler's U-Boat War: The Hunters, 1939-1942" this week (it was a Christmas Gift that I requested). Also still working on William Shirer's "The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich", but I had to take a break from that one for a little while since it is over 1200 pages long.

[Sailor Steve]

Just read Moral Minority: Our Skeptical Founding Fathers, by Brooke Allen. It's a look at what the founders themselves wrote about the "Separation of Church and State" controversy.

Lots of fun, if you like that sort of thing.

And I do.

[hellas1]

Hi all, :|\\

Some time ago I bought the entire:
Conway's history of the ship series 23-25 volumes :rock: and
A number of books on submarines of different armies and eras. :rock:

and plan on buying more books on subbies. :rock:

Rhoads scholar and subby lover-hellas1 :rock:
"Avast there matie....." :arrgh!: "Step off my jock Mr. Christian..." :rock:

Who the hell WAS Mr. Christian? he he, Hell and Mr. Christian great sub name :rock:

[Camaero]

I am currently reading "Half a Wing, Three Engines, and a Prayer" by Brian O'Neil. It is a story of a B17 crew from the 303rd. It is quite good so far. I have already bought my next book and I eagerly await to read it: "Submarine!" by Edward Beach. A true story about the author's experiences on the USS Trigger. Anyone know if it's good?

I would like to mention my favorite book of all time however. Nothing I have ever read has been more thrilling than V.M. Yeates "Winged Victory". I get a silly grin on my face whenever I think of some of the parts in that book. If anyone has any interest at all in WWI war flying, it is a must read.:rock:

[ABBAFAN]

I am reading "falkland islanders at war"by some bloke.It describes what the islanders themselves did in the conflict.interesting.

Also "red and green life machine"by surgeon commander Rick Jolly who operated on maimed people during the war in a disused refrigeration plant under a couple of UXBs.

I recommend "hell and high water" by Mark Higgitt
about HMS Ardent.Facinating.

[Jeffg]

I am reading BACALAO by J.T. McDaniel which is about a Gato fleet boat before and during WW2.This is a very good novel you can't put it down.This is a good primer for Silent Hunter 4.
JeffG

[Subnuts]

Currently alternating between Of Ice And Steel and Stalin and the Bomb: The Soviet Union and Atomic Energy 1939-1956.

[AirborneTD]

Reading a modern sub thriller now, "Dangerous Ground", by Larry Bond. Nice fast read. Excellent.

[Heer Kapitain]

I am reading Australian Submarines, A history by Micheal W.D. White

[blue3golf]

Just finished Steel Rain by Tim Ripley. Not a bad read, quick yet in-depth look at SS armor divisions in the West during 44 and 45. Plenty of good pics as well.

[Richo]

Still trying to get through Clay Blair's Hitler's U-Boat War The Hunters 1939-1942 after 18 months. Have managed to read and finish other books in the mean time, but Clay's book while being a great factual read is so full of information it is a bit heavy going.

:know:

[flintlock]

Currently slowly trudging my way through Norman Davies' Europe: A History. It's not as bad as it sounds, it's actually been a good read thus far.

[ReallyDedPoet]

Starting tommorow: U-Boat Commander's Handbook.

[WOD]

Currently I read "Red Storm Rising" (Tom Clancy) ...in germany the book is called "Im Sturm"...have had finished "Hunt for Red October" (Jagd auf Roter Oktober) 5 days ago

Will be followed from "Das Boot" (have read it 2 times already), "Schlachtschiff Bismarck" (quite old that book from 1960 from Jochen Brennecke) and "Sum of all Fears" (das Echo aller Furcht)

[Konovalov]

Currently I read "Red Storm Rising" (Tom Clancy) ...in germany the book is called "Im Sturm"...have had finished "Hunt for Red October" (Jagd auf Roter Oktober) 5 days ago

Will be followed from "Das Boot" (have read it 2 times already), "Schlachtschiff Bismarck" (quite old that book from 1960 from Jochen Brennecke) and "Sum of all Fears" (das Echo aller Furcht)

All the old Tom Clancy classics before he plunged downhill. :down:

[Squires]

Just finished reading USS Seawolf by Patrick Robinson. going to read The Shark Mutiny next(again) and then catch up with Robinsons newer books.

[Puster Bill]

Still trying to get through Clay Blair's Hitler's U-Boat War The Hunters 1939-1942 after 18 months. Have managed to read and finish other books in the mean time, but Clay's book while being a great factual read is so full of information it is a bit heavy going.

:know:

Yes, it is a bit of a slog, isn't it? Still, the book is full of gems, if you know what to look for. It is *VERY* interesting that a great majority of the successes by boats were 'veteran' commanders and crews. Also interesting is that most of the sinkings of u-boats were inexperienced crews and commanders, a large number of them on their first fiendfarht.

It took me a good three weeks or so to get through it, but that is because it I don't get as much time to read as I used to. Three year old son at home :roll:

I just started volume II, "The Hunted". Bigger book, so it looks like it will take me a month or so.

[BellJack95]

I am currently re-reading Clay Blair Jr.'s Silent Victory: The U.S. Submarine War Against Japan. The book overall is very good (although the author does interject some personal biases against certain members of the submarine leadership and sub captains for example) and it has several appendices that provide details on each war cruise, tonnage leaders, sub losses, etc. I recommend it to anyone wanting to get a good feel for this aspect of the war.

[AirborneTD]

Agree 100%. Silent Victory is my favorite Sub book. I'm finally getting back into his first U-boat volume and am just about finished. (had to take a break). I will probably start Vol II (which I already have).

Not sure why, but his Atlantic U-boat campaign was/is a more difficult read for me. I like both theaters. Strange.

[Iron Budokan]

Had to put down Blair's first volume of Hitler's U-boat War...couldn't take his antagonistic stance and pooh-poohing of the German war effort any longer. (And I gave it 3/4 of the book.) Blair is more of a bean counter than an historian. Not much emotion here, or any appreciation of the bravery and dedication and sacrifice the Germans experienced, just dry facts and figures presented in prosaic form. A dry, uninspring book, but it remains the high bar because he does present so much information regarding tonnage, patrols, etc.

Reread Das Boot this week and finished it off with the photographic companion also by Buchheim, U-boat War.

Next on the list is Submarine! by Edward L. Beach. I'll get to that later this week. Just from flipping through it doesn't look particularly promising. Beach might be a much better fiction writer than non-fiction writer....but I'm eager to find out.

[Iron Budokan]

Agree 100%. Silent Victory is my favorite Sub book. I'm finally getting back into his first U-boat volume and am just about finished. (had to take a break). I will probably start Vol II (which I already have).

Not sure why, but his Atlantic U-boat campaign was/is a more difficult read for me. I like both theaters. Strange.

Doesn't surprise me Blair would be more excited in writing about the American effort. I'm actually interested in giving this one a look. I didn't like his take on the U-boat war, but that doesn't mean I won't give him a chance with this theatre of operations....

[mr chris]

Have just finshed Shadow Divers, Great read have just started Grey Wolf Grey Sea. Am slowly making my way through the 12 odd U-Boat books i got for Xmas.

[hocking]

I also took a break from Blair's first U-Boat book. But I plan on getting back to it very soon, and will start his second book shortly afterwords. I do agree with Blair's opinion of the U-Boat war. I think Blair may get a little misinterpreted due to the way he presents his opinion from time to time. He clearly does not like the fact that the U-Boat war gets so much attention why the American Sub War gets very little attention. But, if you really look at what Blair is saying, he is really just saying what Donitz was saying during the entire war. Hitler simply did not fund the U-Boat war in a way that made it effective. It isn't that the U-Boats, or their crews, were not effective. It is that the numbers of U-Boats available for operations were never at a level to make them effective as an overall force.

Blair only says the factual truth, and backs it up with actual numbers. Hitler never had enough U-Boats to make his U-Boat war effective, and he misused his U-Boat forces on a regular basis. This is simply fact. Well over 90% of allied shipping made it to their final destination. There were always just a handful of U-Boats chasing down huge convoys, and the lact of U-Boat numbers is why the U-Boat effort never really was that big of a threat. If Hitler would have properly funded the U-Boat war, and built hundreds of U-Boats like he did tanks, I think it could have definitely changed the outcome of the war in the early 1940's.

[Puster Bill]

I also took a break from Blair's first U-Boat book. But I plan on getting back to it very soon, and will start his second book shortly afterwords. I do agree with Blair's opinion of the U-Boat war. I think Blair may get a little misinterpreted due to the way he presents his opinion from time to time. He clearly does not like the fact that the U-Boat war gets so much attention why the American Sub War gets very little attention. But, if you really look at what Blair is saying, he is really just saying what Donitz was saying during the entire war. Hitler simply did not fund the U-Boat war in a way that made it effective. It isn't that the U-Boats, or their crews, were not effective. It is that the numbers of U-Boats available for operations were never at a level to make them effective as an overall force.

Blair only says the factual truth, and backs it up with actual numbers. Hitler never had enough U-Boats to make his U-Boat war effective, and he misused his U-Boat forces on a regular basis. This is simply fact. Well over 90% of allied shipping made it to their final destination. There were always just a handful of U-Boats chasing down huge convoys, and the lact of U-Boat numbers is why the U-Boat effort never really was that big of a threat. If Hitler would have properly funded the U-Boat war, and built hundreds of U-Boats like he did tanks, I think it could have definitely changed the outcome of the war in the early 1940's.
I haven't read Silent Victory yet, I'm still slogging through "The Hunted" right now. But something strikes me as being part of the psychology of Blairs writing. Essentially, the boat(s) he was on were roughly the equivalent of a Type IX. I wonder if after researching all of those Kriegsmarine boats on eternal patrol, if there isn't a little bit of 'there but for the grace of God go I' creeping into his writing. After all, compared to the Allies the Imperial Japanese Navy was downright incompetent when it came to ASW, despite having some significant advantages (namely, plenty of shallow water operations, going against large boats that made dived slowly and made good sonar targets) on their side.

Even though there are times in 'Hitlers U-Boat War' where his bias creeps in, so far those two volumes are the gold standard of the history of that campaign (at least in English). I do think that he supports those biases rather well with facts, so I can't argue with him.

My personal opinion is that it isn't what he says that puts some people off, but the way he says it. And yes, the books can be somewhat dry, but there is a lot of history there, and a finite amount of space to cover it.

My biggest complaint: His repetitive use of the word 'doggo' to describe bottoming the submarine and waiting. Doggo. Doggo. Doggo. Doggo.








Doggo.









Doggo.:D

When we get another cat, I'm going to name it 'Doggo' in Blair's honor (MHRIP)

[Sailor Steve]

Well, since my last post here (January 9) I've had fun reading all of the seminal hard-boiled private eye novels; the entire short stories and novels of both Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler.

Now back to sea: I've just started reading The Battle Of The Atlantic, by Terry Hughes and John Costello; Wm Collins Sons & Co, Great Britain, 1977.

It starts at the beginning and ends at the end, and covers pretty much everything, including the politics and behind-the-scenes machinations. So far it's a lot of fun.

[nikimcbee]

Now back to sea: I've just started reading The Battle Of The Atlantic, by Terry Hughes and John Costello; Wm Collins Sons & Co, Great Britain, 1977.


I've got that book, great book!

As for me Subsim Almanac 2007:rock: :rock: :rock:

[AirborneTD]

Now back to sea: I've just started reading The Battle Of The Atlantic, by Terry Hughes and John Costello; Wm Collins Sons & Co, Great Britain, 1977.

I have Costello's "Pacific War" book. Very good. I may have to check out this one.
thanks.

[Sailor Steve]

Now back to sea: I've just started reading The Battle Of The Atlantic, by Terry Hughes and John Costello; Wm Collins Sons & Co, Great Britain, 1977.

I have Costello's "Pacific War" book. Very good. I may have to check out this one.
thanks.
Of course having just discovered this one, I had no idea that one existed. Now I have another to take a look at. Thank YOU.:sunny:

[flintlock]

I have a steadily growing list of books on the Pacific Theatre, suggested by a few people at subsim. With the imminent release of SH4, I may have to put Norman Davies' monster down for a while and get acquainted with the contents of the Amazon package arriving next week (hopefully).

[Donner]

I have approximately 150+ books on WW2 (u-boats and fleet boats) submarine warfare and I am constantly adding to my library. I also have copies of the war patrol reports of 34 US boats...and I am adding to that as well.

Currently reading Stephen L. Moore's Spadefish: On Patrol with a Top Scoring World War II Submarine, an infinitely readable account of US submarine warfare. Moore uses many Spadefish veteran interviews coupled with extensive use of Spadefish's war patrol reports. I have copies of those patrol reports and Moore does a wonderful job with his narrative. This book covers Spadefish's career from launching, fitting out, commissioning, shakedown, five patrols through to her mothballing at the end of the war. Cannot recommend this book enough...easily compares with Dick O'Kane's classics, Wahoo and Clear the Bridge.

I just finished Mike Ostlund's Find 'Em Chase 'Em Sink 'Em: The Mysterious Loss of a WWII Submarine Gudgeon. Ostlund had an uncle that was lost on Gudgeon and thus drove his mission to find out about his uncle's sub and attempt to find the location of Gudgeon. Again, extensive interviews with veterans who served on Gudgeon before her final fateful patrol are used to fill-in the details. The book is written in two parts with the first having chapters dealing with all 12 of the sub's war patrols and the second part detailing Ostlund's detective work in locating his uncle's final resting place. Ostlund's detective work rivals that of Sherlock Holmes with elementary reasoning...something that it hindsight seems to have clearly eluded the US Navy. Highly recommended as well.

On deck is Kenneth Ruiz's submarine memoir Luck of the Draw. I am looking forward to reading that immensely.:ping:

[Bort]

At the moment I'm reading The Winds of War by Herman Wouk, the author of The Caine Mutiny. Its a good read, recounting WWII from the fictional perspective of a Navy family. BTW, anyone who hasn't read The Caine Mutiny (Winner of the 1951 Pulitzer Prize), it's a must read for anyone interested in the workings of the Navy and its role in WWII from a very human and realistic view. Wouk writes at a high level so you have to work at reading his books, but believe me, its worth it!:up:

[flintlock]

I just finished Mike Ostlund's Find 'Em Chase 'Em Sink 'Em. <snip> ...Dick O'Kane's classics, Wahoo and Clear the Bridge. Fine recommendations.

<image deleted>

Cheers.

[Subnuts]

Right now I'm about 50 pages into Silent Running: My Years on a World War II Attack Submarine by James F Calvert, who was the TDC operator onboard the Jack.

[bradclark1]

Now back to sea: I've just started reading The Battle Of The Atlantic, by Terry Hughes and John Costello; Wm Collins Sons & Co, Great Britain, 1977.

I just donated that to the library last week.
Right now I'm reading Retreat Hell the 1st Marine division in Korea.

[Skybird]

At the moment I'm reading The Winds of War by Herman Wouk, the author of The Caine Mutiny. Its a good read, recounting WWII from the fictional perspective of a Navy family. BTW, anyone who hasn't read The Caine Mutiny (Winner of the 1951 Pulitzer Prize), it's a must read for anyone interested in the workings of the Navy and its role in WWII from a very human and realistic view. Wouk writes at a high level so you have to work at reading his books, but believe me, its worth it!:up:
A good novel, Winds of War. If you don't know, there are two successors, or better book two and three, title is "War and Remembrance, parts 1 and 2". It is a fluid continuing from the first book, and they all belong together. I liked how the amosphere and the "breath of that time" was brought to life, on multiple continents. A good example of history book meeting fiction. Sometimes you learn more from a more subjective approach on things, like here. So far I have red the complete work twice. The TV series was not en par with the books, but Robert Mitchum as Pug Herny did well.

What I read currently: during siesta time after midday, "The Plumed Serpent" by DH Lawrence and "Silk" bei Alessandro Baricco (short book and an artful narration, a most exquisite little surprise), and in bed some easier stuff, a thriller: "Lautlos" (noiseless) by Frank Schätzing.

[Bort]

At the moment I'm reading The Winds of War by Herman Wouk, the author of The Caine Mutiny. Its a good read, recounting WWII from the fictional perspective of a Navy family. BTW, anyone who hasn't read The Caine Mutiny (Winner of the 1951 Pulitzer Prize), it's a must read for anyone interested in the workings of the Navy and its role in WWII from a very human and realistic view. Wouk writes at a high level so you have to work at reading his books, but believe me, its worth it!:up:
A good novel, Winds of War. If you don't know, there are two successors, or better book two and three, title is "War and Remembrance, parts 1 and 2". It is a fluid continuing from the first book, and they all belong together. I liked how the amosphere and the "breath of that time" was brought to life, on multiple continents. A good example of history book meeting fiction. Sometimes you learn more from a more subjective approach on things, like here. So far I have red the complete work twice. The TV series was not en par with the books, but Robert Mitchum as Pug Herny did well.

What I read currently: during siesta time after midday, "The Plumed Serpent" by DH Lawrence and "Silk" bei Alessandro Baricco (short book and an artful narration, a most exquisite little surprise), and in bed some easier stuff, a thriller: "Lautlos" (noiseless) by Frank Schätzing.

Cool! I'll have to get started with those when I'm done with this one, but it could be a while, its a big 'un!:D

[Bertgang]

Just started with "rapidi ed invisibili" (quick and stealth) the sort of historical submarine almanac casually found yesterday.

[KevinB]

Just finished The Secrets of the Holy Lance by Jerry Smith.
It's about the spear that pierced Christ's side by a Roman solider when he was on the cross.
The first half of the book I couldn't keep up with all the historical sounding names and places but later when Hitler acquired it it got very interesting.
Another interesting bit is that it was taken to Antartica where the Nazis built an underground base called Station 211 where a planned assault on it was allegedly taken place sometime in 1946 by Admiral Byrd and practically an invasion fleet.

[Kpt. Kozloff]

I know it's an old title but i keep coming back to it: Alistair MacLean's "HMS Ulysses". Great and truly gripping story.
:up:

[blue3golf]

Reading Alexander the Great by Robin Lane Fox. Only about half way throught it but not to bad. Has alot of interesting insights and possibilities since there isn't a whole lot of actual written record from his time. Tries to make sense of what his "historians" wrote of him and the actual happenings.

[Linton]

I have just finished Hunter and the Hunted.Quite good but there were a few factual errors.

[hellas1]

Hello sub pimps and pimpettes, :|\\

Your friend, posting yet again hellas1 here. :|\\

I currently am reading the "writing on the wall" of my being umemployed and thus am not reading nor collecting any subbie books. :down:

My current station in the submarine called Life is "Unemployed Loser." :|\\

Fear not, loved ones, I SHALL rise again.....
:rock: :rock: :rock: :rock: :rock: :rock: :rock:

hellas1 :|\\

[ASWnut101]

:o ... Marajuana does interesting things to the human mind...






J/k!:p

[Sailor Steve]

I stepped away from the naval books for a bit, and read a great biography of the man who invented America-Benjamin Franklin, by Walter Isaacson.

Everybody has heard of Franklin and the kite, but what I didn't know was that after he retired from printing (at age 42), he purchased several Leyden Jars and hooked them together in a box, experimented with dumping the water out to see it the charge was actually held in the water or in the glass (it was the glass) and finally published his findings with the Royal Society, for which they gave him a gold medal. He apologized for coining his own terms, and asked them to feel free to change whatever they wanted. The terms he used are still with us today: Positive, Negative, Plus and Minus Charge, Conductor and Electrical Storage Battery.

Later he was the first scientist to actually experiment with the idea that lightning might be electricity, and designed and built the first lighting rod. When he visited Britain later he was honored as an equal and counted among his friends the great chemist Joseph Priestley, philosophers Edmund Burke and David Hume, and the legendary economist Adam Smith. Franklin's papers don't mention it, but according the the papers collected by Smith's daughter Smith actually asked Franklin's opinion on some early chapters of The Wealth Of Nations.

When the American Revolution was starting in 1775 Ben Franklin was still in Britain, trying desparately to get both sides to come to an agreement. He returned to America in time to sign the Declaration Of Independence, and it was after John Hancock said "Now we must all hang together" that Franklin made his famous rejoinder: "Yes, we must all hang together, or most certainly we shall all hang separately!"

Franklin spent the rest of the war in Paris, and in 1783 was the primary negotiator for the peace treaty betwean Britain and the newly-independent America. In 1787 he was one of the prime movers behind the new Constitution, and he was the one who cut through all the infighting and arguing and managed to get the states to finally compromise. He has been called the First American, and one writer pointed out that of all the Founding Fathers, he alone would be at home in an office park or a shopping mall. That same writer called him "Our Founding Yuppie"; and he really did personify the upwardly mobile shop-keeper of the 1700s.

Benjamin Franklin, by Walter Isaacson. The best I've read in a long time. Highly informative, very readable, lots of fun.

[Sailor Steve]

War Beneath The Sea, by Peter Padfield. I just finished it, and I can't recommend it enough. It doesn't have the depth of Blair's books or the breadth of Roscoe, but it is very readable and contains the stories of all the major commands, including the accomplishments of the British submarines in the North Sea, Med and Pacific (including the X-craft), as well as the Japanese successes and failures.

Things I didn't know:

1) At the same time the British were being amazed that BdU never realized they were reading the Enigma codes, they also never once considered that B-Dienst was reading their signals!

2) I guess I was spoiled by SH1, and assumed that the Americans always had a waterproof TBT, but according to Padfield the first US boats fitted with a surface relay system at all had something similar to the German UZO, with regular binoculars being fitted into a control system that relayed the bearing down to the TDC, and that not until early in 1944!

3) In spite of the successes of US boats against Japanese shipping, US high command never had a German-style policy of an all-out anti-merchant war. Enemy warships were always the first priority. If the Americans had followed the German example they might have starved Japan by the end of 1943.

All this is speculation of course, but Padfield makes a good case. Overall the book is very detailed for only 500 pages.

I learned a lot from this book. Get it and read it; it's a good one!

[diesel97]

"Wolfpack" by Steven Trent Smith about the pack attacks into the Sea of Japan. Gotta get ready for the Pacific !.

Thanks for the review of Padfields book Steve.

[nikimcbee]

"The Devil's Sandbox." It's my buddy's unit and their actions in Iraq.

[TLAM Strike]

"Far Distant Ships" Joesph Schull, about the Canadian Navy's operations in WWII.

[master cylinder]

just finished "red star rogue".this is an amazing and shocking true story of what would and could have surely changed the american way of life back in 1968 and well beyond.-if the russian sub had suceeded! read it!-jem.

[tedhealy]

Bacalao - Historical fiction about a Gato class sub and it's crew during WW2. A slow start, but still very good. It's very similar to Red Scorpion, another historical fiction story about a US sub in WW2 (although Red Scorpion is about a real sub - USS Rasher).

Thunder Below! The USS Barb revolutionizes sub warfare in WW2.

[Grey_Raven75]

Stephen King's IT. But my copy of Silent Victory just arrived today, so I may have to wait on finishing IT.

[Sailor Steve]

I haven't posted since I read that great Benjamin Franklin biography. I kind of got stuck in historical/political mode and read David McCullough's bio of John Adams. Now I'm in the middle of part two of a six-volume biography of Thomas Jefferson, by Dumas Malone. It took him twenty-two years to write - Volume 1 was published in 1948, Volume six in 1970. I'm hoping it doesn't take me that long to read!

[flintlock]

A nice brown package arrived earlier this afternoon, care of Amazon. Now lying on the desk beside me is my next read; Monsarrat's "The Cruel Sea." I really enjoyed the movie, and never seem to tire watching it (much like Das Boot). As good as the movie is, apparently it doesn't do the book justice. Looking forward to starting the book this weekend!

[livewire68]

I just got my copy of Cruel Sea today. Now to read and play SH4!!:up:

[Subnuts]

Sailors to the End, which is about the 1967 fire onboard the USS Forrestal that killed 134 men. It's pretty nasty and depressing but it stands as a testament as to why you shouldn't let an incompetent Secretary of Defense micromanage a war (nudge, nudge!) :roll:

[Heibges]

"The Middle Parts of Fortune" by Frederick Manning, based on Beeryman's recommendation where he compared it to "The 13th Valley" by John Delveccio.

[Heibges]

At the moment I'm reading The Winds of War by Herman Wouk, the author of The Caine Mutiny. Its a good read, recounting WWII from the fictional perspective of a Navy family. BTW, anyone who hasn't read The Caine Mutiny (Winner of the 1951 Pulitzer Prize), it's a must read for anyone interested in the workings of the Navy and its role in WWII from a very human and realistic view. Wouk writes at a high level so you have to work at reading his books, but believe me, its worth it!:up:

The Caine Mutiny is one of my favorite books and movies.

[Heibges]

The Caine Mutiny, by Herman Wouk: not a review, but a book report.

If anyone is familiar with the movie they'll know the story: in the middle of the Second World War an old WWI 'four piper' destroyer now converted to a mine sweeper is shackled with a captain who is slowly losing his grip on reality. The crew suffers under his strange behaviour as best they can. Then comes a situation so desparate that the XO feels he must sieze control of the ship. The Caine is saved, and the XO finds himself facing a court-martial, and the charge is mutiny. If he is found guilty, he might hang. The trial is the highlight of the story, and it is all seen through the eyes of a young ensign, who is facing possible accessory charges himself.

The Caine Mutiny and The Cruel Sea:
Having recently read The Cruel Sea, I couldn't help but notice remarkable similarities between the two books. Both Authors served during the war, Nicholas Monsarrat in Corvettes and Herman Wouk in Destroyer-Minesweepers. Both books were published the same year, 1951. There are similarities in their experiences, and those show up in the books. Both stories start with young officers arriving on board; both feature wonderful descriptions of life at sea in small ships; both feature good men and detestable ones and both have scenes of the men coping with life ashore while their ships are in safe ports for refit. Both authors also put pieces of themselves into more than one character; Keefer, like Wouk, is a budding author; Keith is the new boy on the block and Greenwald, like Wouk, is Jewish, which has a bearing on the story.

"Corvettes will roll on wet grass"-The Cruel Sea

"These buckets will roll in drydock. Pretty poor stability. Wind on the beam pushes her right over"-The Caine Mutiny

Both books also partly hinge on the dislike of Regular and Volunteer officers for each other.

The Caine Mutiny-book and movie:
The book is a fantastic read; the old phrase "I couldn't put it down" is apt. It seems overlong at some points; reviewers of the movie complained that it would have been better without the long romance between the ensign and his girl, and the relationship with his mother. This is easier to take in the book, because it sets up his emotional state and frames the main story in seeming real life. In the movie it seems to get in the way, rather than help. There are many more scenes in the book of Commander Queeg's slow breakdown, and it flows more naturally. When it comes to the actual trial, there is a lot more in the book, making the movie seem a little choppy. That said, Queeg is certainly one of Humphrey Bogart's finest roles, and it's well worth seeing. The book also has a lot more on Ensign Keith's training days, leading up to his assignment to the Caine. The movie leaves a lot of this out, as movies must. The book also contains a bit of anti-semitism: The lawyer, Barney Greenwald, is Jewish, and reflects some of Wouk's feelings about his perception of his treatment while in the navy.

The end of the movie is far different from the book. In both, when Keith first comes aboard he is appalled by what he considers to be a slovenly ship run by a slovenly captain, and he is glad when the the very martial Queeg first comes aboard. By the end of the movie Keith is glad to be reunited with Commander de Vriess, realizing that he is a good example of a captain who understands his men and knows how to get the best out of them. In the book this never happens. Instead, Keefer, the unlikable man who started it all, ends up being the Caine's new skipper. He gets a commupance, finding out that he and Queeg are not so different after all. Probably the saddest figure is the XO, Lieutenant Maryk, who decides to make the navy his life, only to have that destroyed after the court-martial; even though he is aquitted he'll never have a real career as an officer.

In spite of some flaws, this is one of the best books I've ever read. I've been a fan of the movie for years; now I have to see it again just so I can make a better comparison.

Plus, in the book, Wouk points out that the brilliant lawyer, Barney Greenwald, who defends the officers of the Caine, is disliked because he is Jewish.

[Heibges]

The Third Policeman - Flann O'Brien

Are you a "Lost" fan?

My Old Lady wanted it because it appears in the show.

[AirborneTD]

Recently finished "Wake of the Wahoo" and am just finishing up "Wolf Pack " (US Ops in the Pacific).

"Thunder Below" is on the way. Starting that next.

[wireman]

" No place to Linger" by the corvette captain who collided with Peter Cremer's U-333.

[blue3golf]

Just finished "The Moscow Option" as well as "SS, The Blood Soaked Soil." Both extremely interesting, the first being an alternate history about the Wehrmacht taking Moscow and rampaging across Egypt, while the Japanese took Midway and headed off to finish the American Pacific Fleet. Great until the end, then all of a sudden nothing could go wrong for the Allies and they ended up turning it around.

The second was a standard history of the SS major campaigns. Pretty interesting to see how some of the top commanders made their way up the ladder and to see the casualty rates they sustained while still holding the line until the end.

Currently reading Steven Pressfields "Gates of Fire." Lighter fictional reading but very entertaining and well worth the $14 I paid.

[Morts]

"Wheels Of Terror" by Sven Hazel:up:

[Sailor Steve]

Keefer, like Wouk, is a budding author; Keith is the new boy on the block and Greenwald, like Wouk, is Jewish, which has a bearing on the story.
Plus, in the book, Wouk points out that the brilliant lawyer, Barney Greenwald, who defends the officers of the Caine, is disliked because he is Jewish.
You're absolutely right!


A nice brown package arrived earlier this afternoon, care of Amazon. Now lying on the desk beside me is my next read; Monsarrat's "The Cruel Sea." I really enjoyed the movie, and never seem to tire watching it (much like Das Boot). As good as the movie is, apparently it doesn't do the book justice. Looking forward to starting the book this weekend!
I just got my copy of Cruel Sea today. Now to read and play SH4!!:up:
How're you guys doing with it?

[Letum]

Being and Nothingness By Satre

Heavy going and I suspect quite a lot is lost int ranslation, but fruitful all the same.

[Sulikate]

I'm reading... your mind:doh:

Just kidding :arrgh!:, I'm reading The Antichrist, by Nietzsche.

[TLAM Strike]

Well I'm reading:
Jane's Battleships of the 20th century
and
Final Bearing by George Wallace and Don Keith

[ajrimmer42]

atm i'm reading "Night of the Hawk" by Dale Brown.
Read the prologue here: http://www.megafortress.com/books/book05p.htm

[tedhealy]

Finally finished Thunder Below! Great book, easily beats out Iron Coffins as my favorite sub book. It's a true shame that Admiral Fluckey now has alzheimer's and has little or no recollection of his past heroic deeds and accomplishments.

Moving on to read Clear the Bridge next.

[wireman]

Just finished "Hitler's grey wolves: u-boats in the indian ocean" and now starting "Germany's last mission to japan: the failed voyage of U-234".

[Biggles]

Currently reading "Catch 22" by Joseph Heller. Bloody hilarious:rotfl:

[Castout]

Over 1/3 into "At War at Sea: Sailors and naval combat in the twentieth century" by Ronald H. Spector. Fascinating reading. A must have for enthutiast in naval history in 20th century.

[Chock]

Currently reading: 'Smoke and Mirrors - Q-ships against the U-boats in the First World War' by Deborah Lake (ISBN 0-7509-4605-9). Not got very far into it yet, as I only bought it yesterday, but it's okay so far, and interesting in that it is written by a woman, sort of unusual for the subject I guess...

:D Chock

[Iron Budokan]

The First World War by Hew Strachan. Frankly, it's not that good. I'm 1/4 of the way through and about to put it aside. I'm also reading Les Miserables by Victor Hugo, but that's pretty much catch as catch can. (I had read it before in school.)

But I finished Castles of Steel by Robert Massie last week and liked it a lot. In this history Churchill comes across as a blundering fool, I now understand and appreciate Jellicoe more than I used to, and I learned Beatty was pretty much a p*ssy-whipped prima donna.

Good writing with a strong narrative. I highly recommend Castles of Steel. :up:

[perisher]

A Brief History of Mutiny by Richard Woodman.

Well written history of major mutinies from the 16th Century to the present day, mostly British, but also US and other navies. Takes time to put the Bounty mutiny into its proper historical perspective.

I also recently read the same author's The Real Cruel Sea, an in depth history of the Battle of the Atlantic from the point of view of the merchant seaman. Excellent.

[Radtgaeb]

"Don Quixote" by Miguel de Cervantes, "Pilgrem's Progress", "Holiness"-J.C. Ryle, and "A Gentleman Thief"-Leblanc.

I like to go through several books at a time.

[TLAM Strike]

Red Phonex by Larry Bond. I picked it up for only 50 cents! :rock:

[FIREWALL]

Right now I'm reading this great thread. I've read some of the books posted but I've gotten a great shopping list from all of you.



Thank You All :up:

[Radtgaeb]

Currently reading "Catch 22" by Joseph Heller. Bloody hilarious:rotfl:

I just picked that up as well. Sooooo Random! :rotfl:

[Switch]

Hi Folks...

Currently finishing up reading Pride Runs Deep by R. Cameron Cooke published by Jove in 1995 (ISBN 0-515-13833-9).

This was Mr. Cooke's first historical fiction novel set in WWII Pacific where a seasoned veteran sub skipper must whip a hard luck crew into fighting trim. A great read I recommend...

On deck is The Bravest Man by William Tuohy published by Ballintine/Presido Press (ISBN 0-89141-889-X). The story of Richard O'Kane and USS Tang. Should be a great read too...

And thanks for the many tips regarding titles to look out for, got quite a list now :up:

Switch

[The Avon Lady]

Civilization and Its Enemies: The Next Stage of History, by Lee Harris (http://www.amazon.com/Civilization-Its-Enemies-Stage-History/dp/0743257499/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/102-5308451-6120106?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1180505230&sr=1-1).

[Heibges]

Finally finished "The Middle Part of Fortune".

Salty soldiers tale of life in the trenches.

Much of the dialogue is written in "Cockney", so as an American I found it a little difficult to follow in spots. It's kind of like "Trainspotting" in this regard.

Very descriptive look at British Army life during WWI, particularly the complex relationships between enlisted, NCO's, and officers.

[flintlock]

Currently enjoying Antony Beevor's Stalingrad.

[AirborneTD]

That is a good one, flintlock

[AntEater]

Brand new Luftwaffe themed book :)
"Nächte im Bomberstrom" (Nights in the bomber stream) by Paul Zorner.
Zorner is a Luftwaffe 59 victory nightfigher ace, awarded both Knights cross and Oak leaves.
He started as a transport pilot, mostly over the med, the ill-fated Iraq expedition and Ukraine before volunteering for nightfighter training.
Zorner describes basically his whole Luftwaffe career and postwar soviet captivity, with focus, of course, on the night fighting.
It is sofar the best account I read on how a nightfighter team in a Me 110 actually worked, with a lot of Luftwaffe slang.
For an aviation book it has quite drastic photographs, for example of torn and burned bodies after a RAF bombing raid or of crashed RAF bombers with remains of the crew shattered about, but it is really a decent and very honest personal account.
Zorner researched the identity of most of his victims (via Lostbombers.co.uk), coming to the realization that he personally killed around 350 people in his air victories, which he found quite sobering. On the other hand, he seemed quite motivated and still proud of his work, as every bomber he shot down could not drop its bombload on a german city.

[PeriscopeDepth]

In Deadly Combat: A German Soldier's Memoir of the Eastern Front.

Not exactly cheery, but very good so far.

PD

[The Avon Lady]

Beginning to get immersed in SH4. Just got in:

US Submarines 1941-45, by Jim Christley and Tony Bryan (http://www.amazon.com/US-Submarines-1941-45-New-Vanguard/dp/1841768596/ref=sr_1_1/102-5308451-6120106?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1181484502&sr=1-1), a 50 page well illustrated paperback.

Submarines: The Silent Service in World War II (http://www.amazon.com/Submarines-Silent-Service-World-War/dp/B000AB0Z2W/ref=sr_1_1/102-5308451-6120106?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1181484647&sr=1-1), a DVD I'll need to find the time to view.

[yankee-V]

Submarine Stories edited by Paul Stillwell
Great collection of tales by U.S. submariners from the beginning to the nuclear age. Lots of WWII accounts of battle, personalities, politics, technology.

ALso just reread Take Her Deep by Galatin & Silent Running by Calvert

And haven't started Scorpion Down by Ed Offley yet

Picked up all these while I repaired my rig. Lightning storm fried my old system. New motherboard and a added a pretty good UPS as insurance, hopefully.

[yankee-V]

Question, anyone read any of this series? There are several in print, paperbacks, on Cod, Tang, Wahoo, Argonaut.

U.S.S. Cod (SS-224): American Submarine War Patrol Reports (Riverdale Books Naval History) (Paperback)

[The Munster]

Finally managed to finish reading Beano Annual 1974 .. Awesome :rotfl:

"Discharged Dead", the wartime adventures of a submarine stoker [British 'T' Class subs he served on in the Second World War]; true account, published 1956.

Also recommend "Convoy" by Martin Middlebrook if you desire factual information of their movements etc. during the Second World War.

These books [inc Beano] are out of print but could probably be found on E-Bay or specialist Bookshops.

[AirborneTD]

Question, anyone read any of this series? There are several in print, paperbacks, on Cod, Tang, Wahoo, Argonaut.

U.S.S. Cod (SS-224): American Submarine War Patrol Reports (Riverdale Books Naval History) (Paperback)

Just picked this up at the USS Cod two weeks ago. I've just finished the first WP and it is nice but a bit stuffy to read. Not at all like the narratives I've been reading. It is interesting but not for everyone. BTW, the USS Cod is very well preserved and I had a great unguided tour followed later by a tour guide taking me back on deck to answer some of my questions. Great folks taking care of a sweet ole gal.

I've been reading Roscoe's US Submarine Operations in WWII. Great read for book published in 1949.

[yankee-V]

I've just finished the first WP and it is nice but a bit stuffy to read. Not at all like the narratives I've been reading. It is interesting but not for everyone. -

I've been reading Roscoe's US Submarine Operations in WWII. Great read for book published in 1949.
That's what I was thinking, "Just the Facts, Ma'am" sort of narrative. But, I might order one out of curiosity.

BTW - Ordered Roscoe's 2 volume set "Submarine Operations & Destroyer Operations" from some used outfit and still waiting for it. Think this edition was printed in the 50's.

Long ago I borrowed Roscoe's Sub Ops book & Blair's Silent Victory from the local library. My recollections of these is no doubt a conflation of the information from one book to the other. But I do remember my amazement at Silent Victory, blow by blow through the pacific. Good time to permanently add them to the shelf.

Anyway - GREAT books in this list!

[Mush Martin]

"Very Special Intelligence" by Patrick Beesly
(C) Hamish Hamilton Ltd. 1977

My second time through this one. It is an absolutely vital
book for anyone trying to comprehensively study and
understand the battle of the atlantic.

It Follows the Admiralty Operational Intelligence Center (OIC) from
1939 through 1945 with and Discusses in detail the often this often
Overlooked component of the battle that was in many ways absolutely
vital to Success in the Battle of the Atlantic.

Similar Centers were eventually set up in Canada and The US for prosecution
of the Battle.

an Excellant book for any battle of the atlantic historian or enthusiast.
M

[XLjedi]

I've had two on my list for a long time...
On my next trip to the local Barnes & Noble (maybe tonight) :hmm:

Blind Mans Bluff
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea

[TLAM Strike]

Got kinda tired of Submarines and Naval Warfare so I my current reading list is:

Foundation's Edge by Issac Asimov (I just finished reading the 1st three books of the series)
The Hichiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Duglas Adams
and
Probability Moon by Nancy Kress

Yea I'm on a big Sci Fi trip right now.

I also read "Cold Allies" by Patricia Anthony, a very intresting combonation of WWIII and UFOs.

[yankee-V]

I've had two on my list for a long time...
On my next trip to the local Barnes & Noble (maybe tonight) :hmm:

Blind Mans Bluff
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
Blind Man's Bluff is interesting. Account of peacetime "secret" stuff going on in the deep. I would be interested in your review or comments on this book, if you were so inclined.

[d@rk51d3]

The Last Patrol. Documents the final patrols and last moments of all US subs lost in the Pacific.

Seems that reefs were almost as big a killer of the sub as the IJN was.

[flintlock]

Currently really enjoying John Toland's The Rising Sun: the Decline and Fall of the Japanese Empire, 1936-1945.

Fascinating book!

[Kapitan]

Just finnished reading the man they couldnt kill a story about a submarineer who has more luck than red rum a very good book cost nothing as i found it in the rubbish at work, but a good read.

[XLjedi]

I've had two on my list for a long time...
On my next trip to the local Barnes & Noble (maybe tonight) :hmm:

Blind Mans Bluff
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
Blind Man's Bluff is interesting. Account of peacetime "secret" stuff going on in the deep. I would be interested in your review or comments on this book, if you were so inclined.


Yeah OK... I did pick em both up last week and now I'm halfway thru 20k Leagues. I'll post back with a paragraph summary on Blind Man's Bluff in a week or two.


I never read Verne's book before and a few things standout...

1) If you're into animal conservation and such you probably won't appreciate what shows up on Nemo's menu.

2) "Nemo" means "Nothing" in Latin... He was basically tellin the professor you don't need to know my real name.

3) A "League" is equivalent to 3 nautical miles. I always had it in my head that "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" was referring to some great depth... It's the horizontal distance they travelled underwater, not the depth! :oops: :rotfl:

[Iron Budokan]

Right now I'm reading The Deerslayer by James Fenimore Cooper. Not too bad.

About to finish Les Miserables by Victor Hugo. (I often read more than one book at a time.)

Finished in the last two weeks:

The Secret History of the CIA by Joseph J. Trento. Sucked. Propagandistic garbage that dwelled too much on conspiracy theories and not enough on fact.

Loyal Comrades, Ruthless Killers: The Secret Services of the USSR 1917-1991 by Slava Katamidze. Not too bad, could have used more depth but the author attempted to be fair to all parties involved.

The Parsifal Mosaic by Robert Ludlum. Not bad, enjoyable time waster. Ludlum was always a much better writer than he allowed himself to be.

I also picked up a copy of the new Weird Tales Magazine. Don't waste your time with this once great magazine. They've shucked their past and now want to be hip and street-wise. Sucked to high heaven. Lovecraft and Howard are rolling over in their graves.

Also read H.P. Lovecraft's Magazine of Horror. I highly recommend this magazine for horror afficionados. Not bad at all.

[Iron Budokan]

Currently really enjoying John Toland's The Rising Sun: the Decline and Fall of the Japanese Empire, 1936-1945.

Fascinating book!

I read that, too, when I was in college. Fascinating read. Toland is a good historian, imo.

[Sailor Steve]

Long ago I borrowed Roscoe's Sub Ops book & Blair's Silent Victory from the local library. My recollections of these is no doubt a conflation of the information from one book to the other. But I do remember my amazement at Silent Victory, blow by blow through the pacific. Good time to permanently add them to the shelf.

Anyway - GREAT books in this list!
Roscoe's books were written right after the war, and contain errors that had no time to be corrected, such as the U.S. submarine claim of sinking a Japanese carrier at Midway. Blair's work is much more recent, and has the benefit of newer information, especially the Japanese accounts of events.

@Yankee-V: I've never heard of the war patrol books, but I'll be looking at getting them now.
http://www.abebooks.com/servlet/SearchResults?tn=American+Submarine+War+Patrol+Rep orts&sts=t&y=10&x=56

[Subnuts]

Roscoe's books were written right after the war, and contain errors that had no time to be corrected, such as the U.S. submarine claim of sinking a Japanese carrier at Midway. Blair's work is much more recent, and has the benefit of newer information, especially the Japanese accounts of events.
The Price Of Admiralty, written by the usually well-regarded, said that the Kaga was hit by three torpedoes from Nautilus, which all exploded and broke the carrier in half.

The bizarre thing is, the book was written in 1989, years after everyone already knew the true fate of the Kaga and that Nautilus's attack was a failure. I don't know how that little blunder got in there! :doh:

[Sailor Steve]

Roscoe's books were written right after the war, and contain errors that had no time to be corrected, such as the U.S. submarine claim of sinking a Japanese carrier at Midway. Blair's work is much more recent, and has the benefit of newer information, especially the Japanese accounts of events.
The Price Of Admiralty, written by the usually well-regarded, said that the Kaga was hit by three torpedoes from Nautilus, which all exploded and broke the carrier in half.

The bizarre thing is, the book was written in 1989, years after everyone already knew the true fate of the Kaga and that Nautilus's attack was a failure. I don't know how that little blunder got in there! :doh:
Shouldn't John Keegan's name be in there somewhere?:rotfl:

I agree; it's funny how myths get perpetuated. When 'someone' misapplied the famous Edmund Burke quote on evil and responsibility to Hitler, I looked it up, and found a site which lists a great many variations on the quote, all showing how things get screwed up especially on the web, but also in supposedly 'researched' books.

[Hitman]

U-Boats in the Mediterranean 1941-44 by Lawrence Patterson. Recommend it heartly to anyone interested:up:

[Bohemond]

Operation Drumbeat By Michael Gannon

[Iron Budokan]

Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand.

[Prof]

I've just finished reading through both volumes of Blair's 'Hitler's U-Boat War' (I read 'Silent Victory' about a year ago). The detail in these books is quite staggering, though I often found it dry and repetitive as a result. I did find his attitude towards the U-boat campaign rather patronising and insulting. Regardless of the results in terms of tonnage, the psychological effect of the u-boats and the resources they tied up were very significant. Of course, Blair simply uses these facts to ridicule the British Admiralty.
He doesn't seem to understand that he was writing this book with the benefit of 50 years of hindsight and that the situation on the ground for both the Axis and the Allies was very different.

Now I'm starting 'Shattered Sword'...50 pages in and it's good so far!

[SSBN629ERS]

Currently enjoying Antony Beevor's Stalingrad.
I enjoyed reading his "The Fall of Berlin, 1945"

Recently finished reading "Flyboys" by James Bradley. I highly recommend it.

[LukeFF]

Black Cross / Red Star Vol. 3 by Christer Bergstrom.

[bookworm_020]

Just picked up a copy of Submarine Command : A pictorial history by Reginald Longstaff. It's a overview of U.K. Sub development from the first Holland designs to the mid 80's:up:

[Sailor Steve]

James Madison, by Ralph Ketcham.

[STEED]

Here are three from this year.

The Battle of Kursk
The Soviet General Study

Translation report written in 1944, No wonder the German lost when you read this you get a very good picture of how well the Soviets were ready for this big battle.
.................................................. ..............................................

Retreat From Leningrad
Army Group North 1944/1945

A very interesting account how this Army Group slowly withdrew and conducted defensive battles.
.................................................. ..............................................

The Drama Of The Scharnorst

A short book of 178 pages but a very good read, written by one of the survivors of 26th Dec 1943, Fritz-Otto Busch.

[Camaero]

Be Here Now, by Ram Dass.

[Captain Scribb]

I just finished "U-Boat Commander" by Peter Cremer. If you haven't read this book, you simply must! It is the best u-boat account I have ever read. It covers the beginning of his career in 1940 and the invasion of Norway, his time in command of a type VII-C, right up to the very end of the Third Reich, where he led a naval anti-tank battalion after his type XXI was out of combat condition, and was then the commander of Grand Admiral Donitz's security guard during his short stint as Fuhrer. He survived almost the entire span of the war, and passed away in 1992. Truly an amazing real story!

He even has information shared with him by some of his Allied adversaries (destroyer captains and such) that he had run-ins with, and some of them became friends after the war. A really fascinating person.

Also read recently "Taker Her Deep!: A Submarine vs. Japan in World War II" by Admiral I. J. Galantin, about his career as a sub commander throughout World War 2. Equally amazing.

Both have some inset pictures from the authors' personal collections of their ship, crew, damage recieved, etc.

Both of these are actual personal accounts, and so to me have an edge on a lot of the fiction and historian-written books that have been mentioned, so I thought I would share them with you all. Learned a lot about the technology development of new gadgetry and what the commanders really thought of them.

[ReallyDedPoet]

Troublesome Young Men, it is about Churchills earlier days.

http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/51sJ6Fm%2BYVL._AA240_.jpg


RDP

[ReallyDedPoet]

Welcome to SUBSIM:up: Bohemond


RDP

[Iron Budokan]

In the last five days I've reread The Mandarin Cypher, The Kobra Manifesto, The Sinkiang Executive by Adam Hall. These are the Quiller novels, and all of them are hightly recommended if you like realistic espionage. I may reread the entire series, now that I've read these...we'll see if I have the time.

[mr chris]

Here is what im reading at the moment. Very intresting reading all about the ego's and backstabing at the very top of the US Army. Oh and some very intresting information on some of the operations.

http://img261.imageshack.us/img261/3703/51fdvhspbplaa240ji2.jpg

[iambecomelife]

Operation Drumbeat By Michael Gannon

I just finished "Torpedo Junction", another book about Drumbeat. Halfway into it I almost wondered if there was going to be a single American merchantman left...

[Iron Budokan]

Finished Hannibal Rising. Okay time waster but hardly worth remembering or recommending. I'm now reading The First World War by John Keegan. Not bad. Doesn't have the clarity or the beautiful writing of Tuchman's Guns of August...but then again what does?

[STEED]

Eichmann

About two thirds in to it, its now early 1944 and that bastard still doing his duty. Twisted son of a bitch he was, interesting book looking forward to reading when he was on the run and kidnapped by Israeli agents and put on trial in Israel.

Another dreadful one I finished called Masters of Death about the SS Einsatzgruppen killing squads from 1941 to 1943, a very interesting read but also very disturbing. I don't recommend this book if real war time horrors upset you but on saying that it is a very compelling read.

[TLAM Strike]

Typhoon by Robin White. Next on my list Flight of the Old Dog.

[Kapitan_Phillips]

http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/41NKDKM7X1L._AA240_.jpg

[AirborneTD]

Rereading Costello's "Pacific War" and trying to make it through the Merlin trilogy.

[ReallyDedPoet]

Running the Gauntlet: An Oral History of Canadian Merchant Seamen in World War Two by Mike Parke.


RDP

[Ping Panther]

The best book for me ever (so far) of U-Boats, ASW dev. and accounts of tactics and events occurring throughout the Battle of the Atlantic
(loaded with info. (tons about everything of U-Boat concerns) and very fun to read):
“In Great Waters – The Epic Story of the Battle of the Atlantic”, :up:
by Spencer Dunmore

While I'm at it, I just came across some nice Sub-related links:

SS-383 Virtual Tour (scroll down for many QuickTime views & great wav sound files)
www.maritime.org/tour/index.htm (http://www.maritime.org/tour/index.htm)

Fleet Type Submarine Online – Interactive Training Manual (U.S. Fleet, WWII)
www.maritime.org/fleetsub/index.htm (http://www.maritime.org/fleetsub/index.htm)
Scroll down on this one and click to page number links at the "contents" - endless info. of everything!

[Sailor Steve]

Am currently reading 1812: The War That Forged A Nation, by Walter Borneman.

[nikimcbee]

re-reading Clay Blair's "Hitler's U-boat War":up:

[PeriscopeDepth]

McCullough's 1776. Am enjoying it so far.

PD

[Sailor Steve]

McCullough's 1776. Am enjoying it so far.

PD
Haven't read that one yet, but I enjoyed his John Adams Biography. It's being made into a TV miniseries.

[bookworm_020]

Went to the Australian War Memorial in Canberra on the weekend. I only had a couple of hours to look around (need a full weekend if you want to take your time and see it all:yep:)

Bought a couple of books from the shop there. A history of naval avation in WW1 and the history of american sub operation in WW2 out of Brisbane - this one cost me $80 dollars:doh:

Will be start reading them in the next day or two, I've got to finnish off a book on wreck scavangers of England.:up:

[Iron Budokan]

I finished By Way of Deception by Victor Ostrovsky and Claire Hoy. Eh, not very good.

It purports to be a true story about a Mossad katsa (assassin) but I'm not buying it -- not completely. I think it gives a good description of what the initial training is like...but I also think Ostrovsky is putting himself in more of a good light than he deserves. He was kicked out of the Mossad, according to him because they wanted to cover up a blown operation. Sounds too much like revisionist CYA history. The book also isn't structured very well. The first half is about Ostrovsky but then the second half is about several other Mossad operations -- themselves written and structured to show how bad the Mossad is.

I'm not arguing the Mossad is either good or bad...but this comes across as more of a polemic than an examination of history. It also smacks more of Philip Agee than anything else. Skip this turkey.

[Sailor Steve]

Have just started The Black Sheep, "The difinitive account of Marine Fighting Squadron 214 in World War II"; by Bruce Gamble.

[TLAM Strike]

Temptest Down, next up USS Seawolf by Patrick Robinson.