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.

I am startiing "Vertical Dive" by Michael Dimecurio- www.ussdevilfish.com

"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.

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.

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

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.

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... ;)

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".

The Third Policeman - Flann O'Brien

Very funny book :-)

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

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!

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

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.

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

Nemo

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