What are you reading right now?

[Subnuts]

I recently finished reading the new Haynes "manual" for the HMS Mary Rose. Very interesting, lots of nice illustrations and photographs, but not really worth the $36.95 Amazon is asking right now. I bought a new copy from an Amazon seller in the UK for $19.

My review, if anyone's interested:
https://www.amazon.com/review/R2WHUI...SIN=0857335111

[STEED]

Arrived today in the post, paid £2.50 for it a more realistic price for a 80 page book. No way was I going to pay £11.99 and above! Start reading tonight some time.

[STEED]

^Just finished reading, good account and interesting as well. The Home Fleet reacted to the first torpedo hit was slow and after the next two fatal hits once again slow to react allowing Prien to escape.

The only upside for the Royal Navy was the fact HMS Royal Oak was now a second line ship and with good fortune Prien had not carried the raid out a week before where he would had a good choice of front line ships.

[Jimbuna]

[cdrsubron7]

Just finishing this book about the USS Seawolf's exploits in the Pacific in the early days of WW II. I found it to be a great read.

[HunterICX]

[Jimbuna]

^That is a great read Wim

[Subnuts]

I've been slowing chipping away at my new copy of The Great War at Sea: A Naval Atlas 1914-1919. Pretty interesting so far, but it's not quite as good as it's earlier companion book on World War II. There are some weird errors (Russia is described as having 10 dreadnoughts in 1914 for some reason...) here and there, and some of the maps have important information falling into the binding. Still, it's pretty cool seeing a WWI naval reference that doesn't focus 90% on the North Sea. There's plenty here on the Baltic and Black Seas, the Dardanelles campaign, minelaying and minesweeping operations, German auxiliary cruiser cruises, and some lesser-known amphibious operations. There's even a map of the siege of Tsingtao, something I haven't been able to find anywhere else!

I bought a gently used copy of the Seaforth edition from a seller on Amazon for $30, which is a heck of a lot more reasonable than the $67 Amazon is currently asking for the Naval Institute edition.

[Hawk66]

Finished Reading "When Computers Went to Sea: The Digitization of the United States Navy "



Naval computer history, focusing on the NTDS system. Very detailed and a good mix between discussing project management and technical details.

It's crazy what the guys did do in the 60's with their very limited hardware capabilities, supporting such a demanding usecase.

[Subnuts]

Just finished reading this book. More of a photography book than the kind of book you read cover to cover, but the photographs are excellent nonetheless.

Here's my review if anyone is interested:
https://www.amazon.com/review/R39O2S...cm_cr_rdp_perm

Having been onboard the Charles W Morgan a number of times, and closely followed her restoration and 38th voyage, I'm quite pleased with how this book turned out. Its essentially what you'd expect from the title - a nice coffee table style history of the "Morgan" dominated by photographs. There's some text, but I imagine most readers could burn through it in two hours easily. Thankfully, the photographs, sourced from Mystic Seaport's massive archive, are crisply reproduced, large, and have useful captions. A large number were taken in the early 1900s in the final years of Yankee whaling, and depict life and work aboard, the ship in harbor and in refit, and portraits of the owners, captains, and their wives.

The ships post-retirement "career" and life as a museum exhibit occupy the final two thirds. There are some interesting photos of the ship as she appeared in two silent movies and in "Amistad," and her first 65 years at Mystic Seaport. The highlight of this book is definitely the final chapter, focusing on the 38th voyage carried out in 2014. The photographs in this section are simply wonderful, and it wasn't hard to imagine the sound of creaking wood, splashing waves, and wind whistling through the rigging. They're tremendously evocative, and probably the closest anyone will ever get to see a 19th century whaler "in action." If not for the modern clothing and safety harnesses worn by the crew, you'd think the photographer had taken a time machine back to mid 1800s.

A couple of caveats. The book is rather expensive for what it is. I got an excellent price on a gently used copy, but I'd probably only give this three stars if I'd paid the full $39.99 at the Seaport gift shop. The photographs are great, but the relative scarcity of text means there isn't much re-read value. That aside, this book is a nice memento on America's oldest surviving merchant ship, and a fine tribute to the exceptionally fine work carried out by the Henry B. duPont Preservation Shipyard and the team at Mystic Seaport.

[Jimbuna]

[HunterICX]

Originally Posted by Jimbuna

^That is a great read Wim

Aye, it was indeed

Up next:

[mako88sb]

A couple great books for anybody interested in the Apollo program. Unfortunately, both are out of print but you can get them for not to bad a price. A bit more for up here in Canada. It took me quite awhile to get the one on the LM for $80 Canadian. Usually went for a lot more then that. A lot of great reviews for them:

I've always been fascinated with the Lunar Module. The astronauts weren't to sure about it at first and I guess it does seem a bit ugly:




Pretty amazing just how complicated the design and construction of the capsule is. Doesn't really look like there's much to it but boy was I wrong.

[Subnuts]

Just finished reading the "Ocean Liners of the Past" book on the SS Normandie. It's a facsimile reprint of a souvenir issue of "The Shipbuilder and Marine Engine-Builder" devoted entirely to the ship. Jam packed with detailed technical descriptions and diagrams I haven't seen anywhere else...you just have to be really interested in the subject to read it cover to cover!

Here's my review:
http://www.amazon.com/review/RYDGSSI...SIN=0821204793

[Dowly]

Started reading 'Blood of Elves' today.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blood_of_Elves