What are you reading right now?

[frau kaleun]

Originally Posted by Sailor Steve

"Quintillius Varus, WHERE ARE MY EAGLES?!"

The other thing that sticks in my mind is him standing in front of a large group of very embarrassed, terrified "guilty parties" and asking, "Is there anyone in Rome who has not slept with my daughter?"

The last time I watched them, I watched Cleopatra first. Actually much better than it's remembered. It's a big jump from Roddy McDowell to Brian Blessed, when supposedly only seven years have passed.

Agreed, I think Cleopatra may have suffered greatly at time of release from a lot of bad press due to the expense and hype involved plus the Taylor/Burton affair which evolved during the production. But I watch it just about every time it's on. Roddy McDowall I think was expected to get an Oscar nom but IIRC there was some snafu with submitting his name or some other technicality.

I also don't think Taylor gets as much credit as she deserves as an actress - too much was always made of her looks and her tumultuous private life. But I adore her.

[Sailor Steve]

Originally Posted by frau kaleun

"Is there anyone in Rome who has not slept with my daughter?"

"Not...slept, Caesar..."




@ Buddahaid: That sounds like a good one. I have a copy of C.S. Forrester's The Last Nine Days Of The Bismarck. Short, but sweet.

@ sharkbit: It's hard to go wrong with Blair. I have all of his histories, as well as some of his biographies. He was the author of McArthur, which the Gregory Peck movie was based on.

[mr chris]

Am currently reading.
It Never Snows in September: The German View of Market-Garden and the Battle of Arnhem September 1944. By Robert Kershaw

Am about half way through. Have found it it a very interesting read so far. Lots of detail of the set up of the German Forces and the moral of the average German solider on the ground.

I ordered Pearl Harbour: The Verdict of History by Gordon W. Prange. I really enjoyed "Miracle at Midway" and thought At dawn we slept of a very interesting read indeed. Just noticed that i bloody ordered two copies of the book.

[STEED]

Originally Posted by mr chris

Am currently reading.
It Never Snows in September: The German View of Market-Garden and the Battle of Arnhem September 1944. By Robert Kershaw

Good book, I read that one when it first came out, still got it some where in my pile of books.

[STEED]

Heres a list of books I have read over the last year and bit.

Hitler's War On Russia..by Charles D. Winchester

The Wages of Destruction, The Making & Breaking of the Nazi Economy..
by Adam Tooze

Red Army Tank Commanders, The Armored Guards.. by Richard N. Armstrong

D-Day, The Battle for Normandy..by Antony Beevor

Luftwaffe fans of the Ost Front will like this series by Christer Bergstrom
Barbarossa - The Air Battle: July-December 1941
Stalingrad - The Air Battle: 1942 through January 1943
Kursk - The Air Battle: July 1943
Bagration to Berlin - The Final Air Battles in the East 1944-1945

First U-Boat Flotilla..by Lawrence Paterson

Second U-Boat Flotilla..by Lawrence Paterson

[sharkbit]

Originally Posted by STEED

First U-Boat Flotilla..by Lawrence Paterson

Second U-Boat Flotilla..by Lawrence Paterson

Are these any good?

I read his "U-Boats in the Mediterranean"-I was kinda "Meh" about the book. Now I'm a little gun shy about buying these two. I have them on my list at Amazon.

[STEED]

Originally Posted by sharkbit

Are these any good?

I read his "U-Boats in the Mediterranean"-I was kinda "Meh" about the book. Now I'm a little gun shy about buying these two. I have them on my list at Amazon.

These books are not what I call a detailed history, the books charts the flotilla war diary a record of admin matters & combat results compiled by the flotilla commander.

Examples are short entrys not all are like this, half a page to three pages. -

Chapter 6
27th June 1941
The war diary of 1st U-Flotilla recorded the inaugural use of its facilities:
"The U-Support Station of the 1st U-Flotilla in Brest has received its first Front boat and hence fulfilled its actual purpose. The base, as it stands, is ready for 15 U-boats, the docks currently for two to three boats, thereafter six, and then more later,"

Chapter 7
16th May 1942
U116 departed for the North Atlantic and her first voyage as supply ship. Following the new directive from Bdu regarding optimal sailing times, she slipped from harbour at 2000hrs in the wake of her vorpostenboote escourt.

29th July 1942
U203 1600hrs; Mutzelberg arrives. Celebrations for the new Flotilla Oak Leaves holder.

11th August 1942
Kptlt. Werner Schult brought U582 into her concrete bunker at 1730hrs. As well as four victory pennants claiming 32,000 BRT of shipping sunk while part of the Hai pack.

Chapter 8
1st March 1943
Winter noted the following transfers to 1st U-Flotilla:
"New boats U305, U306, U415 from Dnzig's 8th U-Flotilla, veteran U209 from Bergen's 11st U-Flotilla."

[mr chris]

Originally Posted by STEED

Good book, I read that one when it first came out, still got it some where in my pile of books.

Wow good to see you around again Steed.
Nice list above, have added some to the ever increasing wish list.