What are you reading right now?

[Subnuts]

Amazon is being annoying and taking forever to publish my review of "Tribals, Battles, and Darings" (must have unwittingly p&^#d in their cornflakes again), so I thought I'd post it here instead.


(TL,DR: It's okay but has issues.)

I genuinely dislike being excessively critical of an author's first book so soon after its publication. Normally I'd see how far they've evolved after three or four books and THEN look back at their first. "Tribals, Battles and Darings" seems like a terribly well-meaning work, attempting to explain the rationale behind these ships, the operations they were involved in, and the lessons the modern Royal Navy could learn from them. Keeping that in mind, this book definitely has some issues which should have been worked out before publication. Considering that the ships described within were often criticized for biting off more than they could chew, it's somewhat ironic that it suffers from the same problem.

What we're left with, mainly, is less a study of these ships' design, development, and operations, and more a somewhat rambling vindication of the "back pocket cruiser" concept. More than half of it consists of blow-by-blow accounts of all the major battles and naval operations the British "Tribals" were involved in. Mildly interesting, but there are no maps (crucial to understanding complex naval engagements), and some bits are questionable, the "Bismarck" being hit by three torpedoes and burning after the destroyer encounter of May 26/27, 1941, and the truly bizarre explanation of "combing" a spread of torpedoes, being two obvious examples. The writing lacks confidence and focus all too often; while several naval battles are mentioned without explanation, Dr. Clarke feels the need to explain what ASDIC was and how depth charges worked. There's also virtually nothing on the Australian and Canadian ships of these classes.

I purchased the Kindle edition, so I'm not sure if the hardcover has the same problem, but there are dozens of typos and editing errors. The picture quality is decent, but except for a couple of diagrams (including perspective deck plans of the "Daring" class), they're all exterior shots. As much as I wanted to love this book, I'm feeling distinctly underwhelmed. Considering how many times this book was delayed over the last year, it STILL feels unfinished, the complete absence of any technical details, or even a basic specifications sheet for each ship, being a glaring example. If you're interested in how these ships came to be, check out Norman Friedman's "British Destroyers and Frigates." If technical details and diagrams are more your thing, "Destroyer Cossack" in the "As Detailed in the Original Builder's Plans" is excellent.

[Sammy-rai]

Just writing to let everyone know that for those who enjoy first-hand accounts about submarining during the opening stages of the Pacific War, "War in the Boats" by William Ruhe is a GOLD MINE !!.




Ruhe's original assignment was to oversee the installation of the first radar units for subs in the Pacific area. However, this task got put on hold when the ship carrying these precious radar units became an early casualty of war.

Already in Australia, he then volunteered to serve on any submarine in need of an officer and got assigned to the WWI era S-boat, the S-37. Known to its crew as 'the rusty old sewer pipe' the S-37 was barely seaworthy and suffered from a host of problems due to its advanced age and outdated technology.

Nonetheless, these were desperate times so the S-37 doggedly put to sea. Ruhe faithfully relates the woes of serving in an old sub - things like hanging nets over tables so the cockroaches constantly crawling on the ceiling don't fall into their food or ruin their card games. Or the crisis when the toilet becomes clogged and the herculean efforts to clear it. Or fans nibbling off the toes of sleeping crew members whose bunks were situated nearest these fans. Or the errors by the attack party due to a lack of training when an enemy ship is finally sighted and an attempt is made to sink it. Or the crew wondering how their shipmates, especially the officers, will tackle their first combat.

This is quite in contrast to James Calvert's "Silent Running" which is a chronicle of his years on a fleet submarine in the Pacific during WWII, which I have just finished reading.

For me the icing on the cake is that I started my first SH4 (FOTRS mod) campaign 10 days before I started reading the book. My sim skipper is running an S-boat just like the type Ruhe served in, and is on his third patrol where he has been cruising around Rabaul and the Solomons - which is exactly the same area that Ruhe's S-37 has now been assigned to patrol in his book. Talk about coincidences !

[mapuc]

Right now I'm reading

The Grand Chessboard by Zbigniew Brzezinski.

Here it is in pdf

https://www.cia.gov/library/abbottab...sBoard.doc.pdf

Markus

[Subnuts]

I've been re-reading the first edition of Norman Friedman's US Destroyers: An Illustrated Design History this last week. Even though it's his first full-length book, it holds up remarkably well, even if the pre-Fletcher era is kind of rushed.



On a related note, I've been purchasing a lot more of my books off-Amazon because they don't seem to have much respect for their long-time customers any more. I was a Top 5000 reviewer there for a long time, but every time I write a new review for them, it gets buried at the bottom. Between that and having nine of my reviews unceremoniously deleted back in December, I feel like I'm just writing reviews for them out of tradition more than anything else.

[KaleunMarco]

just finishing rereading Blind Man's Bluff by Sherry Sontag. It gets better every time i read it.

started on Humane by Samuel Moyn but it is not very enjoyable. i do not recommend it. if you want more detail send me a PM.

as i put down Humane i will be starting The Afghanistan Papers by Craig Whitlock. i hope it is better than the previous book.

[Subnuts]

I'm currently reading The Devil's Device by Edwyn Gray, about Robert Whitehead and the early history of the torpedo. Tried reading it about a decade ago, but I'm enjoying it a lot more this time. Very interesting blend of historical, technical, and biographical details. I've also been reading Torpedo: The Complete History of the World's Most Revolutionary Naval Weapon. Has its moments, but more of a coffee table book and nowhere near as focused.



Actually, I'm ALWAYS reading about three or four books at a time, I just keep forgetting this thread exists!

[Otto Harkaman]

These look interesting to me

The former Chief of Naval Operations recounts his overhauling of naval practices, dress, and forces his view of America's international role, and his frequently unsatisfactory relationships with Nixon, Kissinger, and other Nixon-administration officials.

Zumwalt is a compelling portrait of the controversial military man who is widely regarded as the founder of the modern U.S. Navy, Admiral Elmo Russell “Bud” Zumwalt. Chief of Naval Operations during the decades-long Cold War crisis, Zumwalt implemented major strategic innovations that endure to this day, especially in his campaign against racism and sexism throughout the fleet. Larry Berman, the author of Perfect Spy, offers a fascinating, detailed look at an extraordinary man—winner of the Presidential Medal of Freedom—an inspiring portrait of leadership that is essential in these troubled times.