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Conn Iggulden's Conqueror series (Genghis Khan) is amazing and I've heard good things about his Emperor series aswell (Caesar).
Check him out here:
http://www.conniggulden.com/?page_id=26
Check him out here:
http://www.conniggulden.com/?page_id=26
John Lloyd
Warrant Officer
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1000 Years of annoying the French, By Stephen Clarke.
It is a humorous analysis of 1000 years or warfare, strategy, lies, subterfuge and French excuses. It's been a long time since I have read an 'Unputdownable' book, and this one is
It is a humorous analysis of 1000 years or warfare, strategy, lies, subterfuge and French excuses. It's been a long time since I have read an 'Unputdownable' book, and this one is
I saw this the other day in WHS and thought it looked good....will pick up a copy to take away next week
DT_Xtremez_14:Crack on..................
DT_Xtremez_09:Books
Books
The Operators - James Rennie. Opens your eyes about what some of (including RAF) get up to by the way of PET. You know the 'sort' - they sort of go off for training and just disappear off the radar and are un-contactable except through some bloke in MOD. I met one of them whilst he was on post-Ops leave. He was 'bored' so rowed the Atlantic to while away the time. No, he wasn't a rock.
Biography/Auto-biography of Michael Bentine, comedian (The Goons) who was a mate of Prince Charles and ex-RAF. He was off to Canada to train as a pilot and went to the SMC for his jabs. By mistake, the good old medics innoculated him with pure typhoid (doctors bury their mistakes). He was in a coma for weeks but the guy before him in the queue died! His eyesight was badly affected by the overdose so he went into RAF Intelligence and was, I believe, the guy who invented the SAS' 'Killing House' for close combat training. And, I think, is the only non-SAS person to have been in the Killing House for live firing. Some people have interesting lives.
Books
The Operators - James Rennie. Opens your eyes about what some of (including RAF) get up to by the way of PET. You know the 'sort' - they sort of go off for training and just disappear off the radar and are un-contactable except through some bloke in MOD. I met one of them whilst he was on post-Ops leave. He was 'bored' so rowed the Atlantic to while away the time. No, he wasn't a rock.
Biography/Auto-biography of Michael Bentine, comedian (The Goons) who was a mate of Prince Charles and ex-RAF. He was off to Canada to train as a pilot and went to the SMC for his jabs. By mistake, the good old medics innoculated him with pure typhoid (doctors bury their mistakes). He was in a coma for weeks but the guy before him in the queue died! His eyesight was badly affected by the overdose so he went into RAF Intelligence and was, I believe, the guy who invented the SAS' 'Killing House' for close combat training. And, I think, is the only non-SAS person to have been in the Killing House for live firing. Some people have interesting lives.
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Are you sure? I'm sure, MAINJAFAD will be along to confirm or refute this in a while, I thought Maggie had been in there when she was PM.
Fairynuff31
Corporal
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The Napoleon Duke of Wellington series by Simon Scarrow are brilliant - a telling of both commanders lives, from birh to the ultimatle battle at Waterloo.
Also worth a read, by the same author, are the Roman series - follows the careers, battles etc of two roman soldiers - cracking reads
And finally from me, I have just read 3 Ken Follett books: Pillars of the Earth and its sequel, World without End (which is being turned into a tv miniseries, like the first one) and Fall of Giants - telling the story of a number of interconnected families over a 100 years (written as a trilogy).
Also worth a read, by the same author, are the Roman series - follows the careers, battles etc of two roman soldiers - cracking reads
And finally from me, I have just read 3 Ken Follett books: Pillars of the Earth and its sequel, World without End (which is being turned into a tv miniseries, like the first one) and Fall of Giants - telling the story of a number of interconnected families over a 100 years (written as a trilogy).
I said 'I think' which infers I'm not sure. I'm also told that Maggie was there as the hostage whilst they were training but she was not live firing. The point I'm trying to make (badly) is that Bentine was supposedly the only non-SAS guy who's been in there live firing because he helped develop the close combat training. Apparently he was a brilliant shot - with pistols. But, again, I don't know - it's anecdotal and I think comes from his biography.
Jim_P_Pulfrew
XGE
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I think I may have mentioned it elsewhere but it is definitely worth pinging again.
Picking up the Brass by Eddy Nugent. Essentially two blokes over on ARRSE collated their stories of recruit and trade training in the Royal Signals and published. It is as you would expect very pongo orientated but there is a lot you will relate to if you served in the eighties.
The follow up is Eddy Nugent and the Map of Africa, covering his exploits in Belize. again anyone who has ever been on Det will relate to a lot of the stories.
Both are snot bubble blowing funny in places and very hard to put down.
Jimps
Picking up the Brass by Eddy Nugent. Essentially two blokes over on ARRSE collated their stories of recruit and trade training in the Royal Signals and published. It is as you would expect very pongo orientated but there is a lot you will relate to if you served in the eighties.
The follow up is Eddy Nugent and the Map of Africa, covering his exploits in Belize. again anyone who has ever been on Det will relate to a lot of the stories.
Both are snot bubble blowing funny in places and very hard to put down.
Jimps
Yup,I can't agree more.I read the whole book in a night.Highly recommend it.
needsabiggerfuse
Flight Sergeant
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Have recently finished "Jungle Soldier": The True Story of Freddy Spencer Chapman by Brian Moynahan.
Really enjoyable read about his life (and what a life !). A true hero.
Crack on..............
I am currently reading 'Devil's Guard' by George Robert Elford. The book claims to be the true life story of Hans Josef Wagemueller and other SS soldiers who escaped from Germany to form the French Foreign Legion's Nazi Battalion in the fight against the Viet Minh. He mentions Fredrick Chapman and his book 'The Jungle is Neutral' and says he '... regarded it as an alphabet on guerilla warfare ... held daily seminars citing important information from Chapman's book ...'.
Those who like or might fancy some historical mayhem might like to read the books by James McGee:-
Matthew Hawkwood
1. Ratcatcher (2006)
2. Resurrectionist (2007)
3. Rapscallion (2008)
4. Rebellion (2011)
They seem historically accurate and are quite gripping. The background detail is damned good.
Our hero is a Runner, one of a select band of men from Bow Street.
Matthew Hawkwood
1. Ratcatcher (2006)
2. Resurrectionist (2007)
3. Rapscallion (2008)
4. Rebellion (2011)
They seem historically accurate and are quite gripping. The background detail is damned good.
Our hero is a Runner, one of a select band of men from Bow Street.
8:15fromOdium
Sergeant
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Got to recommend "New Model Army" by Adam Roberts.
It covers a near future where a Scottish Govt hires a private army which, by organising using wikis, is able to defeat the British Army. Any book which begins with a 'Battle of Basingstoke', has got to be a winner.
It covers a near future where a Scottish Govt hires a private army which, by organising using wikis, is able to defeat the British Army. Any book which begins with a 'Battle of Basingstoke', has got to be a winner.
John Lloyd
Warrant Officer
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1918-A very British Victory By Peter Hart Kindle £5.99
1918 from the German spring offensive and the great British retreat through to the British counter offensive and German withdrawal to the point of Armistice.
Strategy, tactics, eye witness accounts and a clear indication that the British army in 1918 had got it's act together for the 'all arms' offensive.
A riveting, read so different from the usual 'Mud and trenches' study. Blitzkrieg 20 years before the concept was named
1918 from the German spring offensive and the great British retreat through to the British counter offensive and German withdrawal to the point of Armistice.
Strategy, tactics, eye witness accounts and a clear indication that the British army in 1918 had got it's act together for the 'all arms' offensive.
A riveting, read so different from the usual 'Mud and trenches' study. Blitzkrieg 20 years before the concept was named
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They Gave Me A Seafire
Story of one mans FAA time. Ends with him pointing out the total futility of surface based radar coverage (a la Falklands `82), maximum 15 mile range when planes / missiles are coming in at 600mph. Also shows how to operate carriers effectively, which funnily enough doesn`t include storing one, or operating the other one as a lone target. Just goes to prove that theres nothing new in warfare.
As an aside, did you know that at end-ex WWII we had 37 flat tops converging on the Japs ?
Story of one mans FAA time. Ends with him pointing out the total futility of surface based radar coverage (a la Falklands `82), maximum 15 mile range when planes / missiles are coming in at 600mph. Also shows how to operate carriers effectively, which funnily enough doesn`t include storing one, or operating the other one as a lone target. Just goes to prove that theres nothing new in warfare.
As an aside, did you know that at end-ex WWII we had 37 flat tops converging on the Japs ?
Nearly finished reading a very interesting book called "Empire of the Clouds." (http://www.play.com/Books/Books/4-/...chstring=empire+of+the+clouds&urlrefer=search)
It's about the post-war years of the British Jet Aviation Industry, and how in the space of a few years, we went from world-leading technology, to being left behind by the US, and shamefully, the French too!
The story is written from the point of view of the authors childhood, and how he used to marvel at the Meteors, Vulcans, Britannias etc, but also goes into great detail about the test pilots of the time, who he and many other schoolboys idolised.
It's full of interesting little stories, like as H&S was unheard of back in the late 40's onwards, the test pilots would wear whatever they wanted whilst flying, one such chap flew in his suit and tie, so as soon as he landed he could step out and commence a sales pitch to any buyers there!
During the Vulcan testing, only the pilots had ejection seats, and after one crash at Heathrow where the pilots banged out leaving the other four crew members to die, another jet on an emergency landing saw the crew step up to the pilots and put the pins back in their ejection seats, saying "If we're going down, you're coming with us!"
Well worth a read if you want to see how politics in industry doesn't seem to have changed one bit over the past seventy years!
It's about the post-war years of the British Jet Aviation Industry, and how in the space of a few years, we went from world-leading technology, to being left behind by the US, and shamefully, the French too!
The story is written from the point of view of the authors childhood, and how he used to marvel at the Meteors, Vulcans, Britannias etc, but also goes into great detail about the test pilots of the time, who he and many other schoolboys idolised.
It's full of interesting little stories, like as H&S was unheard of back in the late 40's onwards, the test pilots would wear whatever they wanted whilst flying, one such chap flew in his suit and tie, so as soon as he landed he could step out and commence a sales pitch to any buyers there!
During the Vulcan testing, only the pilots had ejection seats, and after one crash at Heathrow where the pilots banged out leaving the other four crew members to die, another jet on an emergency landing saw the crew step up to the pilots and put the pins back in their ejection seats, saying "If we're going down, you're coming with us!"
Well worth a read if you want to see how politics in industry doesn't seem to have changed one bit over the past seventy years!
Very Heavy very Humble
Corporal
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Where the Mountain Casts Its Shadow
Where the Mountain Casts Its Shadow
Excellent book on the dangers of mountain climbing and the effects on the people left at home.
Where the Mountain Casts Its Shadow
Excellent book on the dangers of mountain climbing and the effects on the people left at home.
Chieftains by Bob Forrest-Webb
It's written from a tankie's perspective about the cold war leading up to WWIII, bloody good read (I borrowed my dads copy, which he lent out then lost track of) but i would read it again, The Military style is hit squarely on the head, with a nuke, dead centre.
A good read i couldn't put down, but amazingly AMAZON want £75 quid for a copy!!!!!!
If you can get hold of a copy to borrow for about a week you won't put it down.
If you're interested in Vampires then the Necroscope series by Brian Lumley are an awesome read also.
HTH
It's written from a tankie's perspective about the cold war leading up to WWIII, bloody good read (I borrowed my dads copy, which he lent out then lost track of) but i would read it again, The Military style is hit squarely on the head, with a nuke, dead centre.
A good read i couldn't put down, but amazingly AMAZON want £75 quid for a copy!!!!!!
If you can get hold of a copy to borrow for about a week you won't put it down.
If you're interested in Vampires then the Necroscope series by Brian Lumley are an awesome read also.
HTH