Author Topic: What are you reading right now?  (Read 82673 times)

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Offline verga

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Re: What are you reading right now?
« Reply #250 on: April 05, 2021, 01:11:01 pm »
I agree with sneakypete.  One of the nice things of L'Amour is that his books are short, and you can crank them out quickly.  Many of them are less than 100 pages, so depending on how fast you read, they can be easily read in a 2-4 hours.

I have about 70 of them, still shopping for the rest.
/quote]@sneakypete, @jafo2010 you two are a bad influence on me and now you are ganging up on me.  :nono:  :beer:
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Offline sneakypete

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Re: What are you reading right now?
« Reply #251 on: April 05, 2021, 03:54:06 pm »
I agree with sneakypete.  One of the nice things of L'Amour is that his books are short, and you can crank them out quickly.  Many of them are less than 100 pages, so depending on how fast you read, they can be easily read in a 2-4 hours.

I have about 70 of them, still shopping for the rest.
/quote]@sneakypete, @jafo2010 you two are a bad influence on me and now you are ganging up on me.  :nono:  :beer:

@verga

Suck it up,buttercup!
Anyone who isn't paranoid in 2021 just isn't thinking clearly!

Offline PeteS in CA

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Re: What are you reading right now?
« Reply #252 on: April 05, 2021, 05:33:00 pm »
Chinese Girl in the Ghetto

The book starts with several experiences of the author's early childhood in Guangzhou China. When she was 10 (1984 or 1985) her family moved to the US, specifically to Oakland.
If, as anti-Covid-vaxxers claim, https://www.poynter.org/fact-checking/2021/robert-f-kennedy-jr-said-the-covid-19-vaccine-is-the-deadliest-vaccine-ever-made-thats-not-true/ , https://gospelnewsnetwork.org/2021/11/23/covid-shots-are-the-deadliest-vaccines-in-medical-history/ , The Vaccine is deadly, where in the US have Pfizer and Moderna hidden the millions of bodies of those who died of "vaccine injury"? Is reality a Big Pharma Shill?

Millions now living should have died. Anti-Covid-Vaxxer ghouls hardest hit.

Offline jafo2010

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Re: What are you reading right now?
« Reply #253 on: April 20, 2021, 02:37:37 am »
After reading 11 L'Amour books, I am waiting to get a few to continue the chronological read.

I just finished Alex Berenson's The Faithful Spy and started The Ghost War.  I went out and got his first nine books.  They are definitely engaging.  I recommend him.

Offline sneakypete

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Re: What are you reading right now?
« Reply #254 on: April 20, 2021, 07:19:55 am »
Chinese Girl in the Ghetto

The book starts with several experiences of the author's early childhood in Guangzhou China. When she was 10 (1984 or 1985) her family moved to the US, specifically to Oakland.

@PeteS in CA

OUCH!

Talk about "culture shock"!

Frankly,I am surprised they didn't all immediately jump into the Pacific and try to swim back to China.
Anyone who isn't paranoid in 2021 just isn't thinking clearly!

BassWrangler

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Re: What are you reading right now?
« Reply #255 on: April 21, 2021, 12:03:07 am »

Offline Skull

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Re: What are you reading right now?
« Reply #256 on: April 23, 2021, 03:51:11 pm »
How To Trump SJWs: Using Alinsky's 'Rules for Radicals' Against Liberals by Manon Welles

I only have the 2016 ebook version, not sure if it was ever in print form.  Very good guidance for the activist Right.
« Last Edit: April 25, 2021, 05:27:52 pm by Skull »
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Online godblessRonaldReagan

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Re: What are you reading right now?
« Reply #257 on: April 23, 2021, 03:53:25 pm »
Reading Advise & Consent right now. Not the best written book, but it is a page-turner. I love how it shows the press for the weasels they have always been.
I, for one, welcome our feline overlords

Offline Cyber Liberty

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Re: What are you reading right now?
« Reply #258 on: April 23, 2021, 04:04:33 pm »
Reading Advise & Consent right now. Not the best written book, but it is a page-turner. I love how it shows the press for the weasels they have always been.

I still love this.....

For unvaccinated, we are looking at a winter of severe illness and death — if you’re unvaccinated — for themselves, their families, and the hospitals they’ll soon overwhelm. Sloe Joe Biteme 12/16
I will NOT comply.
 
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Online godblessRonaldReagan

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Re: What are you reading right now?
« Reply #259 on: April 23, 2021, 06:47:05 pm »
I, for one, welcome our feline overlords

BassWrangler

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Re: What are you reading right now?
« Reply #260 on: April 25, 2021, 04:38:47 am »
I still love this.....



LOL, that's hysterical.

Offline jafo2010

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Re: What are you reading right now?
« Reply #261 on: April 30, 2021, 09:21:06 am »
Just finished Alex Berenson's The Ghost War.  Enjoyed it.  I think I found another author whose books I will be buying when published.  On to The Silent Man.

Offline libertybele

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Re: What are you reading right now?
« Reply #262 on: May 20, 2021, 07:15:25 pm »
Another Danielle Steele book: "Finding Ashley", from the synopsis on the cover, it should be different then most that she's written.

I guess I'll read that first as I only have a couple of weeks to finish it (borrowed from library).

I haven't read in awhile and I still haven't gotten around to reading "One Vote Away" by Ted Cruz.
Romans 12:16-21

Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly, do not claim to be wiser than you are.  Do not repay anyone evil for evil, but take thought for what is noble in the sight of all.  If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all…do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Offline Smokin Joe

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Re: What are you reading right now?
« Reply #263 on: May 21, 2021, 06:42:07 am »
Just finished Red Platoon about the assault on COP Keating in Afghanistan.

Reading MIG Pilot at the moment, between dives into Suture Like a Surgeon.
How God must weep at humans' folly! Stand fast! God knows what he is doing!
Seventeen Techniques for Truth Suppression

Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It would be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience.

C S Lewis

Offline sneakypete

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Re: What are you reading right now?
« Reply #264 on: May 21, 2021, 09:09:37 am »
https://www.amazon.com/Reflections-Warrior-Sergeant-Major-Miller/dp/B005KDHD16/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=reflections+of+a+warrior&qid=1621584963&sr=8-3

Reflections of a Warrior,by SGM/RETIRED Franklin D.Miller

Miller spent over 5 years running recon missions into Laos and Cambodia with MACV-SOG during the VN war,and finally ended up being awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions during his last mission.

This is not your typical "blood and guts" combat book. Yes,it does have some of that,especially towards the end and his final mission,but it's most about the typical life of the typical guys that ran the SOG missions,who they were,and how they lived,partied,and otherwise conducted themselves both in the bush and when not in the bush.

Lots of funny stuff for people who have some experience with combat units,and it might even be funny to those of you who have never heard or fired a shot in combat. SOG was an all-volunteer unit and you could quit any time you want with no negative consequences to your career. The reason for this is some years,some SOG units had a 100 percent casualty rate. Which meant that everyone that served on a recon team or a Hatchet Force platoon was wounded at least once,which was probably 95 percent of the people assigned to a SOG camp. We had very few support people because those jobs were usually taken by wounded SOG members who had nothing else to do while they healed up. The only exception I can think of off-hand were the mess sgt and the motor sgt.

We also had 2 NCO's and one officer at Kontum whose jobs were to provide food. They would travel around VN trading captured enemy weapons,uniforms,flags,etc,etc,etc for cases of steaks,air-conditioners for our team rooms,the NCO club,the mess hall,and the other buildings. They also traded for the lumber,cement,etc,etc,etc to build and maintain those buildings.

I honestly don't know how we ended up with an actual motor sgt at Kontum because we weren't even authorized any vehicles,and every single truck and jeep we had we got by stealing them from the 4th Infantry Division. The motor sgt took care of repainting them with new unit designations and new numbers as well as any repairs they might need.

The mess sgt obviously supervised the menus,the cooking,and the waitresses in the chow hall and the NCO club.

The supply sgt was a rotating job for the wounded recon and HF guys,and their job was to pretty much give you anything you asked for when you went in there,which they happily did if it was available,and if it wasn't,it was put on the shopping list.

Everybody else was on a team,a member of a platoon,or S-1 ,S-2,or S-3.

As for the teams and platoons,there was always a lot of crossovers as wounded members were replaced by healthy members,and people on one team would volunteer to go out on missions with other teams that had friends as "strap hangers" when their own teams hadn't been assigned a new mission and they had the time. This served a couple of positive purposes. One was you got to see how other teams operated and maybe pick up on some patrol/mission tips that hadn't been obvious to you to use on your own team. Another was it helped to be familiar with how a specific team operated in case they went MIA on a mission,and your team was tasked with going to to find them or what happened to them.

Anyhow,I can honestly say I was never assigned to any other unit where so many people were constantly laughing and joking and having fun. Part of this is because if you were a team leader like Miller,YOU made every decision about your team,including who was on it. If you didn't want someone,they didn't get on your team. If you wanted someone to get the boot,they got the boot. Each team was it's own little kingdom,and troublemakers didn't last long before being sent back to Nha Trang for reassignment.

Before you begin to think being in SOG was like being in a dictatorship,keep in mind that anyone could quit at any time they wanted with no questions and no negative reports in their personnel files. The only exception to this is if your team had already been notified and briefed on an upcoming mission. If that happened,you could still quit,but ONLY after completing THAT mission.

VERY casual duty. Pretty much everybody there called everybody else by their first names. The only obvious exception I can think of is the camp Commander,who was a Lt Colonel. You addressed him by his rank. Then again,our camp commander when I was there was fond of wearing stuff like madras bermuda shorts with Beethoven t-shirts and a old fishing hat around the camp,so you had to know who he was to address him by his rank. We had a standing rule in camp that nobody saluted anybody below the rank of full General,so there wasn't a lot of time wasted saluting people.

If you had just came in from a 5 day (for example) mission,you got 5 days off,and were free to go anywhere in VN you wanted to go. You just told the team leader where you were going so he would know where to call if something came up,and went into the orderly room and typed up your own bogus travel orders. I once left VN for a week and went to Okinawa to ride the motorcycle I had left there and to visit with friends by having orders typed up identifying me as a Top Secret Courier. This even allowed me to fly there and back for free.  I just stopped by Group Headquarters in Nha Trang and told the Group SGM what I was doing,and asked him if he had any "Safe Hands" going to Okinawa that he wanted me to deliver to the 1st Group on Okie. He and I had known each other while stationed on Okinawa,when I was a nothing and nobody E-4 and he was the SGM of B Company.

Try that in a regular unit,and heads would explode. Chances are they would lock you up as an attempted deserter.

Anyhow,all this serves as background for the type of soldiers that populated the various SOG camps,so do NOT expect the typical "blood and guts" war book. DO expect to read a lot of funny stuff,though.

And all of it true. I knew Miller very well and heard about or knew about all the stuff as it happened. He and I were planning a trip to Russia together right after the collapse,when he came down with an infection from a blood transfusion in 1969,and died.

BTW,even after being shot up and losing a lung on his last mission,Miller had to be tricked to get him to leave VN. He thought he was flying to a briefing in Saigon,and someone drugged his drink. When he got his wits about him again,he was already on a jet flying to the US

At one time his children were receiving all the royalties from his book sales,and I suspect this is still true.

The book is also available on Kindle,but I'm not sure if any of the photos are available with the Kindle edition.





Anyone who isn't paranoid in 2021 just isn't thinking clearly!

Offline jafo2010

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Re: What are you reading right now?
« Reply #265 on: May 24, 2021, 05:52:37 pm »
Still burning up the pages of Alex Berenson's books.

Read The Silent Man and The Midnight House.  Now reading book five, The Secret Soldier.  Highly recommend reading his books. 

Offline Fishrrman

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Re: What are you reading right now?
« Reply #266 on: May 24, 2021, 10:50:37 pm »
Working through "The Making of the Atomic Bomb" by Richard Rhodes [1988].

Not for the feint-hearted, but I'll keep at it.
900+ page pdf, I can do a chapter a day (30+/- pages).

It's more than you think. His beginning goes back to Ernest Rutherford and the beginnings of atomic theory in the early 1900's...

Offline Cyber Liberty

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Re: What are you reading right now?
« Reply #267 on: May 25, 2021, 02:01:25 am »
Working through "The Making of the Atomic Bomb" by Richard Rhodes [1988].

Not for the feint-hearted, but I'll keep at it.
900+ page pdf, I can do a chapter a day (30+/- pages).

It's more than you think. His beginning goes back to Ernest Rutherford and the beginnings of atomic theory in the early 1900's...

A pretty expensive Kindle....
For unvaccinated, we are looking at a winter of severe illness and death — if you’re unvaccinated — for themselves, their families, and the hospitals they’ll soon overwhelm. Sloe Joe Biteme 12/16
I will NOT comply.
 
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Offline Fishrrman

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Re: What are you reading right now?
« Reply #268 on: May 25, 2021, 02:11:37 pm »
Cyber wrote:
"A pretty expensive Kindle...."

No Kindle is involved...   ;)

Offline Bigun

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Re: What are you reading right now?
« Reply #269 on: June 06, 2021, 05:29:06 pm »
https://www.amazon.com/Reflections-Warrior-Sergeant-Major-Miller/dp/B005KDHD16/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=reflections+of+a+warrior&qid=1621584963&sr=8-3

Reflections of a Warrior,by SGM/RETIRED Franklin D.Miller

Miller spent over 5 years running recon missions into Laos and Cambodia with MACV-SOG during the VN war,and finally ended up being awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions during his last mission.

This is not your typical "blood and guts" combat book. Yes,it does have some of that,especially towards the end and his final mission,but it's most about the typical life of the typical guys that ran the SOG missions,who they were,and how they lived,partied,and otherwise conducted themselves both in the bush and when not in the bush.

Lots of funny stuff for people who have some experience with combat units,and it might even be funny to those of you who have never heard or fired a shot in combat. SOG was an all-volunteer unit and you could quit any time you want with no negative consequences to your career. The reason for this is some years,some SOG units had a 100 percent casualty rate. Which meant that everyone that served on a recon team or a Hatchet Force platoon was wounded at least once,which was probably 95 percent of the people assigned to a SOG camp. We had very few support people because those jobs were usually taken by wounded SOG members who had nothing else to do while they healed up. The only exception I can think of off-hand were the mess sgt and the motor sgt.

We also had 2 NCO's and one officer at Kontum whose jobs were to provide food. They would travel around VN trading captured enemy weapons,uniforms,flags,etc,etc,etc for cases of steaks,air-conditioners for our team rooms,the NCO club,the mess hall,and the other buildings. They also traded for the lumber,cement,etc,etc,etc to build and maintain those buildings.

I honestly don't know how we ended up with an actual motor sgt at Kontum because we weren't even authorized any vehicles,and every single truck and jeep we had we got by stealing them from the 4th Infantry Division. The motor sgt took care of repainting them with new unit designations and new numbers as well as any repairs they might need.

The mess sgt obviously supervised the menus,the cooking,and the waitresses in the chow hall and the NCO club.

The supply sgt was a rotating job for the wounded recon and HF guys,and their job was to pretty much give you anything you asked for when you went in there,which they happily did if it was available,and if it wasn't,it was put on the shopping list.

Everybody else was on a team,a member of a platoon,or S-1 ,S-2,or S-3.

As for the teams and platoons,there was always a lot of crossovers as wounded members were replaced by healthy members,and people on one team would volunteer to go out on missions with other teams that had friends as "strap hangers" when their own teams hadn't been assigned a new mission and they had the time. This served a couple of positive purposes. One was you got to see how other teams operated and maybe pick up on some patrol/mission tips that hadn't been obvious to you to use on your own team. Another was it helped to be familiar with how a specific team operated in case they went MIA on a mission,and your team was tasked with going to to find them or what happened to them.

Anyhow,I can honestly say I was never assigned to any other unit where so many people were constantly laughing and joking and having fun. Part of this is because if you were a team leader like Miller,YOU made every decision about your team,including who was on it. If you didn't want someone,they didn't get on your team. If you wanted someone to get the boot,they got the boot. Each team was it's own little kingdom,and troublemakers didn't last long before being sent back to Nha Trang for reassignment.

Before you begin to think being in SOG was like being in a dictatorship,keep in mind that anyone could quit at any time they wanted with no questions and no negative reports in their personnel files. The only exception to this is if your team had already been notified and briefed on an upcoming mission. If that happened,you could still quit,but ONLY after completing THAT mission.

VERY casual duty. Pretty much everybody there called everybody else by their first names. The only obvious exception I can think of is the camp Commander,who was a Lt Colonel. You addressed him by his rank. Then again,our camp commander when I was there was fond of wearing stuff like madras bermuda shorts with Beethoven t-shirts and a old fishing hat around the camp,so you had to know who he was to address him by his rank. We had a standing rule in camp that nobody saluted anybody below the rank of full General,so there wasn't a lot of time wasted saluting people.

If you had just came in from a 5 day (for example) mission,you got 5 days off,and were free to go anywhere in VN you wanted to go. You just told the team leader where you were going so he would know where to call if something came up,and went into the orderly room and typed up your own bogus travel orders. I once left VN for a week and went to Okinawa to ride the motorcycle I had left there and to visit with friends by having orders typed up identifying me as a Top Secret Courier. This even allowed me to fly there and back for free.  I just stopped by Group Headquarters in Nha Trang and told the Group SGM what I was doing,and asked him if he had any "Safe Hands" going to Okinawa that he wanted me to deliver to the 1st Group on Okie. He and I had known each other while stationed on Okinawa,when I was a nothing and nobody E-4 and he was the SGM of B Company.

Try that in a regular unit,and heads would explode. Chances are they would lock you up as an attempted deserter.

Anyhow,all this serves as background for the type of soldiers that populated the various SOG camps,so do NOT expect the typical "blood and guts" war book. DO expect to read a lot of funny stuff,though.

And all of it true. I knew Miller very well and heard about or knew about all the stuff as it happened. He and I were planning a trip to Russia together right after the collapse,when he came down with an infection from a blood transfusion in 1969,and died.

BTW,even after being shot up and losing a lung on his last mission,Miller had to be tricked to get him to leave VN. He thought he was flying to a briefing in Saigon,and someone drugged his drink. When he got his wits about him again,he was already on a jet flying to the US

At one time his children were receiving all the royalties from his book sales,and I suspect this is still true.

The book is also available on Kindle,but I'm not sure if any of the photos are available with the Kindle edition.

Just finished the book @sneakypete and thoroughly enjoyed it.  Looks like he and I missed each other by a few months. We were both in country during 66-67 but he didn't make it to SOG until well after I was gone.  Not sure they make them like that anymore.
"I wish it need not have happened in my time," said Frodo.

"So do I," said Gandalf, "and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us."
- J. R. R. Tolkien

Offline sneakypete

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Re: What are you reading right now?
« Reply #270 on: June 06, 2021, 08:55:03 pm »
Just finished the book @sneakypete and thoroughly enjoyed it.  Looks like he and I missed each other by a few months. We were both in country during 66-67 but he didn't make it to SOG until well after I was gone.  Not sure they make them like that anymore.

@Bigun

I had no idea anyone else here was in SF,never mind SOG.

PM me anytime you want to compare notes.
Anyone who isn't paranoid in 2021 just isn't thinking clearly!

Offline libertybele

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Re: What are you reading right now?
« Reply #271 on: June 07, 2021, 12:48:02 am »
I'm reading "Legacy" by Nora Roberts.  First time I've read one of her books.  I'm on chapter 7 and so far, pretty  good.
Romans 12:16-21

Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly, do not claim to be wiser than you are.  Do not repay anyone evil for evil, but take thought for what is noble in the sight of all.  If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all…do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Offline jafo2010

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Re: What are you reading right now?
« Reply #272 on: June 08, 2021, 06:39:40 pm »
Finished Alex Berenson's The Secret Soldier, and went on to read The Shadow Patrol, The Night Ranger, and The Counterfeit Agent by him.  Great spy books.

Highly recommend him!

Just ordered the next three books of his.  I have four all together to read to be up to date with his writing.

Offline jafo2010

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Re: What are you reading right now?
« Reply #273 on: June 08, 2021, 06:41:29 pm »
Has any one read Daniel Silva?  Curious to your opinion. 

Offline jafo2010

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Re: What are you reading right now?
« Reply #274 on: June 13, 2021, 06:12:21 pm »
Target Acquired, by Tom Clancy/Don Bentley just hit the shelves.  He has now published as many books post mortem as he did when he was alive and kicking (fiction that is).

I will crank this out while I wait for the Berenson books to arrive.