Well, it's been ten yrs.....favorite books/authors?

Carlin is good and I've listened to Hardcore History as well as Common Sense, although I have to admit I lost some respect for his opinion when he said he admired Liz Warren a few years ago. From time to time I choose to listen to history (get my recorded books from a couple pf public libraries) and biographies, but mostly entertainment (mind chewing gum). My favorite authors are John Sandford, Michael Connolly, Thomas Perry and probably Elmore Leonard

Rick

I agree, he's a liberal puke but then most authors are :) however his historical perspectives seem sound

Dean Koontz gets some conservative digs in and early Heinlein but they're in scant company
 
I agree, he's a liberal puke but then most authors are :) however his historical perspectives seem sound

Dean Koontz gets some conservative digs in and early Heinlein but they're in scant company

I've learned to avoid knowing about an author's politics and just enjoy what he does best. Just like actors, if I don't know their politics I can appreciate their talent. Once I know, it's hard to unsee.

Rick
 
I've learned to avoid knowing about an author's politics and just enjoy what he does best. Just like actors, if I don't know their politics I can appreciate their talent. Once I know, it's hard to unsee.

Rick

I couldn't agree more :)

Also, as my Lord said from the cross, "forgive them for they no not what they do"..... I don't expect incisive reasoning skills from artists. They're overgrown children and I smile and enjoy all sorts of unreasonable behavior from children. Because it's NOT unreasonable from their perspective! They simply don't know any better. I protect them from any form of responsibility beyond the tiny, warm, happy sheltered bubble I provide for them.

That said though, I do though appreciate authors who understand their subject matter. 'Where The Red Fern Grows' was/is enthralling because Wilson Rawls brings a BTDT verity to his work unlike say 'Hatchet' where it's obvious that the author Gary Paulson had never spent even one cold night alone in the woods......
 
I don't have enough time to list my favorites. I bought a Kindle a few years ago and it says I have read 432 books in that time frame. Things that are big with me is US history, Michener, Louis Lamour, Ruark, WEB Griffin, any Alaska remote living, and oh so many more.
 
I don't have enough time to list my favorites. I bought a Kindle a few years ago and it says I have read 432 books in that time frame. Things that are big with me is US history, Michener, Louis Lamour, Ruark, WEB Griffin, any Alaska remote living, and oh so many more.

In that case, might I commend to you "Mrs. Mike" if you haven't already read it. Not Alaska remote living, but pretty close (N. Canada in the early 1900's).

GsT
 
In that case, might I commend to you "Mrs. Mike" if you haven't already read it. Not Alaska remote living, but pretty close (N. Canada in the early 1900's).

GsT

yup, we growed up on Mrs Mike, Bud and Connie Helmericks and the Foxfires, Thor Heyerdahl and Ranulf Fiennes .....and Laura Ingalls Wilder which as I grew up I realized was fake, like Thoreau and Slavomir Rawicz and pretty much every survival manual written in the 70's (Army Survival, Bushcraft Bible, Bushcraft 101, Wilderness Survival etc) and anything written by Bradford Angier.... but some of the absolute classics like 'Alive" and 'Endurance' still ring like bells.....
 
alaska

some of the old stories of the Alaskans, both white and native are a tribute to human survival as are the mountain men that opened the rockies.
 
some of the old stories of the Alaskans, both white and native are a tribute to human survival as are the mountain men that opened the rockies.

Them Mountain Men were monsters....incredibly resilient.

Hugh Glass..... the original Badass..... And absolutely NOT the pussy played in that blasphemous account called "The Revenant". I grew up hearing about the exploits of John Colter and thought him to be a real survivor til I read about Ol' Hugh...... SCALPED by a grizzly and left for dead. Dude crawled 200 miles, walked up to face the cheeseballs who'd bailed on him and FORGAVE THEM! He absolutely did NOT get his revenge as portrayed in the trashy movie/story. He lived long enough to be interviewed hundreds of time, photographed and continued to guide and trap for at least another decade until in the end the 'Rickerees did get 'im.

Having lived in the woods for weeks at time and having run traplines to pay for my schooling I have a tiny feel for just how tough and resourceful those mountain men were.
 
Good reads

A couple of years ago I started reading the 20 1/2 books from Patrick O'Brian, the Aubrey/Maturin novels. The first six of his books were the base of the movie "Master and Commander". Lots of sailing and sea battle stories around the early 1800's, the Napoleonic wars and American revulsion times. Once you make it through all of his books you feel you are now qualified to sail a "Ship of the Line" around the world!

You will find a lot more to the books than they were able to use in the movie especially the role of Dr. Maturin fills as a Medical doctor and master spy for the British Navy. POB weaves actual historical naval battles and other world events into his stories, it took me twice as long to get through his books as it should have because I kept googling naval and sailing information along with historical events in the books and getting sidetracked!
 
No sure what books are fitting the context here but "Pet Loads" by Ken Waters is a great book in terms of load data.
 
Modern African Adventure, Ed Matunas
Any shot you want, A Square, for all the litle stories alongside the loading data
SAS survival handbook, Wiseman

For entertainment :

Linwood Barclay
James Lee Burke
Harlan Coben
Jeffery Deaver
DOA (dead on arrival) (I highly recommend)
Tony Hillerman

French authors more surely translated : Grangé, Thilliez, Lehane, Le Core

enjoy.

Olive.
 
History:
"The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors", analyzes an impossible victory by the US Navy over the Japanese Imperial Fleet in the Philippines in 1944 (Battle of Samar). Are you crazy enough to take a destroyer into a fight with multiple enemy battleships, cruisers, and destroyers? More than one US Captain did that day. Read the book and see why CDR Ernest Evans was (posthumously) awarded a Medal of Honor for his part in the action. And why GMG3 Paul Carr earned a (posthumous) Silver Star for his part of the battle.

Asa, I had to get it and am halfway through. It is a very good read. Thanks
 
Almost forgot. For the umteenth time, rereading "The Thousand Mile War", written by Brian Garfield. The subject is the Alaskan campaign of WW2, fought between the US and Japan. Ever wonder how both sides fought a campaign, with the weather being an equal opportunity spoiler? Especially with poorly charted landmarks? And at the time, little or no idea on how to use radar? Read the book, and find out.

BTW, the campaign was certainly worse than the book depicts. Have seen a Time-Life book on the Aleutian campaign, where a time lapse series of photos showed one of the major US airfields at 5 minute intervals. IIRC,
  • Start: Airfield completely enveloped in fog;
  • 10 minutes: Airfield still fog shrouded;
  • 15 minutes: View beginning to clear, various smaller items (tents, cargo crates, and oil drums) beginning to become visible;
  • 20 minutes: Fog is gone, full visbility;
  • 25 minutes: Full visibility;
  • 30 minutes: Fog begins to roll in, less detail visible;
  • 35 minutes: Visibility completely limited by fog, details fully obscured.
Seem to recall the photos were taken in summertime. :rolleyes:
 
Back
Top