What are you reading?

[treggs]

Just the two mentioned above. Hence another one shortly. I'll give Last Light a go

^^^ what other McNab ones have you read? i really enjoyed Last Light if you're interested in reading another one...

 

[skivi]

I'm suprised no smart ass has said hustler or playboy yet, i mean whats goin on

yeah i finished my book (when dogs cry- marcus zusak), should get onto the school texts now nnnoooooooooo

 

[LTR]

Yeah, this is so good, I really want to go to India now.

Pfft. Been there, done that.
http://forums.farkin.net/showthread.php?t=39770&highlight=india

 

[johnny]

Just finished "Remote Control" - Andy McNab
He is ex SAS (Special Air Services) and was captured in the middle east during the Gulf War. He wrote Bravo Two Zero (based on his capture ordeal) and Remote control is one of his fictions. Not bad at all.

Apparently Bravo Two Zero is one of his fictions too.

 

[scblack]

Apparently Bravo Two Zero is one of his fictions too.

I've also read it, and you are in a MUCH better position than I am to judge it's fictionality.

But for someone like me with NO army training or experience, I must admit, not a bad read, even for fiction.

 

[haroboy182]

dont tell mum i work on the oil rigs. Paul carter

 

[treggs]

Apparently Bravo Two Zero is one of his fictions too.

From what I've been told the other guy captured with him wrote a book to and claimed it wasn't particularly accurate. Pretty sure it ain't fiction but whether it's accurate or not I can't really comment. (Even with military training)

 

[J_775]

'Four corners of light' by Brian Keenan, an Alaskan adventure by the British guy who was held captive in Beriut in '83.

'South America on a shoe-string', Lonely Planet.. Getting amped for next years trans-continental biking adventure.

 

[matt24]

Well i havnt read alot of books, and the ones i have, have been mostly John Marsdens (spelling) tomorrow series which are more a teens style book, ive read 'The Gift" by Allison Croogen thats was good and the only bio' ive read is Dave Mirra's which had more pictures then text but still a good read

 

[punk_downhiller]

i just finished reading the 'yup boys' thread in the watering hole section...

jesus that thing is a novel and a half

 

[johnny]

I've also read it, and you are in a MUCH better position than I am to judge it's fictionality.

But for someone like me with NO army training or experience, I must admit, not a bad read, even for fiction.

No doubt it's an excellent read, I loved it!

But as Treggs has said, a bloke called Chris Ryan has written a book I think it's called "The real Bravo Two Zero" and has claimed Andy's (neither of these are their real names) book was untrue. I can't tell myself if it is or isn't, it all sounds real enough. But I've worked with people who've worked with both Cris and Andy, they all say it's crap. Which parts, how much and why, they didn't say. But they did say it was fiction.

It's the only war book I've ever read. I'd certainly recommend it to others, it's a top read.

Another book I'd recommend is "Booke of Days". Anyone ever read that?

 

[Arete]

Be warned I can be a bit of a literature snob. Currently on my bedside table are :

Dante - The Divine Comedy
Hemingway - The Old Man and the Sea
Feist - Talon of the Silver Hawk
Avise - Human Evolutionary Genetics
Joyce - Ulysses.

 

[Ostersen4]

Scar Tissue by Anthony Kiedis with Larry Sloman
The Tristan Betrayal by Robert Ludlum
The Last Kingdom by Bernard Cornwell
Harlequin by Bernard Cornwell

these are the books i've read in the past 6 months...

 

[Ben-e]

'Stone of the Mountain' - Hugh Evans. Only a little way throught the diary-style soft-cover, and its quite good.

 

[scblack]

Now reading "Mean Markets and Lizard Brains - How to profit from the new science of Irrationality" - Terry Burnham.

 

[nizai]

Time to resurrect this thread You see I could have posted a new thread, but i used the SEARCH function.

Anyway, Johnny's Iraq thread made me want to share a few books ive read lately that might be of interest to farkin folk looking to learn a bit about the world. Here goes...

The Prize - Daniel Yergin

Im only just getting into this 800 page monster of a book, which details the entire history of the oil industry from the heady days of Rockerfeller right through to George HW Bush in Desert Storm 91. Meticulously researched, and a winner of the pulitzer prize. Well worth the read, even though its large, its surprisingly easy to read.

Through Our Enemies Eyes: Osama Bin Laden, Radical Islam And the Future Of America - Anonymous

If you read only one book on Osama, read this one. Written initially as a dossier profile of the terrorist in 2000 (yes, before sept 11), by a CIA officer. And if you wonder why its anonymously written, it'll make sense when you see the comparison made between Thomas Jefferson and Osama. The Declaration of Independance and The Declaration of Jihad against America are alarmingly similar.

The Man Who Warned America - The Life Of John O'Niell - Murray Weiss

John O'Niell was the FBI's counter terrorism chief before Sept 11. He quit some time in August 2001 in disgust over the FBI's failure to act on many pieces of intelligence, plus the ongoing turfwars with the CIA and police. His new job was head of security at 1 World Trade Plaza, Tower 1. Quite an amazing story to read.

What have you lot read lately?

N

 

[Binaural]

OK, next to my bed right now is the following (grabs representative handful):

William Gibson - Neuromancer
Earnest Hemmingway - A farewell to arms
Don't tell mum I work on the the oil rigs - Paul Carter
George Orwell - 1984
Scar tissue - Anthony Kiedis
Why the toast always lands butter side down - Richard Robinson
Paul Theroux - The pillars of hercules
Aleksandr Solzheniysyn - One day in the life of Ivan Denisovich

 

[nizai]

Holy crap, I bought an Orwell collection today, all of his novels.

Cant wait to get into em when I finish The Prize.

N

 

[Binaural]

Holy crap, I bought an Orwell collection today, all of his novels.

Cant wait to get into em when I finish The Prize.

N

Read that too! You won't regret it. I recall one story called "the vicar..." or something that was particularly good.

On the topic of recommendations, I recognise a lot of good books posted by others here. Some I've actually gone back and read again as a result (thanks for reminding me of the Kon-tiki expedition, McBain if you're reading ) so I thought I'd recommend some of the best books I've read in the last 6 months rather than what I am currently reading.

The Prince - Machiavelli
The rise and fall of the third chimpanzee - Jared Diamond
He died with a felafel in his hand - John Birmingham
The blank slate - Stephen Pinker
Catch 22 - Joseph Heller

 

[NCR600]

No doubt it's an excellent read, I loved it!

But as Treggs has said, a bloke called Chris Ryan has written a book I think it's called "The real Bravo Two Zero" and has claimed Andy's (neither of these are their real names) book was untrue. I can't tell myself if it is or isn't, it all sounds real enough. But I've worked with people who've worked with both Cris and Andy, they all say it's crap. Which parts, how much and why, they didn't say. But they did say it was fiction.

It's the only war book I've ever read. I'd certainly recommend it to others, it's a top read.

Another book I'd recommend is "Booke of Days". Anyone ever read that?

I'e read both the books myself and tend to side with Chris Ryan's account more myself, having worked with former Iraqi soldiers and knowing ex Royal Marines involved in conflicts from the Falklands to the first Gulf War (not quite SAS but certainly helped to form my opinion)

My last good read was Jeffery Watson's biograpy of Clive 'Killer' Caldwell's experience of being Australia's leading Fighter Ace in WWII, and how he (and Australia) was shat on by RAAF High Command after General McArthur took over. America STILL refuses to believe that troops descibed by McArthur as second rate (T'was true, all the first rate troops were fighting the hun in North Africa) were the first to defeat the Japs in a land battle at Milne Bay, New Guinea)