What book are you reading right now? (Page 5 of 40)
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Finished Indiana at Vicksburg last night and started A Rebel Cavalryman by Opie. The latter is hilarious. The infantry used to taunt their cavalry counterpart with, "Whoever saw a dead cavalryman?" It was a reference to how cavalry would scatter when attacked by infantry. Anyhow, here's a post-war incident showing that the rivalry had not died after the war had ended.
"After Lee and Johnson surrendered, the prisoners confined in various Norhtern prisons were deeply concerned to ascertain what disposition would be made of them by the Federal government. This important question daily agitated their minds, and was the general topic of prison conversations. Many of the theories and rumors were abroad among them. Peter Akers, a bright, witty, and mischievous fellow, a prisoner of war at Fort Delaware, perpetrated the following joke at the expense of cavalry prisoners. He, one evening, walked into barracks, waving a newspaper, saying, 'Boys, it is all settled. The government has determind our fate.' The prisoners crowded around Pete, who mounted a cracker box and began to read:
WAR DEPARTMENT, Washington, D.C., May 25, 1865. General Order, No. 4320: "The following dispositions will be made of the prisoners of war now confined in the various prisons of the United States, to-wit: Those who served in the Rebel Infantry will be formed into two lines at the respective prisons and every tenth man will be shot to death; the remainder will be transported to the Dry Tortugas. All prisoners who served in the Rebel artillery will be deported without decimation. Whereas, this Department has received no information tending to prove that those prisoners of war who served in the Rebel cavalry, took an active part in the war against the government, or rendered any aid or comfort to the States in rebellion, it is therefore hereby ordered that they be furnished transportation to their respective homes." When the cavalry prisoners present saw the point, Pete had to seek safety in flight." |
http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=36853
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Just finished Memoirs of the War by an infantry man in the 10th Illinois Veteran Volunteer Infantry. Last night I just started In War Times: 1862-1865. It is the regimental history of the 144th New York Infantry. They fought at the Siege of Suffolk, Gettysburg, Charleston (Battery Wagner).
I've been trying to catch up on all the books I bought over the past few years. |
http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=36853
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The Bluegrass Conspiracy
Corruption in government and police in Kentucky during the late 70's and early 80's. My Dad was dead in the middle of that shit being a State Trooper assigned to the Governors security detail. |
Dont bother taking an idiot with you......you can always pick one up when you get there.
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I'm just about finished reading "Hamilton's Curse: How Jefferson's Arch Enemy Betrayed the American Revolution––and What It Means for Americans Today" by Thomas Dilorenzo. It is an excellent political analysis of the early political history of the Constitution and the politics of legal manipulation.
Well worth the time to read. |
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Originally Posted By QueenDeNile:
Originally Posted By scrum:
For historical I am in the middle of the Federalist Papers (No. 29 to be exact, so not quite the middle) Also, Secret Wars: A History of Israel's Intelligence Service by Benny Morris. For non-fiction, I am trying desperately to get farther into my own book, and just took a break to re-read Heinlein's The Moon is a Harsh Mistress for the umpeenth time. I just hope someday to write something a quarter as good as that. I'm actually reading a biography on Alexander Hamliton right now and the part I'm at is when he wrote the Federalist Papers. Good book. The books at home [I'm at work] so I couldn't say who the biographer is. My wife raved about Ron Chernow's biography of Alexander Hamilton. She says A. H. was the most misunderstood founding father in her opinion. |
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Originally Posted By votefromrooftops:
Originally Posted By QueenDeNile:
Originally Posted By scrum:
For historical I am in the middle of the Federalist Papers (No. 29 to be exact, so not quite the middle) I'm actually reading a biography on Alexander Hamliton right now and the part I'm at is when he wrote the Federalist Papers. Good book. The books at home [I'm at work] so I couldn't say who the biographer is. My wife raved about Ron Chernow's biography of Alexander Hamilton. She says A. H. was the most misunderstood founding father in her opinion. You might try reading the following two or three books about Hamilton and his era. They present a more accurate and balanced view of Hamilton. Chernow is something of a "worshipper' of Hamilton and his expansive view of a Leviathan centralized national government. Duel: Alexander Hamilton, Aaron Burr, and the Future of America by Thomas Fleming Hamilton's Curse: How Jefferson's Arch Enemy Betrayed the American Revolution––and What It Means for Americans Today by Thomas Dilorenzo Also, another book that highlights Hamilton's actual (as opposed to his theoretical) exercise of central (national) government power is: The Whiskey Rebellion: George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, and the Frontier Rebels Who Challenged America's Newfound Sovereignty by William Hogeland. Hamilton's personal and political history is quite Machiavellian. |
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Originally Posted By Northwoods51:
Originally Posted By votefromrooftops:
Originally Posted By QueenDeNile:
Originally Posted By scrum:
For historical I am in the middle of the Federalist Papers (No. 29 to be exact, so not quite the middle) I'm actually reading a biography on Alexander Hamliton right now and the part I'm at is when he wrote the Federalist Papers. Good book. The books at home [I'm at work] so I couldn't say who the biographer is. My wife raved about Ron Chernow's biography of Alexander Hamilton. She says A. H. was the most misunderstood founding father in her opinion. You might try reading the following two or three books about Hamilton and his era. They present a more accurate and balanced view of Hamilton. Chernow is something of a "worshipper' of Hamilton and his expansive view of a Leviathan centralized national government. Duel: Alexander Hamilton, Aaron Burr, and the Future of America by Thomas Fleming Hamilton's Curse: How Jefferson's Arch Enemy Betrayed the American Revolution––and What It Means for Americans Today by Thomas Dilorenzo Also, another book that highlights Hamilton's actual (as opposed to his theoretical) exercise of central (national) government power is: The Whiskey Rebellion: George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, and the Frontier Rebels Who Challenged America's Newfound Sovereignty by William Hogeland. Hamilton's personal and political history is quite Machiavellian. You're right, alot of his politics is derived from exactly what they were supposedly fighting against - big government. She does not agree with all of his principles, only that he was demonized a lot and wasn't given fair accolades for what he did do right. |
| History of the 85th Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry. Another Civil War regimental history. The author was obsessed with reclaiming their honor as part of Casey's Division in the Battle of Seven Pines. Casey's Division was said by some to have fled without putting up much resistence. Two huge chapters are devoted to showing they fought for three hours without the requested reinforcements and gave way after only being flanked. They also served at the Siege of Suffolk and on Morris Island (Siege of Battery Wagner). |
http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=36853
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Originally Posted By votefromrooftops:
Originally Posted By Northwoods51:
Originally Posted By votefromrooftops:
Originally Posted By QueenDeNile:
Originally Posted By scrum:
For historical I am in the middle of the Federalist Papers (No. 29 to be exact, so not quite the middle) I'm actually reading a biography on Alexander Hamliton right now and the part I'm at is when he wrote the Federalist Papers. Good book. The books at home [I'm at work] so I couldn't say who the biographer is. My wife raved about Ron Chernow's biography of Alexander Hamilton. She says A. H. was the most misunderstood founding father in her opinion. You might try reading the following two or three books about Hamilton and his era. They present a more accurate and balanced view of Hamilton. Chernow is something of a "worshipper' of Hamilton and his expansive view of a Leviathan centralized national government. Duel: Alexander Hamilton, Aaron Burr, and the Future of America by Thomas Fleming Hamilton's Curse: How Jefferson's Arch Enemy Betrayed the American Revolution––and What It Means for Americans Today by Thomas Dilorenzo Also, another book that highlights Hamilton's actual (as opposed to his theoretical) exercise of central (national) government power is: The Whiskey Rebellion: George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, and the Frontier Rebels Who Challenged America's Newfound Sovereignty by William Hogeland. Hamilton's personal and political history is quite Machiavellian. You're right, a lot of his politics is derived from exactly what they were supposedly fighting against - big government. She does not agree with all of his principles, only that he was demonized a lot and wasn't given fair accolades for what he did do right. That's true. He was personally brave (see his Revolutionary War service) and devotedly loyal to Washington. However, his politics stood in stark contrast to Jefferson, Madison and Patrick Henry. Those two contrasting philosophies of government are the continuous thread of conflict throughout the history of this country, imo. Political disagreements between people can usually be traced to the individual's conscious (or unconscious) adherence to one political philosophy or the other. It appears to be a philosophical conflict that never has, and never can be, resolved. |
| Roll Call to Destiny by Brent Nosworthy. He wrote The Bloody Crucible of Courage which was the first book to re-examine tactics in the Civil War since Paddy Griffith's Civil War Battle Tactics. Just started it today. |
http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=36853
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Originally Posted By Elkaholic:
Masters of Chaos Some parts aren't too bad, but much of it reads like an essay. I just finished this book. Got it for Christmas and couldn't put it down. Top notch 
I'm going to start on Resolute: Search for the North Passage etc. |
“I have just come from Iraq. Now I am here to drink Russian blood,” he said with a cheery smile
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The Warren Report on the JFK Assassination
A Wild and Perilous Life - Utley (mountain men history) Handguns of the World - Ezell The Gun and Its Development - Greener The Face Of The Third Reich: Portraits Of The Nazi Leadership - Fest Infantry Tactics of the Second World War - Bull & Rottman We the Living - Ayn Rand |
| Salt, A World History. As boring as the title may sound this book is actually a very good read. It is a bit long at almost 500 pages, but 4/5th of the pages are pretty interesting. Basically it is a history of salt and the affect this substance had on history. If you like history and want to learn a bunch of facts to WOW people when you are shooting the shit, then is a good book for that. Basically the book breaks down the history of salt within the different nations of the world. It does a great job of illustrating the importance of salt throughout history. It is especially interesting since today salt is basically viewed as nothing more than an afterthought when cooking. While in the past people fought, lusted, and profited greatly from it. Hell it’s the only rock we eat….what can’t be interesting about that! |
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About Face by Col. David Hackworth
I already have my next read lined up, it will be: Learning To Eat Soup With a Knife: Counterinsurgency Lessons from Malaya and Vietnam by John Nagl. Also got The Histories by Herodotus. Over Christmas I re-read Devil's Guard by George Robert Elford for about the tenth time. If you guys haven't read that one I recommend it highly. |
Proud Veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom 2004-2006
RIP SSG RICKY ALLEN KEIFFER, KILLED IN BAGHDAD IRAQ, 15 MAR 05
RIP SSG RICKY ALLEN KEIFFER, KILLED IN BAGHDAD IRAQ, 15 MAR 05
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Originally Posted By 4v50:
Just finished Lee's Dispatches. It's an excellent companion piece to The Wartime Letters of Robert E. Lee. I'm now on Reading the Man about Lee through his personal letters. That book is next on my list. How do you like it so far? Of the other 2 you read, which did you like better? I'm reading Shelby Foote's Civil War series now. It's great. |
Embracing what is right
"Do you know what a Zombie is? You see them sometimes walking around blindly, dead eyes, following orders, not knowing what they do, not caring..." "You mean, like Democrats?" ~Bob Hope
"Do you know what a Zombie is? You see them sometimes walking around blindly, dead eyes, following orders, not knowing what they do, not caring..." "You mean, like Democrats?" ~Bob Hope
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I just now started "The Last Stand of Fox Company" by Bob Drury and Tom Clavin,
published by Atlantic Monthly Press. It is a Korean War story, about the Chosin Reservoir. Fox Co., Seventh Marines holds a hill against incredible odds. I'm on page 48, and it is shaping up to be a GOOD book. Just finished "The Last Centurion" by John Ringo, for the second time. |
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They Reality Dysfunction by Peter Hamilton
Evil: An Investigation by Lance Morrow is next up. |
I am the signature virus, please put me in your signature so I can spread
The only thing worse than the study of war, is the failure to study war, and life as a slave.
Impeach the Kenyan
The only thing worse than the study of war, is the failure to study war, and life as a slave.
Impeach the Kenyan
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Originally Posted By tc556guy:
Just finished Ringo's The Last Centurion and about to start Stirlings latest volume of the Dies the Fire saga. I see we have another S.M. Stirling fan! I got hooked on this series have all of them. He tends to drag things out too much but I like them. |
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Just finished Blood and Thunder by Hampton Sides. It's a very good history of Kit Carson and the Southwest, learned a lot of things I wasn't aware of from that part of the country, even though I've been out there many times. Just started Valley of Decision by John Prados, and Ray Stubbe, dealing with the siege of Khe Sanh. They really start at the beginning on this one (Green Berets very early 1960's) up thru the
siege. |
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Originally Posted By roadbum:
Originally Posted By tc556guy:
Just finished Ringo's The Last Centurion and about to start Stirlings latest volume of the Dies the Fire saga. I see we have another S.M. Stirling fan! I got hooked on this series have all of them. He tends to drag things out too much but I like them. Yeah, I am a big fan. although I think he lost his focus to the whole "Dies the Fire" series with the last book. This weeks books are light reading because I'm home on leave and don't want to get into anything too heavy: a book on shipwrecks and Raphaels "Founding Myths: Stories That Hide our Patriotic Past". |
*post contains personal opinion only and should not be considered information released in an official capacity*
