Books Read in 2009

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Jeff V
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Re: Books Read in 2009

Post by Jeff V »

With Arrow, Sword, And Spear: A History Of Warfare In The Ancient World by Alfred Bradford :binky: :binky: :binky: :binky: :binky:

An overview of ancient warfare from the Hittites to the fall of Rome. Interestingly, it does include some discussion of ancient conflicts in India, a whole section of China, and is not just Euro-centric. Bradford chooses his anecdotes and subjects well, but to anyone who has read more about any particular item in the book, it comes of as vague and incomplete. The maps are line drawings, and sometimes hard to follow; "illustrations" look like they were scribbled on a napkin then faxed to the publisher. There were several noticeable grammatical errors; editing left something to be desired.

Bradford's conclusions at the end of the book were perhaps the most interesting part. He rightly identifies that the most successful leaders were those who recognized and followed methods established by Sun Tzu and Alexander the Great, in particular that success is not possible without a well-defined and practical objective. I do think he missed the mark a bit on the impetus behind the origins of ancient warfare...Bradford pins it on the establishment of agriculture and permanent settlements the created something that had to be defended. While this is certainly true, warfare also indirectly provided a measure of population control; arguments regarding the inevitability of war in spite of the petty interests of rulers or generals is a compelling one that perhaps should have been mentioned.

This book stands as a decent enough primer on ancient warfare. I can name a number of books that are more limited in scope but are far better productions. Consider this a springboard, but one should not be satisfied with the extent of the tales told here.
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Re: Books Read in 2009

Post by silverjon »

I read a collection of short stories by Robert J. Sawyer last month. My word, that man is an arrogant fuckwit.

"I was asked to contribute a story to this themed anthology, and I was sooooo busy I thought about turning it down, but then I accepted the commission anyway, and the editors loved my story sooooo much they gave it the lead position in the book (the BEST stories go in first and last place). Then it won an award. Gee whiz I'm awesome!"

Every introduction was written in roughly that tone. If they were strictly factual and not written by Sawyer himself, it would be ok, but all the pompous "look how fantastic and successful I am" stuff really put me off. ("I'd already been a guest on this radio show 14 times before, but I agreed to do it again.")
wot?

To be fair, adolescent power fantasy tripe is way easier to write than absurd existential horror, and every community has got to start somewhere... right?

Unless one loses a precious thing, he will never know its true value. A little light finally scratches the darkness; it lets the exhausted one face his shattered dream and realize his path cannot be walked. Can man live happily without embracing his wounded heart?
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Re: Books Read in 2009

Post by freelunch »

I've read a couple of Sawyer's books, Rollback and Flashforward and I enjoyed them both. I don't think I read his Afterword for either book though, maybe that was a smart move :)
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Re: Books Read in 2009

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The Source by James Michener --- bought this at a garage sale and what a bargain it was/is! A fascinating historically-based novel about a settlement in Israel from say 12000 BCE to near-modern day (1960s). Compelling reading as Michener, through short stories at various points in history, tells a story of a family, a town, and a religion.
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Re: Books Read in 2009

Post by Jeff V »

Speaking of, this weekend the Little City used book sale begins at Old Orchard Shopping Center in Skokie. This book sale was formerly the Brandeis University Book Sale, and claimed to be the "world's largest" such event. Little City took over last year when Brandeis announced they were bailing because of lack of volunteers. It didn't seem quite as massive last year, but I still haven't finished all the books I got. I'm hoping to stop by Saturday on my way to a niece's graduation party.

In the past, I've bought heaping shopping carts full of books for ~ $100.
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Re: Books Read in 2009

Post by noxiousdog »

Finished Caddy for Life.

Another superb book by Feinstein. I can't remember ever crying reading a book, but this one got me twice. This is the story of Bruce Edwards who is famous for caddying for Tom Watson. Bruce was considered the best caddy of his generation and was in demand any time that Watson wasn't on tour. That was before he was diagnosed with ALS. Most of the book focuses on Bruce's early story and only the last 15% or so with ALS, so it's a great celebration of his life.

Highly recommended reading regardless of your enjoyment of golf.
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Re: Books Read in 2009

Post by Zarathud »

Finally finished the 11th book in the Honor Harrington series! The formula's better at the beginning than the end, but there enough interesting characters to make even the dreary parts worthwhile.
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Re: Books Read in 2009

Post by Bad Demographic »

Now I've read the first three Honor Harrington books (by David Weber) - thanks to Zarathud.
I enjoyed the three books, though in some ways it's like deja vu / Patrick O'Brian, but not (imo) as good as the Aubrey/Maturin series. On the other hand, they're much better than the Naomi Novik "Temeraire" series (which I keep reading, for some reason).
And now I must retaliate and send Zarathud some books to read. Muhahahahaha!

<buckpassing> Since I have only read the first three books, I refer you to zarathud for a synopsis of the series. </buckpassing>
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Re: Books Read in 2009

Post by Zarathud »

Synopsis of the Honor Harrington series with as few spoilers as possible:

Zealous space ship captain with overcompensation issues always seems to be in the wrong place at the right time. Her knack for finding both military and political flashpoints results in her nickname the "Salamander." Military issues become overshadowed by political and personal complications, and the odds get even longer as the enemies of her Star Kingdom become ever more competent.

It's a farily good mix telling the story of a military ship captain with a sci-fi theme and political thriller elements. David Weber starts off with a successful tactical formula and keeps his story from becoming stale by evolving. The series swings between the pitfalls of space tacticals and political opera, but generally keeps developing a rich universe and pushing the elements toward satisfying conclusions.
"If the facts don't fit the theory, change the facts." - Albert Einstein
"I don't stand by anything." - Trump
“Bad men need nothing more to compass their ends, than that good men should look on and do nothing.” - John Stuart Mill, Inaugural Address Delivered to the University of St Andrews, 2/1/1867
“It is the impractical things in this tumultuous hell-scape of a world that matter most. A book, a name, chicken soup. They help us remember that, even in our darkest hour, life is still to be savored.” - Poe, Altered Carbon
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Re: Books Read in 2009

Post by freelunch »

Thanks Zarathud.

If anyone has read David Feintuch's Seafort Saga and the Honor Harrington series I'd be interested to hear how they compare.
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Re: Books Read in 2009

Post by Jeff V »

This week, a big-assed used book sale is going on at Old Orchard Mall in Skokie (the remnants of what used to be billed the "world's largest") I stopped in briefly on Saturday and only picked up 4 books, but tomorrow I'm taking my friend's girls there for Kid's Day and plan to spend much longer browsing what's available. I'll have to make note of some titles and authors that have been listed in this thread just in case I come across any of them. Probably the largest topical selection they have is Science Fiction, a genre I read heavily in the 70's and 80's but rarely since, except for the continuing efforts of aging writers from that era (many whom are dead now).
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Re: Books Read in 2009

Post by silverjon »

I've completely given up on trying to count books as I read them.

Recent stuff of note includes Mike Carey's series about Felix Castor, a freelance exorcist working in an alternate contemporary London where ghosts, zombies, demons, and other monsters have manifested strongly enough that most people can see them, not just the sensitives like Castor. The books have a great modern noir flavour, and Carey's writing is strong: well-paced gripping plots, great characters, a believable take on the supernatural. Highly recommended for fans of both mystery and horror.

Last night, I finished Cory Doctorow's Little Brother, which I guess qualifies as contemporary science fiction of the what-if variety. What if there were another major terrorist attack in the US, and the Department of Homeland "Surveillance" really stepped up their game? How much privacy and liberty will people give up for a lie of security? Are protesters terrorists, sympathizers, or just concerned citizens? It's a good read, and informative, though probably aimed at a slightly younger audience than most readers here. It was also really funny to see the Pirate Party mentioned in fiction when they've just been elected to a seat.

I've read a few novels by Jeannette Winterson lately as well. She writes so beautifully about strange and wonderful and true and terrible things that could happen to anyone, and is also laugh-out-loud funny. Lighthousekeeping, Written on the Body, and Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit are all worth reading.
wot?

To be fair, adolescent power fantasy tripe is way easier to write than absurd existential horror, and every community has got to start somewhere... right?

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Re: Books Read in 2009

Post by noxiousdog »

List


Finished Men at Arms by Terry Pratchett. It was a Discworld book and my first forray into the world. Initially I was somewhat put off as he seemed to be a poor man's Douglass Adams and made worse because he was trying so hard. He didn't fail per se, but appeared to be a cheap knockoff.

That gradually started changing about a quarter of the way through and by half way I was engrossed and finished it up quickly.

I immediately went and bought the first 3 discworld novels.

Four stars. (out of 5).
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Re: Books Read in 2009

Post by Bad Demographic »

I still have not read many of Pratchett's Rincewind books, but I really like the ones involving the Watch. I also have enjoyed the ones featuring Death or the substitute Death's.
ND, if you haven't already read it, I recommend Night Watch. It's what got me into the Watch.
I also recommend Small Gods.
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Re: Books Read in 2009

Post by theohall »

Zarathud wrote:Synopsis of the Honor Harrington series with as few spoilers as possible:

Zealous space ship captain with overcompensation issues always seems to be in the wrong place at the right time. Her knack for finding both military and political flashpoints results in her nickname the "Salamander." Military issues become overshadowed by political and personal complications, and the odds get even longer as the enemies of her Star Kingdom become ever more competent.

It's a farily good mix telling the story of a military ship captain with a sci-fi theme and political thriller elements. David Weber starts off with a successful tactical formula and keeps his story from becoming stale by evolving. The series swings between the pitfalls of space tacticals and political opera, but generally keeps developing a rich universe and pushing the elements toward satisfying conclusions.
And it's now expanded beyond Honor Harrington with Crown of Slaves and the two Saganami Island novels. He just keeps the expanding the universe and telling more stories within it which always manage to fall into the realm of just believable.
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Re: Books Read in 2009

Post by Jeff V »

Descartes' Bones -- A Skeletal History of the Conflict Between Faith and Reason by Russell Shorto :binky: :binky: :binky: :binky: :binky: :binky:

Rene Descartes as the father of modernity is the theme of this book, which follows the adventurous remains of the great French philosopher through the centuries following his death in Sweden. Shorto ties the Enlightenment, the Age of Reason, and the rise of modern scientific thought to Cartesian principles and ideas. Scientific disciplines made possible by the work of Descartes and his followers in turn lent its efforts into determining the saga of his bones (particularly his skull).

Descartes remains have been treated much the way the bones of saints during medieval times, as symbols, as artifacts of reverence, or even as objects d'art. It serves as a vehicle to wrap around the rise of modern thought...if you need thematic story to go along with your history lesson, this book is for you. While Shorto says near the end that the story of Descarte's Bones is an allegory, often times he gets a little too bogged down in that story, going through great lengths to justify trivial details (IMO, I was more interested in the way he tied developments in science and philosophy back to Descartes).

In the end, he invokes modern thinkers such as Christopher Hitchens and suggests that the Enlightenment requires eternal vigilance, as the forces of ignorance (fundamentalist religion) continue to battle against modern thought. Descartes set a massive wave of ideas in motion that still resonate today...but more than 300 years later, it's still not inconceivable that the progress cannot be undone. Descartes himself tried to reconcile religion with reason, and some of the most formidable opposition also claims the Frenchman as inspiration for their thought.
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Re: Books Read in 2009

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Batavia's Graveyard: The True Story of the Mad Heretic Who Led History's Bloodiest Mutiny by Mike Dash :binky: :binky: :binky: :binky: :binky: :binky: :binky:

With the chance that the upcoming game on the East India Company doesn't suck, I thought I'd read up on the subject. This book is the true story (as best as it could be pieced together from records) of the 1629 wreck of the merchant ship Batavia off the coast of Australia while on it's maiden voyage from the Dutch United Provinces. I would not be surprised that Golding got some of his ideas for Lord of the Flies from this story.

During the long passage (which could easily take more than a year), the head merchant of the company (top authority in the fleet) did not get along with the Batavia's captain. The under-merchant, a heretical apothecary fleeing from a failed business and poor choice of associates, fomented mutiny along with the ship's captain. When the ship unexpectedly wrecked on some uncharted reefs, the vessel's longboat, along with the upper-merchant and captain departed for a Dutch port on Java to bring help. Approximately 150 people, ranging from artisans to soldiers to women and children were left to fend for themselves as best they could on the barren archipelago. Kept alive by rain water, birds and seals, the survivors eked out a meager existence.

However, the mutiny was to proceed. The under-merchant decided they would capture the rescue ship when it came, and the only way that would be practical is if a majority of survivors was with him. Since the mutineers were heavily outnumbered, some re-balancing was necessary. First, he managed to ship off two groups onto other islands, where they were abandon, ostensibly to search for sources of water. When one group was surprisingly successful and sent up the signal, the desperate members of the second group created a makeshift raft and attempted to travel to that island. The under-merchant, who was in the process of consolidating is power, sent a group of thugs to commandeer the raft and eliminate those on board. This happened in sight of everyone on both islands, his hand was tipped, and the reign of terror was begun.

First, the sick and injured were murdered under the pretext they were costing valuable resources and bringing nothing back in return. The blood lust then started claiming the lives of those who refused to sign a pact agreeing to be a mutineer. Then children and other unskilled or redundant people were murdered. The priest lost his wife and five children in a single bloody rampage as the under-merchant's men started slaughtering people for sport. However, the time came when they felt they had to deal with the folks on the other island...many which were soldiers and sailors, and while stranded unarmed, they proved resourceful and not only repulsed the attacks, but eventually captured the under-merchant as he attempted a parlay. During the final assault, the rescue ship led by the upper-merchant appeared; and in the coming weeks, justice was meted out to the lions share of mutineers. Most of the worst were executed on one of the islands, two were abandon on the west coast of Australia (which was terra incognito in those days). The final death toll was given as 124.

The book also has some good information on the inner-workings of the Dutch East India Company. 1 in 50 ships were lost on the outbound voyage, 1 in 20 inbound. Conditions on ship were so bad that even on a new ship, disease ran rampant and 10% of the crew and passengers would die en route (in some cases, more than 50%, at worst not enough were left alive to sail the ship). The Spice Island ports were no paradise either, life expectancy was short, particularly for white foreigners with no natural immunity to the local cooties. There were fortunes to be made for sure, although the rank and file rarely ever saw it, unless they dealt illicitly on the side (and corruption was rampant). Mike Dash does a remarkable job piecing together the story from the facts, although the fate of many of the survivors went undocumented.
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Re: Books Read in 2009

Post by noxiousdog »

List

Pratchett's The Color of Magic wasn't as good as Men at Arms, but there were a few laugh out loud moments. Had to read parts to the wife in fact. It was short, so if you like Pratchett and haven't gone back to the beginning, it should be a quick and entertaining read.

For those in the know it's about Rincewind and Twoflower caught in a game between the Lady and Fate. Hilarity ensues.
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"To wield Grond, the mighty hammer of the Federal Government, is to be intoxicated with power beyond what you and I can reckon (though I figure we can ball park it pretty good with computers and maths). Need to tunnel through a mountain? Grond. Kill a mighty ogre? Grond. Hangnail? Grond. Spider? Grond (actually, that's a legit use, moreso than the rest)." - Peacedog
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Re: Books Read in 2009

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Although I don't need to lose any weight, I, like Stephen Fry exercise and listen to audiobooks while exercising - I wonder what I would do without 'em - I'd definitely exercise less. OTOH, I'd probably talk more to my fellow gym goers.

I'm able to listen to and enjoy an average of one unabridged audiobook a week using my little Sansa player: most all of them downloaded from the public library or uploaded temporarily to my PC. I've considered Audible.com and a Kindle, but so far I'm doing very well without the expense.

One drawback to listening so much? There are times when I feel I've always got a little voice droning in my head telling me a story - and it's not my voice!!! :horse:
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Re: Books Read in 2009

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Link to list

ARRRRRRR! Quickly read through Treasure Island. Highly recommended as a quick, fun read. It's very hard to read it without putting Pirates of the Carribean's Barbosa in the role of Long John Silver though :)
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"To wield Grond, the mighty hammer of the Federal Government, is to be intoxicated with power beyond what you and I can reckon (though I figure we can ball park it pretty good with computers and maths). Need to tunnel through a mountain? Grond. Kill a mighty ogre? Grond. Hangnail? Grond. Spider? Grond (actually, that's a legit use, moreso than the rest)." - Peacedog
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Re: Books Read in 2009

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Just finished Cemetery Dance by Preston/Child. It was ok. Not my favorite by a long shot.
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Re: Books Read in 2009

Post by Scuzz »

noxiousdog wrote:List


Finished Men at Arms by Terry Pratchett. It was a Discworld book and my first forray into the world. Initially I was somewhat put off as he seemed to be a poor man's Douglass Adams and made worse because he was trying so hard. He didn't fail per se, but appeared to be a cheap knockoff.

That gradually started changing about a quarter of the way through and by half way I was engrossed and finished it up quickly.

I immediately went and bought the first 3 discworld novels.

Four stars. (out of 5).
I remember thinking the same thing, but he is original enough and his humour is good enough that he wins you over. It is a great series.
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Re: Books Read in 2009

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I just finished reading..

The Greatest Game Ever Played by Mark Frost

This is a very good book about golf in the early 1900's, and about the world itself at the time. This is about a important turning point in the story of international golf and American golf coming of age.


4 of 5 stars



Next book.....With the Old Breed by E.B. Sledge
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Re: Books Read in 2009

Post by Jeff V »

The Afghan Campaign by Steven Pressfield :binky: :binky: :binky: :binky: :binky: :binky:

This is the story of a young Macedonia infantryman who enlisted at the onset of Alexander the Great's Afghan campaign. Much of what is uncovered about their adversary seems largely unchanged today, which no doubt was the author's intent. Our Macedonian protagonist seems to be handicapped by modern western sensibilities, which probably helps the reader identify with his plights throughout the book.

Too much of the book felt like it was taken from a 1960's-era WW2 movie. The soldier slang seemed reminiscent of characters from a New Jersey 'hood. Our hero gets a "dear Matthias" letter which conveniently eliminates baggage back home. The relationship with a native gets out of hand, offspring are involved. One older brother is killed, another is frustrated that little Matthias doesn't take the opportunity to leave and return home to a peaceful life of farming.

Still, it was a quick read, and Pressfield does a pretty good job incorporating history into the story. In the end, Matthias re-enlists and is off with Alexander to India to battle Porus, leaving the possibility of a sequel.
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Re: Books Read in 2009

Post by Jeff V »

On Writing by Stephen King :binky: :binky: :binky: :binky: :binky: :binky: :binky:

First of all, if he hasn't already, Sith Lord should read this book.

On Writing is two very different books rolled into one. The first is more of a memoir, with King recalling early life experiences that ultimately led to his becoming a writer in the first place. Disconnected from this section, yet part of it, is the epilogue, where King addresses the accident that nearly took his life, and the part finishing this book played in his professional recovery. The other part of the book is mechanics -- some of it is what to do, but good portion more is what NOT to do. I could almost hear my own editors echoing his words; everything he said not only rings true, but also can't be said often enough. And rarely does one hear it put in such elegant prose..."don't DO THAT!" "Cut that shit out!" Not only is he very encouraging towards anyone who really wants to make a run at it, but after hearing King describe the nuts and bolts of "the craft," it becomes apparent why himself and other bankable authors churn out consistently high quality work.

While King is quick to admit there is no magic bullet to becoming a good writer (and, in his opinion, it is not possible for a truly bad writer to learn to be significantly better, nor is it possible for a good writer to become great...however, it is possible for a decent writer to become good), there are two inescapable truths he does harp on. A writer has to write, and just as importantly, a writer has to read. King suggests that one will learn more reading a bad writer than a good one, to which I laughed, thinking, "but Uncle Stevie, I learn more about writing from reading you than I do any other author!" But he adds that it can be a terrific morale boost reading someone who obviously has reached a measure of success (they are published) while knowing you can do better.

I think Stephen King has a lot to say on the art of writing, and would have liked to have seen this part of the book expanded to make it a dedicated volume. He was a former English teacher, so he is classically educated on the subject, although I think his style better communicates the basics than your typical college composition class. I also think his autobiography would be worth a look (his life is no Jack London, but well-lived in any event), and would read that as a separate book. For all of his success, it didn't seem like King was confident that his fans would like either, so it all ended up in a single volume. Hopefully he'll be with us a lot more years and reconsider both in time.

Prey by Michael Crichton :binky: :binky: :binky: :binky: :binky: :binky: :binky: :binky:

A mid-career, Silicon Valley couple is having marital issues. The husband lost his job for raising ethical questions, and suddenly he's the one being blackballed. His wife is working late hours every day, is becoming a stranger to her kids, and resents that her husband has not yet got back to work and accuses him of undermining her authority at home. He starts to believe she is having an affair...the signs appear unmistakable. Then he gets a phone call from his former company...they want him back as a consultant to fix something that went horribly wrong with one of his former projects. And the client happens to be his wife's company, and immediately he is dispatched to a fabrication plant in the desert where the company has seemingly overcome the problem of creating nanobots in quantity.

At this point, the novel moves into the Sci-fi techno-horror realm as the nanobots escape, evolve, and learn. Creighton, as was his wont, displays a terrific grasp on the state of technology, as well as current issues and challenges employing it. There are no less than 5 pages of bibliography at the end, but Creighton keeps the science accessible (likely artificially so). It's been a long time since I've blown through a 500-page book in just two days, and even longer since finding the task so effortless. The story is recent enough that technology portrayed doesn't come off as already obsolete...a frequent problem with this type of story.
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Re: Books Read in 2009

Post by jztemple2 »

Updated my list (link to original in sig file) with the following books I've read in June. Date is when I finished it, some books read in parallel. "Eats, Shoots & Leaves" was read to me by my wife as we traveled.

"U.S. Army Special Forces" (Power Series) by Fred J. Pushies 6/29/09
“Fire on the Rim” by Stephen J. Pyne 6/28/09
''Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation'' by Lynne Truss 6/28/09
“Summer of '49'' by David Halberstam 6/25/09
“Six Silent Men: Book 1” by Reynel Martinez6/22/09
“Small Wonder: The Amazing Story of the Volkswagen” by Walter Henry Nelson 6/16/09
"Empires of the Word" by Nicholas Ostler 6/15/09
''A Closer Shave: Man's Daily Search for Perfection'' by Wallace Pinfold 6/14/09
“Railways of Australia” by Singleton and Burke 6/14/09
"Brown Water, Black Beret" by Thomas J. Cutler 6/11/09
"Jackboot" by John Laffin 6/4/09
My father said that anything is interesting if you bother to read about it - Michael C. Harrold
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noxiousdog
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Re: Books Read in 2009

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Link to OP

Read The WIne Trials by Robin Goldstein and Alexis Herschkowitsch.

Back in his college days, Robin ran a "bar" (all donated liquor, no charges) out of his dorm room. He started doing blind tastings with his dorm mates and discovered that there were many less expensive brands that tasted better than higher priced brands. Years later and after becoming a critic he started revisiting the issue.

What he found with some controlled studies is that there was a negative correlation between price and taste for mainstream wine drinkers and a slight positive correlation between price and taste among expert tasters.

It talks about the marketing of wine and how older established vineyards are changing their recipes to taste more like well marketed, but poor tasting wine (according to blind tests), specifically Yellow Tail.

One of the most interesting sections of the book is it's commentary on Dom Perignon. It doesn't fare well in taste tests, and the company that owns them is Moet Hennesey Louis Voutton who owns such brands as Christian Dior perfume, De Beers (retailing), and TAG Heuer.

You can get a little more background on the book at http://www.thewinetrials.com" target="_blank.
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"To wield Grond, the mighty hammer of the Federal Government, is to be intoxicated with power beyond what you and I can reckon (though I figure we can ball park it pretty good with computers and maths). Need to tunnel through a mountain? Grond. Kill a mighty ogre? Grond. Hangnail? Grond. Spider? Grond (actually, that's a legit use, moreso than the rest)." - Peacedog
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Re: Books Read in 2009

Post by noxiousdog »

Link to OP

Finished Quantum of Solace by Ian Fleming. It was just a compilation of James Bond short stories that had been packaged and marketed under the movie name.

If you're a James Bond fan (I have read all the Ian Fleming books in the last year) it's certainly worth picking up and reading. If you're not, or trying to use it as a first read, I would pass. The stories are too short to get any character development at all with the possible exception of The Living Daylights.

They used to be sold under other compilations, but currently the nine stories in QoS are:
Octopussy
The Living Daylights
For Your Eyes Only
From a View to a Kill
The Property of a Lady
007 in New York
Quantum of Solace
Risico
The Hildebrand Rarity
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"To wield Grond, the mighty hammer of the Federal Government, is to be intoxicated with power beyond what you and I can reckon (though I figure we can ball park it pretty good with computers and maths). Need to tunnel through a mountain? Grond. Kill a mighty ogre? Grond. Hangnail? Grond. Spider? Grond (actually, that's a legit use, moreso than the rest)." - Peacedog
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Re: Books Read in 2009

Post by JonathanStrange »

Jeff V's review of With Arrow, Sword, and Spear: A History of Warfare in the Ancient World piqued my interest so when I was doing my usual quick pass through the clearance and bargain section at Barnes & Noble and found the paperback edition selling for $8, I grabbed it.

It's an interesting survey style book; I'm glad I have it. I've several hard cover books on ancient warfare with fantastic drawings and maps, but their text leaves something to be desired.

This book is highly readable though the maps/illustrations are minimal; well worth looking for esp. at the bargain price.

Thanks to JeffV.

:horse: :horse:
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Books Read 2013
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Re: Books Read in 2009

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The Defeat of Rome in the East Crassus, The Parthians, and the Disastrous Battle of Carrhae, 53 BC by Gareth C. Sampson

Another surprise find for me at Barnes & Noble's clearance table, The Defeat of Rome is a well-researched account of the battle of Carrhae, the Roman general Crassus, complete with background of the Roman world immediately prior to the battle and its significance afterward.

T he writing is matter-of-fact, verging on the academic, but I wasn't looking for novelistic drama. The book's very readable and well detailed concerning the actual battle.

I'd recommend it if one is highly interested in Roman military history. I'm putting it alongside my books on Cannae, Teutoburger Wald and Adrianople.
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Re: Books Read in 2009

Post by Jeff V »

I'll have to look for that one next time I'm in the vicinity of a B&N (Monday, perhaps). I'm always on the look out for books on Rome that don't flog the same equus.
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Re: Books Read in 2009

Post by Jaymann »

Great to skim through this thread before a trip to the bookstore. A couple books I saw mentioned that I cannot recommend highly enough:

Ubik - Phillip K. Dick

The Accidental Time Machine - Joe Haldeman

You really can't go wrong with anything by Haldeman, and if you've not read him you're in for a treat.
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Re: Books Read in 2009

Post by jztemple2 »

Updated as read on my list (linkie at bottom):

"Dr. Johnson's London" by Liza Picard 7/6/09
"Umbrella Mike" by Brock Yates 6/30/09

I have joined Paperbackswap.com (which isn't just paperbacks) and so have had a sudden increase in books arriving at the house. My wife has been questioning whether I'll ever be able to have time to read all these books. I pointed out that based on number of books read per month, life expectancy and planned retirement, right now I should finish my outstanding surplus about 2021. So, as I noted, I am merely laying in a stockpile for after that time, since due to global warming it will probably be too hot to go outside anyway :wink:
My father said that anything is interesting if you bother to read about it - Michael C. Harrold
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Re: Books Read in 2009

Post by Jeff V »

William Wallace - The King's Enemy by D.J. Gray :binky: :binky: :binky: :binky:

I keep hoping to find new information regarding the life the man who was "Braveheart," but I guess I have to be content with meager conjecture and spotty (at best) historical record. I guess the scarcity of facts on the life of Wallace himself leads to a natural broadening of the subject matter, giving way to the cause and early years of the Scottish War of Independence. There are much better books that focus on this subect matter, while giving no less attention to Wallace. Gray tries, but fails, to showcase Wallace, and in doing so, gives short shrift to other major events occurring at the time. Better books on the subject are Freedom's Sword by Peter Traquair and The Wars of the Bruces by Colm McNamee. The latter book in particular follows the fortunes of the prevailing "winner" of the war.
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Re: Books Read in 2009

Post by silverjon »

Really good stuff read lately includes The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys (I'm taking a break from watching the movie right now and can only say the Hollywoodification of the story and characters is awful, and I believe the movie was quite critically acclaimed) and Galway Kinnell's Book of Nightmares (still relevant, still important).
wot?

To be fair, adolescent power fantasy tripe is way easier to write than absurd existential horror, and every community has got to start somewhere... right?

Unless one loses a precious thing, he will never know its true value. A little light finally scratches the darkness; it lets the exhausted one face his shattered dream and realize his path cannot be walked. Can man live happily without embracing his wounded heart?
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Re: Books Read in 2009

Post by Jeff V »

Duma Key by Stephen King :binky: :binky: :binky: :binky: :binky: :binky:

A good summer read, it's typical Steven King with a touch of Jimmy Buffett. It's a story told by a 50-something construction magnate from the Twin Cities who loses an arm when a crane accidentally crushes the pickup he's in on a job site. His marriage fails shortly afterwards, as head injuries were longer and more frustrating to recover from. On the advice of his friend, he arranges to get away to a secluded residence in the Florida Keys where he takes up his old hobby of painting. His inspiration becomes more and more macabre, and while the paintings are lauded as works of genius by all who see them, something isn't quite right about them...

Most of the book is spent developing the characters, which King does better than anyone these days. The supernatural elements of the story are introduced gradually, first as seemingly mundane events, then as something recognizably connected with a sinister purpose. By the end, Pandora's box is completely open, and the entire back-story of how things came to be is fully revealed.
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Re: Books Read in 2009

Post by theohall »

The Retief Novels listed on page 1 in my read list - remind me of Terry Pratchett's Discworld novels - only Laumer wrote them in the late 60s through the 70s.

Having characters with titles such as the Supreme Assistant Deputy Executive Assistant to the Undersecretary's Secretary and describing clothing for a "semi-casual" occasion as super-hemi-demi-semi formal wear, one gets the gist of Laumer's sarcastic attitude towards any form of bureacracy.
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Re: Books Read in 2009

Post by CSL »

I finished two books in the last little while....

1. Curse of the Narrows: The Halifax Explosion 1917 by Laura M. MacDonald

A fairly good book describing the Halifax explosion which occurred late in the year 1917, the result of a collision between the Imo and the munitions vessel Mont Blanc - largely preventable due to the lack of word being spread to important people in the town (only two people other than the crew knew it was carrying munitions) and the fact that wartime regulations prevented it from showing a red flag denoting the dangerous nature of her cargo. That said MacDonald does her best work describing the narrative up to and then just after the explosion - doing a particularly good job describing how the blast effected Halifax, Dartmouth, and the surrounding areas (the blast was the largest man-made explosion prior to the first atomic bomb detonation). After that the narrative becomes a little more hit and miss, for while MacDonald manages to get across the scope of the tragedy and does describe some very compelling characters - especially the in describing the work of doctors and rescue workers coming in from Boston - many of the first-hand account never really connect especially after ones initial horror at how they were directly effected wears off. In someways this may be connected to the fact that in writing her account most of the survivors had died off and therefore she had far less oral accounts than she might have been able to use, but she also makes them stilted for such and such might only pop up every few chapters - a problem of structure really.

Still a good read about an important event in Canadian and First World War history that is rarely mentioned.

**** out of *****

2. The First World War: To Arms, vol 1 by Hew Strachan

This is the first of what is tentatively a three volume Oxford history of the First World War. It is well and truly massive, clocking in at more than 1,100 pages before notes, bibliography, and the indexes are included and shouldn't ever be considered a light read. In this first volume Strachan looks at a few main topics - an overview of the outbreak of the war, an examination of the fighting in Europe during 1914, a full overview of the various campaigns in Africa throughout the entire war, German attempts at widening the war by war of first the Ottoman Empire (along with a chapter on the Ottoman Empire itself, its politics and capacity to make war) and then by way of North Africa and within Asia, and finally two chapters dealing with the whole war and how the various powers mobilized their industry and payed for the whole thing (which I didn't read).

I would not recommend this volume to anyone but the most interested in First World War history - first because many of the subjects are better described in other texts for the more general reader (The Great War in Africa by Byron Farwell being an apt example for the very large chapter on the African campaigns) and second because it will require some indepth knowledge of the events beforehand. That said if you fit that bill this book is also excessively well done - Strachan's chapters on both the events leading up to the war, including some discussion on the subsequent historiographical debates concerning guilt over the outbreak, and his overview of how the war was received both by the public and political parties is worth the price of the book alone. His examination of the particular causes for the war and the political motivations of Germany, Austro-Hungary, and Russia are probably the best currently in print today. Furthermore several other chapters take into account very important aspects of the war not generally explained in detail in most other accounts I've read up until now - such as the political development of the Ottoman Empire and its international relations in the decade before 1914, or how Japanese politics were effected by the war and how they managed to expand drastically throughout many parts of the Pacific as a result.

That said more than a few of the chapters did become plodding - after having read about a thousand pages its clear that while Strachan is an accomplished writer when dealing with matters such as politics, diplomacy, and other non-military matters his narratives when describing military events leave something to be desired, being overly dry in a fairly dry book. While that is to be expected in such a scholarly three volume account of the war, Strachan comes off sounding far too much like a staff officer. Compounding the problem is the comparative lack of good maps - that isn't to say there is a lack of them, indeed the book has some of the best early war maps of both the western and eastern fronts and for the African campaigns, however they are entirely topographical. None of the maps place the army groups, corps, or divisions Strachan is discussing and as such readers must deduce to the best of their ability either their proper place by way of the narrative or by way of third-party maps, something which in my opinion was a direct detriment to several chapters throughout the book - particularly as regards to the eastern front.

That said I can forgive the book for these occasional problems and for Strachans exceedingly dry accounts of the fighting for the sheer fact that it is so ponderously outweighed by the positives throughout - of which I might also mention the beefy and very fastidiously crafted bibliography. Really the only thing missing from the whole book is an extended bibliographical essay.

I'll probably read the last two chapters sometime, but for some reason I'm not rushing out to learn about things such as the gold standard and the importance of American capital towards the Allies victory in 1918.

***** out of *****
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Re: Books Read in 2009

Post by Jeff V »

Sphere by Michael Crichton :binky: :binky: :binky: :binky: :binky: :binky:

It kind reads like the script of a MFTV sci-fi movie. Not a bad one, Crichton is always interesting, particularly when it comes to technical details (the sort mostly skipped in TV movies). A group of scientists are brought in by the navy to investigate an ocean crash site...but the "plane" appears to have been there for 300 years, and is not a plane at all. Alien visitor? The mathematician doesn't think so.

Then comes the squid. Giant, murderous squid.
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