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Mr Spock!

Referee
Messages
22,502
Beevor's the Crete: the Battle and the Resistance was a great and short read.

And if you loved Stalin grad you'll love Berlin.

Other top rate military books
Les Carlyon, Gallipoli and the Great War are epics. Didn't realise he died 2 months ago.

Max Hastings, Armageddon: The Battle for Germany 1944–45 and Nemesis: The Battle for Japan, 1944–45 were bricks I read in a week.

Tony Le Tissier has some good books on unit actions on the Eastern front eg Slaughter at Halbe: the destruction of Hitlers 9th Army, Death was our companion: the final days of the third reich.

Charles Whiting has a great read on the failings of us command and how the US executed one of its own in the Battle of Hurtgen Forest.
 

axl rose

Bench
Messages
4,936
Beevor's the Crete: the Battle and the Resistance was a great and short read.

And if you loved Stalin grad you'll love Berlin.

Other top rate military books
Les Carlyon, Gallipoli and the Great War are epics. Didn't realise he died 2 months ago.

Max Hastings, Armageddon: The Battle for Germany 1944–45 and Nemesis: The Battle for Japan, 1944–45 were bricks I read in a week.

Tony Le Tissier has some good books on unit actions on the Eastern front eg Slaughter at Halbe: the destruction of Hitlers 9th Army, Death was our companion: the final days of the third reich.

Charles Whiting has a great read on the failings of us command and how the US executed one of its own in the Battle of Hurtgen Forest.

Nice list, that should last me a good year to get through. Going through a Vietnam war phase at the moment.

9780547391175_custom-a63f5207e6ab89d045cd86a4f72cf9de309383d7-s200-c85.jpg
 

Parra

Referee
Messages
24,894
Decided to read Animal Farm and 1984 for the first time since school.

Animal Farm is a quick fable.

1984 is so f**king brutal. Depressing. Awesome piece of work. I'm only about 3/4 through it.
 

Parra

Referee
Messages
24,894
Decided to read Animal Farm and 1984 for the first time since school.

Animal Farm is a quick fable.

1984 is so f**king brutal. Depressing. Awesome piece of work. I'm only about 3/4 through it.

This wasn't planned - but it worked out well. I recommend doing this.

Read 1984 and then watch the Chernobyl miniseries.
 
Messages
14,481
Fits my current theme. Currently reading Cloud Atlas.

The second and third ones are all written, ready to go up on Wattpad too...so keep an eye out for Alistair Raven and the Army of the Rising Sons and Alistair Raven and the Dark Reign Falls.

Am working on books 4 and 5-8 at the moment.

4 has taken longer than I would have liked due a combination of writer's block and Donald Trump.
 

Parra

Referee
Messages
24,894
The second and third ones are all written, ready to go up on Wattpad too...so keep an eye out for Alistair Raven and the Army of the Rising Sons and Alistair Raven and the Dark Reign Falls.

Am working on books 4 and 5-8 at the moment.

4 has taken longer than I would have liked due a combination of writer's block and Donald Trump.


You wrote these? That is awesome.
 

Matua

Bench
Messages
4,530
Beevor's the Crete: the Battle and the Resistance was a great and short read.

And if you loved Stalin grad you'll love Berlin.

Other top rate military books
Les Carlyon, Gallipoli and the Great War are epics. Didn't realise he died 2 months ago.

Max Hastings, Armageddon: The Battle for Germany 1944–45 and Nemesis: The Battle for Japan, 1944–45 were bricks I read in a week.

Tony Le Tissier has some good books on unit actions on the Eastern front eg Slaughter at Halbe: the destruction of Hitlers 9th Army, Death was our companion: the final days of the third reich.

Charles Whiting has a great read on the failings of us command and how the US executed one of its own in the Battle of Hurtgen Forest.
A great book about the Eastern Front is Bloodlands by Timothy Snyder. Focuses on the absolute devastation caused.

I think that Beevor is a great writer, although I'm not 100% certain I agree with his conclusions based on research - I used most of the resources (relating to NZ and Freyberg) he used for Crete for my MA thesis. But his books are really easy to read and entertaining.
 

axl rose

Bench
Messages
4,936
Getting through some comedy books.

Becoming by Michelle Obama- bit dull, nothing too controversial here. Obvious hate for Trump and Barack didn't make a single error (shocker). Don't know why she persists shes not political yet obviously is.

Hillary Clinton- What Happened - its Putin's fault, its young white women's fault, its the FBI, its Bernies, its Obamas fault for not campaigning for her. Not usually into fiction but its a good read.
 

King hit

Coach
Messages
13,757
The master the life and times of Dally Messenger

A superbly written account of one of Rugby’s greatest and most influential players. Credit must go to author Sean Fagan for bringing Dally Messenger to life with the very limited accounts to go on as there is no footage or anyone who say Messenger play. From what is said Messenger was an unbelievable player who had no peer in the formative years. Great stories about the formation of Rugby League in Australia. Would recommend this book highly

Some interesting things I learnt

- Messenger’s crazy play inspired rule changes
- He could kick goals from 60 meters from touch (imagine this happening now)
- NSW was better then Australia at the time
- He was by far the most driving cause towards Rugby League and got so many people behind it

C2B0BA1A-3EB6-47B2-942E-38AF5893E068.jpeg
 

Mr Spock!

Referee
Messages
22,502
The master the life and times of Dally Messenger

A superbly written account of one of Rugby’s greatest and most influential players. Credit must go to author Sean Fagan for bringing Dally Messenger to life with the very limited accounts to go on as there is no footage or anyone who say Messenger play. From what is said Messenger was an unbelievable player who had no peer in the formative years. Great stories about the formation of Rugby League in Australia. Would recommend this book highly

Some interesting things I learnt

- Messenger’s crazy play inspired rule changes
- He could kick goals from 60 meters from touch (imagine this happening now)
- NSW was better then Australia at the time
- He was by far the most driving cause towards Rugby League and got so many people behind it

View attachment 33083
Apparently used to pass the ball over the opposition's heads and catch it so they brought in the rule that you can't delibertely pass to yourself.

Also kicked a goal from 80 yards (73m) from the sideline on his own 25 yard line which appeared in early Guiness Books of Records!

Not bad with a leather ball.
 

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