What Book are you Reading today!

Norkie

Norkie

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I'm reading a book called On The Beach by Nevil Shute.
A group of survivors from a world wide nuclear war based in southern Australia. They await the fallout in the form of radioactive clouds.
Written quite some time ago, but a riveting read :)
 
I've not read that one, I did see the film.

I've been reading military book recently. I read Apache by Ad Macy and that lead me on to Dressed to kill by Charlotte Madison and now Sniper One. Military books aren't a big thing for me but those Apache pilot books were certainly involving and thought provoking and even moving.
 
I read Chickenhawk by Robert Mason. It recalls Roberts time in Vietnam during the conflict there. An excellent read.
 
Clarissa Dickson-Wright's autobiography. Seem to be going through a biog reading phase at the moment, having "done" several rock icons' books over the past few weeks as well as other personalities'.
 
I recently got back to reading books. Long story short, I had to start wearing reading glasses a few years ago and I just didn't enjoy reading anymore. As I've gotten more used to glasses though, my love of reading has returned.

The book I'm currently reading and there may be no suprises here but it's Kingfisher, Tales From The Halcyon River by Charlie Hamilton James, it's quite a beautiful book. I recently (last week) read Kingfisher by David Chandler and Ian Llewellyn. I read that one cover to cover, in 2 sittings, over 2 evenings.
 
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I am reading one of the new Ocean Liner books by Edward Marston. However, the last book I read was Trustee from the Toolroom by Neville Shute. I read all of his books as a teenager and download the occasional one when special offer on my Kindle. The thing that was surprising is that there were no villains in the story and just nice people helping after a tragedy. Nevertheless it was a pleasant and interesting read.

Dave
 
I must read my Neville Shute books - I bought a bunch and never got round to reading them.
Chickenhawk is possibly the best book that came out of Vietnam, certainly for pilots, though Rolling Thunder (can't recall the author) was similarly interesting from a military history and flying point of view.
I'm not reading right now but have several non-fiction books on my shelves to read, once I can get the head-space - History of GCHQ, History of France, Biography of Mao Tse Tung (can't get used to the modern spellings)
 
I am reading American Gods by Neil Gaiman, i have been going through his back catalogue of books and enjoyed them all so far
 
'On The Beach' was published in the 1950s. It's dated, but still a very good read and I prefer it to the film. For an overview of the Vietnam war, from beginning to end in one volume, I like 'Vietnam' (Max Hastings) and for a very different approach '365 Days' (Ronald Glasser).

I'm currently reading 'The Promise' (Damon Galgut) and 'Angels of Mercy' (Chris Schoeman). The first is fiction, about a family in South Africa and the tensions that arise from their failure to make good on a promise given by a dying woman to her African maid/servant. I've just started it, and it's intriguing. The second is about the role of foreign women in the Anglo-Boer War 0f 1899 - 1902 and is mainly about the nursing services.

I have a lot of books, mostly non-fiction, and my main interests are history and particularly military history with a focus on the Anglo-Zulu and Anglo-Boer Wars (I've been to most of the battlefields). My wife is getting a bit miffed about the amount of space the books take up though. She uses a Kindle and suggests I get one, but I just can't get on with them.
 
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Just finished The Sea Detective (Mark Douglas-Home) and thoroughly enjoyed it. Not read anything of his before but will look for others in the charity shops.
 
MartynK said:
'On The Beach' was published in the 1950s. It's dated, but still a very good read and I prefer it to the film. For an overview of the Vietnam war, from beginning to end in one volume, I like 'Vietnam' (Max Hastings) and for a very different approach '365 Days' (Ronald Glasser).

I'm currently reading 'The Promise' (Damon Galgut) and 'Angels of Mercy' (Chris Schoeman). The first is fiction, about a family in South Africa and the tensions that arise from their failure to make good on a promise given by a dying woman to her African maid/servant. I've just started it, and it's intriguing. The second is about the role of foreign women in the Anglo-Boer War 0f 1899 - 1902 and is mainly about the nursing services.

I have a lot of books, mostly non-fiction, and my main interests are history and particularly military history with a focus on the Anglo-Zulu and Anglo-Boer Wars (I've been to most of the battlefields). My wife is getting a bit miffed about the amount of space the books take up though. She uses a Kindle and suggests I get one, but I just can't get on with them.
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In my house it is me that uses a Kindle and the Mrs that will not use one. I find it hard to understand the problem for novels at least. I understand that many text books require large diagrams so a kindle is not ideal but for text in novels, it is much easier as you can set the font size to suit and brightness level etc. I have over 250 books on my kindle with almost 30 still unread. This makes and holidays easy as I have a great library to choose from. I have also read Max Hastings "Vietnam". I would normally see Max at our local international Literature Festival each year as he is normally invited to chair military discussions as well as talking about his own books.

Dave
 
Norkie said:
I read Chickenhawk by Robert Mason. It recalls Roberts time in Vietnam during the conflict there. An excellent read.
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I was going to recommend that too, it’s probably the best war biography I’ve ever read.

Currently reading Never by Ken Follett. It’s a political thriller. It’s ok, but not his best. I much preferred his Kingsbridge historical novels, like Pillars of the Earth
 
At the moment it’s “silver serpent “ by Scott Mariani latest in a large series of books featuring Ben hope . Got the whole series worth a read .. my other favourite author is Clive cussler and I also have all his books . And very very large bookshelves
 
Dave Canon said:
In my house it is me that uses a Kindle and the Mrs that will not use one. I find it hard to understand the problem for novels at least. I understand that many text books require large diagrams so a kindle is not ideal but for text in novels, it is much easier as you can set the font size to suit and brightness level etc. I have over 250 books on my kindle with almost 30 still unread. This makes and holidays easy as I have a great library to choose from. I have also read Max Hastings "Vietnam". I would normally see Max at our local international Literature Festival each year as he is normally invited to chair military discussions as well as talking about his own books.

Dave
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I don't read much fiction, and like to bookmark pages for reference or if I may want to go back to them. I know you can do this electronically on a Kindle but I find it clumsy compared to using an actual bookmark, or a slip of paper. This works for me and I'm used to it, but it's just a personal preference.

Hastings must be an interesting man to listen to. I also have a couple of his father's (Macdonald Hastings) books on shooting.
 
I have just finishe’d reading reach for sky about douglas Bader a very good read I thought
 
The (Kenneth Moore) film of that isn't bad.
 
Newnes Aero Engineering Volume 1 Principles & Construction (written in 1942).

It's a fascinating book and I'd recommend it to anyone with an interest in aviation.

Thanks Steve. :wave:
 
Mixing up the aviation theme with Neville Shute, his book Slide Rule is interesting.
 
(y) to Chickenhawk, so good I have read it twice, I read "on the beach" many years ago and have seen the film.

Currently reading Redemption by Jussi Alder-Olsen and Arnhem by Antony Beevor
 
The City & the City by China Miéville a book combining weird fiction with police procedural genre.
 
seaodyssey said:
(y) to Chickenhawk, so good I have read it twice, I read "on the beach" many years ago and have seen the film.

Currently reading Redemption by Jussi Alder-Olsen and Arnhem by Antony Beevor
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'Arnhem' is excellent.
 
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