What Are You Currently Reading? 2008

[Norfolk]

Reading the 1986 edition of FM 100-5, Operations. Not exactly Small Wars material, but interesting to go back and take a look at what, and how, we were thinking in the last years of the Cold War. Much easier reading at any rate than either of the FM 3-0, Operations.

[Steve Blair]

I went back into "On War" again this week, along with the 1940 SWM. Working up to diving back into some regimental records from the late 1860s later this month for some research.

[Vic Bout]

Nothing much "Small" about the Italian campaign (even the 1st Special Service Force and the Rangers got used {or mis-used...or abused} conventionally, but...Atkinson's prose is outstanding

[oblong]

I just picked up a copy of After War: The Political Economy of Exporting Democracy by Christopher Coyne.

[selil]

I just set down my copy of "Leaderless Jihad", by Marc Sageman. I liked the book as it is based on a real data set, is empirical in nature, and has minimal anecdotal evidence. He misses the point in a few places and he nails a few peacocks to the board if you know what I mean.

Here are some slides of a presentation he did on the book.

Here is a great video presentation of a talk he did about the book.

As I said his research is pretty good though he pushes the boundaries of his results and fails in some cases to bring in historical evidence to support or refute his own claims.

[William F. Owen]

Reading the 1986 edition of FM 100-5, Operations. Not exactly Small Wars material, but interesting to go back and take a look at what, and how, we were thinking in the last years of the Cold War. Much easier reading at any rate than either of the FM 3-0, Operations.

It bl**dy well is!

Currently reading Ron Leshem's "Beaufort" a novel about the last days of the IDF occupation of the Lebanon. One of the very few novels of books to give an accurate IDF soldiers view point.

[SteveMetz]

I'll jump back in on my own thread. I'm now finishing The Naked and the Dead (AMAZING book that I'd never read--I think the claims that it is the best novel about World War II are accurate. Despite the title, it is not about Tom Odom's most recent marriage). Getting ready to start Brian Linn's The Echo of Battle: The Army's Way of War. Oh, and this little ditty.

[Tom Odom]

I'll jump back in on my own thread. I'm now finishing The Naked and the Dead (AMAZING book that I'd never read--I think the claims that it is the best novel about World War II are accurate. Despite the title, it is not about Tom Odom's most recent marriage). Getting ready to start Brian Linn's The Echo of Battle: The Army's Way of War. Oh, and this little ditty.

Oh Lordy

I get no respect.....

BTW your idol/idiot was on CNN this AM

That would be of course Doug Feith

[SteveMetz]

Oh Lordy

BTW your idol/idiot was on CNN this AM

That would be of course Doug Feith

I held my nose and ordered the book. I figure I'll need to at least know what's in it when I do interviews or talks on my book. Nagl said he lost what little respect he had for me when I told him that a few minutes ago.

[Granite_State]

Just started Keegan's Face of Battle yesterday, ashamed to say I hadn't read it before, fantastic so far.

[Mark O'Neill]

Low Intensity Conflicts in India by LTCOL Vivek Chadha, Hew Strachan's biography of Clausewitz' On War and re-reading Beaufre's An Introduction to Strategy

For fun (as opposed to work) I have some texts I picked up on leave in Jo'Burg. I am half way through 'Assignment Selous Scouts' by Jim Parker and have 'Executive Outcome's by Eeben Barlow in the queue.

And the daily BUA..

[Bob T]

Steve,

Congratulations! The accolades heaped upon you in the Forward by Colin Gray (in my opinion, such that it means anything), the best-of-the-best of those who labor in the torturing vineyards of the theory of strategy, should be more than just pleasing to you.

Unfortunately, the release date seems to be 30Sep08. Correct? As I'm older and been around this game even longer than Ken (Yes, that is possible.), who knows what time might bring.

Again, congratulations. The imprimatur will not rest lightly.

Bob T

[Ken White]

"...As I'm older and been around this game even longer than Ken (Yes, that is possible.)..."

Tom?

You see that?

There are two of us -- lay off the geriatric abuse!!!

[Tom Odom]

Tom?

You see that?

There are two of us -- lay off the geriatric abuse!!!

See there you go making mistakes....

Must be your eyes

"Cause you two and George Singleton makes three

Is self abuse, geriatric abuse, if its voluntary?

[Ken White]

See there you go making mistakes....

Must be your eyes

bifocals now, are we?

"Cause you two and George Singleton makes three

Now you're picking on George. His kids are in their 20s, my oldest is 52, so George is old and wise but not yet geriatric. Since Bob T apparently went in the service a year before I did, we're probably both at least borderline (I know I am...).

Is self abuse, geriatric abuse, if its voluntary?

Depends on what you have in mind...

[SteveMetz]

Unfortunately, the release date seems to be 30Sep08. Correct?

Actually, it's the first of July. Amazon just hasn't updated their listing yet.

[George L. Singleton]

Currently:

- Chesty: The Story of Lieutenant General Lewis B. Puller, USMC by LTC Jon T. Hoffman, USMCR
- Police Sniper by Craig Roberts

In the queue:

- A Devil of a Whipping: The Battle of Cowpens by Lawrence E. Babits
- Cracking Cases: The Science of Solving Crimes by Dr. Henry C. Lee

I have two in person exposures to guys who worked for up close Chesty Puller.

One was a Marine Corp. Lieut. Norton (cannot reliably recall Norton's first name) who was his aide-de-camp in Korea, after he, Lt. Norton was shot seven times and left for dead at the Yahlu Reservoir. A company of retreating Turks who had run out of ammo picked up still alive body of Lt. Norton and using bayonettes only fought their way through the Chinese surrounding them and saved Lt. Norton's life. Mr. Norton who then earned a law degree from Vanderbilt, was my Nashville, TN Woodmont Baptist Church Sunday School teacher when I was in about the 6th grade as best I can recall.

The other Marine I knew well was retired USMC Major General Big Foot Brown (Wilbert S Brown) who was a legend in the Marine Corp. Dr. Brown (he earned his incomplete from Annapolis, where he was kicked out for blowing up the Admiral's commode) BA, then his MA and PhD, all in History, also my major, at the Univeristy of Alabama where he also taught me history.

One story on General Brown (a USMC artillery school building at Ft. Sill, Oklahoma today is named after Brown). He commanded as a Brigadier General a Marine outfit sent to destroy a RR train full of US weapons and ammo abandoned by the Nationalist Chinese as Communist Chinese Army advanced along the coast of Mainland China. He was told under NO circumstances to engage the Communist Chinese Army.

However...then B/Gen. Brown while blowing up the train full of US weapons saw the approaching Communist Army, turned his men around and chased the Communist troops for miles, killing many of them.

Ordered by to the US to what he was a sure court martial, B/Gen. Brown was met at the DC area USAF base where he landed by his Uncle by Marriage, Senator John Stennis of Mississippi, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee and the Commandant of the US Marine Corp, who promoted Big Foot Brown on the spot to Major General. Brown then retired from Pentagon duty a few years later.

George Singleton
BA in History and Political Science
College of A&S, Univeristy of Alabama, 1962

PS - Excuse spelling and grammar errors. George.

[George L. Singleton]

CORRECTION: Colonel (06) Wilbert S. [Big Foot] Brown, USMC, was spot promoted at the DC Air Base where he landed to 07, Brigadier, following the incident in China. He was tomb stoned as an 08, Major General, USMC. My memory error. Sorry. George.

[davidbfpo]

Taken from another thread contributed by George S., regarding books by Canadians in WW2:

The late Canadian Brigadier General Denis [Denny] Whitkaker [Toronto area] was my late first cousin, Jim Singleton's, father in law. Have you, Rex, read any or all of Denis Whitaker's six books on his experiences in WW II? As you know, Whitaker as a Captain, Canadian Army was involved in and managed to somehow escape from the fiasco at Dieppe on the French coast in 1942.

Here are B/G Whitaker's six books in case any other SWJ followers may be unaware of or interested in reading all or some of them:

- Normandy: The Real Story of How Ordinary Allied Soldiers Defeated Hitler by Denis Whitaker, Shelagh Whitaker, and Terry Copp

-Victory at Falaise: The Soldier's Story by Denis Whitaker and Shelagh Whitaker with Terry Copp

- Tug of War: The Allied Victory That Opened Antwerp by Denis Whitaker and Shelagh Whitaker

- Dieppe: Tragedy to Triumph by Denis Whitaker and Shelagh Whitaker

- Rhineland: The Battle to End the War by Denis Whitaker and Shelagh Whitaker

- The Battle of the Scheldt by Denis Whitaker

[Umar Al-Mokhtār]

First off we lean more towards dating sheep.

Second, we can write poetry that has no reference to Nantucket in it. To whit:

Steve Metz, an expert on insurgents

His writing it borders on pure vents

He penned quite a book

It’s sure worth a look

To see the extent of his dissents

Anyways, to get back on thread

Just finished:

How Can Man Die Better: The Secrets of Isandlwana Revealed
by Col Mike Snook

Zulu Victory: The Epic of Isandlwana and the Cover-up by Ron Lock

Working through:

The Vietnamese War: Revolution and Social Change in the Mekong Delta, 1930-1975 by David Elliott

The Battle of Ap Bac, Vietnam: They Did Everything but Learn from It by David Toczek

Triumph Forsaken: The Vietnam War, 1954-1965 by Mark Moyar