What Are You Currently Reading? 2009

**davidbfpo** · 03-14-2009

'Lessons in Imperial Rule: Instructions for British Infantrymen on the Indian Frontier' by General Sir Andrew Skeen (Re-published in 2008 by Frontline Books, part of Pen and Sword Books; originally published in 1932 and the fouth edition in 1939).

The new introduction by Dr Robert Johnson, Oxford University sets the context and the contemporary relevance.

davidbfpo

**Mark O'Neill** · 03-14-2009

Ricks' book, not a bad read, but as Niel has previously pointed out, not a whole lot new. I think Linda R's book will stand the test of time a little better.

I am just over half way through Mullaney's book... excellent book , strikes me as a really impressive young man. Little wonder that Nagl and Yingling were willing to mentor him.

Killer's book... nice cover (very well done with the publisher too) exhaustive and comprehensive in scope, but I am finding quite a few areas where I agree with Bacevich . And, I am over / a little tired of the faux Hemingway style ".. I smoked a cigar..." , " A few moleskines later...' etc etc

My best COIN book in the last year remains Marston and Malkasian's edited work.

Cheers

Mark

**Tom Odom** · 03-14-2009

Appropriately I am reading Pete Mansoor's Baghdad at Sunrise . I am enjoying the book; I had the oppostunity to meet him a couple of years ago while he had the COIN center at Leavenworth.

Best
Tom

**Mark O'Neill** · 03-14-2009

Originally Posted by Tom Odom

Appropriately I am reading Pete Mansoor's Baghdad at Sunrise . I am enjoying the book; I had the oppostunity to meet him a couple of years ago while he had the COIN center at Leavenworth.

Best
Tom

Mansoor's book resonated with me having been to those areas (quite a bit later than what he writes about). I also do not think that his personal story about command in the 'current' battle has been bettered in any other monograph yet.

Tom, I guess that you know better than most of us what is going down there now. Might have been there with you next month if things with MNC and my mob had panned out differently.,,

Best,

Mark

**Spud** · 03-18-2009

Knocked off Kill Bin Laden over the past couple of nights. Apart from using the world's greatest porn star name for PERSEC reasons (Dalton Fury), it's everything you would expect of a book of this type. Nothing earth-shattering (I think we all expected some level of complicity by various warlords and others in supporting the escape of the tall, bearded one) but provides another account in the mix of books/articles to come out about this period. I was surprised at the amount of detail in the book about SIGINT though ... ????????