What are you reading?

[TSIBINDI]

SELOUS SCOUTS, TOP SECRET WAR

Lt.Col. Ron Reid Daly
as told to Peter Stiff

This is the story of the Selous Scouts Regiment of Rhodesia which was formed in 1973, and abolished without formal benefit of disbandment when Robert Mugabe's ZANU took power after the British supervised elections in 1980.

 

[Altitude sickness]

"One Second After" about an EMP attack...shiver me timbers!

First thing I would do if it happened would be move out of Texas--too hot for no A/C, lol

A sobering read and close enough to fact to be scary. Unfortunately, there are a few cliché portions.
And there are several over the top pages that kind of lower the quality of writing.

For instance,the lead character killing teenagers with the firing squad for looting. It goes against the exact thing that military officers are ingrained with. Keeping order and maintaining discipline when people under them want to resort to basic instincts.

 

[DieJager]

I generally read a varied range of books, fiction and non fiction, I usually have about 3 to 5 books going at once, big fan of science fiction...Asimov, Harry Harrison, Clarke, etc...or a good adventure yarn.
Currently reading "Wanderlust" the biography of Peter Freuchen the Danish explorer.

Roger

Have read the Foundation series from Asimov years ago. Enjoyed it. Have you seen the TV series yet? Heard some good stories about it but haven't seen it yet.

 

[yumastepside]

I also read the Foundation series back in high school, and no, I haven't seen the series yet but would like to.
I grew up reading science fiction and fantasy...all the Micheal Moorcock and Robert E Howard books and all the fantastic cover art that went with it...Frazetta, Rodney Matthews, Achilleos...

Roger

 

[PARA45]

"One Second After" about an EMP attack...shiver me timbers!

First thing I would do if it happened would be move out of Texas--too hot for no A/C, lol

Excellent book, I read it a few years ago.

 

[RSL]

It is heartening to see there are so many enthusiastic readers in the group....!

 

[OldCombatEngr]

Enjoying my favorite cigar and author outside this afternoon.
View attachment 681303

Curious as to what books others are enjoying at the moment or recently?

I find myself often going back to the authors I enjoyed in HS in the late '60s. After more than half a century, I find I have forgotten a lot of the details of most of the older books I read at the time. So, re-reading any of those is almost like reading them for the first time. ;-) A few I have found time to re-read in the past few years and might be of interest: Mr. Rifleman by Whelan; African Rifles and Cartridges by Taylor; Game in the Desert Revisited by O'Connor; A Hunter's Wanderings in Africa by Selous; Use Enough Gun by Ruark; African Game Trails by Roosevelt; Man-eaters and Marauders by Taylor; Sixguns by Keith; Wilderness Hunting and Wildcraft by Whelan; Complete Book of Practical Handloading by Wootters; Military and Sporting Rifle Shooting by Crossman; Book of the Rifle by Carmichael. (I gave my Gene Hill signed books--A Hunter's Fireside Book, Mostly Tailfeathers, and Hill Country--to my son, or I'd have surely broken them out to re-read them yet again.) I realize at 72, there is no way in this life I will get to read all I had hoped to enjoy and learn. So we have to be selective, no?

 

[OldCombatEngr]

Excellent book, I read it a few years ago.

Yes, indeed. That and One Year After offer good food for thought. An ounce of prevention. . . . Forstchen gets one to thinking. Related to those two is Lights Out by Ted Koppel, also worth one's time in order to learn more. After 9-11, government activity devoted some time to Electromagnetic Pulse, our old electrical grid, and related significant threats. The concerns about Large Power Transformers (LPTs) and related infrastructure remain, but they have reportedly been reduced by increased LPT manufacturing in the U.S. instead of China over the past 20 years. Hopefully, the current administration will develop America's capabilities even more to further reduce the threat.

 

[OldCombatEngr]

It is heartening to see there are so many enthusiastic readers in the group....!

After spending nearly 30 years teaching university students, I worry that the younger generations read books even less than our generation, which is saying something. Even the younger profs seemed to not be much into reading books and developing themselves, bringing more to the classroom. The books take commitment relative to a simple article or text, but they offer a superior experience to learn a subject. Even with electronic devices, many of the younger folks appreciate the simplicity of holding a book, so that is good, IMHO.

 

[DieJager]

After spending nearly 30 years teaching university students, I worry that the younger generations read books even less than our generation, which is saying something. Even the younger profs seemed to not be much into reading books and developing themselves, bringing more to the classroom. The books take commitment relative to a simple article or text, but they offer a superior experience to learn a subject. Even with electronic devices, many of the younger folks appreciate the simplicity of holding a book, so that is good, IMHO.

I'm in my mid thirties, always loved and still love reading books. Always reading one or two. Never thought I would read e-books until my wife bought a Kindle. I love holding a real book. Now most books I read are on the Kindle. Luckily old books in my native language I'll have to buy secondhand so still can enjoy a nice real book now and then.

 

[steve white]

I find myself often going back to the authors I enjoyed in HS in the late '60s. After more than half a century, I find I have forgotten a lot of the details of most of the older books I read at the time. So, re-reading any of those is almost like reading them for the first time. ;-) A few I have found time to re-read in the past few years and might be of interest: Mr. Rifleman by Whelan; African Rifles and Cartridges by Taylor; Game in the Desert Revisited by O'Connor; A Hunter's Wanderings in Africa by Selous; Use Enough Gun by Ruark; African Game Trails by Roosevelt; Man-eaters and Marauders by Taylor; Sixguns by Keith; Wilderness Hunting and Wildcraft by Whelan; Complete Book of Practical Handloading by Wootters; Military and Sporting Rifle Shooting by Crossman; Book of the Rifle by Carmichael. (I gave my Gene Hill signed books--A Hunter's Fireside Book, Mostly Tailfeathers, and Hill Country--to my son, or I'd have surely broken them out to re-read them yet again.) I realize at 72, there is no way in this life I will get to read all I had hoped to enjoy and learn. So we have to be selective, no?

Agree with all the above, except, IT SURE DOESN'T TAKE ME HALF A CENTURY TO FORGET, lol, unfortunately .

 

[Raven]

Horn of the Hunter by R. Ruark.

I read this book a long time ago, but a week ago I found a PDF version in my phone. I don't remember when I downloaded the PDF to my phone, but since it's there, I started browsing the text and got caught up, as if I hadn't read this book before. It's worth reading it a second time.

 

[Flbt]

Gun digest classics
Stories from the most popular gun writers

 

[CZDiesel]

African Hunting Gazette, just received the new issue

 

[Rare Breed]

SELOUS SCOUTS, TOP SECRET WAR

Lt.Col. Ron Reid Daly
as told to Peter Stiff

This is the story of the Selous Scouts Regiment of Rhodesia which was formed in 1973, and abolished without formal benefit of disbandment when Robert Mugabe's ZANU took power after the British supervised elections in 1980.

on my last safari with @Tokoloshe one of the lodge managers and a just terrific person and man Russ was a Selous scout. Incredible person!

 

[OldCombatEngr]

Agree with all the above, except, IT SURE DOESN'T TAKE ME HALF A CENTURY TO FORGET, lol, unfortunately .

Recently opened a book to find many marginal notes from 27 years ago, and I could not recall any of the contents.

 

[Nyati]

Just finished "Atlas shrugged" by Ayn Rand

Started "Post Wall, Post Square. Rebuilding the world after 1989", by Christina Spohr.

I am very much a history buff, also interested in social science, and of course, anything related to African hunting of which I have about 60 books.

I also enjoy science fiction and crime novels, if they are good.

 

[RSL]

I'm in my mid thirties, always loved and still love reading books. Always reading one or two. Never thought I would read e-books until my wife bought a Kindle. I love holding a real book. Now most books I read are on the Kindle. Luckily old books in my native language I'll have to buy secondhand so still can enjoy a nice real book now and then.

I have a few years on you at 82 and I still enjoy holding and reading a real book. But most of my reading these days is dome on my Kindle app on my cell phone. I no longer have the physical space for real books. Most of my book collection is in storage at my sister's house. I need to get back there and try to donate them to the local library. One of my great fears is my collection will sold for $1.00 each at a garage sale after I'm gone. My son, nephews and nieces are not readers. Neither are any of my friends. It frustrates me as I have have always been a reader for as long as I can remember. No wisecracking please.

 

[DieJager]

I have a few years on you at 82 and I still enjoy holding and reading a real book. But most of my reading these days is dome on my Kindle app on my cell phone. I no longer have the physical space for real books. Most of my book collection is in storage at my sister's house. I need to get back there and try to donate them to the local library. One of my great fears is my collection will sold for $1.00 each at a garage sale after I'm gone. My son, nephews and nieces are not readers. Neither are any of my friends. It frustrates me as I have have always been a reader for as long as I can remember. No wisecracking please.

I love reading. I cannot imagine a life without it. I try to read for my kids before they go to bed. Hopefully they become avid readers themselves. My wife shares my love for books although completely different genres.

I understand your fears about your collection. I stashed most of my books with my wife's parents. I hope someday the kids start to read them and that they not exclusively will collect dust.We do not enough space for my books to be honest. Also one of the reasons my wife steered me to Kindle. One thing she cannot change is the display of my collection of hunting books. Somewhere you have to draw the line.

Thanks for sharing and nice to hear you still reading. Not everybody at that age makes the switch to digital. It is much more economical for sure.

 

[Flbt]

I have a few years on you at 82 and I still enjoy holding and reading a real book. But most of my reading these days is dome on my Kindle app on my cell phone. I no longer have the physical space for real books. Most of my book collection is in storage at my sister's house. I need to get back there and try to donate them to the local library. One of my great fears is my collection will sold for $1.00 each at a garage sale after I'm gone. My son, nephews and nieces are not readers. Neither are any of my friends. It frustrates me as I have have always been a reader for as long as I can remember. No wisecracking please.

Don’t fill bad if they do get sold a 1$ .
Well except for the money out lay.
I have over the years got a lot of use out of garage sale books and magazines
I got to read a lot of old guns and ammo magazines because grandkids were selling them at 0.25 apiece I bought over 2 decades of them
Along with guns digest anuals
I inturn gave some away to family that read and to young family that was getting into hunting and guns.
And I shipped a lot over to the desert when my son in law was over there