Grand unified books thread

[Sheilbh]

Which bit?

Also is that the Winter King? If so, let me know what you think. I've been thinking of getting it for a while.

Also does anyone know what George MacDonald Fraser's non-Flashman novels are like?

[Valmy]

You are reading a book about the Winter King?  Nice.  I was annoyed when 'The Tudors' didn't start with Bosworth Field but with some random day in Henry VIII's life.

[garbon]

Which bit?

Also is that the Winter King? If so, let me know what you think. I've been thinking of getting it for a while.

Also does anyone know what George MacDonald Fraser's non-Flashman novels are like?

That one could have a degree in that. I felt odd enough when I did a tutorial on Late Tudor History (aka mostly just Elizabeth).

Yes, that's the one. Picked the hardcover up at a used bookstore when I was in SF. Only read + first chapter, so I'll let you know once I've read a bit more.

[The Brain]

His thesis was probably hushed up for national security reasons.

[Malthus]

Also does anyone know what George MacDonald Fraser's non-Flashman novels are like?

Yup.

The "McAuslin" series really very funny. Well worth reading. Read together with his autobiography of his war years in Burma, Quartered Safe Out Here, which is also well worth reading.

The "McAuslin" series is a set of short stories, only lightly fictionalized, about his experiences in the army after WW2.

Two I liked that are tangentally tied in with the "Flashman" setting are Black Ajax and Mr. American. Both are very good, though not as compulsively readable as Flashman.

[crazy canuck]

Such a good series in fact that one is compelled to repeat its name twice.

[Malthus]

Such a good series in fact that one is compelled to repeat its name twice.

Slow news day?

[The Brain]

Finished Pacific Crucible: War at Sea in the Pacific, 1941-1942 , by Ian W. Toll.

Decent intro to the subject for the general reader with little previous knowledge. Strong focus on the "human interest" side of things: lots of space devoted to Yamamoto's geisha adventures, King's feelings about his hairline, and apparently if you're in a 1940s warship in the tropics it gets really hot and sweaty. Not so much space devoted to harder history.

If you're a more serious hobby student of the Pacific War the book can safely be ignored.

[jimmy olsen]

If you email Brandon Sanderson and ask nicely he will send you a copy of an unpublished Cosmere novel titled White Sand.

[Grey Fox]

That's his portfolio work tho.

[jimmy olsen]

That's his portfolio work tho.

Not sure what you mean?

[11B4V]

Waiting on: The Crossing of the Suez by Saad El Shazly to get here.

[Grey Fox]

I'm reading Lockstep by Karl Schroeder. It's about a galatic empire where there is no faster than light travel.

[The Minsky Moment]

The point of mentioning the $166 billion is to correct the thinking of people who still believe the bailout consisted of handing over--gifting--US taxpayer funds to financial institutions.

It's a useful point but the people most committed to the worldview of the bailouts having had a huge net cost are also probably a demographic not likely to buy and read Geithner's book.

No amount of facts is going to sway the Rand Pauline from the world.  If the Fed lost the nation's money, they are evil.  If they made money, they are lying.  And even more evil.

[Admiral Yi]

I was thinking of a slightly different demographic Joan.