Grand unified books thread

[Ed Anger]

I'm not a fan of Esdalle's Peninsular War. It reads like a pompous blowhard wrote it.

[Habbaku]

Do you recall any examples? I didn't pick that up from his broader work.

[Ed Anger]

Do you recall any examples? I didn't pick that up from his broader work.

The British were bad. Very bad. He spent the first part of the book running down the British. I lost intrest after his frothy ranting.

Gates' The Spanish Ulcer is better.

[celedhring]

Do you recall any examples? I didn't pick that up from his broader work.

The British were bad. Very bad. He spent the first part of the book running down the British. I lost intrest after his frothy ranting.

Looks like a book I have to read! 

[The Minsky Moment]

Do you recall any examples? I didn't pick that up from his broader work.

The British were bad. Very bad. He spent the first part of the book running down the British. I lost intrest after his frothy ranting.

Gates' The Spanish Ulcer is better.

Esdaile's Wars of Napoleon is pretty harsh to Napoleon, so maybe he's doing something right after all.

[Ed Anger]

HE BETTER NOT TRASH DAVOUT.

I'll send him a nasty gram in pig Latin.

[jimmy olsen]

Per-ordered Oathbringer, book 3 of the Stormlight Archives.

Saw that a novella Edgedancer, that's been expanded from an anthology peice is being released a month earlier, ordered that too.

[Savonarola]

I read "The Dictator's Handbook: Why Bad Behavior is Almost Always Good Politics" by Bruce Bueno de Mesquita and Alastair Smith .  The central tenant is that people in power must satisfy only the people needed to keep them in power; the fewer those people are, the worse the dictator is likely to be.  The book tends to carry its conclusions too far and runs into trouble when explaining the behavior of leaders in a democracy.  Still it is entertaining if nothing else.

One thing when reading that struck me was how many countries in Asia managed to achieve some level of prosperity before becoming democracies (South Korea, Taiwan, Japan) or haven't yet become democracies (China, Singapore.)  I thought that might explain some of Mono's views.

[CountDeMoney]

One thing when reading that struck me was how many countries in Asia managed to achieve some level of prosperity before becoming democracies (South Korea, Taiwan, Japan) or haven't yet become democracies (China, Singapore.)  I thought that might explain some of Mono's views.

Not only is that a very recent development, it was not without substantial external assistance.  And when you mean Japan, which Japan do you mean? 

And the only thing that explains Mono's views is that he is not only straight out of Central Casting, he aspires to stereotype.

[The Brain]

Probably South Japan.

[Eddie Teach]

And the only thing that explains Mono's views is that he is not only straight out of Central Casting, he aspires to stereotype.

Nah, I think you need to factor in a handful of psychological disorders as well. 

[mongers]

Started listening to the old BBC radio adaptation of 'Lord of the Rings'. 

So I think I'll go on a bit of a Tolkien reading binge afterwards, first up 'The Silmarrillion'.

After that, LOTR, something I've not read in donkey's years, think I'll start it in the early Autumn or August and as an experiment read it in sync with the days in the book, so around September 22nd I'll be reading about their departure form the Shire.

Then just read a few pages every other day to get to the departure from Rivendale in early winter.   IIRC the book effectively finishes in Minas Tirith around Midsummer's day with the hobbits recovering from their journey into the dark, so I'll aim to finish in sync with that, mid way through next year?

[The Brain]

Got a couple of shipments today, including the Duffy books Instrument of War and By Force of Arms, about the Austrian army in the Seven Years War. After a recent trip to Vienna I am reading up on Austrian military history, with a focus on the 18th century, and the internet told me that Instrument was THE book on the Austrian army in the era. They both look really nice, but of course I haven't read them yet.

[Habbaku]

By Force of Arms, about the Austrian army in the Seven Years War

I would be really interested to hear your thoughts on it when you get around to finishing it. I have read Richard Bassett's For God and Kaiser, but it's more an overview of the entirety of Austria's army rather than covering that specific period.

[Zanza]

Per-ordered Oathbringer, book 3 of the Stormlight Archives.

Damn, I got my hopes up that this is already out. Well, waiting until November isn't too bad.