Grand unified books thread

[Syt]

The 1973 radio drama based on Asimov's Foundation Trilogy is now on Spotify:

http://www.openculture.com/2015/08/isaac-asimovs-foundation-trilogy-hear-the-1973-radio-dramatization.html

[Queequeg]

Mao: The Untold Story.

So is Mao just crazy and evil?  Like, legitimately psychopathic?

[jimmy olsen]

I read 1177 B.C.: The Year Civilization Collapsed by Eric H. Cline over the weekend.  It provides a great summary of the late Bronze Age world and the various theories for why it collapsed.  If you are at all interested in this time period I highly recommend it. 

http://press.princeton.edu/titles/10185.html

Read it. Enjoyed it.

However it was too short and the thesis was lame. "It was a combination of all of the above" while always the most likely cause of such complex and widespread events neither puts butts in the seat, nor gets you grant money.

[Maladict]

However it was too short and the thesis was lame. "It was a combination of all of the above" while always the most likely cause of such complex and widespread events neither puts butts in the seat, nor gets you grant money.

Which makes writing it commendable, not lame. Hiding it in the small print while selling it as a new angle that explains everything always puts me off.

[11B4V]

Finished up Order in Chaos by Hermann Balck. Slanted a little, but the operational details of the battles were good. The WW1 part of the book I thought was great. Jägers FTW

Still working on Snow and Steel; Great coverage on the commanders, focusing on the division and below. Great background on unit training and prep for the battle. So far "A"

Still waiting on 
The Sword Behind The Shield: A Combat History of the German Efforts to Relieve Budapest 1945 - Operation 'Konrad' I, III, III
by Norbert Számvéber

Supposedly the 19th is the release date.

[jimmy olsen]

So, any other recommendations for books on bronze age civilizations?

[The Minsky Moment]

There's the speculative one about chariot warfare, was discussed a couple years back,

[Razgovory]

So, any other recommendations for books on bronze age civilizations?

You are going to have to narrow it down a bit.

[The Brain]

So, any other recommendations for books on bronze age civilizations?

You are going to have to narrow it down a bit.

Yeah. New England? The South? Midwest?

[jimmy olsen]

So, any other recommendations for books on bronze age civilizations?

You are going to have to narrow it down a bit.

I have a broad interest in the development of  that level of civilization.

[crazy canuck]

Here you go.

http://press.princeton.edu/titles/8488.html

[11B4V]

Finally landed a copy at a decent price.

[jimmy olsen]

Anyone know of any good books on preclonial Vietnamese history, or the history of Women in Vietnam (all eras). I find these topics to be quite interesting while I was there.

[Syt]

Currently reading the third book in the Star Wars - Old Republic tie in novels.

"Fatal Alliance" was surprisingly decent, more like an RP action adventure showcasing all 8 classes from the game, good action, a decent mix of characters.

"Deceived" was about Darth Malgus and the immediate aftermath of the sacking of Coruscant. Still ok, though not exactly high literature.

Now on "Revan," which bridges the story between KotOR 1 and 2 (the connection between Revan and the Exile), and giving background to one of the MMO companions. Should be great, but unfortunately it's written by Drew Karpyshyn. He wrote for the video games Mass Effect 1&2, Jade Empire, Baldur's Gate II and KotOR. I tried reading his Mass Effect novels when I was playing ME2, but dear lord, his novel writing is atrocious. More often than not I find his characters come across as stupid for not being able to figure out basic stuff, and in Revan I find that sometimes he writes against the established character [spoiler]like when Bastila suggests her husband Revan leave a potential threat to the galaxy for future generations - he has to remind her that with her being pregnant that would mean their kid would have to deal with it[/spoiler].

[Martinus]

Currently reading Jung's "Man and His Symbols". Extremely engaging. Next on my list, re-reading of the "newly abdridged" Frazier's "Golden Bough". Then most likely back to Jung.