The Book Dimension

Quote from luckynedpepper

I read everything from sports biographies to Dickens. I've started to take more of an interest in English history and world war 2 as both my Grandfathers fought in WW2.
I am also interested in other countries and their people,their lives etc.So a bit of everything really.How about you?

It is interesting our History books on WWII do not mention the activity in Finnish waters and yet there were Naval battles.
My English cousins husband was a Navy man during WWII and that is where he served. My other English cousin served under Mongomery. He was there before Monty and after.
The US History books cover Eisenhower and Patton in the African campaign, but hardly anything about the Brits.

I did go into a bookstore when I visited the UK in 1994 and asked for books about the US Revolution and the War of 1812. The person just said we don't carry any. I thought someone whould have written something, because one of my favorite US Civil War books is written by GF Henderson a British Colonel.

Quote from ShortGrub

US History books cover Eisenhower and Patton in the African campaign, but hardly anything about the Brits.

As I said, Jeff, Churchill's history of WW2 is one of the best, at least inasmuch as the European theater goes. For the Pacific, I strongly recommend John Toland. I especially liked his "The Rising Sun". In it, he makes a pretty strong case that Japan was almost forced to go to war with us to save face.

Quote from ShortGrub

one of my favorite US Civil War books is written by GF Henderson a British Colonel.

Did you ever read Douglas Southall Freeman's "Lee's Lieutenants"? IMO, it's one of the best histories of the Civil War, or at least that part that concerns The Army of Northern Virginia, which was commanded by General Lee.

Save your Confederate money, boys, the South's gonna rise again. (let us hope )

I've just recently finished reading all the Ian Fleming James Bond books

Quote from luckynedpepper

I've just recently finished reading all the Ian Fleming James Bond books

I have a lot of 'em but only in paperback. Most of my books are in hardback and I have a fairly extensive library. I've given away to various libraries thousands of dollars worth of books, mostly to make room for new ones. My tastes in reading cover a wide range.

I'm in the middle of reading Little Big Man right now, by Thomas Berger. It's close to the movie with minor differences, but a good read all around. I like reading western books. The Lonesome Dove series (Lonesome Dove, Streets Of Laredo, Comanche Moon and Deadman's Walk) by Larry McMurtry were great. Bury My heart at Wounded Knee by Dee Brown is another.

I also like reading autobiographies, mostly sports biographies. As far as baseball players go, there's only one autobiography I couldn't finish. That was Pete Rose's book. He was a great baseball player, but way too full of himself.

Just an idea, but it seems we have quite a few readers on this forum. Why don't we utilize the trading post thread on this board and offer up books we have read and decide to pass on. We could list them and trade them for others from members who list theirs. Granted, most of the ones I have are paperbacks, some worn from being enjoyed, but I would be glad to pass them on for others to read. If someone sees a book they want to read and don't have one to trade, they could just offer to pay the shipping cost to receive it. What are your thought on this? Any takers?

Mark

Quote from dukefan1

I'm in the middle of reading Little Big Man right now, by Thomas Berger. It's close to the movie with minor differences, but a good read all around. I like reading western books. The Lonesome Dove series (Lonesome Dove, Streets Of Laredo, Comanche Moon and Deadman's Walk) by Larry McMurtry were great. Bury My heart at Wounded Knee by Dee Brown is another.

I also like reading autobiographies, mostly sports biographies. As far as baseball players go, there's only one autobiography I couldn't finish. That was Pete Rose's book. He was a great baseball player, but way too full of himself.

Just an idea, but it seems we have quite a few readers on this forum. Why don't we utilize the trading post thread on this board and offer up books we have read and decide to pass on. We could list them and trade them for others from members who list theirs. Granted, most of the ones I have are paperbacks, some worn from being enjoyed, but I would be glad to pass them on for others to read. If someone sees a book they want to read and don't have one to trade, they could just offer to pay the shipping cost to receive it. What are your thought on this? Any takers?

Mark

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I'm pretty attached to nearly all my books, Mark, so don't think I'd want to get rid of any of 'em. Some of 'em I've had for 40 or 50 years. Some of my paperbacks I might trade; I'll go through them and see.

I thought "Lonesome Dove" was great but didn't care for the sequences at all.

I know how you feel, Stumpy. I hate getting rid of beloved books also. I have quite a few that I read over every year or so. I was just talking about books that the owner knows he won't be reading again, but hate to throw them out. They might give pleasure to someone else. Paperbacks fit well into that category as they are inexpensive. Like I said, it is just s thought.

Mark

Quote from dukefan1

Paperbacks fit well into that category as they are inexpensive.

Not so much anymore. I remember back in the Fifties I bought hardbacks for less than what paperbacks cost nowadays. And most paperbacks then were either 25 or sometimes 35 cents. Ah, what inflation does to your money.

Isn't that the truth. I've ran across a few books in stores that I thought I might enjoy reading, but not enough to pay the price they are asking. Hardback books are priced way more than they are worth. Most of my expensive hardbacks were given to me as presents. I can see books that are filled with photographs (that the author has to pay royalties to use them) being on the expensive side, but just a book of written word? I am a printer, and I know that the more books printed in the order, the cheaper the price per book. Well, thank goodness for libraries, where we can still read the book without paying out the nose for it.

Mark

Quote from dukefan1

Isn't that the truth. I've ran across a few books in stores that I thought I might enjoy reading, but not enough to pay the price they are asking. Hardback books are priced way more than they are worth. Most of my expensive hardbacks were given to me as presents. I can see books that are filled with photographs (that the author has to pay royalties to use them) being on the expensive side, but just a book of written word? I am a printer, and I know that the more books printed in the order, the cheaper the price per book. Well, thank goodness for libraries, where we can still read the book without paying out the nose for it.

Mark

Anymore, when I see a title or author I might like, I begin thinking of ways to buy the book without paying that price printed on the inside front dust jacket. I check Sams first because sometimes you can find a title you want there for considerably less money. And often I get the books I want at abebooks. And even Amazon usually has them below full retail price. I just flatout refuse to pay $27.95 for a run-of-the-mill novel that I used to buy for 7 or 8 dollars.

Those of you interested in expanding their vocabulary should read this book.

Booth Tarkington was an American author popular during the early years of the last century and he was extremely articulate.

I began reading his Penrod series when I was about 9 or 10 years old and soon discovered that I needed a good dictionary because I was totally unfamiliar with many of the words he used. I guarantee this book will help your English language skills. It sure helped mine.

You can read the online book (which is a copy of the original) by using the arrow key next to "page" in the upper right corner. Enjoy - it's an extremely humorous account of a young boy's trip through life in early America but I suspect that older men of any country will recognize the situations described in Mr. Tarkington's "Penrod".