[Aiel]

Originally Posted by manolin

If you are in bombay/blore, then I would expect them to deliver in today, some of my friends got their pre-order copies yesterday from flipkart.

btwn, I just realised your nick in the forum :clap

I just received the book about 30 minutes back. Unfortunately, I will not be able to read the book till tomorrow, due to work.

[paliontile]

Any Isaac Asimov Fans out there? Am on the verge of completing the extended Foundation series (last book, Foundation and Earth pending).

And on a different note, did any one try listening to audio books while driving? I tried once, on one of my drives back to home from office on the Hyd ORR - the narrator's voice is so boring, i almost fell asleep on the wheel! I never dared again. Want to hear others' experiences out there.

In US, i was surprised one of my colleagues used to listen to audio books on long journeys! (>10hrs)

[chinkara]

Originally Posted by paliontile

Any Isaac Asimov Fans out there? Am on the verge of completing the extended Foundation series (last book, Foundation and Earth pending).

And on a different note, did any one try listening to audio books while driving? I tried once, on one of my drives back to home from office on the Hyd ORR - the narrator's voice is so boring, i almost fell asleep on the wheel! I never dared again. Want to hear others' experiences out there.

In US, i was surprised one of my colleagues used to listen to audio books on long journeys! (>10hrs)

Yep, finished all Asimov in school.
Audio books not my cup of tea. The biggest problem I find is that the pace of narration is too slow, and I am a fast reader.

[twinblades]

So i am reading the final book of the Wheel of Time Series. I am kinda of depressed now that I have the final book and the story is finally going to end. I got hooked to the series back in 1998.

[DudeWithaFiat]

Not much of a reader, my top books would be :

1) The Godfather.
2) Pagan Babies by Elmore Leonard.
3) Cuba Libre by Elmore Leonard.
4) The Last Don.
5) Out of Sight by Elmore Leonard.

Currently reading 'The Partner' by John Grisham.

[Samurai]

Today I just finished reading Jeff Shaara's The Final Storm, a very factual portrayal of the battle for Okinawa and the Bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. This is the last book of the World war II series.

Since I was a kid, whenever I heard about the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, like most people I judged it was the wrong thing do. And like most people I didn't know much about the war on the Pacific theater.

And now I agree that there was hardly any choice. Japanese were planning to fight until the last man, woman and child, basically suicide of the entire nation. They were also hoping inflict similarly massive casualty on the Americans.

Another fact, conventional bombing of Japan destroyed 65 cities and over a million people. That is 5 times more than the people killed by atomic bombing that destroyed just 2 cities. How many people know that?

By Now I have read Jeff Shaara's entire series on US revolutionary war, US-Mexican War, American Civil war, WWI and WWII. They are quite an eye opener, he writes without any bias, or judgement.

The Final Storm was really depressing because Japanese didn't follow any International rules of war. They tortured prisoners, used civilians and women as decoys and human bombs, attacked and killed Americans while pretending to surrender, shot their own soldiers who were surrendering, committed suicide using grenades while ringed by innocent civilians. They made German soldiers look like saints.

Moral of the story: Never judge before learning the historical background.

[F150]

Originally Posted by Samurai

By Now I have read Jeff Shaara's entire series on US-Mexican War, American Civil war, WWI and WWII. They are quite an eye opener, he writes without any bias, or judgement.

The Final Storm

Moral of the story: Never judge before learning the historical background.

Could you share the names of the books listed above ?
I too like to learn history.

[Samurai]

Originally Posted by F150

Could you share the names of the books listed above ?
I too like to learn history.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeff_Shaara

[ampere]

Originally Posted by Samurai

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeff_Shaara

Thanks for reminding me of this Samu-san. I had starting reading the WW II trilogy Vol-I quite some time back, and for some reason, was not able to complete. The Trilogy is a very good factual account. I am just starting through its Audible version again! The important aspect is to keep focus on the topic without meandering and the author does it nicely.

The other history book which I adore, is about the crusades by Sir Steven Runciman.

Try the his three volume series. The best part is, though his text is used as a reference book in many colleges for degree courses, it can even be read as a normal book too and can be extremely enjoyable, esp if one likes history.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steven_Runciman

It took quite some time almost a decade back, to fetch the three volumes from Amazon and that too from a third party seller to get it, when they went out of print. I dont know how the situation is today.

[msdivy]

Originally Posted by Samurai

Japanese were planning to fight until the last man, woman and child, basically suicide of the entire nation. They were also hoping inflict similarly massive casualty on the Americans.

Unit 731 is evidence what Japan could do to their enemies. Japan occupied China and turned China into a human laboratory for their biological & chemical warfare. There are estimates at least 25,000 Chinese were killed in these experiments. True, Japan had to be stopped at any cost.

[Samurai]

Originally Posted by ampere

Thanks for reminding me of this Samu-san. I had starting reading the WW II trilogy Vol-I quite some time back, and for some reason, was not able to complete. The Trilogy is a very good factual account.

The Pacific theater is not part of the Trilogy, but you will be amazed to find that Shaara manages to follow the story of Clay Adams, the brother of Jesse Adams (from the western theater). Both brothers survived the war, which is a miracle by itself.

Originally Posted by ampere

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steven_Runciman

It took quite some time almost a decade back, to fetch the three volumes from Amazon and that too from a third party seller to get it, when they went out of print. I dont know how the situation is today.

Ah, the crusades! I have followed it only in History channel videos so far. Wanted to read a detailed version some time. The first book is available on Kindle. Rest are hard copies, but available.

[wanderer4x4]

Originally Posted by Samurai

The Pacific theater is not part of the Trilogy, but you will be amazed to find that Shaara manages to follow the story of Clay Adams, the brother of Jesse Adams (from the western theater). Both brothers survived the war, which is a miracle by itself.

I'd read somewhere that only after the success of the trilogy Shaara started work on the often "neglected" pacific theater histories. BTW, I feel "The Steel Wave" to be the best one among all four. The way Shaara brings to life the personalities of Rommel and Eisenhower and the other participants, it makes one feel more like reading a war front documentary than a fictional novel.

On another note, two of the best books I've about the China Burma India theater are "Now The Hell Will Start" by Brendan Koerner and "Road of Bones" by Fergal Keane. Both depict two different aspects of the war on the eastern front of India.

[ampere]

For many who have read only the Apple stories, here is Google one. If you have not read.

In the plex by Steven Levy.

http://www.amazon.com/Plex-Google-Th...ds=in+the+plex


PS : @Samurai There is a Kindle version available and as usual I have the audible version !

[skanchan95]

Reading this currently, on probably the longest air war ever. Impressive amount of details in the book and a must for any military aviation history enthusiast.

[Oxy]

Finished The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie a while ago. I think this has to be her best work by far.

Just started with Doctors by Erich Segal. Extremely interesting so far.

I am looking to purchase Miss Callaghan Comes to Grief by James Hadley Chase. Have heard that this book was banned in the UK when it was released and there was a court case against the author. Any pointers where I can get it in Bangalore or online? Landmark has it but it quotes an obscene Rs.970 for it.