Mabel Choate said:

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Reading this also

JABQ04 said:

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The last time German paratroopers were dropped in combat in WWII

Battle of the Bulge says hello.

Germans dropped a Kampfgruppe of paratroopers of about 1,000 in a night drop, but they were so scattered they were ineffective.

BQ78 said:

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Battle of the Bulge says hello.

Germans dropped a Kampfgruppe of paratroopers of about 1,000 in a night drop, but they were so scattered they were ineffective.

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I've read numerous books about the Battle of the Bulge and have never read any references of a German Paratrooper drop.

The weather was dense clouds and fog at the beginning of the attack, so I am skeptical of your claim

ABATTBQ87 said:

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BQ78 said:

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Battle of the Bulge says hello.

Germans dropped a Kampfgruppe of paratroopers of about 1,000 in a night drop, but they were so scattered they were ineffective.

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I've read numerous books about the Battle of the Bulge and have never read any references of a German Paratrooper drop.

The weather was dense clouds and fog at the beginning of the attack, so I am skeptical of your claim

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So was I initially of the claim. I knew the Germans did commando drops then but nothing large scale. But then I looked it up.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_St%C3%B6sser

Finally getting around to the last volume.

AtlAg05 said:

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Finally getting around to the last volume.

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Let me know how it is in relation to the first two. I'm hesitant to read it because Manchester didn't actually write the book. That probably seems weird, but it just seems like it would be strange to pick up a story 2/3rds of the way through with a completely different style and tone.

This is my biggest fear right now with Robert Caro

On Wikipedia it says Manchester had written 100K words of the book before he had to stop. So far it's been great as expected.

Anyone read "The Struggle for Europe: A Companion to the Churchill Memoirs" by Chester Wilmont

My grandfather had it along with Churchills series. Curious if it is worth the extra 600-700 pages

ABATTBQ87 said:

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BQ78 said:

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Battle of the Bulge says hello.

Germans dropped a Kampfgruppe of paratroopers of about 1,000 in a night drop, but they were so scattered they were ineffective.

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I've read numerous books about the Battle of the Bulge and have never read any references of a German Paratrooper drop.

The weather was dense clouds and fog at the beginning of the attack, so I am skeptical of your claim

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It happened for sure. I believe it was baron Von der Heydt that led them

Irish_Man said:

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Picking up again with T.G. Webb's, battle of the Brazos. A Texas football football rivalry, a riot and a murder.

Interesting book about the murder of the A&M cadet in Waco.

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Sorry for the long ago bump....but would you mind sharing a few details?

I've seen before that the killer of Cadet Sessums was alleged to be the son of a prominent Waco family, thus it was covered up. Is that the premise of this book?

Recently finished:



A good account of his Civil War battles, and a fair look at this contradictory character. And:



Easy read. It may not be the most accurate or in depth book on the Code Talkers, but I found it enjoyable. Basically an "as told to" autobiography. It reads like you're sitting down with Chester and listening to him talk about his life and experiences. He was the last surviving of the known Code Talkers, passing in 2014 at the age of 93.

1. Upheaval-Diamond ****
2. A Brief History of Everyone who ever lived- Rutherford, Interesting book on how DNA explains and does not explain who we are. *****


For you Churchill fans, you might like, "No More Champagne" by Lough. WC was a notorious spendthrift. This is a book about his financial life. Pretty interesting.

New reading material arrived:

hennyj15 said:

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Currently reading The Silk Roads, A New History of the World. The title is misleading. I thought it was going to be a history of the silk roads but so far it's all about the origins of modern religion.

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I'm curious what you thought of this book.

Just finished Isaacson's Leonardo da Vinci

Just started Churchill's A History of the English-Speaking Peoples, which was inspired by reading a Viking history book by Clements earlier this summer.

Also snuck in Goodbye to a River last month.

I have read books 1 & 2 of D-Day through German Eyes and they are excellent.

I just finished them this week and agree.

DeckMe80 said:

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I have read books 1 & 2 of D-Day through German Eyes and they are excellent.

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What were your feelings when reading the accounts of Germans first hand accounts of killing Americans and Allied troops?

Black Shoe Carrier Admiral by John Lumdstrom

Call Sign Chaos by General Jim Mattis

ABATTBQ87 said:

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DeckMe80 said:

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I have read books 1 & 2 of D-Day through German Eyes and they are excellent.

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What were your feelings when reading the accounts of Germans first hand accounts of killing Americans and Allied troops?

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I've read both.

It was their job? I mean, wouldn't expect them to act any differently just as I wouldn't expect our guys to not kill when needed. They had a job to do just like our guys did. It is hard to read as one of the germans interviewed was on a machine gun at omaha near where the 116th landed.

The interviewees were actually quite complimentary about our forces and how they were treated upon capture/defeat.

According to many of the interviewees, they were confused as to why the americans and brits would even invade as they had bought into a unified European concept.

Hiroshima by John Hersey



Regardless that it was necessary to stop the war and save millions, still chilling to read the personal stories of Hiroshima survivors, including a Catholic priest.

Churchill, Walking with Destiny by Andrew Roberts, is excellent. Very interesting to hear the Brit's opinion of the USA and some of its leaders. It will not disappoint you.

About halfway thru "Big Wonderful Thing: A History of Texas", by Stephen Harrigan. It's over 800 pages but well worth it. Not necessarily hard-hitting academic history but quite interesting. I did learn that apparently MG Rudder canceled a Johnny Cash concert at A&M because he thought he would be disruptive.

That book is so huge the first printing broke the binding machine at the printing company twice before they were done.

How political would you consider that book so far?

There has only been one instance, so far, where I rolled my eyes. In speaking of the Native American tribes in Texas he made a quick remark concerning their open-mindedness concerning gender fluidity. Referring to the notion of "Two-Spirits" that existed in certain tribes. That was a bit much. While this belief system existed he just threw it in there with no reference or reason.

Some people might take issue with how he handles the treatment of Native Americans, blacks, Hispanics throughout the history of Texas but even that is not heavy-handed and overflowing with PC garbage. On a side note, he doesn't seem to be a huge fan of Sul Ross so Aggies might not be too thrilled. Then again Sully, while doing great things for A&M, had a few questionable acts in his life. As we all do.

PanzerAggie06 said:

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There has only been one instance, so far, where I rolled my eyes. In speaking of the Native American tribes in Texas he made a quick remark concerning their open-mindedness concerning gender fluidity. Referring to the notion of "Two-Spirits" that existed in certain tribes. That was a bit much. While this belief system existed he just threw it in there with no reference or reason.

Some people might take issue with how he handles the treatment of Native Americans, blacks, Hispanics throughout the history of Texas but even that is not heavy-handed and overflowing with PC garbage. On a side note, he doesn't seem to be a huge fan of Sul Ross so Aggies might not be too thrilled. Then again Sully, while doing great things for A&M, had a few questionable acts in his life. As we all do.

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Thanks. Heard a radio interview (think on npr, i think) with the author and i was hesitant to start the book because it sounded like it would be overly political in nature.

1. Careless Love, the Unmaking of Elvis Presley- Guralnick

2. The Never-Ending Lives of Liver Eating Johnson- Herda

Starting Light Horse Harry Lee- Cole

Ditto

Every single one of them were absolutley flabbergasted when they first physically saw the attack - the number of ships completely blew their minds.

I just finished reading both of Wolfgan Faust's books, The Last Panther and Tiger Tracks. I thought they were excellent insight into what the German retreat from the Soviets was like. If I could only read one, I'd read The Last Panther.

Right now I'm reading Voices from Stalingrad by Jonathan Bastable. It's not bad.

Just started the Audible book of A Distant Mirror by Barbara Tuchman (Guns of August). It's about 14th century Europe.

You think we have problems now? The plague chapter is positively chilling and the scandals of the church were endemic and universal.