Most of you probably already know this but for the one or two that don't our friend and Writer El Supremo Number One, Old NFO, has his book out. That is so awesome and as an aspiring writer myself I am jealous beyond description :)
Good on ya NFO. I'm going for the dead tree version just so I can get his signature. E-mail inbound NFO.
Six
Showing posts with label books. Show all posts
Showing posts with label books. Show all posts
13 March 2014
09 November 2013
Free Book Today Only
I found this site in my wanderings, Anonymous Conservative. The authors have a new book out that looks fascinating. It's The Evolutionary Psychology Behind Politics: How Conservatism And Liberalism Evolved. They want as wide a dissemination as possible so every once in a while they offer it for free. Today is one of those days.
If you click on that book link it will take you to the Amazon page where you can download it for free. I have no idea if it's any good or not but I'm anxious to read it and find out. It looks good but we shall have to see. When I can find the time to read it I'll offer a review but I have several others in the queue so no idea when that will be. I still owe Rawle Nyanzi a review and I need to get his book read first.
Six
If you click on that book link it will take you to the Amazon page where you can download it for free. I have no idea if it's any good or not but I'm anxious to read it and find out. It looks good but we shall have to see. When I can find the time to read it I'll offer a review but I have several others in the queue so no idea when that will be. I still owe Rawle Nyanzi a review and I need to get his book read first.
Six
13 November 2012
Three Authors And A Doctor Speaking Out.
In light of the election it's now clear that obamacare is the law of the land and will be so until single payer finally gets enacted. Clearly that is the anticipated end game. To that end we must be as informed as possible and start taking steps to both understand the coming health care nightmare and deal with the consequences. A good place for that information, and a reminder for anyone who has not yet read it, is DrRich's book, Open Wide And Say Moo at his Covert Rationing blog. You can either get it as an e-book or read it right on his site. Two things. First. I have no motivations beyond education for promoting this book. DrRich, while a heck of a guy, isn't paying me a thing. Second. DrRich is most emphatically not a quack or a crank. He's just one very smart doctor who has a clear view of what's coming and has some workable solutions and suggestions. We've become friends (at least of the e-mail variety) and my take is he's scary smart.
I talked earlier about the need for conservatives to speak out and be brave. Especially for those who have an audience but also have something to lose. DrRich is one of them and I've added another to the blogroll. SF/Fantasy author Sarah Hoyt. She's a Portuguese immigrant and a solid conservative and American. She's also decided she wants to be a voice in the wilderness and is getting the usual "I hate you now that I know what you believe and I'll/we'll never buy your books again" messages. She's now on my reading list and I recommend her to all of you who enjoy her offerings. if not check out her blog and read her musings on where we are, where we're going and what we do now. As someone who lived through the nightmare of 1978 Portugal, she's amply qualified to comment. Also a heck of an author.
Add in Larry Correia (who also knows and supports Sarah) and we've got three shining examples from the publishing, professional and medical worlds who are unafraid to speak truth to the growing power in the east.
Allies are where we find them but once declared they must be supported lest the forces of division and chaos destroy them and still their voices.
Six
I talked earlier about the need for conservatives to speak out and be brave. Especially for those who have an audience but also have something to lose. DrRich is one of them and I've added another to the blogroll. SF/Fantasy author Sarah Hoyt. She's a Portuguese immigrant and a solid conservative and American. She's also decided she wants to be a voice in the wilderness and is getting the usual "I hate you now that I know what you believe and I'll/we'll never buy your books again" messages. She's now on my reading list and I recommend her to all of you who enjoy her offerings. if not check out her blog and read her musings on where we are, where we're going and what we do now. As someone who lived through the nightmare of 1978 Portugal, she's amply qualified to comment. Also a heck of an author.
Add in Larry Correia (who also knows and supports Sarah) and we've got three shining examples from the publishing, professional and medical worlds who are unafraid to speak truth to the growing power in the east.
Allies are where we find them but once declared they must be supported lest the forces of division and chaos destroy them and still their voices.
Six
20 September 2012
Book Review - Open Wide And Say Moo
As the poster boy for the average American I try very hard to hang out with and otherwise associate myself with smart people. Take a look at my blog roll and you'll find a lot of very smart folks. One of those who go into the Very Smart list is DrRich at The Covert rationing Blog. If you haven't perused his writings I highly encourage you to spend some time at his place. Like I said, agree with him or not, the man is positively bulging with smartitude and medical badassery. Considering his education, profession and background he's easily in the genius category. Yes, I freely admit that I am a DrRich fanboy.
Over the last bit (in his munificent free time) DrRich has been writing a book on health care. It's about how we got into the mess we're in, who the major players are, what they did to basically screw up the system and how we can actually fix it short of rationing or total collapse. And it's a doozy. He explains his rational for writing a book that is surely not making him any friends in the medical health establishment or among politicians of either party.
The book is available in two places, on his site here (find the header labeled Open Wide and say Moo, click on it and select a chapter) and as an e-book available for the Kindle here. Since I'm a Luddite who doesn't have an e-reader and DrRich is a generous and all around nice guy he sent me a download of the book for my perusal. It's $5.99 on Kindle and worth every cent. Since he didn't take my money and it's available for free on his site Lu and I will be making a donation to the American Heart Association in his name.
It's not a long read but it is chock full of information, much of which I did not know. The best part is it is most emphatically not written as a dry as dust missive full of medico jargon and 5 dollar words. DrRich has a wit that is sharp as a Ginsu knife and dry as a fine Martini. Reading it is a little like passing a spectacular car wreck that you know was caused by massive stupidity. You hate to giggle at the catastrophe but you just can't help yourself. I mean, the title alone bespeaks the wonders hidden inside.
And DrRich takes no prisoners here. He calls out those he views as responsible for soaring costs and plunging rhetoric. No one is safe as the good doc takes a scalpel to modern health care, administration of such and how and why the insurance companies and politicians are playing poker with our dollars and our lives. Eye opening is a vast understatement. But DrRich is among the very few critics of our current health care debacle who has common sense answers, proposals and solutions. You may agree or disagree with him but I at least can find no fault with his logic or reasoning.
I gave the book a quick first read and am now going back over it more slowly. There is a huge amount of information here; the section on fixing the problem alone deserves devoted study. I'll be re-reading this one many times, especially with the election coming and the answers we must have in the new year if we are to preserve American medical care as the best in the world.
I cannot recommend this book highly enough. I consider it a must read for anyone who is politically aware and needs unbiased information with which to make the monumental decisions facing us all.
And if you get a giggle along the way at the driver who managed to run his car up the telephone pole guy wire you are hereby given a pass. Consider it an additional benefit for doing the necessary research.
Six
Over the last bit (in his munificent free time) DrRich has been writing a book on health care. It's about how we got into the mess we're in, who the major players are, what they did to basically screw up the system and how we can actually fix it short of rationing or total collapse. And it's a doozy. He explains his rational for writing a book that is surely not making him any friends in the medical health establishment or among politicians of either party.
The book is available in two places, on his site here (find the header labeled Open Wide and say Moo, click on it and select a chapter) and as an e-book available for the Kindle here. Since I'm a Luddite who doesn't have an e-reader and DrRich is a generous and all around nice guy he sent me a download of the book for my perusal. It's $5.99 on Kindle and worth every cent. Since he didn't take my money and it's available for free on his site Lu and I will be making a donation to the American Heart Association in his name.
It's not a long read but it is chock full of information, much of which I did not know. The best part is it is most emphatically not written as a dry as dust missive full of medico jargon and 5 dollar words. DrRich has a wit that is sharp as a Ginsu knife and dry as a fine Martini. Reading it is a little like passing a spectacular car wreck that you know was caused by massive stupidity. You hate to giggle at the catastrophe but you just can't help yourself. I mean, the title alone bespeaks the wonders hidden inside.
And DrRich takes no prisoners here. He calls out those he views as responsible for soaring costs and plunging rhetoric. No one is safe as the good doc takes a scalpel to modern health care, administration of such and how and why the insurance companies and politicians are playing poker with our dollars and our lives. Eye opening is a vast understatement. But DrRich is among the very few critics of our current health care debacle who has common sense answers, proposals and solutions. You may agree or disagree with him but I at least can find no fault with his logic or reasoning.
I gave the book a quick first read and am now going back over it more slowly. There is a huge amount of information here; the section on fixing the problem alone deserves devoted study. I'll be re-reading this one many times, especially with the election coming and the answers we must have in the new year if we are to preserve American medical care as the best in the world.
I cannot recommend this book highly enough. I consider it a must read for anyone who is politically aware and needs unbiased information with which to make the monumental decisions facing us all.
And if you get a giggle along the way at the driver who managed to run his car up the telephone pole guy wire you are hereby given a pass. Consider it an additional benefit for doing the necessary research.
Six
20 February 2012
Book Review. Shadow Ops: Control Point By Myke Cole
I am not a professional book reviewer nor do I play one on TV. I did not stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night. Some people think I cannot be trusted with sharp implements. Your mileage may vary. Void where prohibited by law. Do not operate heavy machinery while consuming this product. May cause leaky bowels.
I just finished this book and I really liked it. It's pure military SF with a bit of sword and sorcery thrown in for fun. The author is Myke Cole and it's best to start there. First, here's a link to his website. Myke is a relatively new novelist (though he has written short stories and non-fiction dealing with a very wide variety of subject matter). Shadow Ops: Control Point is the first in a series of current/near future military science fiction novels. A quick gander at Myke's biography reveals a man with a deep background in the subject matter, including 3 Iraq tours, something that I think is key to this book.
I'm going to be as vague on specifics from this book as I can lest I become the Spoiler Alert Troll and I absolutely do not want to do that. Still, there will be some divulging here, it just can't be helped. Sorry in advance. I have a reason for trying to be as vague as possible. I want you to experience the book as I did. Not quite prepared.
Born in the late 50s, I was raised in the 60s and 70s with the popular SF writers of the day. My primary go to authors were the usual cast, Heinlein (PBUH), Bradbury, Tolkein, Azimov, De Camp, Howard and the like. I later moved on to Ringo, Kratman, Weber, et al. Throw in Clancy, Dale Brown and the other military fiction authors and you can readily identify my tastes. In those books the heroes did exactly as one would expect and the bad guys were readily identifiable and predictable. Everyone fitted neatly into their assigned slots and the story went forward comfortably amd amicably. Not so here.
This is my first foray into a book written by the current generation of war fighter, a veteran of the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. There are undoubtedly more but this is my first and I was struck by the starkly different feel between Myke and those who were influenced by WWII, Vietnam and especially the Cold War. There is a lot of gray and much less black and white in the individual characters actions even while the story is uniformly one on the differences between good and evil and the triumph of freedom over coercion and slavery. Let me give an example.
In the first few pages I quickly identified the hero and the villain (Turns out I was partially wrong. There are plenty of both and none of the above as it were but I digress). I decided I liked the one and hated the other. Expected parameters and easily identified actions resulting from the character's situation. But wait. Within the first couple of chapters things began to morph a little and I found myself bashing the hero and asking him "WTF!? Why in the hell did you just do that?!" and kinda understanding and maybe even sympathizing with the villain. "Dude's just doing his job you know?" The whole book is like that. Myke's characters are rich and all too frailly human. As I said, there's a lot of gray here and Myke is unafraid to let his characters make major blunders and some of them are real lulus. Don't get me wrong here; there are clear protagonists and antagonists and ne'er the twain shall meet but their individual journeys and the choices they make along the way are the meat and gravy of this book. I found it fascinating and refreshing.
In this book you will find alternate dimensions, worlds, beasts, monsters, indegenes, FOBs, military hardware, rebels, outcasts and magic all operating under the auspices of, or in direct conflict with, the U. S. government and most especially the Army and it's subsidiary contractors. There are epic malfunctions and heroic actions but not always what's expected nor by the folks you might assume.
Wait, did I fail to mention the magic? Well, since it is on the book jacket I guess I can clarify a bit without giving anything away. It is kinda central after all.
Like Correia's Hard Magic, the world has suddenly come under the influence of magic and folks who can practice it. The government is trying hard to control the magic by, let's just say constitutionally irregular means. The similarities pretty much end there. Where Hard Magic is set in a noirish alternate 1930s, Shadow Ops is set firmly in the present or very near future. Shadow Ops spends it's time in mostly Army settings with Soldiers and Sorcerers, the Army's Supernatural Operations Corps (SOC). There are two branches of magic; authorized and prohibited. One is "allowed" to serve (and I do mean serve) in the Army, the other is hunted down and...well that may be giving too much away. Let's just say it's a fascinating take on Parole and leave it at that. It's also a fascinating take on the sins of incrementalism and the slow erosion of rights, especially for those who are deemed dangerous and anti-social.
The story ends in a place very different from it's beginning. Along the way the protagonist manages to swing between self service (that's a hint right there) and patriotism with a stop or two at despair and reality in between. The antagonists, and there are several, also exhibit complex emotions, motivations and behaviors. Even the baddest of the bad (and that's pretty dang bad). There are love interests, betrayals, fighting, death (including some pretty cold blooded murder), gunfights, hardware, a war front the folks back home decidedly do not know about, lots of magic and an entirely new branch of the Army. I mentioned an indigenous people. They play a pretty central role, one in particular (am I giving things away? Crap!) and while not they are not extensively explored I get the idea that there's a lot more to come from them in future books.
The thing that reached out and grabbed me and kept me coming back for more is something I mentioned near the top of this post. The take on conflict exhibited by an Iraq War veteran. Myke is not cut from the same cloth as the usual suspects. He has a truly unique viewpoint and manages to put that down on paper in a way that had me uncertain what to expect next. He has created a fairly dark world full of expedience, intimidation and fear (but also beauty and hope) and filled it with complex and unpredictable characters who nonetheless strive for the same things soldiers the world over have always pursued; Duty, Honor and Country, or at least as close as they can come given the particularities of the governing system they must operate within and their ability to see where their duty to those principals lies. What price redemption? For this Cold Warrior it was eye opening.
Here's my bottom line. Based on my tastes I should have hated this book but instead I loved it and I can't wait for more. It was thoroughly entertaining and enjoyable and I highly recommend it. The fact that Myke is also a Warrior as well as a pretty decent sort and who has earned his stripes is just icing on the cake.
Six
Here's the FTC weasel words. While Myke and I did exchange challenge coins we did it as brothers in arms, not collaborators. Neither he nor I recieved any financial incentive for this review nor did he solicit it or influence me in any way, matter or form. Capiche?
I just finished this book and I really liked it. It's pure military SF with a bit of sword and sorcery thrown in for fun. The author is Myke Cole and it's best to start there. First, here's a link to his website. Myke is a relatively new novelist (though he has written short stories and non-fiction dealing with a very wide variety of subject matter). Shadow Ops: Control Point is the first in a series of current/near future military science fiction novels. A quick gander at Myke's biography reveals a man with a deep background in the subject matter, including 3 Iraq tours, something that I think is key to this book.
I'm going to be as vague on specifics from this book as I can lest I become the Spoiler Alert Troll and I absolutely do not want to do that. Still, there will be some divulging here, it just can't be helped. Sorry in advance. I have a reason for trying to be as vague as possible. I want you to experience the book as I did. Not quite prepared.
Born in the late 50s, I was raised in the 60s and 70s with the popular SF writers of the day. My primary go to authors were the usual cast, Heinlein (PBUH), Bradbury, Tolkein, Azimov, De Camp, Howard and the like. I later moved on to Ringo, Kratman, Weber, et al. Throw in Clancy, Dale Brown and the other military fiction authors and you can readily identify my tastes. In those books the heroes did exactly as one would expect and the bad guys were readily identifiable and predictable. Everyone fitted neatly into their assigned slots and the story went forward comfortably amd amicably. Not so here.
This is my first foray into a book written by the current generation of war fighter, a veteran of the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. There are undoubtedly more but this is my first and I was struck by the starkly different feel between Myke and those who were influenced by WWII, Vietnam and especially the Cold War. There is a lot of gray and much less black and white in the individual characters actions even while the story is uniformly one on the differences between good and evil and the triumph of freedom over coercion and slavery. Let me give an example.
In the first few pages I quickly identified the hero and the villain (Turns out I was partially wrong. There are plenty of both and none of the above as it were but I digress). I decided I liked the one and hated the other. Expected parameters and easily identified actions resulting from the character's situation. But wait. Within the first couple of chapters things began to morph a little and I found myself bashing the hero and asking him "WTF!? Why in the hell did you just do that?!" and kinda understanding and maybe even sympathizing with the villain. "Dude's just doing his job you know?" The whole book is like that. Myke's characters are rich and all too frailly human. As I said, there's a lot of gray here and Myke is unafraid to let his characters make major blunders and some of them are real lulus. Don't get me wrong here; there are clear protagonists and antagonists and ne'er the twain shall meet but their individual journeys and the choices they make along the way are the meat and gravy of this book. I found it fascinating and refreshing.
In this book you will find alternate dimensions, worlds, beasts, monsters, indegenes, FOBs, military hardware, rebels, outcasts and magic all operating under the auspices of, or in direct conflict with, the U. S. government and most especially the Army and it's subsidiary contractors. There are epic malfunctions and heroic actions but not always what's expected nor by the folks you might assume.
Wait, did I fail to mention the magic? Well, since it is on the book jacket I guess I can clarify a bit without giving anything away. It is kinda central after all.
Like Correia's Hard Magic, the world has suddenly come under the influence of magic and folks who can practice it. The government is trying hard to control the magic by, let's just say constitutionally irregular means. The similarities pretty much end there. Where Hard Magic is set in a noirish alternate 1930s, Shadow Ops is set firmly in the present or very near future. Shadow Ops spends it's time in mostly Army settings with Soldiers and Sorcerers, the Army's Supernatural Operations Corps (SOC). There are two branches of magic; authorized and prohibited. One is "allowed" to serve (and I do mean serve) in the Army, the other is hunted down and...well that may be giving too much away. Let's just say it's a fascinating take on Parole and leave it at that. It's also a fascinating take on the sins of incrementalism and the slow erosion of rights, especially for those who are deemed dangerous and anti-social.
The story ends in a place very different from it's beginning. Along the way the protagonist manages to swing between self service (that's a hint right there) and patriotism with a stop or two at despair and reality in between. The antagonists, and there are several, also exhibit complex emotions, motivations and behaviors. Even the baddest of the bad (and that's pretty dang bad). There are love interests, betrayals, fighting, death (including some pretty cold blooded murder), gunfights, hardware, a war front the folks back home decidedly do not know about, lots of magic and an entirely new branch of the Army. I mentioned an indigenous people. They play a pretty central role, one in particular (am I giving things away? Crap!) and while not they are not extensively explored I get the idea that there's a lot more to come from them in future books.
The thing that reached out and grabbed me and kept me coming back for more is something I mentioned near the top of this post. The take on conflict exhibited by an Iraq War veteran. Myke is not cut from the same cloth as the usual suspects. He has a truly unique viewpoint and manages to put that down on paper in a way that had me uncertain what to expect next. He has created a fairly dark world full of expedience, intimidation and fear (but also beauty and hope) and filled it with complex and unpredictable characters who nonetheless strive for the same things soldiers the world over have always pursued; Duty, Honor and Country, or at least as close as they can come given the particularities of the governing system they must operate within and their ability to see where their duty to those principals lies. What price redemption? For this Cold Warrior it was eye opening.
Here's my bottom line. Based on my tastes I should have hated this book but instead I loved it and I can't wait for more. It was thoroughly entertaining and enjoyable and I highly recommend it. The fact that Myke is also a Warrior as well as a pretty decent sort and who has earned his stripes is just icing on the cake.
Six
Here's the FTC weasel words. While Myke and I did exchange challenge coins we did it as brothers in arms, not collaborators. Neither he nor I recieved any financial incentive for this review nor did he solicit it or influence me in any way, matter or form. Capiche?
09 November 2011
30 Days of Thanks- D9
(Not my stack of books. I got it off the interweb somewhere... Er... Don't remember where.)
I am incredibly thankful for my literacy. I love reading. I must read. I read to research nutrition, homeschooling, history, and science, and I read for fun history, literature, and sci-fi. Without reading I'm lost. I wouldn't know how to research, I would get seriously bored, and I would be a lot dumber about a lot of things. And as much as I love my Kindle (and I do. I'll be carrying 500+ Kindle books with me on the plane in a few weeks) I still love books. Real books, heavy books, musty books, yellowed books, honest books. I like my research books hardcopy because there is a neural connection made for me between a passage read and the sensory input of the book it was in. I'm very thankful for the options I have now a days. I can order a book instantly online, straight to my Kindle to enjoy. Or I can choose to wait, to buy a book and integrate its feel into my reading experience.
I am so thankful, as well, to those authors that put themselves out there to write. Worlds brought to life, people made real, and stories enacted through pure imagination. What an amazing medium, writing.
So now I'm off to read to my kids, to pass literacy and love of books on.
~The DO
08 October 2011
Retrieved
It's no surprise that I'm a dog guy, especially Labs. I love the breed. They're intelligent, loyal, loving, happy dogs who bring life and joy wherever they go. They'll retrieve your dinner, wrestle with you on the floor, lend a warm embrace and even find lost souls. That said, I love all dogs. It never ceases to amaze me that these animals live in such harmony with us. Their lives are literally in our all too often uncaring hands. Given even the smallest kindness they'll retun a lifetime of devotion and love.
Dutch photographer Charlotte Dumas has written a book called Retrieved about the surviving search dogs from the World Trade Tower. I admit it, I'm a sap. I look at those pictures, aging heroes who neither know nor care about fame and glory or understand the impact their all too short lives have had on those who needed them so badly and involuntary tears come. Sweet gray faces that convey their inate dignity. They remind me so much of Chrisi and my beloved Trooper.
Retrieved in on my short list of books I'm going to buy. In the meantime I'll look at those pictures and meditate on how lucky the human race is that these magnificent creatures have chosen to throw their lot in with us and be happy they have done so.
Six
Dutch photographer Charlotte Dumas has written a book called Retrieved about the surviving search dogs from the World Trade Tower. I admit it, I'm a sap. I look at those pictures, aging heroes who neither know nor care about fame and glory or understand the impact their all too short lives have had on those who needed them so badly and involuntary tears come. Sweet gray faces that convey their inate dignity. They remind me so much of Chrisi and my beloved Trooper.
Retrieved in on my short list of books I'm going to buy. In the meantime I'll look at those pictures and meditate on how lucky the human race is that these magnificent creatures have chosen to throw their lot in with us and be happy they have done so.
Six
08 September 2011
What's On My Bookshelf
Brigid asks the question and it's a good one. I've picked up more than one good book and author from reading all of your blogs and that is a very good thing.
I do have a fairly extensive library. Most of it is still packed away from the move. No special reason, I'm just kinda lazy. Still, I do have a couple of bookshelves full at the moment.
I tend to do most of my reading for pleasure. Yes, I do research but I try to keep it online. No sullying up my me time. Nothing like stretching out in a comfortable chair, a loyal dog asleep at my feet and a good yarn in my hands. I have admitted before that I'm addicted to pulp fiction, especially series. I have most of W.E.B. Griffin's stuff. He hooked me with his Brotherhood of War series. I really need to read them again. He's a fine writer who has series about both the military and police. I guess it's small wonder he's one of my favorites.
There's Tolkein, Heinlein (PBUH), Niven, Ringo, Asimov, DeChancie and Correia in there among many others. Ringworld, Riverworld, The Mote, Castle Perilous. All places I've visited and spent good times. Full of characters I've come to know and love.
One of the first series I read as a yonker was Edgar Rice Burrough's Tarzan. Burroughs was a master. Forget the cheesy movies and TV shows. The original books are dark, fast paced, thrilling and very well written. I'm hoping to introduce them to my grandson some day. Me and the boy sitting and reading about the amazing adventures of the King of the Jungle together? Heaven.
If you look closely you'll find Holmes, Achilles, Harrington, Centaurs, Powered Armor, Space Ships, Doomsday Devices and a host of heroes and villains.
You'll find a certain book that's sure to be banned by the nanny staters some day but that every boy, no matter how old, must have.
There's a book on War written by a fine man we lost this year. Sebastian, you will be missed. I grieve for your stories that will remain unwritten.
Limbaugh is in there because love him or hate him he's right more often than not. Armstrong not because of his bike but because he's one of the most effective campaigners against the scourge of cancer. I'll always love him for that.
I tend to keep my professional books and papers hidden away, not because I don't want them to fall into the wrong hands but because that part of my life is done and I hate looking back. But still, I never throw anything away that someone might someday find a use for.
I have my signed copy of SOG by Major John Plaster. Special because it was given to my by the author for graduating his sniper course as top shot. Yes, I'm bragging but it was a tough course and he was a hell of an instructor.
Ambrose, MacDonald, Broughton, Hathcock, Murphy. I'm a warrior and a soldier and I admire those who have been there and done that. I can't forget Ed Rasimus. Man's man and Fighter Pilot's Fighter Pilot. He's not a half bad writer either. I have all his books.
I was also a cop and involved with the LA riots in 92 so I have both Chief by Gates and Presumed Guilty by Koon. Hey, it effected me directly. I considered it research.
The master dog trainer, Richard Wolter, has a special place on my shelves. Water Dog was the seminal work on training retrievers.
I love books. I'll probably invest in an E-reader someday but I hope I never lose my love for a real book. Paper and ink and dreams. Fanciful covers that only hint at the wonders contained within. No matter how old or how challenged you can still be The Hero. No matter how far away you are a book is a little piece of home and a cure for the lonlies. A chance to teach and learn and just enjoy. May you never lack for a good book.
Six
I do have a fairly extensive library. Most of it is still packed away from the move. No special reason, I'm just kinda lazy. Still, I do have a couple of bookshelves full at the moment.
I tend to do most of my reading for pleasure. Yes, I do research but I try to keep it online. No sullying up my me time. Nothing like stretching out in a comfortable chair, a loyal dog asleep at my feet and a good yarn in my hands. I have admitted before that I'm addicted to pulp fiction, especially series. I have most of W.E.B. Griffin's stuff. He hooked me with his Brotherhood of War series. I really need to read them again. He's a fine writer who has series about both the military and police. I guess it's small wonder he's one of my favorites.
There's Tolkein, Heinlein (PBUH), Niven, Ringo, Asimov, DeChancie and Correia in there among many others. Ringworld, Riverworld, The Mote, Castle Perilous. All places I've visited and spent good times. Full of characters I've come to know and love.
One of the first series I read as a yonker was Edgar Rice Burrough's Tarzan. Burroughs was a master. Forget the cheesy movies and TV shows. The original books are dark, fast paced, thrilling and very well written. I'm hoping to introduce them to my grandson some day. Me and the boy sitting and reading about the amazing adventures of the King of the Jungle together? Heaven.
If you look closely you'll find Holmes, Achilles, Harrington, Centaurs, Powered Armor, Space Ships, Doomsday Devices and a host of heroes and villains.
You'll find a certain book that's sure to be banned by the nanny staters some day but that every boy, no matter how old, must have.
There's a book on War written by a fine man we lost this year. Sebastian, you will be missed. I grieve for your stories that will remain unwritten.
Limbaugh is in there because love him or hate him he's right more often than not. Armstrong not because of his bike but because he's one of the most effective campaigners against the scourge of cancer. I'll always love him for that.
I tend to keep my professional books and papers hidden away, not because I don't want them to fall into the wrong hands but because that part of my life is done and I hate looking back. But still, I never throw anything away that someone might someday find a use for.
I have my signed copy of SOG by Major John Plaster. Special because it was given to my by the author for graduating his sniper course as top shot. Yes, I'm bragging but it was a tough course and he was a hell of an instructor.
Ambrose, MacDonald, Broughton, Hathcock, Murphy. I'm a warrior and a soldier and I admire those who have been there and done that. I can't forget Ed Rasimus. Man's man and Fighter Pilot's Fighter Pilot. He's not a half bad writer either. I have all his books.
I was also a cop and involved with the LA riots in 92 so I have both Chief by Gates and Presumed Guilty by Koon. Hey, it effected me directly. I considered it research.
The master dog trainer, Richard Wolter, has a special place on my shelves. Water Dog was the seminal work on training retrievers.
I love books. I'll probably invest in an E-reader someday but I hope I never lose my love for a real book. Paper and ink and dreams. Fanciful covers that only hint at the wonders contained within. No matter how old or how challenged you can still be The Hero. No matter how far away you are a book is a little piece of home and a cure for the lonlies. A chance to teach and learn and just enjoy. May you never lack for a good book.
Six
15 April 2011
A Chance To Give Advice To An Actual Author
Ed Rasimus, over at Thunder Tales, is as fine a story teller as I've ever had the pleasure of reading. He's got three new book ideas that he's working on and he's asking for input. If you get a chance head over to Ed's site, read the three stories and leave him your opinion. You can find them here:
Stoolies/The Mailman
Life With Mother
Strike Enable
I tend toward the military side of fiction so Strike Enable is my favorite but don't let my thoughts color your opinion, they're all dang good stories.
Six
Stoolies/The Mailman
Life With Mother
Strike Enable
I tend toward the military side of fiction so Strike Enable is my favorite but don't let my thoughts color your opinion, they're all dang good stories.
Six
18 January 2011
Book Review
Ok, I admit it. I'm a philistine when it comes to some of my reading materials. I like pulp fiction. There, I said it.
I love the Tarzan books by Edgar Rice Burroughs and have them all. The Ashes series by William Johnstone. The Brotherhood of War by W.E.B. Griffin.
The best of the pulp fiction I have collected however is The Destroyer series by Warren Murphy and Richard Sapir. The series runs well past 100 books and I have most of them. It's about a wise cracking assassin named Remo Williams and his trainer Chiun, the Master of Sinanju. Remo works for an organization, CURE, that doesn't exist officially. It was designed to combat crime from outside the Constitution. Only 3 people are aware of the existence of CURE; Remo, the administrator Harold Smith and the sitting President. They never name the President and it's fun to read descriptions of him and figure out who the authors were talking about.
Smith runs CURE from Folcroft Sanitarium in Rye, New York. He has a vast army of unknowing agents who contribute snippets of information that allow Smith, with the help of his state of the art computers, to pinpoint crime and threats to the nation. Smith provides surreptitious information to prosecutors and other law enforcement agencies to battle crime. When that fails he identifies persons who merit 'special attention' from Remo.
Remo is an assassin trained in the Sun Source of martial arts, Sinanju. He can do things that are nothing short of super human. He does have weaknesses and the authors do a good job of putting him in life threatening situations. The series does veer into the ridiculous from time to time but that very campiness is part of it's charm.
Chiun is the Master of Sinanju, an ancient Korean martial art, said to be the source of all others, and Remo's trainer and surrogate father. He's racist (hates everyone except Koreans from his own little village but in a funny way, I swear), ancient and a lover of 70's era soap operas. A singular character. He doesn't know what CURE is or does and doesn't care. He just wants to get paid.
The earlier titles are the best and it's fascinating to read about things long past and to realize how circular culture and politics in America really are. The books are very, very non PC and it's refreshing to read. There are also some very stirring and moving tributes to America and what makes us who we are.
I love these books and trot them out from time to time and reread the entire series. They're fun, fast and great escapist entertainment. I can usually get through one in a couple of days. I highly recommend them.
So now you know my dark secret. I have the culture and taste of a four year old boy being raised by monkeys. Yeah, who didn't see that coming?
Six
I love the Tarzan books by Edgar Rice Burroughs and have them all. The Ashes series by William Johnstone. The Brotherhood of War by W.E.B. Griffin.
The best of the pulp fiction I have collected however is The Destroyer series by Warren Murphy and Richard Sapir. The series runs well past 100 books and I have most of them. It's about a wise cracking assassin named Remo Williams and his trainer Chiun, the Master of Sinanju. Remo works for an organization, CURE, that doesn't exist officially. It was designed to combat crime from outside the Constitution. Only 3 people are aware of the existence of CURE; Remo, the administrator Harold Smith and the sitting President. They never name the President and it's fun to read descriptions of him and figure out who the authors were talking about.
Smith runs CURE from Folcroft Sanitarium in Rye, New York. He has a vast army of unknowing agents who contribute snippets of information that allow Smith, with the help of his state of the art computers, to pinpoint crime and threats to the nation. Smith provides surreptitious information to prosecutors and other law enforcement agencies to battle crime. When that fails he identifies persons who merit 'special attention' from Remo.
Remo is an assassin trained in the Sun Source of martial arts, Sinanju. He can do things that are nothing short of super human. He does have weaknesses and the authors do a good job of putting him in life threatening situations. The series does veer into the ridiculous from time to time but that very campiness is part of it's charm.
Chiun is the Master of Sinanju, an ancient Korean martial art, said to be the source of all others, and Remo's trainer and surrogate father. He's racist (hates everyone except Koreans from his own little village but in a funny way, I swear), ancient and a lover of 70's era soap operas. A singular character. He doesn't know what CURE is or does and doesn't care. He just wants to get paid.
The earlier titles are the best and it's fascinating to read about things long past and to realize how circular culture and politics in America really are. The books are very, very non PC and it's refreshing to read. There are also some very stirring and moving tributes to America and what makes us who we are.
I love these books and trot them out from time to time and reread the entire series. They're fun, fast and great escapist entertainment. I can usually get through one in a couple of days. I highly recommend them.
So now you know my dark secret. I have the culture and taste of a four year old boy being raised by monkeys. Yeah, who didn't see that coming?
Six
11 October 2010
Monster Hunter Vendetta
I read Monster Hunter International a few months ago and even wrote a review. Short version is I loved it but was deeply concerned that the new book, Monster Hunter Vendetta, couldn't live up to the original.
Fast forward to last week. I bought a copy, started to read and ended up in a marathon geek fest until the wee small hours of the morning. Yeah, my fears have been allayed. MHV may even be better than MHI but it's too close to call.
If you're looking for a good read in the Horror, Humor, Action category I highly recommend both of these books. Correia is a gifted story teller and his characters are real (even the monsters). He also isn't afraid to kill off the occasional major character. Or two. No more hints. I've already said too much.
Six
Standard FCC disclaimer. I am a highly skilled and educated English major and Book Reviewer. (He's lying. He flunked 6th grade English and the closest he's come to being a book reviewer is talking about the latest copy of Juggs magazine with his equally prepubescent circle of friends.) I am sought after by major publishers and authors and am well paid for my services (Oh crap, where do I begin? His correspondence with major publishers consists of an increasingly rude series of rejection letters and court ordered cease and desist orders. As for well paid, he never sold a thing in his life except for his soul. He got a buck forty for it. 'Nuff said.) While I have not been paid for this particular review I am quite certain that the Author, after reading it's magnificence, will remunerate me accordingly. (Yeah, you hold your breath waiting for that there Skippy. Correia only knows he's alive because he keeps sending him mash notes. Jeez, what a dip.) I only recommend books that I have personally read and liked enough to review. (Yeah, all four of them. It takes too long to read any more. His lips move too slowly.) I understand your need to ensure the public welfare by requiring all reviewers to state their relationship to the reviewed material and I support that position. (He's lying again. He really wishes you'd all catch a bad dose of the clap and put your mothers out of the pimp business permanently. Not that I'm judging you or anything.) That said I have no personal relationship with this author. (No kidding Sherlock. He's not fooling anyone. He develops the occasional man crush and just hopes the authors come here, read his semi-literate scribblings and develop a sudden desire to be his best friend. Really, it's in his diary. What a mook.) You are keeping us all safe from the ravages of product reviews by uncontrolled bloggers. (Blogger? Rants and nonsense on a site read by 3 people a blogger does not make. Obviously the lithium dose is no longer sufficient.)
For that I say Thank you. (Piss off.)
Fast forward to last week. I bought a copy, started to read and ended up in a marathon geek fest until the wee small hours of the morning. Yeah, my fears have been allayed. MHV may even be better than MHI but it's too close to call.
If you're looking for a good read in the Horror, Humor, Action category I highly recommend both of these books. Correia is a gifted story teller and his characters are real (even the monsters). He also isn't afraid to kill off the occasional major character. Or two. No more hints. I've already said too much.
Six
Standard FCC disclaimer. I am a highly skilled and educated English major and Book Reviewer. (He's lying. He flunked 6th grade English and the closest he's come to being a book reviewer is talking about the latest copy of Juggs magazine with his equally prepubescent circle of friends.) I am sought after by major publishers and authors and am well paid for my services (Oh crap, where do I begin? His correspondence with major publishers consists of an increasingly rude series of rejection letters and court ordered cease and desist orders. As for well paid, he never sold a thing in his life except for his soul. He got a buck forty for it. 'Nuff said.) While I have not been paid for this particular review I am quite certain that the Author, after reading it's magnificence, will remunerate me accordingly. (Yeah, you hold your breath waiting for that there Skippy. Correia only knows he's alive because he keeps sending him mash notes. Jeez, what a dip.) I only recommend books that I have personally read and liked enough to review. (Yeah, all four of them. It takes too long to read any more. His lips move too slowly.) I understand your need to ensure the public welfare by requiring all reviewers to state their relationship to the reviewed material and I support that position. (He's lying again. He really wishes you'd all catch a bad dose of the clap and put your mothers out of the pimp business permanently. Not that I'm judging you or anything.) That said I have no personal relationship with this author. (No kidding Sherlock. He's not fooling anyone. He develops the occasional man crush and just hopes the authors come here, read his semi-literate scribblings and develop a sudden desire to be his best friend. Really, it's in his diary. What a mook.) You are keeping us all safe from the ravages of product reviews by uncontrolled bloggers. (Blogger? Rants and nonsense on a site read by 3 people a blogger does not make. Obviously the lithium dose is no longer sufficient.)
For that I say Thank you. (Piss off.)
28 August 2010
Monster Hunter International
I love books and am always looking for new authors, new characters and new stories I can read and love and wait impatiently for more of. I'm also a real fan of escapist entertainment. Books to read just for the fun of it and that is the key word here. Fun.
I bring you Larry Corriea and Monster Hunter International.
I'm a huge fan of B Monster movies. Not slasher pics but real monster movies. Everything from Army of darkness to Forbidden Planet. Zombies, Vampires, Werewolves, Godzilla, Hitler's Brain and everything that creeps, lurches, grasps, bites, slithers and oozes. All bring joy to my heart and a smile to my face. In my cinematic world, Bruce Campbell is giant among men.
Imagine then, that the survivors of those monster attacks decide to band together in a wildly crazy group of cross sectional America and join a company that hunts and kills those things that bring our nightmares to life and our screens to movie nirvana. They even have a cool logo.
Meet the Hunters of Monster Hunter International (MHI). Led by the heirs of the founding Shackleford family, they take the fight to the baddies of mythology and manage to get paid along the way. You'll find them all here; Werewolves, Vampires, all manner of the Undead, Orcs, Elves, and monsters straight from the fevered dreams of Lovecraft himself. This is a book just filled with monster movie goodness.
Correia has a true gift for characters and I mean that in every iteration of the word. The bad guys are very bad and the good guys run the gamut from heroic to abnormal to just plain human. He manages to avoid cliche and triteness and has enough zingers and twists thrown in to keep you happy and interested. You'll find characters you'll love, some you'll hate but none that you'll find boring. It's virtually non stop from the opening paragraphs to the climactic final scene.
Monster Hunter International is only the first. Monster Hunter Vendetta is next and Correia promises to write them forever (I fervently hope). I'll be picking up Vendetta just as soon as I can get my sweaty paws on a copy. I'll also be perusing his other offerings. His writing style agrees with me and I'm of the opinion I'm going to be a Larry Correia fan, not just MHI.
Larry, you've made another fan. Of course that means I'll be sniveling at you with requests, demands and sarcastic remarks for more. Some monsters you just can't kill, you must placate them with offerings.
Six
FCC. Don't you people have anything better to do? I mean the economy burned to the ground, the enemy is still out there looking for ways to cripple and kill America and Howard Stern is still on the air. Do we really have to do this? Really? Ok. I have received no remuneration or other recompense for this book review. I'd gladly and without a second thought take some but no one appears to be offering the semi-literate author of a tiny blog vast wads of cash to review books or otherwise hock wares on these barely read pages.
Seriously, find a new line of work.
I bring you Larry Corriea and Monster Hunter International.
I'm a huge fan of B Monster movies. Not slasher pics but real monster movies. Everything from Army of darkness to Forbidden Planet. Zombies, Vampires, Werewolves, Godzilla, Hitler's Brain and everything that creeps, lurches, grasps, bites, slithers and oozes. All bring joy to my heart and a smile to my face. In my cinematic world, Bruce Campbell is giant among men.
Imagine then, that the survivors of those monster attacks decide to band together in a wildly crazy group of cross sectional America and join a company that hunts and kills those things that bring our nightmares to life and our screens to movie nirvana. They even have a cool logo.
Meet the Hunters of Monster Hunter International (MHI). Led by the heirs of the founding Shackleford family, they take the fight to the baddies of mythology and manage to get paid along the way. You'll find them all here; Werewolves, Vampires, all manner of the Undead, Orcs, Elves, and monsters straight from the fevered dreams of Lovecraft himself. This is a book just filled with monster movie goodness.
Correia has a true gift for characters and I mean that in every iteration of the word. The bad guys are very bad and the good guys run the gamut from heroic to abnormal to just plain human. He manages to avoid cliche and triteness and has enough zingers and twists thrown in to keep you happy and interested. You'll find characters you'll love, some you'll hate but none that you'll find boring. It's virtually non stop from the opening paragraphs to the climactic final scene.
Monster Hunter International is only the first. Monster Hunter Vendetta is next and Correia promises to write them forever (I fervently hope). I'll be picking up Vendetta just as soon as I can get my sweaty paws on a copy. I'll also be perusing his other offerings. His writing style agrees with me and I'm of the opinion I'm going to be a Larry Correia fan, not just MHI.
Larry, you've made another fan. Of course that means I'll be sniveling at you with requests, demands and sarcastic remarks for more. Some monsters you just can't kill, you must placate them with offerings.
Six
FCC. Don't you people have anything better to do? I mean the economy burned to the ground, the enemy is still out there looking for ways to cripple and kill America and Howard Stern is still on the air. Do we really have to do this? Really? Ok. I have received no remuneration or other recompense for this book review. I'd gladly and without a second thought take some but no one appears to be offering the semi-literate author of a tiny blog vast wads of cash to review books or otherwise hock wares on these barely read pages.
Seriously, find a new line of work.
17 June 2010
Fighter Pilot Review
I just finished Fighter Pilot. The book is the memoirs of Fighter Ace Robin Olds in his own words as edited by Ed Rasimus and Christina Olds.
I am not a pilot, never have been and probably never will be. I am a lover of all things winged though. I am in awe of the men who regularly lay their lives on the line to bring death and destruction to our enemies. Robin Olds was such a man (as is Ed Rasimus. I've read Palace Cobra and When Thunder Rolled and both are must reads). I have read a lot of biographical military books from Company Commander to Thud Ridge. From Marcus Luttrel to Carlos Hathcock. With apologies to the deserving, Fighter Pilot may be the best of the bunch.
Fighter Pilot takes the reader from Olds' childhood in the company of some of America's greats through his life and career, past his retirement. He talks about the Air Corps/Air Force as well as his family and friends. From internal combustion trainers to the best fighters of WWII to the beginning of the Jet Age and beyond.
What struck me most about the book though is how human Robin was. He not only talked about his victories and accomplishments, he talked about his fears and failures. He talked about how his experiences molded him into the man and fighter pilot he became. He didn't hold anything back and when I was done I was left with the feeling that Robin Olds was a man I would have dearly loved to have met and talked with.
It's also obvious from reading the words in this book and what others have said and written about him that Robin Olds was a singular leader of men and a historic and larger than life figure. As a nation we can be proud that we have produced such men as Robin Olds and I only hope that we still can.
I loved Fighter Pilot. It has a special place on my bookshelves, to be taken down now and again for a re-read so I can remind myself of what Americans can aspire to and accomplish.
Oh, and for the FCC? Bite me. I bought the book with my own hard earned pesos and I have no relationship with the authors or anyone involved in this book. Sheesh.
Six
I am not a pilot, never have been and probably never will be. I am a lover of all things winged though. I am in awe of the men who regularly lay their lives on the line to bring death and destruction to our enemies. Robin Olds was such a man (as is Ed Rasimus. I've read Palace Cobra and When Thunder Rolled and both are must reads). I have read a lot of biographical military books from Company Commander to Thud Ridge. From Marcus Luttrel to Carlos Hathcock. With apologies to the deserving, Fighter Pilot may be the best of the bunch.
Fighter Pilot takes the reader from Olds' childhood in the company of some of America's greats through his life and career, past his retirement. He talks about the Air Corps/Air Force as well as his family and friends. From internal combustion trainers to the best fighters of WWII to the beginning of the Jet Age and beyond.
What struck me most about the book though is how human Robin was. He not only talked about his victories and accomplishments, he talked about his fears and failures. He talked about how his experiences molded him into the man and fighter pilot he became. He didn't hold anything back and when I was done I was left with the feeling that Robin Olds was a man I would have dearly loved to have met and talked with.
It's also obvious from reading the words in this book and what others have said and written about him that Robin Olds was a singular leader of men and a historic and larger than life figure. As a nation we can be proud that we have produced such men as Robin Olds and I only hope that we still can.
I loved Fighter Pilot. It has a special place on my bookshelves, to be taken down now and again for a re-read so I can remind myself of what Americans can aspire to and accomplish.
Oh, and for the FCC? Bite me. I bought the book with my own hard earned pesos and I have no relationship with the authors or anyone involved in this book. Sheesh.
Six
24 May 2010
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