What Book Are You Reading? Volume 9

[Cheezy the Wiz]

So would you not read an author who was Anti-Nazi?

Not one who is willing to make stuff up in his portrayal of history.

 

[Dachs]

I finally got to the part where they actually fight the war in Wilson's The Thirty Years' War. He's doing a great job of contextualizing so far, and incorporating threads from social, economic, and political history but not to the detriment of operations, so it seems very well balanced so far.

So would you not read an author who was Anti-Nazi?

Danger! Danger, Will Robinson!

 

[Quackers]

I think it is Mine Campfire or something...

 

[Cheezy the Wiz]

I finally got to the part where they actually fight the war in Wilson's The Thirty Years' War. He's doing a great job of contextualizing so far, and incorporating threads from social, economic, and political history but not to the detriment of operations, so it seems very well balanced so far.

I poked though the book in the store today; it is both very long and very expensive.

Danger! Danger, Will Robinson!

 

[Imperialmajesty]

Not one who is willing to make stuff up in his portrayal of history.

So... do you actually know if this author is dishonest in his history?

 

[Cheezy the Wiz]

The evidence suggests it, yes.

 

[Imperialmajesty]

The evidence suggests it, yes.

What evidence?

 

[Ulyaoth]

Yeah, what has he made up?

 

[Cheezy the Wiz]

What evidence?

Yeah, what has he made up?

Well the most apparent instances are in his book about the Battle for Berlin, where he repeatedly misrepresents Vasily Grossmann's war journalism with the Red Army, and makes a few things up in the process where he doesn't seem to think that Grossmann portrays the Red Army as being "evil enough." Not exactly honest historians' work.

 

[Dachs]

I poked though the book in the store today; it is both very long and very expensive.

Intimidatingly long, yes. Wasn't that expensive on Amazon, though; preordered it a few weeks before release for like twenty bucks. Inheritance of Rome cost more and wasn't as recent of a release.

 

[Imperialmajesty]

Well the most apparent instances are in his book about the Battle for Berlin, where he repeatedly misrepresents Vasily Grossmann's war journalism with the Red Army, and makes a few things up in the process where he doesn't seem to think that Grossmann portrays the Red Army as being "evil enough." Not exactly honest historians' work.

In all fairness, do you expect a journalist in the army of an authoritarian state to be impartial, and say things that might be unflattering to the Red Army?

However, I have not read the book... yet. So, until then, I will give you the benefit of the doubt.

 

[Martacus]

Started reading Moby-Dick by Melville a couple of days ago, having never gotten around to reading it. I'm a little surprised at how funny it is, at least at the beginning. As I haven't gotten very far in yet, I don't know whether or not Ishmael's self-deprecating sense of humor is going to last the length of the story. But it certainly is entertaining so far.

 

[Cutlass]

Started reading Moby-Dick by Melville a couple of days ago, having never gotten around to reading it. I'm a little surprised at how funny it is, at least at the beginning. As I haven't gotten very far in yet, I don't know whether or not Ishmael's self-deprecating sense of humor is going to last the length of the story. But it certainly is entertaining so far.

While I have liked that story since I was a kid, reading the full book was like pulling teeth. The author never used 1 word where 6 or 8 would say the same thing.

 

[Martacus]

While I have liked that story since I was a kid, reading the full book was like pulling teeth. The author never used 1 word where 6 or 8 would say the same thing.

Well, that's still better than James Fenimore Cooper by about four sentences.

 

[Dachs]

Well, that's still better than James Fenimore Cooper by about four sentences.

Yeah, but Cooper's stories don't have epic digressions like Moby-Dick. That's a longass book.

 

[Ulyaoth]

My freshmen year english teacher went on an epic digression one class about how awful Moby Dick is and how it was horribly ridiculed at first for being absolutely horrible.

 

[Cutlass]

My freshmen year english teacher went on an epic digression one class about how awful Moby Dick is and how it was horribly ridiculed at first for being absolutely horrible.

Great story wrapped in crappy writing.

 

[Atticus]

That's odd, I don't remember that Moby Dick would have been particularly painfully written, and usually I'm pretty allergic to that kind of things.

I finished John Steinbeck's Tortilla Flat. It was a fairly entertaining read, nothing too deep, and a little fun.

Read also Cannery Row and Sweet Thursday, they have same cast, and I particularly liked the first mentioned.

 

[Erik Mesoy]

Simon R Green's Nightside series - just read the first seven books, dunno if there are more.

 

[Cheezy the Wiz]

In all fairness, do you expect a journalist in the army of an authoritarian state to be impartial, and say things that might be unflattering to the Red Army?

However, I have not read the book... yet. So, until then, I will give you the benefit of the doubt.

Which gives another author reading his book the right to misrepresent it and make crap up, even if it were true?