discussion Books do you read them

[Guest]

I have read and read a lot.

Before the age of 16 I read a lot of detective books.

From the age of about 16 I started to read the personal stories of military personal during WW11. Royal Navy RAF and Army. On the Battle field. Escape. Command.

What attracted me. These stories were about human beings. The best authors writing about their fears and tribulations about the men under their command their courage unrealised by them at the time.

My first that that captivated me. Guy Gibson Enemy Coats Ahead.

My re-reads. Popskis Private Army. One of our Submarines by Edward Young. Between Silk and Cyanide by Leo Marks. Most Secret War by R V Jones. Walker RN submarine killer. The White Rabbitt Bruce Marshall. Maquis by George Millar (great read). It goes on.

Most incredible. Assignment to Catastrophe by Edward Spears. Story of the British and French during the French Capitulation to Hitler. Just an incredible story unbelievable if it was fiction.

The models I make are chosen mostly from the real thing in stories which they have performed.

Laurie

 

[Guest]

Laurie I would wholeheartedly recommend that you read "Vulcan 607", which opened my eyes as I had no idea of what went on behind the scenes to organise a bombing run on the Falklands and "The Red LIne", which has been one of the few books I have read recently that I simply did not want to put down. That book led me to discover the Panton Brothers, thier airfield only a few miles from where I live and a 'Taxi' ride in a Lancaster that will stay with me forever.

 

[Dave W]

I read books mostly about WW2. Just finished a great book about the air War over Malta,Which is a particular interest of mine.Incidentally,if any one is going to Malta the War Museum in Valleta is well worth a visit. From these books I am inspired to build the aircraft flown by the pilots I read about.Over Christmas I read a book about Adrian Warburton who was a reconnaisance pilot based on Malta during WW2.Im currently building a Martin Maryland flown by him. I want to get the new Airfix Spitfire mk5 as that has markings for a Malta based aircraft.

 

[Guest]

I'm an avid reader of all genres, not just military stuff.

I'd second the Vulcan 607 book, it's an amazing story - not least for when politicians still possessed some cojones & made real decisions.

Ed Macys Apache book is excellent for recent Afghanistan exploits.

Max Hastings is a brilliant historical author (and not bad in his fictional side as Leo Kessler)

 

[stona]

I read everything!

I have two on the go at the moment. Vincent Orange's biography of Air Marshal Arthur 'Mary' Coningham and Burg's 'Sodomy And The Pirate Tradition - English sea rovers in the seventeenth century Caribbean'.

I've temporarily put aside 'Bombing, States and Peoples in western Europe 1940-1945' by Overy, Baldoli and Knapp. It's good but heavy going.

Cheers

Steve

 

[john i am]

I don't have time to read books I only get to look at pictures and sometimes as the saying goes a picture is worth a thousand words I do get amw every month (toilet reading lol) and read the articles in there

 

[Lee W]

I read a variety of history books from the second world war to present, also include Arnie, Lee Evans, Bear Grylls to name the non military side of things, I also read Andy Mcnab books as well...

Lee

 

[Wendall]

I've always read a fair bit, usually Clive Cussler, Lee Child and Gerald Seymour.

Recently though I have started reading and watching more about the military. I thought Sapper Martins diary was a good read.

I'd like to understand more about the politics behind war. I've got a biography of Churchill at home which I'm going to read next, can't recall the author. Also a translation of Mein Kampf which I have heard is a difficult read but crucial to gain an understanding the National socialist movement. A mate of mine didn't think it should still be in print, said he wouldn't be comfortable with Hitlers name staring out of his book case. Each to their own.

Oh and I do want to read Popskis book, he sounds like a very interesting character indeed.

Jason

 

[eddiesolo]

I read various books, on war issues, sea, land and air. From fiction to the Lost Voices etc. I do not use them as a source for modelling, I like to just go with what I feel. I do however, get Model Boats-the mag for...boats, RC etc, and sit in my shed for a few hours just looking through them.

Si

 

[tr1ckey66]

I read as much as I can and have quite a good little reference library, probably not as vast as Steve's but I may have more books on armour and infantry!

Research is as much a part of the hobby to me as actual kit construction and I love the history.

Cheers

Paul

 

[Guest]

Big Tom Clancy fan. Chris Ryan's The Watchman is a good read

 

[Guest]

I'm a reader! But generally only fantasy books!!!

I have only some modelling magazines, and I don't read them, I just observe the photos for hours searching the secrets of the modeller...

I started, time ago, a historical novel (wwI) but it wasn't so much interesting...

 

[Guest]

I must have almost 100 or so books, all mainly WW2 I use these as ref material and for the interesting pics and accounts of all sides during the conflict.

I stopped buying modelling magazines due to the increase in prices and the limited contents in some modelling magazines and decided to start buying books instead, much better read and info for modelling etc.

 

[flyjoe180]

I read when I get the spare time. Half way through 'Vulcan 607', recently finished 'Phoenix Squadron', and have 'Storm Front' waiting, all by Roland White. Other recent reads over the past year have included 'Chickenhawk' by Robert Mason, 'Apache' and 'Hellfire' by Ed Macy, 'Nine Lives' by Air Commodore Al Deere, 'QF32' by Richard De Crespigny, 'Empire of the Clouds' by James Hamilton-Paterson, and 'The Eagle has Landed' and 'The Eagle has Flown' by Jack Higgins. 'Going Solo' by Roald Dahl, 'Fatherland' by Robert Harris, 'The Hitler Book' (an account by Hitler's aides taken for a dossier prepared for Stalin), and 'Unbroken' by Laura Hillenbrand. When I need motivation for modelling I refer to old military and aviation magazines and reference material on my book shelf.

 

[Gern]

I read LOTS - but it's all fiction. Just had my latest ebay purchases delivered and my bookshelves now hold 1017 books!

Gern

 

[Guest]

The Al Deere book is good read Joe. Try also the Tuck biography. Not as good as it may have been if it had been written in the first person.

Tells of how the RAF fighter methods were changed by a handful of imaginative people who seemed to flout the RAF stuffyness.

Sadly when I moved 18 months ago to a smaller place had to ditch over 800 war books. Still got my favourites. Unfortunately no big expectancy of selling them in bulk in Jersey. Gave them to a large Island Charity Organisation and the man in charge said they are now reselling them after buyers re-donated after reading them. So a lot of good all the way around.

Even in the house we left the books were stored in the loft. Love a large library with one of those antique steps which form into a seat. Plus a large stand at desk for reference work. Model set up one end. Surround music with the room soundproofed in order they a may turn up the volume without a visit from she who lives with me.

But dreams are just dreams but with a treble head start on nightmares.

Laurie

 

[BarryW]

I read a lot, at least an hour a day. Fiction primarily, Lee Child, Vince Flynn, Tom Clancy and Wilbur Smith are among the favourites on my Kindle.

No answer in the survey appropiate to my reading though!!!

 

[stona]

I'm so glad that reading is alive and well, at least for those who are no longer in the first flush of youth.

I often work with people considerably younger than my own children and it pains me how little, if at all, most of them read. These are good lads and lasses, well educated, hard working and not by ant means stupid, it just seems that reading is not something most think worthwhile which means they are missing out on one of life's great pleasures.

It can lead to a staggering ignorance. One young man, early twenties, recently returned from a job in Berlin, was unaware that the city had ever been divided! That is not exactly ancient history. It was only my description of travelling down the awful and unmaintained road which passed for the corridor into West Berlin back in the eighties that raised the subject.

Cheers

Steve

 

[PaulTRose]

recently read 'sweating the metal' by alex duncan and 'apache dawn' by damien lewis...........both interesting reads, especially since there is a bit of crossover, both refer to some common operations that involved apaches and wokkas so it was good to read it from two perspectives

just started 'bullet magnet' by mick flynn............cant put it down!!

 

[Guest]

Hit the nail on the head Steve. One of life's pleasures.

When you come to a very relevant chapter but have to leave it to then return to it is the pleasure of pleasures.

It is very difficult to beat the written word in any of the arts. It can transmit so many emotions which are not found in film and the spoken word. The pleasure of a particular paragraph which you have to read again to enjoy and relish those words the author has written.

Assignment to Catastrophe by Edward Spears. This is beautifully written work and a pleasure to see how he constructs sentences and paragraphs with the superb addition of metaphors.

I remember at the age of about 10 annoying the librarian. The library opposite the school a good strategic position. Borrowing a book at the morning break reading it and going back for another at school finishing time. The librarian had to rummage in the out tickets as they had not been transferred. Told off for reading !

Without reading grammar, vocabulary and the spoken word suffers with inaccuracy together with the lack of skill and ability to place opinion and argument.

Laurie