Military Literature

[Lord Superb]

I've read The Mossad: Israel's Secret Intelligence Service, written by Dennis Eisenberg, Uri Dan, and Eli Landau. The book opens with a line by Charles Stienmetz: "There will come about an age of small independent nations whose first line of defence will be knowledge". It's a great read. It gives insider details into the organization's founding and the covert missions it carried out, particularly the vital role it played in the Yom Kippur War.

 

Another great read is Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee, written by Dee Brown. It tells the history of the Native Americans and the injustices and betrayals they suffered in the hands of the US federal government at the time. And of course the book tells about the epic clash between the Sioux Nation and General Custer in what came to be known as The Battle of the Little Bighorn or Custer's Last Stand.

[dungeonbaby]

Still reading...

 

The Late Great State of Israel by Aaron Klein

 

The Man Who Lost China, a biography of Chiang Kai-shek by Brian Crozier

 

Both superbly written, the former by a young Israeli who interviewed leaders in Lebanon, Syria, the Palestinian Authority, and was granted access to the leaders of Hamas, shockingly enough. The latter is a long, honest look at Chiang's background and his fall from greatness.

[josol9]

Forgotten Voices of the Great War by Max Arthur

 

world war 1 accounts by the troops, munitions workers and civilians on the allied and german side of the western front.

 

the most harrowing were verdun (feb to dec 1916) and the somme (jul to dec 1916).

 

at verdun, the french lost an estimated 348,300 and germans 328,500 lives. on july 1st near the somme river, after 7 days of continuous bombardment of the german trenches, the british made a direct assault that resulted in more than 19,000 killed and 10,000 wounded on the first day of hostilities. the british military suffered its bloodiest day in history. total casualties were 615,000 allied and 500,000 germans.

 

other major engagements were the race to the , the canadians' shining moment at vimy ridge and the terrible battles at mons, passchendaele and ypres.

[rebeck]

interesting thread.

 

may i suggest that you gentlemen visit www.allempires.com. there's something there for everyone

[rebeck]

Still reading...

 

The Late Great State of Israel by Aaron Klein

 

 

Both superbly written, the former by a young Israeli who interviewed leaders in Lebanon, Syria, the Palestinian Authority, and was granted access to the leaders of Hamas, shockingly enough.

 

Interesting. Why "late"? The author doesn't make any predictions of Israel's demise, does he?

[rebeck]

I've read The Mossad: Israel's Secret Intelligence Service, written by Dennis Eisenberg, Uri Dan, and Eli Landau. The book opens with a line by Charles Stienmetz: "There will come about an age of small independent nations whose first line of defence will be knowledge". It's a great read. It gives insider details into the organization's founding and the covert missions it carried out, particularly the vital role it played in the Yom Kippur War.

 

Another great read is Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee, written by Dee Brown. It tells the history of the Native Americans and the injustices and betrayals they suffered in the hands of the US federal government at the time. And of course the book tells about the epic clash between the Sioux Nation and General Custer in what came to be known as The Battle of the Little Bighorn or Custer's Last Stand.

 

interesting. all along, i was under the impression that the israelis were caught by surprise during the 1973 (yom kippur) war. i'd be interested to read what the author has to say

 

although imho, i believe the mossad's finest moment came during the 1967 (six-day) war

 

and yes, bury my heart at wounded knee is a classic. the tv movie wasn't bad either

[dungeonbaby]

Interesting. Why "late"? The author doesn't make any predictions of Israel's demise, does he?

 

he does. if things continue in the manner that they have for years.

 

here's what Aaron Klein says in the Intro:

I intend these words as a wakeup call, written in the hope of stimulating debate on and change to the failed policies that have now led Israel to an existential crisis. As I write, both America and Israel have ushered in leaders who promise change. Meanwhile, Israel's "peace partner," the Palestinian Authority leadership, is shaky and could soon be overthrown. The policies of these new administrations remain to be seen (although, as I will document, we can expect the same failed policies to be repeated), but the region's calamitous downward spiral will be difficult to reverse. While the Psalms reassure us that "the Guardian of Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps," the current leaders of Israel are fast giving away the land and strength with which the Jews have been blessed. It is not yet too late for Israel, but if these perils are not taken to heart -- and if the Israeli leadership, along with the rest of the world, continues to sail the present course -- the only remnant of the Jewish country may be an epitaph: "The Late Great State of Israel."

 

it's a fascinating read so far, from the people Arafat himself ordered killed (while peace treaties were negotiated), to IDF responses, and interviews with the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, the military wing of the U.S.-backed Fatah organization.

Edited July 1, 2010 by dungeonbaby

[rebeck]

he does. if things continue in the manner that they have for years.

 

here's what Aaron Klein says in the Intro:

I intend these words as a wakeup call, written in the hope of stimulating debate on and change to the failed policies that have now led Israel to an existential crisis. As I write, both America and Israel have ushered in leaders who promise change. Meanwhile, Israel's "peace partner," the Palestinian Authority leadership, is shaky and could soon be overthrown. The policies of these new administrations remain to be seen (although, as I will document, we can expect the same failed policies to be repeated), but the region's calamitous downward spiral will be difficult to reverse. While the Psalms reassure us that "the Guardian of Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps," the current leaders of Israel are fast giving away the land and strength with which the Jews have been blessed. It is not yet too late for Israel, but if these perils are not taken to heart -- and if the Israeli leadership, along with the rest of the world, continues to sail the present course -- the only remnant of the Jewish country may be an epitaph: "The Late Great State of Israel."

 

it's a fascinating read so far, from the people Arafat himself ordered killed (while peace treaties were negotiated), to IDF responses, and interviews with the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, the military wing of the U.S.-backed Fatah organization.

 

again, interesting. i presume this book was written before fatah was ousted from the palestinian authority?

 

i wonder what concrete measures the author recommends.

 

hope to find this title in the shelves

[deepdiverboy]

Loved Stilwell and the American Experience in China. About Gen. Joseph Stilwell's WWII exploits in China.

 

Stilwell was there to help China fight the Japanese in WWII, and I think the US couldn't

have sent a better officer to do the job. Four-star general going at the Japs right from the frontlines.

[ken_2_10_nah]

Listened to the following audiobooks:

 

Six Armies in Normandy, by John Keegan

Intelligence in War, by John Keegan

Citizen Soldiers, by Stephen Ambrose

The Nelson Touch: The Battle of Trafalgar, by David Howarth

[TheSmilingBandit]

Does anyone have a copy of the Encyclopedia of Military Warfare by R.E. Dupuy and T.N. Dupuy? My '75 copy was turned into kindling by my 3 year old nephew.

[LostCommand]

The Personal Memoirs of U.S. Grant.

Written by his nad as he was dying of cancer. Vivid. How does one discipline an army where everyone was a volunteer, no one had more than 2 weeks of training, half could neither read nor write, there was no such thing as anaesthesia or anibiotics in case you were shot, whose own media spied on them, and which had lost the past dozen battles?

 

With such material, how do you make them win?

 

 

War as I knew it - Patton.

Nothing approaches the sheer drama of a successful, war winning soldier equally skilled with pen and with sword, writing his own battle stories. Nothing.

[knoll1234]

THE ART OF WAR

[Guest eljuego]

War by Robert Greene

[Guest eljuego]

War by Robert Greene

Corrrection: The 33 strategies of war by Robert Greene