Currently reading the third and final book of the Kingkiller Chronicle………at least I wish I was, alas the idle Rothfuss fails to deliver again.
I’m currently reading The Evening and the Morning - Ken Follett.
Haha yeah I’ve been waiting for the better part of a decade for him to write that.
You might dig the Alex Verus books by Benedict Jacka. Magical fantasy
I actually finished Diamond Age last week, by Neal Stephenson. Best nanotechnology sci fi I’ve ever read.
Operation Snow: How a Soviet Mole in FDR’s White House Triggered Pearl Harbor Hardcover –
by John Koster
Shocking true story. Reading President Hoovers life work, “Freedom Betrayed”, Hoover notes that there were 349 communists working in the FDR administration. Some were outright traitors working for the Soviets. They also enabled the Communists who were the underdogs at the time, to overcome the Nationalists. THATS why we are still looking at a conflict to this very day between Taiwan, the Republic of China, and the CCP on the mainland.
@Rolando Brinson:
Nice "hidden" spam link in your signature. 
The “Red Rising” series by Pierce Brown is incredible. Also, “The Blade Itself” by Joe Abercrombie. You’ll throw your game of thrones books away after you read Joe’s stuff
finally finished this one:
it is a fast read, but not easy.
it is a short book, but it takes time.
bottom line: there is no bottom line.
Good thing Hoover doesn’t have his own colossal failure he’d want to obfuscate with fantastic stories that he somehow learned of as a former president, that’d almost draw his accounts into doubt!
Pearl Harbor was an attempt by Yamamoto to head off a full scale war by crippling US naval power in one decisive blow, leading to further negotiations on the oil embargo (the cause of the entire conflict, fueled by Japanese encroachment on US colonies and overseas business interests in their imperial conquests).
Yes, true. I once knew that as well, and it is still true (somewhat as in Yamamoto was only a piece in a large chess board and focusing on only him denigrates the full truth), however, the USSR was in an ongoing war with Japan with serial conflicts stretching over years, in one “incident” which the Russian called the Battle of Khalkin Gol, in total lost more troops than the US lost in Vietnam over 12+ years (or half as many- claims are difficult to suss out), and given the poor performance of Russia in 1904-5 -the USSR wanted the US to be engaged in a full scale war with them.
When the USSR agent in the Roosevelt administration, Harry Dexter White, was successful in causing the US-Japan conflict to flare up, then and only then did we have Pearl Harbor. Japan had been our ally in WW1 against Russia against the Bolsheviks (the Bolsheviks wanted Russia out of WW1). Why were the Japanese not our allies later? Dig into that question. Why did some US government members supportive of the communists over the nationalists? The United States helped the communists take over China. Why? Why did they support the communists over Chang Kai Shek? Some generals were appaled at the polical decisions that Roosevelt cabinet members were choosing and it cost many needless lives to create an enemy.
Russia was the clear winner in this WW2 example by a factor of millions. That is, they spent little to achieve their goal, and they cost the US millions due to a few traitors in the US government.
As an aside, John Tolands work: The Rising Sun” is a great view of the war from the Japanese perspective. I recommend the 2 book hardcover set. Won the Pulitzer. Well deserved in my view. Some of what I describe above was not yet known until after the USSR fell apart, in 1995, but they knew even back then that something was wrong. What was wrong for one large example, was US translator’s who were soviet agents mistranslating communications as a big example.
Just finished the first RR book last week, enjoyed it. Finished First law trilogy a few months ago, love Abercrombie’s writing style.
Finished first Witcher book today “The last wish” really enjoyed this, lots of humor, didn’t expect it to be so good after seeing confusing netflix show last year.
There were far more interests involved in the escalation of hybrid war with Japan than any one bureaucrat’s loyalties (or many’s). The US became hostile toward Japan for the same reasons that the European and other states fought each other over economic interests in two unimaginably bloody wars.
If you think the US govt. and military supported the PLA over the KMT you need to examine further sources. There was very nearly a hot war after the revolution in ’49 and there was one fought (via proxy to some extent) in Korea. You should read Truman firsthand and what other historians have to say about him.
Yes, the victorious USSR - with only the paltry cost of 27 million dead and the equivalent of the entire US east coast in infrastructure razed. How intense was the conflict between the USSR and Japan until the final two years of the war? What was the record between Soviet and Imperial Japanese forces in the immediate lead up? Did the USSR have the same motivations and mindset of the Russian monarchy that preceded them?
With all that has been learned about Hoover, how much can we trust him as a reliable narrator of any of these events? (Note: I stupidly thought you meant Herbert Hoover in my first response, hence “former President”)
Nice! I don’t know anyone else who has read them. The “Half a King” Abercrombie series (completely separate from the First Law) is awesome too.
I also enjoyed Blood Song by Anthony Ryan
next month, we will be flying off-and-on for a total of 22 hours.
i would like a BIG book to handle all that air-time.
do you know of a book that might work?
as posted before…the Classics are Covered.
War and Peach (what the children call it),
Moby Dick, the Bible, and others.
i enjoy true stories more than fiction, but obviously,
i will read the famous fiction if bored enough.
Don Quixote is my absolute last choice.
please post your suggestions
and Thanks For All the Fish.
How about “Dune” by Frank Herbert? It’s astounding
thanks PM.
read Dune waaay back yonder.
saw the old movie, too.
however, Dune is about
the right number of pages
for 22 hours.
You could also try the First Law trilogy by Joe Abercrombie. Blows away GOT. First book is called “The Blade Itself”
Another great book is “Red Rising” by Pierce Brown
https://www.amazon.com/Alaskas-Wolf-Man-Wilderness-Adventures/dp/1575100479
Alaskas wolf man.
Who knows if the stories are true. Maybe Frank?
I vicariously enjoyed reading them.
Has anyone read Magician by Raymond E. Feist? First book in the Riftwar Saga. Incredible book…
William Hope Hodgson - best boxer/writer ever
Lovecraft
Wanted to, but never got a chance to, read the TekWar series (Shatner).
All four books of the Hyperion Cantos by Dan Simmons.