Post your book recommendation here (Non-fiction)

[redxblack]

Here's a place to recommend some good non-fiction titles. I'll post a few good ones later. I don't think I've been fortunate enough to read some good fiction lately, but I've read plenty of excellent non-fiction this past year.

[Randimus Maximus]

A Long Way Gone: memoirs of a boy soldier - Ishmael Beah

[redxblack]

For Civil War buffs, check out While In The Hands Of The Enemy: Military Prisons Of The Civil War by Charles Sanders. It's a really twisted story of how POWs were used and abused by both sides without regard to humanity. Surprisingly, Henry Wirtz is one of the few who end up looking RELATIVELY good in this one.

I recently read Strangers in the Land: Patterns of American Nativism, 1860-1925 by John Higham and found it well written and excellently researched. It's one of my favorite books on 19th century American culture.

I'm working on Antonio Gramsci's prison notebooks in my downtime. My "to read" table is overfull. This summer should be spent on the balcony reading.

[Kopfjäger]

The Killer Angels > Civil War

[herm]

very strange,.....thought i posted this last night....

Into Thin Air - Jon Krakauer: a personal account of tragedy on mount Everest. a good look into leadership failure in high risk activities.

[herm]

The Killer Angels > Civil War

posted that one over in fiction (my mistake)

Gods and Generals - Jeff Shaara (the son): really a prequel to the killer angels, involving the events leading up to gettysburg.

for that matter, Jeff Shaara has written a number of other novels, all based on military history, and all very good

[cyrus buelton]

Spycraft by Robert Wallace

[swampduc]

posted that one over in fiction (my mistake)

Gods and Generals - Jeff Shaara (the son): really a prequel to the killer angels, involving the events leading up to gettysburg.

for that matter, Jeff Shaara has written a number of other novels, all based on military history, and all very good

+1 on both of those.

Charlie Wilson's War. Still haven't seen the movie, but I doubt I'm missing too much.
To Rule the Waves - history of the Royal Navy. Extremely interesting - the humble beginnings as basically a bunch of pirates, the peak as the greatest instrument of political and military power ever, the social good done in stopping piracy and the slave trade...  fantastic read.

[Jaman]

very strange,.....thought i posted this last night....

Into Thin Air - Jon Krakauer: a personal account of tragedy on mount Everest. a good look into leadership failure in high risk activities.

I just read this - what a great book, gripping!

check out Into the Wild as well...


also reading "Road to Serfdom" by FA Hayek & "Liberty & Tyranny: A Conservative Manifesto" by Mark Levin
...as I find myself more & more a Libertarian, than just a disgruntled Republican...

[Triple J]

Skunk Works by Ben Rich. Ben worked under Kelley Johnson during development of the U-2 and SR-71, and headed up Skunk Works during development of the F-117A stealth fighter. A very interesting look into the world of black projects. 

Blind Man's Bluff: The Untold Story of American Submarine Espionage.  This is a great book which details many of the espionage missions undertaken by the US submarine forces during the cold war. A very interesting and exciting read.

[Triple J]

Spycraft by Robert Wallace

That looks good! 

[cyrus buelton]

Blind Man's Bluff: The Untold Story of American Submarine Espionage.  This is a great book which details many of the espionage missions undertaken by the US submarine forces during the cold war. A very interesting and exciting read.

You'd like the book I listed if you are into CIA espionage.

SpyCraft is written by the former director of the office of Technical Services (OTS) for the CIA.

Goes into a lot of detail of the cold war days in Moscow.

and

I've got a signed copy by the author   (ok, so I work with his daughter, but still)

[cyrus buelton]

That looks good! 

damn, you beat me to it!

I'd lend you my copy but just went in the mail to my brother and he is known for not returning my books 

[Triple J]

I'd lend you my copy but just went in the mail to my brother and he is known for not returning my books 

No worries...sounds like one I'd like to own anyway. I dig books on real world espionage.    I have the Time Life series on WWII (was a gift), and the one detailing WWII espionage is friggin' awesome!

[FatguyRacer]

In honor of his recent announcement to retire from broadcasting, I'm going to recommend the best book about football ever written.

One Knee Equals Two Feet by John Madden