CS Politics and History Book Club: August 2013

[Ibanez]

I prefer Colonial America.


Sent from my iPhone

Then you'd probably enjoy the first few chapters of For the Common Defense: A Military History of the United States of America from 1607-2012. I highly recommend the book but good luck trying to get it via Amazon. They cancelled my first and third orders for the book and sent me an older version the second time around.

Amazon has plenty. Thank you. What do you enjoy?

[Hoseinexile07]

Specifically, the first chapter explains the military ethos of English settlers and how the earliest American military traditions like the fear of standing professional armies and preference for local militias came here and were tested, and evolved during wars against Native Americans. There is also a good explanation of the differences between English and Native styles of war, and how each of these sides adapted some of the other's methods. The second chapter deals with the American colonies' experience as a location of international imperial conflict between Britain, France, and Spain and asserts that many American grievances against the Crown came from this context (especially with regard to the presence and conduct of regular British officers and units). I'm not an historian of America, so this stuff is all very cool to me.

[Cap'n Cat]

For some reason, I can't get into WWI stuff......

I feel the same about World War II. Obviously both were cataclysmic events of "world historical" importance. World War I is the death of the 19th century and for me, looking at the world in 1914 and then again in the early 1920s after all the treaties get hammered out astounds me. And I'm not talking about just a political map. The war tore down all sorts of 19th century paradigms: social, economic, intellectual, religious, etc.

Astute observations, Hosey. Very correct.

[Hoseinexile07]

I feel the same about World War II. Obviously both were cataclysmic events of "world historical" importance. World War I is the death of the 19th century and for me, looking at the world in 1914 and then again in the early 1920s after all the treaties get hammered out astounds me. And I'm not talking about just a political map. The war tore down all sorts of 19th century paradigms: social, economic, intellectual, religious, etc.

Astute observations, Hosey. Very correct.

And this is not to say that WW2 changed nothing. It's just that WW1 is just my personal cup of tea.

[Cap'n Cat]

Astute observations, Hosey. Very correct.

And this is not to say that WW2 changed nothing. It's just that WW1 is just my personal cup of tea.

Noted. Cap'n Cat's always been a Cold War and Vietnam/Civil Rights Era kinda guy. That, settlement of the western U.S., Native American, and Middle/Dark Ages Europe.

Chix dig me, too.

[UNI88]

And this is not to say that WW2 changed nothing. It's just that WW1 is just my personal cup of tea.

Noted. Cap'n Cat's always been a Cold War and Vietnam/Civil Rights Era kinda guy. That, settlement of the western U.S., Native American, and Middle/Dark Ages Europe.

Chix dig me, too.

That's because you rarely wear underwear and when you do it's usually something unusual.

[Ibanez]

Noted. Cap'n Cat's always been a Cold War and Vietnam/Civil Rights Era kinda guy. That, settlement of the western U.S., Native American, and Middle/Dark Ages Europe.

Chix dig me, too.

That's because you rarely wear underwear and when you do it's usually something unusual.

He is very mysterious.


Sent from my iPhone

[Ivytalk]

Well, it's now September, and I just finished Shanghai 1937: Stalingrad on the Yangtze. All about the 3-month battle for China's most populous and international city in a precursor to WWII. Japan's technological superiority and tactical advantages overcame Chinese manpower superiority. Big bloodbath that led to the Rape of Nanking a year later.

[Grizalltheway]

Just started this behemoth:



Dense, but very readable so far.

[Col Hogan]

I am about a quarter of the way through this book...



I kind of wish we had a similar man around today, given all that is going on in the Middle East, and Lawrence's ability to work with Arabs...

I recommend this book...

[Grizalltheway]

I am about a quarter of the way through this book...



I kind of wish we had a similar man around today, given all that is going on in the Middle East, and Lawrence's ability to work with Arabs...

I recommend this book...

Looks good, I'll put it on my list.

[Cap'n Cat]

One of Cap'n Cat's few forays into the Rev War. About 100 pages into it and very impressed. Captures the anger of colonists as they face the old bogeyman, "taxation without representation". They had a real fight, not like rich people of today such as Z and Col. Hogan, who whimper about taxes.

Sets the background for Washington's exploits in great detail as the father of our country is only mentioned peripherally in the first several chapters.

[Ivytalk]

One of Cap'n Cat's few forays into the Rev War. About 100 pages into it and very impressed. Captures the anger of colonists as they face the old bogeyman, "taxation without representation". They had a real fight, not like rich people of today such as Z and Col. Hogan, who whimper about taxes.

Sets the background for Washington's exploits in great detail as the father of our country is only mentioned peripherally in the first several chapters.

Leckie was a Marine who fought on Guadalcanal in WWII. He wrote military histories for younger folks as well. I remember reading his book about Iwo Jima when I was a kid.

[Ibanez]

Well, it's now September, and I just finished Shanghai 1937: Stalingrad on the Yangtze. All about the 3-month battle for China's most populous and international city in a precursor to WWII. Japan's technological superiority and tactical advantages overcame Chinese manpower superiority. Big bloodbath that led to the Rape of Nanking a year later.

Have you read about John Rabe? You might enjoy it.