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Whilst we are on the subject of lists - Help Needed

Discussion in 'The Book Club' started by meridian, Sep 8, 2008.

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  1. meridian

    meridian LE Good Egg (charities)

    Hi all,

    Not posted anything in this forum before but I am hoping for a good response.

    In time for Christmas I want to compile a number of ARRSE Top 10 reading lists.

    Why?

    On the Sgt Slingsby site that supports the ARRSE fund (Help Them Out) we have an Amazon bookshop (the fund gets a few percent commission that goes into the pot)

    The lists will be published on the Sgt Slingsby Site in time for Christmas and then if anyone clicks on the relevant book and buys it the small amount goes to helping wounded service personnel.

    So I guess the first thing to do would be to define what lists would be best

    Armed Forces History
    The Royal Navy
    Young Officers Essential Reading
    The Falklands Conflict
    etc etc

    Then you can start populating those lists on a separate thread per list

    Click the banner in my signature to go to the Sgt Slingsby site if you are not familiar with the stuff we do.

    So, thanks in advance for your help, really looking for a good response

    Meridian
     
    meridian, Sep 8, 2008
    #1
  2. blue-sophist

    blue-sophist LE Good Egg (charities)

    Compulsory Reading, top of anyone's list, has to be ....

    On the Psychology of Military Incompetence
    Norman E Dixon
    ISBN 0 7088 1482 4
     
    blue-sophist, Sep 11, 2008
    #2
  3. blueygirl

    blueygirl War Hero

    Can we add N. Ireland, Balkans and Military Psychology to the list of lists?
     
    blueygirl, Sep 11, 2008
    #3
  4. blue-sophist

    blue-sophist LE Good Egg (charities)

    That would be in the "Mad Barstewards" section, Madam ... "down the stairs, 2nd left, one cross each ..."

    Menwhile, I know what Meridian is getting at ...

    A list of "Best Books" that [at no personal cost] generates a few coppers for Help ThemOut ...

    NEXT, please?
     
    blue-sophist, Sep 11, 2008
    #4
  5. Bowmore_Assassin

    Bowmore_Assassin LE Moderator Book Reviewer

    There are loads of others but here's a good list of Military History Top Ten, IMHO:

    Stalingrad: The Fateful Siege: 1942-1943 by Antony Beevor

    The Fall of Berlin 1945 by Antony Beevor

    Armageddon: The Battle for Germany, 1944-1945 by Max Hastings

    Retribution : The Battle for Japan, 1944-45 by Max Hastings

    The Battle of Hurtgen Forest by Charles Whiting (WWII)

    The Civil War: A Narrative (3 Vol. Set) by Shelby Foote (US Civil War)

    D-Day June 6, 1944 by Stephen E. Ambrose

    One Upon a Distant War by William Prochnau (Vietnam War)

    Quartered Safe Out Here by George MacDonald Fraser (WWII)

    With the Old Breed: At Peleliu and Okinawa by E.B. Sledge
     
    Bowmore_Assassin, Sep 21, 2008
    #5
  6. Schleswig-Holstein

    Schleswig-Holstein LE

    If you want a humour section, both the Flashman and McAuslan series (George MacDonald Fraser) seem to be extremely popular with ARRSErs...
     
    Schleswig-Holstein, Sep 21, 2008
    #6
  7. Bowmore_Assassin

    Bowmore_Assassin LE Moderator Book Reviewer

    Science Fiction Top Ten (any order), IMHO,

    Revelation Space - Alistair Reynolds

    Consider Phlebas by Iain M. Banks

    The Player of Games by Iain M. Banks

    Marrow by Robert Reed

    The 'Robot' Series, starting with "I, Robot" by Isaac Asimov

    Old Man's War by John Scalzi

    Mars by Ben Bova

    The Saga of Seven Suns by Kevin J. Anderson

    Chasm City (Revelation Space) by Alastair Reynolds

    Chung Quo by David Wingrove
     
    Bowmore_Assassin, Sep 21, 2008
    #7
  8. Bowmore_Assassin

    Bowmore_Assassin LE Moderator Book Reviewer

    Any humour section should have Tom Sharpe in it as well.
     
    Bowmore_Assassin, Sep 21, 2008
    #8
  9. JoseyWales

    JoseyWales

    Military Mavericks by David Rooney.

    He also wrote;

    1. Burma Victory.

    2. Kwame Nkrumah.

    3. Mad Mike.

    4. Wingate and the Chindits.
     
    JoseyWales, Sep 21, 2008
    #9
  10. JoseyWales

    JoseyWales

    JoseyWales, Sep 21, 2008
    #10
  11. Bowmore_Assassin

    Bowmore_Assassin LE Moderator Book Reviewer

    A Top 10 from James Lee Burke, US Crime Writer, although you can read any of his other books as well - they are all excellent. This is a list of the first ten books about a detective called Dave Robicheaux. Should be read in order, then I suggst you get the rest as well. The best crime writer in America IMHO:

    The Neon Rain, 1987
    Heaven's Prisoners, 1988
    Black Cherry Blues, 1989
    A Morning for Flamingos, 1990
    A Stained White Radiance, 1992
    In the Electric Mist with Confederate Dead, 1993
    Dixie City Jam, 1994
    Burning Angel, 1995
    Cadillac Jukebox, 1996
    Sunset Limited, 1998
     
    Bowmore_Assassin, Sep 21, 2008
    #11
  12. meridian

    meridian LE Good Egg (charities)

    Thanks for these responses, I am going to start the planning for this in time for the Christmas season. Has anyone seen crimbo decorations in shops yet?
     
    meridian, Sep 22, 2008
    #12
  14. meridian

    meridian LE Good Egg (charities)

    I have started to implement the Recommended Reading lists on the Sgt Slingsby site

    http://www.sgtslingsby.org/get-involved/recommended-reading/224-the-falklands-conflict

    This is the only one at the minute but over the next few weeks I will build in more topics. The basic idea is to maintain a list of titles for a number of categories and when people click and subsequently purchase from Amazon we get a few percent of the sales value. The buyer pays no more than they would have done by going straight to Amazon so its a win win

    Lists currently being worked on are (in no particular order)

    Falklands
    Gulf War
    Iraq
    Afghanistan
    Sierra Leone
    Kenya
    Aden
    Cyprus
    WWI
    WWII
    Malaya
    Balkans
    Armoured Warfare
    Military Engineering
    Military Communications
    Infantry
    Artillery
    Aircraft
    Military Transport and Logistics
    Medical
    Veterans
    United Nations and politics
    History - by period
    Military humour
    The Royal Air Force
    The Royal Navy


    If anyone has more list ideas then let me have them or post here

    I have missed the Christmas rush because the site redesign took priority but there are always birthdays....

    Please check out the site and have a look at the list that is active, the format will be the same, 18 titles displayed in a 2x9 grid with pictures, ratings and a description.

    Thanks again for all your input
     
    meridian, Dec 23, 2008
    #13