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Re: What Pacific based book are you reading at the moment?

Posted: Thu Oct 15, 2009 7:52 am
by baders
Recently read "Clear The Bridge!-The War Patrols of the USS Tang"" by Richard O'Kane. ISBN 0-89141-573-4.
Gripping story of the Balao class US submarine & its missions.

Also this year (10th re-read) :);

The reference work "Beaufighters in the Pacific - A History of the RAAF Beaufighter Squadrons in the South West Pacific Area" By Neville Parnell. ISBN 0-589-50181-X
The definitive Pacific Beaufighter reference work. Bit of a passion with me these Pacific Beaufighters................see http://www.targetrabaul.com

Re: What Pacific based book are you reading at the moment?

Posted: Mon Oct 19, 2009 1:44 am
by Andy in West Oz
I've been after that Beau book for a while now, Baders. Where did you find your copy?

Re: What Pacific based book are you reading at the moment?

Posted: Fri Nov 06, 2009 12:45 am
by Boba
Hi all,

I'm now reading the book Tally Ho by Bob Foster with Norman Franks. It covers Bob's pre-war and wartime service with 54 (RAF) Squadron among others during the Battle of Britain and then to Australia and Darwin where 54 Sqn took on the Zekes of Ku 202 and Bettys of 753rd Ku with the RAAF's 452 and 457 Squadrons - and the army raid of 20 June comprising the 59th, 61st and 75th Sentai (Oscars, Helens and Lilys).

Following his return to the UK he was assigned to RAF Public Relations and roamed far and wide in Allied occupied, and in some cases not-so-Allied-occupied, Europe.

It's a great read and whilst a bit expensive in Australia (I paid $60 in Darwin) it's well worth getting as it relates a great personal side of WWII and Bob's role in it and post war England. Having met Bob I should imagine Norman Franks had a hell of a job dragging the information from this very modest, unassuming bloke.

Cheers,

Bob Alford
Lampang Thailand

Re: What Pacific based book are you reading at the moment?

Posted: Sun Nov 08, 2009 10:03 pm
by baders
Andy in West Oz wrote:I've been after that Beau book for a while now, Baders. Where did you find your copy?
Andy, I think it came direct from the author. Neville Parnells address was 45 Lakeside Road Eastwood NSW 2122. I am not sure if this is still current.

Re: What Pacific based book are you reading at the moment?

Posted: Sun Nov 08, 2009 11:04 pm
by Andy in West Oz
Thanks Baders. I tracked Neville down but can't afford a copy of his latest printing unfortunately.

Re: What Pacific based book are you reading at the moment?

Posted: Tue Nov 10, 2009 3:42 am
by Boba
Andy,

How much was Nev Parnell's book? I saw it in Darwin and was very impressed at the amount of new information and images he's included.

Cheers,

Bob Alford
Lampang Thailand

Re: What Pacific based book are you reading at the moment?

Posted: Tue Nov 10, 2009 9:41 pm
by Andy in West Oz
Hi Bob

Just over $90 with postage thrown in. A bit beyond my resources at present unfortunately (given my recent book buying bonanza!).

Andy

Re: What Pacific based book are you reading at the moment?

Posted: Sun Jan 10, 2010 9:49 am
by kenw19
My reading list is very long but right now I'm reading 1942 the year that tried men's souls by Winston Groom. I read his book A Storm In Flanders and found it to be well writen. I also have Sea of Thunder and Aces High on my desk.

Re: What Pacific based book are you reading at the moment?

Posted: Thu Jan 14, 2010 4:15 pm
by diddyriddick
Just finished Retribution: The Battle for Japan, 1944-45. Good so far, but a slow read.

Re: What Pacific based book are you reading at the moment?

Posted: Sat Feb 06, 2010 7:04 pm
by JLCollins
Hi All,

New to the site and forums but love this thread. I'm reading Leatherneck Legends: Conversations With the Marine Corps Old Breed by Dick Camp and The Do-or-Die Men by George W. Smith about the First Marine Raider Battalion on Guadalcanal. Both are on my Kindle right now, would love to have them in print but am constrained by space and my wife right now, LOL!

Also on the Kindle and a re-read for me is Eugene B. Sledge's With the Old Breed at Peliliu and Okinawa. I have a sample of American Commando by John Wukovits about Evans Carlson and the 2nd Marine Raider Battalion on Guadalcanal. I'm a huge 'Canal nut, mostly because of hearing about my great-uncle who died there during the Battle of the Tenaru on 8/21/42 as the Bn-2 for the 1st Battalion, 1st Marines. In high school I read all I could about the Pacific Theatre and now 25 + years later I'm revisiting it and enjoying it even more.

John

Re: What Pacific based book are you reading at the moment?

Posted: Sun Feb 07, 2010 2:27 am
by Andy in West Oz
How do you find the Kindle, John? I can't bring myself to stare at a screen to read a book - have to turn and feel the pages. Sad, I know.

Re: What Pacific based book are you reading at the moment?

Posted: Sun Feb 07, 2010 8:38 am
by JLCollins
Hi Andy,

I was very hesitant at first. My job requires reviewing technical documents and I hate doing that on the computer, I'd rather print the darn thing and flip through it page by page, marking it up as I go along. The Kindle was an anniversary present from my wife and it's not that bad. The one thing that I don't care too much for is that maps and pictures are hard to zoom in on, so for histories that have a lot of that sort of thing it's frustrating. It may be that I haven't learned how to do that yet, but other than that it's nice.

I am one who loves to keep my books and re-read them, something my wife just doesn't understand and she is always after me to get rid of books. Very slowly I'm whittling my collection down, fortunately I have a lot of trade paperbacks and can always point to a bag of those and say here you go, more for the used book sale!

For travel, it is the best. I have quite a number of books on my Kindle, many of them free or nearly so public domain and quite a few that I've spent between $6 to $15USD for them. While it isn't backlighted, it doesn't take much light to be able to see it and I haven't had any problem in direct sunlight either. You can vary the font size so if you have poor eyesight from reading under the covers as a kid at any chance you got :), you can find a size that allows you to hold it at a normal distance and read.

Mine was a present and I wouldn't have bought it for myself, but after using it I would recommend it. I haven't looked at any other versions (Sony, etc.)

John

Re: What Pacific based book are you reading at the moment?

Posted: Sun Feb 07, 2010 5:55 pm
by Andy in West Oz
Thanks, John. As someone who is currently contemplating another bookshelf due to filling up the existing ones, I've delayed the decision somewhat by removing a few trade paperbacks I know I don't need.

Re: What Pacific based book are you reading at the moment?

Posted: Thu Feb 11, 2010 12:17 am
by Andy in West Oz
This might not jump out immediately as being Pacific-based but they were posted to Australia towards the end of the war for deployment in the Pacific against shipping.

A Most Secret Squadron - The Story of No. 618 Squadron and its Special Detachment by Des Curtis DFC.

Re: What Pacific based book are you reading at the moment?

Posted: Thu Mar 18, 2010 1:17 pm
by Joer911
I am re-reading "Guadalcanal: The Definitive Account of the Landmark Battle by Richard B. Frank." I love how thorough it is. I have several books lined up behind this one sort of correlating with the release of the HBO production "The Pacific." The first episode was pretty good although, due to time, they jumped around a bit. They showed the Battle of Savo Island but didn't note that this was what was occurring. The scenes of tracer fire and explosions and chaos of the fight at Alligator Creek was chilling and even more frightening that I had envisioned.