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Post by Slam_Bradley on Oct 14, 2018 13:51:20 GMT -5
To Hell and Back by Audie Murphy Murphy probably doesn't need any introduction, but for those who might need one, he was one of the most decorated U.S combat soldiers of World War II. This book is a memoir of his time fighting in uniform from North Africa (briefly) through Sicily, Italy, southern France and into Germany. Murphy wrote the book with ghostwriter David "Spec" McClure, who served in the U.S. Army's Signal Corps during World War II. I read this book at least three or four times when I was in late grade school, junior high and high school. Having talked about it with my boys and with a high school friend fairly recently I wanted to give it a read with adult eyes and see why it held my fascination so much as a youngster. First off this is a memoir of a soldiers time in combat. You're not going to learn much of anything about the strategic events of World War II in this book. And that's as it should be. Because the men on the ground had little to no knowledge of what was going on with the big picture and where they fit in to that picture. This is also centered largely on Murphy's time in combat. There are a few vignettes about time not at the front. A short period in Naples involving a local girl. A short bit in an army hospital. But it's largely centered on the time and terror of facing enemy fire. (If you're looking for WWII memoirs that take a deeper look at time off the front Spike Milligan's memoirs are highly recommended). The book also makes pains not to glamorize his time in combat or even really acknowledge his decorations. Just as an example, the actions for which he received the Medal of Honor in the Colmar Pocket are described without any hint of undue heroics on his part and Murphy never mentions any of his awards. It's clear that he views himself as a man doing his job. It's also clear by that point the toll the war has taken on him. We get to know a few of the men that Murphy served with...if they show up early enough in his military career. But campaign by campaign they drop out...most of them being killed...a few being wounded and sent back home. The replacements get short shrift largely interchangeable cogs in the war machine. You get the feeling that Murphy by this point simply doesn't want to have to worry about getting to know people who will likely be dead soon. There's been a cottage industry of World War II memoirs, particularly since Band of Brothers became so popular. This is one of the first. And arguably one of the most important. Murphy moved across most of the European theaters and went from a private to a lieutenant by bravery and by dint of survival. And we move along with him as he survives a horrific situation.
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Post by Prince Hal on Oct 14, 2018 18:49:22 GMT -5
Slam_Bradley, I was always under the impression that Murphy was the most decorated soldier of World War Two. Does his memoir contradict that? Maybe it's more of an urban myth? (BTW, Western and sometimes gangster actor Neville Brand was right up there, too.)
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Post by Slam_Bradley on Oct 14, 2018 20:42:44 GMT -5
Slam_Bradley, I was always under the impression that Murphy was the most decorated soldier of World War Two. Does his memoir contradict that? Maybe it's more of an urban myth? (BTW, Western and sometimes gangster actor Neville Brand was right up there, too.) Murphy doesn’t mention any of his medals in the book. Not even any of his several Purple Hearts. While on the past he was generally cited as the most decorated, he’s now cited as one of the most decorated. Lt. Col. Matt Urban is probably the other top contender. Urban’s Medal of Honor, the major demarcation between he and Murphy, wasn’t awarded until 1980. Murphy definitely had the better foreign decorations than Urban.
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Post by Prince Hal on Oct 14, 2018 21:49:40 GMT -5
Slam_Bradley , I was always under the impression that Murphy was the most decorated soldier of World War Two. Does his memoir contradict that? Maybe it's more of an urban myth? (BTW, Western and sometimes gangster actor Neville Brand was right up there, too.) Murphy doesn’t mention any of his medals in the book. Not even any of his several Purple Hearts. While on the past he was generally cited as the most decorated, he’s now cited as one of the most decorated. Lt. Col. Matt Urban is probably the other top contender. Urban’s Medal of Honor, the major demarcation between he and Murphy, wasn’t awarded until 1980. Murphy definitely had the better foreign decorations than Urban. Oh, thanks. I figured Murphy would not have written about them, but that maybe there was a foreword. I will look into Lt. Col. Urban's story.
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Confessor
CCF Mod Squad
Not Bucky O'Hare!
Posts: 10,084
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Post by Confessor on Oct 19, 2018 8:58:53 GMT -5
2001: A Space Odyssey by Arthur C. Clarke. Developed from Arthur C. Clarke's short stories The Sentinel and Encounter in the Dawn, and written as a result of film director Stanley Kubrik's request for ideas for the "proverbial good science fiction movie", 2001: A Space Odyssey has long been considered a classic of hard sci-fi. Clarke himself was, of course, one of the world's leading exponents of the genre and there's certainly no lack of technological minutia and complex interstellar theory in 2001. But Clarke's a good enough writer that these aren't overly distracting to the layman. In fact, his prose here is paradoxically cold and scientific, while being simultaneously very readable and quite poetic at times. The frontier-exploring book follows the story of Kubrick's 1968 film very closely (it was written at the same time that the movie was being made), with the biggest difference probably being that the ship Discovery One travels to Saturn, rather than Jupiter. Like the movie, it's divided into four distinct sections, starting in prehistoric times, with the dawn of mankind and the appearance of a strange monolith close to a colony of apes. The monolith – which is crystalline in appearance, unlike the solid black one shown in the movie – tampers with the apes' brains and starts them on the evolutionary road to becoming homo sapiens. The book is much more explicit than the film about the fact that the monolith was put their by an alien race, and this greater degree of explanation runs throughout the entire book. In fact, the book makes for an enlightening read, if you've ever found yourself confused by some of the events of the film. We next jump to 1999 (which was, of course, the far-flung future when the book was written), as Dr. Heywood Floyd travels to the moon to investigate a similar monolith that has been discovered beneath the lunar surface in the crater Tycho. This monolith sends an electronic pulse out into the solar system towards one of Saturn's moons, Japetus. Some years later, Discovery One is dispatched towards Saturn and Japetus to investigate what or who this signal was being sent to. Crucially, this information has been kept secret from the astronauts aboard the ship; only their artificially intelligent HAL 9000 computer is aware of the true nature of the mission. Unable to take the strain of keeping this secret from the crew, HAL begins to crack up, and it's here that Clarke strikes an affecting parallel between the alien intelligence that tampered with humans hundreds of thousands of years ago and the artificial intelligence that we have created ourselves in the shape of HAL. This parallel – which is more relevant than ever these days – is at its most interesting as HAL's mental state begins to deteriorate, placing the crew of the ship in jeopardy. With the increasingly psychotic and paranoid HAL finally dealt with, the book more or less follows the film's ending – although the book does give us the killer line, "My God – it's full of stars!", as Bowman enters into a third monolith, which he discovers on the surface of Japetus. That line was sadly absent from Kubrick's film (although it was used in the 1984 film sequel, 2010: The Year We Make Contact). As Bowman is sucked through a series of bewildering interstellar and inter-dimensional vistas, we get to see a vast derelict, alien spaceport. At this point, the book subtly shifts tone into quasi-space opera, and while the presence of this abandoned spaceport is hugely intriguing, Clarke never gives away its secrets. Like Bowman, we the readers are completely clueless as to what's really going on. As the story comes to a close Bowman becomes the test subject in humankind's next evolutionary leap, but, just like the film, what will happen next is largely left to our imaginations. This was my third reading of 2001: A Space Odyssey, and was prompted largely by Slam_Bradley 's recent comments on Clarke's writing in this very thread. For me, the novel holds up to repeat readings extremely well, which I attribute to Clarke's thought-provoking and wonderfully descriptive – but never dry – prose. The novel has a slightly different feel to the film, inasmuch as the film's centrepieces – like HAL's creepy breakdown and the ballet-like manoeuvres of the various spacecraft – aren't the focus of the story. Instead, we get a much weightier examination of mankind's quest to explore the cosmos and discover how we got here. In the course of this meditation on mankind's origins and destiny, Clarke not only predicts many of the technological advances that have happened in the years since the novel's publication, such as a manned space station, but also accurately predicts the instant availability of the world's news on a computer screen and even the iPad! Overall, I definitely stand by my original verdict that, a hundred years from now, Clarke's 2001: A Space Odyssey will be talked about in the same way that we nowadays talk about such classics as Moby Dick, War of the Worlds or even Great Expectations. It really is that good.
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Post by berkley on Oct 21, 2018 2:51:06 GMT -5
Haven't read Clarke's novel for decades but I just saw the movie again a month or two ago when it was re-released to general cinema play. I usually find it impossible to answer "best of all time" questions of any kind but movies might be the exception because I do think Kubrick's (and Clarke's) 2001: A Space Odyssey might be the greatest film ever made. I look forward to re-reading the book some time in the not too far-off future, but it'll probably be put off until I get through some other SF stuff.
I've been trying to fill some of the holes in my reading of classic SF and I'm only up to the early 50s yet. My latest was Clifford D. Simak's Cosmic Engineers - my first Simak, apart from a couple short stories I'd come across in anthologies years and years ago. It was published as a novel in 1950 but according to wiki was a straight reprint of a story serialised in 1939 in Astounding - and I must say, it felt more like a 30s pulp story than a 50s novel: specifically, I mean that it felt episodic, full of intrighing but under-developed ideas, and generally like something written hastily to meet a deadline. Still a lot of fun, though, and I'm encouraged to keep going with Simak - the next one will be Time and Again.
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Post by EdoBosnar on Oct 21, 2018 6:20:49 GMT -5
Dress Her in Indigo by John D. MacDonald I've been reading MacDonald's Travis McGee since about mid-summer, as they're really well-written, and I needed some lighter, brain-soothing reading material after finishing all available Quarry novels by Max Allan Collins earlier in the year. Just finished this one, which I have in an omnibus volume: Wouldn't really bring it up, but about 10 pages into it, in a section about a character who was given a light sentence on a possession charge for pot, there's this passage I found really interesting that got stuck in my head (this was originally published in 1969, by the way): 'And that, of course, is the tragic [f]law in the narcotics laws—that possession of marijuana is a felony. Regardless of whether it is as harmless as some believe, or as evil and vicious as others believe, savage and uncompromising law is bad law, and the good and humane judge will jump at any technicality that will keep him from imposing a penalty so barbaric and so cruel. The self-righteous pillars of church and society demand that “the drug traffic be stamped out” and think that making posession a felony will do the trick. Their ignorance of the roots of the drug traffic is as extensive as their ignorance of the law.' Still topical to this day, and also a bit sobering when you think about it, since in the intervening years quite a few judges decided not to (or legally could not) exercise the leniency he talks about here, so US prisons are packed with people serving time for possession of a joint or something similar.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 21, 2018 8:59:36 GMT -5
Slam_Bradley, I was always under the impression that Murphy was the most decorated soldier of World War Two. Does his memoir contradict that? Maybe it's more of an urban myth? (BTW, Western and sometimes gangster actor Neville Brand was right up there, too.) Audie Murphy's Decorations and Ranks -- He rose to the rank of Major during his National Guard days.
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Post by Calamas on Oct 21, 2018 9:32:41 GMT -5
Dress Her in Indigo by John D. MacDonald I've been reading MacDonald's Travis McGee since about mid-summer, as they're really well-written, and I needed some lighter, brain-soothing reading material after finishing all available Quarry novels by Max Allan Collins earlier in the year. Just finished this one, which I have in an omnibus volume: Wouldn't really bring it up, but about 10 pages into it, in a section about a character who was given a light sentence on a possession charge for pot, there's this passage I found really interesting that got stuck in my head (this was originally published in 1969, by the way): 'And that, of course, is the tragic [f]law in the narcotics laws—that possession of marijuana is a felony. Regardless of whether it is as harmless as some believe, or as evil and vicious as others believe, savage and uncompromising law is bad law, and the good and humane judge will jump at any technicality that will keep him from imposing a penalty so barbaric and so cruel. The self-righteous pillars of church and society demand that “the drug traffic be stamped out” and think that making posession a felony will do the trick. Their ignorance of the roots of the drug traffic is as extensive as their ignorance of the law.' Still topical to this day, and also a bit sobering when you think about it, since in the intervening years quite a few judges decided not to (or legally could not) exercise the leniency he talks about here, so US prisons are packed with people serving time for possession of a joint or something similar. That is an odd selection of books to choose to package together. They’re not in order and they don’t have much in common. Pale Gray is one of my favorites. Quick Red contains one of the most embarrassing scenes ever written. Indigo forces McGee to wade through an amazing amount of depravity; it is overwhelmingly depressing. I hope this was preceded by a collection that served as a more appropriate introduction to Travis McGee.
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Post by Roquefort Raider on Oct 21, 2018 17:30:51 GMT -5
Haven't read Clarke's novel for decades but I just saw the movie again a month or two ago when it was re-released to general cinema play. I usually find it impossible to answer "best of all time" questions of any kind but movies might be the exception because I do think Kubrick's (and Clarke's) 2001: A Space Odyssey might be the greatest film ever made. I look forward to re-reading the book some time in the not too far-off future, but it'll probably be put off until I get through some other SF stuff. That makes two of us. My wife, on the other hand, can’t stand it!!!
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Post by Roquefort Raider on Oct 21, 2018 17:39:26 GMT -5
Just purchased at the Rotary book sale, five bucks for the lot:
Airframe and State of Fear, by Michael Crichton The Thin Man, by Dashiell Hammett Hominids, by Robert J. Sawyer L’Atlantide, by Pierre Benoit Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell, by Susanna Clarke (a rare case of a paperback that’s as thick as it is wide... I wonder how I’ll be able to read it without breaking its spine).
A good little stash, although the lack of books in bad shape at the book fair suggests that a primary cull is performed by the Rotary club. That’s bad news for me, since my main goal when visiting the fair is to find 1970s paperbacks with Henri Lievens covers... and they weren’t particulartky sturdy even back when they were new!
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Post by Deleted on Oct 21, 2018 21:27:04 GMT -5
Just purchased at the Rotary book sale, five bucks for the lot: Airframe and State of Fear, by Micahel Crichton The Thin Man, by Dashiell Hammett Hominids, by Robert J. Sawyer L’Atlantide, by Pierre Benoit Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell, by Susanna Clarke (a rare case of a paperback that’s as thick as it is wide... I wonder how I’ll be able to red it withiut breaking its spine). A good little stash, although the lack of books in bad shape at the book fair suggests that a primary cull is performed by the Rotary club. That’s bad news for me, since my main goal when visiting the fair is to find 1970s paperbacks with Henri Lievens covers... and they weren’t particulartky sturdy even back when they were new! I read the first three books on that list RR, and they are great stories to read. Nice pickup too.
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Post by brutalis on Oct 22, 2018 7:47:26 GMT -5
Read through book 13 of Bernard Cornwell's Sharpe adventures. Sharpe's Company finds us in the year 1812 at the Siege of Badajoz where Obadiah Hakeswill pops back up for further deviltry and torment. As well Teresa the Spanish thorn in the French's side reappears where she tells Sharpe he is a daddy to a bouncing ill 7 month old daughter. Sharpe's Captaincy falls through due to political reasons of course and he is demoted to lieutenant.
Sharpe is left to mule duty, wives duty and various other demoralizing jobs which frustrates and irritates him endlessly. As his former company is sent to blow up a dam during the siege Sharpe finds himself once more disobeying orders (sent to find out what is happening) where he ends up again saving the day and rallying his riflemen. As a "reward" for his actions Sharpe is sent away from the regiment. But of course he later finds his company being devastated by the French where their current Captain has been shot dead so Sharpe being Sharpe takes command and leading his men and the entire regiment through the breach and saves Teresa from Hakeswill (who escapes) and his Captaincy of the Green Jackets is restored upon him.
The story moves along swiftly with very light characterization of the large cast with most of the emphasis being upon our dear ol' Sharpey as it should be. Plenty of historic's and Napoleonic adventure and action to keep you reading.
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Post by wildfire2099 on Oct 23, 2018 23:51:57 GMT -5
Just purchased at the Rotary book sale, five bucks for the lot: Airframe and State of Fear, by Micahel Crichton The Thin Man, by Dashiell Hammett Hominids, by Robert J. Sawyer L’Atlantide, by Pierre Benoit Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell, by Susanna Clarke (a rare case of a paperback that’s as thick as it is wide... I wonder how I’ll be able to red it withiut breaking its spine). A good little stash, although the lack of books in bad shape at the book fair suggests that a primary cull is performed by the Rotary club. That’s bad news for me, since my main goal when visiting the fair is to find 1970s paperbacks with Henri Lievens covers... and they weren’t particulartky sturdy even back when they were new! I love those book sales! Some good pickups... I definitely recall liking Hominids. Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrel is an excellent atmospheric novel... I would have liked it better if something actually happened, but as those go it's great. I like Clarke's other stuff more than 2001.. I know I'm in the minority there... maybe the hype psyched me out. Best from Galaxy Vol. II (editor not listed) I think by 1974 the golden age of amazing Sci Fi short stories was pretty well over... what we have here is a set of medicore stories from sometimes brilliant authors. A few feel like they could fit into that golden age.. a couple are post nuclear war type stories, and one by Ernest Taves is ont he first Moon Colony, with the ahead of his time concept of having 3 of 4 colonists be women, but they kinda fizzled... Harlan Ellison's entry in particular feels like a rejected Twilight Zone episode. A couple others, like Gene Wolfe's story, just seemed unfinished. There are a couple gems, though, RA Lafferty's 'By The Seashore' is hilarious, and I thought Sturgeon's Agnes, Accent, and Access was a very prophetic view of the problems we still have with voice controlled tech. There is also one by Jeffrey Perrin (who is surprisingly absent from the internet for a published author). I have no idea if he wrote anything else, but his time travel angle was very unique and quite interesting. Not the best collection ever (especially consider the names on the cover) but worth reading.
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Post by brutalis on Oct 24, 2018 8:35:46 GMT -5
Woke up early unable to sleep so finished of my latest book reading: 1812: The War That Forged a Nation by Walter R. Borneman. This small "war" occurring between the American Revolution and the Civil War was a unifying point in history setting the stage for expansion into the west. This is a place in time when America was developing as a nation and finding it's courage and strength.
An easily readable book without feeling stuffy or full of fact filled boring diatribes. An enjoyable adventure which tells in short vignettes many of the characters and incidents with plenty of land and sea battles. This book helps to humanize the combatants and provide insights of the heroes and villains involved while summarizing this time of growth for the US. If you are curious and want to know more this one will help fill that void for you!
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