What book are you reading now?

[FJAG]

The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins. http://www.amazon.com/The-God-Delusion-Richard-Dawkins/dp/0618918248

A very good book even if you're already a confirmed atheist. If not you'll be one by the time you finish reading it. His arguments are clear and cogent and the light humour in his writing makes for a pleasant read.

The book is organized in logical parts that take you through: arguments in favour of God's existence; arguments as to why almost certainly that there is no God; the roots of religion; why most religions are not required for a code of human morality; the problems with religion; and why small children should be protected from it.

:cheers:

 

[Danjanou]

Just finished Ivan Smith’s Mad Dog Killers: The Story of a Congo Mercenary
http://www.amazon.com/MAD-DOG-KILLERS-Story-Mercenary/dp/190767778X/ref=sr_1_sc_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1380589147&sr=1-2-spell&keywords=congo+merecenary
Smith was a Rhodesian territorial Soldier who volunteered for a 6 month contract with 5 Commando in the Congo. Good account of the campaign up to the relief of Stanleyville from the average troopies viewpoint. He does not paint a very flattering picture of Col. Mad Mike Hoare. Pretty graphic to.

Also about ¾ of the way through Stewart Bell’s Cold Terror: How Canada Nurtures and Exports Terrorism Around the World
http://www.amazon.com/Cold-Terror-Nurtures-Exports-Terrorism/dp/0470834633
A pretty good primer covering several groups that have operated here  from the Sikh extremists through, the Tamil Tigers, Hezbollah  up to the Kadhr family.

 

[medicineman]

"The Night Shift" by Dr Brian Goldman...an extension of his radio show on CBC.

 

[PMedMoe]

Almost done the third "Game of Thrones" book.  I'm liking the storyline well enough but the excessive description is killing me.  George R. R. Martin is the Tom Clancy of the fantasy genre. 

 

[dangerboy]

Reading "Enigma" by Robert Harris, http://www.amazon.ca/Enigma-Robert-Harris/dp/0099527928/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1380756544&sr=1-1. It is a historical fiction story about the WWII code breakers working out of Bletchley Park.  From the back cover "March 1943, the war hangs in the balance, and at Bletchley Park a brilliant young codebreaker is facing a double nightmare. The Germans have unaccountably changed their U-boat Enigma code, threatening a massive Allied defeat. And as suspicion grows that there may be a spy inside Bletchley, Jericho's girlfriend, the beautiful and mysterious Claire Romilly, suddenly disappears."

I am quite enjoying the book, I think once I finished the book I will have to read some actual history books on the real Bletchley Park and the work they did cracking the German's crypto and also that of the Polish cryptologists.

 

[s2184]

Winter of the World: by Ken Follett

Very interesting, 400 more pages to go.

Previously I read "The Fall of Giants" by Ken Follett, really liked the book.

 

[Pat in Halifax]

Adam Makos
A Higher Call
I'd heard the story as a teenager of the Me 109 pilot 'escorting' the severely damaged B17 during WWII out of German airspace. For years, like many, I assumed it was an urban myth. The story even has a Canadian connection. The German pilot, Franz Stigler, went on to fly the Me 262 and was lured to Canada in the early 50's with the prospect of employment with Avro Canada helping to design a new interceptor; the "Aero".

 

[observor 69]

Reading "Enigma" by Robert Harris, http://www.amazon.ca/Enigma-Robert-Harris/dp/0099527928/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1380756544&sr=1-1. It is a historical fiction story about the WWII code breakers working out of Bletchley Park.  From the back cover "March 1943, the war hangs in the balance, and at Bletchley Park a brilliant young codebreaker is facing a double nightmare. The Germans have unaccountably changed their U-boat Enigma code, threatening a massive Allied defeat. And as suspicion grows that there may be a spy inside Bletchley, Jericho's girlfriend, the beautiful and mysterious Claire Romilly, suddenly disappears."

I am quite enjoying the book, I think once I finished the book I will have to read some actual history books on the real Bletchley Park and the work they did cracking the German's crypto and also that of the Polish cryptologists.

Based on your comments I got this book out of the library. It's a bit old but a good read, very well written and a " can't put it down."  This is an example of the value of this thread.  Thanks

 

[Colin Parkinson]

The Kydd series by Julian Stockwin, a great nautical read.

 

[BernDawg]

Almost done the third "Game of Thrones" book.  I'm liking the storyline well enough but the excessive description is killing me.  George R. R. Martin is the Tom Clancy of the fantasy genre.

4 & 5 are better, I hope you toughed it out and got there.. 

 

[The Bread Guy]

"The Night Shift" by Dr Brian Goldman...an extension of his radio show on CBC.

Read it last spring - interesting, but a bit toooo "all about me" for my liking.

 

[Lightguns]

Just started "Uprising" by Bland.  Not sure if it is a wake up call, blueprint for terror, or pure fantasy but it is hard to put down.  The descriptions of the lack of security in Canadian military bases is telling.  If I was a native in the CF or a Ranger I would be offended that my loyalty believed so lightly by a retired field grade officer.

 

[dimsum]

Has anyone read Shaman by Kim Stanley Robinson yet? 

 

[BernDawg]

Just picked up the latest Saxon story from Cornwell and 1356. Once I burn through the last 2 books in the Starbuck chronicals they're going down range. (hmmm, any else see a pattern here??)

 

[dimsum]

Just started "On the Trail of Genghis Khan" by Tim Cope.  He spent 3 years on horseback from Mongolia to Hungary, living with nomads and generally retracing a path that the Mongol hordes would have taken on their journeys. 

So far, it's pretty interesting and definitely makes me consider visiting Mongolia someday.

 

[FJAG]

Okay. At the risk of it being said that I read "girlie" books let it be said that I read bloody excellent "girlie" books.  ;D

Earlier this year my daughter introduced me to Allan Bradley's "Flavia de Luce series". Bradley (who incidentally is a Canadian author) has written a series of books about a young (eleven) girl with sharp wits who lives in a deteriorating mansion in post World War 2 England who has a penchant for chemistry and investigating murders happening in her quaint English small-village countryside.

The characters and the prose are absolutely charming. The books' titles are: "The Sweetness At The Bottom Of The Pie", "The Weed That Strings The Hangman's Bag", "A Red Herring Without Mustard", "I Am Half-Sick Of Shadows", and "Speaking From Among The Bones". Another ("The Dead In Their Vaulted Arches") is due out next January. [url}http://www.amazon.com/Alan-Bradley/e/B001JRTK5O[/url]

If these don't interest you personally for heaven's sake buy them for your kids, grand-kids, nephews or nieces.

:cheers:

 

[dimsum]

Just finished reading "Combat Doctor" by Maj (Ret'd) Marc Dauphin, the OC of KAF Role 3 in 2009.  I had seen the 2-part documentary on it (and him) by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, and decided to pick it up online. 

At the risk of sounding melodramatic, what I did in my tours there pales significantly in comparison....and being just a dumb ACSO, I'm definitely not smart enough to be in the medical profession.

 

[Kirkhill]

Just finished Cornwell's latest:  Pagan Lord - in which Uhtred of Bebbanburg slaughters foemen, overcomes treachery and survives to fight another day - and as usual a great read.

Then I went an picked up a book by John Masters to re-read.  "Man of War"

John Masters was a military novelist who knew where of he spoke.  He served as Brigade Major of both Gurkhas and Chindits, as well as GSO1 of an Indian Army div in Slim's 14th Army (The Road Past Mandalay should be read along with Slim and MacDonald Fraser's "Quartered Safe Out Here".)

Man of War is a tale of survival.

It is about how an officer and an army survive the dead period between wars (1919 to 1940) and centres around a CFR'd "temporary gentleman" prepares himself to help extricate the remnants of the British Army from Dunkirk in 1940.  There are tactical lessons, logistical lessons and "political lessons" - in the sense that everything in life is political.

One vignette concerns sending out a detail to round up local vans and trucks to augment the inadequate (below authorized strength) levels of transport in the infantry battalions.  When the hero's unit disembarks onto the docks in France from England it's kit drives away in a mixture of milk vans, butcher's vans, laundry vans and other assorted trade's vehicles - all in their original paint and with their owner's logos still visible.

It was enjoyable the first two times I read it and I found it still enjoyable this time.

 

[dangerboy]

Picked up "An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth" by Chris Hadfield. http://www.amazon.ca/Astronauts-Guide-Life-Earth/dp/0345812700/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1384726585&sr=8-1&keywords=chris+hadfield+an+astronaut%27s+guide+to+life+on+earth

I have only read the first two chapters of the book, but so far it is an enjoyable read. Based on what I have read I have no problem recommending this book to everyone.

I had lost most interest in the space program and had not been paying much attention to it in the last ten years.  When Chris Hadfield went to the space station and started using social media to explain everything about space it rekindled my interest in the space program.

 

[dimsum]

Picked up "An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth" by Chris Hadfield. http://www.amazon.ca/Astronauts-Guide-Life-Earth/dp/0345812700/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1384726585&sr=8-1&keywords=chris+hadfield+an+astronaut%27s+guide+to+life+on+earth

I have only read the first two chapters of the book, but so far it is an enjoyable read. Based on what I have read I have no problem recommending this book to everyone.

I had lost most interest in the space program and had not been paying much attention to it in the last ten years.  When Chris Hadfield went to the space station and started using social media to explain everything about space it rekindled my interest in the space program.

I'm around where you are on the book, and totally echo what you say.  He seems like a very down-to-earth (pardon the pun) guy in all the media/interviews/etc. he's involved in.