book review - Page 3 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

t walgamuth · #31 08-24-2007, 08:24 AM

I came across this book and decided to read it again.

A great book and excellent movie. I will probably get the movie again after finishing the book.

Tom W

Dee8go · #32 08-24-2007, 08:55 AM

I loved the movie, but never read the book.

t walgamuth · #33 10-28-2007, 10:19 PM

This is a relatively small book which describes year by year, month by month the ww1 U boat war. The blockade that Britian put on Germany which was very tough on their economy and war effort, and the German response which was to launch a U boat offensive, which originally was conducted under strict rules which included making sure any non military ships stopped the crews and passengers were able to get away in the life boats, etc. (theoretically) although some ships were sunk without warning, etc.

It eventually became an all out terror campaign of mostly sinking any ship on sight that was headed for a port that was supplying the allies.

It is pretty interesting, but didn't draw me in as a good novel might, but I did stay with it for a month or so required to finish it off.

Tom W

t walgamuth · #34 10-28-2007, 10:33 PM

This is a rollicking good read. Written by the late Innes Ireland, who used to write for Road and Track, and was a F1 driver who raced against Moss and Clark and won, I believe, two races driving second tier Lotuses mostly for Rob Walker.

In this story which takes place in late '68 he along with two other merry pranksters enter the London to Sidney Road Race/ RAlley which lasted about two weeks and was over 10,000 miles of roads which varied from decent paved european roads to rough and rocky roads in Iraq, afganistan, India and finally in the Australian outback. They also encounter dogs, cats, horses, cows (both sacred and milk) and camels on the roads. Along with tottering men on bikes, weaving lorries and old men building fires in the center of the road (in India). The schedule didn't really allow for sleep, so they had a bed in the car and rotated the three guys. The only way to sleep in a bed was to get ahead of schedule and stop in a Hotel for a bath and some sleep for a few hours.

Their choice of car was a 115 Saloon car a MB 280SE sedan equipped with hd springs, shocks and 15" wheels which was prepped by the factory with extra reinforcing at the suspension points, various skid plates, padded brake lines and low compression pistons. This they loaded with a huge amount of spares including starter and alternator and various stuff ( I could have told them not to bother with a starter!) including three jerry cans and three extra spare wheels. The load was distributed in the car and on the roof and a Roo bar was fitted to the front end to protect it form animals. Also they had about six extra lights and a yellow flashing light and siren to get through the traffic on public roads which were not closed! With the entire load the rear of the car sat bout three inches lower than the front.

They could run comfortably all day (they said) at 6500 RPM which was about 115 mph except the Dunlop tires would chunk and they had to slow down to about 105 to 110 ( no kidding).

The car was totally reliable and they were the first private entry to reach Bombay.

IN Australia they had a problem with the radiator due to the weight and vibration of the roo bar which loostened the radiator and it got back into the fan which allowed the engine to get too hot and blew a head gasket. (sound familiar?)

This put them out of contention for the win and they were disqualified due to the length of time it took for the repair.

But the benz was totally reliable and didn't rattle or squeek after 10,000 miles of racing speeds over some really horrible roads.

A must read for old benz fans.

Tom W

Hatterasguy · #35 10-28-2007, 11:46 PM

The Alchemy of Finance by George Soros.

Half of this damn book went over my head, its one of the most complicated books I have ever read. The writer is thinking on a very high level.

This is the kind of book you need to read a few times and do further research to properly understand.

t walgamuth · #36 10-31-2007, 10:16 PM

This book I hoped would be enlightening about Patton.

Unfortunately it was written by a hard core Patton lover who believes that Patton was the greatest general ever and everybody from Ike to Marshall to Bradley were stupid, copied Patton's ideas and held him back. To hear this author tell it if Ike hadn't held him back Patton would have taken Berlin about a month after D-day!

After about ten pages explaining how Patton was right to slap a soldier who was suffering from Malaria and Battle fatigue I gave it up.

I got about half way through and won't finish it.

I have started on "Where the buck stops" about and by Harry Truman....one of my favorites. I suppose you could say that Harry and Patton were about the opposites....one an egomaniac and the other a pretty regular guy.

Can anybody recommend a good book about Patton?

Tom W

Skid Row Joe · #37 10-31-2007, 10:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by t walgamuth

when reading factual books it is always very satisfying because you know it actually did happen.

no way to say things are improbable and unrealistic.

Unfortunately, not everything written in "factual books," is factual. Sometimes it's a "re-write, or a do-over" of history.

Hatterasguy · #38 10-31-2007, 11:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skid Row Joe

Unfortunately, not everything written in "factual books," is factual. Sometimes it's a "re-write, or a do-over" of history.

Well the winners get to write history.

Being a history buff, I find the best way to figure out what happend is to read high quality sources from all sides in a conflict. Then throw in a bunch of commen sense and you can usualy figure it out. Remember be it Greece or WW2, or the War in Iraq, people don't change. If it makes sense today it made sense 2k years ago.

After you become pretty familer with a topic, like say WW2 your BS detector is pretty good. I have read accounts of the break out from Normandy for example from both American, British, and German sources. The generals tend to BS a bit, some more than others. The Germans are actualy pretty good, the Brits can be full of it. Some of the American generals had pretty big ego's. The Germans usualy didn't let to much ego show through, they understate their BS.

The lower ranking officers and foot soliders don't really BS, they have no reason to, and lack the ego.

Dee8go · #39 11-01-2007, 09:39 AM

I've just begun World Without End, Ken Follett's latest. It's a follow up to Pillars of the Earth, which many including myself think is his best book. You architects may find these books interesting, if you haven't read them. They have a lot to do with cathedral architecture. That's Follett's avocation, I believe.

t walgamuth · #40 11-01-2007, 11:29 PM

I enjoyed Pillars of the Earth very much. I have since read a number of Follet's books. "The eye of the needle" is very good too.

I will have to check out the follow up to Pillars.

I have a picture book with magnificent pictures of Gothic Cathedrals in Europe with Quotes from "Pillars" in it.

Tom W

Botnst · #41 11-02-2007, 08:32 AM

As we move off-topic....

Last week I watched "The Power of Myth" -- a series of interviews by Bill Moyer of Joseph Campbell filmed in the late 80's/early 90's (IIRC). I rented the series from Blockbuster online.

The opening segment of one interview session has a series of photos of the cathedral of Chartres with Campbell's voice discussing the inseparability of the magnificent, awe-inspiring architecture from man's innate spirituality. campbell's voice is so perfectly modulated and hypnotically mellow that it is difficult not to interject an "amen, bruh" as he makes a particularly compelling point.

And speaking of Moyers, I enjoyed his one-episode study of the hymn, "Amazing Grace", looked at from many perspectives.

Bot

B

Dee8go · #42 11-02-2007, 09:14 AM

I think I saw some of that Moyers show, too. I read The Hero with A Thousand Faces in college. It was very good.

tankdriver · #43 11-02-2007, 10:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Botnst

As we move off-topic....

Last week I watched "The Power of Myth" -- a series of interviews by Bill Moyer of Joseph Campbell filmed in the late 80's/early 90's (IIRC). I rented the series from Blockbuster online.

Excellent program. Watching two old guys talk for 6 hours is a challenge, but that series is a big influence on my life/philosophy/art/etc..