Book recommendations

It’s the summer, time to put down all that anti-Clinton and anti-Bush books. What could be more depressing?

Instead, get some action/adventure fiction and a case of cold ones!

Read Patrick Robinson’s submarine warfare novels. His latest, Ghost Force, is about the second Falkland’s war in 2011. Very good. If you like future submarine warfare books, pick up some of Joe Buff’s stuff. They're not as good as Robinson but pretty good.

Wilbur Smith is great, too. He’s a Brit living in the Central African Republic and writes African stories. His latest novel, Cry Wolf, is about arms smugglers in Ethiopia right before Mussolini invades. He is a little obscure, being from CAR, but a really good writer. I’ve got The Leopard Hunts in Darkness, about the upcoming overthrow of Zimbabwe, lined up to read next.

Hutch is dead on about Matthew Reilly. His latest, Seven Deadly Wonders, was excellent.

Clancey’s Power Plays series is also good. Check out, Cold War, about Antarctica.

Never miss anything by Andy McNabb, the British SAS guy.

Never miss anything by Clive Cussler.

Never miss anything by Jack DuBrul. Pick up the latest in the Phillip Mercer series, River of Ruin, and then you’ll go back and get them all, Vulcan’s Forge, the Medusa Stone and the rest.

And under no circumstances should you ever, ever miss a Vince Flynn book. Read them in order. Don’t start with Consent to Kill but don’t miss it

One of my favorite authors is Randy Wayne White. His chief character, Doc Ford, is an ex-CIA/NSA assassin retired on the coast near Tampa, whose friends get in trouble and Doc has to use his “expertise” to save the day. Read them in order to follow Doc’s love life or pick up any by itself. (Disclosure: Randy is a friend of mine.) Almost all his stuff makes the best seller’s lists.

More submarine warfare? Don’t miss Michael DiMercurio. All are good, but if you haven’t read him, pick up Emergency Deep or Vertical Dive.

Still more submarine stuff? Get H. Jay Riker’s Silent Service series. I just finished Ohio Class.

If you like Apache helicopters and don’t like terrorist, get Chris Stewart’s The Kill Box.

If you like murder mysteries get Harlan Coben’s stuff. Every one is excellent.

If you read historical war fiction, do not miss Patrick O’Brian’s series about Captain Jack Aubrey and the Catalan spy (and ship’s doctor) Stephen Maturin. The best stories about the sea war against Napoleon ever. They have to be read in order and after a couple, you’ll have to buy A Sea of Words to explain all the obscure references to all the parts of the British frigates and other ships. The NYT Review of Books called this series, “Simply the best historical fiction ever written.” They are. Try one and you’ll read the next twenty. Horatio Hornblower on steroids!

Kids don’t read? Give them Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card.

After you finish these, I’ll give you some more.

Peace (ironically)!

authors

Submitted by hutch866 on Sat, 06/23/2007 - 12:09pm.

Any book or series by W.E.B. Griffen is a winner.

I yam what I yam...Popeye

login to post comments

another book

Submitted by maximus on Mon, 06/11/2007 - 11:17am.

I just finished 'City of Dreams'. I can't remember the author(I'm on the road right now), but it's historical fiction set in early New Amsterdam/New York. Great read.

The wife and I are heading for Hawaii tomorrow, so I'll look over the recommendations before we leave.

Maximus

login to post comments

Books

Submitted by maximus on Mon, 06/11/2007 - 10:27am.

Ken Follet's 'Pillars of The Earth' is a great read. Not his usual style since it's historical fiction set in medieval England.

'Mayflower' is a must-read for anyone at all interested in American history. One of our summer books last year. It's out in paperback now.

Maximus

login to post comments

Great topic

Submitted by Michael Boylan on Mon, 06/11/2007 - 7:57am.

For lighter - non-military/adventure reading - I recommend anything by Christopher Moore - he has a lot of comedic novels that delve into a number of different genres.

If you want to stay on an adventure track, I have recently read some Edgar Rice Burroughs (Tarzan and A Princess of Mars) and both were outstanding.

My solid literature recommendation goes for anything by Paul Auster. The guy will blow you away (Try Mr. Vertigo or Music of Chance first).

Non-fiction selections - "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer is a page turner about an Everest expedition gone bad and "Fast Food Nation" by Eric Schlosser will just scare the pants off of you and tick you off.

login to post comments