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What’s everyone reading?

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The R*** of Nanking, Iris Chang.

Chronicles the unspeakable war atrocities perpetrated by the Japanese against Chinese soldiers and civilians during the taking of the city of Nanking. Has a brief-ish look at the context and causes, and the persisting (at the time at least, in the late 1990s) culture of official denial.

I was reasonably familiar with the Nazi war crimes but didn’t know much about this. Pretty sobering stuff. Interesting if you’re into non-European centric activities of WWII.
 
Hotshot-Tottenham said:
View attachment 15707

The R*** of Nanking, Iris Chang.

Chronicles the unspeakable war atrocities perpetrated by the Japanese against Chinese soldiers and civilians during the taking of the city of Nanking. Has a brief-ish look at the context and causes, and the persisting (at the time at least, in the late 1990s) culture of official denial.

I was reasonably familiar with the Nazi war crimes but didn’t know much about this. Pretty sobering stuff. Interesting if you’re into non-European centric activities of WWII.
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Will check that out, great recommendation
 
Hotshot-Tottenham said:
Cool.

It’s pretty brutal in parts as expected, but uh yeah - steel yourself for some of the torture descriptions.
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Thanks

Im hugely into the break offs from WW1 and WW2 and what happened in respective areas so this is right up my street. Am currently in a rabbit hole on post war Germany online but need to find a book thats succinct about what lead to the formation of Berlin etc in the way that explaining the troubles was about Ireland.
 
Grays_1890 said:
Thanks

Im hugely into the break offs from WW1 and WW2 and what happened in respective areas so this is right up my street. Am currently in a rabbit hole on post war Germany online but need to find a book thats succinct about what lead to the formation of Berlin etc in the way that explaining the troubles was about Ireland.
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There’s a bit of that in Aftermath by Harald Jähner, think I recommended that one before.

It doesn’t solely focus on that though, and iirc it’s more about the conditions in Berlin rather than the reasons for the dividing up. Worth a look though.
 
Hotshot-Tottenham said:
There’s a bit of that in Aftermath by Harald Jähner, think I recommended that one before.

It doesn’t solely focus on that though, and iirc it’s more about the conditions in Berlin rather than the reasons for the dividing up. Worth a look though.
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Nice one will check it out, I found one yesterday about the differing economics of west and east Germany which I like the look at, plots through towards the fall of the wall. Consuming Germany in the Cold War
 
Grays_1890 said:
Nice one will check it out, I found one yesterday about the differing economics of west and east Germany which I like the look at, plots through towards the fall of the wall. Consuming Germany in the Cold War
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Ah, if you go as far as the Cold War and Communist East Germany, and specifically Berlin, then Stasiland by Anna Funder is really good.

Edit - what was the title of the book you found?
 
Grays_1890 said:
Nice one will check it out, I found one yesterday about the differing economics of west and east Germany which I like the look at, plots through towards the fall of the wall. Consuming Germany in the Cold War
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I’d be interested in knowing which book this is too, please.
 
Hotshot-Tottenham said:
View attachment 15707

The R*** of Nanking, Iris Chang.

Chronicles the unspeakable war atrocities perpetrated by the Japanese against Chinese soldiers and civilians during the taking of the city of Nanking. Has a brief-ish look at the context and causes, and the persisting (at the time at least, in the late 1990s) culture of official denial.

I was reasonably familiar with the Nazi war crimes but didn’t know much about this. Pretty sobering stuff. Interesting if you’re into non-European centric activities of WWII.
Click to expand...
Good job you asterisked out that 'R' word :D
 
Well, since war in Crimea is a timely topic, why not venture back in history. A ribald tinkle-take of the British army in the mid-1850s from a brilliant Scots author. Funny as fcuk, too.

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I have most, if not all, of the Flashman books on my cottage bookshelf. Fraser resorts to using historically-correct language and attitudes and these books, without serious re-writing, would likely never have been published nowadays. But they were decades back and became best sellers and even a Hollywood movie. They're a guilty pleasure and I've read them all but enjoy re-reading them when enough time - wine and weed, shurely. ed - has passed.
 
Flashman books are great fun. Not written in 1850 more like 100 years later. Reading Churchill's autobiography, also set in the 1800s, it has some of the same ethics of that era. The British Empire hadn't seen any serious war for a long time, the army was seen as a gallant career, and war was idolised. People thought it was a glorious pursuit. Of course that would all change in Churchills life time.

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SpurMeUp said:
Flashman books are great fun. Not written in 1850 more like 100 years later. Reading Churchill's autobiography, also set in the 1800s, it has some of the same ethics of that era. The British Empire hadn't seen any serious war for a long time, the army was seen as a gallant career, and war was idolised. People thought it was a glorious pursuit. Of course that would all change in Churchills life time.

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That's a great cover photo, too. Shows the camera technology of the times with the minor motion blur from his hand and cane revealing how slow shutter speeds were back those days.
 
Just finished Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption. Short book (130 pages) and enjoyed it thoroughly, although not as good as the film IMO which is one of the greatest films ever made. Some subtle differences as there usually is in books compared to films but the basic plot and story is the same.
 
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