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pontiouspilot -> Books/Atkinson (6/27/2014 10:40:49 PM)

Based on the glowing referrals here I just finished Atkinson's Liberation trilogy. It was every bit as good as suggested here. Has anyone here read any of his other books?



Mac Linehan -> RE: Books/Atkinson (6/27/2014 11:45:31 PM)


I finished the Liberation Trilogy at the beginning of May, absolutely First Class throughout.

Have not yet read any of his other books, but intend to do so.

Mac



Lowpe -> RE: Books/Atkinson (6/28/2014 6:19:23 PM)

I read in the Company of Soldiers. It was good. I never read the Long Gray Line...but it is on my list to read.



crsutton -> RE: Books/Atkinson (6/28/2014 8:17:25 PM)

The Long Gray Line is excellent. Maybe his best. He is now writing a trilogy on the American Revolution. I have posted this before but I am not above shameless self promotion and name dropping at any chance I can get. Here he is with his dog Kelly and me holding my new copy of Guns at Last Light.

[image]local://upfiles/8095/1EC0E3F6F61B44F0BB2D52C096BA8DE7.jpg[/image]



Fallschirmjager -> RE: Books/Atkinson (6/29/2014 2:10:47 AM)

I cannot wait for his new trilogy about the American revolution.



crsutton -> RE: Books/Atkinson (6/29/2014 2:40:09 AM)

Well, it will be a while. Took him ten years to do the Liberation Trilogy.



Fallschirmjager -> RE: Books/Atkinson (6/29/2014 3:25:47 AM)


quote:

ORIGINAL: crsutton

Well, it will be a while. Took him ten years to do the Liberation Trilogy.




It took Shelby Foote 19 to write his epic.



Stele -> RE: Books/Atkinson (6/29/2014 8:11:31 AM)

Thanks for pointing this out; just grabbed them at my library.



Symon -> RE: Books/Atkinson (6/29/2014 4:11:30 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: crsutton
[image]local://upfiles/8095/1EC0E3F6F61B44F0BB2D52C096BA8DE7.jpg[/image]

You are truly blessed crsutton.

Rick Atkinson is almost a throw-back to classic Journalism. He positions himself in a way that evokes the mold of Hemmingway, Gelhorn, Agee, Steinbeck, Capa, Talese, Carter, Chapelle, Thompson, and Hersey, and he holds his own with all of them.

The 21st century philosophy doesn’t allow comparisons of this sort. But he did it. And did it well and truly righteously. If you are intelligent, or into critical thinking, Anything this man writes is worth reading.

Ciao, JWE



Chickenboy -> RE: Books/Atkinson (6/29/2014 9:05:36 PM)


quote:

ORIGINAL: crsutton

The Long Gray Line is excellent. Maybe his best. He is now writing a trilogy on the American Revolution.


Excellent! I'm glad to hear that he's writing a trilogy on the American Revolution! I've tried (unsuccessfully) to find a well-documented read on the AR. I trust he'll do a good job of it.

Not a big ACW buff, but I may just have to check out the Long Gray Line too.

Oh...nice Birkenstocks, crsutton. Hippie. [:'(][;)]



Eambar -> RE: Books/Atkinson (6/30/2014 7:28:51 AM)

+1 for the Long Grey Line (West Point Class of '66) and I also found Crusade, his book about the first Gulf War (Desert Storm and Desert Shield) to be an excellent read.

Thanks for the heads-up on the Liberation trilogy, might have to take a look at that.

Cheers



mikkey -> RE: Books/Atkinson (6/30/2014 9:54:54 AM)

yes, Crusade is excellent book



crsutton -> RE: Books/Atkinson (6/30/2014 3:14:34 PM)


quote:

ORIGINAL: Symon

quote:

ORIGINAL: crsutton
[image]local://upfiles/8095/1EC0E3F6F61B44F0BB2D52C096BA8DE7.jpg[/image]

You are truly blessed crsutton.

Rick Atkinson is almost a throw-back to classic Journalism. He positions himself in a way that evokes the mold of Hemmingway, Gelhorn, Agee, Steinbeck, Capa, Talese, Carter, Chapelle, Thompson, and Hersey, and he holds his own with all of them.

The 21st century philosophy doesn’t allow comparisons of this sort. But he did it. And did it well and truly righteously. If you are intelligent, or into critical thinking, Anything this man writes is worth reading.

Ciao, JWE



He is truly a nice guy. Autographed all my volumes and brought me a free copy of The Long Gray Line and Guns at Last Light without me having to beg. I have my wife to thank. She is the dog trainer for Kelly. He brought her over for an intro and in the course of chatting I asked him what he did and he said he was writing a trilogy on WWII. My jaw just dropped. My wife said it was like a schoolgirl meeting Sinatra.

He has agreed to autograph a full set of the trilogy for the WWII veterans memorial drive that they have every year at the Advance Squad Leader tournament in Bowie MD.

And you are right. His writing just flows like "buttah." The guy already has two Pulitizer Prizes.



crsutton -> RE: Books/Atkinson (6/30/2014 3:30:50 PM)


quote:

ORIGINAL: Chickenboy


quote:

ORIGINAL: crsutton

The Long Gray Line is excellent. Maybe his best. He is now writing a trilogy on the American Revolution.


Excellent! I'm glad to hear that he's writing a trilogy on the American Revolution! I've tried (unsuccessfully) to find a well-documented read on the AR. I trust he'll do a good job of it.

Not a big ACW buff, but I may just have to check out the Long Gray Line too.

Oh...nice Birkenstocks, crsutton. Hippie. [:'(][;)]


Merrill shoes, "Cadillacs for your feet"[;)] But "Boy Most Fowl" the Long Gray Line is about the West Point Class of 1966 (the class that lost the most men in Vietnam) and is just excellent from beginning to end.



rsallen64 -> RE: Books/Atkinson (7/1/2014 12:59:09 AM)

Yes, as well as the Liberation Trilogy, read Company of Soldiers and Crusade. Both very, very good. I love reading about the Revolution as well, so I will eagerly await that trilogy. [&o]



jmalter -> RE: Books/Atkinson (7/1/2014 2:00:38 AM)

am I wrong in thinking that Atkinson was gonna do a 4th book to the Liberation Triad, dealing w/ the Pacific War?

I really liked his trilogy, esp. his extensive quotes from Ernie Pyle's work.



crsutton -> RE: Books/Atkinson (7/1/2014 1:58:10 PM)


quote:

ORIGINAL: jmalter

am I wrong in thinking that Atkinson was gonna do a 4th book to the Liberation Triad, dealing w/ the Pacific War?

I really liked his trilogy, esp. his extensive quotes from Ernie Pyle's work.



I had that conversation with him, hoping that he would. But he is not as interested in the Pacific Campaign. It is on to the War of Independence.



crsutton -> RE: Books/Atkinson (7/1/2014 1:59:40 PM)


quote:

ORIGINAL: crsutton


quote:

ORIGINAL: jmalter

am I wrong in thinking that Atkinson was gonna do a 4th book to the Liberation Triad, dealing w/ the Pacific War?

I really liked his trilogy, esp. his extensive quotes from Ernie Pyle's work.



I had that conversation with him, hoping that he would. But he is not as interested in the Pacific Campaign. It is on to the War of Independence. But I suspect that he will do it justice.





Chickenboy -> RE: Books/Atkinson (7/1/2014 3:41:01 PM)


quote:

ORIGINAL: crsutton


quote:

ORIGINAL: Chickenboy


quote:

ORIGINAL: crsutton

The Long Gray Line is excellent. Maybe his best. He is now writing a trilogy on the American Revolution.


Excellent! I'm glad to hear that he's writing a trilogy on the American Revolution! I've tried (unsuccessfully) to find a well-documented read on the AR. I trust he'll do a good job of it.

Not a big ACW buff, but I may just have to check out the Long Gray Line too.

Oh...nice Birkenstocks, crsutton. Hippie. [:'(][;)]


Merrill shoes, "Cadillacs for your feet"[;)] But "Boy Most Fowl" the Long Gray Line is about the West Point Class of 1966 (the class that lost the most men in Vietnam) and is just excellent from beginning to end.



Thanks for clarifying crsutton.

The Vietnam books that I've appreciate are those that deal with the military aspect of the conflict and don't devolve (as so many do) into the political machinations of the home front at the time. Sure, I get it, the political goings-on at home dictated our involvement in the war. But, IMO, too many authors lose their cohesive narrative on the fighting so they can (over)focus on domestic politics of the time. One of the few books on the subject that I've read that focused on the American decimation of the Vietcong and the military defeat the VC suffered post-Tet was Unheralded Victory, the defeat of the Vietcong and the NVA 1961-1973 by Mark Woodruff. I thoroughly recommend that refreshing look at the war for those interested in the military aspects of Vietnam.

So, with that being said, does Atkinson's "Long Grey Line" focus on the military aspect of the war or does it devolve and lose focus on domestic politics?

Thanks for your consideration.



Symon -> RE: Books/Atkinson (7/1/2014 4:41:45 PM)


quote:

ORIGINAL: Chickenboy
So, with that being said, does Atkinson's "Long Grey Line" focus on the military aspect of the war or does it devolve and lose focus on domestic politics?

Thanks for your consideration.

If I might interject; I do not know Mr Atkinson's political persuasion. I cannot find it in his works. He was embedded with the 101st for Desert Storm and he is still getting honarary induction to unit membership for his genuine honesty and comradeship.

Long Grey Line looks at the men and their backgrounds, and their interaction with specific circumstances of a specific period in our history; who they were, where they came from, what they had to go through, and why they chose to do so, what their experiences led them to accomplish, and (possibly), why.

This is not a political book. This is a study of human philosophy. Why men study war; and when they must finally must take up the gauntlet, what they do with their philosophy. It is a book about men who must make some very important, and possibly deadly, decisions in a cultural/political whirlwind. It is about men that the contemporary world does not understand. It is about men who believe in honor, duty, and country. It is about men and a time when we still believed in something greater than ourselves.

I could go on and on, but won't. Just that he's not a tiny penis social media wannabe, celebrated progressive moron, or a homo-sex HIV victim screaming for validation.

Ciao. John. Oops, almost forgot... Yippie Ki Yay !!



crsutton -> RE: Books/Atkinson (7/1/2014 8:29:44 PM)


quote:

ORIGINAL: Chickenboy


quote:

ORIGINAL: crsutton


quote:

ORIGINAL: Chickenboy


quote:

ORIGINAL: crsutton

The Long Gray Line is excellent. Maybe his best. He is now writing a trilogy on the American Revolution.


Excellent! I'm glad to hear that he's writing a trilogy on the American Revolution! I've tried (unsuccessfully) to find a well-documented read on the AR. I trust he'll do a good job of it.

Not a big ACW buff, but I may just have to check out the Long Gray Line too.

Oh...nice Birkenstocks, crsutton. Hippie. [:'(][;)]


Merrill shoes, "Cadillacs for your feet"[;)] But "Boy Most Fowl" the Long Gray Line is about the West Point Class of 1966 (the class that lost the most men in Vietnam) and is just excellent from beginning to end.



Thanks for clarifying crsutton.

The Vietnam books that I've appreciate are those that deal with the military aspect of the conflict and don't devolve (as so many do) into the political machinations of the home front at the time. Sure, I get it, the political goings-on at home dictated our involvement in the war. But, IMO, too many authors lose their cohesive narrative on the fighting so they can (over)focus on domestic politics of the time. One of the few books on the subject that I've read that focused on the American decimation of the Vietcong and the military defeat the VC suffered post-Tet was Unheralded Victory, the defeat of the Vietcong and the NVA 1961-1973 by Mark Woodruff. I thoroughly recommend that refreshing look at the war for those interested in the military aspects of Vietnam.

So, with that being said, does Atkinson's "Long Grey Line" focus on the military aspect of the war or does it devolve and lose focus on domestic politics?

Thanks for your consideration.


Well, I think you will enjoy it. The best part of all is a close look at what West Point was in 1966, which really takes up half the book. It reads like a good novel. Try it and let us know what you think. It is not really about the Vietnam War.

My favorite Vietnam War book is "A Bright Shining Lie." by Neil Sheehan. Nothing comes close to this one http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Bright_Shining_Lie



Chickenboy -> RE: Books/Atkinson (7/2/2014 2:21:16 AM)


quote:

ORIGINAL: crsutton


quote:

ORIGINAL: Chickenboy


quote:

ORIGINAL: crsutton


quote:

ORIGINAL: Chickenboy


quote:

ORIGINAL: crsutton

The Long Gray Line is excellent. Maybe his best. He is now writing a trilogy on the American Revolution.


Excellent! I'm glad to hear that he's writing a trilogy on the American Revolution! I've tried (unsuccessfully) to find a well-documented read on the AR. I trust he'll do a good job of it.

Not a big ACW buff, but I may just have to check out the Long Gray Line too.

Oh...nice Birkenstocks, crsutton. Hippie. [:'(][;)]


Merrill shoes, "Cadillacs for your feet"[;)] But "Boy Most Fowl" the Long Gray Line is about the West Point Class of 1966 (the class that lost the most men in Vietnam) and is just excellent from beginning to end.



Thanks for clarifying crsutton.

The Vietnam books that I've appreciate are those that deal with the military aspect of the conflict and don't devolve (as so many do) into the political machinations of the home front at the time. Sure, I get it, the political goings-on at home dictated our involvement in the war. But, IMO, too many authors lose their cohesive narrative on the fighting so they can (over)focus on domestic politics of the time. One of the few books on the subject that I've read that focused on the American decimation of the Vietcong and the military defeat the VC suffered post-Tet was Unheralded Victory, the defeat of the Vietcong and the NVA 1961-1973 by Mark Woodruff. I thoroughly recommend that refreshing look at the war for those interested in the military aspects of Vietnam.

So, with that being said, does Atkinson's "Long Grey Line" focus on the military aspect of the war or does it devolve and lose focus on domestic politics?

Thanks for your consideration.


Well, I think you will enjoy it. The best part of all is a close look at what West Point was in 1966, which really takes up half the book. It reads like a good novel. Try it and let us know what you think. It is not really about the Vietnam War.

My favorite Vietnam War book is "A Bright Shining Lie." by Neil Sheehan. Nothing comes close to this one http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Bright_Shining_Lie


Thanks for the link, crsutton. With all due respect, that wiki (Bright Shining Lie) reads like a sociopolitical 'told you so' about the conduct of the war in leadership echelons. Not what I'm looking for.



TOMLABEL -> RE: Books/Atkinson (7/2/2014 2:37:59 AM)


quote:

ORIGINAL: Symon

Just that he's not a tiny penis social media wannabe, celebrated progressive moron, or a homo-sex HIV victim screaming for validation.





TOMLABEL



crsutton -> RE: Books/Atkinson (7/2/2014 4:07:02 AM)


quote:

ORIGINAL: Chickenboy


quote:

ORIGINAL: crsutton


quote:

ORIGINAL: Chickenboy


quote:

ORIGINAL: crsutton


quote:

ORIGINAL: Chickenboy


quote:

ORIGINAL: crsutton

The Long Gray Line is excellent. Maybe his best. He is now writing a trilogy on the American Revolution.


Excellent! I'm glad to hear that he's writing a trilogy on the American Revolution! I've tried (unsuccessfully) to find a well-documented read on the AR. I trust he'll do a good job of it.

Not a big ACW buff, but I may just have to check out the Long Gray Line too.

Oh...nice Birkenstocks, crsutton. Hippie. [:'(][;)]


Merrill shoes, "Cadillacs for your feet"[;)] But "Boy Most Fowl" the Long Gray Line is about the West Point Class of 1966 (the class that lost the most men in Vietnam) and is just excellent from beginning to end.



Thanks for clarifying crsutton.

The Vietnam books that I've appreciate are those that deal with the military aspect of the conflict and don't devolve (as so many do) into the political machinations of the home front at the time. Sure, I get it, the political goings-on at home dictated our involvement in the war. But, IMO, too many authors lose their cohesive narrative on the fighting so they can (over)focus on domestic politics of the time. One of the few books on the subject that I've read that focused on the American decimation of the Vietcong and the military defeat the VC suffered post-Tet was Unheralded Victory, the defeat of the Vietcong and the NVA 1961-1973 by Mark Woodruff. I thoroughly recommend that refreshing look at the war for those interested in the military aspects of Vietnam.

So, with that being said, does Atkinson's "Long Grey Line" focus on the military aspect of the war or does it devolve and lose focus on domestic politics?

Thanks for your consideration.


Well, I think you will enjoy it. The best part of all is a close look at what West Point was in 1966, which really takes up half the book. It reads like a good novel. Try it and let us know what you think. It is not really about the Vietnam War.

My favorite Vietnam War book is "A Bright Shining Lie." by Neil Sheehan. Nothing comes close to this one http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Bright_Shining_Lie


Thanks for the link, crsutton. With all due respect, that wiki (Bright Shining Lie) reads like a sociopolitical 'told you so' about the conduct of the war in leadership echelons. Not what I'm looking for.


Not really. John Paul Vann was an unheralded hero of the war who loved his country and wanted it to succeed in Vietnam. He is a character right out of Hemingway. And Sheehan writes about him and the war as only someone who witnessed it first hand could. Another history book that reads like a novel. I have spent a lot of time researching and studying the Vietnam War and this book gets it about as right as anything. Sheehan won the Pulitzer Prize for his effort.



Chickenboy -> RE: Books/Atkinson (7/2/2014 2:00:46 PM)


quote:

ORIGINAL: crsutton


quote:

ORIGINAL: Chickenboy


quote:

ORIGINAL: crsutton


quote:

ORIGINAL: Chickenboy


quote:

ORIGINAL: crsutton


quote:

ORIGINAL: Chickenboy


quote:

ORIGINAL: crsutton

The Long Gray Line is excellent. Maybe his best. He is now writing a trilogy on the American Revolution.


Excellent! I'm glad to hear that he's writing a trilogy on the American Revolution! I've tried (unsuccessfully) to find a well-documented read on the AR. I trust he'll do a good job of it.

Not a big ACW buff, but I may just have to check out the Long Gray Line too.

Oh...nice Birkenstocks, crsutton. Hippie. [:'(][;)]


Merrill shoes, "Cadillacs for your feet"[;)] But "Boy Most Fowl" the Long Gray Line is about the West Point Class of 1966 (the class that lost the most men in Vietnam) and is just excellent from beginning to end.



Thanks for clarifying crsutton.

The Vietnam books that I've appreciate are those that deal with the military aspect of the conflict and don't devolve (as so many do) into the political machinations of the home front at the time. Sure, I get it, the political goings-on at home dictated our involvement in the war. But, IMO, too many authors lose their cohesive narrative on the fighting so they can (over)focus on domestic politics of the time. One of the few books on the subject that I've read that focused on the American decimation of the Vietcong and the military defeat the VC suffered post-Tet was Unheralded Victory, the defeat of the Vietcong and the NVA 1961-1973 by Mark Woodruff. I thoroughly recommend that refreshing look at the war for those interested in the military aspects of Vietnam.

So, with that being said, does Atkinson's "Long Grey Line" focus on the military aspect of the war or does it devolve and lose focus on domestic politics?

Thanks for your consideration.


Well, I think you will enjoy it. The best part of all is a close look at what West Point was in 1966, which really takes up half the book. It reads like a good novel. Try it and let us know what you think. It is not really about the Vietnam War.

My favorite Vietnam War book is "A Bright Shining Lie." by Neil Sheehan. Nothing comes close to this one http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Bright_Shining_Lie


Thanks for the link, crsutton. With all due respect, that wiki (Bright Shining Lie) reads like a sociopolitical 'told you so' about the conduct of the war in leadership echelons. Not what I'm looking for.


Not really. John Paul Vann was an unheralded hero of the war who loved his country and wanted it to succeed in Vietnam. He is a character right out of Hemingway. And Sheehan writes about him and the war as only someone who witnessed it first hand could. Another history book that reads like a novel. I have spent a lot of time researching and studying the Vietnam War and this book gets it about as right as anything. Sheehan won the Pulitzer Prize for his effort.



Maybe so, but it's not the type of book on the Vietnamese war that I'm looking for. Any recommendations on a non-second-person centric military history of the entirety of the war? I'm looking for something more akin to an 'official history'.



barkman44 -> RE: Books/Atkinson (7/2/2014 5:39:13 PM)

After reading"Day of Battle"I just had to ask him via e-mail why he didn't
include Hube,the overall german commander on sicily.
He responded that he couldn't include everyone involved.
He was an interesting character.He died in a airplane crash in route to berlin
to receive an award(can't remember off the top of my head swords I think,am on the road)
For his command actions on sicily.No criticism just an interesting aside.
Also as for books on Vietnam,I served there and just can't get interested in reading about it.



Eambar -> RE: Books/Atkinson (7/3/2014 7:48:55 AM)


quote:

ORIGINAL: barkorn45

After reading"Day of Battle"I just had to ask him via e-mail why he didn't
include Hube,the overall german commander on sicily.
He responded that he couldn't include everyone involved.
He was an interesting character.He died in a airplane crash in route to berlin
to receive an award(can't remember off the top of my head swords I think,am on the road)
For his command actions on sicily.No criticism just an interesting aside.
Also as for books on Vietnam,I served there and just can't get interested in reading about it.


Hube had received his Diamonds to the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds. In addition to his efforts on Sicily, he was also awarded the Diamonds for the breakout of III Panzerkorps from the Kamenets-Podolsky pocket. One of Germany's best commanders.

Cheers,



Symon -> RE: Books/Atkinson (7/3/2014 3:05:53 PM)


quote:

ORIGINAL: Chickenboy
Maybe so, but it's not the type of book on the Vietnamese war that I'm looking for. Any recommendations on a non-second-person centric military history of the entirety of the war? I'm looking for something more akin to an 'official history'.

I don’t think one of those exists. The period was one of incredible turmoil; in the military establishment, as well as society as a whole. Most authors have an axe to grind or an ox to gore. The military writers are all either Colonels who will not get stars, or Lt Colonels who ain’t likely to get even their silver chicken.

In my humble opinion, the best of the bunch, the most penetrating, able, and forthright, is Harry G Summers, Col, Inf, USA; classical, Clausewitzian analysis. His “Critical Analysis of the Vietnam War” is excellent, to my mind. His bibliographies are profound in their own right. His bibliographies will give you lots of food for thought, and some good reading.

He does his best to avoid getting tangled up in the socio/political underpants of the period; although he is very harsh on the military/politico interaction, not a surprise coming from the military side. His biography is also very interesting.

Ok, enuf, returning this OT hijack to the original OT thread [8D].



barkman44 -> RE: Books/Atkinson (7/3/2014 7:42:01 PM)

That was the so-called"Roving pocket"



pontiouspilot -> RE: Books/Atkinson (7/5/2014 5:23:41 PM)

What about "Pacific Payback" by a chap called Moore?…..anybody read it? It showed up on my Amazon spam after I checked out Atkinson's other books.



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