A bit of reading material.

[[GG] Tuncarl]

Well I think everyone has read Bernard Cornwalls "Sharpe" series of books, and the UK TV series is a reasonable attempt considering the low budget they worked with.

But I thought I would pass on some other good reads for you. (my books are all stored at my Fiancee's dads house and my memory may cause mistakes here, so forgive any inaccuracies.

Firstly although not the same era, try Bernard Cornwalls other books, I think they are good. 100 years war, Arthurian England, ACW (early) are a few of the topis covered.

My favourites at the moment are by Richard Howard and are about the French Dragoons throughout the Napoleonic wars (Italy, Egypt, Austria, Russia etc) these are great and give a different perspective to the usual one. They are all called a similar thing, "Boneaparts warriors, horseman, avengers, children etc, etc

Been reading some by Garry Douglas about the Crimean war, these are quite good and really highlight the terrible state of organization the British army was in then. They are about an Aristocrat who got pissed off with his father and left home and joined the ranks in an Irish regiment (even tho he is Scottish) when he could have bought a commision as an officer.

Now I am racking my brains to think who the author is of this next one, but I cant remember. I am sure the hero is called "Mathew Harvey" and the books are about him in the British light cav. They start with the battle of Waterloo and go forward from then. Good books but cant remember the author.

Of course, in my opinion, the best Naval author is Alexander Kent (but there are 3 or 4 others who cover the same era) The Alexander kent serious stretches from 1770 ish to 1820+ and follow the life of Richard Bolitho and later his Nethew. Great read and about 22 books or so, good if you like to get your teeth into something.
As a matter of interest, Alexander Kent is actualy Douglas Reeming, who writes WW2 naval novels. When he served in the British navy in WW" a friend of his (who was killed in action) was called ALexander Kent, and he used his name to honour his friend.

Another interesting series I read a couple of, was on the British Marines (I think around the 1900 era) and another about a cavalry regiment around the time of the Boer war but for the life of me I cant remember the names.

So the main purpose of starting this thread is for you lot to tell me the authors I have forgotten the names of so I can go to the Library and get their newer books


Oh and please give me some new authors to read

[HG|Lord Shand]

The names and authors of those book swould be great Tuncarl, id love to read them

I myself have recently given sharpe a break and started on the Flashman series, although I despise the character of flashman, the books are a great read.

Ive also 3/4 of the through C.S. Forrester's, Rifleman Dodd, which is a great read and in the same style as Sharpe.

more to come

[[gg] Drake]

I know this is a really old thread but....

Im about 4 books into the Sharpe books and I consider them to be the best books ive read since i read war of the Rats by David L. Robbins. The book mentioned later is about the Russian and German snipers at the battle of Stalingard especiall Vasilkly Vaitsev who is probably the best sniper ever.

[[GG]SirDabrowski]

drake said:

I know this is a really old thread but....

Im about 4 books into the Sharpe books and I consider them to be the best books ive read since i read war of the Rats by David L. Robbins. The book mentioned later is about the Russian and German snipers at the battle of Stalingard especiall Vasilkly Vaitsev who is probably the best sniper ever.

Simo Hayha would have eaten Vassily Zaitsev for lunch.

[[GG] Lord Ashram]

I enjoy the Sharpe series, as silly as they were... particularly enjoyed Sharpes Waterloo, if I may say:)

Also just finishing up the Ramage series, about an English captain in the Navy during the period. Likewise silly but good.

Any other good suggestions out there?

And Dab, who is this fellow of who you speak?

[[GG] Lord General Store]

Mosiac of Shadows is an excellent book, set in byzantine times, that author (Tom Harper) has written another which I havent read yet (Knights of the Cross).

Enjoyable reads

[[GG] Tuncarl]

I enjoyed the original Sharpe books (Sharpes Rifles, Eagle etc)
But I found the newer ones set in his past (India etc) and though Bernard Cornwall was just "Cashing in"

Having said that Bernard Cornwall has written some other excellent books. I like to see what you Americans think of his 4 ACW books ?

Give me a little while and I will find some author names of some great series set around this time other than Sharpe.

[[GG]Lord von Döbeln]

I'm halfway through his Warlord's Chronicles, a thrilogy about king Arthur which is pretty good (though a bit of the Sharpe syndrome shines through, i.e. the main character is wherever something important happens and gets the girls and.. you know what I mean). He definitely gives a different account than most other versions of the tale. Well worth a read so far.

[GG]LvD

[[GG] Lord General Store]

Cornwall is definitely a good writer, the warlord chronicles are quite good and so is his latest trilogy set in the Viking times, where the saxons are now fighting off the vikings.

As you say, same pattern though

This one time, I got so p1ssed off with his writing style because he made the character do another stupid thing, as Sharpe/Derfel (of Warlord Chronicles) and Uhtred (of Viking trilogy) always do, that I went out onto my balcony and threw his book into the river....yes I was drunk at the time...and yes I am mental *twitch*

[[gg] Drake]

I wish that there was a way to simulate a sniper match between Vasily zaitsev and Simo Haya. Then we would see who would eat who for lunch *COUGH*ZAITSEV*COUGH*. Im srry I seem to have caught a cold and when i cough I tell people about the best sniper ever.

[[gg] Drake]

On a completely different note, who has read either the Illiad or Odyssey. These are the original action adventure sharpe style books and they are definetly worth reading.

[[GG]SirDabrowski]

drake said:

I wish that there was a way to simulate a sniper match between Vasily zaitsev and Simo Haya. Then we would see who would eat who for lunch *COUGH*ZAITSEV*COUGH*. Im srry I seem to have caught a cold and when i cough I tell people about the best sniper ever.

Zaitsev wasn't that great of a sniper when you put up him up against the same caliber snipers of the Soviet Union, or hey, Finland. He was simply used as a propoganda tool for the battle of Stalingrad, which is why we know so much (dis)information about him.

www.kevos4.com/Simo_Hayha.htm

Over five hundred kills. Many of them from a submachine gun. Simo Hayha never used a rifle with a telescopic sight.

[[gg] Drake]

Even if Zaitsev was used as a propaganda tool you cant deny his ability as a sniper and most of them were from a sniper rifle.Even though he had an incredibly high number of kills, Its not always the number of kills but the way the kills are performed. i.e. clever tricks and manuevers. an example the mortar shell trick. There are even some reports that he had up to 650 kills ;D . And unlike Sima, he passed on his trade which led to the death of some 3000 Germans in stalingrad alone.

[[GG]SirDabrowski]

I'm not saying that he wasn't a good sniper, I'm just saying he kicked ass.

By the way, tricks and all that don't matter. The kills do. One less German, or Russian, is always one less German/Russian. Whether you used a trick or not.

[[gg] Drake]

Yes one less German is one less German but ... The way they kill is also kill. Their stealth and tactical ind keeps snipers , in this case Zaitsev, from getting caught. Snipers have a way about them of being able to kill from the shadows and instill fear into the hearts of any soldier/