The Unofficial Airfix Modellers' Forum

Currently working my way through the whole series of Philip Kerr's 'Bernie Gunther' novels.
In the course of the series, spanning the Weimar Republic, rise of Hitler, WW2, Cold War, Peron, Cuba and more, Gunther is a Berlin cop turned private eye (and later P.O.W. of the Russians) who is reluctantly coerced into joining the SD and forced into taking on cases for Heydrich and Goebbels amongst other historical bad guys.
A wisecracking Private Eye dealing with Nazis.....what more could you want?

John LeCarre has a new George Smiley novel, A Legacy of Spies, which ties directly back the 1st (or 3rd depends on how you count) The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, so I am re-reading the whole series from the beginning just to "get into it", make sure I haven't forgotten anything/one.

I have just finished reading "Cold War East Anglia" by Jim Wilson OBE, a thoroughly immersive read about the Cold War bases in East Anglia and how they were operated, I have learnt so much new information about how the Cold War could have got seriously hot and what this could have meant for East Anglia as the vast majority of the nuclear weapons on UK soil were stored in this area, also how an aircraft landing accident very nearly ended up as a 'Broken Arrow' incident.
Growing up as a child right at the tail end of the Cold War, I find it a fascinating subject to read and explore and to also learn how close to home it was as I grew up and still live and work in East Anglia and have visited some of the Thor and former nuclear armed airfields.

Now having finished this book next in the queue is either 'Contact!' By Bob Tuxford about the Victor tankers role in the V-force and beyond or, "Moonshot" by Dan Parry all about the first Moon Landings

RudiB wrote:I have just finished reading "Cold War East Anglia" by Jim Wilson OBE, a thoroughly immersive read about the Cold War bases in East Anglia and how they were operated, I have learnt so much new information about how the Cold War could have got seriously hot and what this could have meant for East Anglia as the vast majority of the nuclear weapons on UK soil were stored in this area, also how an aircraft landing accident very nearly ended up as a 'Broken Arrow' incident.
Growing up as a child right at the tail end of the Cold War, I find it a fascinating subject to read and explore and to also learn how close to home it was as I grew up and still live and work in East Anglia and have visited some of the Thor and former nuclear armed airfields.

Now having finished this book next in the queue is either 'Contact!' By Bob Tuxford about the Victor tankers role in the V-force and beyond or, "Moonshot" by Dan Parry all about the first Moon Landings

I'm on the western border of East Anglia so this is an interesting post (Although many say we are east midlands we always think 'Anglia'). It always seemed as though Anglia was 'out of the way' as far as targets were concerned but we're closer than you think, especially bearing in mind what you say about the nukes. I did hear of a bomber (maybe a B-36) crashing somewhere out Lakenheath way, maybe that's the one you mention. Could have been a lot worse.
Might have to check out the book you mentioned, there are a lot of old, or former WWII bases and one or two recent
Cold War ones too .

Presently, I am reading 'The Javelin Boys'. I suppose, as I am one, I should buy and read 'The Phantom Boys'! Today, I took delivery of the latest book in the 'Kydd' series by Julian Stockwin. Why this series on the napoleonic Royal Navy interests me I do not know, but I have to force myself to read just one chapter per day.

Oh yes, reading 'samurai' the biography of Saburo Sakai, Japanese top ace. By the man himself and two others I can't recall right now.

TeeELL: I sometimes the best things to be interested in are ones you can't 100% explain why you like them. Stops you over thinking it!!.

Just reading 'Smart blonde' about Dolly Partons career, entrepreneurial enterprises and charity works like the 'Imagine library' started by her to provide books for inpoverished children. A fascinating insight to a multi tallented and very generous person.

As for 'The Phantom boys' a great read.

All the best.

Greg

Just reading 'The thirteenth coffin', about a serial killer who makes little figures in coffins of his victims

.....not an especially good story, but I just thought I'd creep y'all out with the implications

Just finished Angels in the Sky about the founding of the Israeli Air Force. Great read.

We have watched the movie dozens of times and I am now enjoying the hell out of the book.

Rereading the Bolitho series and started the Stieg Larson trilogy.

David

Currently deeply engrossed in the Kydd series by Stockwin.

I've really enjoyed all these 'Age of Sail' historical novel series - Aubrey/Maturin, Hornblower, Bolitho, Lewrie, Ramage, now Kydd. Although they cover the same period and subject matter, all the authors seem to be able to find interesting and new slants on the genre, and write about them in a compelling way.

PaulBradley wrote:Currently deeply engrossed in the Kydd series by Stockwin.

I've really enjoyed all these 'Age of Sail' historical novel series - Aubrey/Maturin, Hornblower, Bolitho, Lewrie, Ramage, now Kydd. Although they cover the same period and subject matter, all the authors seem to be able to find interesting and new slants on the genre, and write about them in a compelling way.

Thanks for reminder. I must reread the Lewrie ones by Dewey Lambdin, Paul.

For some reason I love these historical naval series as well as Reeman's 20th Century stories.

David

Just started in on re-reading Isaac Asimov's Foundation series. Last read them over 30 years ago but the news that a TV series is due to be released next year has prompted a second round.

Is it bad that I've never read an Asimov book?.