Latest book received

[JollyBob]

A bundle of Ospreys from our very own SteveF.

Top job that man, thanks again. 

[Stecal]

Tom Swan and the Head of St George Part One: Castillon  by Christian Cameron  He is trying something new with a serial novel on kindle.  Parts 2&3 are also available for preorder.


http://www.amazon.com/Swan-Head-George-Part-ebook/dp/B008UXLK3K/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1346939277&sr=1-5

1450s France. A young Englishman, Tom Swan, is kneeling in the dirt, waiting to be killed by the French who've taken him captive.

He's not a professional soldier. He's really a merchant and a scholar looking for remnants of Ancient Greece and Rome - temples, graves, pottery, fabulous animals, unicorn horns. But he also has a real talent for ending up in the midst of violence when he didn't mean to. Having used his wits to escape execution, he begins a series of adventures that take him to street duels in Italy, meetings with remarkable men - from Leonardo Da Vinci to Vlad Dracula - and from the intrigues of the War of the Roses to the fall of Constantinople.

I also highly recommend his Tyrant series set in the time of Alexander the Great. 
http://www.hippeis.com/tyrantseries.html

[Mister Rab]

A very satisfying parcel of non-fiction books was waiting for me this evening:

A Victorian Pharmacy (book of the British TV series)
Empire, by Niall Ferguson
The age of steam, by Thomas Crump

and, best of all,

Shiny Shapes, Arms and Armour from the Zeughaus of Graz



which is without doubt the most beautifully and lavishly illustrated (very high-quality photographs) book on late medieval into renaissance armour I've ever come across. Marvellous! Try here for a reasonably priced new copy, only £12.99  

[Lowtardog]

Kindle downloads x3 of the Samurai Detective, only read first few chapters of first book but rather good

[commissarmoody]

OSPREY
Imperial Roman Legionary AD 161-284
Romans Enemies 5 the desert Frontier
the Roman Army from Caesar to Trajan
Germanic Warrior AD 236-568
Imperial Roman Naval Forces 31BC-AD 500
Teutoburg Forest AD 9
Mons Graupius AD 83

Avgvstvs to Avrelian: Wargameing the Roman Principate
by Phil Hendry

Fire in the East and King of Kings by Harry Sidebottom

[Poiter50]

That's a serious bit of Roman reference for a gamer!! 

OSPREY
Imperial Roman Legionary AD 161-284
Romans Enemies 5 the desert Frontier
the Roman Army from Caesar to Trajan
Germanic Warrior AD 236-568
Imperial Roman Naval Forces 31BC-AD 500
Teutoburg Forest AD 9
Mons Graupius AD 83

Avgvstvs to Avrelian: Wargameing the Roman Principate
by Phil Hendry

Fire in the East and King of Kings by Harry Sidebottom

[commissarmoody]

Also got a few books, by Stephen Dando-collins and some books on the set up of Roman towns, cites, roads and forts on the way also. 

[Poiter50]

Likewise, I grabbed the Shire Publications "Roman Villas" the other day, waiting on delivery.

Also got a few books, by Stephen Dando-collins and some books on the set up of Roman towns, cites, roads and forts on the way also. 

[commissarmoody]

  Thats on my list of things to order next month 

[answer_is_42]

Reading this at the moment. Very good, if perhaps a little too Anglo-centric (considering the subtitle):

Empire, by Niall Ferguson

Eh, beware that one. While he makes a few interesting points (although I can't say I agree with many of them) the actual history behind it is at times quite lacking. (he obviously, for example, did little or no reading on the Anglo-Egyptian War before quoting his facts and figures)

[Steve F]

Eh, beware that one. While he makes a few interesting points (although I can't say I agree with many of them) the actual history behind it is at times quite lacking. (he obviously, for example, did little or no reading on the Anglo-Egyptian War before quoting his facts and figures)

If found Ferguson's misuse of sources and statistics in The Pity of War to be quite shocking, and that was the one he had supposedly researched thoroughly.  I get the impression that he is more interested in publicising himself through making controversial and sweeping claims than he is in history itself.

[carlos marighela]

A rather good read on the decline and fall of the British aircraft industry and a tribute to the test pilots of the post war era. Great gift for nostalgia buffs. Recommended.

[Steve F]

A rather good read on the decline and fall of the British aircraft industry

There was a 2-part BBC4 documentary on the subject a month or so back - I imagine that this was the source.

[Mister Rab]

If found Ferguson's misuse of sources and statistics in The Pity of War to be quite shocking, and that was the one he had supposedly researched thoroughly.  I get the impression that he is more interested in publicising himself through making controversial and sweeping claims than he is in history itself.

Shame  Still, it was free for ordering over a certain amount 

[white knight]

One word: EPIC!