Posted this thread some time ago and got some great responses and read most of those recommended...
Here goes again, recommend away as I need some new books to read (non-fiction preferable).
Some of my more recent favoutites:
First Victory 1914: HMAS Sydney's hunt for the german raider (brilliant read - excellent bit of Australian history)
Shadow Divers - Robert Kurson (couldn't put this one down)
The Secret Race - Tyler Hammilton/Daniel Coyle
Cheers for any good recommendations. 
Read a novel called Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts.
The book is over 900 pages, it's fat but it totally captivated me.
Read a book called "Waveslave Bored, His foray into the Windsurf World".
F****** boring!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I read a book also..
50 shades of waveslave...
879 pages of stupid.... I was lost after page 3.
"Marching Powder" By Rusty Young, crazy true story, some pages so full on I actually tried to shield my eyes from the words!
My two favourite books are; "Is Paris Burning?", it is about the german occupation of Paris during WW2. Hitlers order to the general was to burn paris to the ground. if you are planning to go there in the near future, it gives another perspective.
the other one was Peter Fitzsimons "Kokoda", in fact most of fitzsimons work is very well written and researced..
These books are a pretty big read, so plan some time to read.
BTW, my grandfather was the radio operator on Sydney 1, and picked up the German radio traffic that led to that engagaement.... we have his plan of battle showing relative positions of the boats when they were firing at each other.... his diary is a sobering read..
Cheers
Sorry Fitzsimons, cannot recommend Batavia highly enough. Sort of book you will read more than once
Select to expand quotewaynos said...
Sorry Fitzsimons, cannot recommend Batavia highly enough. Sort of book you will read more than once
Yep, incredible story. You'll want to read it again because you can't believe it really happened.
RE: Shantaram. It's a good book, with excellent parts. There are some slow bits. I hesitate at raving about it but I will always remember the slum and parabaker and I read it years ago
Reading what you liked in the past (and I may have mentioned these in my last post but some of my all time faves
singulary the best book i have ever read. I loved this book. My mother has read a couple of books a week her whole life and this is not what she normally reads and it is one of her all time favourites alsohttp://www.amazon.com/Ship-Gold-Deep-Blue-Sea/dp/080214425X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1404601194&sr=1-1&keywords=ship+of+gold
true story about finding and then excavating a huge gold shipment at the bottom of the ocean. but read the reviews. bestseller etc like a factual clive cussler novel
The Road - cormac mccarthy. Pulitzer prize. Nuff said. Got a son? read this book. tear up.
Blood Meridien - cormac mccarthay. Holy fxck. Makes the road seem like a childerens book. not for the squeamish.
Try this classic - Catch22. It's a good book if it's title is part of everyday vernacular.
l
war one (and I generally dont like war stuff)
www.amazon.com/The-Ship-That-Hunted-Itself/dp/0812819268
true story about two passenger liners that were converted to warships at the outset of WW1 and were modified to impersonate each other. They then meet in battle! crews invent the "what the" saying.
Select to expand quotewaveslave said...
Read a novel called Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts.
The book is over 900 pages, it's fat but it totally captivated me.
Didn't mind Shantaram, just found it about 300 pages too long.
One of the best things I've done of late is get a Kindle. The physical aspect of a book is quickly forgotten when you can access all of the books mentioned above in seconds. The biggest issue is passing on a "good read" to someone else.
'The satanic verses" by salmon Rushdie was on the shelf of the local library.
I thought I'd widen heathen mind and find out what all of the fuss was about a few years ago.
Can't say it's that riveting actually, more of a slog so far.
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<div>The Riddle of the Sands, Captains Courageous and anything by Sam Llewellyn is always a good read
i think you can get this in kindle. good
www.booktopia.com.au/blog/2012/07/25/mac-serge-tucker-author-of-fighter-pilot-mis-adventures-beyond-the-sound-barrier-with-an-australian-top-gun-answers-ten-terrifying-questions/
australian f18 pilot
Yep, Fighter Pilot is pretty good.
Keith Fennels Warrior Training and Warrier Brothers are great reads. The day I read those back to back I was 145kg and could barely run 25m, let alone kitesurf.
Mark Donaldson's The Crossroad is pretty similar read about his career in the SASR.
Marooned on Mog Mog is a real adventure book. WA family shipwrecked in Yap state.
Stuart Coleman's Eddie Would Go is also a worthy read. Arguably the greatest waterman of all time
Some cracker reccomendations up there. Here's one I found in a homewares store in Margs while the Mrs was furniture shopping. Turned out to be a pretty decent light read.
www.intothesea-novel.com/
The bible
Best fiction story of all time, even has its own following, must be a good story
One of the most interesting books . I have ever read was called .
The Black Art , A history of black magic & religions.
Cant remember the authors name & like all good books you lend it & it never comes back.
The Brocken God by David Zindel.
How to kill .
The definitive history of the assassin
Jriss Hollinton
something a bit lighter & really funny
Bill the Galactic hero
Harry Harrison
the yellow birds by Kevin Powers.
a higher call by adam makos.
the dig tree by sarah murgatroyd.
the lost raft by john haslett.
mutiny on the bounty by nordhoff and hall.
again....Batavia.
Michael petersons biography,
Anything by Hugh Edwards, ( ocean books, shipwrecks etc etc
Sandakan by Paul Ham...
Gives you an insight into the brutality of the Japanese and the Formosan guards in charge of the Aussie and British POWs captured after the fall of Singapore towards the end of WW2. The bastards marched, beat and starved more than a 1000 men to death at Sandakan in Borneo - only 6 people (all Aussies) survived.
A somewhat distressing read but well worth it as an insight into the futility and brutality of war.
This post isn't doing anything for my "tough guy surfer dude" image of seabreeze users.
I'm reading "captain underpants" to my kids at the moment. It's so awesome. Nothing like a bit of toilet humour to get kids switched onto reading.
I'm also reading Emmy Noether's Wonderful theorem by Dwight Neuenschwander but that is probably more of an acquired taste.
Select to expand quoteKiwiDave said..
This post isn't doing anything for my "tough guy surfer dude" image of seabreeze users.
I'm reading "captain underpants" to my kids at the moment. It's so awesome. Nothing like a bit of toilet humour to get kids switched onto reading.
I'm also reading Emmy Noether's Wonderful theorem by Dwight Neuenschwander but that is probably more of an acquired taste.
A bit "Like how much poo can an Elephant do" My boy thought that was cool years ago.
" Seized" by Max Hardberger.
Yankee guys autobiography. His job is to go around the world and "steal" back impounded ships in places like the Dominican republic.
Led a very full life this guy.
W
