The book I'm reading on-and-off right now is an analysis, not a fiction book: 7 Deadly Scenarios, by Andrew F Krepinevich. It deals with 7 possible modern doomsday scenarios, all of which are plausible. The chapter names include:

1) The Collapse of Pakistan
2) War Comes to America (nuclear weapons smuggled into the US by terrorists invoking a nuclear response by the US against the country harboring the terrorists)
3) Pandemic
4) Armageddon: The Assault in Israel
5) China's "Assassin's Mace" (China's retaking of Taiwan, accompanied by worldwide cyberattacks and pre-emptive nuclear strikes on Japan, South Korea, and Guam)
6) Just Not-on-Time (The collapse of the Global Economy)
7) Who Lost Iraq? (Our invasion and later departure from Iraq leading to a regional war that destroys much of the oil-producing capacity of the Middle East for a prolonged period of time)

Fireforce by Chris Cocks. If you've read Vietnam fiction and/or autobiographies, Fireforce is both similar and a welcome change. The Rhodesians fought their war on their own turf with the bare minimum of hardware and manpower. They never had a reasonable prospect of winning the war on the battlefield, but they fought very well. I can't help but think that a mentality of shortage might help the US Army do a better job. The Rhodesian experience has some useful lessons for us in Afghanistan.

Webstral

Just finished reading 'Temeraire' and now wading through 'Throne of Jade' by Naomi Novik. They're both part of an alternate-Napoleonic history where England and France both have a small aerial corps of pilots who ride domesticated dragons. The premise sounds silly, and I don't normally read fantasy but a friend loaned it to me, and I found the first chapter so well written that I just kept going. I heard Peter Jackson just optioned it for a cable miniseries in the next 5 years so the series should be coming to TV with a competent hand at the tiller.

Strange that this book has a very limited distribution here in the states. Amazon doesn't carry it and the sellers that do are charging over $20 for a paperback. There's already an XBOX360 game based on it but the book on which it is presumably based is nowhere to be found.

Now I really want to read it.

ebay / amazon
 

It is just recently translated to English.It might come down over the next months.
Its avaialble on internet vendor sites .

Make sure you get an English ed if your Russian / German is rusty :D

firefighst in subterran tunnels with AKs and Stechkin pistols ..nasty things with claws..future survivalist nazies...

It is packed with good stuff imho.

Most if not all platforms, not just the Xbox 360 (I hate consoles BTW, they are ruining PC gaming). I've finished the game on the PC. very atmospheric, very Russian, really enjoyed it.

Not Twilight, but Merc-ish
 

Devils in exile by Chuck Hogan. I snagged this off the library shelf this afternoon, and I'm already at page 120.

Neal Maven is an Iraq War vet, home in Boston, alone with two crappy jobs and a similar apartment. He meets up with a fellow vet who has a fantastic car, gobs of cash, and the girl Neal once dreamed of in high school; who recruits him for his team. Five veterans who rob drug dealers, destroy the drugs and split the money. Not just any dealers, but the distributors, so there's a lot of money involved. Then the gangs and the Feds start sniffing around, and that's as far as I've gotten....

I played in a short Merc:2000 game like this once, ca.1996, we were pulled into taking down Miami-area druglords, on behalf of a mysterious South American gentleman. I remember it got hairy when the DEA started getting close, we were the dogs bringing the bigwigs out into the open where the law could reach them. That's probably why I have the "Miami Vice" theme running through my head.

If you can find copies of the There Will Be War anthology series, edited by Pournelle, from the 80s and 90s they all included some post apocalyptic fiction as well as military sci-fi, some of it with a very Twilight 2000 feel to it.

A couple of suggestions to the group.

Harry Turtledove's Worldwar and Colonization series. I found these very interesting. WWII in full swing...and then the Axis and Allies find themselves in the middle of War Of The Worlds. Turtledove can get long winded at times, but I thought they were a good read.

Newt Gingrich's and William Forstchen's Civil War Trilogy

The South wins at Gettysburg, Grant still wins at Vicksburgh. Hence Grant appointed Commander of Union Armies a year before it happened IRL.

William Forstchen's Lost Regiment.

A regiment of Union soldiers being transferred via ship to the Sherman campaign in North Carolina. Instead, they end up on another planet with humans and others....and the others enjoy humans...well done!!!!

This is an eight book series. Books 4 and 5 were a little boring for me, but still good reads.

Newt Gingrich's and William Forstchen's Day of Infamy series

Japan attacks Pearl Harbor...but this time Yamamoto sends four or five Japanese Army divisions and enough oilers to re-fuel the carrier strike force to finish the job. The U.S. has to rebuild on the West Coast.

2 books so far as I know. I thought really good reads.

Eric Flint's 1632 series.

This is farther out of our normal discussion eras. A town of 3000 West Virginians is transported lock, stock and pickup trucks into Central Germany during the height of the 30 Year War. I did not know that that war cost Europe about 25% (low estimate) to 50% (high estimate) casualties. Only the Black Plague did more damage....

This series is now TWELVE books big!!!! With MORE to come. I enjoyed most of them tremendously.

Of course, I echo the sentiments about Alas, Babylon, On the Beach, Fail Safe, Starship Troopers, and many of the other books mentioned here in this thread.

I'm guessing they enjoy humans as a delicacy?

Exactly! Some of the tribes of the Tugars (AKA others) use human consumption as part of their cultural ceremonies.

GROSS OUT ALERT!!!!

YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!!!!

See below...












One of the "delicacies" is to take a human captive, remove the top of the skull, pour a flamable liquid on the brain, light it up, and enjoy. While the captive is ALIVE!!!

Boy, that makes Hannibal Lechter sound like an amateur!

(Shudders) I often wonder who things like these ever get started, I mean, I often wonder how and why people come up with ideas like these. Ugh.......:smashfrea

Chuck

I'm currently re-reading The Heritage Trilogy by Ian Douglas - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Heritage_Trilogy . The timeline of the series starts in 2040 and the premise behind it is that the USA has withdrawn from the UN in protest at the UN trying to force a plebiscite within the southern states of the USA and the northern states of Mexico over the formation of a new Hispanic nation to be called the Aztlan Republic. The USA is still the world's dominant superpower, especially in space and on the high seas, and it is closely allied with Russia which has also withdrawn from the UN in protest at the UN's attempt to force it to negotiate with China over ownership of parts of Siberia.

One reason in particular why I like the series is that it focuses on the USMC which, in the decades before the first book starts, has been fighting for its survival as bean-counters in the US government try to win support for the Corps' disbanding. When alien artifacts are discovered on Mars and the UN tries to use military force to take over the archaeological sites on Mars the USMC gains a new lease on life by successfully countering the UN's forces and taking back control of America's Martian holdings. In the series the UN's space power is provided by the ESA, China and Japan's space agency. China is very much a world power in the series but is still no match for the US.

The premise of the series does make me chuckle a bit because it plays on the idea that the UN is out to undermine the US and make itsself into a world government (I understand that many Americans IRL take that idea pretty seriously). Anyway, the series is a good read and it provides food for thought about future roles the USMC might have in offensive operations in space or on other planets. I would urge past and present Marines and their friends and admirers to check this series out. Here is the link to the Wikipedia article on the first book in the series - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semper_Mars .

I take that seriously, but in a different way. I think that the formation of nations is the second worst idea that mankind has ever come up with (the first being organized religion). I think that the ideals of original government of the US (minus slavery and discrimination against non-landowners) is the best one ever come up with, but our current government is a shadow of that. A world government, if run good and democratically, would be one of the best things for this planet.

not yet imo. in 100 - 150 years sure , but not now.

On the beach
 

Following some old recommendations in this forum, I read “On the beach”, by Neville Shute, some months ago. I enjoyed every page of the book, no matter the author gives little margin to anticipate the logical ending. As a nice surprise, I’ve found that the plain and direct language used by Shute, makes this book and easy reading for any non-native English speakers. So, my usual visits to the English-Spanish dictionary were reduced to the minimum. In fact, I’m sure that this same direct language is one of the powerful points of the Shute’s work.

Once finished the book, I watched an Australian miniseries about it. (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0219224/)
I think it’s a good, decent work, with the usual (though not needed) changes to make the characters more “TV-friendly”. Anyway, the story and the most important and shocking scenes remain nearly untouched.

I came across this on Amazon and thought it might be of some interest to some of you. Hopefully its not been posted on here before :)

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Essential-WW...R16D16NYX345PS

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucifer's_Hammer

Just re-reading this one. The first part is slow but it shows how people prepare for the end of the world and what happens to the survivors immediately after. And how easy it is to turn people on each other.

I picked it and 'The Postman' up second hand a while back. Both very enjoyable reads. 'Footfall' also by Niven and Pournelle isn't too bad either.

That would be correct, yes.
Originally "Wolf and Iron" was a short story, however he re-wrote it years later as a full blown novel after discovering his assumptions of wolf behaviour in the original story were incorrect.
The book really shows how after an unspecified world wide catastrophe (economic I think) settlements become extremely, even violently insular and only the very brave, very stupid, or very prepared brave the wilderness between settlements.

I actually have 11 out of the 13 on that list.

I'm sadly lagging behind at 5 of the 13. Tempted by Chieftains, but I think its a wee bit outside my budget at the moment - two wee ones are soaking up my cash :)

Just finished the semi-autobiographical Vietnam War novel, Matterhorn, and it was outstanding. I highly recommend it. Not only was it incredibly powerful and moving, it helped me better understand how a depleted Marine rifle company functions (and I plan to use this in a T2K setting eventually).

The Elblag scenario? Looking forward to seeing how that pans out - very interesting situation you've detailed so far and fits in very nicely with both what we know from canon materials and the most logical extension of that.

For anyone who enjoyed On The Beach, I can recommend any of Nevil Shute's books. My favourite is probably Ruined City; set in the Great Depression, it is the story of a banker who sets out to save a small town in return for some kindness shown to him there.
Scale up the problems involved slightly and there is a some great material there for rebuilding a town in a T2k scenario...

Matterhorn is on my to-read list (okay, along with about a hundred others) -- reviews on it seem to be universally very good. I'll probably end up with it as an audio book, though in that format it is apparently narrated by Bronson Pinchot ("Cousin Balki" from the 80s sitcom Perfect Strangers, for those who recall it), which seems like it might be a bit off-putting, though I'm assuming he doesn't do the weird Eastern European/Greek/whatever accent . . .

My other half bought me a copy of this last week so I plan to start on it fairly soon.

Matterhorn was so good, I seriously considered an immediate re-read. But, due to my rather long to-read list, I decided to save the 2nd reading for at least a couple of months down the road. I hope I don't set expectations to high, but it really was the cat's meow.

@Leg: You, sir, are correct.

Just finished Andy McNab's War Torn which is possibly the best military novel I've read. It's the story of an ordinary infantry platoon in Afghanistan and their wives back home. Excellent read.

I just got a package from Amazon containing Red Army and First Clash based on your guys' recommendations in this thread. I'm looking forwards to reading them. :)

http://www.blackwinter.freeservers.com/Front.htm

Heres a blast from the past........

Once an eagle by Anton Myrer.

An US Army officer's career, through both World Wars. Sam Damon is a mustang and a fighter, contrasted by the much-more cultured Courtney Massengale, who often ends up in the same organization. A great book for those who sympathize with the lonely professionals of the peacetime service. A friend of mine who went to West Point told me they loved that book when he was there.

There was a TV miniseries made for it about 1976, I saw some of it back when I was 8. Sam Elliott (the gravel voice of many a Western) is the star. I remembered that for a long time, and then found the book in 1993. I read it then, I just found the DVD set on Amazon for $6. So I am re-reading it now as I watch the Hollywood version (sorta butchered).

As with most historical novels, the characters are similar to Real-World people. Damon is some of Sam Woodfill and some of Robert Eichelberger. Massengale is some of Douglas MacArthur and some of his staffers.

Fobbit
 

Fobbit by David Abrams.

This is an attempt to be something like the Catch-22 of the Iraq War. It shifts between several characters, some good NCOs and some bad NCOs, some good officers and some (pathetic, really pathetic) officers, all in or around one of the big palace FOBs in Baghdad. It wasn't laugh-out-loud funny to me, but it had the feel of what I've read in memoirs. It felt both real and surreal to me.

The author was in the Public Affairs Office of an armored division around 2005, just like some of the characters.

One tiny bit that is sticking with me: some mystery over why troops get so many baby wipes in care packages. One FOBbit who has some can't figure it out why they keep showing up, what's he supposed to do with it? An infantryman who left his wife with a one-month-old at home takes one after rough patrols just to remind himself what a clean baby butt smells like. Then he sobs for an hour.

The Centurions
 

The Centurions by Jean Larteguy. This is one I read a long time ago, but just noticed isn't on this list.

It came out in 1962. The main character is a French paratroop officer, coming out of Dien Bien Phu and a Viet Minh PW camp. He forms a new parachute unit and leads them into the Algerian War. It's a classic of "muddy-boots" soldiers cutting through staff BS to get to the enemy, and perhaps losing their morals.

Basis for the Anthony Quinn movie, The Lost Command.

Baby wipes are moisturizers and used to clean your face with. ALSO good for wiping the crotch down when you can't shower regularly.

For something a little different: Fiction, by John Ringo: "Last Centurion"

A bit of a political agenda being pushed in it, but an interesting read none the less when it comes to the "Your in the middle of indian country: you have *no* support, and only a company strong. Good Luck, you are on your own." kinda way.

I have three recommendations, one of which is non-fiction.

1. The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi - ISBN 978-1-59780-158-4

Set in a future where the oil age has come to an end. The world population has crashed and now calories are a form a currency. Agro companies intentionally engineer food to promote dependency upon said companies. Bioengineered plagues and animals dominate the landscape. The book is heavily dominated by environmental themes. Yet, there is also a Blade Runner aspect to it as well. Highly recommended for anyone interested in such things.

2. Earth Abides by George R. Stewart - ISBN 0-449-21301-3

Written in 1949 and set in the San Francisco Bay area this is a story about a survivor of an incredibly virulent pandemic. Most of humanity is dead and this is the story of the survivors. Dont let the age fool you, its still a great book.

3. All The Devils are Here - by Bethany Mclean and Joe Nocera

A recouting of events that lead to the financial crisis that swept the world in 2008. Largely non-partisan and packed with details its a fascinating read. It shows how reckless and often carelss many of the large banks had become.

Good pick. I enjoyed it, although I found that it dragged a little in places. I could easily see calories becoming currency in the T2K world- Krakow kind of does this with its food chit program. I can't believe I didn't make that connection when I was in the process of reading the book- I usually link nearly everything to T2K in some way.

I couldn't finish Earth Abides. It wasn't a bad book (I stopped about 2/3 in) but it just didn't consistently capture my interest.

I had to read Earth Abides at SJSU so begin to end was mandatory cause we had daily discussions in class. :)

I agree Windup Girl might drag in spots or leaves a few threads hanging. I think this book, like alot of sci-fi, is thinly veiled social critique of today's world. I've started reading the other books by the author and many are very dark visions of the future and the dominance of seed companies.

I did see T2k parrallels but I think the book largely stands on its own in the post oil age. What I loved most is how richly detailed that world is. I had to read this book in small chunks just to absord those details.