Matrix Games Forums

A look through the keyhole #10!The Age of Shadows on Distant Worlds starts now!Paypal System UpdateDistant Worlds: Shadows Final Teaser!Distant Worlds: Legends gets Updated!Recruiting Testers for Commander: the Great War on Mac!Armageddon invasion starts in 2014Command Rommels Panzers in Battle Academy!Servers UpdateThe Deal goes Fourth!		 Forums  Register  Login  Photo Gallery  Member List  Search  Calendars  FAQ 

My Profile  Inbox  Address Book  My Subscription  My Forums  Log Out

Disappointing Books

 
View related threads: (in this forum | in all forums)

Logged in as: Guest
Users viewing this topic: none
  Printable Version
All Forums >> [New Releases from Matrix Games] >> War in the Pacific: Admiral's Edition >> Disappointing Books Page: [1]
Login
Message << Older Topic   Newer Topic >>
Disappointing Books - 11/12/2012 4:54:50 PM   
John 3rd


Posts: 9085
Joined: 9/8/2005
From: La Salle, Colorado
Status: offline 		Just saw the other Thread looking for good books with Christmas coming up.

I wanted to start an opposite Thread of ones to NOT recommend.

Would toss out Islands of Destiny by John Prados. After reading the new work coming out over the last few years (Shattered Sword, The First Team, etc...) I had high expectations and was sorely disappointed. The book had few new details and the perspectives provided weren't that exciting. Got done with it last nihgt and asked myself what I learned and had real issues answering the question...


_____________________________



Member: Reluctant Admiral and Perfect War Mod Team.

Reluctant Admiral Mod:
https://sites.google.com/site/reluctantadmiral/

Post #: 1
RE: Disappointing Books - 11/12/2012 5:05:39 PM   
warspite1


Posts: 10795
Joined: 2/2/2008
From: England
Status: online 		NOT RECOMMENDED:

Neptune's Inferno (buy Guadalcanal by Frank)
Destroyer Down (buy anything but!)


_____________________________

England expects that every man will do his duty - Horatio Nelson 1805.




(in reply to John 3rd)
Post #: 2
RE: Disappointing Books - 11/12/2012 5:20:55 PM   
John 3rd


Posts: 9085
Joined: 9/8/2005
From: La Salle, Colorado
Status: offline 		Neptune's Inferno had some good chapters but I felt it to be a C-/D+ work as well.


_____________________________



Member: Reluctant Admiral and Perfect War Mod Team.

Reluctant Admiral Mod:
https://sites.google.com/site/reluctantadmiral/


(in reply to warspite1)
Post #: 3
RE: Disappointing Books - 11/12/2012 5:23:06 PM   
Canoerebel


Posts: 9038
Joined: 12/14/2002
From: Northwestern Georgia, USA
Status: offline 		Yeah, I was very disappointed in Neptune's Inferno. The author didn't know where he was going or how he was going to get there. He had tons of interesting information, and he knew it, but he wasn't quite sure how he should present it. Very poor historical writing.

(in reply to John 3rd)
Post #: 4
RE: Disappointing Books - 11/14/2012 8:07:29 AM   
Commander Cody


Posts: 677
Joined: 7/4/2003
From: Seoul, Korea
Status: offline 		Ah, I recommended "Neptune's Inferno" on the other thread. So far so good, but I'm only to the Battle of Savo Island in the book. I do like his other two related books a lot, though.

Cheers,
CC

_____________________________

Beer, because barley makes lousy bread.

(in reply to Canoerebel)
Post #: 5
RE: Disappointing Books - 11/14/2012 9:09:08 AM   
Admiral Mitscher


Posts: 122
Joined: 12/10/2011
Status: offline 		Sorry but Neptune's Inferno is a terrible book, if you know anything about the Solomons campaign, and I regret buying it. He doesn't seem to know much about the science of naval warfare, seems to dislike the USMC, and calls surface radar contacts 'bogeys'.




(in reply to Commander Cody)
Post #: 6
RE: Disappointing Books - 11/14/2012 2:31:08 PM   
Buckrock

 

Posts: 25
Joined: 3/16/2012
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: Admiral Mitscher

Sorry but Neptune's Inferno is a terrible book, if you know anything about the Solomons campaign, and I regret buying it. He doesn't seem to know much about the science of naval warfare, seems to dislike the USMC, and calls surface radar contacts 'bogeys'.



To be fair to Hornfischer, the word "bogey" was sometimes used to report an unknown surface contact, particularly if on radar, during the time of the early Solomons Campaign.

If he was paraphrasing from USN action reports of the period, it wouldn't be completely unexpected but I'd be disappointed if a modern naval author also used it in his own descriptions of battle.

_____________________________

This was the only sig line I could think of.

(in reply to Admiral Mitscher)
Post #: 7
RE: Disappointing Books - 11/14/2012 2:48:05 PM   
AW1Steve


Posts: 12018
Joined: 3/10/2007
From: ME-FL-NE ? "Cloud Coo-coo land"
Status: offline 		I liked Neptune"s Inferno. It's problem , like almost every modern book I've read lately is poor editing. It has mistakes. Most things produced these days do. Other than that , I liked it. But then again, I'm an idiot.

_____________________________

"Don't hold yourself up as an example of what community members should aspire to. You have a long history of rude behavior, and you overract to the slightest provocation."
Amoral


(in reply to Buckrock)
Post #: 8
RE: Disappointing Books - 11/14/2012 6:23:58 PM   
John 3rd


Posts: 9085
Joined: 9/8/2005
From: La Salle, Colorado
Status: offline 		I will admit that the whole discussion of the 'tech' minded Navy Leaders vs. the old school was pretty interesting. My estimation of Ching Lee went up some.



_____________________________



Member: Reluctant Admiral and Perfect War Mod Team.

Reluctant Admiral Mod:
https://sites.google.com/site/reluctantadmiral/


(in reply to AW1Steve)
Post #: 9
RE: Disappointing Books - 11/14/2012 6:49:20 PM   
Nikademus


Posts: 25218
Joined: 5/27/2000
From: Alien spacecraft
Status: offline 		Neptunes Inferno was bad, but i wasn't surprised as his other book (Tin Can Sailors) is written in the same style. The author is not a technically educated writer and has what can best be described as a "love affair" with radar controlled gunfire. He seems to honestly think it's like the Star Wars system of the 1980's and justifies it by printing first hand accounts that describe salvo after salvo launching from electronically guided eyes "buying" targets in water-columns and explosions. Exciting stuff to read......not very accurate or objective. His comments about Japanese losses to AA on the first attack were funny.

I did find his back-story on Bode interesting but much of it really had little to do with the actual battle to which he gained infamy, said battle being very sparse and generalized and written from the USN side of the battle. Frank's work is much superior and will find no threat from this quarter.

Barely managed to finish it. So can't recommend.

< Message edited by Nikademus -- 11/14/2012 6:52:15 PM >

(in reply to John 3rd)
Post #: 10
RE: Disappointing Books - 11/14/2012 6:50:18 PM   
SuluSea


Posts: 1900
Joined: 11/17/2006
Status: offline 		I have Neptune's Inferno but haven't got to it yet but enjoyed Hornfischer's Ship of Ghosts and loved Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors. I can understand where some may not be thrilled with his writing style.

_____________________________


"I sincerely believe, with you, that banking establishments are more dangerous than standing armies" ~ Thomas Jefferson

(in reply to John 3rd)
Post #: 11
Page:   [1]
All Forums >> [New Releases from Matrix Games] >> War in the Pacific: Admiral's Edition >> Disappointing Books Page: [1]
Jump to:





New Messages No New Messages
Hot Topic w/ New Messages Hot Topic w/o New Messages
Locked w/ New Messages Locked w/o New Messages
 Post New Thread
 Reply to Message
 Post New Poll
 Submit Vote
 Delete My Own Post
 Delete My Own Thread
 Rate Posts


Forum Software © ASPPlayground.NET Advanced Edition 2.4.5 ANSI

0.235