Hiya Mossy,

Here is a topic I started in the general forum sometime ago.Asian Stories has some great books. I am currently reading reading Shogun by James Clavell a truly amazing and addictive read, is an epic though so for the long reader!

Hope it helps as I for one love reading, any you can recommend are welcomed.

Thanks CC

Synopsis:- On October 12, 1972, a plane carrying a team of young rugby players crashed into the remote, snow-peaked Andes. Out of the forty-five original passengers and crew, only sixteen made it off the mountain alive. For ten excruciating weeks they suffered deprivations beyond imagining, confronting nature head-on at its most furious and inhospitable. And to survive, they were forced to do what would have once been unthinkable ... This is their story — one of the most astonishing true adventures of the twentieth century.

Yes I have heard of this, cannibalism on ice, umm very nice

A strong possible LK.

Moss

Hiya Mossy,

Here is a topic I started in the general forum sometime ago.Asian Stories has some great books. I am currently reading reading Shogun by James Clavell a truly amazing and addictive read, is an epic though so for the long reader!

Thanks CC

Hi CC

Haven't seen this thread but it turned out well, a lot of great recommendations, thanks.

Hope it helps as I for one love reading, any you can recommend are welcomed.

You don't say whether you are looking for SEA stories only, haven't read many.

'Mai Pen Rai', mentioned in your thread is O.K

'Forget you have a daughter', about the girl exchanged to the UK after a spell in Yard Lao, got herself quite well known after a spell.

Also mentioned in your thread, ' Dispatches', Michael Herr, quite brilliant.

On the funny side, 'Around Ireland with a fridge', a good read.

Men and War, 'A bridge too far', Cornelius Ryan and 'Stalingrad', Anthony Beavor, if I hadn't read them, I would never have believed how men can show such courage in the face of such adversity and man's inhumanity to man.

Science Fantasy too many to mention, Donaldson, Feist, Tolkien, Jordan Lewis. Nothing serious there just getting lost in the realms of Fantasy, sometimes a required read in this world.

'Schindlers Ark', Thomas Kennealy about a German who ran a factory helping Jews during WW 11.

'For whom the bell tolls', Hemingway about the Spanish Civil War

'Apollo 13', previously released as ' Lost Moon', Lovell and Kruger

'Spy who came in from the cold'. Le Carre.

'The Beach', Garland about , well a beach in Thailand

' Mists of Avalon', Marion Bradley about Arthurian Legend

But two of the greatest of all time,

Macbeth, intrigue, drama murder suspense, ghosts and witches, what more do you want, well maybe,

A romance, chaos, court room drama, a beautiful girl, and a forlorn hero, consumed with unrequited love and a fondness for the gargle all based around a true historical event, although the book is purely fictional.

What's the book?

Moss

Enough to be getting on with there CC

Well, went out and forgot all the recommendations, tried to find a book on the Gurkha's but failed, so got a cheap version of, ' The Art of War', by Sun Tzu, heard a lot about it, but never read it, hope it is good.

Moss

Synopsis:- On October 12, 1972, a plane carrying a team of young rugby players crashed into the remote, snow-peaked Andes. Out of the forty-five original passengers and crew, only sixteen made it off the mountain alive. For ten excruciating weeks they suffered deprivations beyond imagining, confronting nature head-on at its most furious and inhospitable. And to survive, they were forced to do what would have once been unthinkable ... This is their story — one of the most astonishing true adventures of the twentieth century.

Yes I have heard of this, cannibalism on ice, umm very nice

A strong possible LK.

Moss

Forget about possible, a must read! Once again though, don't bother with the movie!

Well, went out and forgot all the recommendations, tried to find a book on the Gurkha's but failed, so got a cheap version of, ' The Art of War', by Sun Tzu, heard a lot about it, but never read it, hope it is good.

Moss

Don't read this if you are taking drugs!

Don't read this if you are taking drugs!

Hmmm, intriguing.

Does Chang and prescription meds count?

Moss

Don't bother with 'Forget you had a Daughter' - rubbish

"Lords of the Rim: The Invisible Empire of the Overseas Chinese" by Sterling Seagrave is a must read for anyone working or living in Thailand. Its absolutely riveting I couldn't put it down.

There are plenty of references to well known families and businesses both here in Thailand and abroad. Their histories are fascinating...

I'll second this book, I only wish I could find my copy of it! For me, it was riveting as well - so much so that for the next few years I eagerly looked for books in a similar vein, all of which turned out to be great disappointments.

However, Mossfinn made a good point - it may not be nearly as interesting to someone who doesn't live in Asia.

Agreed I also read other books similar to this, but they were seriously dull by comparison.

Moss

Trust me on the Cod. One of the most fascinating books I have ever read. It's not really about the fish but about one produce which has changed world history. Plus It's not that long ideal holiday stuff.

I'm with Suiging on this one - an excellent read!

I can also recommend "A Short History Of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson. The Times described it as "The most enjoyable of books....A travelogue of science with a witty, engaging and well informed guide".

Just read " The Battle" by Alessandro Barbero.

Amazing account of Waterloo from an Italian historian who is completely objective.......A must read.

Thanks for the reply Mossy buddy.

I will get a few of those as I will run low after I get through all the books I bought on SE Asian stories! Glad to see this thread is getting good replies. Keep em coming as I will be watching and buying at posters judgement. Cost me a fortune to read these threads!

This is one book that you will not forget

First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers (Paperback)

by Loung Ung (Author)

Synopsis

Until the age of five, Loung Ung lived in Phnom Penh, one of seven children of a high-ranking government official. She was a precocious child who loved the open city markets, fried crickets, chicken fights and being cheeky to her parents. When Pol Pot's Khmer Rouge army stormed into Phnom Penh in April 1975, Ung's family fled their home and were eventually forced to disperse to survive. Loung was trained as a child soldier while her brothers and sisters were sent to labour camps. The surviving siblings were only finally reunited after the Vietnamese penetrated Cambodia and started to destroy the Khmer Rouge. Bolstered by the bravery of one brother, the vision of the others and the gentle kindness of her sister, Loung forged on to create for herself a courageous new life. "First They Killed My Father" is an unforgettable book told through the voice of the young and fearless Loung. It is a shocking and tragic tale of a girl who was determined to survive despite the odds.

Just read " The Battle" by Alessandro Barbero.

Amazing account of Waterloo from an Italian historian who is completely objective.......A must read.

Now that sounds like a book I would like

Thanks for the reply Mossy buddy.

I will get a few of those as I will run low after I get through all the books I bought on SE Asian stories! Glad to see this thread is getting good replies. Keep em coming as I will be watching and buying at posters judgement. Cost me a fortune to read these threads!

Glad you liked it CC

This is one book that you will not forget

First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers (Paperback)

by Loung Ung (Author)

Sounds pretty good, I will check it out.

Thanks all

Moss

This is one book that you will not forget

First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers (Paperback)

by Loung Ung (Author)

Synopsis

Until the age of five, Loung Ung lived in Phnom Penh, one of seven children of a high-ranking government official. She was a precocious child who loved the open city markets, fried crickets, chicken fights and being cheeky to her parents. When Pol Pot's Khmer Rouge army stormed into Phnom Penh in April 1975, Ung's family fled their home and were eventually forced to disperse to survive. Loung was trained as a child soldier while her brothers and sisters were sent to labour camps. The surviving siblings were only finally reunited after the Vietnamese penetrated Cambodia and started to destroy the Khmer Rouge. Bolstered by the bravery of one brother, the vision of the others and the gentle kindness of her sister, Loung forged on to create for herself a courageous new life. "First They Killed My Father" is an unforgettable book told through the voice of the young and fearless Loung. It is a shocking and tragic tale of a girl who was determined to survive despite the odds.

Good book, definately worth a read.

For non-fiction, I love historical reads. One of my favorite authors in that regard is Jared Diamond.

Guns, germs, and Steel: The fates of human societies (won the Pulitzer Prize, and Medal of Science Award)

"This work abandons the conventional distinctions between history and science. Diamond focuses on what ancient people were endowed with in the way of land, animals and plants, and on the confrontations between less and more advanced people to see how this led to today's inequalities."

Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed

"In his runaway bestseller "Guns, Germs, and Steel," Jared Diamond brilliantly examined the circumstances that allowed Western civilizations to dominate much of the world. Now he probes the other side of the equation: What caused some of the great civilizations of the past to fall into ruin, and what can we learn from their fates? Using a vast historical and geographical perspective ranging from Easter Island and the Maya to Viking Greenland and modern Montana, Diamond traces a fundamental pattern of environmental catastropheone whose warning signs can be seen in our modern world and that we ignore at our peril. Blending the most recent scientific advances into a narrative that is impossible to put down, "Collapse" exposes the deepest mysteries of the past even as it offers hope for the future. Diamonds most influential gift may be his ability to write about geopolitical and environmental systems in ways that dont just educate and provoke, but entertain. "The Seattle Times" Extremely persuasive . . . replete with fascinating stories, a treasure trove of historical anecdotes [and] haunting statistics. "The Boston Globe" Extraordinary in erudition and originality, compelling in [its] ability to relate the digitized pandemonium of the present to the hushed agrarian sunrises of the far past. "The New York Times Book Review"

For non-fiction, I love historical reads. One of my favorite authors in that regard is Jared Diamond.

Guns, germs, and Steel: The fates of human societies (won the Pulitzer Prize, and Medal of Science Award)

Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed

Guns, germs - great read, Collapse I found to be less flowing read.

A couple more along these lines:

Culture and Prosperity - John Kay: The author's take on what has allowed some countries to prosper while others languish.

Carnage and Culture - Victor Davis Hanson: Examines nine "landmark" battles ffrom ancient to modern times and how culture affected the outcome - author's main point seems to be that the army of the "free" culture will always have the advantage.

If you like history - 1215 The Year of the Magna Carta - Danny Danziner & John Gillingham.

More related to Thailand - Asian Godfatherr: Money and Power in Hong Kong and South-East Asia - Joe Studwell

Decent read in which the author indicates that it is the political structure of SE Asia that is holding it back, and that unless things changes their economies will eventually stagnate and they will become very similar to the Latin American economies. Good read but some of his stats can be a bit misleading - for example he quotes stats from the 2006 World Development Report, leading one to believe the stats are up to date but if you take a look at the actual report you will find many of the stats are from much earlier like 2000, or even in the 1990's.

The next three can be kind of controversial, but I think that regardless of one's views and can always be enlightening to read a bit from the other sides perspectives and I think each of these there are pretty easy, flowing reads for people on either side of the issues discussed.

Political (kind of) - The Age of Fallibility - George Soros: The authors take on the current state of America.

Entertaining read - Mr Nice - Howard Marks: About the author ups and downs in his life of smuggling drugs (mainly cannabis).

Religious - The God Delusion - Richard Dawkins: Authors take on why the big three religions are delusions.

Good book, definately worth a read.

OK, I'll check it out.

For non-fiction, I love historical reads. One of my favorite authors in that regard is Jared Diamond.

Guns, germs, and Steel: The fates of human societies (won the Pulitzer Prize, and Medal of Science Award)

Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed

Guns, germs - great read, Collapse I found to be less flowing read.

A couple more along these lines:

Culture and Prosperity - John Kay:

Carnage and Culture - Victor Davis Hanson:

If you like history - 1215 The Year of the Magna Carta - Danny Danziner & John Gillingham.

More related to Thailand - Asian Godfatherr: Money and Power in Hong Kong and South-East Asia - Joe Studwell

Political (kind of) - The Age of Fallibility - George Soros: The authors take on the current state of America.

Entertaining read - Mr Nice - Howard Marks: About the author ups and downs in his life of smuggling drugs (mainly cannabis).

Religious - The God Delusion - Richard Dawkins: Authors take on why the big three religions are delusions.

Thanks Soundman, Kat and TT

A couple there I think for the future

Moss

Robbo turned up the other night with some books for me:

Spanish Civil War- Beevor

Mao 11-Demillio

Mumbo Jumbo- Wheen

Power and the Glory-Green.

Some food for thought here, but the Whiskey Priest has a fascinating draw for me

Moss

Just to second Mr Nice by Howard Marks, and a Short History of Everything by Bill Bryson, both are fascinating and very entertaining

The "B" "I" "B" "L" "E"

Yes, that's the book for me.

I stand alone on the word of God,

The "B" "I" "B" "L" "E" !!!!!

The "B" "I" "B" "L" "E"

Yes, that's the book for me.

I stand alone on the word of God,

The "B" "I" "B" "L" "E" !!!!!

Chownah, I just wish you were serious!

The "B" "I" "B" "L" "E"

Yes, that's the book for me.

I stand alone on the word of God,

The "B" "I" "B" "L" "E" !!!!!

Chownah, I just wish you were serious!

When I was a kid and we sang this song in Sunday school I would sometimes viusalise someone standing on a Bible....