I need some new reading material. Military history books (that don't read like textbooks) and historical fiction. I enjoyed Michael and Jeff Shaara's books. I also watched "Kingdom of Heaven, and realized I need to know more about this time period.

Crusade History:
The First Crusade: Thomas Asbridge

The Concise New History of the Crusades : Thomas Madden

The Fourth Crusade & The Sack of Constantinople: Jonathan Phillips

Either of these series should keep you busy for a while.

http://texags.com/main/forum.reply.asp?topic_id=625793&forum_id=49

Dungeon, Fire, and Sword: The Knights Templar in the Crusades by John J. Robinson is a fantastic, easy, and very enjoyable read if you like the Crusade Era. lots info and doesnt read like a history book.

"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing."

Big thumbs up to:

In Harm's Way:The Sinking of the USS Indianpolis

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0805066322/sr=8-1/qid=1147730742/ref=pd_bbs_1/002-8573456-7228058?%5Fencoding=UTF8

and my dad has highly reccomended to me

1942: The Year That Tried Men's Souls

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0871138891/qid=1147730818/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/002-8573456-7228058?s=books&v=glance&n=283155

I actually bought it almost a year ago but haven't read it yet. When he was at my house over Thanksgiving he saw it on my nightstand and asked me how I liked it. He said the book was really, really good.

Sadly the book is still sitting on the nightstand waiting for me to finish:

The First American:The Life and Times of Benjamin Franklin

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0385495404/qid=1147730971/sr=2-2/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_2/002-8573456-7228058?s=books&v=glance&n=283155

I like Brand's writing style and have enjoyed the book, I just haven't been reading much over the last year or so and its a rough book to just pick up for light reading.

since the military books seems to be covered...

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historical fiction

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this is admittedly pushing the definition a bit, but the Historian is an excellent novel. While it isn’t a historical fiction like the Killer Angles, etc, it really helps to have a love of history to really enjoy it.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0316011770/002-2516340-5401644?v=glance&n=283155

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The First American:The Life and Times of Benjamin Franklin

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I've been so busy with work that I haven't gotten to read as much, and that will probably get worse (I just took a job that is arguably worse in terms of time commitment).

But what I've discovered recently is the joy of audiobooks. Not as good as reading the book itself, but better than nothing, especially when I realized how much time I was spending in the car with only Rush Limbaugh and Robert Earl Keen to keep my mind occupied.

The Austin Public library has a number of them, including the above title, which I think I'll check out.

Right now, I'm listening to the Iliad by Homer. I'm a big Trojan War buff, so that's great. I listen to it on the drive into work and on my trips out of town, which are frequent. I even listen to it when I work out. Nothing like spearpoints jabbing into people's skulls and "their eyes clouding over like the dye on freshly-carved ivory" to motivate you to lift weights.

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with only Rush Limbaugh and Robert Earl Keen to keep my mind occupied.

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And I thought I was the only one in the world to partake in both Rush AND REK...

"Thhe Class of '46". This is a book about the West POint Class that produced the lion's share of the major Civil War generals and senior commanders. It traces their four years at West Point an dthen briefly describes their careers afterwards.

I found it facinating reading- and it led me to read more about mnost of the folks covered by this book.

Good recommendation TXAGBQ76, the author, Jack Waugh, lives in Arlington, TX and is a friend of mine. Very nice man and good writer. His "Surviving the Confederacy" is excellent too and one even the ladies seem to enjoy too. It is the story of General Roger Pryor and his wife Sara before, during and after the war. Very fascinating reading.

stonewall jackson by james robertson was a great book.

Steven Runciman's History of the Crusades is the starting point for studies of the period and is used as the template for all crusade histories. It has been in print continuously for over 50 years. It is long but reads quick.

It is almost a treatise on the law of unintended consequences.

The first two great historians were the Greeks Herodotus (The Persian Wars) and Thucydides (The Peloponnesian War) which are a chronological history of the period from the Persian (Iranian) invasion and defeat by the united Greeks through the wars between Athens and Sparta and their allies. Not only are these extraordinarilly important in terms of the genesis of western civilization, but they are also great dramas. And the people at the time had a good idea how important these events were. Thucydides was an Athenian general

Rebel Private: Front and Rear

Funny name, great read. The guy was a Conf. soldier from Beaumont

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0452011574/002-3087774-2138409?v=glance&n=283155

Texas Aggies Go To War, by Henry Dethloff Texas A&M Press recently out.

If there was action, Aggies were involved! Covers Spanish American War and all wars since!