Monday, November 14th, 2011
Shotokan’s Secret: Expanded Edition by Bruce Clayton
A very interesting book for both the martial artist and the historian. Mr. Clayton has done extensive research into finding the environment that drove the creation of hard style linear Karate. This system of martial arts came about in a specific time and place. A time and place that previously predominately practiced only empty handed systems based on Southern Kung Fu systems. Those systems had to be empty handed systems, because possession of a sword or any other restricted weapon by an Okinawan was punishable by death!
The first half of the book is pure history. The second half breaks apart the Shotokan katas and points out the hidden techniques. Techniques that had to be hidden at time the system was created. Very interesting stuff for the martial arts historian.
This book was first mentioned on my Shaolin Kempo blog.
Monday Book Pick Archive
Tags: book, History, Martial Arts, Monday Book Pick
Posted in History, Martial Arts, Monday Book Pick | No Comments »
Monday, October 24th, 2011
101 Uses for My Ex-Wife’s Wedding Dress by Kevin Cotter
Ok, this book isn’t available until tomorrow, but it is just so mind blowingly awesome that it has to be today’s book pick. The author’s wife left him after 12 years and said to keep the wedding dress, he could do whatever he wanted with it. Word of advice darling, don’t give a man a challenge like that.
Monday Book Pick Archive
Tags: book, Humor, Monday Book Pick
Posted in Humor, Monday Book Pick | No Comments »
Monday, October 3rd, 2011
Rogue by Michael Z. Williamson
Williamson revisits Kenneth Chinran, the “hero” of The Weapon. The war is over, Ken wants nothing to with his his role in the war, just be left alone and raise is daughter. Of course, that isn’t going to happen. One of Chinran’s team members has “gone rogue” and the Government of Freehold wants him taken down. Mainly because they don’t want other governments getting a reminder of just how deadly a trained Freehold Operative is. Chinran, and his lovely young assistant, travel across known space tracking down their prey as he performs assassination after assassination, including Earth, were Chinran is justifably afraid of being torn to small bloody bits by the surviving population.
Monday Book Pick Archive
Tags: Baen Books, book, Military Science Fiction, Monday Book Pick, Science Fiction, SciFi
Posted in Baen Books, Monday Book Pick, Science Fiction | No Comments »
Monday, September 26th, 2011
Righteous Indignation: Excuse Me While I Save the World by Andrew Breitbart
Andrew Breitbart tells the story of his transformation from clueless college student majoring in (anti-)American Studies to a warrior for the Constitution and for honesty in in reporting from the main stream media. He explains in detail about collaboration between the DNC and the Media Complex (which includes TV News, print magazines and the film industry) and how to use new media to combat them and win! In chapter 7, he lays out his game plan for fighting the left in details some of the highlights include: Don’t be afraid to go into enemy territory; Don’t let the Complex use its PC lexicon to characterize you and shape the narrative; Ubiquity is key; and Truth isn’t mean. It’s truth.
Leftists will try to talk about “your truth” and “their truth”, which is bullshit. There is just the truth.
Monday Book Pick Archive
Tags: book, Breitbart, liberal media bias, Monday Book Pick, Politics, Tea Party
Posted in Monday Book Pick, Political Books, Politics | 2 Comments »
Monday, September 19th, 2011
Fuzzy Nation by John Scalzi
When I first heard that John Scalzi wanted to do a reboot of H. Beam Piper‘s “Little Fuzzy“, it made my Sunday SciFi pick for 4/11/10. It’s out now, and I’ve read it (thanks Fred!), and I have to say it’s pretty damn good. Piper purists may yelp because there is no contra-grav, but it’s a bloody reboot! Expect change and embrace it. Scalzi clearly has serious SciFi author chops. He wouldn’t be my first choice for a reboot of Space Viking or Uller Uprising, but the Fuzzy books, sure. My top choice for Space Viking would be David Weber, and John Ringo for Uller Uprising.
Monday Book pick Archive
Tags: book, David Weber, H. Beam Piper, John Ringo, John Scalzi, Monday Book Pick, Science Fiction, SciFi
Posted in Science Fiction | 2 Comments »
Tuesday, September 13th, 2011
Damon has a copy of Michael Z. Williamson‘s new book, Rogue, on the couch.
Tags: Baen, book, Day by Day Cartoon, Military Science Fiction, Science Fiction, SciFi
Posted in Baen Books, Comics, Science Fiction | No Comments »
Monday, September 12th, 2011
Debunking 9/11 Myths: Why Conspiracy Theories Can’t Stand Up to the Facts by David Dunbar, Brad Reagan and James B. Meiqs
Here is the day after September 11 special edition Monday Book Pick. The kryptonite of those Troofer idiots, actual facts and rational thought.
Monday Book Pick Archive
Tags: 9/11/01, book, Monday Book Pick, Politics
Posted in American History, Global War on Islamofascism, History, Monday Book Pick, Political Books, Politics | 1 Comment »
Monday, September 5th, 2011
The Chinatown Death Cloud Peril by Paul Malmont
The book is crack for pulp fans. Really, I’m not kidding. The heroes include Lester and Norma Dent, Walter Gibson, L. Ron Hubbard, Robert Heinlein and a merchant ship working cowboy who goes by “Lew” (Louis L’Amour I’m betting, perhaps Malmont couldn’t get his estate to release the use of his name). Additional appearances by H.P. Lovecraft and E.E. “Doc” Smith. It’s pulp writing, done by someone who loves pulp and wrote a big, wet, sloppy kiss to pulp.
Monday Book Pick Archive
Tags: book, Doc Savage, Monday Book Pick, Pulp, Science Fiction, SciFi, The Shadow
Posted in Monday Book Pick, Science Fiction | No Comments »
Monday, June 27th, 2011
Phoenix Rising: A Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences Novel by Pip Ballantine and Tee Morris
The first in a new Steampunk action/adventure/romance series. Not a bad first outing for the writing team of Ballantine and Morris. Good solid formula adventure, the kind Lester Dent made a very nice living writing during the Golden Age of Pulp. That is a favorable comparison by the way. This novel, which takes place in the 1890’s, complete with airships, Analytic Engines, steam powered bar bots serving beer and a mystery filled “Ministry” protecting the British Empire. This series follows two agents of that Ministry, a studious “Archivist” aptly named “Books” and the uber-field agent, Ms. “Braun”, who wears a bullet proof corset (Ministry issue of course), is a crack shot with her two customer revolvers and has a fondness for explosives.
Stop groaning! The plot flows well and has enough twists and fight scenes to keep you engaged. In all a good, fun read. I’ll be looking forward to the next installment in this Steampunk series.
Monday Book Pick Archive
Tags: Adventure, book, Monday Book Pick, Pulp, Science Fiction, SciFi, Steampunk
Posted in Monday Book Pick, Pulp, Science Fiction | No Comments »
Sunday, June 26th, 2011
OK, not really, since they are lumping fantasy in as well. So you have crap written by George R.R. Martin listed along really good SciFi. Ya, I am biased here. I am much more of a SciFi fan than a fantasy one, and perhaps GRRM may be able to be write decent Elf porn or whatever passes for mainstream fantasy these days, but his attempts at SciFi that I have read have been utter drek.
You can enter your top five books or series under comments for this NPR story on their quest for summer reading. Fair warning, you have to register to post.
The five I entered were:
- Space Viking – H. Beam Piper
- The Probability Broach – L. Neil Smith
- The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress – Robert A. Heinlein
- To Your Scattered Bodies Go – Philip Jose Farmer
- The Mote in God’s Eye – Dr. Jerry Pournelle and Larry Niven
This list could change on any given day by one or two entries.
Tags: book, fantasy, H. Beam Piper, Libertarian, NPR, Philip Jose Farmer, Pournelle, Robert Heinlein, Science Fiction, SciFi, SciFi/Fantasy, Sunday SciFi
Posted in Science Fiction, Sunday SciFi | No Comments »