For those serious students of history...

[jackangel]

...do you think the programs that air on the History Channel are accurate and/or complete?

And if you had to recommend one book as crucial to understanding the following periods in history, what would they be (with a focus on military and political aspects)?

Civil War

The rise of Hitler and the 3rd reich.

World War 2

Vietnam War

 

[jnuts]

You forgot the Korean war - "This Kind of War" is a good book for that

 

[hardrock]

Check out the big brain on Code

 

[Code]

Naw, I got about 15 of them on my own.

Check out the big brain on Code

 

[Devastation]

WW1

 

[tiger88]

i love the history channel



speicals on ww2 tanks are the shit


da germans had the nastiest toys back in the day

 

[Spartacus]

football war?

 

[Code]

Honduras vs. El Salvador

I guess during the 1970's World Cup, a riot triggered a war.

Although I THINK the two countries were damn near the brink anyway.

football war?

 

[Spartacus]

kind of remember that now..got a synopsis?

 

[Code]

Neither side won.
They both lost about a total of 1500 or so men.

No land was given or taken. The Organization of American States negotiated a cease fire.

I think it lasted a month.

kind of remember that now..got a synopsis?

 

[jackangel]

quiet. focus.

ww2 or vietnam. good books on these subjects only.

thanks much.

p.s., thanks for the suggestion jnuts

 

[Spartacus]

The Football War (or Soccer War) was a short war fought by El Salvador and Honduras in 1969.

Existing tension between the two countries was inflamed by rioting during the second qualifying round for the

1970 Football World Cup.

On July 14, 1969, the Salvadorian army launched an attack against Honduras.

The Organization of American States negotiated a cease-fire which took effect on July 20, with the Salvadorian troops withdrawn in early August.


Football results
June 06, 1969 - El Salvador - Honduras 0-1 (0-0 at halftime)
June 15, 1969 - El Salvador - Honduras 3-0 (3-0)
A playoff match on June 26 or 28, 1969 - El Salvador - Honduras 3-2 (1-2 at halftime, 2-2 at fulltime), played in Mexico.


War results
Apparently both sides lost, with a total of about 2000 dead.

 

[Code]

Where'd you get the game results??

The Football War (or Soccer War) was a short war fought by El Salvador and Honduras in 1969.

Existing tension between the two countries was inflamed by rioting during the second qualifying round for the

1970 Football World Cup.

On July 14, 1969, the Salvadorian army launched an attack against Honduras.

The Organization of American States negotiated a cease-fire which took effect on July 20, with the Salvadorian troops withdrawn in early August.


Football results
June 06, 1969 - El Salvador - Honduras 0-1 (0-0 at halftime)
June 15, 1969 - El Salvador - Honduras 3-0 (3-0)
A playoff match on June 26 or 28, 1969 - El Salvador - Honduras 3-2 (1-2 at halftime, 2-2 at fulltime), played in Mexico.


War results
Apparently both sides lost, with a total of about 2000 dead.

 

[Spartacus]

started on my 11th birthday

1973 October War (Yom Kippur War) - Egyptian Front

In October 1973, Egypt and Syria launched another war against Israel, after the Israeli government headed by Golda Meir rebuffed Egyptian President Anwar Sadat's offers to negotiate a settlement. The Egyptians crossed the Suez Canal on the afternoon of October 6, Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish religious calendar. The Israeli government had ignored repeated intelligence warnings. They were convinced that Israeli arms were a sufficient deterrent to any aggressor. Sadat had twice announced his intention to go to war, but nothing had happened. When the intelligence reports were finally believed, on the morning of the attack, PM Meir and Defense Minister Dayan decided not to mobilize reserves.

The Israelis were caught by surprise in more ways than one. Egyptians poured huge numbers of troops across the canal unopposed and began setting up beachhead. The Israel Army had neglected basic maintenance tasks and drill. As troops mustered, it became apparent that equipment was missing and tanks were out of commission. The line of outposts built as watch posts along the Suez canal - the Bar Lev line, was used instead as a line of fortifications intended to hold off the Egyptians as long as possible. A tiny number of soldiers faced the Egyptian onslaught and were wiped out after stubborn resistance. The Soviets had sold the Egyptians new technology - better surface to air missiles (SAM) and hand held Sager anti-tank weapons. Israel had counted on air power to tip the balance on the battlefield, and had neglected artillery. But the air-force was initially neutralized because of the effectiveness of SAM missiles, until Israel could destroy the radar stations controlling them. Futile counterattacks continued in Sinai for several days as Israeli divisions coped with traffic jams that prevented concentration of forces, and with effective Egyptian resistance.

Egyptians crossed the Suez canal and retook a strip of the Sinai peninsula. Initial Israeli attempts to oppose the Egyptians without artillery support were fruitless. SAMs took a heavy toll of Israeli air power. After sustaining heavy losses, Israeli forces rallied and, with artillery support in place and the radar controlling the SAMs neutralized, Israeli troops crossed the canal. General Ariel Sharon, disobeying the orders of cautious superiors, ran ahead of logistics and support to develop the bridgehead on the Egyptian side of the Suez canal, and to cut off the entire Egyptian third army. Encouraged by this success, Israeli troops tried to advance and conquer Suez city, an adventure which proved to be disastrous.

 

[jnuts]

And if you had to recommend one book as crucial to understanding the following periods in history, what would they be (with a focus on military and political aspects)?

Vietnam War

Vietnam - "Vietnam: A History" by Karnow.

 

[jnuts]

A good book for understanding an important military figure - "American Caesar: Douglas MacArthur 1880-1964" by Manchester. MacArthur was a truly gifted and arrogant individual. The title fits.

 

[jnuts]

I've never found a good single volume set on WWII... there is just so damn much. All of Ambrose's books are awesome. They give a view that varies from the grunt to the General level.

When reading up on WWII, try to find something from a Russian author... getting their viewpoint is often very different when compared to a western viewpoint.

 

[SoloFlex]

it's also considered a war when you bang two dildos together

 

[75th]

Iran-Iraq war, read "The Longest War."

 

[Spartacus]

When reading up on WWII, try to find something from a Russian author... getting their viewpoint is often very different when compared to a western viewpoint.

"Fighting for the Soviet Motherland"-Dmitry Loza

avoid Ambrose's books...been exposed as a plagiarist:

Is the Ambrose story bigger than it appeared at first? Initially, Ambrose's chief offense seemed to be that he had simply forgotten to put quotation marks around a few select sentences. Now evidence is accumulating that he may be a serial plagiarist. The media have reported that he "borrowed" whole paragraphs from other authors in many books over a period of decades.

Ambrose has apologized for misappropriating other peoples' words, but the practice apparently was deliberate. According to the New York Times, Ambrose admitted that "if he came across passages from another author that fit the story he was telling, he would drop the passages into his text and credit the book in footnotes."

not to mention his works are jingoistic

 

[tiger88]

"Fighting for the Soviet Motherland"-Dmitry Loza

avoid Ambrose's books...been exposed as a plagiarist:

Is the Ambrose story bigger than it appeared at first? Initially, Ambrose's chief offense seemed to be that he had simply forgotten to put quotation marks around a few select sentences. Now evidence is accumulating that he may be a serial plagiarist. The media have reported that he "borrowed" whole paragraphs from other authors in many books over a period of decades.

Ambrose has apologized for misappropriating other peoples' words, but the practice apparently was deliberate. According to the New York Times, Ambrose admitted that "if he came across passages from another author that fit the story he was telling, he would drop the passages into his text and credit the book in footnotes."

AMBROSE= PWNED
not to mention his works are jingoistic