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Author Topic: Cold War Literature  (Read 1027 times)
Slaky
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« on: February 06, 2010, 02:22:09 PM »
Not looking for Tom Clancy stuff here, but is anyone able to recommend any good historical accounts of the Cold War, preferably less biased against the Soviets?

I'd like to read something that reflects on the social and political goings on during the arms race, but also if you've got any good fiction recs, I'd be up for those too.

Thanks, only site.
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CT III
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« Reply #1 on: February 06, 2010, 11:14:23 PM »
Quote from: Slack-E on February 06, 2010, 02:22:09 PM
Not looking for Tom Clancy stuff here, but is anyone able to recommend any good historical accounts of the Cold War, preferably less biased against the Soviets?

I'd like to read something that reflects on the social and political goings on during the arms race, but also if you've got any good fiction recs, I'd be up for those too.

Thanks, only site.

It's not a direct history of the Cold War, but I would recommend Legacy of Ashes: The History of the CIA by Tim Weiner (actually, I did recommend it previously, but the thread was Ratto'd).  Obviously the focus is on the Agency itself, but considerable coverage is given to the Cold War and various operations that the CIA ran (usually poorly) against it's opposite in the USSR.
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flannj
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« Reply #2 on: February 09, 2010, 12:08:56 AM »
Quote from: CT III on February 06, 2010, 11:14:23 PM
Quote from: Slack-E on February 06, 2010, 02:22:09 PM
Not looking for Tom Clancy stuff here, but is anyone able to recommend any good historical accounts of the Cold War, preferably less biased against the Soviets?

I'd like to read something that reflects on the social and political goings on during the arms race, but also if you've got any good fiction recs, I'd be up for those too.

Thanks, only site.

It's not a direct history of the Cold War, but I would recommend Legacy of Ashes: The History of the CIA by Tim Weiner (actually, I did recommend it previously, but the thread was Ratto'd).  Obviously the focus is on the Agency itself, but considerable coverage is given to the Cold War and various operations that the CIA ran (usually poorly) against it's opposite in the USSR.

Along the same lines but in the fiction / spy novel genre.
The Company by Robert Littell.
A lengthy and engaging spy novel about the history of the CIA during the Cold War.
« Last Edit: February 09, 2010, 12:15:09 AM by flannj » Logged
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« Reply #3 on: February 09, 2010, 12:28:28 AM »
I haven't read this, but I did have the privilege to meet Sagdeev in the '80s, and the man knows how to tell a story:

http://preview.tinyurl.com/yhq3her

I have a strong sense that not all TRS-80's wound up where one might expect.
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« Reply #4 on: February 10, 2010, 10:27:06 AM »
Quote from: Slack-E on February 06, 2010, 02:22:09 PM
Not looking for Tom Clancy stuff here, but is anyone able to recommend any good historical accounts of the Cold War, preferably less biased against the Soviets?

I'd like to read something that reflects on the social and political goings on during the arms race, but also if you've got any good fiction recs, I'd be up for those too.

Thanks, only site.



Oh. You said Not biased against the Soviets? Well, it's not entirely Cold War-centric, but I just read The Red Flag: A History of Communism by David Priestland and it had some interesting takes on the Communist movements in various nations and the way they dealt with the Cold War.
« Last Edit: February 10, 2010, 10:31:49 AM by SKO » Logged
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"Plummer, in 1999, "contributed" 1,017 fewer yards to the Cardinals than the league average QB would have brought to the table. As far as modern seasons go, Plummer's '99 stands as the worst."
Jon
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« Reply #5 on: February 10, 2010, 10:46:23 AM »
Quote from: SKO on February 10, 2010, 10:27:06 AM



[kurtevans]The used bookstore that I used to work at had a copy of that across from the register for like 7-8 years in the Cold War section. ME ME MEMEMEMEMEMEMEMEMEMEME.[/kurtevans]
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« Reply #6 on: February 10, 2010, 10:49:44 AM »
Quote from: SKO on February 10, 2010, 10:27:06 AM


When is a Commie like a mick policeman?
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SKO
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« Reply #7 on: February 10, 2010, 10:57:05 AM »
Quote from: Dr. Nguyen Van Falk on February 10, 2010, 10:49:44 AM
Quote from: SKO on February 10, 2010, 10:27:06 AM


When is a Commie like a mick policeman?

That book really thought me everything I need to know about the murderous Russkies.
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http://www.pro-football-reference.com/blog/?p=545

"Plummer, in 1999, "contributed" 1,017 fewer yards to the Cardinals than the league average QB would have brought to the table. As far as modern seasons go, Plummer's '99 stands as the worst."
Slaky
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« Reply #8 on: February 10, 2010, 11:04:10 AM »
Quote from: SKO on February 10, 2010, 10:27:06 AM
Quote from: Slack-E on February 06, 2010, 02:22:09 PM
Not looking for Tom Clancy stuff here, but is anyone able to recommend any good historical accounts of the Cold War, preferably less biased against the Soviets?

I'd like to read something that reflects on the social and political goings on during the arms race, but also if you've got any good fiction recs, I'd be up for those too.

Thanks, only site.



Oh. You said Not biased against the Soviets? Well, it's not entirely Cold War-centric, but I just read The Red Flag: A History of Communism by David Priestland and it had some interesting takes on the Communist movements in various nations and the way they dealt with the Cold War.

Nice, thanks for the info. Why hasn't Oleg chimed in yet? Didn't be bring any pamphlets back from his last meeting?
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Dr. Nguyen Van Falk
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« Reply #9 on: February 10, 2010, 11:32:01 AM »
Quote from: SKO on February 10, 2010, 10:57:05 AM
Quote from: Dr. Nguyen Van Falk on February 10, 2010, 10:49:44 AM
Quote from: SKO on February 10, 2010, 10:27:06 AM


When is a Commie like a mick policeman?

That book really thought me everything I need to know about the murderous Russkies.

Everything I ever needed to know about Russkies I learned from Russell Ziskey...
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SKO
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« Reply #10 on: February 10, 2010, 11:43:12 AM »
Quote from: Dr. Nguyen Van Falk on February 10, 2010, 11:32:01 AM
Quote from: SKO on February 10, 2010, 10:57:05 AM
Quote from: Dr. Nguyen Van Falk on February 10, 2010, 10:49:44 AM
Quote from: SKO on February 10, 2010, 10:27:06 AM


When is a Commie like a mick policeman?

That book really thought me everything I need to know about the murderous Russkies.

Everything I ever needed to know about Russkies I learned from Russell Ziskey...



Wow. Just beautiful.
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http://www.pro-football-reference.com/blog/?p=545

"Plummer, in 1999, "contributed" 1,017 fewer yards to the Cardinals than the league average QB would have brought to the table. As far as modern seasons go, Plummer's '99 stands as the worst."
Capt. Over
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« Reply #11 on: April 13, 2010, 03:57:27 PM »
I just started to read One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich by Alexander Solzhenitsyn for a class I'm taking, which is considered a modern classic.  It's about a WW2 vet who is wrongly accused of treason and sent to a Siberian labor camp; hilarity ensues.  Might be something of interest.


***SPOILER ALERT***




Soviet Gulags were not pleasant.
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SKO
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« Reply #12 on: April 13, 2010, 07:15:48 PM »
Quote from: Capt. Over on April 13, 2010, 03:57:27 PM
I just started to read One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich by Alexander Solzhenitsyn for a class I'm taking, which is considered a modern classic.  It's about a WW2 vet who is wrongly accused of treason and sent to a Siberian labor camp; hilarity ensues.  Might be something of interest.


***SPOILER ALERT***




Soviet Gulags were not pleasant.

If you like Solzhenitsyn, read The Gulag Archipelago.
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http://www.pro-football-reference.com/blog/?p=545

"Plummer, in 1999, "contributed" 1,017 fewer yards to the Cardinals than the league average QB would have brought to the table. As far as modern seasons go, Plummer's '99 stands as the worst."
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