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PaperclipPerfector  2mo ago (text post)   3256 thread views

Friday Fun Thread for March 6, 2026

Be advised: this thread is not for serious in-depth discussion of weighty topics (we have a link for that), this thread is not for anything Culture War related. This thread is for Fun. You got jokes? Share 'em. You got silly questions? Ask 'em.

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That book sounds awesome.

I’ll repeat my recommendation for Thunder Below!, a sub captain’s insane account of combat patrols in the west and North Pacific. Like many memoirs, it’s more concerned with the tactical than the strategic, but that’s a bit different for the commander of a boat. Spoilers: When they run out of ships to sink, they land a party on Japan and blow up a train.

I also greatly enjoyed Massie’s Castles of Steel. It’s much more concerned with British and German procurement and doctrine, but in the second half, it gives a great explanation of the politics of “unrestricted submarine warfare.” America was really the elephant in the room. There’s a quote from Teddy Roosevelt saying if Wilson doesn’t stand up for shipping, he’d flay him alive. I believe him.

I have a couple of Civil War stories in my queue. Planning to cover any of those?

I'll have to check out both of those books. If I have one criticism of Toll is that this trilogy is a 100% focused on the USA. Australian and British efforts are a complete sideshow.

In terms of Civil War, we are planning on reading Bruce Catton's Army of The Potomac Trilogy.

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