Where ya from...? > Likes and Comments
Feliks wrote: "Who are ye, where do ye hail from, how'd ya find us....?
Tell all! 'Fess up and spill th' beans!
Please introduce yourself. Especially if you are new to the group. This thread is all about YOU.
..."
This is a great idea, Feliks, as I believe that the main strength of Goodreads is its international flavor and the chance it gives to people from all over the planet (and beyond, maybe) to relate, exchange personal experience, ideas and impressions.
I am not exactly new to Goodreads and this group, but here is a short blurb about me: I am a self-published author who lives in the Montreal area, in Canada and who specializes mostly in sci-fi, historical fiction, alternate history and general fiction thrillers, including one spy novel written. My native language is French but I am fluent in English (although some Grammar Nazis still berate my written English), plus I speak a limited Spanish. I am 63 years old and am a retiree from the Canadian Forces now living on my pensions with my family. I thus now have all my time available to write, which is a hobby for me (I publish online for free). Out of 32 years of service in the Canadian Forces (five years in the infantry, then 27 years in military intelligence as an operator and analyst), I served a total of five years and six months overseas (2.5 years in Germany, six months in Cyprus, two years in Lebanon and six months in Bosnia. I believe that my military experience and my time overseas has helped greatly my writing, due to the experience gained and to the exposure to different cultures. On the personal side, I am basically an atheist, humanist and pro-feminist (nearly all my main characters are women). I love history, especially military history, geo-politics and technology in general (particularly aerospace stuff), but still am a bit of a dinosaur when it comes to computer use (I am okay with basic stuff but don't ask me more). I have found very enriching all the contacts I have developed around the World thanks to Goodreads and hope that many more will benefit from the same experience.
Tell all! 'Fess up and spill th' beans!
Please introduce yourself. Especially if you are new to the group. This thread is all about YOU.
..."
This is a great idea, Feliks, as I believe that the main strength of Goodreads is its international flavor and the chance it gives to people from all over the planet (and beyond, maybe) to relate, exchange personal experience, ideas and impressions.
I am not exactly new to Goodreads and this group, but here is a short blurb about me: I am a self-published author who lives in the Montreal area, in Canada and who specializes mostly in sci-fi, historical fiction, alternate history and general fiction thrillers, including one spy novel written. My native language is French but I am fluent in English (although some Grammar Nazis still berate my written English), plus I speak a limited Spanish. I am 63 years old and am a retiree from the Canadian Forces now living on my pensions with my family. I thus now have all my time available to write, which is a hobby for me (I publish online for free). Out of 32 years of service in the Canadian Forces (five years in the infantry, then 27 years in military intelligence as an operator and analyst), I served a total of five years and six months overseas (2.5 years in Germany, six months in Cyprus, two years in Lebanon and six months in Bosnia. I believe that my military experience and my time overseas has helped greatly my writing, due to the experience gained and to the exposure to different cultures. On the personal side, I am basically an atheist, humanist and pro-feminist (nearly all my main characters are women). I love history, especially military history, geo-politics and technology in general (particularly aerospace stuff), but still am a bit of a dinosaur when it comes to computer use (I am okay with basic stuff but don't ask me more). I have found very enriching all the contacts I have developed around the World thanks to Goodreads and hope that many more will benefit from the same experience.
Looks like a great read! Thank you for putting the book out there.Felix- Im sure you wont be surprised at the following experience I had. :)
I was fortunate to have had a lunch date with Peter Malkin before he passed away. I was coming from the gym to meet him. I then dropped him off at his hotel and said I would pick him up at 4pm for his speaking engagement, but told him he wouldn't recognize me when Im cleaned up.
He laughed and said "Ah- Stacey, you forget - Im a spy.
I have already found a physical feature on you that you probably aren't aware of that will validate who you are."
How awesome is that? He would never tell me what that feature was!
We know movies are not always accurate as their books- for obvious reasons. "Operation Finale' " was good, but his book was great.
Feliks, thanks for this opportunity. My name is Mark. Greetings to all from Wooster in rural (N.E.) Ohio. I 65 y/o and am retired from 35 years of service with the US Dept of Defense. I truly enjoy the novels suggested by our Goodreads crowd. My last 25 years of work were spent in the Wash DC area. What an adventure! The only place I've ever lived which was surrounded on all four sides by reality. I try to read about 2 books a week. Am anxious to learn from our member's experiences and hope to pen a story someday.
Hi, stumbled into this group, while reading the discussion-thread about Robert Littels The Amateur. I am from Germany in Region, that was part of the legendary Fulda-Gap in Cold war, a lot of former baracks still tell the story.
Hi, saw where you are from and had to say Hi. I lived in Germany from 1979 to 1983 courtesy of the US Army. I was stationed in Frankfurt and Pirmasens during that time. Each year there was a Army sponsored marathon/half marathon in Fulda and I was part of it one year. I now live in Oregon.
Hello, I am new to this group. Just came out with a new novel, Rogue Ally, which I thought may be of interest to many in this group. A faction of Turkey's defense ministry kidnaps American executives of a defense technology company to gain missile guidance IP to use to barter with Iran or N. Korea in exchange for nuclear technology. Hostage rescue operation by a SEAL team at the end of the story.
Look forward to making some contacts in the group. Cheers.
Hi everyone, I’m from Manitoba Canada and live out in the bush. I enjoy military thrillers and have a wide variety of interests from long range target shooting to flying drones and beekeeping to metal work, welding and blues guitar among other things. If you ask me the score of the game you’re talking to the wrong guy.
H'mmm! I haven't perused our new members in a while. Unusual backgrounds, for sure. Welcome to you all.I'm ashamed not to be anything much more than a caretaker of this reader's group these days. All my web-activities have been eclipsed by the increased pace of daily life; and I've also been pounding the keyboard for my own writing.
At some point I simply decided not gaze idly at my laptop simply because the internet has a billion things to gaze at; I wanted to be more productive. After all, no one pays me for surfing the web.
You all sound much more energized than myself; but I am proud that I made my own little transformation.
Anyway, hallo to you all. I update our bookshelf every so often, but let me know if you want something featured especially.
Remember, you're free to create your own discussion threads in the group; I'll let anything stand as long as the party stays polite...
Hello all! Born and raised in Seattle, WA and I found the group looking for somewhere to discuss Eisler's John Rain books. I grew up on Mack Bolan books and have read all the Reacher, Rapp, Will Robie, and John Milton books. Discovered John Rain as my new action series and always looking for new recommendations.Nice to (virtually) meet everybody!
Feliks wrote: "Who are ye, where do ye hail from, how'd ya find us....?Tell all! 'Fess up and spill th' beans!
Please introduce yourself. Especially if you are new to the group. This thread is all about YOU.
..."
Home of the Kentucky Derby and Slugger bats!!
Louisville, KY!!!
Although originally from the frozen tundra of the Wisconsin countryside.
Hi; I'm Rick from Maryland; just retired and still keeping busy; I have a large personal library of fiction and nonfiction; Forsyth, John Fowles, Clavell, LeCarre, Michener, Wouk, etc., Presidential biographies, Russian history; naval history. I'm interested in seeing what others read and passing along my own ideas.
Hello, I'm Hugo from Lisbon, Portugal, spy capital of WW2.Came across the group doing searches for groups of my favorite genres.
Hello Everyone, my name is Adam Sikes and I am a novelist. I primarily write spy thrillers but I read just about everything. Before becoming an author, I spent twenty-five years in national security both in uniform with the US Marine Corps and then at the CIA as a paramilitary officer. I currently reside in Southern California but have lived all over the country and the world, with New England, Portugal, and France conjuring the fondest memories, Moscow was it’s own unique land while Iraq and Afghanistan are from another life. I’m looking forward to chatting with everyone in the discussion groups and getting to know you. Cheers, Adam
Hugo wrote: "Hello, I'm Hugo from Lisbon, Portugal, spy capital of WW2.Came across the group doing searches for groups of my favorite genres."
Hi Hugo, nice to meet you. I lived in Lisbon from 2000 to the end of 2002. I loved it--the people, the food, the wine, the history, the weather/beaches ...
If you recommend any good historical fiction books set in Portugal during WWII, please let me know.
Adam wrote: "Hugo wrote: "Hello, I'm Hugo from Lisbon, Portugal, spy capital of WW2.Came across the group doing searches for groups of my favorite genres."
Hi Hugo, nice to meet you. I lived in Lisbon from 20..."
Hello Adam, first one that comes to mind is Robert Wilson's "A Small Death in Lisbon", the story is split between Portugal in 1941 and the business of the sale of Tungsten to the Nazis during WW2 and a murder in Lisbon in 1999
Hugo wrote: "Adam wrote: "Hugo wrote: "Hello, I'm Hugo from Lisbon, Portugal, spy capital of WW2.Came across the group doing searches for groups of my favorite genres."
Hi Hugo, nice to meet you. I lived in L..."
Looks interesting. I'll check it out, thanks!
Portugal! I can't name many thrillers. When I think of Portugal I think of Jose Ortega y Gassett and Luis des Camoes.But the George C. Scott crime flick "The Last Run" takes place in Portugal. Len Deighton's "Horse Under Water" is set there. But these are both 1960s-70s.
One from WWII era: "A Stranger Came to Dinner" by Andrew Soutar (written 1939)
Oh! And the true account of German agent Cicero. Later filmed with James Mason as, "Five Fingers".
John Gunther was perhaps the most widely foreign correspondent in Europe between '24-'36https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Gu...
Hi! Peter J. "Pete" Azzole, now in New Bern, NC, born and raised in the Atlantic City area, mainly Absecon, NJ.Retired Navy Officer, keeping busy writing historical fiction. Published my eighth title "BLOWN COVER; A Cuban Missile Crisis Novel" on 11/1/22. A Navy linguist intel specialist is inserted into Cuba in the early stage of the Soviet buildup. The CIA/Navy covert op was going well... until reality crept in.
Happy holidays and New Year to everyone!
Pete
Albany, NY.Decided to join some more groups on here and I love spy thrillers beginning with Tom Clancy and then continuing with Vince Flynn and Brad Thor.
I just started a new author, Sean Parnell, and enjoyed his first book. I enjoyed his autobiography so was interested in his novels.
Welcome, DaveYou dig those rubber-tipped grappling hooks eh?
Whew! That sounds like a healthy lifestyle with lots of fresh air and sunshine. I'm envious....
Har har! I suppose I'm prejudiced by James Herriott's books.Back to the group theme: my favorite techno-thriller set in the UK, Ireland, Wales, Scotland is ...
The Balfour Conspiracy by Ian St.James.
St. James writes beach-reads but he has an abiding interest in UK history.
He gives rewarding insight into Northern Ireland in "The Killing Anniversary
And 'Balfour' is a very convincing thriller. He handled the material better than Forsyth did in 'Fourth Protocol'.
I don't know where I'm from. I was born in Omaha Nebraska in the United States of America. Moved to Borneo, Tokyo, San Francisco and currently live in the INDEPENDENT NATION of Taiwan.I tell people I'm from San Francisco because that's where I graduated from high-school and got my street smarts. I owe my (limited) bad-assery to San Francisco. Omaha taught me to hate hair-metal bands. (I love Slayer and Metallica and Bolt-Thrower and Vader). I'm talking crap like Motley Crue and Poison and L.A. Guns, I hate it. Not sorry.
Hi JoshWelcome to this reader's group. Take your time to settle in and get familiar.
It's been a rather 'sleepy' little book-nook over the past few years. Despite the glossy graphic art.
BTW, I'm actually still waiting for your reply to some questions I had in the 'author introductions' page.
No rush.
cheers
FD
I'm from Omaha Nebraska and San Francisco California, but I'm currently living in Taiwan.
Hi, I’m Nick and new to Goodreads. I live in England but have travelled a lot. Earlier in life I worked as crew and later captain delivering yachts around the world, which meant long stretches at sea and plenty of time on planes—perfect conditions for developing a love of books.
Writers like John le Carré, Jack London and Ernest Hemingway have always been favourites.
Over the years I’ve met a few well-known people, though interestingly none were writers. I did once have dinner with the author Robert Cole, who was generous with encouragement and advice when I began writing my own novels.
I’m looking forward to hearing about other members’ reading experiences and discovering new recommendations.
I was born in Omaha.Grew up in Borneo, Saudi-Arabia, Tokyo, and San Francisco.
I currently live in the INDEPENDENT NATION of Taiwan.
Josh DouglasPlease stop repetitively posting this information. Please stop re-introducing yourself.
See my reply in this thread:
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
You are actually verging on receiving a temporary ban (perhaps even a permanent ban) from my groups, Reason: your persistent promo borders on mild spamming.
I'm a Scottish lass, happily married to a Scottish lad. Now that our two lasses are at school, I’m bleesed with a few hours of reading time during the day.I’m a fan of espionage, true crime and memoirs; and hope to find a few like-minded friends in the group.
Hello, my name is Darren Gilbert. I served four years in the US Army infantry, including two years with the 2/22 infantry battalion stationed in Wiesbaden, Germany, one year with the 1/17 infantry at Camp Casey in South Korea, and the remainder of my enlistment with the 1/501 air assault regiment at Fort Campbell in Kentucky. I have over 40 years of martial arts training with a focus on self-defense and have many years experience and training in personal protection areas.As an author, I have written a series of three novels: Serpents Underfoot, Montagnard, and Reciprocity, which I would describe as action adventure, thrillers with the main character being a retired US Navy seal named JD Cordell, who gets drawn into some fairly gritty situations involving some pretty nasty criminal enterprises. My books have received pretty consistent favorable reviews from readers, and literary reviewers, such as Readers’ Favorite, Readers’ View, Literary Titan, and Kirkus Reviews.
I have also published a martial arts training, Manuel, and a collection of short stories based on true life encounters with black bears in the Adirondack park of upstate New York.
My most recent work, Reciprocity, was featured in the June 24 edition of Publishers Weekly magazine, and is being converted into a screenplay with the help of Voyage Media currently targeting the film streaming Studios, such as MGM+, Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, and others. I am also working on the fourth installment in this series.
Hi all,I'm a working girl (in the non-prostitute sense: Hugh Grant, Notting Hill) living in London and too tired for most of time: out early-home late, six days of the week: my commute takes hours.
I'm reading non-fiction and plausible fiction: faction (the blending of fact & fiction). I'd never heard the word before. I found it on the internet: a term used to describe literature that dramatises real events.
I'd love recs, if you've got some, and friends if you'd like to be friends with a girl who can barely keep her eyes open.
Welcome Carli. Lengthy commutes --yes --some of us urbanites can well relate to your duress. It's suffering shared the world over! In New York where I reside, the typical commute for everyone [except the wealthy] is invariably one hour. One hour, no matter whether by car, train, or boat. A really big city like NY or London simply has a mass of jostling bodies through which it is impossible to push through any faster. One hour! Or even two hours for some unlucky few!
Recommendations: I'm very leery of authors playing-with-truth; but try Keith Roberts "Pavane".
Nonfiction: Peter Fleming's Brazilian Adventure
South Africa for me — I split my time between Cape Town and Durban. A confession that might be heresy in a spec-ops crowd: before writing my own thriller I deliberately avoided reading the genre. The one book that ever truly gripped me was The Eagle Has Landed, at 18 — beyond that I stayed away on purpose, so the story would come from me and not end up a subconscious echo of someone else's work.Now it's finished I'm finally keen to dig in properly, so fire your recommendations my way. Good to be here.
Not so grave a heresy. Good technique for a writer. Although not sure it applies as much to a work of genre as it does to lit-fic. Genre always runs in rather the same ruts no matter who might be influencing you or not.
Anyway, top book recs for newcomers are in our group book shelf. They're sorted and arranged with fine discrimination and connoisseurship.
That is to say, mine own!
They don't call me Iron Feliks for nuttin'! Welcome!
p.s. fans of that fine Jack Higgins novel should seek out Graham Greene's movie
"Went the Day Well?"
which is ultimately where Higgins cribbed the idea. I call it Greene's movie only because he wrote the screenplay.
But it is one of the greatest WWII movies of all time.
Feliks wrote: "p.s. fans of that fine Jack Higgins novel should seek out Graham Greene's movie "Went the Day Well?"
which is ultimately where Higgins cribbed the idea.
I call it Greene's movie only because ..."
Thanks for the recommendation. I had never heard of this movie and it appears to be available on several streaming channels.
It's a wonderful film. I envy you seeing it for the first time.Please do report back once you've experienced it and let us know what your reaction to it was.
Got an opportunity to watch the movie and enjoyed it. Definitely one of the more under-rated WWII movies. Probably would be better known if any of the actors/actresses had gone on to wider fame. A solid piece of film-making that Britain and Hollywood did so well in the 1940's. Doing a bit of research, the movie is based on the Greene short story "The Lieutenant Died Last" published in 1940. The British War Office financed the film which was released in 1942 to keep the population alert since the threat of German invasion was deemed inevitable.
We know how WWII ended so I wonder how big of an impact this movie would have made in 1942 when the outcome of the war was still very much in doubt. I just finished a very good book called "1942: The Year That Tried Men's Souls" by Winston Groom of Forrest Gump fame which highlighted just strong the Axis Powers were early in the year and how precarious some of the Allied victories were that turned the tide by the end of 1942.
Well done. I commend you. Good reporting.For your next selections, (especially hinging on the 1942 situation) I heartily recommend these:
'Twelve O'Clock High' (my favorite WWII pic, bar none)
'Ice Cold in Alex'
'The War Lover'
'Five Graves to Cairo'
'The 49th Parallel'
I can vouch for all of these, as both superbly entertaining and informative at one and the same time.
Thanks Feliks for the recommendations. I thought I had seen Twelve O'Clock High but when I looked at IMDB, realized that I had confused it with Island in the Sky.Ice Cold Alex and The War Lover were completely unknown to me so something new to watch! Just when you think you have seen all the best movies in some genre, someone like you with a deeper knowledge surprises you.
Oh man. Zowie.Never seen 'Ice Cold in Alex'????
Never seen 'War Lover'!!
I truly envy you if you are about to enjoy these for the first time. These are pillars of the genre.
Please do let us know how you reacted upon your first experience of these classics. They are milestones.
"Twelve O'Clock High" in particular, is so personally fundamental to me I re-watch it every 2 yrs or so. Can't live without it.
BTW, thx for the kind praise. Me, simply a happy accident of lifelong insomnia and thus, having grown up with these flicks on late-nite re-runs.
I wonder how many others I could pick for you. 'Command Decision' --for example. Ever seen it? It's like the kid brother of 'Twelve O'Clock High'.
How about "Battleground"? Van Johnson, James Whitmore. Infantry movie.
' The Young Lions' --is another WW2 flick I reflect on a lot.
"Stalag 17" of course, Goes without saying. Any fan of American history should know this movie word-for-word, scene for scene. I sure do.
Stalag 17 and Battleground are two of my favorites and I have both on DVD. Battleground is one of those under-rated and relatively unknown WWII movies that I recommend to friends. Just a good movie with a solid cast - Van Johnson, Ricardo Montelban, James Whitmore, etc. Now I am super excited to see Twelve O'Clock High! I have seen portions of Command Decisions but not The Young Lions. Now there are no lack of choices when the wife and I are selecting movies to watch on wine nights. Fortunately, she loves old movies as well.
Great! Keep us posted!Fun Fact: the two Army Air Corps vets who wrote "Stalag 17" (the stage play) were members of the real-life bomber-group upon which was the basis of 12/oC/H. They were shot down from that group and that's how they wound up in a German POW camp and became writers.
[Or vice-versa, maybe I have it the opposite way around; I can't recall exactly right at this very moment]
But --just by the way --12/oC/H is also one of Scorcese's personal favorite films. Note particularly: that some of the hair-raising combat sequences and crashes, were taken from actual dogfights
Another title for you: 'A Matter of Life and Death' with David Niven. Free on Archive.org; but probably better quality on some other site. Arguably the finest overall British movie of the '40s. Definitely something to watch with a significant other.
Watched Twelve O'Clock High last night and you are right, a very good movie so thanks for the recommendation. Peck is solid (and it is rare when he isn't) and I thought the supporting cast was strong. Gary Merrill and Hugh Marlowe (pre All About Eve) and Millard Mitchell who I enjoyed watching in Winchester '73 and Singing In the Rain.His character in 12 is similar in some ways to his Keith Mallory in Guns of Navarone. A basically easy going character who turns hard ass when necessary. Here, Lt. Col. Ben Gately is on the receiving end of his anger but earns his trust enough that Gately takes over Piccadilly Lily at the end.
The whole fugue state he goes into is an interesting psychological aspect of the movie. Is it real or an intentional attempt to build leadership within the 918 group so he can move back into a traditional general role.
I see that there was also a TV series in the 1960's based on the movie. Next up - Ice Cold in Alex.
H'mmm! I think 12oH will grow on you. Let it linger in your subconscious.Peck: yes there are very subtle crossovers between his character here and his character in Navarone. You observed well.
Many of the great stars like Peck always had certain elements they frequently sought in their assignments--and these wishes were often granted -- by the studio bosses.
That was part of the 'star system'. It lasted after the studios folded --frex, Redford's career --we never see Redford play a villain, do we? Nor McQueen.
In this case, it's evident right there in the script, in the way Peck delivers his lines; and in the topics his characters are concerned with.
You can find these same similarities in his Korean War flick, 'Pork Chop Hill'. All these kind of movies epitomize the American "get it done" business attitude of the 1950s; when we were on top of the world.
Me, I'd easily name Peck the best American star for any kind of war movie. More so even than John Wayne.
That's why Scorcese says, "with Peck in a movie you just have to accept who he is, and not question it".
And that's why Scorcese also raves about witnessing shocking spectacle of Peck's character collapsing in the finale of this movie.
Not in any other Peck movie, will you ever see anything like it.
Naw, naw, naw ...of course it wasn't faked, planned, or calculated in advance by his character, Frank Savage. In WWII, such incident would have been a career-ending scenario; it's simply implausible that any officer would ever resort to it deliberately. There would have been nothing to gain and there was --as we saw --everything to lose. And he lost it.
Oh well. Yes the supporting cast. This movie made a firm fan in me, for both Gary Merrill and Hugh Marlowe. They're extraordinarily deft here, and always remained top talent throughout the duration their careers.
Millard Mitchell; well now ...he supports so many, many wonderful flicks praise for him is almost unnecessary. That guy is in almost ten of my favorite Hollywood movies of all time.
Just like Peck, I'd watch him in anything.
The Gunfighter
Twelve O'Clock High
The Naked Spur
A Foreign Affair
Winchester '73
Singin' in the Rain
Kiss of Death
Thieves' Highway
A Double Life
The Day the Earth Stood Still
p.s. btw: 'A Foreign Affair' is a hilarious black market serio-comedy as clever as any of the more serious war romps we've just been jawin' about.
Try that one too --and hey if it doesn't appeal then try Robert Aldrich's harrowing, "Ten Seconds to Hell". Stories about bomb-disposal always rate high with me. "Danger UXB", "The Small Back Room", etcetera
One more rec while I'm typing this: Don Siegel's "Hell is for Heroes" starring Steve McQueen. That's one which will stick with you.
You are always a wealth of information! Adding these movies to my TBW list. I did not realize Millard Martin was in The Day The Earth Stood Still. We have the movie and my wife loves it but it never really resonated with me for some reason. Now I will have to stop and watch it with her next time she breaks it out. :)
We did watch Ice Cold in Alex this weekend and I really enjoyed it. Interesting watching Anthony Quayle with a South African accent and as far as I'm concerned, it's his presence and performance that drives the film. He also turns in strong performances in Guns of Navarone, Lawrence of Arabia and The Eagle Has Landed.
Also liked the brief appearance of Walter Gotell as a German officer. The movie kept me engaged the whole time and did not anticipate the ending. I will definitely watch it again but am going to read the book before watching for the second time.
I don't remember McQueen ever playing a villain but Redford played one in Captain Marvel and even he admitted his character in Little Fauss and Big Halsy was "less than heroic" plus his character in Indecent Proposal is not exactly noble.
I agree with the observation that Peck was better than Wayne in war movies. Wayne's war films are solid but nothing spectacular. His strength and best roles were in Westerns.
Who would even be Peck's rivals in this genre? Maybe McQueen or Lee Marvin? I can think of several actors who made one great war movie (De Niro, Hanks, Scott, etc) but the last generation or two of lead actors don't really make war movies very often so they have not built up a body of work in the genre to really evaluate.
re: Ice Cold in AlexHurrah! Such a terrific flick. Glad it appealed to you. Win-win!
Not sure about going to the trouble of reading the novel, though. The movie is the movie, the book is the book.
Yes, it's one of the best book-to-movie adaptations; but nevertheless if I were in your shoes I would simply move on to the next flick and save your precious reading time for a more rare kind of read.
Plenty of fiction and nonfiction out there has never (and will never) be adapted into movies, so why not be strategic about the task of absorbing it all?
For instance, 'Andersonville'. Ever read? It's over 700 pps. If you're interested in history, and the history of men in combat, it is a must. Whereas 'Ice Cold in Alex' --the novel --is simply a Brit adventure yarn. No more/no less.
It's sturdy; but so are many others. The writing is not specifically famous or distinguished. Whereas the writing in 'Andersonville earned a Pulitzer.
Maximize the benefit of your reading time, is all I'm suggesting.
Like, have you been through all of Grahame Green? All of Eric Ambler? I bet not.
re: Anthony Quayle
For sure! He had superb charisma. And I was glad to see he kept his good looks right up to his last days. In 'Ice Cold' he really shows his true physical brawn. I'd never believe anyone could out muscle the towering Harry Andrews, but Quayle did so in this romp.
Question: Anthony Quayle in 'The Eagle Has Landed'? Are you certain about that? You make me scratch my head here. I truly do not remember his name in the roster of that very fun flick. I remember Caine, Duvall, Sutherland. The parish priest of course, was played by John Standing. So please enlighten me if I err here. What character did Quayle play?
Re: Walter Gottell
Yes. Gottell is always a pillar of any war movie, or any spy movie. He pops up in so many stories. Always a welcome face.
John Wayne
I would re-affirm here, my earlier comment. I can't quite see that Wayne ever did a better string of flicks than Peck did. Wayne did some iconic war movies: 'Sands of Iwo Jima' was shown to new USMC recruits for years.
Along with Van Heflin in 'Battle Cry'. But these are neither very sensitive or depthful.
Wayne's two best war movie are (arguably) 'On the Wings of Eagles' and 'In Harm's Way'.
re: Greg Peck
Rivals to Peck? Probably only Clark Gable.
Theoretically there might be many other candidates, depending on one's own individual taste.
All through the '50s - '60s, every big star made war movies. Lee Marvin, Audie Murphy, Yul Brynner, Ernest Borgnine, Charles Bronson, Kirk Douglas, Robert Taylor, Anthony Quinn, Telly Savalas, Lee Van Cleef, Steve McQueen, Robert Wagner, Sidney Poitier, Richard Widmark, Jack Palance. James Coburn. James Garner. Glenn Ford. Humphrey Bogart. Clint Eastwood. Jimmy Stewart, Henry Fonda, Frederick March, Redford, Newman, Duvall, William Holden. Woody Strode. Robert Ryan. Burt Lancaster. Heston. Curtis. Clift. Brando. Mitchum. Tracy. Coop. Connery. Everybody who was anybody.
And many of these flicks are rousing, riveting, memorable.
But I personally, don't think any of them are as American as Peck or Gable.
Steve McQueen --as exciting as he was --specialized in action. Greg Peck and Clark Gable were always just supremely ...American. It's as if it was written into their contracts.
By the mid 70s though, the whole genre was dying out. WWII just doesn't resonate with kids raised on Lucas & Spielberg. The "anti-hero aesthetic" replaced giants like Peck.
Modern generation stars?
No. No, no, no, and again no. They aren't cut from the same bolt of cloth at all.
For my money, a war movie needs a star who actually served in war.
So forget about Tom Hanks. Don't even waste your time praising him to me. It falls on deaf ears. He'll never be anything in my eyes, except a sitcom actor.
My cut-off date for serious actors ends with names like Voight, Caan, Dusty, Duvall, Pacino.
re: Redford
RR in a Marvel movie? What you tawkin' bout? If he ever does play a villain its maybe only as some kind of prank, or to raise money for Sundance, or because his career has lasted so long now that he can afford to horse around. Redford has certainly played slightly stupid characters, Redford has certainly played unsavory and even sleazy characters. But I can't believe he ever played a serious villain in a serious movie.
'font of information'
Thanks! I grew up watching all the stars who's names I just rattled off above. And still to this very day, I only watch this caliber of talent. I wasn't raised in the studio heyday but I grew up amazed by it, similar to Scorcese's matriculation.
And I simply never got hooked on TV. I only ever owned a TV set, for the purpose of finding late-night re-runs from Warner Bros, Universal, MGM, Fox, Paramount. Republic. Ealing. Pinewood. RKO. Rankin-Bass.
I'm gaga for classics only. I'm a purist. Noirs and westerns and war yarns --none of these are done well by modern Hollywood.
Ah well! Good stuff as long as TCM hangs on!
Tell all! 'Fess up and spill th' beans!
Please introduce yourself. Especially if you are new to the group. This thread is all about YOU.
Your interests! Your background! Your tastes!
(I just realized this group never had a 'welcome thread' so this is it)
Existing members: use this thread to relate any interesting or unusual stuff going on with you. If you sat next to a famous thriller author on a plane flight, etc etc etc