MobileRead November 2017 Special Run-Off Vote

[WT Sharpe]

November 2017 Mobile Read Book Club Special Run-Off Vote

Since this month's vote resulted in a tie, we are having a Special Run-Off Vote between the two leading candidates. I will not vote in this poll unless my vote is needed to break a tie. This poll will be open for 3 days, and all MobileRead members are invited to participate. This is a visible, multiple-choice poll.

Select from the following Two Choices:

• The End: The Defiance and Destruction of Hitler's Germany, 1944-1945 by Ian Kershaw
Goodreads | Amazon US / Kobo
Print Length: 596 pages

Spoiler:

From Goodreads:

From the preeminent Hitler biographer, a fascinating and original exploration of how the Third Reich was willing and able to fight to the bitter end of World War II

Countless books have been written about why Nazi Germany lost the Second World War, yet remarkably little attention has been paid to the equally vital questions of how and why the Third Reich did not surrender until Germany had been left in ruins and almost completely occupied. Drawing on prodigious new research, Ian Kershaw, an award-winning historian and the author of Fateful Choices, explores these fascinating questions in a gripping and focused narrative that begins with the failed bomb plot in July 1944 and ends with the death of Adolf Hitler and the German capitulation in 1945. The End paints a harrowing yet enthralling portrait of the Third Reich in its last desperate gasps.

• The Great Siege: Malta 1565 by Ernle Bradford
Goodreads | Amazon UK / Amazon US / Kobo US
Print Length: 262 pages

Spoiler:

From Goodreads:

A thrilling, cinematic account of the siege of Malta as it's never been told before.

Suleiman the Magnificent, the most powerful ruler in the world, was determined to conquer Europe. Only one thing stood in his way: a dot of an island in the Mediterranean called Malta, occupied by the Knights of St. John, the cream of the warriors of the Holy Roman Empire. A clash of civilizations the likes of which had not been seen since Persia invaded Greece was shaping up. Determined to capture Malta and use its port to launch operations against Europe, Suleiman sent an armada and an overwhelming army. A few thousand defenders in Fort St. Elmo fought to the last man, enduring cruel hardships. When they captured the fort, the Turks took no prisoners and mutilated the defenders’ bodies. Grand Master La Vallette of the Knights reciprocated by decapitating his Turkish prisoners and using their heads to cannonade the enemy. Then the battle for Malta began in earnest: no quarter asked, none given.

The Great Siege recalls a clash of civilizations, the likes of which had not been seen since the time of Alexander the Great. This detailed and accessible narrative will delight readers of history as well as fans of films such as Braveheart and Ben Hur.

[issybird]

As I said in the first poll thread, while I'll read either, I think The End will provide a lot more scope for a good discussion.

[CRussel]

I, on the other hand, am only interested in The Great Siege: Malta 1565. It's something I didn't know about, and yet was pivotal. The book itself is short, and reasonably priced when the Kobo coupon is taken into account. What I really want this month is something folks will actually read.

[issybird]

Originally Posted by CRussel

I, on the other hand, am only interested in The Great Siege: Malta 1565. It's something I didn't know about, and yet was pivotal. The book itself is short, and reasonably priced when the Kobo coupon is taken into account. What I really want this month is something folks will actually read.

I want something that more people will discuss, even if, potentially, fewer read it. But we're both engaging in a spot of guesswork/projection!

[CRussel]

Originally Posted by issybird

I want something that more people will discuss, even if, potentially, fewer read it. But we're both engaging in a spot of guesswork/projection!

True. But I'd really like to be able to read and enjoy this month, and I neither need nor want a book about Hitler, his Germany, or even just WWII at any level. But as someone who has read about Malta in later years, in the Aubrey/Maturin series and elsewhere, and who has seen the vital role Malta plays in maritime history and strategy, I'm really curious and intrigued by this pivotal struggle. Malta is a bit of an anomaly in that it has a strategic importance that is way beyond it's size, population, or apparent significance.

[CRussel]

A disappointing number of voters, but I sincerely hope this book gets more readers.

[WT Sharpe]

I would have voted for The End: The Defiance and Destruction of Hitler's Germany, 1944-1945 by Ian Kershaw had this poll ended in a tie, as I find it interesting to consider why people fought so hard to preserve a union so at odds with everything good about human beings. It seems timely for some reason. However, The Great Siege: Malta 1565 by Ernle Bradford won, and so it's time to get reading. I'll post the discussion thread shortly.

[issybird]

I'm slightly disappointed about The End, as I think there's more meat there and I agree with you about its timeliness. But I have no objection to The Great Siege and I hope that people will give it a try.

[CRussel]

Already bought with a Kobo coupon.

ETA: Added the Simon Vance audiobook. Hard to miss with him reading.

[WT Sharpe]

Originally Posted by issybird

I'm slightly disappointed about The End, as I think there's more meat there and I agree with you about its timeliness. But I have no objection to The Great Siege and I hope that people will give it a try.

The good news about The End is that Second Chance January is only two months away!

[Dazrin]

Originally Posted by WT Sharpe

The good news about The End is that Second Chance January is only two months away!

Of course, there are going to be 14+ competitors for that slot. We've had a lot of ties this year.

[Dutchbook]

Originally Posted by CRussel

Already bought with a Kobo coupon.

Was that a personal or general coupon?

I’ve been googling for a coupon yesterday, but no luck finding one

[issybird]

Originally Posted by Dutchbook

Was that a personal or general coupon?

I’ve been googling for a coupon yesterday, but no luck finding one

Check this post for Kobo coupons. As always with Kobo discounts, MMV, but if you haven't used them, you should be able to get one to work.

[Dutchbook]

Thanks for that link. I'm subscribed to that thread, but never expected the opening post to have a summary of all codes. A 20% code worked, so I'll just skip the candies this week and do some reading instead

[sufue]

And sometimes supposedly even if you have used them

There are occasional reports of folks being able to reuse a coupon after a long period of time, although I've never been that lucky

Originally Posted by issybird

Check this post for Kobo coupons. As always with Kobo discounts, MMV, but if you haven't used them, you should be able to get one to work.