The Final Day

Discussion in 'Survival Reading Room' started by T. Riley, Jan 18, 2017.


  1. T. Riley

    T. Riley Monkey+++

    I just finished William R Forstchen's book The Final Day, the last of three in the One Second After series. IMO it is the best of the three. I read a lot of survival fiction and this series is the best I have read. His writing, to me, is on a level that far exceeds that of most survival fiction writers.

    Amazon.com: William R. Forstchen: Books, Biography, Blog, Audiobooks, Kindle
     
  2. GOG

    GOG Free American Monkey

    Thanks for the suggestion. I haven't read the sequel yet, so I'll check out the third book as well.
     
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  3. Motomom34

    Motomom34 Monkey+++

    Thank you for the heads up @T. Riley. I did not know that there was a third book. I did not really care for the second but I will try this one.
     
  4. T. Riley

    T. Riley Monkey+++

    I agree, the second was the weaker of the three. The final one, is at least as good, if not better, than the first, IMO.
     
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  5. chimo

    chimo the few, the proud, the jarhead monkey crowd

    Frankly, this final book, while better than the second, was still a letdown.
     
  6. Bandit99

    Bandit99 Monkey+++ Site Supporter+

    Maybe that is why the second one ('One Year After') is selling for $2.99 now. LOL!!! Yeah, I love this guy's writing and for those that like Military/Science Fiction/History his 'Lost Regiment' series is wonderful. He wrote it while doing his Master's long ago and it's 9 books long, the first seven are excellent. Frankly, I think its a classic and hopefully will be made into a movie some day. And, if you REALLY want something that is terrifying then have a look at his 'Day of Wrath' and read his post script about it. It's a modern day terrorist story: rather short, fast, and scary, real scary. My only complaint is not about the author but his Publisher. They want hardback prices for his eBooks and I'm surprised to see 'The Final Day' selling for $12.99 as 'One Year After' was selling for $14.99 and I refused to purchase it, got if from the library instead. There is no reason an eBook should be priced the same as a paper or hardback book except the greedy Publisher. Same for Bernard Cornwell also...so I go to the library for his latest which I just read.
     
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  7. Legion489

    Legion489 Rev. 2:19 Banned

    The more of these books you can get into libraries (UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES for example, last I checked was in only TWO librarys in the US!) the more people will be exposed to them, and hopefully start thinking for themselves, not only about prepping/survivalism/homesteading, but just thinking in general. And no, that was not intended as sarcasm, I really hope they do.

    How about getting a list of GOOD list of books and get the library to buy them? Obviously my list is different than most people's as I actually read them and point out the hundreds of mistakes in them. For example PATRIOTS, ver. 1 - (Grey Nineties) - through 5 - (Patriots V. 3), read them all, are, IMHO, trash. If you can not find an average of one major screw up per page you are not trying. ALL of his books are the same, riddled with major screw ups. Yes, I know you all love them, no need to whine about it that I don't.

    Ditto ONE SECOND AFTER and ONE YEAR AFTER. Too many stupid mistakes that would have doomed them. If you need me to point them out, you need to think more and figure them out on your own as I have pointed them out before. THE ROAD - too horrible for words; book OR movie. NO BLADE OF GRASS - loved the book, HATED the movie.

    Recommended:

    Anything by Kurt Saxon and his videos.
    Anything by Boston T. Party (Ken Royce) except HOLOGRAM OF LIBERTY (think piece, and no one will do that).
    UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES
    gun/reloading books
    wild game cook books

    magazines:
    BACKWOODSMAN
    BACKWOODS HOME

    Few dozen others if I can think of them.
     
  8. Motomom34

    Motomom34 Monkey+++

    Thread drift......
    @Legion489 I dislike the Rawles books also. Too unrealistic IMO. As for One Second After, I will need to re-read. I haven't read it in a few years and there cannot be that many mistakes.
    I had my library years ago buy Lights Out. They bought one, then three and there was always a waiting list. Mysteriously a few years ago Lights Out was no longer available. They said the books were removed from circulation do to damage. I thought it was odd because if books are being read with waiting list, why not replace? It seemed like they didn't want people reading it.
     
  9. Yard Dart

    Yard Dart Vigilant Monkey Moderator

    That would not surprise me one bit..... knowledge of the potential of things to come.... came be a threat to some out there. They in no way want you to be prepared.... but needing governments graciousness in providing you the essentials... the fact that they can not support all... is their dirty secret.
     
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  10. T. Riley

    T. Riley Monkey+++

    Ever survival fiction book I read has ideas I would disagree with, but so do most preppers I know. But, the books, like monkeys, make me think "what would I do different". And that's their value to me.
     
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  11. Legion489

    Legion489 Rev. 2:19 Banned

    Well get any survivalist books you want, if you like them, get them in the library! Some people are emotion driven, I am more fact/logic driven. Either is right, and neither is wrong, they just are. If a book got you into prepping/survival, get it in the library! I loved "Alas, Babylon", but it is horribly dated now. Still like to read it anyway. Hated ON THE BEACH, and THE ROAD. Loved A BOY AND HIS DOG (movie), MALEVIL (French), TOMORROW WHEN THE WAR BEGAN (Aussie), LUCIFER'S HAMMER (lot's of mistakes, liked it anyway), THE BOOK OF ELI, movie. LOVED "V for Vendetta"! How about THE SINGING REVOLUTION (on You-tube) movie.

    I worked at a library and they let us pick a book to be donated in our name. I wanted the POOR MAN'S JAMES BOND. Couldn't get it, "it cost too much! How about a nice Jane's Book Of... at $250?" Kurt and I were good friends, known him for years and I said I'll BUY the book and donate it to the library! At that time it cost 50 cents to reserve a book, the book was on reserve for OVER A YEAR! Then it "disappeared", so did BOSTON T. PARTY'S GUN BIBLE, a bunch of Ayn Rand, and a lot of other like books.

    I buy and donate a lot of books to the local library, as well as donate mags like Outdoor Life and Field and Stream (PCH has them for $6/year! For $30 I got a five year sub for the library!) Ask if you donate if they will put it on the shelf. Some will, some will just sell the book at the book sale. Keep going in and requesting the books you want and get friends and family to do it too. Sooner or later they will give in. Join the library board of "friends of the library" or whatever.
     
    Last edited: Jan 19, 2017
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  12. Bandit99

    Bandit99 Monkey+++ Site Supporter+

    I do find it interesting that 'Unintended Consequences' by John Ross is out of print and cannot even be obtained as an eBook. I mean, some of the old rare ones that I like are even now in eBook like 'Cross of Iron,' as an example. I still don't have a good copy of UC (my copy as many errors and formatting problems) and still hold out hope that it will show up for the Kindle some day. Amazon use to have a 'button' if you wanted to read the book in Kindle format if it was not available but that is no longer. But, even some well known books like 'Trinity - Leon Uris' is not in eBook so we still have hope that someday it will be. Reading UC enlightened me, changed me, for better or worse, and I will have a good copy some day.

    @Legion489 I think you meant 'Malevil - Robert Merle' I read it as a child and loved it if is the same one. It was a story about a nuclear attack and they survived in a castle. I just looked for it and can't find it in eBook, it's out of print but now that you reminded me of it I will start searching the second-hand book stores as would like to read it again. As far as 'Lucifer's Hammer,' I loved it and everything Jerry Pournelle ever wrote and most of what Larry Niven has done. I especially like Pournelle's 'Janissaries' series but alas I fear he will never finish it now due to health, it has been over 20 years.
     
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  13. Legion489

    Legion489 Rev. 2:19 Banned

    Well UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES was back in print, I got a catalog a year or so ago and as a three book deal for $75, you got it and two other books. Told the library I wanted it, I doubt they even bothered to look.

    Undoubtedly it is MALEVIL. French, nuclear war, move in to a castle. 'Janissaries' was good. A janissarie, in case you don't know, was a Christian soldier in moslem countries. They held the wife and children as prisoners to keep them loyal. The Chinese did the same thing when they sent prisoners into war.

    How about the series of books by "Joe Nobody"? Mentioned them before, and yes, if I wrote them I wouldn't want my name on them either! The "hero" (Joe Nobody) and his idiot wife are always going around saving the world, usually after his wife does something stupid than nearly gets him killed after he eggs her on to do even stupider stuff then she was doing[banghead]. Still entertaining enough to keep you reading, but keep a barf bag handy in case you run across a sex scene. So far I have yet to actually meet anyone who will admit they didn't upchuck after reading them they are so horribly written and poorly worded. But then the entire series isn't exactly especially well written or well worded either, but interesting enough to keep reading.

    "Cross of Iron"? I was thinking "Iron Cross". Have/used to have a copy. How about "HEAR THE CRADLE SONG"? ABSOLUTELY GREAT BOOK! Privately printed and part of a series that never was, it was impossible to find when it was "in print", no idea where to find it now. ON THE JERSEY SHORE, same deal, but not as good. JET STREAM (was available on Amazon, privately printed - Mulenburg?) is GREAT! When I read it I kept checking the local rag to see if it was real/there was anything being told to the sheeple about it, it was that good! First of a trilogy. THE TURNER DIARIES (racial overtones) is great. A run away best seller the scum hated. HUNTER, by the same author, was much better written and everything in HUNTER actually happened if you go look it up (have to be intelligent enough to be able to use google or search engine on computer of course).
     
  14. Motomom34

    Motomom34 Monkey+++

    I liked those books but never finished the series. Like @T. Riley I read and often ask, what would I have done. I did like the place in Texas that has all the solar. It was convenient but it really inspired me to look at my surroundings in regards to solar lighting etc.

    Sorry for the thread drift @T. Riley we will get back to the original intent of the thread. BTW- this discussion has me wondering if maybe we should start up a Survival Monkey book club.
     
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  15. Bandit99

    Bandit99 Monkey+++ Site Supporter+

    @Legion489 No, it's called 'The Cross Of Iron' by Willi Heinrich. Excellent book written by a German soldier long ago. It's in eBook now at Amazon. It is what the movie (1977) was based on with the same name and directed by the great Sam Peckinpah. Great film btw. One of my must have films. Here's the book if you interested...
    https://www.amazon.com/dp/B016CF75Y0/?tag=survivalmonke-20

    My apologies also @T. Riley for thread drift...I'm an avid reader, more like a addicted reader, and love book talk. After your recommendation of 'The Final Day' I went this morning and got on the 'wait list' at the library for it. @Legion489 Also had them order 'Malevil' for me. It has to come from a library in Washington State, old book, written in 1972
     
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  16. ghrit

    ghrit Bad company Administrator Founding Member

    True, but the interesting part of that is that they owed allegiance to the moslem sultans of the time and were often forcibly converted to mohamidanism.
    Janissaries - Wikipedia
    I guess that's one way to recruit, enslave a conquered family and put the eldest son in the army, and keep him there by threatening to harm the family if he fails to perform.
     
  17. Bandit99

    Bandit99 Monkey+++ Site Supporter+

    @Motomom34 "BTW- this discussion has me wondering if maybe we should start up a Survival Monkey book club."

    Absolutely, yes! And, count on me to be a avid participant.
     
  18. Legion489

    Legion489 Rev. 2:19 Banned

    Nope, THE CROSS OF IRON is a great book but not the book I was thinking of. This one was "survivalist" fiction from the mid-late 1960s (?), had nothing to do with WWII and as I remember had a guy on a motorcycle shooting up at you on the cover. Sort of like Meatloaf's "Bat out of Hell" album but coming right at you instead of from the side.

    And I think Motomom's idea of a book club is an excellent idea too!

    More books:
    CIVIL WAR 2 - GREAT BOOK!

    Second American Revolution by Marc Ridenour is HORRIBLE! How bad?! It put the book publisher out of business! No I am NOT making that up!
     
    Last edited: Jan 19, 2017
  19. ghrit

    ghrit Bad company Administrator Founding Member

    Side issue --
    I don't remember when it was, but the idea of a "book club" came up a LONG time ago, but it didn't jell. I'd suggest as an alternate that someone post a book title with a review, then all can carry on a discussion in a dedicated thread.
     
  20. Bandit99

    Bandit99 Monkey+++ Site Supporter+

    Oh, bugger! Okay... but, I suppose it has to be a book about survival of some sort? Frankly, one learns something from anything and everything one reads. But, I do read survival books, and apocalypse books and Zombie books, all kind of books, cooking, solar energy, communications (studying for Extra license), time travel, ancient history...on and on. Oh well...bugger.
     
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