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Just ordered.



Imperial Germany's Iron Regiment of the First World War: War Memories of Service With Infantry Regiment 169 - 1914/1918 by Rieth, John K

The Larks: Wars are fought by ordinary people by Shaw, Jem

The German Army in the Spring Offensives 1917: Arras, Aisne and Champagne Hardcover by Jack Sheldon



http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0692301208?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s01

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1484060830?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s01

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1783463457?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00

The Imperial Germany Iron Regiment book looks excellent. Jack Sheldons new book keeps me up wih the amazing series that all military history lovers must have.

Hitler's U-boat War Volume II (Blair) turned up yesterday - typical II arrived before I [&:]

Never mind - gives me a bit longer to finish off the last few chapters on Chamberlain and appeasement policy and then its back to sea - hopefully with Volume I to hand! [:)]

Mmmmm Volume I still awaited and I have finished Chamberlain and Appeasement [&:]

Got to say, anyone interested in the build up to the war should have a read of this book. Difficult to argue with the writer's conclusions.

What I really liked though was that, in coming to the conclusion that the revisionist view of Chamberlain was wrong - the author was very measured, very fair, in his assessment of Chamberlain's actions; it was no character assassination.

Thoroughly recommended.

ORIGINAL: warspite1

Mmmmm Volume I still awaited and I have finished Chamberlain and Appeasement [&:]

Got to say, anyone interested in the build up to the war should have a read of this book. Difficult to argue with the writer's conclusions.

What I really liked though was that, in coming to the conclusion that the revisionist view of Chamberlain was wrong - the author was very measured, very fair, in his assessment of Chamberlain's actions; it was no character assassination.

Thoroughly recommended.

I'll add it to my list at once. Thank you. [:)]

ORIGINAL: warspite1

Hitler's U-boat War Volume II (Blair) turned up yesterday - typical II arrived before I [&:]

Never mind - gives me a bit longer to finish off the last few chapters on Chamberlain and appeasement policy and then its back to sea - hopefully with Volume I to hand! [:)]

warspite1

Volume I arrived today. Wow I am really looking forward to diving (sorry) into these! [:)] Why did I not splash out on these books sooner? [:(]

I got a couple of books today as well. [:)]

Genombrottet : Operation Cerberus, 1942 by Michael Tamelander and Jonas Hård af Segerstad and The Ardennes 1944-1945 by Christer Bergström.

I am looking forward to reading both of them but I am way behind in my reading as it is. [:D]

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Ardennes-1944-1 ... 014&sr=1-1

Please let me know what you think of Cerberus.

With hindsight its such a shame the British didn't just let them go and not try and intercept. It would have saved a load of lives and after all, as Napoleon once said:

"Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake" [:D]

The wife and I made a trip to the bookstore last weekend and I picked up three new books.

1. The Rise and Fall of the British Empire: covers the empire from 1600-1995.

2. Obedient Unto Death: a first hand account of a Panzer-Grenadier who served with the Waffen SS L.A.H. Division.

3. Stopping the Panzers: The Untold Story of D-Day: about how the Canadian Army was trained, equipped, and why the beach they landed on was so important; specifically to stop any counter-attacks made by the Panzer Divisions.

ORIGINAL: Ostwindflak

The wife and I made a trip to the bookstore last weekend and I picked up three new books.

1. The Rise and Fall of the British Empire: covers the empire from 1600-1995.

warspite1

If that is the Lawrence James book - then this is a very good read [:)]

@ Warspite1,

Yes it is indeed the book by Lawrence James. Glad to hear it is a very good read as that statement alone should validate my purchase. [:)]

ORIGINAL: warspite1

ORIGINAL: warspite1

Hitler's U-boat War Volume II (Blair) turned up yesterday - typical II arrived before I [&:]

Never mind - gives me a bit longer to finish off the last few chapters on Chamberlain and appeasement policy and then its back to sea - hopefully with Volume I to hand! [:)]

warspite1

Volume I arrived today. Wow I am really looking forward to diving (sorry) into these! [:)] Why did I not splash out on these books sooner? [:(]

warspite1

I began reading this over the weekend. From reading most of the Prologue I have to say this is going to be one stonking good read [&o]

ORIGINAL: warspite1

ORIGINAL: warspite1

ORIGINAL: warspite1

Hitler's U-boat War Volume II (Blair) turned up yesterday - typical II arrived before I [&:]

Never mind - gives me a bit longer to finish off the last few chapters on Chamberlain and appeasement policy and then its back to sea - hopefully with Volume I to hand! [:)]

warspite1

Volume I arrived today. Wow I am really looking forward to diving (sorry) into these! [:)] Why did I not splash out on these books sooner? [:(]

warspite1

I began reading this over the weekend. From reading most of the Prologue I have to say this is going to be one stonking good read [&o]

I recently read that the German U-boats used Spanish ports. If you have any more information about this I would be grateful to hear about it. Or maybe the U-boat books mention it?

ORIGINAL: Orm

ORIGINAL: warspite1

ORIGINAL: warspite1


warspite1

Volume I arrived today. Wow I am really looking forward to diving (sorry) into these! [:)] Why did I not splash out on these books sooner? [:(]

warspite1

I began reading this over the weekend. From reading most of the Prologue I have to say this is going to be one stonking good read [&o]

I recently read that the German U-boats used Spanish ports. If you have any more information about this I would be grateful to hear about it. Or maybe the U-boat books mention it?

warspite1

I will let you know as and when I get through the book. I just did a quick scan of the index for Spain or Ferrol but did not see anything.

Finished Jungle Soldier: The True Story of Freddy Spencer Chapman by Brian Moynahan. Interesting book. Chapman was initially part of one "stay-behind-party" after the surrender of British forces in Malaya. He claims to have blown up 15 bridges, derailed 7 trains, and killed 1,500 Japanese in a two-week period, together with two other Britons... After that, he merely survived in the jungle, training the mainly Chinese guerillas of the MPAJA. The book has a many weak points, especially Moynahan's boasting about abilities "which only the British" possess, or so he claims. At one point, he explains Chapman's ability to navigate in the jungle... with the Royal Navy's navigational skills in the Age of Sails... When substracting all the oddities and boasting, you end up with the story of the survival of one individual - which rather owes more to the fact that he wasn't betrayed to the Japanese, than the author admits. And the irony is that the very men Chapman trained... were the ones which years later turned against the British colonial rulers in the Malayan Emergency - with British weapons.

Then I read Vincent O'Hara's On Seas Contested, which gives a good overview about the different structures, doctrines etc. of the seven largest navies in WW II. Makes appetite for more.

Now reading Siege: Malta 1940-1943 by Ernle Bradford. Am halfway through and I second warspite1's opinion, every chapter is full of the first siege of 1565, as if Bradford is using this title to advertise his own book about the 1565 siege. If you want to know the size of the garrison, or even which Army units were stationed on Malta in WW II, you won't find it here. On the other hand, this book gives a nice introduction into the topic, and into Malta's political as well as social history - but that's not what I expected from a book with this particular title. Have to check whether there's something better available.

Currently reading third tome of Hussite trilogy by Andrzej Sapkowski called Lux perpetua. Next in queue there is Stephen E. Ambrose's D-Day June 6, 1944: the Climactic Battle of World War II. Also I want to read David L. Robbins Liberation Road.

There are also other books like King's The Stand and Sapkowski's The Witcher: Season of Storms waiting for the right time to come [;)].

Most of you seem to be restricted to military stuff. That's fine, but surely you read a little wider than that?

Battles are fought in all areas of life!

ORIGINAL: RichMunn


Most of you seem to be restricted to military stuff. That's fine, but surely you read a little wider than that?

Battles are fought in all areas of life!

I guess I am one exception (like you, I guess). The military stuff has to be only the 5%-10% of my readings [:)]

Back in november, december I was reading like crazy... now it looks like I am not reading that much [:(]

ORIGINAL: RichMunn


Most of you seem to be restricted to military stuff. That's fine, but surely you read a little wider than that?

Battles are fought in all areas of life!

Got bored with my medical books. Then got bored with quantum physics. Got bored with tribology and motor oils. So.................

ORIGINAL: Hotschi

Now reading Siege: Malta 1940-1943 by Ernle Bradford. Am halfway through and I second warspite1's opinion, every chapter is full of the first siege of 1565, as if Bradford is using this title to advertise his own book about the 1565 siege. If you want to know the size of the garrison, or even which Army units were stationed on Malta in WW II, you won't find it here. On the other hand, this book gives a nice introduction into the topic, and into Malta's political as well as social history - but that's not what I expected from a book with this particular title. Have to check whether there's something better available.

warspite1

If you find anything please let me know. I finished the book - but it was more a case of "I've come this far so I might as well get to the end" than actually really wanting to finish it....

Don't get me wrong, the book was not a hard slog to get through and I learned some stuff, but it was just simply too "general" in its approach and I got no real sense of:

- to what extent the Luftwaffe and Regia Aeronautica suffered losses attacking the island
- how much more (if anything) they (particularly the Italians) could have done.
- instead of mentioning a few well known Axis and Allied convoys, how about a proper analysis of what convoys sailed when and how many ships/supplies/personnel were successfully got though?
- garrison strength on the island throughout the siege

ORIGINAL: Hotschi

Then I read Vincent O'Hara's On Seas Contested, which gives a good overview about the different structures, doctrines etc. of the seven largest navies in WW II. Makes appetite for more.

warspite1

This is a good book - as is its WWI equivalent To Crown The Waves.