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I’ve been given In the Name of Rome: The Men Who Won the Roman Empire by Adrian Goldsworthy. It has been a really interesting and enjoyable read. As its title suggests it focuses upon 15 generals who led the armies of Rome from the early days of the Republic all the way up to the death of Belisarius. The book also looks at how the Roman army developed over time and at how it went on campaign and fought battles.

Having found a game about the Desert War, I'm all enthused to read about that theatre again. So next on the list is India's War - The Making of Modern South Asia 1939-45 (Raghavan)

Marine Rifleman, 43 Years in the Corps by Colonel Wesley Fox Medal of Honor recipient.

Brandon Sanderson - The Way of Kings

Really enjoying it so far, but I just hate that I'm once again starting another epic fantasy series where I have no idea when the next book is going to come out.

ORIGINAL: warspite1

Having found a game about the Desert War, I'm all enthused to read about that theatre again. So next on the list is India's War - The Making of Modern South Asia 1939-45 (Raghavan)

warspite1

Half way through and I have to say I'm finding this an excellent read. Very well written.

Genuinely fascinating book and example of Historical research at its best: Graham Robb, The Debatable Land: The lost world between Scotland and England.

Basically a social/political history of the Anglo-Scottish border communities from 1400-1800 (with a good postscript taking it into the modern era). The traditional narrative is of a region plagued by banditry (a lot sponsored by the two crowns) - the English word bereaved is derived from the name given to the various groups of raiders - the reivers.

Robb studied the local records and worked out it was actually quite a prosperous region (combination of fertile soils, garrison towns and the benefits of cross-border smuggling) to come up with a very different narrative. In effect most raiding was typical 'right of passage' stuff (steal a sheep to prove you were now a man etc) rather than the systemic acts of murder presented in mainstream views. Only period where reality matches the stereotype was the end of the 16C.

Recommended as a really good example of how to combine detailed research and a wider narrative.

I'm half way through 'Palace of Treason' by Jason Matthews; it's a follow up to 'Red Sparrow' which is becoming a movie. Good spy stuff.

I'm trying to decide my next book; both are commitments!

The Imjin War: Japan's Sixteenth-Century Invasion of Korea and Attempt to Conquer China

https://www.amazon.com/Imjin-War-Sixtee ... =imjin+war

or

The Thirty Years War: Europe's Tragedy

https://www.amazon.com/Thirty-Years-War ... +years+war

ORIGINAL: warspite1

ORIGINAL: warspite1

Having found a game about the Desert War, I'm all enthused to read about that theatre again. So next on the list is India's War - The Making of Modern South Asia 1939-45 (Raghavan)

warspite1

Half way through and I have to say I'm finding this an excellent read. Very well written.

warspite1

Finished this and I have to say this makes me want to read more about India. An excellent read, though pretty high level if one were to seek detailed military histories of the Indian units in the various campaigns they fought in.

As a result of this, I will postpone my Western Desert follow-up and pile into Road of Bones (Keane). This is about the epic siege of Kohima 1944.

The Day of Battle: The War in Sicily and Italy, 1943-1944, by Rick Atkinson

I think I'll play a bit Panzer Campaigns: Sicily '43 and PzC Salerno '43, while I read it - just to keep up with the spirit.

(Edit: boy, all the Italian units I saw I Sicily '43 up to now have Morale "F" [X(])

All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque
It's about German soldiers' depression during the World War I. Good read!

Just done with Max Hasting's ''Secret War '39-'45''. Never really delved deep into the subject but was always fascinated about it and this book did help me to see a better picture of the gigantic effort for sometimes no gains or very little while others did pay off and how competence and incompetence went hand in hand in this type of warfare.

Now I'm starting to read into something I've wanted to read for quite a while
Ian Kershaw's ''To Hell and Back: Europe 1914 - 1949'' the first book as he's writing a second one that follows up from 1950. Scratched the surface just but am already pulled in.

Like many long series his books veer from excellent to a bit mheh, but always interesting and well researched. Quite a loss:

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2018/ ... dApp_Tweet

The Roman Army: A History by Patricia Southern...

ORIGINAL: warspite1

ORIGINAL: warspite1

ORIGINAL: warspite1

Having found a game about the Desert War, I'm all enthused to read about that theatre again. So next on the list is India's War - The Making of Modern South Asia 1939-45 (Raghavan)

warspite1

Half way through and I have to say I'm finding this an excellent read. Very well written.

warspite1

Finished this and I have to say this makes me want to read more about India. An excellent read, though pretty high level if one were to seek detailed military histories of the Indian units in the various campaigns they fought in.

As a result of this, I will postpone my Western Desert follow-up and pile into Road of Bones (Keane). This is about the epic siege of Kohima 1944.

warspite1

....and this is another cracking read. I've had this for years but never had the inclination to pick it up and read it - and then almost put it down again when I realised it was just about Kohima (and not the wider Imphal battle). But boy am I glad I persevered. The book was a little grating at first - too much unnecessary reference to imperial folly - but that didn't last long - the story of the Kohima siege, the build up to it - from both CW and Japanese perspectives - is absolutely riveting.

"The German Campaign in Poland" in the "US Military History of WW II Green Book" series.

2 Euro (Kindle Edition) for a book chock full of facts, data and infos. A really unexpected find.

Edit: https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss ... ook+poland

I started reading Jack Broughton's Thud Ridge: F-105 Thunderchief missions over Vietnam, it's look interesting

just finished Jonathan Stroud the Amulet of Samarkand and the Golem's eye, the follow on, great book and a great author

Frank McDonough - The Gestapo: The Myth and Reality of Hitler's Secret Police

Reading Masters of the Air by Donald L. Miller while playing B-17 Flying Fortress Leader.

"Genome" by Matt Ridley