So far I'm liking it. It doesn't bog me down and so far its giving me a good account of the lead up to the attack like the political maneuvering, the planning, the attitudes of both the US and Japan, and the utter insanity exhibited by the latter country.
Just picked up The Social History of the Third Reich by Pierre Aycoberry. Not really sure what to make of it yet.
'Japanese-Trained Armies in Southeast Asia' by Joyce Lebra. Very interesting book and not much else written in English on this topic as a whole. Covers Japanese-sponsored forces like PETA and the INA as well as some lesser known ones in places like Malaya and the Philippines. Only suggestions for improvement I would have is more coverage on Vietnamese groups like the Hoa Hao and Cao Dai militias, the author kind of skims over Indochina in comparison to some of the other countries.
Working on this one right now. Got all interested in the American effort in WW1 after reading the book about General Fox Conner. This book is definitely a long one, about 600 pages or so, with only 4 or 5 pictures, no maps or graphs. So far it is living up to be the claims to be the definitive book on the Doughboys of the AEF. It is extremely interesting, chock full of neat things to know. Here's an example. All volunteering for the Armed Forces was stopped in August of 1918, and the draft was solely relied upon to fill the services needs. The reason for this endeavor was that strategic planners didn't want to strip the burgeoning war effort, farms and supporting industries of manpower. They wanted manpower levies to be met in a calculated and methodical fashion. Obviously it worked. This management style led to the US being able to land 10,000 trained men a day in French ports by the Armistice. The resulting build up was to continue to what was expected to the "big push" into Germany in 1919. Obviously they expected a more protracted struggle with the Germans. I had to read the passage covering this information several times to completely understand the logic of their method. Either I'm getting old and it's taking more time for things to sink in or or I gotta lay off some of the wine while cooking! Also, from the beginning of the war men could not only select the branch of service they wanted, but also the specific unit as well, at least until that unit was brought up to full strength.
Recently finished 'All Soldiers Run Away :Alano's War The Story of A British Deserter' by Andy Owen. The author served in Iraq and Afghanistan , and now gives talk about Philosophy and military ethics. The book concerns a British soldier Alan Juniper who deserted in the North Africa campaign and again in the Italian campaign. Builds to someone extent on Charles Glass' book 'Deserters' from 2013..Quite sympathetic account. Have reviewed book- which is available in paperback and on kindle- for Amazon UK and Goodreads .
I've been walking to work again since we went from Fall to Spring - no winter - out here. Its about 15'f warmer than it should be for this time of year so there is hardly any snow or ice on the sidewalks. So it takes me about 30 minutes to get to work. On Audible, I've been getting The Great Courses. I started with 'Tiger Tracks' (WW2 book) over the summer and have since listened to: Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman Great Course: The Other Side of Historyaily Life in Antiquity Great Course: The Story of Medieval England (up to the Tudors) I just started on 'Historys Great Military Blunders and the Lessons they Teach Us.' I also have these Great Courses to listen to: Great Mythologies of the World, The Vikings, A History of England from the Tudors Onwards I get another free credit at the beginning of February, so will be adding another Great Course to the list.
One advantage of the Kindle I've found is that I can up the font size a step and read and walk at the same time. I haven't tried the recorded books but I'm a fairly fast reader and still sometimes get impatient. Not sure how I'd do with audio books.
Thats why I've gone with the Great Courses - they aren't books, their college level lectures. Each chapter is about 30 minutes long (IE perfect for my walk) and each Great Course has 20 - 30+ Chapters to it. I too read much faster than people speak, so I enjoy reading when I can. I can't read and walk (i'd end up in a ditch, slipping on the ice, getting run over by a bus, and get motion sick) so they work perfectly for me. Depending on which Course I am listening to, its 18 - 32 hours long total. So I should be able to get through one in a month if I walk whenever I can. Since I pay for Audible and that comes with 1 credit, and 1 credit = any audible book, I'm getting all of these Great Courses for 50%+ off!
Kudos to my public library! I was picking up a book I'd requested to be transferred to my branch, when I found a different title on the NEW shelf: Blood and Fears: How America's Bomber Boys of the 8th Air Force saved World War II by Kevin Wilson. Mr Willson has a knack for writing description, including log entries, diary notes, letters and articles. I found this a good read. (my particular interest is in evasion in Belgium, but I'm learning about the flights too)
Good afternoon In respect of Andy Owen's 'All Soldiers Run Away- Alano's War' , Alan Juniper died in 2016. Andy Owen's case is that Alan Juniper was suffering from PTSD., and a major cause of this condition was most probably an incident in the North Africa campaign, in which Alano Juniper and some fellow soldiers were trapped by an unexploded shell at the entrance to their dugout for several hours. Eventually the bombardment ended, and they were discovered, and the shell was detonated without casualties. Andy Owen is veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan, and has given talks and been featured on radio concerning his interest in philosophy and how this relates to armed combat.
I'm reading three books right now. WW2 related is, "Tapping Hitler's Generals" by Sonke Neitzel, a professor of history at the University of Mainz. It's a compilation of transcripts of conversations between senior German generals captured in the aftermaths of N. Africa, Normandy, and the last collapse of organized resistance. The conversations were mostly from the Trent Park POW facility for senior generals and were the result of secret recordings by MI-19. Quite interesting and I'll probably post some of these conversations in the near future. "Sand County Almanac" by Aldo Leopold "Meeting Jesus Again-for the First Time" by Marcus J. Borg
Recently completed A Higher Call by Adam Makos. About the lives of Franz Stigler, a German Ace, Charles Brown, a B-17 pilot and their rendezvous over the Atlantic Wall. Great reading with unique chivalry. Recently completed George S. Patton, A Biography; by David Andrew Smith. Good but short. A more complete volume would be Patton: A Genius for War, by Carlo D'Este.
Completed today: A Marine Rifleman's Combat Odyssey in K/3/5 Battleground Pacific, by Sterling Mace and Nick Allen Writing style pulls on the senses, vibrant in detail. Found to be a good read while the jumpy timeline took some getting use to. Starting today: Helmet for my Pillow, by Robert Leckie My fourth recent book on first hand experiences by Marines in the Pacific theater.
Almost done with Defeat Into Victory. I'm trying to finish before Friday when I have my laser eye surgery.
I read the Mace book several years ago. He used to post here and what he had to say was always interesting. Currently reading Pearl Harbor: From Infamy to Greatness by Craig Nelson.