What Are You Reading?

Messerschmitt Roulette - the Western Desert 1941-42
By Wing-Commander Geoffrey Morley-Mower,DFC,AFC
Phalanx Publishing 1993

Decision Over Schweinfurt
By Thomas M. Coffey
Robert Hale 1978

 

A Time for Trumpets
Blood Lands: Europe Between Hitler and Stalin
Major General Maurice Rose: WWII's Greatest Forgotten Commander
​

 

Fire-power, The British Army Weapons & Theories of War 1904 - 1945 by Shelford Bidwell & Dominic Graham.

A look at British Artillery, tactics and doctrine.

 

Me, too.

 

Day Of The Bomb, Countdown to Hiroshima by Dan Kurzman..... Incredible

 

Re-reading 'Stuka Pilot'. A great read

 

Two thirds the way in on this one..

Hitler's Final Fortress
Breslau 1945
By Richard Hargreaves

Bit of a hard read but interesting account of the bloody awful conditions and situation in fighting a lost war.

 

This one´s pretty interesting and a joy to read to me, about reconnaissance Hurricanes in Africa battles:

Messerschmitt Roulette - the Western Desert 1941-42
By Wing-Commander Geoffrey Morley-Mower,DFC,AFC
Phalanx Publishing 1993

 

I'm working on Ian Kershaw's; The End, so far so good. It really covers the final months of the Third Reich in detail, from the failed bomb attempt on Hitler's life to his suicide and the final few days of WW2 with the rump government of Doenitz in charge. I generally enjoy Kershaw and so far the trend holds.

 

Recently finished "Behind Enemy Lines" by Marthe Cohn, a story about a young Jewish girl from Metz, who moved to northern France to escape the Nazis, only to have them follow and blitzkrieg through anyway. They survived on guts, grit, and the help of various kind souls (who provided legitimate papers, minus the "Yuden" stamp; warned of impending "Jewish roundups"; and provided food/clothing/medicine when necessary); Marthe eventually ended up graduating from nursing school (despite the best efforts of the Swiss Red Cross....the more I read, the less I like the Swiss in general), and after being laughed out of various Resistance groups, eventually worked her way into the Army's spy circles. She went in to Germany near the end of the war, set up several intelligence networks composed of French labor "volunteers", and provided some invaluable intel on German troop movements in the Black Forest. She then went on to work with the Foreign Legion in Vietnam, and several other ventures, after WW2. All in all, a very good read, providing a glimpse into the daily life of a Jewess in hiding in occupied France.

Currently, reading "The War Magician" by David Fisher. Not sure how much of this is author's embellishments to flesh out the story, seeing as how it reads almost like a novel, complete with Maskeline's inner thoughts on occasion, but it is a very fascinating story nonetheless. I'd known about his hiding of the Suez Canal and "moving" the entire harbor at Alexandria, but to read about how it was actually done was awesome! I'm really liking this book!

 

Lambings over...sunny...got time...Strategy in the Contemporary world...Oxford Press...A must for any one wanting to understand warfare..

Blood tears and Folly...Len Deighton...goes with his fighter and Blitzkreig..

Trident and International Law..Scotlands Obligations...Angie Zelter...a friend of mine. Dont have to agree but thought process is excellent.

The Arms Bazar ....Anthony Sampson...Cold war warrior stuff...

War Games...Thomas B. Allen...Cold war strategy gaming by the real players....the military.

And the wife has just dumped a losd of charity shop ww2 books at my feet in a sack....I'm busy....call me next Xmas...

Just finished Return Via Dunkirk...Gun Buster....Written in novel fashion...but a true story...Territorial Artillery unit in 1940 BEF...they never retreated...sidestepped and withdrew but never retreated...Different generation...never gave a thought to losing the war...knew it was impossible to lose...battle yes war...no...Oi've just been cheered by the Guards says one....Full of excellent inspiring quotes...I have now confirmed for myself what I always knew..with folk like these we were never going to lose the war...The simple get on with it attitude...stuck observing fall of shell outside Dunkirk in a church tower...shells ranging in on him...asks his CO..what he wants...Stay put comes back the reply...we think the information is worth the risk....Blimey...And he stayed put...

Just finished the Curling Letters of the Zulu War...Their was awful slaughter...Greaves and Best....Letters and story of a artillery officer in Chlelmsfords war on Zulus..One of only few survivors of Islanwhanda...Of the two guns lost..the only artillery man...his view of Victorian army is educating....his view of colonists..his men...his prospects in army...eye opening...British army was lucky to be able to control so many with the attitudes of the time...A gentleman in a rough place I would say...With rough unkempt people..not the sort to associate with unless your up to your neck in assegis and spears....Why do you come to the land of the Zulu......for promotion old chap...Must get up that list....

 

I´ve read it too, a good one!

 

I just finished up with "Wehrmacht and SS, Caucasian, Asian and Muslim troops." It's in French and English. It's got some great pics and drawings of the patches these men from places like Georgia, Azerbaijan, and the "Free Indian" and "Free Arabian" troops wore. There are also stories of the troops in France when the Allies landed in Normandy and the south, "Anvil-Dragoon." Some had joined the Maquis and the Communist resistance so that when the Soviets came for them, they might be spared, although that didn't work so much. They also had some pics of the graves of these men buried in France.

I'm going to read next "History of the Socceroos." Just came yesterday from Sydney. No kidding, since I love soccer so much.

 

i just picked up Undersea Victory by W.J. Holmes, 1966. it deals with the pacific submarine operations.

 

"XD operations-secret British missions denying oil to the nazis" ( 1940 )
Pen & Sword 2005,

"Billy Drake, fighter leader",with Cristopher Shores
Grub Street 2009

 

The Deadly Stroke - Battle of Mers-el-Kebir 3.7.1940 by Warren Tute
Collins 1973

Yerger: Knights of Steel - Das Reich
Volume I, 1989