The Book-buying Problem II

We've a thread 'Seroster' started on 2T.
My book-buying "problem"
It's dangerous ground, as I reckon it's cost me hundreds already, but it's a place to share/gloat/chat about recently acquired books.
Sometimes rather useful too, as I've learnt of a fair few things I was unaware of, while looking nervously at the bank balance.

So, thought it might be interesting to see what people are finding here, perhaps particularly with the predominant North American slant. Publishers don't always cover all markets, & the Interwebz makes international shipping pretty easy.
What have you found recently?

Part of this year's damage so far:



~A

 

Etc,

 

am jealous Mr vip...books are the bomb.
one of the most enjoyable jobs I ever had was at a bookstore.
all that free info (before the internet).
books are great until you have to move.
still lugging around my record collection.

I'd bid on an OP tome.
banksy to me.

Would like a Kodiak Beer type insult inscribed -KB sent a clever insult (which I requested) with his book.

 

I blame it on Amazon and their "suggestions". In the last 2 weeks I have purchased:
Helmet for My Pillow
Red Blood Black Sand
With The Old Breed
I'm Staying with My Boys
Islands of the Damned

 

My book collection is a nightmare, but I love it. I keep trying to rationalise but there's a hard core of stuff which I just 'need' ; sections on aircraft, armour, weapons/militaria and then my main areas of focus - NW Europe, Eastern Front.

But very recently I've been reading about the Desert War - something I've never really understood and 'got into'. This started with a very cheap, perfect condition 1st edition of Carver's 'El Alamein'. This was followed by the same author's 'Dilemmas Of The Desert War', plus a 'popular history', Jonathan Dimbleby's 'Destiny In The Desert'. Naturally, the bibliography has led to rapid purchases of Moorehead's 'African Trilogy', the IWM Book Of The Desert War, Latimer's 'Alamein' and Barr's 'Pendulum Of War'.

Sigh ! So much for rationalisation.......

 

"Can you put post--its in the expensive ones so when your lifestyle inevitably catches up with you I know which ones are worth selling."
The fishwife is a pragmatist...

 

The African Trilogy is superb.
Slightly different end of the scale, much lighter, but I thought 'War Without Hate' was a really engaging Desert book. well worth a shufti. When some journos do 'popular history' dead right:

 

I found Spike Milligan's memoires to be entertaining. The British have a very different penmanship than German dittos.

 

That's the second time I have heard that book referenced in recent days, I guess it's time to see what the fuss is all about.

 

One of the great classics of WW2 literature.
(Despite getting a touch gloomy in the last one. Sense of humour frayed somewhat...)

"I hope you bloody well crash!"

 

Thanks for the 'Desert' suggestions - I'm also immersed in my very old ( and previously unread by me ) copy of Cyril Joly's 'Take These Men' which I'm finding engrossing.

Another impulse ( ) purchase today - via an Oxfam shop - ' British Military Trucks In Wehrmacht Service' which I just had to buy for the hundreds of photos which I'd never seen before.

 

The Vollert one?
Only got it myself recently. A cracker, & good work finding in a charity shop.
Herr Vollert has turned out some great stuff for Tankograd (seems to be a bit of a glut of some Tankograd titles recently. Some good prices about on N&MP etc. & new copies turning up in secondhand shops.)

Take these men a lovely book. Technically a novel iirc, but as useful & well-informed as any memoir. Similar territory in that respect to Ken Tout's 'Tank!'. (Saw last week he's still with us. Was at the Tank Museum for the RAC anniversary.)

Got lucky & found the original version of Close's 'a view from the turret' for a non-crazy price recently. Not started yet, but looks as good as most of these memoirs can be.

 

Hi Adam

Yes, it's the Vollert one.....Oxfam obviously knew it was something good as it was £15. I can't get over how good the photos are. I like the detail in 'Take These Men' for describing everyday activities in the Desert. Joly obviously was there and the book was written quite soon after the War - so he's describing commonplace things which will soon be beyond living memory.

 

I'm addicted to books too. Not just WW2, but History, Fantasy and Sci-Fi books. I probably have over 100+ books in my room right now, half of them unread. Amazon should block me from ordering more than 1 book a month.

I also have hundreds of hours of Audible 'Great Courses' to listen too as well!

 

"Cracking Hitler's Atlantic Wall" by Richard C Anderson Jr. Is it any good? If so, you should ask for an autograph.

 

Not wishing to blow smoke or embarrass, but It is, actually.
Quite dry. Factually dense. Detailed. Anyone surprised?

Always been curious about US perspectives on British stuff since reading D'Este years ago, but it's not really that. As detailed a work as anyone, regardless of national origin, might turn out on a pretty specific area. Extra points for illustrations & maps.
(Just buy Rich's book, people. Support your local authors! )

 

I probably have read and still have more WWII books than any other on the bookshelves. A lot of naval history but also more of the European Theater than the Pacific as far as the land wars. I have a few that I haven’t read yet. My wife asks why I keep some books that I have read. I guess it’s just a sentimental thing with some of them. I have ordered from Amazon, bought at used book stores and used book sales in the community, like the church and the local college and at new book stores. I read slowly, unfortunately. I have a wide variety. The Vietnam War, The Civil War, sports biographies, dog stories, especially of the Iditarod and old sailing ships. I really have not read much about the air war in any theater of WWII. I have books on the American West, the Indian Wars and manuals on various firearms. I mostly read non-fiction but I have read a few good western novels in my time. Actually, at the present time I am reading nothing. I read in streaks. I find it to be quite boring if I continually read on the same topic.