What Are You Reading?

I recently read Battle of Kursk by Glantz and House. Good book. Gave me a much better understanding of the scope of the mechanized warefare there. It was a real illustration of the old slogan "what does not kill me makes me stronger". The Russians paid a high price for their tutoring in combined arms mechanized warefare but they learned well.

Before that I read Panzer Aces: German Tank Commanders of WWII-Stackpole Military History Series. This was a very outstanding first person recollection of the action of a small group of tank commanders on the German side of the conflict. It illustrated the high caliber of the charecter of many of the fighting men in the German Army.

 

Just wondering if anyone has read "It never snows in September" and what they thought? I personally thought it was very good to see the German side of things.

Andy

 

Kershaw's book attracts a lot of unfavourable comment among Arnhem specialists, who reckon that it's rather superficial and that he took a lot of what he was told by German veterans at face value without cross-checking or researching in depth.

( However, I wonder if some of the adverse criticism comes from those who are working on books of their own and are miffed that Kershaw got his published first - but that's maybe me being cynical & twisted ! )

Personally, I think it's a valuable addition to my Arnhem shelf. There has been virtually nothing printed in English about the 'other' side and, until something better comes along, this book is fine for me......

 

Cheers for your comments on the book Martin

"but that's maybe me being cynical & twisted !"

I dont know, I think the broad spectrum of views on the war in Western Europe gets you like that.
I hear the Robin Neillands, Battle for the Rhine 1944 has ruffled a few feathers as well across the Atlantic. Not read it yet, but he is apparently quite critical of the 82nd AB. Sounds an interesting read. Might get a copy and take it with me next month

Andy

 

Just finished Bloemertz, Günther: Heaven next stop.

Reading Herman Sachnowitz´s book "It also concerns you". Herman is a Norwegian man, a jew, and the book tells how all his family was transported to Auschwitz in 1940 and how only he survived.

Next reading Charles Messenger Hitler´s Gladiator ( Sepp Dietrich )

 

Just got Robin Neillands battle for the Rhine 1944. I went straight to the Nijmegen chapter and wow, he doesnt hold back. Im not as well read on MG as I am on Normandy but I certainly learnt some new things. I never knew that during the Waal crossing British Sappers were involved, made quite a few crossings taking over heavy equipment before the bridghead was even established on the other side.

Some great stuff from lord Carrington and Sgt Peter Robinson one of the first Guards armoured tanks across the bridge, both state that nobody from the 82nd at anytime came up to them and told them to advance or that they would jump on the tanks and go with them into Arnhem, the first meeting Robinson had with the 82nd Colonel on the other side, HE wanted to surrender and Robinson told him that his orders were to hold the bridge, ive only got two tanks but hold it we will.Any Paras they met were just really glad to see them.

So much more but not the place to post.

I have Neillands other books and have enjoyed them, he certainly tries to dismiss some of the myths and propoganda in his books. Im loving this one.

Andy

 

Just started Forgotten Armies: The Fall of British Asia, 1941-1945 by Christopher Bayly and Tim Harper. So far a very good book dealing with the other 'Forgotten Armies' of the war in South East Asia.

 

Nowarra book that good ? it is still a classic. You might want to save the pennies as a very good if not excellent work on the Fw 190 will be translated from the French to English in time....

am waiting for Eagle editions work on the Fw 190D-9 to appear and still waiting for my copy of volume 1 of JG 300. should hit Europe next month in quantity I am told. the French authors just received their English copies several days ago.

 

Much respected gentlemen,

Just a quick remark about Kershaw's book; 'It never snows in september'. I personally think it's a wonderful book; writing style is good, topic is very interesting AND the other side ( the Brits ) are held in high respect !! Where in many britisch books about Market Garden the german side seem to be a buch of incompetent fools who accendentally were there in big numbers.After reading A Bridge too Far ( Ryan ), I was left wondering how the Allies managed to lose this battle !
Secondly it takes care of the popular Panzer-myth, as if Arnhem was crawling with german armour.
Finally, gentlemen, I don't want to insult anyone nor take away credit from the allied forces in Market-Garden who fought hard and heroically. But I like things balanced somewhat because in the end stereotypes never hold there own !

 

Gentlemen,

Btw, I'm reading 'Swastika in my gunsight', by Igor Kaberov ( 1999 ).

 

I'd be interested to hear your opinion of that one, JR - there aren't too many first-hand accounts such as this available.

 

Hello Gentlemen,

I viewed your postings on Heinz Nowarra's Focke Wulf FW 190-Ta 152 and was amazed that you gentlemen rate it so higly. In danger of facing this Forum's firing squad, I have to disagree.I find the book mediocre to say the least ! The illustrations and drawings aren't up to standard. The subtitle reads "Entwicklung, einsatz, technik",where in the H... is the einsatzpart ? You learn more from flying the Focke on the Forgotten Battles and Airwarfare Forums !

I found most of Heinz Nowarra's books dissapointing, I've got "Richthofen's Dreidecker und Fokker DVII"and "Die 109", and both these books have also the same ramshackle apperance and content.
"Heaven next stop"then, from Gunther Bloemertz, is what we ( in The Netherlands ) could call a ladiesnovelle. In my opinion it has little to do with combatflying or history.
Please my dear brigants read "I flew for the Fuehrer" by Heinz Knoke or Donald Caldwell's "The JG 26 War Diary".
Now I have to go back to the nurse and get my medication !

 

I wonder if the problem with Nowarra's books is that they were written quite a while ago now and have been outclassed ?

It's probably fair to say that his Fw 190 volume ( the Haynes reprint of the Motor Buch one, not his very old Harleyford title ) remains the best readily-available one-volume reference about the Fw190 in English.

Which almost certainly means that there is a gap in the market.....?

 

Hello Martin,

You're right, I have the original German edition, I like to read in german from german authors. But in the end the language edition doesn't make it a good book I think ! Therefore I totally agree with your conclusion that there's a gap in the market.

BTW. I wasn't joking when I said you can learn very much from the Forgotten Battles/Pacific fighters Forum on Airwarfare.com. Especially on the Focke.

I will check in my files if there is a better FW 190 book ( in english ) available.

Thank you for putting my posting in proper perspective, but Nowarra always gets my blood cooking !

 

Hello Martin,

English books on the FW 190:
- Fw 190 in Combat, Alfred Price, 2000
- The Focke-wulf FW 190, William Green, 1976 ( William Green hasn't produced a bad book ! )
-Focke-wulf Fw 190A, Dieter Hermann
-Focke-wulf 190 Long Nose, Dieter Hermann
-Focke Wulf Ta 152, Dieter Hermann
The Dieter Hermann books are in english and very good ( Schiffer Books ), but unfortunately very expensive also!

 

I have the first two - they're very good. I have to say that I really don't like Schiffer books at all - the production values just don't match the prices asked in England ( which are very high indeed ).

There have also been some very poor books in English ( eg the one by Shacklady ) which are a waste of time and money.

There's certainly a need for an excellent, reasonably-priced 190 book over here.

 

get the big monster Doar book from Eagle editions covering III./Jg 54 and IV./JG 26, actually the other Dora guppen of JG 26 besides all in English by Axel Urbanke.

sorry but after reading through the William Green books on third Reich planes I wouldnt put my monies into any of his works. Dietmar hartmann's are ok but hisTA 152 book failed in my eyes, although nothing concise has been put into English on JG 301 EE will have their won work which should put many questions to rest on the dates of useage of the 109, Fw 190A, Doras in II. gruppe an finally the complet ops of the TA 152 which not even Will Reschke in his own German edition has covered adequately.

Jerry C. of EE is going to have his Dora 9 book probably by janaury 2006 which should be superb, and if a French author that I know gets his old Fw 190 book out in English then this will rest the case. Fw 190.Dora and Ta is now covered quite well by Peter Rodeike and in fact his work is a classic

 

Hello Erich,

You're right once more Erich the Axel Urbanke book is excellent, as is "Alarm im Westen " by Willy Heilmann, who served in III/JG54

 

Hello Martin,

I share your opinion on most of the Schiffer books, I got some WW1 aviation books from them, found them looking good but lacking content. Their prices are indeed outrageous

 

Schiffer has a tendancy for whatever reason to rescan original German photos in a most peculiar way. Not sure when the last time I bought from them, but the photo reproduction is just plain horrible.

for the Night fighter interests Dr. Theo Boiten is going to surprise us with another great book at years end or hopeful he is. I think he book on nf victories should be almost the last word on the subject via all his many eyars of first had interviews and continual in-depth research. I'm actually having fun throwing him my 2 cents worth on several topics....