What Are You Reading?

Welll Martin, it has now been republished, updated and extended as the cover says. The new addition by Exposure Publishing at £9.99 and can be found on Amazon. I have a copy but have not completed reading it at the moment.

 

sounds like an excellent title gents .........

yes Skipper the 356th guys have been very dear to me the last 6 months, over 14 pilots contacted so far and another 4 will be receiving letters in due course

although nearly unknown in the 8th AF this P-47/P-51 group seemed to have their fare share of encounters with the 262 from November 44 getting hammered by Kommando Nowotny to jumping KG 51 and later JG 7 birds plus two Are 234's in spring of 45.

time for a glas of wein ........

 

Many thanks for the heads-up, Robin - I wonder why it languished for so long ?

This will be a compulsory purchase for me and I hope that it will introduce Cranswick to a new generation of readers......

 

...my copy of 'Pathfinder Cranswick' has just arrived from Amazon. It's so good to see this book reprinted after so many years - to anyone thinking of buying a copy ( and it is a real bargain at just £9.99 ! ) I'd urge them to do so quickly. It has been published by a small publisher and I'd guess that the print-run may not be large. Cranswick is a real unsung hero - to quote form 'Pathfinder' Bennett's 1962 foreword 'he was not a flamboyant, roistering character but simply a quiet, honest Englishman...' - but when he went missing he had completed three 'tours' and was on his fourth.....

The book obviously means a great deal to the author and this edition contains an interesting new prologue, postscript and additional photos.

 

Martin, you are obviously impressed!

This person deserved a good book to relate his story, I am glad it has been revised and updated and hope that it gets wide coverage.


Robin www.156Squadron.com

 

Hey I just ordered... Fields Of Fire: The Canadians In Normandy by Terry Copp.

Can't wait to dive into this one, as I been looking for it for awhile!! wooot!!!

 

Hello gentlemen,

Just started in 'Double Fighter Knight' by Ilmari Juutilainen. It looks promising.

Regards,
I-16 Rata

 

Almost forgot....

Vasili Emelianenko´s book translated in Finnish " The story of a Soviet pilot in the eastern front"

A nice book on Il-pilots during WW2. Mostly on their life and about living in the battle conditions. Several little details like one pilot flying with a dog in his plane etc etc. Nothing really earth shaking but I did enjoy reading about what did happen between the pilots and how they lived between missions. Interesting also was the fact that at least during the early phase there were no sights for dropping bombs so everybody named his system a different name, some quite sophisticated shortages as well....Mostly the book tells about the first three war years and not much about the late 44 until the end of war. That was a bit of a surprise. Why not tell about the final victory days?

Anyway I give it **** out of 5 possible.

 

Hello Kai-Petri,

Thanks for the review !

Regards,
I-16 Rata

 

Hello gentlemen,

Almost finished in Illu Juutilainen's 'Double Fighter Knight'; a most remarkable book !
Started in Hemingway's 'The Fifth Column and Four Stories of the Spanish Civil War'.

Regards,
I-16 Rata

 

I Got Cornelissen's book "HUZAREN OF DE NACHT" today!
Nice material which includes many veteran contributions, especially Schönfeld. There are some nice pictures of Rheine, Twente , Kasino Espelo. Great work for the (NJG1) Nightfighter specialists.

 

I finished this book and it is interesting and presents a weird what if. Patton even gets his wish to go for Berlin and fight off the Russians if they interfere. Worth the time to read. Kind of like SS-GB.

 

I think Patton actually expressed the wish to fight the Russians publicly and almost created a diplomatic incident. I may buy the book PzJgr.

 

With the Old Breed - E.B. Sledge

 

Hello gentlemen,

'When Titans Clashed, How the Red Army stopped Hitler', by David M. Glantz

Regards,
I-16 Rata

 

Back to the prewar politics:

Ian Kershaw : Making friends with Hitler ( Lord Londonderry and the Roots of Appeasement )

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Making-Friends-Hitler-Londonderry-Appeasement/dp/0713997176

 

Good reviews too, it looks nice and for once it's not expensive.

 

Into the Reich
Battles on Germany's Western Frontier
by Arnold, Badsey, Ford, and Zaloga

 

Just an update (if anyone cares). I'm about 2/3's through this book. I didn't know it was based around operational events in Normandy. While I still find it very interesting, I find it tough to see the whole picture (confusing) with all the platoon size descriptions of the involved battles. I wish there were more maps so I could relate to where and what happens. I was expecting Army, Korps or even division size actions. Oh well still a very good book if your into Canadian History.

By the way...it defunks the idea that the Canadians were the "weak link" in the allied invaision. With some very good points to back it up.

 

Just scored an eight volume set of Impact, The Army Air Forces "Confidential" Picture History Of World War Two.
I know, so what.
I bought them from an Air Museum and they appear to be new. (no bent pages-broken backs-and they lay flat and close if you leave them open).They have that old/moldy book smell (printed in 1980-82).
They wanted 4 bucks appiece but I offered 2 and they accepted. They do have alot of interesting pictures of all fronts.
They still smell bad. Anyone got any suggestions on how to relieve the odor?