What are the Forum members reading (2 Viewers)
- Thread starter Deitz
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Some recent aquisitions regarding the Battle of Verdun: 3 books by Christina Holstein in the excellent 'Battleground' series by Pen & Sword; "Walking Verdun", "Verdun: Fort Douamont", and "Verdun: Fort Vaux". All three are battleground guide books with excellent illustrations and maps. Very essential to understanding the all important terrain. These really are must haves if you have any interest in Verdun. They opened my eyes to many of the reasons why the battle was fought the way it was and why it progressed the way it did. I especially like the book on Fort Vaux. It is the longest of the 3 books and even has a color photo section. This book helped me put the fort and it's construction features in the correct perspective, something I have struggled with for years. This brings me to another book related to the above titles, "Verdun: An Intergrated Defence" by Neil Wells and published by Naval & Military Press. This is not a battle history but rather a technical work on the forts in the Verdun system. It is about how the forts developed, constructed, modernized, and armed. There are useful photos and plans. Again, I found the section on Vaux very useful. The author has done a 3 dimensional sketch of Ft. Vaux that, when combined with the Holstein book, has put the fort's appearence in perspective with all the photos I have studied over the years, but had no real appreciation of an overall view of, prior to this. Add to these titles the very good Osprey work "The Fortifications of Verdun 1874-1917" by Clayton Donnell. As is usual with Osprey, this is very well illustrated with photos, drawings, and maps and the basic history. Taken all together, this is a bonanza of information that has been really unavailable to the English speaking world. To me, having been hooked on the battle since the late 60's, this is a treasure trove of new information that fleshs out the many battle accounts I have read over the years regarding the fight for the forts, but have never really been able to have a clear mental picture of. These 5 books are really a welcome addition. And none of them are expensive or hard to get. -- Al
Evzone
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just finished reading another excellent Osprey title on my iPad.....
SPANISH CIVIL WAR TANKS
THE PROVING GROUND FOR BLITZKRIEG
INTRODUCTION
The Spanish Civil War was the first European conflict to see the extensive use of tanks since their debut in World War I. It came at a crucial time in European tank development, when production went from a few hundred tanks per year to many thousands. The Great Powers looked to the Spanish conflict to validate their own tank programs and to learn any important lessons about tank warfare. The Spanish Civil War has been regarded as the proving ground for blitzkrieg. Spain was seen as a laboratory for Germany, Italy, and the Soviet Union to test out their tanks and tactical doctrine on the eve of World War II.
.........now all I need is John Jenkins to knock out a version or two of those Italan tankettes!
SPANISH CIVIL WAR TANKS
THE PROVING GROUND FOR BLITZKRIEG
INTRODUCTION
The Spanish Civil War was the first European conflict to see the extensive use of tanks since their debut in World War I. It came at a crucial time in European tank development, when production went from a few hundred tanks per year to many thousands. The Great Powers looked to the Spanish conflict to validate their own tank programs and to learn any important lessons about tank warfare. The Spanish Civil War has been regarded as the proving ground for blitzkrieg. Spain was seen as a laboratory for Germany, Italy, and the Soviet Union to test out their tanks and tactical doctrine on the eve of World War II.
.........now all I need is John Jenkins to knock out a version or two of those Italan tankettes!
Evzone
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Yes, funnily enough I've just downloaded it and its my commuting book for next week. I've read that the book has caused a bit of a stir in Spain, with the title raising a few eyebrows.
I'm just finishing off 'They Shall Not Pass' about the battle of Jamara and the British volunteers that fought in it. have you read it,?
To my embarrassment I can't read Spanish, some would say I have enough difficulty with English. Pleased to receive any recommendations you may have about this fascinating although tragic period in European history.
jazzeum
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I haven't read it yet but the author was on here about a year ago. At first I thought it might be supeficial because it might be an Osprey book but he assured me he had done a lot of archival work. It's on my list to read.
I assume you have read the Thomas book. I first read it in 1969 when I lived in Spain. A new edition, updated by Thomas, came out in 2001. Still holds up pretty well. One of my favorites is Ronald Fraser's Blood of Spain: An Oral History of the Spanish Civil War. A must as far I'm concerned. I read the Beevor book about a year ago. Thought it was pretty good. Hard on the Communists but justifiably so. I will jot down some others.
Although in Spanish, Carros de Combate (tanks) from Quiron Ediciones is a very nice book, full of great photos. You can probably get it from Casa del Libro, whose website is in both Spanish and English. Also good is Blindados (armored cars) from the same publisher.
Brad
I assume you have read the Thomas book. I first read it in 1969 when I lived in Spain. A new edition, updated by Thomas, came out in 2001. Still holds up pretty well. One of my favorites is Ronald Fraser's Blood of Spain: An Oral History of the Spanish Civil War. A must as far I'm concerned. I read the Beevor book about a year ago. Thought it was pretty good. Hard on the Communists but justifiably so. I will jot down some others.
Although in Spanish, Carros de Combate (tanks) from Quiron Ediciones is a very nice book, full of great photos. You can probably get it from Casa del Libro, whose website is in both Spanish and English. Also good is Blindados (armored cars) from the same publisher.
Brad
Evzone
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Hi Brad
If you mean the Hugh Thomas book, yes I have a copy which I read many years ago, and i remember it took me a while to pile through it.
I thoroughly recommend 'They Shall Not Pass', the author's vivid account of the British volunteers is quite poignant, I felt quite moved by their plight and the deep rooted ideological anti fascist beliefs.
My family originate from the East End of London, and when I was young my uncles used to tell me stories about the fights against Mosely's black shirts, so it was with particular interest that I read about the Jewish volunteers from Stepney who fought at Jamara.
Thank you for the recommended reading list and pointing me in the direction of the casa del libro website.
Kind regards
Martin
Somewhere on this forum I might have reported on these but not on this thread. Thanks to my bookclub I have been able to add 3 new publications on the Maryland Campaign of 1862. All are published by Savas Beatie in 2012. They are:
1- The Maps of Antietam by Bradley Gottfried - 326 pgs - retail @ $39.95
2- The Maryland Campaign of September 1862: Vol.1, South Mountain by Ezra Carman - 521 pgs - retail @ $37.50
3- The Maryland Campaign of September 1862: Vol.2, Antietam by Ezra Carman - 668 pgs - retail @ $37.50
These are very well done books. I have not yet been able to read the 2 volume Carman history but a quick run through tells me it is going to be top-notch. The map book I have gone through and it is as good as the other Gottfried map books on the ACW. Really well done maps that allow the reader to follow the action almost minute by minute. I highly recommend it. These books are not cheap but thanks to my club price deal I was able to afford them. I would have gotten the map book anyway, but the Carman books are a big bonus. Carman fought in the war and was later on the Antietam Battlefield Board. His writings on Antietam are highly thought of by other historians so should prove to be about the best on the subject. -- Al
1- The Maps of Antietam by Bradley Gottfried - 326 pgs - retail @ $39.95
2- The Maryland Campaign of September 1862: Vol.1, South Mountain by Ezra Carman - 521 pgs - retail @ $37.50
3- The Maryland Campaign of September 1862: Vol.2, Antietam by Ezra Carman - 668 pgs - retail @ $37.50
These are very well done books. I have not yet been able to read the 2 volume Carman history but a quick run through tells me it is going to be top-notch. The map book I have gone through and it is as good as the other Gottfried map books on the ACW. Really well done maps that allow the reader to follow the action almost minute by minute. I highly recommend it. These books are not cheap but thanks to my club price deal I was able to afford them. I would have gotten the map book anyway, but the Carman books are a big bonus. Carman fought in the war and was later on the Antietam Battlefield Board. His writings on Antietam are highly thought of by other historians so should prove to be about the best on the subject. -- Al
Meant to throw another plug in for my favorite Verdun title, Alistair Horne's wonderful "The Price of Glory: Verdun 1916" done in 1962. It may be 50 years old, but it is still in print and it is still unsurpassed in English by any other account/history. I don't know how I forgot to mention this when I wrote the above recommendations. I must be geting old.:redface2: -- Al
Just started re-reading Vol.1 of Basil Liddell Hart's 'The Tanks'. The full title is 'The Tanks: The History of the Royal Tank Regiment and it's predecessors; Heavy Branch Machine Gun Corps, Tank Corps, and Royal Tank Corps 1914-1945'. Vol.1 covers 1914-1939, while Vol.2 covers 1939-1945. This is the classic study on the subject and was published in 1959. It is impossible to beat this work for a history of British armor and I find the first volume of particular interest as I am a WW1 fan, but the inter-war years are also very interesting in terms of all the technical and tactical developements. If you are a fan of British armor, hunt these down and read them. They are not hard to find, but generally are not cheap to purchase. A good library might have them but I have never seen them in my local system. -- Al
Rob
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I second that Al , superb book^&cool
Sounds good Al, might have to check these out.
Just starting ' Forgotten voices Desert victory' by Julian Thompson and the Imperial War Museum
Rob
Isandlwana
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I've just finished re-reading Through The Zulu Country by Bertram Mitford. This is one of my most cherished books and reads like a travelogue of Bertram Mitford's visit to the battlefields a couple of years after the war. It is Victorian but the prose used does not read like a book from that time. It is both amusing and informative. He meets with some of the Zulus at the forefront of events and conveys some of the horrific injuries imparted by the Martini Henry on survivors he meets. His description of the topography and the logisitc difficulties the Victorian traveller and for that matter an army encounters over such unforgiving terrain is truly wonderful.
Please read. You won't regret it.
Please read. You won't regret it.
Terp152
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Just read The Savage Continent by Keith Lowe. Tells the history of Europe following WWII relating the Ethnic Cleansing that continued by the Poles, Slavs, Russians, etc. Millions of people displaced by the end of WWII. The Poles even reopened concentration camps after the war. Two of the commandants were pursued thru the courts but died before trials. Also tells the stories of the post war treatment of the partisans, particuarly the communists, in France and Italy, the civil wars in Greece and Yugoslavia, etc. Tito killed fully half of the surrended 120,000 Ustashas. The Russians pursued the partisans in the Baltic states, the last of whom were killed in the '70s. Chris
theBaron
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Last week, I went through John Horner's "The Complete T-Rex" and "Dinosaur Lives", then picked up again David McCullough's "John Adams". With the downtime from Sandy, I've finished "Adams", and am now working through a re-read of Simon Schama's "Citizens".
Prost!
Brad
Prost!
Brad
johnplayer
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Recently finished Englund's "The Beauty and the Sorrow," which focuses on the experiences of many different individuals during WWI. Nurses, ambulance drivers, diplomats, a school girl, and soldiers from both the Allies and the Triple Alliance across all the theaters of the Great War. A personal perspective of the war from many sources in many places rather than tactics or politics.
Waiting for delivery of "Panzers in Normandy: Then and Now." Have always had an interest in military history since I first read "They Fought for the Sky," "The Red Knight of Germany" and "Brazen Chariots" many many years ago. Caidin's "Black Thursday," "Flying Forts," "Thunderbolt" and Fork-tailed Devil"; Massie's "Dreadnought"; "Guderian"; and "Panzer Leader" are some more favorites. Another member mentioned Barbara Tuchman's "A Distant Mirror." Her "Guns of August" is also very good. Can't forget Shelby Foote's Civil War trilogy either.
Anyway, more books than models at this point.
Waiting for delivery of "Panzers in Normandy: Then and Now." Have always had an interest in military history since I first read "They Fought for the Sky," "The Red Knight of Germany" and "Brazen Chariots" many many years ago. Caidin's "Black Thursday," "Flying Forts," "Thunderbolt" and Fork-tailed Devil"; Massie's "Dreadnought"; "Guderian"; and "Panzer Leader" are some more favorites. Another member mentioned Barbara Tuchman's "A Distant Mirror." Her "Guns of August" is also very good. Can't forget Shelby Foote's Civil War trilogy either.
Anyway, more books than models at this point.
I like your taste in the books you have listed. I have read them all and there is not a bad one in the bunch. Loved Caidin's books. "They Fought for the Sky" was a very influential book for me. I received a copy for my 9th birthday (still have it 50 years later) and it got me hooked on WW1 aviation. "Brazen Chariots" is another great read. The Stuart, aka Honey, has always been my favorite US tank. A great reading list.{bravo}} -- Al
johnplayer
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I lost my original paperback edition of "They Fought for the Sky" in a messy divorce. Don't ask. I got it in elementary school as part of a mail-order book club the school participated in. Eventually found a nice hardbound copy though. It was influential for me too, with its tales of aces and their gallantry in flimsy planes.
Finally got my hands on a book that I had many years ago (I either sold it or lent it), and have been trying to replace for years, but it had proved to elusive and expensive. It is called "Military Effectiveness: Volume 1, The First World War". Edited by Allan Millett and Williamson Murray. Published in 1988 by Unwin Hyman. It is a tremendous collection of essays on the various protaganists of the war. There are essays on Britain, Germany, USA, Italy, France, Japan, and Russia. All the authors are top flight such as Herwig, Gooch, Porch, etc. The book covers strategy, tactics, and politics. It is a very interesting book. There are 2 other volumes in the set. Volume 2 covered the inter-war period and V3 covered WW2. They are worth getting. -- Al
I just recieved a couple of real interesting titles. I have already started reading "The Twilight Riders: The Last Charge of the 26th Cavalry" by Peter Stevens. This is a history of the 26th Cavalry, US Army, in the Philippines in 1941-42 and their valiant fight against the Japanese invasion. It is the last time an American cavalry unit waged a horseback campaign and it is a terrific and somewhat unknown story. The 26th was largely responsible for the effective rear-guard actions that allowed the US Army to withdraw to Bataan. The 26th also staged the last mounted cavalry charge in US Army history. So far it is a very interesting read. The second title is a two volume history titled "With Musket & Tomahawk" by Michael Logusz. Vol.1 is subtitled 'The Saratoga Campaign and the Wilderness War of 1777' and Vol.2 is 'The Mohawk Valley Campaign in the Wilderness War of 1777'. The set has been well reviewed and I am looking forward to getting into the reading of this pivitol campaign. The 2 volumes total some 680 pages with copious notes and sources. -- Al