What are you currently reading ?

Started by goat major, 03 November 2012, 06:40:05 PM

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Steve J


fsn

Just started re-re-re-reading "The Ship", IMHO the best of CS Forester's output.

The story of a British light cruiser in the Med early in WWII.
Lord Oik of Runcorn (You may refer to me as Milord Oik)

Oik of the Year 2013, 2014; Prize for originality and 'having a go, bless him', 2015
3 votes in the 2016 Painting Competition!; 2017-2019 The Wilderness years
Oik of the Year 2020; 7 votes in the 2021 Painting Competition
11 votes in the 2022 Painting Competition (Double figures!)
2023 - the year of Gerald:
2024 Painting Competition - Runner-Up!

FierceKitty

I don't drink coffee to wake up. I wake up to drink coffee.

kipt

Finished "The War in the North Sea: The Royal Navy and the Imperial German Navy 1914-1918" by Quintin Barry.  I bought the book for two reasons; I am painting ships for WWI (although Turkey vs Russia first) and Quintin Barry was the author.  I really like his writing and I was not disappointed.

This is more than Jutland; interaction between and among commanders and politicians on both sides, small actions, the U-Boats, the convoy system and the final scuttling of the German Fleet.  Highly recommended.

FierceKitty

The popular English pro-German sentiment after the High Seas fleet went to Davy Jones should be one of the proudest moments in English history.
I don't drink coffee to wake up. I wake up to drink coffee.

kipt

Finished "Strategy of the Franco-German War" by Brevet-Major W.D. Bird, written in 1909.  This is the FPW up to Sedan.  Pull out maps in the front and back and with many maps in the text. Interesting that the maps on the pages are in two forms.  The first half of the book shows the French actual positions with the assumed Prussian positions on the same map.  Then below that map on the same page are the actual Prussian positions.

The second half of the book reverses that.  Prussian positions with assumed French on the top map and then below the actual French positions.  Large scale maps in the text so not a lot of unit detail - typically corps with some divisions, primarily cavalry.

The pull out maps show the railways used (map 1) and the principal roads (map 2) in the front of the book.  In the back pull out section are the OB's and initial dispositions - seven separate folded items.

Nothing really new except the presentation.

Duke Speedy of Leighton

Oh not that sounds like a brilliant find
You may refer to me as: Your Grace, Duke Speedy of Leighton.
2016 Pendraken Painting Competion Participation Prize  (Lucky Dip Catagory) Winner

lowlylowlycook

That kind of reminds me of when I'm extremely bored and watching poker on TV.  The whole time I'm criticizing the many obvious mistakes the players are making.   Well, right up until they stop showing what everyone has and, who would have guessed it, but I'm a complete ignoramus and have zero clue about what is even happening.

fsn

08 May 2019, 08:07:27 AM #3038 Last Edit: 08 May 2019, 08:57:33 AM by fsn
The Battle of the Narrow Seas: The History of Light Coastal Forces in the Channel and North Sea 1939-1945 by Peter Scott.

First published 1945 (I think) so full of British grit and determined Germans, it's the tale of the MTBs, MGBs and MLs in WWII. Written so close to the end of the war, it's value is more in the large tracts of personal experience rather than as a balanced view of the campaign.

It was the recent thread that had me reaching for this volume which I know I should have read years ago. I am struck by the story of the last boat out of Dunkirk. It was escorting a ship that was to be used as a block ship, but the dashed Germans sank it before it could be properly placed. The ML (or was it an MTB) took off the crew, and saw that a lifeboat from the ship had floated free wth two wounded sailors in it. The captain of the MGB took the lifeboat in tow, but couldn't shift it. Apparently, the lifeboat was still connected to the sunken block ship.

How many rule sets would come up with things like that?    
Lord Oik of Runcorn (You may refer to me as Milord Oik)

Oik of the Year 2013, 2014; Prize for originality and 'having a go, bless him', 2015
3 votes in the 2016 Painting Competition!; 2017-2019 The Wilderness years
Oik of the Year 2020; 7 votes in the 2021 Painting Competition
11 votes in the 2022 Painting Competition (Double figures!)
2023 - the year of Gerald:
2024 Painting Competition - Runner-Up!

FierceKitty

The Destruction of Lord Raglan - just finished. OK, Raglan was a decent man. He should still never have been entrusted with an army he couldn't provide for!

Read it for the amusing exchange with Gen. Canrobert at Inkermann; not, perhaps, suitable for putting in this forum!
I don't drink coffee to wake up. I wake up to drink coffee.

Techno

Listening to "Churchill's Secret Warriors".

Really well written,.... quite chilling, at times.

Cheers - Phil

Matt J

picked up Max Hastings new one on Vietnam in paperback from Sainsbury today for £3.99 (which is a bit of a steal I think)
2012 Painting Competition - Winner!
2014 Painting Competition - 3 x Winner!
2014 Painting Competition - Runner-Up!
2015 Painting Competition - 2 x Winner!
Beep

Steve J

I'll keep an eye out for that as I've always enjoyed his books, more so than Beevor.

Leman

Reading The Cross and Crescent Saga book, as a mate and I have started playing Saga Crusades. Aware that this is the one before Age of the Crusades, but it does seem to have the clearest explanation of how to play the game. We are just factoring a few of the new rules in, such as acquisition of Saga dice and use of enemy fatigue chits. I also like the way it is pre-PC and the single player is referred to as he rather than they.
The artist formerly known as Dour Puritan!

kipt

Finished an interesting reprint "Tactical Studies of the Battles of Columby-Nouilly and Vionville" by Major Lonsdale A Hale, R.E.  it is a translation from the German official accounts.

No maps but a couple of sketches.  Interesting (but I also have the German official accounts, so have it twice now).