What are you currently reading ?

[hammurabi70]

Oh, I am hardly an expert but I tend to agree that Montgomery and for that matter Churchill don't deserve the mythos that has built or perhaps was deliberately created around them. 

On a separate but related note - The 'comedian' David Baddiel  opined that if one describes Churchill as a 'white supremacist' one was an anti-semite and no that statement wasn't part  of one of his comedy sketches.

A diplomatic response.

I always take a look at the low graded reviews such as: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/customer-reviews/ROODZ82N2ZUSZ/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_ttl?ie=UTF8&ASIN=0304367389
If the reviewer clearly knows the material it will show in his review, unlike the praising comments in the five star assessments.  I agree that Churchill and Monty have been difficult to view accurately but the reviews seem to indicate this book was not particularly good at identifying the fault-lines. 

I am interested in looking at 1943: The Victory That Never Was by John Grigg.  This is supposed to be a good take on missed opportunities but I am wondering if he has looked at issues such as landing craft production and troop availability.  First time for the Americans in action in ETO? Battle of Kasserine Pass in Europe written large?  Still, it is for such things that books are written ... and studied.  Anyone read it?

[flamingpig0]

A diplomatic response.

I always take a look at the low graded reviews such as: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/customer-reviews/ROODZ82N2ZUSZ/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_ttl?ie=UTF8&ASIN=0304367389
If the reviewer clearly knows the material it will show in his review, unlike the praising comments in the five star assessments.  I agree that Churchill and Monty have been difficult to view accurately but the reviews seem to indicate this book was not particularly good at identifying the fault-lines. 

Cheers
Some of the review  I would agree with  whilst other parts of it seems to be picking up on trivialities. I would say  that it is really unfair to accuse Corrigan of admiring Hitler.

[Raider4]

If the reviewer clearly knows the material it will show in his review, unlike the praising comments in the five star assessments.  I agree that Churchill and Monty have been difficult to view accurately but the reviews seem to indicate this book was not particularly good at identifying the fault-lines. 

I am interested in looking at 1943: The Victory That Never Was by John Grigg.  This is supposed to be a good take on missed opportunities but I am wondering if he has looked at issues such as landing craft production and troop availability.  First time for the Americans in action in ETO? Battle of Kasserine Pass in Europe written large?  Still, it is for such things that books are written ... and studied.  Anyone read it?

It is said that hindsight is always 20-20. I disagree - it seems to be extremely myopic, only seeing the parts the author/historian/whoever wants to see.

[flamingpig0]

It is said that hindsight is always 20-20. I disagree - it seems to be extremely myopic, only seeing the parts the author/historian/whoever wants to see.

In some ways it is complimentary to Montgomery - best people read the book themselves and make their own minds up.

[Raider4]

I have it downloaded as the articles from Airfix magazine somewhere.

Just found mine, yeah it's a collection of articles from Meccano magazine, about 17MB in size. Black & white scan only it appears.

[Orcs]

Just finished "King of Ashes" by Raymond Fiest.  Good book. Similar feel to his Riftwar novels.  But a good read. I will certainly get the next one when its available at a sensible price

[hammurabi70]

China's war with Japan, 1937-1945 by Rana Mitter.

WWII from 1937 to 1945 as experienced by the Chinese.  The author is a western educated Indian, who tries to describe events from a more Chinese perspective than I have previously read.  Most histories tend to take the line of Stilwell's description of developments.  However, such treatment tends to regard the Chinese as Western Auxiliaries who are then castigated for not doing what they are told to do 'for the greater good in the defat of Japan'.  Given that America was providing considerable supplies it did give justifiable leverage BUT it those supplies were a small fraction of what was provided elsewhere in the global conflict.  It sidelines the viewpoint of Chiang Kai-shek and the issues that he had as leader of a sovereign power with limited control of the different elements of Chinese society as it then was.

An excellent read and recommended for all those interested in the War against Japan, including the Pacific War theatre as well as CBI.

[flamingpig0]

Churchill. The Greatest Briton Unmasked
by Nigel Knight
In his brand new assessment of Winston Churchill's political career, Nigel Knight challenges the sentimental image of the great wartime leader and argues that Churchill's impact on Great Britain was, in fact, consistently disastrous. The author backs up his arguments with rigorous academic research to provide a fresh insight into Churchill's entire career This book covers Churchill's time as pre-war Chancellor and his contradictory economic policies.

[DaveH]

Churchill. The Greatest Briton Unmasked
by Nigel Knight
In his brand new assessment of Winston Churchill's political career, Nigel Knight challenges the sentimental image of the great wartime leader and argues that Churchill's impact on Great Britain was, in fact, consistently disastrous. The author backs up his arguments with rigorous academic research to provide a fresh insight into Churchill's entire career This book covers Churchill's time as pre-war Chancellor and his contradictory economic policies.

Churchill would have been remembered very differently without WW2, as he wasn't that effective in WW1 or as a peacetime politician.

[kipt]

Finished "The Railroads of the Confederacy" by Robert C. Black III.  An absolutely interesting and extremely well written book.  If you have an interest in railroads and/or the ACW, this is a good book.  The Civil War started because of slavery (controversial perhaps in the South - "States Rights") and was lost partially because of States Rights (the confederated states were superior to the central government according to the Confederacy).  This was well illustrated in the individual railroads who professed the common goal, but not if it adversely effected or affected them.  Two different gauges, no sharing of resources, no through trains...

The South was lacking in manufacturing and never had enough railroad iron for trackage.  Underused lines never wanted to give up their existing tracks to fix other roads and the Confederate government was adverse to taking it.  Although this did happen but too late to really improve anything.

I did enjoy this book more than I initially thought.

[Poggle]

'The Last Crusade: the Palestine campaign in the First World War ' by Anthony Bruce.

[kipt]

Finished "Battlefields Then & Now; The World's Great Battles Brought To Life In Vivid See-Through Reconstruction" by John Man & Tim Newark.

Not good.  Has factual errors in the various narratives which are also incomplete as to giving a big picture of the battle discussed.  The see-through parts are clear sheets with a painted battle scene (also not well done) that covers the terrain as it is now.

Would not have purchased this book but it was given to me.

[Steve J]

Napoleon's 1796 Campaign by Clausewitz, translated by Murray and Pringle. I'm still in the early stages but once I was used to his writing style, I'm loving the book with the extensive footnotes a real bonus, helping putting his writings and thoughts into context. Highly recommended.

[Chris Pringle]

Napoleon's 1796 Campaign by Clausewitz, translated by Murray and Pringle. I'm still in the early stages but once I was used to his writing style, I'm loving the book with the extensive footnotes a real bonus, helping putting his writings and thoughts into context. Highly recommended.

Cheers, Steve! I think you've helped us back into Amazon's top 100 Napoleonic history books. 
All the footnotes are Nick's good work.

The two volumes on the 1799 campaign in Italy and Switzerland are in press now. We've made an effort to make the translation a bit more fluent this time, while still retaining enough of the old boy's voice to keep its character.

As for what I'm reading currently: Ramming's semi-official Austrian history of Hungary 1849: The Summer Campaign. Reading it yet again as I polish my translation with the aim of publishing it as the sequel to Hungary 1848: The Winter Campaign.
https://www.helion.co.uk/military-history-books/hungary-1848-the-winter-campaign.php?sid=1120fbae5faaaa46756d161be883eaae&fbclid=IwAR27p6I9UcYMfMzC0V5T1PyBaaEiQOGJlh2PjzCVTv899hbpug9OBGhfIFM

Chris

Bloody Big BATTLES!
https://groups.io/g/bloodybigbattles
http://bloodybigbattles.blogspot.com/
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[Steve J]

Really looking forward to the 1848 Hungarian campaign books Chris .