What are you currently reading ?

[DaveH]

Michael Glover Warfare from Waterloo to Mons - interesting as an overview of a period I had some partial knowledge of (particularly ACW) but quite inspiring for maybe doing some naval gaming as I find the Ironclad era of ships appealing.

[kipt]

Finished "A Study of The Strategy Of The Russo-Japanese War, 1904,Up to 24th August" by A Kearsey of the General staff.  this is a reprint by The Naval and Military Press.

The author illustrates various actions and decisions by use of the FSR to show various military principles.  An operational study, rather than tactical, with maps.  But the maps are not well referenced and so do not tie well into the narrative.  Very frustrating when trying to connect the narrative with the ground.

[goat major]

So many military history books have poor correlation between the text and the maps. It’s very frustrating!

Currently re reading Long, Obstinate and Bloody as part of my research on how to select a decent set of AWI rules ...

[kipt]

Finished "How Robert E. Lee Lost the Civil War" by Edward H. Bonekemper, III.

The thesis is that Lee was too aggressive and bled his army (more casualties than any other of the Confederate commanders - but then he was in command for longer than any of the others), his command style was too hands off (he also had a very small staff) for subordinates that were not like Jackson, his orders were too vague (spotlights Ewell's non aggression on the first evening at Gettysburg and Stuart's permissive orders that led him to be away from the army until July 2nd) and that he was only concerned with Virginia.

Others have made similar judgements, particularly Basil Liddell Hart and J.F.C. Fuller.

Some nitpicking in parts but overall does make his case.

[hammurabi70]

Finished "A Study of The Strategy Of The Russo-Japanese War, 1904,Up to 24th August" by A Kearsey of the General staff.  this is a reprint by The Naval and Military Press.

The author illustrates various actions and decisions by use of the FSR to show various military principles.  An operational study, rather than tactical, with maps.  But the maps are not well referenced and so do not tie well into the narrative.  Very frustrating when trying to connect the narrative with the ground.

Interested to note that.  I thoroughly recommend Maritime Operations in the Russo-Japanese war 1904-1905 by Julian Corbett.  I read it about 20 years ago and found it very illuminating.

[Steve J]

Osprey Campaign 358: The Balkans 1940-41 (1) which focuses on the Greco-Italian War to just before the Germans entered the conflict. The second volume will cover this part. An excellent book on a neglected campaign that has lots of useful bits for the wargamer. Well worth getting IMHO.

[kipt]

Finished Vol. 84, No. 4 of "The Journal of Military History", October 2020.

Articles include
Irregular Warfare in Late Medieval Japan: Towards a Historical Understanding of the "Ninja" (Ninja assassins in black throwing shuriken are a "modern" invention).
The Survival of France: Logistics and strategy in the 17809 Flanders Campaign,
A "Century of Peace" That Was Not: War in the Nineteenth Century,
A Resolution of the Debate about British Wireless in World War I, (J.R.R. Tolkien served as a signals officer with the Lancashire Fusiliers),
Seeds of Victory: Satisfying the Needs of the Red Army and the Soviet State during the Formation of the Kursk Salient, February-May 1943.  (Discusses how the newly liberated Soviet civilians were mobilized to support the army - food, transportation, maintenance of roadways, etc.)

Also almost 100 pages of book reviews (where I often find books I want to order).

Always articles of interest; published 4 times per year.

[kipt]

Finished "Bazaine 1870: Scapegoat For A Nation" by Quintin Barry.

I like all his books and this is not an exception. Bazaine was a victim but one France evidently needed at the time.  But the trial was ludicrous.

Bazaine's history from the Foreign Legion, through Mexico, North Africa, etc. is well described.  (Barry takes exception to Geoffrey Wawro's comments about Bazaine in a couple of places).

A good book (another book) on the Franco-Prussian War.

[kipt]

Finished "High Seas: Stories of Battle and Adventure from the Age of Sail" edited by Clint Willis.

This is a collection of excerpts from well know authors: Patrick O'Brian, C.S. Forester, Frederick Marryat, Herman Melville and 9 others.  the editor evidently makes his living by gathering excerpts from famous books and reprinting them, as he has done 7 other adventure books (all topics) by himself and 5 more as Series editor.

Good authors so good stories.  Some really give a feel for ships under sail in terrible storms.  Glad I wasn't there.

[Ithoriel]

Just finished Swords and Cinema: Hollywood vs The Reality Of Ancient Warfare by Jeremiah McCall.

If you are a cinephile who knows little to nothing about ancient warfare but what you've seen in movies and wonder how accurate that all is, this is the book for you. If you don't watch movies or already know a bit about ancient warfare this isn't going to tell you much.

Perfectly readable but as a cinephile and "ancients" geek it didn't tell me much.

[kipt]

Finished "Tullahoma: The Forgotten Campaign that Changed the Course of the Civil war, June 23-July 4, 1863" by David A. Powell and Eric J. Wittenberg.

This is about Rosecrans campaign against Bragg after Murfreesboro in Tennessee.  Brilliant strategy by Rosecrans that made Bragg essentially abandon Tennessee without a major battle by outflanking Bragg's right flank.  Outstanding Federal cavalry and mounted infantry actions that beat and embarrassed the Confederate cavalry.

This is where Wilder's Lightening Brigade made its name.  They were mounted infantry (and I had a relative in this brigade).

For less than 600 casualties (to Bragg's approximate 5,000 - dead, wounded, missing/captures, deserters) Rosecrans totally outmaneuvered the Army of the Tennessee.

Highly recommended for ACW historians.

[kipt]

Finished "Wellington's Favourite Engineer: John Fox Burgoyne: Operations, Engineering, and the making of a Field Marshal" by Mark S. Thompson.

Burgoyne was the son of General Burgoyne who surrendered at Saratoga.  This book is abut his early career up to and a bit through Waterloo (he was not there).  He was in most of the Peninsular War and did go to America.

Some good discussions of engineering, and a long chapter on the siege of Burgos.  This siege Wellington tried to rush, to the frustration of the engineers involved.

Good small book (and I was an engineer officer in the service, so very interesting to me, although we did not go into sieges...)

[kipt]

Finished "Defending The Arteries Of Rebellion: Confederate Naval Operations in the Mississippi River Valley, 1861-1865" by Neil P. Chatelain.

A good book that gets into tactical riverine actions.  I didn't realize how many ironclads and gunboats the Confederacy attempted to construct.  The ironclads were mostly destroyed before they got into action, but many gunboats and rams.

Some good wargames in this book if one is into ACW naval actions.

[kipt]

And finished an Osprey, "Malplaquet 1709" by Simon MacDowall and illustrated by Graham Turner.  Typical Osprey for text and maps.

Seems to have a little more insight into history than I am used to for Osprey, which is good.

Really tempted for this period to be my next venture.  Doing ACW now but close to done (Ha!).

[Hwiccee]

Seems to have a little more insight into history than I am used to for Osprey, which is good.

Sadly this is often full of errors or not supported by good evidence