What are you currently reading ?

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

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kipt

Finished another book by Liddell Hart, "Europe In Arms".  Published in 1937 as Europe looks more menacing and is rearming, he discusses the air forces, the various armies and air forces.  The book has 4 parts: Forces, Problems, Measure and Forecasts.

He pushes for mechanization and better training for all, starting with the commanders.  His foresight is about half correct, as he says with antagonists both mechanized there would probably be a deadlock after the initial rush.  Of course he doesn't discuss what would happen if one side was unprepared.

It was interesting to see what discussion was occurring before the war started.  One of the more interesting Hart books to me.

Ace of Spades

Just finished James D Hornfischers 'Neptune's Inferno' about the naval battles for guadalcanal and how the USN learnt to fight surface (night) battles at a very hight cost. Excellent book! Really gripping and showing you the blood and gore that are the result of heavy ordnance tearing through layers of steel...

Now just started 'Somme' by Lynn MacDonald. I like the way she gets the participants to speak to you but miss the solid military history that I believe should be used s a framework. Even so; well worth it!

Cheers,
Rob
2014 Painting Competition - Runner-Up!

kipt

Finished "The British Way of Warfare" by Liddell Hart.  This one done in 1932.

In it he says that the British had a distinct practice of war.  Don't get entangled on the continent - mobility and surprise.  But 1914 to 1918 changed that and what came after.

Some of his chapters:
"The Fallacy of French Strategy", "Who Won the Marne?", "The Future of Armament-and its Future Use", "The Weapons of Land Warfare-To-Day and Tomorrow".

At the end he gives his "concentrated essence of war":
1. Do choose the line (or course) of least expectation.
2. Exploit the line of least resistance.
3.Take a line of operation which offers alternative objectives.
4.Ensure that both plan and dispositions are elastic, or adaptable.
5.Don't lunge when your opponent can parry.
Don't renew an attack along the same line (or in the same form) after it has once failed.

Good for wargames also.

KTravlos

Ι just finished Sukru Ilicak's (Sukru Ilijak) dissertation "A Radical Rethinking of Empire: Ottoman State and Society during the Greek War of Independence 1821-1826". It a remarkable piece of work based on Ottoman primary sources. It details the ideational and political reaction of the Ottoman state and society to the Greek Revolution, as well as how the revolution triggered the massive political and social transformations that would culminate in the Tanzimat reforms. A must read for those interested in further understanding the Greek Revolution and its impact. It is also a good description of the kind of forces the Ottoman state  was able to mobilized against the Greeks before they gave up and called in Mehmet Ali Pasha of Egypt. A good lay down of the character of the final pre-modern Ottoman armies.

I have uploaded in the 19th Century Warfare and Wargaming Facebook Group, so feel free to grab it, or get it from a friend in the group.

Next up? "The Serbo-Bulgarian War of 1885-Combat at Slivnitsa" by Colonel Regenspursky. Reading for the current Theme of the 19th Century Warfare and Wargaming Group.

Terry37

After re-reading Washburn's "The great Martian Invasion" I am now starting the new second volume in the trilogy - "The Breakout". Really enjoyed the first one and lots of great gaming possibilities. That's one problem with HOTT, I find myself continuing to add armies to paint that I'll need to live another hundred years to do.....but it's just so much fun creating them!

Terry
"My heart has joined the thousand for a friend stopped running today." Mr. Richard Adams

paulr

Sorry Terry I can't see the problem here ;)
Lord Lensman of Wellington
2018 Painting Competition - Runner-Up!
2022 Painting Competition - Runner-Up!
2023 Painting Competition - Runner-Up!

d_Guy

Coincidently, Terry, just started reading the first book, "Invasion", this evening. Just put it down actually! As you said, a hundred more years.  :)
Sleep with clean hands ...


fsn

Just started "The ar of the Gun Boats" by Bryan Cooper.

Lots of derring-do, zipping about at 40 knots!

Good intro to the subject.

Unfortunately, my butterfly is twitching its wings.
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!


cameronian

At that price we can't lose but I'm not holding my breath. I'm presuming you've ordered the new Wargaming History 1866 Vol II ?
Don't buy your daughters a pony, buy them heroin instead, its cheaper and ultimately less addictive.

Leman

Certainly have. I imagine it will have much higher production values.
The artist formerly known as Dour Puritan!

kipt

Finished "Airpower Reborn: The Strategic Concepts of John Warden and John Boyd", edited by John Andre Olsen.

Five chapters plus the introduction.

"Paradigm Lost: Airpower Theory and Its Historical Struggles".  A bit esoteric for me but a pretty good historical overview.
"The Enemy as a  Complex Adaptive System: John Boyd and Airpower in the Postmodern Era".  Good discussion of the OODA loop
"Smart Strategy, Smart Airpower". This one by John Warden, and it discusses his Five Ring model.
"Fifth-Generation Strategy".  In my mind it pushes airpower as prime with the other military forces as secondary.
"Airpower Theory".  For me a well balanced discussion on how air, ground, naval, cyber power and space power could (should?) integrate.  The best chapter in the book in my mind.

Somewhat out of my interest period, that being horse and musket, but I read a lot and because it mentioned John Boyd I was interested.


FierceKitty

Quote from: fsn on 24 April 2017, 12:37:17 PM
Just started "The "ar" of the Gun Boats" by Bryan Cooper.


Oi takes it they be from Zummerset, then, arr?
I don't drink coffee to wake up. I wake up to drink coffee.

fsn

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!