What are you currently reading ?

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

Previous topic - Next topic

kipt

Finished "Foch: The Man of Orleans" by Liddell Hart.

Hart thinks of Foch more like an Eisenhower, but the book was written (or published 1931) so no Eisenhower to compare him with.

Hart says Foch's theory of war was no good (Foch was an instructor) but gradually changed, but at that point Foch was a coordinator at the head of the allied armies.

Interesting book.

kipt

Also finished "The Theory and Practice of War" edited by Michael Howard.  Chapters as follows:
Jomini and the Classical Tradition in Military Thought by Michael Howard
Clausewitz and the Nineteenth Century by Peter Paret
Command and Staff Problems in the Austrian Army, 1740-1866 by Gordon Craig
European Military Thought and Doctrine, 1870-1914 by Jay Luvaas
Doctrine and Training in the British Cavalry, 1870-1914 by Brian Bond
Liddell Hart and the French Army, 1919-1939 by General d'Armee Andre Beaufre
Doctrine and Training in the German Army, 1919-1939 by Robert O'Neill
Liddell Hart and the British Army, 1919-1939 by General Sir Frederick Pile
British Strategic Doctrine, 1918-1939 by Norman Gibbs
The American Approach to War, 1919-1945 by Maurice Matloff
The Development of Soviet Military Doctrine since 1918 by J.M. Mackintosh
American Strategic Doctrine and Diplomacy by Henry Kissinger
Problems of an Alliance Policy: An Essay in Hindsight by Alastair Buchan
Training and Doctrine in the British army since 1945 by Lord Chalfont
The Making of Israel's Army: The Development of Military Conceptions of Liberation and Defense by BG Yigal Allon

and a short biographical summary of Liddell Hart.

All in all a most interesting book.

fsn

Quote from: kipt on 10 June 2017, 12:08:03 AM
Hart thinks of Foch more like an Eisenhower, but the book was written (or published 1931) so no Eisenhower to compare him with.
What about Schwarzenberg?
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!

Terry37

After blasting through Benjamin Wallace's three novels of the Post Apocalyptic Warrior (The Duck and Cover Series), and loving every minute of them - I am now reading his Tales of the Apocalypse Vol. 1 which is a collection of short stories, some of which serve as backstories to some of the characters in the three novels, and others are just glints into the post apocalyptic arena. But the most enjoyable are the stories (3 so far) abut two dogs, Sasquatch - a Great Dane and Fidget a Beagle. These stories of these two friends are absolutely delightful and full of humor - for example when Fidget tells Sasquatch he is "...not afraid off the dark when the lights are on". Yes it's much funnier when you know the two characters of the dogs.

In some correspondence with author he has advised that he is currently working on a fourth novel in the Duck and Cover series, which I am anxiously looking forward to!

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

Chad

Finished reading 'The Earth is Weeping' , a history of the American Indian wars. Excellent book. Better title might have been The Destruction of the Native American Culture.

kipt

Re: Foch like Swartzenberg. Foch never mentions him, only Napoleon. Foch was too energetic to compare him to the Austrian. That was Foch's great strength; never give up, push on, attack.

Although when he was generalissimo his army group commanders didn't alway do what he proposed (not really ordered). They were being more practical as to what could be done.

Terry37

Two thirds of the way through "Journal of the Plague Year", an omnibus of three novella's  by three different authors about the world being hit by an apocalyptic plague. I didn't realize until I got to the second one that they are all tied to the same plague, but from different perspectives/locations. it's really kind of cool and makes for a intriguing read.  Not enchanted with a lot of the language, but I know today's society is more liberal than I am about that - and I've taught myself to just read through the words I don't care for, which does not affect the story at all. Obviously the first write sets the stage and the others pick up enough to build their stories on. Obviously some discussion before hand.

I am however very much enjoying the stories and they are well feeding my post apocalyptic hunger.

Additionally, there is a second omnibus of three more stories, titled "End of the End" that continues to plight of the world after the plague. I'll be reading it next. Maybe there will be a third!!!

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

Leman

'After Sedan' by Quintin Barry. Rattles along at a good pace with plenty of interesting detail. For some reason I had thought his work was quite dense, but this is a very good read. My only quibble is the use of original C19th maps - I need a magnifying glass to read them. They are also obviously of German origin, so Mulhouse is rendered as Mulhausen, Wissembourg as Weissenburg etc.
The artist formerly known as Dour Puritan!

Duke Speedy of Leighton

Probably because the French didn't take maps of the area on campaign... :o
You may refer to me as: Your Grace, Duke Speedy of Leighton.
2016 Pendraken Painting Competion Participation Prize  (Lucky Dip Catagory) Winner

Leman

Indeed they didn't, but Fermer's book, on the same subject, has clearly drawn maps produced specifically for his book.
The artist formerly known as Dour Puritan!

kipt

Finished "Tanks in the Great War" by Fuller.  This is a very good book, describing the start of the tank service by someone who was involved the whole time.

Some AAR's from individual tanks and good descriptions of the operations side of the British battles, from the tankers view point.  He talks tactics and writes extremely well - always interesting.

Highly recommended for tankies.

Roy

Star Trek Enterprise: Broken Bow.
princeps Roy , prince de Monacorra, (ascended in February 2023)
His Serene Highness the Sovereign Prince of (the imaginary sovereign microstate of) Monacorra

All Hail the Principality of Monacorra!  8-}

kipt

Finished "Armies on Wheels" by S.L.A. Marshall, 1941.

Mechanization from an American point of view.  He does dispute earlier discussions (by Liddell Hart and others) that tanks and wheels would show armies getting more professional and smaller, which comments I was glad to see.  He praises J.F.C. Fuller and who wrote the forward.

Obviously a lot of discussion of the early German assaults and victories; not France but Crete, the desert against the Italians, the Balkans, Greece and the beginning of the Russian campaign.

He had a quote I like: "The widespread distrust of military power among free men is in this sense a renunciation of their birthright, since whatever liberties they now possess have come to them by the wise use of it".

Interesting (but not riveting) because WWII was happening as he wrote.

SV52

The ramblings of Marcus Aurelius and for light relief Don Quixote man of La Mancha.
"The time has come, the walrus said..."

2017 Paint-Off - Winner!

Fenton

I am looking forward to the new Terry Gilliam film  The man who killed  Don Quixote
If I were creating Pendraken I wouldn't mess about with Romans and  Mongols  I would have started with Centurions , eight o'clock, Day One!