What are you currently reading ?

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

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cameronian

Quote from: pierre the shy on 10 November 2017, 08:27:27 AM
Found a copy of Mark Adkins book "Goose Green - A battle is fought to be won" in my bookshelf that I must have hidden away years ago in a back row. The first major land battle of the war from both Argentine and British point of view.

Best single book on a modern battle I've read for a long time and by far the best Falklands War book I've seen.

A powerful and emotive read, especially the fight on Darwin Ridge and the command decisions made by 2 Para's Lt Colonel "H" Jones (and Major Kebble after the CO's death) and Lt Col Paiggi, the Argentine commander.



 

Hugh Bisheno's 'Razors edge' is also excellent on the Falklands, cracking photo of maggie on the cover.
Don't buy your daughters a pony, buy them heroin instead, its cheaper and ultimately less addictive.

KTravlos

I have not posted on this thread in quite some time. Between work, play-testing the Bloody Big Balkan Battles scenarios, my reading has slowed to a crawl. I finished a couple of books for my Salvation and Catastrophe project on the Asia Minor War 1919-1922. I remember posting about one, the collection of articles by Venizelos and Metaxas written in the 1934-5 period. I also read Svolopoulos pamphlet "The Decision for the Expansion of Greek Dominion in Asia Minor", a very pro-Venizelist piece of work that uses the term scientific without in my opinion understand it. I also finished the English edition of the Greek General Staff's "Abridged History of the Asia Minor Campaign". Very detailed, but with lots of typos. This all in October.

Since then I have been wrestling with Howard's "The Franco-Prussian War", which I am using for the theme at the 19th Century Warfare and War-game Facebook group. And I am reading Eric Larson's "Devil in the White City" which is phenomenal, but has also disturbed me a lot.

KT

kipt

Finished "The First of the League Wars: Its Lessons and Omens" by JFC Fuller, 1936.  The League he is referring to is the League of Nations, which he thought was a very bad idea; winners (of WWI) imposing their will on the losers, particularly Germany), and would start another conflict.

The first part is a good history of the Italo-Abyssinian War, with maps.  Hadn't read about that before.

For the larger part of the book he expounds on the League.  This is what he has to say about disarmament.
"Is this the folly of fools or the wisdom of knaves?  Both, because at Geneva the crooks manipulated the cranks and the cranks manipulated the people. The Conference was an immense hypocritical swindle, in which each nation maneuvered for the strongest position in the next was, and meanwhile attempted to appear innocent and peace-loving."

It goes on from there.

Another theme however is Communism versus Fascism.  He says" Whilst the process of Communism is destructive, that of Fascism is transformative:..."  There are parts of Communism he applauds but really he is a Fascist, being defined by his writing.

The first part was interesting, the second part propaganda from my point of view.

kipt

Finished "Warfare in Woods and Forests" by Anthony Clayton.

Disappointing in that there is little theory of what units need to do.  One small section on military writings about what to do, but a lot of fluff.  "Men who were frightened or cold, even if well trained, might fumble among the trees, especially in a forest gloom. In addition, all muskets were noisy and smoky, and, if old or badly maintained, could be dangerous to the musketeer."  Nothing but filler here.

Leman

A pity, as one wonders how non-specific waffle gets past the publisher.
The artist formerly known as Dour Puritan!

kipt

Finished "The French Foreign Legion: A Complete History of the Legendary Fighting Force" by Douglas Porch.

This is a very good book, but long (634 pages and then footnotes to 694).

As the title says this is a complete history, up to the publication date of 1991.  It discusses history and myths of the Legion along with the actions the Legion fought.  It has a history of the notable commanders and vignettes of minor officers, NCO's (the backbone of the Legion, as in most units) and the enlisted.   It talks about the recruiting process at various periods in time and the recurring theme of desertion.  Severe discipline, but perhaps not quite as the cinema or history portrays it.  But then the Legion enlisted many who needed the discipline and/or a fresh start.

One could enlist under an assumed name, but that caused problems when the 5 year enlistment was up.  A promise of French citizenship after the 5 years fell afoul of the bureaucracy when actual names and history was required.

Seems like the Legion rarely sent complete units, but made up "march battalions" or bigger units from several of their regiments.

Liked it a lot.

Terry37

I'm about half way through the 7th and final book in The New World series by Michael Hopf - "Those Who Remain". Once finished I plan to start the first book in a new series by him titled "Driver 8",and can't wait.

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

Steve J

Armies of the Macedonian and Punic Wars by Duncan Head. A great little book for a complete novice of the period. Using it to get ideas for my ImaginAncients armies for use with 'To the Strongest' rules.

Leman

An amazing book which I still routinely use when putting together Hellenistic armies  (currently TtS Polybian Romans). It is the only WRG hardback I've ever come across and I've had my copy for nearly 40 years.
The artist formerly known as Dour Puritan!

Steve J

The Chariot Wars book by Nigel Stillman is excellent too.

Leman

Just read my free sample Kindle edition of the first couple of chapters of Hadrian's Wall by Nick Hodgson. I found this to be a very readable archaeology of the Wall. The section I read covered the actual building of the Wall and the archaeology of its various sections, with maps, diagrams and colour photographs. I enjoyed this so much that I will go on to buy the complete book. Apparently the book deals in some depth with the influence of the Wall on the lives of the Britons who lived on either side of it, as well as its overall history. I must say I did enjoy his writing style - not at all dry or dull.
The artist formerly known as Dour Puritan!

kipt

Finished "The Schlieffen Plan: International Perspectives on the German Strategy for World War I" edited by Hans Ehlert, Michael Epkenhans and Gerhard P. Gross.  Translated by MG David Zabecki.

Very interesting collection of essays by many authors.  After the introduction there are 11 essays and in the appendix the German deployment plans for 1893 - 1914 (pages 339 to 527), some more complete than others.

A few years ago an American historian, Terence Zuber, questioned the traditional interpretation of the plan, essentially stating that the plan was a myth, an invention of former General Staff officers who had wanted to justify their own failures after the war (I'm loosely quoting the intro here).  The book is a counterpoint to Zuber, approached in each of the 11 essays, which in my mind establishes the plan as a real ops plan and not a myth.

Liked it.

FierceKitty

Quote from: Steve J on 22 November 2017, 06:55:30 AM
Armies of the Macedonian and Punic Wars by Duncan Head. A great little book for a complete novice of the period. Using it to get ideas for my ImaginAncients armies for use with 'To the Strongest' rules.

Very useful book, agrees this non-fantasy gamer.
I don't drink coffee to wake up. I wake up to drink coffee.

Terry37

Half way through Michael Hopf's "Driver 8", a post apocalyptic novel, with a rather dark under plot.

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

Dr Dave

Quote from: Leman on 22 November 2017, 11:39:32 AM
Just read my free sample Kindle edition of the first couple of chapters of Hadrian's Wall by Nick Hodgson. I found this to be a very readable archaeology of the Wall. The section I read covered the actual building of the Wall and the archaeology of its various sections, with maps, diagrams and colour photographs. I enjoyed this so much that I will go on to buy the complete book. Apparently the book deals in some depth with the influence of the Wall on the lives of the Britons who lived on either side of it, as well as its overall history. I must say I did enjoy his writing style - not at all dry or dull.

Many years ago went to a lecture by Paddy Griffith on the wall. At the time evidence had been unearthed that it was painted - or "white washed" - to make it look even more inspiring / formidable. Any evidence of that in your readings?