What are you currently reading ?

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

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kipt

Finished "Gettysburg Magazine" Issue 58.

Articles include
For a Few Minutes the Fighting Was Terrific: Dodson Ramseur's Forgotten attack at Oak Ridge on July 1
Blueprint for Glory, Part II: the May 1863 Reorganization of the Army of Northern Virginia
Learning the Hard Lessons of Army Command: Maj. Gen. George G. Meade during the Gettysburg Campaign

And a few others.  Always a great reference for Gettysburg with in depth studies of parts of the battle, commanders and units.

kipt

Finished "One-Man War: A Civil War Sniper" by Tom McKinney.

I bought this book on a visit to Knoxville, TN.  I didn't have time to go to Murfreesboro, unfortunately, so instead went to Franklin.  Still didn't see anything of the battlefield but did visit a good bookshop there, Landmark Booksellers.

I bought a couple of books on Stones River and Franklin and the owner of the store raved about the above book, which is as its title says, about a ACW sniper, from the area.  Jack Hinson was a small farmer, slave owner (benevolent according to the author - Hinson freed his slaves once the Federals came into the area but before the emancipation Proclamation).  He had a large family but two of his sons were out hunting small game and were met by a Federal cavalry patrol.  There were guerillas in the area and when the boys were spotted with weapons, even though they were not hiding, they were arrested.  The lieutenant in charge, however, had them shot and beheaded them.  the heads were presented to Jack Hinson and his family.

Up to this time, Hinson, who was against succession, and had entertained Grant after Fort Donelson, wanted revenge.  He had a .50 caliber sniper rifle made and started targeting Federals, first the lieutenant and his sergeant that murdered his boys, but then officers on river boats.  His score by the end of the war was probably over 50.  He was never caught but did have a price on his head.

I felt that the author (who is a retired Marine LTC from the south) took maybe a dozen pages of facts about Hinson and made a 300+ page book about it.  Too many adjectives (about the weather, the neighbors, the federal soldiers, the terrain and even the union soldier victims) and he even wrote about what Hinson was thinking.  The author does say he fleshed out the book but a lot of it is supposition, not history.

So, good story but the book left a sour taste due to the embellishments.

Steve J

Re-reading some Ralph Weaver Partizan Historical books for some Imagi-Nations uniform inspiration.

Leman

Well, well Steve, I am doing exactly the same, using the 1st Schleswig War book for the upcoming Trumpton Wars. Also reading a recently bought huge tome on the uniforms of World War I.
The artist formerly known as Dour Puritan!

Steve J

Looking forward to seeing your results and ideas Leman :). The book on the Hungarian War of Independence is good as well, given the real mix of units and Nationalities involved. However the print quality looks like print on demand, so not as good as the 1st Schleswig-Holstein War one :(.

Leman

The artist formerly known as Dour Puritan!

Chris Pringle

Quote from: Steve J on 13 August 2018, 07:17:31 AM
The book on the Hungarian War of Independence is good as well, given the real mix of units and Nationalities involved.

Steve, which book is that?

Chris

Bloody Big BATTLES!
https://uk.groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/BBB_wargames/info
http://bloodybigbattles.blogspot.com/

Steve J

Hi Chris,
it is The Hungarian Army 1848-1849 by Ralph Weaver, published by Partizan Historical. The contents are as following:

Introduction, which gives a nice overview of the conflict.
National Guard & their Uniforms.
Honved & their Uniforms.
Regulars & their uniforms.
Weapons.
Organisation.
Flags.
Generals uniform details.
Navy uniforms details (the navy consisted of one river gunboat!).
Typical Orders of Battle (which I think are rather useful and interesting).
Reference material for books on the subject.
Brief Biographies of some of the Hungarian Generals.

Given the lack of material in English, this is not a bad little book as an overview of the conflict. Unsurprisingly it come into its own re: units and uniforms with the usual Ralph Weaver illustrations, plus some nice ones by Ron Poulter. The only down side is that it is a tad expensive for what it is and as mentioned before, it looks like print on demand. Still better than nothing!

Steve J

The War Game by Charles Grant. Just whizzed through the first few chapters and so far an entertaining read. Been after this book for a while and a 'heads up' from my friend Keith Flint that a copy was going for just over a Tenner on ebay, saw me purchase it damned quick!!!

Chris Pringle

Quote from: Steve J on 13 August 2018, 04:43:07 PM
Hi Chris,
it is The Hungarian Army 1848-1849 by Ralph Weaver, published by Partizan Historical.

Ah, OK, thanks, Steve. I've got that; thought you were talking about a new one.

Chris

Steve J

If only Chris! Just looked at the scenarios on the BBB Yahoo Group and what a great job you've done :). Looking forward to giving these a run out when I've finished my basing etc.

Chris Pringle

Cheers Steve! We have had a lot of really good games from these so far. I have a bunch of good sources in Hungarian and German, and a Hungarian enthusiast helping me as well now. Working on the Second Battle of Komarom next (2 July 1849).

So to stay on thread, I have been reading:

Hermann, Róbert (2004). Az 1848–1849-es szabadságharc nagy csatái ("Great battles of the Hungarian War of Independence of 1848–1849"). Hermann is the foremost expert on the war and anything by him is worth having.

Csikány, Tamás: A szabadságharc hadművészete 1848 - 1849 (The Military Art of the Freedom War 1848-1849), Zrínyi Kiadó, 2015. Super-detailed book, tons of analysis, and a very detailed acccount of the 2nd battle of Komarom in particular (and the 3rd as well, I think).

It's slow work with frequent recourse to the dictionary as my Hungarian is pretty sketchy. But it's the only way to get to some of this gold dust.

Chris

Bloody Big BATTLES!
https://uk.groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/BBB_wargames/info
http://bloodybigbattles.blogspot.com/

Steve J

Well my Hungarian is non-existent, so kudos to you for working your way through these books :).

Leman

Anyone now going to post the Monty Python Hungarian phrasebook sketch?
The artist formerly known as Dour Puritan!

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