What are you currently reading ?

[DHautpol]

I'm about a third of the way through The King Over The Water by Desmond Seward.  It seeks to draw all the Jacobite history into one study and look at them in context to each other, rather than focusing individually on particular incidents, say, the Boyne campaign or the 1715 rising. Just got to the accession of Queen Anne.

For light relief, I very much like the British Library Crime Classics.  These are books from the classic period of British crime fiction from the now less well known contemporaries of Christie, but who were widely read in their time.  They are attractive paperbacks with covers using classic railway posters from the time.  I'm currently reading Death In White Pyjamas and Death Knows No Calendar by John Bude from 1942 and 1944 respectively.  Annoyingly, they are bound into a single 450 page volume when at about 225 a piece they could have been bound individually.   

[kipt]

Finished "Jager: Europe's First Special Operations Forces; History, Organization, Arms & Equipment of the Autro-Hungarian Empire's Elite Light Infantry to 1866" by James A. Capua & COL Carl M Kruger (USA, RET).

Written by two arms collectors and well done.  Gives the Austrian light infantry a concentrated look and perhaps more credit against the French during Napoleon's time and  in 1866 against the Prussians than many wargame rules might do.  They do give the Prussian needle gun a plus for rpm however.

Half the book is about the firearms, bayonet and hangers.  Well illustrated.

[Techno II]

Listening to....Imperial Vengeance, by Ian Ross.....Set in the time of emperor Constantine.

Pretty good, so far.

Cheers - Phil.

[Heedless Horseman]

Cold War turned Hot NAVAL novels by John Wingate. 'Frigate', Carrier', Submarine'.
Read these as library books in mid 1980' several times. Fairly slim novels postulating Cold war, mainly Naval confrontations... escalating.
In the day, thought they were great, though could have been bigger. Enjoyed re-reading after all this time... but wish more 'combat' and less character personal life stuff.

Have wanted to re-read but long OOP and wasn't going to buy 40 yr old paperbacks that would disintegrate... but but found some good condition hardbacks at not too bad a price.

(Interesting thought? If full hull sub models available in smallish scale, (?), could be mounted on 'adjustable' 'flight stands' for submarine combat?).

[Lord Kermit of Birkenhead]

Still got the original paperbacks and they are avaliable as e-books on Amazon 

[hammurabi70]

Cold War turned Hot NAVAL

(Interesting thought? If full hull sub models available in smallish scale, (?), could be mounted on 'adjustable' 'flight stands' for submarine combat?).

It has been done.  Also done for a demo game at SALUTE showing the X-craft raid on the Tirpitz.

[Heedless Horseman]

I have found a 1/1250 full hull Typhoon but other 80s era boats yet.
I have doubts, however, as to whether ASW would have been as effective as in the tales and at least one weapon system... the sub launched 'Anvil' AAM seems to have been fictional as far as I can tell... although currently there may be something in development.

[pierre the shy]

I have found a 1/1250 full hull Typhoon but other 80s era boats yet.
I have doubts, however, as to whether ASW would have been as effective as in the tales and at least one weapon system... the sub launched 'Anvil' AAM seems to have been fictional as far as I can tell... although currently there may be something in development.

John Wingate's cold war naval trilogy is a great read isn't it?

The "Anvil" sub mounted SAM system used by the Russians in the books are fictional, HH however ironically the Royal Navy did test just such a system in the early 1970's based on the Blowpipe SAM system fitted to HMS Aeneas:

https://www.secretprojects.co.uk/threads/submarine-launched-air-missile-slam.1722/

[paulr]

36 Days The Untold Story Behind the Gallipoli Landings by Hugh Dolan

A fascinating read about the 36 Days the ANZACs in particular had to plan the Gallipoli landings. Includes quotes from a lot of diaries and official documents. Lots of details on the planning, espionage that went on and the air and naval activities

A little more understanding of the political challenges faced by Hamilton
Scathing of the attitudes to the Turks in London and the British 29^th Division

[Steve J]

Osprey's 'The Balkans (2) Germany's Blitzkreig Against Yugoslavia and Greece'. Honestly a lot to take in in this book, given the amount of units involved and the large geographical area covered. It's a book that will make more sense with repeated reading. From a wargaming point of view, some interesting actions that could be fought and would probably work best as a series of linked battles, but most are a tad too one-sided to be of interest to me to be frank.

[kipt]

Finished "Battle of the Crimean War" by W. Baring Pemberton.

Many quotes from letters and good battle scenes.  An overall map would have been good as there are only maps of the individual actions.

But an enjoyable read.

[Steve J]

Just started 'The Hollow Crown' by Dan Jones about the War of the Roses. Only a chapter in so far but a very enjoyable and easy read .

[Techno II]

Finished listening to Imperial Vengeance...it ended up being 'OK', rather than one I'd listen to again.

Now onto 'Scourge of wolves',by David Gilman, which follows on from the last 'Master of War' that I listened to.

Cheers - Phil.

[fsn]

Listened to "Liar in the Library" by Simon Brett yesterday. It's a lightweight murder mystery by the author of the Charles Paris mysteries, so wonderfully portrayed by Bill Nighy on Radio 4. I find this "Fethering" mystery to have less of the comedic value of Charles Paris, and so I don't think I'll be taking any more.

The day before it was "Day Zero" by  Marc Cameron. A slightly implausible romp in which all the women are remarkably beautiful and seemed to spend a lot of time in bikinis. On the downside(!) the hero's little girl was smack-in-the-mouth precocious and there was a cast list of stock characters - beautiful Japanese assassin, huge US Marine with a fiery tiny wife, evil Muslim plotter. The hero was  pretty unforgettable though the premise of an America being destryed from within by an evil president is interesting.

Day before that it was "Blitzed" by Norman Ohler. An investigation of how Nazi Germany was fueled on Pervitin (Crystal meth) and how Hitler was stoned for most of the war. Wrapped Xmas presents whilst listening.

All books available on YouTube.

[kipt]

Finished "The First Crusade 1096-99; Conquest of the Holy Land" by David Nicolle, illustrated by Christa Hook.  The is an Osprey Campaign series book.  Not in my interest area but a gift.

Still, well done concerning the players and the areas, along with the time line.  Probably a good primer if this era interests you.