What are you currently reading ?

[Chris Pringle]

Finished "The Atlanta Campaign: Volume 1: Dalton to Cassville, May 1-19, 1864" by David A. Powell.
This is the history of the start of Sherman's campaign to Atlanta.  Quickly passed over in much history, there were quite a few significant actions on the way.  As the book says "although the fighting at Resaca has thus far garnered curious little attention from historians, the clash was no minor skirmish. The confrontation involved 140,000 men - 80,000 Federals and at least 60,000 Confederates."

As it happens, I spent last week visiting half a dozen battlefields between Nashville and Atlanta, including Resaca. Indeed, a very neglected battle given its size. I suppose it's neglected because it wasn't a turning point so much as a stepping stone, just one in a series of alternating assaults/outflankings that inexorably forced the Confederate army back.

[kipt]

Finished "Di Di Mau: Tigers, Rock Apes, The Jungle... and War" by Darren Walton with Michael J Coffino.  Walton was a Marine in a recon unit and this was his 13 month experience in Vietnam.  Very interesting first person experiences in the jungle - hot, humid, leeches, kunai grass, mud and occasionally the enemy.  As recon, the unit was to avoid contact unless they were after a prisoner grab.

Usually the patrols were about 4 to 5 days apart, giving the men time to recuperate and get a new mission. Humping the boonies was exhausting work and the book really brings it to the front of each person's experiences. 

I heard Walton at a meeting of the San Francisco Commandery of the Naval Order a couple of months ago.  He is a native of Marin County and gave a very interesting talk.  A bit too modern for my taste as I was in the army during that time, but never had a tour ion Vietnam - was in Turkey instead.  I prefer Horse and Musket.

Good book however - detailed and interesting.

[fred.]

I've been fortunate to travel to Vietnam a few times with work, in the last few years. On one trip we went out to the hills near Da Nang to visit some 1000 year old temples. Just walking around that site, in shorts and t-shirts carrying no load, and nearly all on paths, or at least cleared areas, was hard work. The temples were surrounded by jungle. I can't imagine how hard it must have been to fight in this environment - just from having to deal with the environmental conditions let alone a committed guerrilla enemy. 

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

Friend showed me a 60s US map of Nam once, actually seeing the scale really put it into perspective.
At points the middle of the country is only 10s of mile across, but mountainous jungle. The US had Corps operating in that!
Vis was often feet or yards, for an army trained to fight modern warfare across open or urban terrain, no wonder they suffered.

[kipt]

Finished "The Civil War State By State" by Paul Brewer. An interesting way to present the war with good pictures, illustrations and some maps.  Oversized book with most states and territories presented on two pages.

[fsn]

I'm re-reading A Brief History of the Amazons by Lyn Webster Wilde.



Just in case, y'know, something happens in the Middle Borough. 

[paulr]

Well played sir

[kipt]

Finished "War At The End Of The World: Douglas MacArthur and the Forgotten Fight for New Guinea, 1942-1945" by James P. Duffy.  Good book showing how MacArthur built up his area and leapfrogged around many Japanese strong points.  A bit touch and go in the beginning but eventually it seemed to be a well oiled machine.

Enjoyed it.

[Chris Pringle]

Finished "War At The End Of The World: Douglas MacArthur and the Forgotten Fight for New Guinea, 1942-1945" by James P. Duffy.  Good book showing how MacArthur built up his area and leapfrogged around many Japanese strong points.

Do you think he'd picked up any useful tips from his dad's ACW experiences? (I visited the Franklin battlefield last month. My tour guide's punchline was to tell me about Arthur MacArthur Jr: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_MacArthur_Jr. )

[kipt]

Other than probably trying to emulate his dad, and imbibing the Duty, Honor, Country theme, the book doesn't mention any of it.

[paulr]

Perhaps he picked up arguing with Presidents from his father's Philippines experiences

[T13A]

Hi

Just finished 'Bristol and the Civil War' by John Lynch. Excellent book covering 'what it says on the tin'. Really good on the 'sinews' of the war (recruiting, finances, powder and arms production etc.) and how it affected the people of Bristol. I didn't know that several hundreds of Scots prisoners were moved to Bristol to be shipped to the West Indies after the battle of Worcester.

Cheers Paul

[Steve J]

The Blue Bowl pub in Hanham was reputedly used by Cromwell for his HQ when he re-took Bristol. Sounds like a good book Paul and will check it out, as a bit of local history won't go amiss .

[kipt]

Finished the "Gettysburg Magazine" issue 71.

Articles include:

Overlooked and Underappreciated: Dan Butterfield in the Gettysburg Campaign,
Defending the Cumberland valley,
A Grim Determination to Do or Die: Brigadier General William Barksdale & His Mississippi Brigade at Gettysburg,
The Most Destructive Artillery Impact of the Battle of Gettysburg,

and several others.  The most destructive artillery round apparently was spherical case which caused 29 casualties in a company of 33 men (Company B of the 16th Georgia).  The battery that fired the round was not discovered.

A good magazine published two times per year.

[fsn]

Didn't think it worth a new thread, but I've just ordered a new volume from Helion - they have it discounted at the moment. I hope it will answer some long pondered questions for me. However, I am bedecked in hope rather than expectation.


I like logistics!

https://www.helion.co.uk/military-history-books/supplying-the-new-model-army-logistics-arms-ammunition-clothing-victuals-and-the-materiel-of-war-1645-1646.php

[steve_holmes_11]

Why was Northamptonshire packed with boot factories?

[Gwydion]

Don't know why boots (and later shoes) in Northamptonshire (sure we did it in geography in the lower fourth or something but that is nearly as far back as the seventeenth century and my brain appears to have been pillaged at some stage).
I too though am interested in logistics and am tempted by this volume - thanks fsn.

[fsn]

Sorry, the link for the book should be ...
https://www.helion.co.uk/military-history-books/supplying-the-new-model-army-logistics-arms-ammunition-clothing-victuals-and-the-materiel-of-war-1645-1646.php

Thanks Gwydion.

[Gwydion]

Welcome.

[Last Hussar]

From

https://www.northamptonmuseums.com/info/3/collections/54/shoes-1

Why Northampton? Well the town had the advantage of possessing three crucial raw materials. Cattle for the leather and oak bark and water from the Rive Nene to use in the tanning process. Northampton was also within easy reach of London and other large towns where many people needed shoes. It was also a stopping off place on the drove road from Wales to London.