What are you currently reading ?

[T13A]

Hi

Recently finished Hugh Sebag-Montefiore's 'Dunkirk Fight to the Last Man'. Although the book was detailed with good maps I felt rather cheated. The book was originally published in 2006 and the edition I had was published in 2015 and marketed as '75th Anniversary Edition with New Material' (on the cover). What I didn't realize until I started to read it was that the edition I had did not include the Appendices, Dramatis Personae, Abbreviations or the original notes (96 pages of them). All of these were still listed in the table of contents with an annotation telling me that I would have to go to the authors website to see them or buy an original edition!

I was annoyed. But as they say never judge a book by its cover.

Cheers Paul

PS My father was in the 2nd Bn the Buffs and was captured during the retreat to Dunkirk.

[FierceKitty]

They were negotiating a surrender to the Russians. Not front-page news.

[Ithoriel]

They were negotiating a surrender to the Russians. Not front-page news.

And not likely to be accepted by the other Allied powers, the war would have gone on without unconditional surrender which was not what the Japanese were trying to negotiate with Russia.

[T13A]

Hi

Recently finished 'The Last Citadel Petersburg June 1864 - April 1865' by Noah Andre Trudeau.

Great book on a part of the Civil War that I have rather overlooked in the past.

Cheers Paul

[cameronian]

Splendid novel called 'The Emperor's General' about the Japanese surrender, can't reccommend it highly enough.

[kipt]

Finished "Derailing the Tokyo Express"The Naval Battles for the Solomon Islands that Sealed Japan's Fate" by Jack Coombe.

He was a destroyer sailor during the war, and while writing history, also said he wanted to tell a "good yarn".  He does make up conversations for commander's on both sides, but it is still a "good yarn".

His premise is the battles around and on Guadalcanal and not Midway sealed the Japanese fate.

[Techno]

Once again...borrowed from the library van...Next week will be listening to "Waterloo" by that nice Mr Cornwell.

Is it any good ?

Cheers - Phil

[kipt]

Finished volume 1 of Moltke's "The Franco-German
War of 1870-71".  This volume was printed in 1891.  Has a great large map of
France in the pocket in the back..  Would have been helpful when I did my campaign in a day.

Good flavor of the various Prussian units and their combats.

[FierceKitty]

Indian Cookery, Daramjit Singh. He remains the best I've read.

[Leman]

Having a re-read of 'To the Last Gaiter Button.' Want to get my mate, who lives locally, to get involved in a campaign, as it is almost impossible for him to get down the club these days.

[FierceKitty]

I wonder if Skype and webcams can't make long-range games a real possibility these days?

[kipt]

Also finished a quick read of a guide book: "The Arc de Triomphe" by Marc Gaillard, translated to English.

Interesting background of triumphal arcs in general, and then the history of this one.  Lots of pictures and explanations of the different scenes.

[slugbalancer]

I've just finished Iron Hulls, Iron Hearts: Mussolini's Elite Armoured Divisions in North Africa by Ian W. Walker.  It explains how & why the Italian armoured divisions performed so well in North Africa and why they never got the credit they deserved.

[Westmarcher]

Currently reading The Audacious Crimes of Colonel Blood by Robert Hutchinson. As the Prologue in the book says, "Thomas Blood is one of these mysterious and charismatic characters in British History whose breathtaking exploits underline the wisdom of the old maxim that truth can be stranger than fiction." Born in the 17th Century, this adventurer participated in the English Civil War first on the Royalist side and then on the Parliamentary side before becoming a spy for Charles II in Restoration Britain (and that, apparently, despite involvement in plots to assassinate Charles!). So far he has been involved in an attempted coup d'etat in Ireland, led a daring rescue of a leading rebel of a failed uprising in Northern England who was being transferred from London to York and led an unsuccessful and almost farcical attempt to kidnap and kill the former Lord Lieutenant of Ireland. I am now about to read how he stole the Crown Jewels (!) and I'm not even half way through the book! Found it slow to start with but now getting into it and looking forward to seeing what further 'adventures' lie ahead.   

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

But was it an inside job for Charles?