What are you currently reading ?

[kipt]

"Wargaming in History, Volume 12, Koniggratz 1866" arrived today from On Military Matters.

Two of the three other books I am reading will go on hold until I finish this.

Was sorry to hear about Bob Marrion though.

[Smoking gun]

Red Army Tank Commander at War in a T34 on the Eastern Front by Vasiliy Bryukov. I finished this book a couple of weeks ago, it's the memoirs of a soviet tank commander during the second world war who rose to battalion commander.

It was interesting to read that the Red Army were still digging in their tanks when in defensive positions at the end of the war.

It's available from the Works for £7., if you loiter on the website a pop-up often appears offering a discount. They do free delivery to their branches.

https://www.theworks.co.uk/p/military-books/red-army-tank-commander---at-war-in-a-t-34-on-the-eastern-front/9781781590232

Regards,

Martin

[slugbalancer]

Hornchurch Scramble: Volume One: 1915 to the End of the Battle of Britain
Hornchurch Scramble: Volume Two: 1941 To The Airfield's Final Closure

Two volume history of RAF Hornchurch.  I thought it was about time I found out more on the only significant military base in the borough I live.

[kipt]

Finished "The Generalship of Alexander The Great" by JFC Fuller.  This is a Greenwood Press reprint done in 1981 but originally was issued 1960  This is a very well done book and while I knew quite a bit about Alexander, this gave a whole new insight as to why he has been called Great.

A man (young man at that) well ahead of his time.

[Leman]

Must be good stuff as mine is the 1991 edition.

[Terry37]

One of Benjamin Wallace's Duck and Cover books "Post-Apocalyptic Nomad Warrior". Finding it a delightful read due to his often tongue and cheek satire on present day society, but also because it is post apocalyptic in theme. Enjoying it so much in fact that I have ordered three other books in the series, which may be all at least so far.

Terry

[kipt]

Finished "Koniggratz 1866: Wargaming in History, Volume 12" by John Drewlenklewicz and Andrew Brentnall, both well known on this forum.

Enjoyed it hugely (American word now) but one needs to have volume 8 for the wargame rule descriptions.  I did think the pictures were a little more distant than volume 8, making them a bit harder to see.

But, as before the writing about the various games is great as is the history and the what if.

Also I am relooking at "Shattered Sword" a fabulous book on the campaign and battle of Midway, 1942.  I have the opportunity to go to a dining-in, black tie or dress uniform (civilian now but mine wouldn't fit anyway), and the guest speaker (Admiral Scott Swift, USN) will be discussing the battle.  It is the 75th anniversary of the battle.

[KTravlos]

Finished "The Yellow Admiral"

Decided to do a quick read-though of Hooton's "Prelude to the First World War: The Balkan Wars 1912-1913". While I heavily consulted it during the writing phase of the Balkan Wars Bloody Big Battles Scenarios , I never gave it a full read though. - I am still looking for playtesters by the way

After that I made a decision to read the following books in series throughout 2017 and 2018.
"Breaking Point of the French Army: The Neville Offensives of 1917"
"The German Army of the Spring Offensives 1917"
"Hundred Days: The End of the Great War"
"1919"

[d_Guy]

Currently reading,  "General Percy Kirke and the Later Stuart Army" (John Childs, 2015). Well researched and lucidly written. His extended chapter on the Sedgemoor campaign provide some interesting analysis and a few new insights. Feversham is given his due.

[Terry37]

Just received and will start right away the second book in Benjamin Wallace's Duck and Cover series - Knights of the Apocalypse. I am expecting it to be just as enjoyable as the first book in the series.

Terry

[KTravlos]

Finished my reading of
E.R.Hooton "Prelude to the First World War: The Balkan Wars 1912-1913"
and
David Murphy "Breaking Point of the French Army: The Neville Offensive of 1917"
both on Kindle.

Hooton's book is one I had heavily consulted in my writing of the Balkan War scenarios for Bloody Big Battles. In general I can say that right now it is the most accessible and complete overview of the wars. In combination with the Osprey Book you can get a good amount of information on the two Balkan Wars. I appreciated the maps, which had some geographic features for the 1st Balkan War, and were just sketch maps in the 2nd Balkan War. I also appreciate the photo section and the Order of Battles (though you can get those in more detail for free online at bulgarianartillery.it). In general he does a good work in synthesizing his sources, and it is an updated volume using the latest research (for example Erickson's "Defeat in Detail"). However there were some parts I did not like. While understandable, the space taken up in placing the wars in the context of the build up to WW1 led to the loss of some important information about the buildup of the wars themselves. For example the "Savior Officers" coup of 1912 in the Ottoman Empire is not referenced. Also his coverage of the role of Franz Ferdinand in the outbreak of WW1 is obsolete. The new historiography has pretty much decimated the picture of hardliner war hawk in 1914, and indeed the very fact that Franz Ferdinand died in 1914, had a malevolent effect on the balance of Hawks and Doves in the KuK. It is a pity that a book that uses the most updated research on other matters, repeats obsolete arguments on others. Ah well c'est la vie. In general this is a good book to have especially if you cannot afford the more expensive detailed operational histories.

The Murphy book is a interesting one. It really is not per se an operational history of the Neville Offensives of 1917. Instead it focuses more on the political background to the rise of Neville to his position of command, the planning and onset of the operation, and the then the consequences of failure and the mutinies. For me, who knew only the basics, it was a good overview of the events, but I think those seeking more info on the battles themselves will have to look elsewhere. One thing this led me to is to ask the question if the opening of the French archives on the attacks and mutinies in 2017 has led to any new findings? But of course it may be too early (have they opened them?). I would had liked some more detailed maps, and I would had liked OOBs, but in general this was a ok general introduction, as well as a study of French politics in 1917. Recommended.

next up
Jack Sheldon "The German Army in the Spring Offensives 1917"

And since I need to re-work my Greek
"H Istoria tou Ethnikou Dixasmou: Kata tin Arthografia tou Eleutheriou Benizelou kai Ioanni Metaxa"-The History of the National Schism according to the articles written by Elefterios Venizelos and Ioannis Metaxas

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

Imperial Skies

[kipt]

Finished "The Amphibians Came To Conquer" volume 2, by Vice Admiral George Dyer.  I had read volume 1 some time ago but the more I read the more impressed I have become with Admiral Kelly Turner.  He was in command of the Fifth Amphibious Force in the Pacific, and therefore in charge of the island assaults.

A hard driving man, he had the nickname of Terrible Turner, but while he did not suffer fools or lazy officers, he would listen to his staff.  He however, often had the best ideas and grasp of the problems.

The book(s) show the progression of the ability of the USN to assault the islands.  Not much on the naval combat side, but beaucoup on the assault organizations.

Liked it.

[Steve J]

Armies of the Ancient Near East, 3,000BC - 539BC by Stillman and Tallis.

Bought to give me ideas for my Imagi-Nations ancients and possible future historical armies. So far, a nice guide for a wargamer on a period I know very, very little about.

[d_Guy]

Just finished A.J. Smithers' The Tangier Campaign, The Birth of the British Army (2003). A very engaging and well researched narrative of the Twenty-two (1662 - 1684) year life of Britian's first toe-hold in Africa. Many ripping good stories about the near constant fighting with the Moorish "hosts" told with lucidlity and much dry humor. Certainly suffcient information to hook me on the place as a wargaming bonanza.

[kipt]

Finished "Foch: The Man of Orleans" by Liddell Hart.

Hart thinks of Foch more like an Eisenhower, but the book was written (or published 1931) so no Eisenhower to compare him with.

Hart says Foch's theory of war was no good (Foch was an instructor) but gradually changed, but at that point Foch was a coordinator at the head of the allied armies.

Interesting book.

[kipt]

Also finished "The Theory and Practice of War" edited by Michael Howard.  Chapters as follows:
Jomini and the Classical Tradition in Military Thought by Michael Howard
Clausewitz and the Nineteenth Century by Peter Paret
Command and Staff Problems in the Austrian Army, 1740-1866 by Gordon Craig
European Military Thought and Doctrine, 1870-1914 by Jay Luvaas
Doctrine and Training in the British Cavalry, 1870-1914 by Brian Bond
Liddell Hart and the French Army, 1919-1939 by General d'Armee Andre Beaufre
Doctrine and Training in the German Army, 1919-1939 by Robert O'Neill
Liddell Hart and the British Army, 1919-1939 by General Sir Frederick Pile
British Strategic Doctrine, 1918-1939 by Norman Gibbs
The American Approach to War, 1919-1945 by Maurice Matloff
The Development of Soviet Military Doctrine since 1918 by J.M. Mackintosh
American Strategic Doctrine and Diplomacy by Henry Kissinger
Problems of an Alliance Policy: An Essay in Hindsight by Alastair Buchan
Training and Doctrine in the British army since 1945 by Lord Chalfont
The Making of Israel's Army: The Development of Military Conceptions of Liberation and Defense by BG Yigal Allon

and a short biographical summary of Liddell Hart.

All in all a most interesting book.

[fsn]

Hart thinks of Foch more like an Eisenhower, but the book was written (or published 1931) so no Eisenhower to compare him with.

What about Schwarzenberg?

[Terry37]

After blasting through Benjamin Wallace's three novels of the Post Apocalyptic Warrior (The Duck and Cover Series), and loving every minute of them - I am now reading his Tales of the Apocalypse Vol. 1 which is a collection of short stories, some of which serve as backstories to some of the characters in the three novels, and others are just glints into the post apocalyptic arena. But the most enjoyable are the stories (3 so far) abut two dogs, Sasquatch - a Great Dane and Fidget a Beagle. These stories of these two friends are absolutely delightful and full of humor - for example when Fidget tells Sasquatch he is "...not afraid off the dark when the lights are on". Yes it's much funnier when you know the two characters of the dogs.

In some correspondence with author he has advised that he is currently working on a fourth novel in the Duck and Cover series, which I am anxiously looking forward to!

Terry

[Chad]

Finished reading 'The Earth is Weeping' , a history of the American Indian wars. Excellent book. Better title might have been The Destruction of the Native American Culture.