What are you currently reading ?

[kustenjaeger]

Just starting 'Slog or Swan' by Dermot Rooney - British Army Effectiveness in Operation Veritable February and March 1945.

Edward

[kipt]

Finished "The Campaign On The Loire 1870-1871: Orleans and LeMans" by Quintin Barry.  Unfortunately his last book on the FPW, although he has covered it all.

Shows how difficult it could be to get accurate information, particularly when the CO has a fixed idea in his mind. Such was Frederic Charles, the Prussian commander. The best French commander was Chanzy who made great use of his troops, Marche and Mobile battalions.

No OB's in this book, but that information is covered in his others.  It has maps in the front of the book, which makes it a bit hard to reference in the body, but overall, another great book by Quintin Barry.

[kipt]

Finished "Wedemeyer Reports!" by General Albert C. Wedemeyer. Career army he became a planner for the Victory Plan for WWII (tho' there is some controversy about that).  In 1944 he was sent to China to relieve Stilwell and was Chiang Kai-chek's advisor and second in command.

Wedemeyer, from the beginning, said the Communists were the real threat.  The US wanted to do a cross channel attack early, but the British (Churchill) were pushing "sideshows".  Wedemeyer shows the invasion could have been done earlier if the allies had not gone into the Med.  Controversial.

I have had the book for a long time but never read it.  Turned out to be pretty interesting.  My connection is that in 1947 President Truman sent Wedemeyer back to China to report on the status there and how, or if, the US should help the Nationalists.  My grandfather, a rear admiral at the time, was on the team that went and is in a picture of the group.  So, a family interest.

[kipt]

Finishes "World War II Street-Fighting Tactics" by Stephen Bull and illustrated by Peter Dennis, an Osprey booklet.

[fsn]

"This is a bold, painstakingly researched and wide-ranging assessment of the British Cheer in the Napoleonic era. Reference to the Cheer in accounts of the time is virtually ubiquitous and repeatedly the claim was made for cheering as an integral part of British offensive operations. However, more recent historians have tended to overlook this evidence."

[Raider4]

"This is a bold, painstakingly researched and wide-ranging assessment of the British Cheer in the Napoleonic era. Reference to the Cheer in accounts of the time is virtually ubiquitous and repeatedly the claim was made for cheering as an integral part of British offensive operations. However, more recent historians have tended to overlook this evidence."

I have never heard of "The British Cheer" before.

A quick internet search reveals three links, all to reviews of this book (and a shedload of links to cheerleading clubs & organisations . . . ).

[fsn]

I have never heard of "The British Cheer" before.

A quick internet search reveals three links, all to reviews of this book (and a shedload of links to cheerleading clubs & organisations . . . ).

    Sorry.

https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/The-British-Cheer-Hardback/p/24069

[kipt]

That is the type of book I like.  Just ordered.

[Gwydion]

I'll summarise.
You stand looking stern in a line, completely silent, the French try and shout themselves into going forward. They fail, thin out into a line. The English/British fire one volley, give a rousing cheer and deliver a bayonet charge. The French run off.
(Please strike out early Oman firefight refs).

[fsn]

I like books like this. There's only so many uniform and campaign histories; I like more esoteric subjects like medical, camp followers and now shouting.

[kipt]

Logistics, command and control, terrain effects...

[fred.]

I'll summarise.
You stand looking stern in a line, completely silent, the French try and shout themselves into going forward. They fail, thin out into a line. The English/British fire one volley, give a rousing cheer and deliver a bayonet charge. The French run off.
(Please strike out early Oman firefight refs).

I'm hardly well read on the Napoleonic period (which implies I may be better read on other periods...) but I've certainly seen reference to this - but I've no idea if it was deliberate training, or just local initiative or the colonel's approach. 

[fsn]

Logistics, command and control, terrain effects...

Recruitment, training, procuring horses, siege trains & engineering, communications.

Yup, all that stuff. 

[Raider4]

I'll summarise.
You stand looking stern in a line, completely silent, the French try and shout themselves into going forward. They fail, thin out into a line. The English/British fire one volley, give a rousing cheer and deliver a bayonet charge. The French run off.

Who knew the Grand Armee were so easy to defeat! 

[Gwydion]

Who knew the Grand Armee were so easy to defeat!

The British.