I just finished "Fox the Rhine", and am well into the squeal "Fox at the Front". I am a big fan of Weird World War and alternate history and this two volume work is truly one of the best and most creative alternate histories of WW2 I've read so far. One aspect is a bit tough to swallow, but the two authors do a good job of presenting it, and in such a way as to make it acceptable.

Terry

Battlegroup rulebook to get a better handle on the rules post my first game.

Has anyone read King Arthur's Wars by Jim Storr, if so what is it any good?

I have been try to post this question as a separate topic but site is not letting me 

Cheers
Ian

It is the apostrophe in the topic title that will be stopping you, a bug that appear a few weeks ago

Currently reading The Crusades by Thomas Asbridge..Very interesting and highly recommended. I knew the basics but didn't realise there was so much Muslim in fighting at the time that allowed the Crusader kingdoms to become established

Have you read The Crusades Through Arab Eyes by Amin Maalouf?

I found it a fascinating book, one I would recommend anyone to read

Cheers
Ian

Fight for the Throne by Duffy. Nice to be reading a 'proper' book rather than rulebooks, which I had been doing over the Xmas and New Year period.

"The Old Kingdom of Ancient Egypt: The History and Legacy of the Beginning of Egyptian Civilisation" - Charles River Editors

Picked up a Kindle copy for around a quid. A brief overview of Old Kingdom Egypt that I'm finding interesting but it's not exactly a page turner!.

Finishes Book 3 in the Legend of Galactic Heroes series by Yoshiki Tanka, "Endurance". As always Alliance Admiral Yang Wen Li has the pertinent quotes.

"Perhaps nations were nothing more than expedients created to justify human madness"

"States unworthy of their own existence, jealous of people who did deserve to live, took as many with them as they could in the moment they were cast into hell"

"Rudolf the Great ( explanatory point: who committed mass genetic and racial genocide in the tune of billions) could not be defeated by the sword. However, we know about the sins he committed against the human race. That is the power of the pen. The pen can indict a dictator who lived hundreds of years ago-of tyrants who lived thousands of years ago. You cannot travel back in history with a sword, but with a p en, you can do that."

Pertinent in our times, especially with the rising choruses that try to explain away past evil as normal.

Also in my two hour Istanbul commute: Two Osprey MAA books: Imperial Chinese Armies 1840-1911 and Chinese Warlord Armies 1911-30. Both were good light readings.

Quote from: Sandinista on 01 February 2017, 11:51:09 PM
Have you read The Crusades Through Arab Eyes by Amin Maalouf?

I found it a fascinating book, one I would recommend anyone to read

Cheers
Ian

I haven't. I shall keep an eye out for it

Finished "This Expanding War" by Liddell Hart.  Published in 1942, he tells the news from the various fronts along with his written commentaries of the time.

Discusses the news from Russia over a period of time (invasion, Russians are not doing well to Moscow where they counterattack), Africa (pushing back the Italians to the back and forth with Rommel), Malaya (with the British retreating to Singapore and losing it) and to Greece and Crete.  His columns in the Times were good.

His being a military writer since WWI gives him a lot of insight and he gets it correct most of the time.
Of course he still pushes relatively small armored divisions with his Tank Marines at the expense of "heavy" infantry divisions.

About halfway through "The Anglo-Scottish Wars 1513-1550" by Gervase Philips.
Bought through Amazon but took nearly 4 weeks,on arrival I spotted there was now a UK seller

Ganymede by Cherie Priest

I am now on  Conn Iggulden's third Wars of the Roses novel. By this stage, although he still seems to have a fixation on shields, he is at last mentioning the use of billhooks (he never calls them bills or refers to billmen). His description of the battle of Towton is pretty good.

Finished "The Remaking of Modern Armies" by Liddell Hart.  Printed in 1927, he emphasizes that "the Keynote of this book is MOBILITY".  He presses for AFV's and mobile infantry (but not too many of them - he says that armies are too bloated, hence immobile).

His mobility encompasses movement, action, organization and of thought.  He says "the Great Powers have based their doctrines on the Napoleonic method of absolute war", meaning the destruction of the opposing army.  The real meaning is the destruction of the enemy's command and control and morale.  Not necessarily ahead of his time (blitzkrieg was 13 years in the future), but clear thinking.

He then discusses the current French army and has a postscript on the origin of the tank.

"Daily Life in Ancient Mesopotamia" by Karen Rhea Nemet-Nejat.

Looks at the evidence from archaeology and from the translation of the huge haul of clay tablets and other inscriptions and what it tells us of life in Mesopotamia from the Stone Age to the Babylonians.

Anthony Beevor  - Ardennes 1944

Consumed rapidly while on a mini break in the Canaries last week. Mr Beevor always incredibly readable.

However the consequence is that my planned forces for Normandy have now been moved to Ardennes necessitating further Pendraken purchases!

Finished another book by Liddell Hart, "Through The Fog Of War", published 1938, US edition.

He discusses the personalities, different views of the war by Lloyd George, Henry Wilson, Foch and Pershing to mention a few and historical views of the war, by year.

His epilogue is "Some Lessons of History".  He says "The study of history offers us that opportunity [here he speaks to others experiences].  It is universal experience - infinitely longer, wider, and more varied than any individual's experience.  How often do we hear people claim a knowledge of the world and of life because they are sixty or seventy years old...There is no excuse for any literate person if he is less than three thousand years old in mind."

I rather liked that description of learning from others experiences.

Made a really unexpected discovery at our local library the other day that I have just finished reading.

A new book by one of my favorite naval authors - Onslaught by David Poyer.

Like the previous books in his modern naval series Poyer's latest installment is IMHO taughtly written, very authentic and just plainly very very good.

There's a fair amount of books of this genre out there, ranging from good to plain silly.

I find Poyer's lead character, Dan Lenson to be very believeable, though he always seems to have a lot more on his plate to deal with onboard than the average ship CO would have to contend with, and thats before the missiles start flying  

Still one hell of a read... 10/10 rating from me  

Pity my library doesn't really make my day by buying in some titles by my favourite naval author, though I have bought copies of all his books anyway To me Dewey Lambdin is light years ahead of any other AoS author - I have been a fan from the moment I read the first page of "The King's Coat" in the early nineties.      

 

Finished "The Journal of Military History, vol61, No.1".  I didn't find this as interesting as previous.

Articles include:
The Slave Soldiers of Africa
The Abolition of Prize Money in the United States Navy Reconsidered
The Battle of Culloden

Also many book reviews.