What are you currently reading ?

Started by goat major, 03 November 2012, 06:40:05 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

T13A

Hi

QuoteJust ordered a copy of Recollections of Rifleman Bowlby for holiday reading. Been a LONG time since I last read it!

One of my favourite WWII books. Recently listening to James Holland's podcast he mentioned that when he interviewed Alex Bowlby some years ago he mentioned that he never once fired his weapon in action.

Cheers Paul
T13A Out!

toxicpixie

Quote from: T13A on 31 May 2022, 04:15:17 PMHi

One of my favourite WWII books. Recently listening to James Holland's podcast he mentioned that when he interviewed Alex Bowlby some years ago he mentioned that he never once fired his weapon in action.

Cheers Paul

Pretty much every study of men in combat suggests that's right, or at least that even most of those who do actually fire will fire into the blue, as it were...
I provide a cheap, quick painting service to get you table top quality figures ready to roll - www.facebook.com/jtppainting

kipt

Finished "The Battle Of Lissa"How the Industrial Revolution Changed the Face of Naval Warfare" by Quintin Barry.  I must admit I bought the book because of the author, he being one of my favorites.

This is a very information packed account of naval warfare as it wen through steam, paddle wheels, screw propellers, iron siding, iron ships, naval gun increases and tactics.Ramming became the thing for several reasons and Lissa firmly fixed the tactic in the mind of navy officers, designers and officials for quite some time.

Very good read.

fsn

I'm currently reading a couple of books:

Stout Hearts, the British and Canadians in Normandy 1944 by Ben Kite. Interesting and thoughtful book delving into the minutiae of late war troops. Currently on the bit about the temporary air fields. One story is about the Normandy dust getting into gun ports and clogging them. A party of experts from London came out and declared they would have a solution in a few months. Meanwhile an enterprising Flight Sgt pasted toilet paper over the ports.

Also reading For Honour* We Stand, second in the Man of War series by H Paul Honsinger. Think of it as Master and Commander in space. Fun romp, although the two main characters a bit too special at times. 

*I have corrected the American spelling
Lord Oik of Runcorn (You may refer to me as Milord Oik)

Oik of the Year 2013, 2014; Prize for originality and 'having a go, bless him', 2015
3 votes in the 2016 Painting Competition!; 2017-2019 The Wilderness years
Oik of the Year 2020; 7 votes in the 2021 Painting Competition
11 votes in the 2022 Painting Competition (Double figures!)
2023 - the year of Gerald:
2024 Painting Competition - Runner-Up!

kipt

Finished "The Limits of Glory; A Novel Of Waterloo" by James McDonough. His thoughts and speeches for the characters seem reasonable. He has used quotes where possible so the narrative flows.

He does well in making the battle a "near run thing" as it does seem the French MAY come through this time.  Quick read as it is a novel.

kipt

Finished "The German High Command at War: Hindenburg and Ludendorf Conduct World War I" by Robert B. Asprey.  A good author.

Discusses the whole war in the West and East (with side trips to Turkey and Italy) with Hindenburg and Ludendorf as the main characters.  Hindenburg comes off as a figurehead while Ludendorf is overbearing, nervous and the brains behind the actions.

A long book, 487 pages of text, but it keeps up the interest throughout.  Recommended for the German High Command point of view.

Panzer-Kalle

Operation "Seelöwe" just started! 10 division of the German Wehrmacht had landed at England!

They have published a panel of books called "Alternativer Beobachter" (alternative Observer). In this books the result of military operation went the other way and the German unexpected win.

Not a real friend of such fogery of history but I was curious how Seelöwe should work. So I bought this book!

A major of German Army High Command had a plan of attack:

We land at the western coast at "BRISTOl"!! With every warship of German Kriegsmarine full loaded with troops.

Could this work?

Cheers Kalle


Raider4


QuoteWe land at the western coast at "BRISTOl"!! With every warship of German Kriegsmarine full loaded with troops.

Could this work?

No chance.

Long way round to go, even leaving from the French Channel or Atlantic ports. The Severn is very tidal, so there'd be a very limited time to offload troops, and Bristol is not even on the coast.

The RN is so much stronger than the Kriegsmarine it's laughable, and the RAF would hassle them all the way on that long journey.

Gwydion

How many men can you get on the warships of the Kriegsmarine? I presume this excludes the barges and stops the force being tied to <5knots?

And how do you resupply?

If you got them ashore I think you've basically abandoned them there.

So - no, not a workable plan I'm afraid.

Oh, and Hi! Kalle!
Haven't spoken to you in years - back on the old BKC forum. I used to really enjoy your quizzes. :) Hope you are well.
G

Steve J

Funnily enough I just finished reading 'Paddy Griffith's Wargaming Operation Sealion' this morning. In short, not a cat in hell's chance that the Germans could have landed there in any meaningful way. The book is well worth getting for anyone interested in this 'what if?' operation.

hammurabi70

QuoteOperation "Seelöwe" just started! 10 division of the German Wehrmacht had landed at England!

They have published a panel of books called "Alternativer Beobachter" (alternative Observer). In this books the result of military operation went the other way and the German unexpected win.

Not a real friend of such fogery of history but I was curious how Seelöwe should work. So I bought this book!

A major of German Army High Command had a plan of attack:

We land at the western coast at "BRISTOl"!! With every warship of German Kriegsmarine full loaded with troops.

Could this work?

Cheers Kalle

Herr Schempp appears to have read too much Harry Turtledove and details of Operation Weserubung before a heavy night of drinking vodka shots with President Putin; I note that many of his reviewers on Amazon (in German) state this is beyond reasonable disbelief.

In March 1941 some of the ships he wants to use have yet to finish repairs from the Norweigan campaign.  In 1940 they could not lift two divisions into Norway and docked one, later two, companies of tanks.  These did prove very effective as the Norwegians had no anti-tank weapons.  With an inadequate fleet he wants to sail past 50 plus cruisers and destroyers specifically on anti-invasion duties and land 10 divisions in Bristol, an awkward port compared to these easy Norweigan deep water ports or even Hull and the east coast English ports. He lands over 200 tanks and presumably artillery as well; what freighters will he use for this?  The British had 13 divisions, including 3 armoured but in this instance they are reduced to 250,000 effectives and crumble without offering more than light resistance.  Churchill would no doubt have died of apoplexy in such circumstances.

I think the events at Narvik and Stalingrad give a more reasonable view on what might have transpired.  In Norway the Germans achieved air superiority quickly and could resupply through Southern Norweigan ports.  At Bristol any captured runway would have suffered intense interdiction from the RAF.  The Royal Navy might not have stopped the arrival but departure by sea would have been problematic, ending the life of the German fleet, and resupply from the sea impossible.

Not a viable strategy; there are reasons why French fleets have been interested in western coast ports and German fleets the east coast.

T13A

Hi

Just finished (for the second time) Mark Urban's 'Fusiliers', about the 23rd Foot, Royal Welch Fusiliers journey through the American War of Independence, Excellent account of how a typical British regiment evolved its tactics through the conflict. I particularly enjoyed the way he followed several members of the reigiment through that time and what happened to them afterwards. Recommended.

Cheers Paul
T13A Out!

kipt

Finished "Unceasing Fury: Texans at the Battle of Chickamauga, September 18-20, 1862" by Scott L. Mingus Sr. and Joseph L. Owen.  Lots of combat narratives by the soldiers that fought there.  Chickamauga through the experiences of the different Texas units.  Flows nicely and one does get a sense of "Unceasing Fury".

My only quibble is the use of 'grape and canister'.  Understandable when used by the participants, but it is also used by the authors.  I doubt any grape was used by the field guns of either side, only canister or double canister.

fsn

What I'm not reading but should be is:


Purchased on Amazon in February with a publication date of June 15th. Now showing as "not in stock. Helion site says "in Autumn 2022 releases."  >:(

So my cunning plan for Nap Danes, Nap Ottomans, Nap Spanish, Ancient Indians is now Nap Danes, Arab-Israeli, Nap Spanish, Ancient Indians with the Nap Ottomans somewhere.

I know Pendraken are going to release the Amazons, just to further muck up my schedule. 
Lord Oik of Runcorn (You may refer to me as Milord Oik)

Oik of the Year 2013, 2014; Prize for originality and 'having a go, bless him', 2015
3 votes in the 2016 Painting Competition!; 2017-2019 The Wilderness years
Oik of the Year 2020; 7 votes in the 2021 Painting Competition
11 votes in the 2022 Painting Competition (Double figures!)
2023 - the year of Gerald:
2024 Painting Competition - Runner-Up!

kipt

Finished a short little book "Zouaves: The First and The Bravest" by Michael J. McAfee.

No colored pictures but an interesting history.  I bought it primarily for the ACW zouaves but it has more history than that. Quite a few zouave companies in regiments uniformed normally.

Still, it has good uniform descriptions and many photographs.