What are you currently reading ?

[DaveH]

Reading a couple of sets of rules at the moment - FiveCore: Skirmish Gaming Evolved 2nd edition and UseMe SF.

[fsn]

Went out last week to do some Pendrakenmas shopping.

Bought myself "British Soldiers of the Korean War: In their Own Words".

[FierceKitty]

Now reading By Force of Arms; the SYW from the Austrian perspective. Duffy again. It's a weighty volume.

[T13A]

Hi

Just finished 'Marston Moor' by Michael Arnold. Fiction, but a good read and the 'flavour' of the civil war comes across well. His 6th civil war novel.

Cheers Paul

[Leman]

Still having trouble with ITLSU so decided to have a look at a long, tucked away copy of Contemptible Little Armies 3rd Edition.

[kipt]

Finished "Fallen Stars; Eleven Studies of Twentieth Century Military Disasters" edited by Brian Bond.

A bit different than the previous book on Military Misfortunes in that this book looks more at what the commanders did wrong, but not totally.

Interesting chapters on the 11, from Tannenburg to Burma.  Liked it.

[kipt]

Finished an interesting little book, "Great Mistakes of the War" by Hanson Baldwin.  He is writing about WWII.  Says we (Americans) only wanted to win the war, but lost the piece, meaning Russia got what it wanted and we ignored that.  Published in 1949, so shortly after the war and watching what the Soviets wanted (and got).

Also against the A-Bomb use, figuring Japan was already down (true) and ready to surrender anyway.  Says the war was shortened by maybe days, weeks, months?  And that we could have continued the blockade and starved Japan out with no need to invade.  Controversial thoughts that have been written about in many books.

Also down on MacArthur, which I agree with.

[FierceKitty]

There's no real question but that the use of the bomb was intended to impress the Russians, surely?

[paulr]

I have not seen evidence that the Japanese were going to surrender in weeks or even months

I have seen evidence they were making major preparations to repel invasion

If the Japanese were going to surrender why had they not surrendered earlier, US carriers raids on Japan started in February 1945

There were also large Japanese forces outside Japan to consider...

Also given the casualty rate, civilian and military, wasn't shortening the war a good thing

Note if this is considered too political I'm happy to suspend the conversation

[kipt]

Agree with you

[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.