What are you currently reading ?

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

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paulr

Lord Lensman of Wellington
2018 Painting Competition - Runner-Up!
2022 Painting Competition - Runner-Up!
2023 Painting Competition - Runner-Up!

kipt

Finished "The Waterloo Archive, Volume IX: British Sources" edited by Gareth Glover.

Again many letters and reports from participants in the battle, both officers and enlisted.  Interesting but I may be getting 'Waterloo'd Out" by reading so many similar accounts.  I have two more volumes to read, with another couple that I MIGHT buy (since I don't like to break up sets), but it may be awhile.

Ithoriel

Just finished book 1 of "The Complete Lieutenant Oliver Anson Naval Thrillers Books 1-4" on Kindle and enjoyed it.

David McDine, the author, starts conventionally enough with our hero aboard the frigate Phryne but then the book takes you through Revolutionary France, back to England and a posting with the Sea Fencibles, the Napoleonic Naval Dad's Army, and co-operation with the semaphore service.

Chronologically, Book 2 is set before book 1 and deals with the mutinies at Spithead and The Nore.

Bought pretty much by random chance and  I'm glad I did.
There are 100 types of people in the world, those who understand binary and those who can work from incomplete data

kipt

Finished Gettysburg magazine, January 2024 Issue 70.

Articles Include

"They Called Each Other Comrades": The Story of Rufus Dawes, William Murphy, and the Capture of the Flag of the 2nd Mississippi,
"My Own Movement and On My Own Responsibility": The Saga of Lafayette McLaws's Commentary on Longstreet at Gettysburg,
The London Times Repo0rts "The Battles of Gettysburg,
A Michigan Cavalryman: The Life and Untimely Death of Major Noah Henry Ferry, 5th Michigan Cavalry
.

Published twice a year and always good articles and maps.

kipt

Finished "The Destruction Of The Imperial Army, Volume 2: The battles Around Metz". by Grenville Bird.

This is how Bazaine and his army were confined to Metz, after the battles of Borny, Rezonville and Gravelotte-Saint Privat.  His Corps commanders fought well but only thought defensively.  It appears Bazaine did not even think - totally out of his depth.

Prussians were aggressive, too much so.  The Prussian Guard took horrendous casualties.

Both the Prussian and french guard commanders were not the best as it seems.

On to volume 3 - Sedan

kipt

Finished "The Destruction Of The Imperial Army, Volume 3: The Sedan Campaign 1870". by Grenville Bird.

One volume to go but I will take a break before reading: dense stuff.  An army of lions led by sheep fits the French.  Maybe not sheep but like deer caught in the headlights, not knowing what to do with almost no initiative for French senior commanders.

Still good books with formations identified in the fighting down to company, squadron and battery level.

Dragoon

Any novel to do with AWI and ACW to link with sharp practice.
I'm playing solo (not with myself).
Some of them are romantic novels but the storylines can give ideas for some games as any civil war can give reasons for supporting one side with or against a neighbour.
But no decent skirmish battles.
Basing :-
I've looked at various sizes so,
   round won't work or any other variant of small base.
   So a 20mm rectangle say 10mm deep 1 rank of 3 figures.
   A 25mm x 10mm 1 rank of 4 figures
   A 20 to 25mm deep 2 ranks of 3 or 4 figures each rank
   With a casualty figure based with space for a mini dice.
As a line unit can be 8, 16, or 24 figures a maximum of 6 figures so a 3 or 4 figure base in 1 rank could be a better option.
Any thoughts on this?
Or, how 10mm figures will stand being lifted by the head or musket for marching figures??

Has anyone read any good accounts of battles or even one part of a battle for AWI or ACW ?
Regards

Mike L

kipt

QuoteHas anyone read any good accounts of battles or even one part of a battle for AWI or ACW ?

Robert Krick has written two books about the ACW in the Shenandoah Valley that are well detailed.  A great set of ACW historical novels is by Ralph Peters, starting with "Cain At Gettysburg".  His battle descriptions are telling.

Also you can look back through this forum (What are you currently reading) where I review many books on the ACW.

Roy

Quote from: Roy on 28 February 2024, 11:19:23 AMAltar of Freedom (ACW) rules ... 'cos it looks like I'm going to break my duck and play a game for the first time since 2017  :D [that's if I can get my 10mm Pendraken Union Brigades painted up first  ;D ]

Still this.
Game is set for this coming Sunday.
Didn't get all my troops painted (did get 114 miniatures painted, varnished, based, plus tokens completed - so enough for x4 units, x1 gen. x1 hq base).
Then two days later, at a shop you might of heard of in Middlesbrough, I'm going to be playing Flames of War v.4 - one of the British beaches for D-Day scenario.
Rimmer: "Aliens."

Lister: "Oh God, aliens... Your explanation for anything slightly peculiar is aliens, isn't it?

Rimmer: "Well, we didn't use it all, Lister. Who did?"

Lister: "Rimmer, aliens used our bog roll?"

paulr

Wait for 7 years then two come along together
Lord Lensman of Wellington
2018 Painting Competition - Runner-Up!
2022 Painting Competition - Runner-Up!
2023 Painting Competition - Runner-Up!

John Cook

Quote from: Dragoon on 28 March 2024, 03:38:19 AMHas anyone read any good accounts of battles or even one part of a battle for AWI or ACW ?
Just been re-reading 'Shiloh-Bloody April' by Wiley Sword.  Written back in the 1970s but still one of the best accounts of an ACW battle at regimental level with easy to understand maps of each stage of the fighting.  Highly recommended.

kipt

Finished "D Day Through German Eyes; Books One And Two" by Holger Eckhertz.

The material book was actually created by Holger's grandfather, who was a German military journalist.  During the war his grandfather did news pieces about the "Western Wall" for magazines like 'Signal' and 'Die Wehrmacht'.

Ten years after the war Holger's grandfather met with several German veterans of the Western front and asked about their views on D Day.  He never finished making the interviews into a book.  Holger acquired the information and produced the book.

Interviews are mainly with enlisted men and NCO's but there are a few company grade officers included.  Book One has interviews from the defenders at each of the assaulted beaches; Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno and Sword.  The perceptions and beliefs (defending a United Europe, Brits and Americans were pawns for the Russians) are talked about as well as the combat experiences (overwhelming Allied power is a major theme).

Book Two interviews are more about support troops behind the static Divisions: Concrete Panzer bunker, a Luftwaffe pilot (his attitude reminds me of fighter pilots I came into contact with when I was stationed in Turkey), Military Police, Stug crew and one about a German wonder weapon.

This was interesting as it is similar to a fuel oil gas explosive, intended to destroy the port of Calais were the Germans thought the Allies would attack.  To be delivered by rocket these had canisters (called Typhoon) filled with oxygen, coal dust and eventually aluminum were delivered by rockets on half tracks.  based on experiments the Germans figured that they could level Calais and kill anyone in the blast radius, 1000 meters or so.  It had been tested against Russian prisoners which the technical officer was a bit reluctant to discuss.

The special unit was eventually deployed to the area on ST Lo, where the Allies were getting ready for the breakout.  The Germans had information on the concentration of the Allied tanks and were going to use this blast weapon to destroy them all.  However, best laid plans and all that, the unit was hit by Jabos and the half tracks containing the canisters were all destroyed.  The officer said it must have looked like a fuel dump had been hit when asked what the Allies saw.

So, quick read with interesting perceptions and experiences by men who were at D Day, looking on.

kipt

Finished "Under the Crescent Moon with the XI Corps in the Civil War; Volume 1:From the Defenses of Washington to Chancellorsville, 1862-1863" by James S. Pula.

Discusses the origin of the regiments that made up the Corps and particularly the German regiments.  At this time in the US, the Germans, called Dutch (because of Deutsch) were not accepted, just like the Catholic Irish were in previous times in the US.

Chancellorsville, where the XI Corps was placed on the right flank of the Army of the Potomac is the meat of this book.  Even those there were many, many indications that the confederates were moving from the left to the right across the front of the army, the warnings were dismissed by the upper command, Hooker and O.O. Howard, the XI Corps commander.  Howard extended further west than Hooker had directed and did not deploy his troops to guard against a flanking attack.  The division on the far right was commanded by Devin, not a German, who also ignored warnings.  His brigadiers did throw back two regiments and sent [patrols into the woods.  All to no avail.

When Stonewall Jackson unleashed his attack, it rolled up the XI Corps, but not without very hard fighting.  after the battle, when Hooker lost his nerve and retreated back across the river, there was much outcry and newspaper articles on how the Germans were cowards, threw away there rifles and fled.  This was not true when the facts are examined, but the corps was never exonerated.

fsn

I am constantly drawn back to books that have a particular fascination for me. I'm re-re-re-reading Stephen and Matilda: The Civil War of 1139-53 by Jim Bradbury.  One of those pointless internal conflicts that partially was caused by the terrible concept that a female could inherit.

I have used David Mitchell's Unruly as a quick catch up of the dramatis personae.   
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 Destruction Of The Imperial Army, Volume 4: Catastrophe: Sedan, Strasbourg And Metz 1870". by Grenville Bird. Again, many pictures, maps and in this volume French and German formations.

This discusses the results and combats of the end of the above battles or sieges.  As well detailed as the previous 3 volumes but with some interesting end chapters and appendices. Chapter 6 is titled French Tactics, going though regulations and actual happenings for Infantry, cavalry and artillery.  Chapter 7, German Tactics, does the same for the Prussian side.

Appendix XXVIII is titled Effectiveness of French 4 & 12-pdrs artillery.
Appendix XXIX is titled Comparative effectiveness of French and German weapon systems.
Appendix XXX is titled Accuracy of the Mitrailleuse.
Appendix XXXI is titled Artillery systems used by the French army and the effectiveness of the Demarest percussion fuse.

From such information rules are made (or adapted).