My book-buying "problem"

Found at a Tesco charity bookcase : " 6th Guards Tank Brigade: The Story of Guardsmen in Churchill Tanks" by Patrick Forbes published by Sampson Low, Marston & Co. Ltd. No date, assume first edition. Cover has been used as a drinks coaster: whisky ? A bit grubby, but kept in dry conditions before today, paper browned but rather good condition, as plates and maps. The "Roll of Honour" ( killed, wounded) is sobering.

 

644pp by a Dutch publisher but in English. Published 2012 and slide under my radar until now. Seems to contain a lot of first person accounts from Dutch personnel.

 

My latest arrival, the artwork is excellent. This book adds to my collection of books on the Queen's Bays and the descendant Regiment the Queen's Dragoon Guards, following the former's amalgamation with the King's Dragoon Guards in the 50's.

 

[
Some more to add to the reading pile from the local charity store-

'Carrier Pilot' by Norman Hanson. First edition FAA memoir.
'Sandakan- The Last March' by Don Wall. First edition with a very useful Honour Roll of the Sandakan men as well as lots of photographs of individual servicemen.
'Walker RN' by Terence Robertson. First edition but missing dust cover. Looking forward to reading some more naval content after reading Ludovic Lindsay's 'Pursuit'.

Scott

 

Splendid, I liked the book very much when I read it, plenty of good maps on combats.

 

I like the book. The style is engaging, for example, the first sentences of Chapter 2, referring to events in Normandy commencing in late July 1944, summarises what the crews of Churchill tanks faced:

" The Battle of Caumont taught the Brigade a number of lessons. The heavy toll of Tank Commanders made it abundantly clear that drastic measures would have to be taken to find an antidote to the German sniper. For they were circumventing the heaviest armour of any Allied tank and striking at its Achilles heel ( i.e., the Tank Commander, without whom the tank is useless ) with an ordinary rifle bullet. A partial answer was found in the form of armoured plating, about 10 inches high, welded to the back of the cupola; but the last word was obviously in the hands of the Tank Commander himself. For only if he resolved never to show his head above the cupola, need he have no fears of high-pitched "pings" peppering the side of his turret." and " ( the battle )... had shown that although the Churchill was the most heavily armoured tank yet produced by Britain or America, it was still incapable of withstanding a direct hit from an 88. Every member of the Brigade knew that his passport to heaven was engraved with a large 88 and that round every corner and over every hill it might be handed to him by a gunner of the German Army."

 

My book obsession is anything to do with The Border Regiment if I spot one I have to have it. I have about 10 now I think and mostly WW1.

Mike.

 

This is a great tip.

I've got an old vinyl copy of Hex Induction Hour by The Fall where the entire clear polythene shrinkwrap that it came in has stuck to the sleeve. If I remove the shrinkwrap, I deface the sleeve.

But there might now be a way forward....

 

vP I can't believe you found those in a charity shop. WOW!

 

Just re-issued as a reprint so finally snagged a copy

 

I used to buy loads of second hand records, and getting the price stickers off was frequently a challenge. Oddly therapeutic in some ways, especially when gently curling them up at the edges and then rolling them off. The level of intense concentration this used to generate was quite incredible in hindsight. Real Danger UXB stuff.

But there was occasionally that sinking feeling when you realised that you were taking off part of the sleeve material itself. Why did the glue only decide to set hard in that one particular place?

 

Never let it be said that I don't know how to have a good time.

 

Time to practice my Spanish. IKONOS are a Spanish publisher doing series of Spanish Armour, Aviation and Naval history. Lots of SCW material.


Operations of the Glenn Martin in KNIL service. The detachment in Singapore is covered.

 

I bit the bullet and ordered the new Carton de Wiart biography at 'academic prices' + courier delivery.

*Shudder*

£96.00



Early Christmas present, obviously...

 

And after a week of waiting ('dispatched within one or two days') and two emails, Bloomsbury have written back to say it's out of stock.

Their website, it seems, is rather creative about what is and what isn't present in their warehouse.

Absolute ****-weasels.

 

Hate when they do that. Especially when it's something you've been anticipating!