Coming Soon to a Bookshelf Near You

Forgotten Ally: China's World War II, 1937-1945: Rana Mitter: 9780618894253: Amazon.com: Books

Looks like China could finally be getting the coverage it was always lacking in English!
Clocking in at over 400 pages and scheduled for September 2013 by Rana Mitter, professor of modern Chinese history at the University of Oxford.

Hi

I hope it throws some light on both the British & US Governments pre-war strategy or lack thereof in China up to 1939, and then up to Pearl.

Regards

 

From Robert Hale April 2013
Tobruk: A Raid Too Far: Amazon.ca: David Jefferson: Books
The disastrous raid on Tobruk, the ill-fated Operation Agreement, took place in September 1942. The purpose? To cut off Field-Marshal Rommel's supply line prior to the Battle of El Alamein, which would be crucial in determining the success or failure of the North African campaign. Operation Agreement involved the army, navy and air force together with the Long Range Desert Group and the Special Interrogation Group, who were fluent German speakers who donned Nazi uniforms to carry out risky missions behind enemy lines. For many years, little would be known about the Tobruk raid. One survivor, seconded to the Commandos for the raid, was told in no uncertain terms to keep his mouth shut when returning to his unit. Based on eyewitness accounts and previously unpublished interviews with veterans, Tobruk: A Raid Too Far explores the operation in-depth, highlighting appalling errors of judgement and their tragic consequences, as well as the astonishing trek of survivors across the desert to reach their front lines.

 

Two more books for now, more later


Normandy in the Time of Darkness: Everyday Life and Death in the French Channel Ports 1940-45: Amazon.ca: Douglas Boyd: Books
June 2013.
This narrative history tells the story of the German occupation of Normandy (1940–44), and the Allied liberation. Following the fall of France in 1940, Normandy formed part of the Reich’s western border and its history for the next four years. On the coast, vast defenses were built up, and large numbers of German troops were stationed throughout the region, all in the midst of the local population. Much of the story is told in the words of French, German, and Allied participants, including last letters of executed hostages and resisters, accounts of everyday life and eyewitness reports of aerial, naval, and ground combat operations during the Liberation. When the Allies landed in Normandy in June 1944, all were witness to the greatest amphibious landing in history. This, then, is the story of the 51-month-nightmare that was Normandy’s war, told while it is still possible to record the personal stories of survivors, which very soon will not be the case.



Monitors of the Royal Navy: How the Fleet Brought the Big Guns to Bear: Amazon.ca: Jim Crossley: Books

Feb 2013
Monitor warships mounted the biggest guns ever deployed by the Royal Navy, and played an undeniably important part in Allied efforts during World War One and Two. They were built as cheap "disposable" ships made out of redundant bits and pieces which the Admiralty happened to have available which could bring heavy artillery to bear on enemy coasts with pin point accuracy and on at least one occasion a force of only three monitors had a profound effect on the strategic situation in WW I. Being classed as disposable they were often exposed to risks far more recklessly than more expensive battle ships or heavy cruisers. So impressive was their performance in WW I that two were retained in service into WW II and did such good work during the North African campaign that two new ones were built and they fought in the Mediterranean, in the Normandy landings and in the advance of the Allied armies into occupied Europe. They astonished allies and enemies alike with the devastating effect of their accurate fire reaching targets 10 miles or more inland. The book deals with the origins of Monitors and how they evolved from the bomb ketches of the 18th century. It looks at how the various classes of monitor were designed and built and explores their careers in both World Wars, including the particular impact they had on the various campaigns in which they fought. It attempts to assess their effectiveness as compared to some other classes of ship, and is sure to appeal to a wide range of related enthusiasts.

Looking forward to the last one as I'm a bit of a monitor fan. Ian Buxton's book is still the bible but this one looks interesting too.

Cheers
Mark

 

From Robert Hale April 2013
Tobruk: A Raid Too Far: Amazon.ca: David Jefferson: Books
This looks interesting, I wonder just how much the author found out.

 

A number of once very expensive academic books by Routledge Publishing are now being released in paperback. Some titles perhaps of interest to people here are:


Due Jan 2013
The Jungle, Japanese and the British Commonwealth Armies at War, 1941-45: Fighting Methods, Doctrine and Training for Jungle Warfare: Amazon.ca: Tim Moreman: Books
This book focuses on the British Commonwealth armies in SE Asia and the SW Pacific during the Second World War, which, following the disastrous Malayan and Burma campaigns, had to hurriedly re-train, re-equip and re-organise their demoralised troops to fight a conventional jungle war against the Imperial Japanese Army (IJA). British, Indian and Australian troops faced formidable problems conducting operations across inaccessible, rugged and jungle-covered mountains on the borders of Burma, in New Guinea and on the islands of the SW Pacific. Yet within a remarkably short time they adapted to the exigencies of conventional jungle warfare and later inflicted shattering defeats on the Japanese. This study will trace how the military effectiveness of the Australian Army and the last great imperial British Army in SE Asia was so dramatically transformed, with particular attention to the two key factors of tactical doctrine and specialised training in jungle warfare. It will closely examine how lessons were learnt and passed on between the British, Indian and Australian armies. The book will also briefly cover the various changes in military organisation, medical support and equipment introduced by the military authorities in SE Asia and Australia, as well as covering the techniques evolved to deliver effective air support to ground troops. To demonstrate the importance of these changes, the battlefield performance of imperial troops in such contrasting
operations as the First Arakan Campaign, fighting along the Kokoda Trail and the defeat of the IJA at Imphal and Kohima will be described in detail.
The British Defence of Egypt, 1935-40: Conflict and Crisis in the Eastern Mediterranean: Amazon.ca: Steve Morewood: Books

A comprehensive and challenging analysis of the British defence of Egypt, primarily against fascist Italy, in the critical lead-up period to the Second World War.
Culminating in the decisive defeat of the Italian military threat at Sidi Barrani in December 1940, this is a fascinating new contribution to the field. The security of Egypt, a constant of British imperial strategy, is a curiously neglected dimension of the still burning appeasement debate.

Steven Morewood adds to the originality of his interpretation by suggesting the old view should be reinstated: that Mussolini should and could have been stopped in his empire-building at the Abyssinian hurdle. Thereafter, as Nazi Germany tore the Versailles peace settlement to shreds, the drift to war accelerated as British resolve and credibility were brought into question. The fascist dictators in Rome and Berlin held no respect for weakness and Mussolini became the conduit through which Hitler could apply pressure to a sensitive British interest through reinforcing Libya at critical moments.




and just released the end of 2012:


http://www.amazon.ca/Malta-British-Strategic-Policy-1925-43/dp/0415649862/ref=sr_1_51?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1357328958&sr=1-51
A major reassessment of a key aspect of British strategy and defence policy in the first half of the twentieth century.
The main contribution of this new study is an investigation of the role of Malta in British military strategy, as planned and as it actually developed, in the period between the mid 1920s and the end of the war in North Africa in May 1943. It demonstrates that the now widely accepted belief that Malta was 'written off as indefensible' before the war was mistaken, and focuses on Malta's actual wartime role in the Mediterranean war, assessing the numerous advantages, many often ignored, that the British derived from retention of the island. The conclusions made challenge recent assertions that Malta's contribution was of limited value and will be of great interest to both students and professionals in the field.




Cheers
Mark

 

Eagerly awaited and scheduled for February 15 2013.
After the Battle - Online Store

Cheers
Mark

 

Perhaps a little more obscure and little covered is the newest Tankograd future release:
When the Yugoslavia theatre of operations in 1941-45 is mentioned, the first description that comes to mind is Bandenkampf (anti-Partisan warfare). And truly, more than any other theatre, fighting in the Balkans was among the most irregular and bloody of the whole of World War Two. This publication aims to close a vital gap in documentation of this campaign by providing the first comprehensive account of armoured vehicles and their respective units deployed there.

Combat in Yugoslavia also meant an exceptionally large number of combatants were involved. There was the German Wehrmacht, Waffen-SS, German Police, Italian Army, Soviet Army, British Army and, last but not least, various local ethnic groups fighting on one side or the other. All these were equipped with the most amazing and astonishing assembly of armoured vehicles of any theatre of operations in World War Two. Vehicles ranged from early German Panzers, German Beutepanzers captured in previous campaigns in France and Russia, uniquely outdated Italian tanks and tankettes, to the most modern Soviet and American equipment deployed later in the war. And as if that were not enough, this colourful gathering is furthermore enhanced by improvised armoured vehicles and armoured trains.

This book is a truly unique and outstanding compilation of armoured military vehicle rarities, curiosities and oddities!

In 200 pages, this book is illustrated with 358 black-and-white photographs, most of which are hitherto unpublished.

 

Time for another update.
I'm a bit of a Spanish Civil War student so the following titles caught my eye:
April 28 2013

Legion Condor: History Organization Aircraft Uniforms Awards Memorabilia 1936-1939: Amazon.ca: Ral Arias, Lucas Molina, Rafael Permuy: Books
This large format book contains over 1,000 images of Germany's Legion Condor during the Spanish Civil War from 1936-1939. Coverage of all branches of the Legion Condor, with a special emphasis on aviation. A collection of hundreds of extremely rare Legion Condor artifacts – in full-color – rounds out this comprehensive, one-volume look at the infamous pre-WWII German military.

March 2013



Stukas Over Spain: Dive Bomber Aircraft and Units of the Legion Condor: Rafael Permuy, Lucas Molina: 9780764343681: Amazon.com: Books

Both Stuka and Hs 123 units are covered

April 2013


The Republican Army in the Spanish Civil War, 1936-1939: Michael Alpert: 9781107028739: Amazon.com: Books
This is a long-awaited translation of a definitive account of the Republican Army in the Spanish Civil War. Michael Alpert examines the origins, formation and performance of the Republican Army and sets the Spanish Civil War in its broader military context. He explores the conflicts between communists and Spanish anarchists about how the war should be fought, as well as the experience of individual conscripts, problems of food, clothing and arms, and the role of women in the new army. The book contains extensive discussion of international aspects, particularly the role of the International Brigades and of the Soviet Russian advisers. Finally, it discusses the final uprising of professional Republican officers against the Government and the almost unconditional surrender to Franco. Professor Alpert also provides detailed statistics for the military forces available to Franco and to the Republic and biographies of the key figures on both sides.

 

Another good book if you are interested in WW2 aviation, in particular aviation archaeology. The book covers the last day of an American Ninth AF pilot who went missing for 60 years.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Roscoe-Red-Three-Missing-Americas/dp/1457512602/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1358936987&sr=8-1

 

Scheduled for September 2013 from Grub Street
Volume 2 of Christopher Shores' A History of the Mediterranean Air War, 1940-1945: North African Desert, February 1942 - March 1943
http://www.amazon.co.uk/History-Mediterranean-Air-War-1940-1945/dp/190916612X/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1359324918&sr=8-2
The first volume of this series dealt with the initial 19 months of the air war over the Western Desert of North Africa. This volume picks up the story as the 8th Army, following its hard-fought success in Operation Crusader, was forced back to the Gazala area, roughly mid-way between the Cyrenaican/Tripolitanian border of Libya and the frontier with Egypt. It covers the lull prior to the disastrous defeat of the 8th Army in June 1942 and the loss of the important port and fortress of Tobruk. The costly efforts of the Allied air forces to protect the retreating British and Commonwealth troops and prevent this turning into a rout is examined in depth. So too is the heavy fighting which followed in the El Alamein region as the line was stabilised. This period was ameliorated somewhat for the Western Desert Air Force by the arrival - at last - of the first Spitfires. The build-up of both the army and air force which followed, coupled with new commanders on the ground, meant that Rommel's Deutsche Afrika Korps was defeated at Alam el Halfa at the start of September, and then again, comprehensively, at the climactic battle of El Alamein in October. Joined now by the first units of the United States Army Air Force, the Allied air forces began to achieve a growing ascendency over those of the Axis. The long, rather slow, pursuit of the Italo-German forces right across Libya is recounted, including the capture of Tripoli, followed by the breakthrough into Southern Tunisia at the end of March 1943. This allowed a link-up with the Allied forces in Tunisia (whose story will be related in Volume 3) to be achieved. In this volume follow to the fortunes of some of the great fighter aces of the Desert campaign such as Jochen Marseille and Otto Schulz of the Luftwaffe, Franco Bordoni-Bisleri of the Regia Aeronautica and Neville Duke, Billy Drake and 'Eddie' Edwards of the Commonwealth air forces. While the fighting above the constantly-moving front lines form the main narrative of this book, the Allied and Axis night bombing offensives and the activities of the squadrons co-operating with the naval forces in the Mediterranean are certainly not neglected.

 

Sean's book is published by Collins on the 14th February. £18.99

It covers the following personnel

Noreen Riols - F & training Sections

Jimmy Patch - LRDG

Corran Purdon - 12 Cdo at St Nazaire

Mike Sadler - SAS

John Campbell - PPA

Len Ratcliffe - SD Squadrons

Bill Towill - Chindits

Fred Bailey, Harry Verlander and John Sharpe - Jeds & IA Mission

 

Slated for December 2013.
The source for RAF Bomber Command losses revised and updated Vol 1


This monumental series has become an essential work of reference for both aviation historians and genealogists. The series covers individual aircraft losses in the European Theatre and identifying units, aircraft, crews, and the circumstances behind each loss, day by day. Since Volume 1 was first published in 1992, the author has continued to research the subject and amassed a wealth of new information, doubling the number of pages in the second edition. This edition includes further details on the aircraft and the crews involved to provide more detailed accounts of the losses. The nine volumes in this series, many of which have been reprinted over the years, provide a comprehensive listing of all Bomber Command aircraft losses between 1939 and 1947 in the European theatre of operations, along with information about the fate of the aircrew on board each individual aircraft.
Royal Air Force Bomber Command Losses of the Second World War Vol 1 1939-40 2nd edition: Amazon.ca: W. R. Chorley: Books

Double the pages and prewar losses....looks like I'm going to have to pony up for a new edition.
Fingers crossed on some other former Midland titles being released from Ian Allan. Perhaps they're going to start publishing again!

 

Noted aviation historian Brian Cull has posted some updates on some of his future titles for 2013/2014.
Some interesting and unique RAF titles coming:
FIRST OF THE FEW
5 June - 9 July 1940: British/French/Italian/German Air Operations over France, the Channel, Mers-el-Kébir and the Opening Rounds of the Defence of Great Britain
Listed on amazon uk already
First of the Few: 5 June - July 1940: Amazon.co.uk: Brian Cull: Books
Marylands over Malta: a study of the reconnaissance squadrons flying Martin Marylands from Malta
2014
Blenheims over Greece and Crete - both RAF and Greek units will be covered
: Blacks in RAF Blue: sub-title is non-white aircrew; therefore I intend to cover not only black West Indians and West Africans, but also Indians in the RAF, Maori in RNZAF, Aboriginals in RAAF etc

Information pulled from this thread:
New books by Brian Cull - Page 9 - Luftwaffe and Allied Air Forces Discussion Forum

 

This study will clear up the confusion about the differences between American and British army boats in WWII. Also included is a section on the motors that were used.
It can be found on amazon.

 

Slated for December 2013.
The source for RAF Bomber Command losses revised and updated Vol 1


Royal Air Force Bomber Command Losses of the Second World War Vol 1 1939-40 2nd edition: Amazon.ca: W. R. Chorley: Books

Double the pages and prewar losses....looks like I'm going to have to pony up for a new edition.
Fingers crossed on some other former Midland titles being released from Ian Allan. Perhaps they're going to start publishing again!

I don't want to buy em' all again!

 

Stephen Grady was interviewed on BBC Breakfast this morning about his new book. Sounds a very interesting story.

ISBN:9781444760613
Publication date:14 Feb 2013
Gardens of Stone: My Boyhood in the French Resistance
By Stephen Grady and Michael Wright

An extraordinary wartime memoir, combining the best kind of adventure story with a coming of age testimony of unforgettable resonance and poignancy.
September 2011, Halkidiki, Northern Greece.
A solitary 86 year-old man gazes across an Aegean headland, knowing that he must finally confront his past. He begins to write...

September 1939, Nieppe, Northern France.
14 year-old Stephen is living with his family, 25 kilometres from Ypres. His French mother battles with her encroaching blindness. Failing to escape the advancing German army, his English father can no longer look after the war graves that cast so heartbreaking a shadow across the region.

Stephen and his friend Marcel embark upon their great adventure: collecting souvenirs from strafed convoys and crashed Messerschmitts. But their world turns dark when arrested and imprisoned for sabotage and threatened with deportation or the firing squad. Upon his release, and still only 16, Stephen is recruited by the French Resistance. Growing up under the threat of imminent betrayal, he learns the arts of clandestine warfare, and - in a moment that haunts him still - how to kill...

Such was the impact of Stephen Grady's work for the French Resistance, (especially during the countdown to D-Day and its bloody aftermath) that he was awarded the Croix de Guerre and the American Medal of Freedom

Biographical Notes

Stephen Grady OBE was born in Northern France in 1925, the son of an English father who was a head gardener in the Imperial War Graves Commission. In 1941 he joined the French Resistance, carrying out missions for which he was awarded the French Croix de Guerre with Silver Star, the American Medal of Freedom, and a British mention in Dispatches. After the liberation of France, he joined the British Army and served as a Lieutenant with the Intelligence Corps, before returning to a long career in the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, for which he eventually became director of the France area. He now lives alone in Greece.

 

It seems the often overlooked war in China is really coming into its own this year.
Another new title to add to those I've already posted.
This time from Osprey by Philip Jowett who's done some interesting studies on Japanese puppet forces (Rays of the Rising Sun)
China's Wars: Rousing the Dragon 1894-1949
http://www.amazon.ca/Chinas-Wars-Rousing-Dragon-1894-1949/dp/1782004076/ref=sr_1_18?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1361808380&sr=1-18
The price isn't too bad and at 400 pages it's a big 'un. Given that it's Osprey it'll also have profuse illustrations.
By the end of the first decade of the 21st century, China had become one of the great powers of the modern world. Economically, politically, and militarily, its power and international reach is only exceeded by the United States, the world's one remaining superpower.

Its military spending, though dwarfed by the United States, is over $100 billion a year and it is busy developing an aircraft carrier, a stealth fighter jet, and missiles that can shoot down satellites - all in an effort to project its power on a global scale.
This is all a far cry from its position at the end of the 19th century, when it was a ramshackle and isolated medieval empire upon whom the European colonial powers could impose their wishes at will. The period from the First Sino-Japanese War of 1894-95 through to the Communist victory in the Chinese Civil War ending in 1949 was one of near-constant conflict that saw China emerge as a fledgling new world power. Militarily at least, this is the defining period in Chinese history.
This is the period that saw the breakdown of the traditional imperial system of control, under threat from a series of rebellions throughout the 19th century, and the rise of the warlords and civil war in 1911. Despite the establishment of the Republic of China in 1912, the country was still riven by internal strife as different factions sought to control the fledgling state, while much of the power in the land was exercised by regional warlords in a constant state of conflict with one another. The 1920s saw the rise of two opposing revolutionary movements, the Kuomintang, led first by Sun Yat-Sen and later Chiang Kai-Shek, and the Chinese Communist Party, one of whose early leaders was Mao Tse-Tung. The Kuomintang managed to gain control of the majority of China by the late 1920s, and started a long running conflict with the Communists at the same time. The late 1920s also saw the first significant Japanese intervention in China, and in 1931 the Japanese took control of the whole of Manchuria. By 1937 this had escalated into out and out conflict with the Chinese, a conflict which would last till the Japanese defeat in World War II in 1945. Even then China had to struggle through four years of painful civil war before the Chinese Communist Party finally established control in 1949.
In this new study Philip Jowett traces the complicated military history of China during these pivotal years, describing in detail the conflicts that forge the modern superpower that is China today

 

Richard Doherty has a new Pen and Sword release scheduled for June:

British Armoured Divisions and Their Commanders, 1939-1945: Amazon.ca: Richard Doherty: Books
A total of eleven British armoured divisions were formed during the 1939-1945 war but, as this highly informative book reveals, just eight saw action. In 1940 only 1st Armoured Division faced the overwhelming German blitzkrieg and it was in the North African desert that the armoured division concept came of age. The terrain was ideal for armoured warfare and six divisions of 8th Army fought Rommel's panzers to a standstill. Three were disbanded prior to the invasion of Sicily and Italy. D-Day saw the Guards Armoured, the Desert Rats, 11th and the unique 79th Armoured Divisions in action. Of particular interest is the influence of the men who led these formations and the way their characters contributed to the success or failure of operations. While some went on the greater heights others were dismissed either fairly or unfairly. The stakes were high. The author describes many fascinating aspects of armoured warfare, from the reluctance to replace the horse, the development of tactics or the different and improving tanks be they infantry support (I-Tank) or the faster cruiser tanks. Due to British design failure, great reliance was placed on the US Grant and Sherman with the Comet coming late and the Centurion too late. The combination of historical narrative and well researched analysis and fact make this an invaluable book for the student of WW2 and armoured warfare.

Bruce Gamble's final book of his excellent series on Rabaul has been announced from Zenith Press for Nov 2013:
Target: Rabaul: The Allied Siege of Japan's Most Infamous Stronghold, March 1943 - August 1945
http://www.amazon.ca/Target-Rabaul-Allied-Infamous-Stronghold/dp/0760344078/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=XIVH9ILEJ4RE&coliid=IWRZ54E6ISHF3

Pen and Sword will be issuing Bill Close's memoirs in May 2013
Tank Commander: From the Fall of France to the Defeat of Germany - The Memoirs of Bill Close: Amazon.ca: Bill Close: Books
Bill Close had a remarkable war. In campaign after campaign, from the defence of Calais in 1940 to the defeat of Germany in 1945, he served as a tank commander in the Royal Tank Regiment - and he survived. His tanks were hit eleven times by enemy shellfire and he baled out. He was wounded three times. He finished the war as one of the most experienced and resourceful of British tank commanders, and in later life he set down his wartime experiences in graphic detail. His book is not only an extraordinary memoir - it is also a compelling account of the exploits of the Royal Tank Regiment throughout the conflict. As a record of the day-to-day experience of the tank crew of seventy years ago - of the conditions they faced and the battles they fought - it has rarely been equalled

November sees Crown releasing a title on the underground war on Crete:

The Ariadne Objective: The Underground War to Rescue Crete from the Nazis: Amazon.ca: Wes Davis: Books
In the bleakest years of WWII, when it appeared that nothing could slow the German army, Hitler set his sights on the Mediterranean island of Crete, the ideal staging ground for German domination of the Middle East. But German command had not counted on the eccentric band of British intelligence officers who would stand in their way, conducting audacious sabotage operations in the very shadow of the Nazi occupation force.

The Ariadne Objective tells the remarkable story of the secret war on Crete from the perspective of these amateur soldiers – scholars, archaeologists, writers – who found themselves serving as spies in Crete because, as one of them put it, they had made “the obsolete choice of Greek at school”: John Pendlebury, a swashbuckling archaeologist with a glass eye and a swordstick, who had been legendary archeologist Arthur Evans's assistant at Knossos before the war; Patrick Leigh Fermor, a Byronic figure and future travel-writing luminary who, as a teenager in the early 1930s, walked across Europe, a continent already beginning to feel the effects of Hitler's rise to power; Xan Fielding, a writer who would later produce the English translations of books like Bridge on the River Kwai and Planet of the Apes; and Sandy Rendel, a former Times of London reporter, who prided himself on a disguise that left him looking more ragged and fierce than the Cretan mountaineers he fought alongside.

Infiltrated into occupied Crete, these British gentleman spies teamed with Cretan partisans to carry out a cunning plan to disrupt Nazi maneuvers, culminating in a daring, high-risk plot to abduct the island’s German commander. In this thrilling untold story of World War II, Wes Davis offers a brilliant portrait of a group of legends in the making, against the backdrop of one of the war’s most exotic locales

and finally from University of Oklahoma Press:
Bracketing the Enemy: A History of Forward Observers in World War II
http://www.amazon.ca/Bracketing-Enemy-History-Forward-Observers/dp/0806143800/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=XIVH9ILEJ4RE&coliid=I9OZUZHTHCOH4

in October 2013.

 

Jambusters tells the story of the minute and idiosyncratic details of everyday life during the Second World War for the 5,546 Women's Institutes and how they helped to improve the lot of millions of their fellow Britons. Big pictures and bravery are fashionable and exciting but it was the behind-the-scenes, nitty-gritty approach to the daily problems presented by the war that were at the heart of what the WI did to make a difference. Making jam, making do and mending, gathering rosehips, keeping pigs and rabbits, housing evacuees, setting up canteens for the troops, knitting, singing and campaigning for a better Britain after the war: all these activities played a crucial role in war time.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Jambusters-ebook/dp/B007OWQNQ2/ref=zg_bs_362335031_43

 

Two new books just showed up on my radar that cover subjects not often covered:
The first one is not WW2 but perhaps still of interest to some on here.
May 2013

The German Marine Corps in Flanders 1914-18: Amazon.co.uk: Johan Ryheul: Books
During the First World War, the Belgian coastal area was occupied by the German Marinekorps Flandern. The harbours of Zeebrugge, Ostend and Bruges became important U-boat nests, sinking no less than 2,554 ships with supplies for Great Britain. Due to the strategic importance of these harbours, the Germans constructed an enormous amount of coastal batteries and other fortifications along the Belgian coast. They also possessed a very large air force protecting these installations. The German Marine Corps in Flanders 1914-1918 gives a completely new view on the 1918 Zeebrugge raid. Of significant importance is that for the first time the location of Commander Harrison who fell in battle is exposed; Harrison was to be awarded the posthumous Victoria Cross for bravery. After twenty-eight years of research, this fascinating book leads to the identification of two unknown officers at Zeebrugge Churchyard Cemetery. Timed to be published for the First World War anniversary of 2014, this is an absorbing and astonishing account of the giant naval and air battle. Written by a world-class expert who has contributed towards the BBC and The History Channel, the book also includes hundreds of unpublished photographs and eyewitness accounts.


May 2013


Kustenflieger: The Operational History of the German Naval Air Service 1935-1944: Amazon.co.uk: Adam Thompson: Books

Kustenflieger: The Operational History of the German Naval Air Service 1935-1944 is a work that covers the history of the German naval air arm between the two World Wars as well as unit histories for the major Kustenfliegergruppen during the Second World War. The impact of the Treaty of Versailles on the build-up of German forces in the interwar period and the influence of Goring influenced the design, capability and size of the Kustenfliegergruppen. While Germany operated seaplanes throughout the war, the Kriegsmarine's naval air arm was constantly under threat from the Luftwaffe. In 1944, the last Kusenfliegerstaffeln was disbanded in favour of the Luftwaffe's own naval air units. Covering operational histories, the title also looks at the involvement of various Sonderkommandos during the war, but also in the Spanish Civil War. The book also covers the camouflage and marking systems of the Kustenfliegergruppen prior to and during the Second World War. Kustenflieger: The Operational History of the German Naval Air Service 1935-1944 is a must for military historians, modellers and those fascinated in the Second World War on an more obscure but heavily engaged Luftwaffe unit. Also, the book contains many unpublished photographs and memoirs making it highly collectable.