What are you reading at the moment?

Thank you Ron.

When I was growing up (6 of 6 born in 1962 so well after the events), I had absolute no interest in the war time period..my Mum (Private Patricia Webb, ATS 1942-46) made sure none of that stuff was ever mentioned in the house (apart from an occasional name check on Eddie Mayo)... actually, though, when he taught me at the age of 10 at primary school, I thought this old bloke (he was over 50 by then) seems quite fit, speaks a bit of cod Arabic and Italian .. and also smokes a lot - "I wonder what he did in the war".

My Dad, CQMS Edmund O'Sullivan, wrote his story down on the sly about 15-20 years ago and when we found out, we encouraged him to covert it onto an old lap top.. the rest is history.

My Dad would have been 100 in February. Eddie Mayo who died on 16th May 1944 would have been 99 in October. Charles Ward who joined up on the same day in October 1939 as Eddie and my Dad will be 100 in December. All good men - amongst so many.

 

For what it's worth, Bernard Cornwell's books set during Alfred's life and after are very good adventure novels. (The Last Kingdom etc)

(I didn't care for what little of the TV show I watched.)

 

Since I don't have anything on the Commandos, I couldn't resist buying this today for just £4 (front cover price).

Graham.

 

Reading this book resulted in me writing about the author's experineces in WW2 for my website:

Lt. Robin Painter

 

This is very good. I'm as far as 1941-42. The most interesting parts so far have been - well obviously his time in the BEF, but also his early experiences. I had no idea that:
- During WW1, Horrocks was captured in 1914 and spent the war as an escaper, escaping captivity multiple times and one time almost reaching the Dutch border. I hadn't thought about how attempts to escape during WW1 were as elaborate as anything during WW2.
- Then he was part of a British expedition to Siberia in the Russian Civil War, sent to try to train White Russian forces.

 

ALL HELL ON THE IRRAWADDY. Major John 'Tim' Finnerty. Finnerty saw service in India and the first Burma Campaign. Wounded and captured by the Japanese. He miraculously kept a diary. A good detailed read.I picked this copy up in a Liverpool charity shop. A bargain at £ 2. Also signed by Finnerty.
Veronica.

 

That is a bargain Veronica and a signed copy too. Finnerty was a good soldier and an important character inside Rangoon Jail right up until his liberation.

 

Oh Jonathan do let us know what you think

 

Two on the go at the moment:

Walking Under Fire

and

 

Found this one in the library. Really good so far, based on a manuscript left by Cram, but fleshed out with accounts by fellow POWs. I'm not as familiar with Italian POW escapes as I am with the German ones, so i'm finding it very interesting.

 

Finished reading it on Sunday evening and I must say I was very impressed with it, Clive. It's never going to be compared to the really great books on Vietnam but as a single volume, accessible history it's well worth a read.

 

Wildlife of Britain

Photographic guide to British animals and plants

to help me when in cemeteries or strange places that I inhabit

 

The Jungle in Arms by Lt-Colonel Balfour Oatts. Describes his time as commander of the Chin Levies in 1942-44 and his exploits delaying and hampering the Japanese advance across the Chindwin River. Some nice cross-over details for my research.

 

Nein! by Paddy Ashdown - an account of the German Resistance to Hitler and its contacts with Allied Intelligence