What are you reading at the moment?

Well, I've had to change tack. I might still finish Malta Strikes Back when I have a few moments but I decided that before I write about Archers in April 1945 I need to tackle JDKR 's massive tome. I'll then be much better able to provide background to the scattered incidents through the month that I have material for.

 

Hope you enjoy it. Always happy - well, nearly always happy! - to get feedback!

John

 

In short, not. The little I have read is largely fantasised bollocks purporting to be fact. War Picture Library without the pictures. On reflection, WPL is probably more factual.

 

I put the book of his that I bought in the bin.

 

I have to say, looking at his obituary, he must have been writing non-stop. It seem that he wrote his first seven books in six months and wrote a total of 165 novels among 300 books.

Was there really that much of a demand for Nazi fiction in the 1970s? That's a lot of writing

About Charles – Charles Whiting

Scott

 

I'm only a wee way through presently, but like the multi-perspective format of jumping from one aspect of the conflict to another through the eyes of those taking part, although you really do have to keep an eye on the ball in remembering the names of the characters involved. I think having seen the film first does not help with enjoyment of the book, but that is commonplace. Having said that, any film with Penelope Cruz in it is ok with me!

 

I am currently reading Dick Taylor's latest: Armoured Warfare in the British Army 1939-1945. I am learning or clarifying much of the information I have been trying to find or understand for some time. In my opinion, an extremely worthwhile purchase.

 

I just finished reading Malta Strikes Back. It's a short book chronicling the time the Malta Brigade (231st Brigade) spent on Malta, and then their landing and fighting in Sicily, and landings and brief time spent in Italy. Published October 1943. It's interesting to have read this book written before the war ended, before Urquhart was given command of 1st Airborne Division, etc. Also remarkable to look up the battalions that made up the brigade and realize that they landed on Gold Beach and that 2nd Devons continued in 7th Armoured Division until the end of the war.

That aside, I would say that the book is well written and if you stumble across a copy I recommend it.

 

New used book shop in Tamworth Global Education Trust.
Stunned! The books are free, although one feels that a donation is only fair for many of them.
Selected "Looking for Trouble" the autobiography of General Sir Peter De La Biliere.
Not WW2 but within my sphere of interest.
Whilst I am aware of his story, I am finding it easy to get into and quite absorbing but that is often the case with me.
A slight distraction and all is lost!

 

Taking a break from other things to read Alex Colville: Diary of a War Artist. You Brits may not be familiar with Colville but I think he was one of our more important artists in the second half of the twentieth century. (Also, my mother had him as a prof at university.) Interestingly, he was in university/college, enlisted in the army, didn't do anything art related and then was unexpected plucked out of the infantry to be one of our war artists. So really the war art is where his career started. He had an early interest in vehicles and mechanical things and was drawn to vehicles.A lot of his war art is rather static but he writes that it reflects his perception of all the waiting in war that he observed.

The book consists of a couple of commentaries by other people and then a selection of his diary entries. Unfortunately missing some bits I would have liked. It has LOTS of images and is on really good heavy art paper... I'd rather like to get a copy for myself.



One example of his work:

 

Pending a visit to the area early next year, I now delved into the Marne Campaign 1914:



This publication by Sewell T. Tyng from the mid 1930's is a real beauty.

I 'm reading Tyng's book in conjunction with the official German Military History (Der Weltkrieg 1914 - 1918). These volumes describe the campaign from the highest command level (OHL) down to division.
- Volume 1. Die Grenzschlachten im Westen (= Battle of the Frontiers);
- Volume 3. Von der Sambre zur Marne (= The Retreat);
- Volume 4. Die Schlacht (= Battle of the Marne).

Digital copies of the German titles are available at: Der Weltkrieg 1914 bis 1918

Also useful are the German monographs of single battles and campaigns of the series "Schlachten des Weltkrieges"; these booklets, published in the late 1920's early 1930's by the Reichsarchiv, provide a lot of detail on the German side down from Corps level and have excellent maps: Schlachten des Weltkrieges

For the French perspective: Les armées françaises dans la Grande Guerre | Gallica

 

I am reading this right now, though it's taken quite a while before his war service starts, good once it gets going !

 

Currently reading this, I've read the first three stories so far. The Hess one is quite well known and there being a few threads on here about him.
First two stories are quite interesting though, a B-24 Liberator "Lady be Good" which was found in the African desert 440 miles south of Benghazi 16 years after the war. And the USS Tang, an American submarine that torpedoed itself in the Pacific.

 

Finished reading ‘Leakey’s Luck: A Tank Commander with nine lives’ by Rea Leakey and edited by George Forty. Having just read Mark urban’s ‘The Tank War’, this read was timed nicely as Rea Leakey commanded 5th Tanks at the very end of the war.

This is an autobiography that follows Leakey’s complete life, while obviously concentrating on the Second World War. George Forty, who served under Leakey, quite effectively has contributed a short section at the beginning of each chapter putting some context around Leakey’s reminisces. This is a short book (150 pages) but a good read. You get the impression that Leakey was a bit of a handful as well as being a very good soldier.

The text follows him through Sandhurst and into a career with the Royal Tank Regiment. Leakey was sent to Egypt prior to the war and spent five years all up in the Western Desert. This book is best where Leakey talks about his experiences during the Desert War. He was an aggressive tank commander and lost several of his own tanks and crew. By the time of the First siege of Tobruk he was stuck in the town with unserviceable tanks and no fuel. He chose to spend his time with the men of the 2nd AIF, learning to clear minefields with the Australian sappers and later joining the 2/23 Battalion AIF as an infantryman, spending many nights out on patrol around the Tobruk outposts. It’s very obvious that he enjoyed his time with the Aussies.

He was later pulled out of Tobruk and sent to Staff College in Egypt before returning to the desert, Iraq and later in North West Europe where he commanded tank regiments. I enjoyed this book and the only thing I disliked about it was that as the book progressed the chapters got shorter and he didn’t seem to be enjoying himself as much. I guess six years at war would do that to you.

Recommended if you have an interest in tanks and the Desert War.

Scott

 

I also very much need to get hold of this one.

 

Bought with much enthusiasm last week. Paddy Mayne by Hamish Ross
I am going to have to give it a rest. 20 pages in, I have hit a wall. Partly because the text font is too small for my eyes. I need to read it in daylight which is in short supply.
So far it has failed to provide the spark needed to encourage me to go on.
All that I have read so far refers to the justification for writing the book provided by a relative, to put records straight about Blair Mayne as a person. Plus a bit about his background in Ireland.
Next comes Part 3 No 11 Scottish Commando.
The pictures are of interest, but the story has yet to begin.
I will try to come back to it later.
Moved on to "Born of the Desert" by Malcolm James.
A far easier read with a touch of humanity and humour with interesting mentions of David Stirling and Paddy Mayne along with many others.
Written a few years later, from the experience of someone who was a Doctor with the Regiment in the desert and knew them personally,
Being a Kindle book it is easier to read on my computer at night.

 

In the Clouds Above Baghdad - Lt-Col Tennant.

Bought as a job lot I’m 220 pages into the 290 of this account from WW1. Not what I expected to be honest, there’s very little flying described it’s more of an incredibly detailed account of 18 months ground warfare against The Turks. It hammers home the awful conditions but also describes every location like an OS map, with compass directions and landmarks. It’s got quite tedious to be honest, one for the scholars rather than people like myself who are after an entertaining memoir.

 

Does Kindle count? Found out about this on a thread this week. Might save up for the book or write to Santa.
If you want to read about the early SAS. "Born of the Desert": with the SAS in North Africa by Malcolm James is the book to get.
The TV series follow it closely. Only a cup of coffee and a biscuit on Kindle but a bit expensive as a book.
Written by the Regimental MO Martin James Pleydell who was with them for two years in the desert.
Revealing photos of Stirling, Mayne & Co.
Told from accounts by the men about their exploits, making notes when they returned from raids. He joined in one and earned an MC.
Very revealing of names. Remember Paddy Mayne in the series saying: "The Dreamer and the Madman. Who is going to be the sensible on now?"

Edit: Back into it until 01.30 this morning. I find it difficult to keep away from when things are quiet.
Just my sort of book.
A fair bit of time spent describing the hideouts and the animals that they befriended but quite amusing,
placing a bit of humanity into their lives.
So similar in style to Bill Beadles letters (which no one will publish) Many find it dated but it is of its time,
written circa 1944/45 when he had returned to normal Army Hospital life in Malta and the Middle East.

This was a "little war" very privately British. Once the Americans became involved, it became highly political, commercial and industrial.
Italy remained somewhat a "Smaller War" with two Armies, American and British
but NW Europe was entirely different. A "Banker's War" with a great sense of cost and urgency.
Influenced by the war in the Pacific.

 

Kindle definitely counts, particularly when it is hard to get certain volumes otherwise!