My book-buying "problem"

Discussion in 'Books, Films, TV, Radio' started by Chris C, Jul 6, 2018.

  1. stolpi

    stolpi Well-Known Member

    Added two further titles to the books I already bought (see post #1219):

    The history of the Old Dutch Water Line (which will celebrate it's 350 year's anniversary next year) and the battle of Heiligerlee, May 1568, one of the opening battles of the Eighty Year's War (Dutch Revolt or War of Independence).

    Oude Hollandse Waterlinie.jpg

    Heiligerlee.jpg

    Heiligerlee and its small local Museum certainly are on my itinerary next Summer : Museum Slag bij Heiligerlee

    Graaf adolf Heiligerlee Slag.png
    A colored sketch of the Battle of Heiligerlee

    Heiligerlee was a resounding Dutch victory: The two brothers of William of Orange, leader of the Dutch Revolt, Adolf and Louis of Nassau invaded the Northern part of Holland with an 3,000 - 4,000 strong army consisting of German mercenaries. When it became clear that they Hispanic troops approached, Count Louis of Nassau decided to lay an ambush. On May 23rd, 1568, he lured the enemy into a swampy landscape. The Hispanics, about 3,500 men strong under Count of Arenberg, were surrounded and butchered near what is now known as Tranendal (Valley of Tears). Between 1500 and 2500 men are said to have perished on the Hispanic side, including their commander Arenberg who died from a fall from his horse. Losses on the part of the insurgents were light and are estimated at fifty to seventy. Unfortunately, one of the Orange brothers, Count Adolf of Nassau, was among the casualties. He was killed by the Hispanics after his horse bolted and ran into the enemy lines.
    His death is still commemorated in the National Dutch Anthem: "Graef Adolff is ghebleven, In Vriesland in den slaech".

    Graaf Adolf monument.jpg
    The Count Adolf monument at Heiligerlee


    Count Louis of Nassau, however, could not enjoy his victory for long. After the success at Heiligerlee his army had grown to a strength of about 8,500 men. But when he tried to lay siege to the Hispanic town of Groningen, this provoked a strong reaction from the Spaniards. Duke Alva, the Spanish military leader in the Low Countries, marched north with a well-trained 15,000 strong Spanish Army, against which Louis's mercenary army was no match. Louis decided to avoid open battle and retire to the Ems River. Here he took up a strong defensive position at Jemmingen (now-a-days Jemgum) in East Friesland (just across the German border from Heiligerlee). Louis felt save here. The position was protected by marshy land on one side and the river Ems on the other and could only be approached along a narrow dyke. The Dutch insurgents controlled the Ems River and supplies from Emden freely reached Louis' position. His plan was to hold off the Spanish and await the developments in southern Holland, where his brother William of Orange was preparing another invasion. On 21 July, barely two months after Heiligerlee, the insurgent army was however crushed at Jemmingen. Alva successfully lured Louis out of his strong position by starting a skirmish with 1,900 musketeers, who were not protected by the usual pikemen. After three hours of skirmishing, Louis' infantry foolishly left the defensive position to charge the Spanish, but was pounded by musket fire and then charged from the flank by the feared Spanish cavalry. The men panicked and broke formation and the Army was utterly routed. The count himself narrowly escaped by taking off his armor and swimming across the Ems, which in itself was no small feat, since the Ems is a tidal river with a treacherous current. However, most of his soldiers, were not so lucky. Cornered with their backs against the Ems River they were unable to escape and were massacred by the Spanish. Between 7,000 and 8,000 perished.

    (I certainly will skip Jemmingen :wacko:)



    Jemgum.jpg
    Sketch of the battle of Jemgum

    Jemgum Spanish Army.jpg
    The fearsome Spanish Tercio. Together with the German Landsknechten these regiments were the best Infantry units of their time.

    Jemgum battlemap 3.jpg
    Battle of Jemmingen
     
    Last edited: Sep 22, 2021
    Tolbooth likes this.
  2. stolpi

    stolpi Well-Known Member

    (Dutch) book about the Battle for the Scheldt. Have read part of it; a good 'primer' for those who are interested.

    sCHELDE.jpg
     
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  3. von Poop

    von Poop Adaministrator Admin

    Finally got around to my own copy of Blood Red Roses.
    Not WW2, but one of the best military history things I've ever read.

    IMG_20210617_142054545_HDR-01.jpeg IMG_20210617_142621823.jpg

    We've always been terribly good as a species at hacking each other up...
     
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  4. Charley Fortnum

    Charley Fortnum Dreaming of Red Eagles

    I know literally nothing about the Battle of Towton.
    I assume from the dates that it was part of the War of the Roses.
     
  5. von Poop

    von Poop Adaministrator Admin

    The bloodiest battle on English soil.
    Almost 30k dead the most likely figure.
    You're not alone in never having heard of it, as that seems quite common.

    Sceptical of old battlefield tales of 'rivers running red', but when you stand at the beck after working out the day's movements and look up the steep bank where so much of the killing happened; it's very easy to believe that in Towton's case it may well be true.
     
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  6. Orwell1984

    Orwell1984 Senior Member

    Newest additions:
    [​IMG] [​IMG] [​IMG] [​IMG] [​IMG]
     
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  7. 14/264

    14/264 Active Member

    I remember seeing a television programme some years ago about the exhumation of a mass grave at Towton and the facial reconstruction of one of the skeletons. The man had received a severe facial wound from a blade weapon some years before his death which had healed, but must have left him with a horrifying scar. Sadly his luck ran out at Towton.
     
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  8. von Poop

    von Poop Adaministrator Admin

    'Towton 16'
    IMG_20210619_160252262-01.jpeg
    IMG_20210619_160736798-01.jpeg

    One grim detail is how many sword cuts are eventually stopped at the hard teeth...

    It really is a fine book.
     
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  9. High Wood

    High Wood Well-Known Member

    A couple of recent purchases.

    They Flew through sand. The notes and sketches of a R.A.F. officer in the Western Desert.

    Books 007.JPG Books 010.JPG Books 009.JPG Books 011.JPG

    The Pacification of Burma.

    Books 013.JPG Books 2 001.JPG Books 015.JPG Books 2 002.JPG Books 2 004.JPG Books 2 005.JPG
     
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  10. idler

    idler GeneralList

    Re: Towton, there was a follow-up documentary trying to locate the battle chapel. If memory serves, they concluded it was under the house near where the dig was.
     
  11. wtid45

    wtid45 Very Senior Member

    Had this years ago, not my area but an excellent account wish I still had it, truly fascinating!
     
  12. Chris C

    Chris C Canadian

    Ordered this week. I'm intrigued to learn more about the mid-70s/early 80s revamp of their Stuarts as the "X1" tanks.

    Image-833771.jpg
     
  13. Chris C

    Chris C Canadian

    A fool... I mean, a tank enthusiast and his money are soon parted :)

    1.jpeg

    I opened it up to this page and was instantly happy. I don't think I've seen this series of images of the "sunshield" before.



    2.jpeg

    There are some great images from the restoration the Tank Museum did. One is a two page spread looking down into the turret ring where someone is working, while at the back the engine deck is completely open.
     
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  14. Orwell1984

    Orwell1984 Senior Member

    Ahhh crafty!
    Been waiting for this for a bit.
    It's not showing on the Haynes site or any of the usual sources.
    So upon sleuthing it's a limited run only available through the Tank Museum as the cover makes clear.

    Copy ordered!

    Thanks Chris.
    Probably would not have found out about this without your post.
     
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  15. Chris C

    Chris C Canadian

    I've bought quite a few things from the Museum during COVID to help keep it going. ;)

    I have to wonder if it will be unique to the Tank Museum forever or not, or how they arranged it all
     
  16. Don Juan

    Don Juan Well-Known Member

    These pictures were taken at 2 Engineer Base Workshops during May-June 1941.

    Interesting factoid - wood-framed Sunshields were made by the RAOC, and metal tube framed Sunshields were made by the Royal Engineers.
     
    Chris C likes this.
  17. Chris C

    Chris C Canadian

    Was there some guild regulation about who could build in wood and who could build in metal?
     
  18. Don Juan

    Don Juan Well-Known Member

    Full story below:

    OS1.jpg
     
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  19. Chris C

    Chris C Canadian

    This is going right to the top of my TBR pile!

    IMG_20210715_132811_385.jpg
     
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  20. Orwell1984

    Orwell1984 Senior Member

    [​IMG]Limited english text but great pictures particularly of the A6M2-N "Rufe"
    [​IMG] [​IMG]
    [​IMG] [​IMG]
     
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