What are you reading at the moment?

Only The Enemy in Front
by Richard Docherty.

My favourite 'regimental history' of any WW2 units.

 

I'd like to read this sometime.

 

Off topic but Eric Faust's History of the 6th Michigan Infantry in the Civil War. Casemate like my research on the Port Hudson Campaign.

 

I am not reading it, but I want to!
How many volumes are in the " Ships of the Royal Navy: The Complete Record of All Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy from the 15th Century to the Present" series by JJ Colledge
I have seen "2 volume set" and like "5A" ?
"2 volume" I could buy, "5A" level not so much

 

This book arrived recently ...



My first impression: full of interesting details, many pictures, beautiful maps, the text is a bit wordy here and there, with sometimes unnecessary repetitions.

It describes the crossing of the Our at Dasburg, the battle for the Skyline Drive (Marnach - Hosingen), Clervaux, the advance to Bastogne, battle for Noville, the crossing of the Ourthe Occidentale, the final push to the Meuse and the retreat of the Panzers (or what was left of them) in Jan 45.

On a more personal note: I had hoped for more detail on the Pz Division's retreat from the Ardennes, especially the operations in the area to the south of La Roche-en-Ardennes during 10 - 14 Jan 45. I know, from my research, that units of the 2.Pz Division (Kampfgruppe Gutmann & Gruppe Funk) during that period faced the 51st Highland Division at Hives, Beausaint/Ronchamps and Mierchamps/Erneuville and suffered heavy losses in men and material. The 51st HD took at least 125+ POWs of the 2. Pz Division and captured/KO'd large numbers of vehicles and tanks (at least 10 halftracks were captured and several tanks destroyed). Unfortunately none of this is mentioned in the book. For my research see: Ardennes 1945, 51st Highland Div.

Over all very well done and a real asset to the Historiography of the Ardennes Offensive. Bravo.

 

The Luftwaffe - Strategy For Defeat by Williamson Murray.
Very heavy on statistics and facts, and the writing style is a bit stodgy, but as it covers an aspect of the war I am less familiar with (I'm mainly interested in the war on land, N Africa, Italy, NW Europe) I am sticking with it and finding it quite interesting.
The author does throw in a few interesting asides, for example, Luftwaffe pilot training programmes apparently contained dance lessons and skiing holidays up to the end of 1942 !

 

"Refusing War Affirming Peace: a history of civilian public service, Camp No. 21 at Cascade Locks" by Jeffrey Kovac

Recently I just finished:
"A Game of Birds and Wolves" by Simon Parkin

"I Will Not Sacrifice Needlessly The Lives Of Riflemen" by Alisha Hamel
(local author, about a local unit and it's relationship with Australian command in WWII)

"History and Rhymes of the Lost Battalion" by Buck Private McCollum

Also "Letters from the Oregon Boys in France" (edited by) Maude E Wilmot

In the future
"The Fighting Tanks From 1916 to 1933" by Jones, Rarey and Icks

and a local one that in part covers WWII
"Fort Stevens, Oregon's Defender at the River of the West" by Marshall Hanft

 

To 1933, amazing!

How was A Game of Birds and Wolves?

 

I'm on vacation in Victoria, BC and have picked up a copy of The Fortress by Raleigh Trevelyan (1985 reprint). Stopping to have a decaf and to start reading it.

 

I really enjoyed it. I would recommend to anyone interested in RN history or women's history of the Battle of the Atlantic, etc.

 

The Old Breed... The Complete Story Revealed: A Father, A Son, and How WWII in the Pacific Shaped Their by W. Henry Sledge. The son went to the archives and dug out everything the editor deleted from the manuscript.

 

I'm reading a lovely little book about the history of the Romani community in the New forest area. The book has a chapter about the WW2 service of one of the main characters, Alfred Witcher and much of the information about his WW2 service came about from a discussion on this forum: Information, Alfred Witcher 11273725

 

Back on our favourite campsite, sitting reading this and waiting for storm bleeding Dave , hoping it's not as bad as they say and were sheltered enough not to get too battered.

 

"Alamein" by Jon Latimer. I'm re-reading this. I first bought, and read it in 2003 when the paperback was published. A pretty decent, balanced account of the battles of Alamein, which, thankfully, doesn't go in for the modern tendency for "Monty bashing".

 

Red Jim,

I found ‘Alamein’, by C.E. Lucas Philips, pub. 1962 and last republished 2021, worth a read. it remains on sale and has many excellent reviews. 10% of the book is online. See: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Alamein-Ma...8T9RV2K2&revisionId=7f359d7b&format=1&depth=1

He was a Major in 121 Field Regiment, who had desert experience, including being attacked by the Afrika Korps @ Deir el Shein 1/7/1942 and escaped to fight on. He wrote other books.

 

I would highly recommend including Pendulum of War (Niall Barr) amongst the Alamein books one reads as he tracks how 8th Army was changing how it fought.

 

Thanks davidbfpo and Chris C for the recommendations. They will go on my wanted list of books. I know the basics about the Alamein battles but would certainly like to know more. My Dad served during 2nd Alamein in the RASC with a unit which was part of X Corps.

 

Score!











Inside cover of the WWII chronology