What Book Are You Reading at the moment?

[berto]

The Arab-Israeli Wars, by Chaim Herzog

[fodder]

The Campaign for Guadalcanal, by Jack Coggins

[Aurelian]

Swords around the Throne.

How Rome Fell.

[Orm]

I just finnished rereading Slaget om Västeuropa : Flygkrig, strategi och politik sommaren 1940 (The Battle for Western Europe: The Air War, Strategy and Policy the summer of 1940) by Michael Tamelander.

To bad that his books does not seem to be translated to English. [:(]

[sanch]

General Kenney Reports - his autobiography as MacArthur's air general 42-45. Published in 1949 (that's even older than me!). An interesting read, and refreshingly non-politically correct ("Japs", "Nips", etc).

It's amazing the number of times he says things like "information received indicates they will be running a convoy on ..." an exact date " ... to ..." an exact destination.

It's now late 44, and he's about to do the jump from Dutch New Guinea to Halmahera.

To all the AFB's out there - in 42 and into 43, he had to do some serious scrounging to get planes into the air. At one point he had about half of his total manpower repairing/rebuilding planes. And if a B-25 or B-17 went down anywheres near a flat grassy field, he'd fly in a couple C-47's and drop off a scavenging crew. And then a couple days later the C-47's would come back and pick up all the spare parts and sheet aluminum they could stuff into the planes.

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: warspite1

ORIGINAL: Orm

ORIGINAL: warspite1

Warspite1

Yes, there is a whole chapter devoted to it. Having read said chapter I have no idea why what happened, happened.

I think that many who were there had no idea what had happened. Or if anything at all actually happened. And of those who had an idea of what had happened there I am pretty sure that they all had a different idea. [;)][:D]

warspite1

I'm in good company then.....[:D]

warspite1

Just read the chapter on the Germans and East Africa... I think I struggled to understand a word of that [&:]

Some chapters are riveting - others are just confusing as hell.

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: sanch

General Kenney Reports - his autobiography as MacArthur's air general 42-45. Published in 1949 (that's even older than me!). An interesting read, and refreshingly non-politically correct ("Japs", "Nips", etc).

It's amazing the number of times he says things like "information received indicates they will be running a convoy on ..." an exact date " ... to ..." an exact destination.

It's now late 44, and he's about to do the jump from Dutch New Guinea to Halmahera.

To all the AFB's out there - in 42 and into 43, he had to do some serious scrounging to get planes into the air. At one point he had about half of his total manpower repairing/rebuilding planes. And if a B-25 or B-17 went down anywheres near a flat grassy field, he'd fly in a couple C-47's and drop off a scavenging crew. And then a couple days later the C-47's would come back and pick up all the spare parts and sheet aluminum they could stuff into the planes.

warspite1

Sanch I am interested to hear what Kenney has to say about MacArthur? Particularly the first 48 hours after Japan attacked Malaya, Pearl, Philippines etc?

[Greybriar]

Night of the Hunter by R.A. Salvatore.

[TulliusDetritus]

Second World War by Antony Beevor. And just before this one, Stalingrad, by the same author.

I had never read anything from this guy. And he really is a nice historian. I used to avoid the military historians. Only started reading them a few years ago [:)]

[warspite1]

Wodin posted recently about Mark Adkins "Western Front Companion". I recently purchased this and have two others in that series - Waterloo and Trafalgar (I think Gettysburg is the other one) and I have to agree that these are excellent books. The Waterloo version in particular is top draw - well set out, easy to read, full colour, with plenty of maps, diagrams etc, this is an excellent reference point for the battle.

[nicwb]

Parade's End by Ford Maddox Ford - a bit slow but interesting when the novel moves from London drawing rooms to the western front. Ford served as an officer in the Welch Fusiliers and a lot of the observations and conversations seem to be drawn on that experience

[Chijohnaok2]

I finished a short story (very short--49 pages): The Willows, by Algernon Blackwood.

It's a horror story published in 1907.

It's different from the modern horror stories you are used to seeing.

Best thing about it, there is a free version at Amazon.

[cpdeyoung]

"Parade's End"

You won't regret that read. Great stuff.

Chuck

[cpdeyoung]

ORIGINAL: Orm

I just finnished rereading Slaget om Västeuropa : Flygkrig, strategi och politik sommaren 1940 (The Battle for Western Europe: The Air War, Strategy and Policy the summer of 1940) by Michael Tamelander.

To bad that his books does not seem to be translated to English. [:(]

Mr. Tamelander is a good wargamer, or at least he was back in the day when I used to play "Road to Victory", "Time of Fury", "Time of Wrath", etc. with him. I believe some of his books may be available in translation.

Chuck

[berto]

Six Days in June: How Israel Won the 1967 Arab-Israeli War, by Eric Hammel

[Gilmer]

About to start Natchez Burning by Gregory Iles.

[Hotschi]

Finished The Bombing War: Europe, 1939-1945 by Richard Overy - very impressed, and intersting to read.

Started George Southern's Poisonous Inferno; on 2nd December 1943, the Luftwaffe bombed the port of Bari and sank 17 ships. One ship in the harbour, the SS John Harvey, was loaded with - 100 tons of mustard gas bombs...

[warspite1]

Coming toward the end of The Scramble For Africa - Its been enjoyable, if sometimes quite difficult read. The book could really do with more maps as the author would be talking about places and regions and I really had no clue as to where they were.

I really feel I could do with reading this book again, but am itching to get started on The Sleepwalkers. As I understand it this is a Pro-German view of the events leading up to WWI. I am firmly of the view the Germans were more responsible than any other country for the war, and so am interested in reading events from "their side".

[DampSquib]

[quote]ORIGINAL: wodin

Tell me what you think of it..I read it a few months ago.
[quote]


Sorry Wodin missed your reply.
Came looking for a recommendation for the sengoku period.
Caught the reply on the trundle back through here.

Matterhorn...superb book, gripped from start to finish.
Bureaucratic incompetence, racism, leeches...it has it all.
Along with A Rumor of War and The Cat From Hue, it is probably the most enjoyable Vietnam books i have read so far..still a plethora to go.

Read it huh, so any Vietnam recommendations yourself?

Reading at this time..The Tragedy of the Templars By Michael Haag.
Cheers Barkorn45 for that recommendation.

[Orm]

ORIGINAL: warspite1

Coming toward the end of The Scramble For Africa - Its been enjoyable, if sometimes quite difficult read. The book could really do with more maps as the author would be talking about places and regions and I really had no clue as to where they were.

I really feel I could do with reading this book again, but am itching to get started on The Sleepwalkers. As I understand it this is a Pro-German view of the events leading up to WWI. I am firmly of the view the Germans were more responsible than any other country for the war, and so am interested in reading events from "their side".

Ordering The Scramble For Africa now. I was close to ordering The Sleepwalkers as well but I decided to wait until I hear what you think of it.