Thanks for the link I'll be looking into it, I to lread about the war in Europe but I've started reading more about the Pacific conflict. I should seeing how it was more of my branch there than in Europe. LOL

Dave

Dave-- try getting the latest book by Schom entitled "Eagle and the Rising Sun." Fascinating account of the events leading up to Pearl Harbor. He covers in great detail the Japanese attacks upon China. The book concludes with the invasion of Guadalcanal. If you enjoy it, I am sure he will publish a follow-up book covering the remainder of the war in the Pacific.
DJ

"Stalingrad"....great book about a fascinating battle

He has a new one out on the Spanish Civil War.
DJ

really? well...i will just have to wait until it will be published in the holy land

I have just started 'British Armour in the Normandy Campaign' By John Buckley. An excellent analysis of british performance int he campaign. A campaign that has for many years been much maligned.

Coincidentally I have just started Ken Tout's 'A fine night for tanks' which covers Operation Totalise.

All of Ken Tout's books are highly recommended, and not just because he is from Hereford, home of my mother's side of the family.

Okay, you have my attention...what was Opeartion Totalise about?

DJ - Totalize was an attempt by the Canadian and Poles to break out from Normandy in mid August. The plan was to head for Falaise to close the pincer being formed after the Americans succes in Operation Cobra. It was only a partial sucess due certain failings which were worked in the next operation, Tractable. The operation also saw the first use of the Ram Kangeroo APC. An innovation of the Canadian II Corps commander, Guy Simonds.

Ross

Has anyone gotten a copy of the new Waffen SS book by Osprey? I am looking forward to reading it, but was wondering what others thought. Also, antoher Osprey Book, has anyone gotten Modelling the Skdfz 251 Halftrack? I'd like to get that one too.

DJ

Ross has summed up Totalise pretty well, apart from mentioning that the initial armoured advance was carried out at night.

British units were involved as well as Canadian and Polish - 51st (Highland) Division and also 33 Armoured Brigade (which included Ken Tout's regiment, 1 Northamptonshire Yeomanry).

Probably the most famous part of the Totalise fighting involved the Yeomanry where one of their Sherman Fireflies knocked out 3 Tigers in around 15 minutes, including Michael Wittman's. This action is covered in the book, as well as Tout's lightly fictionalised (changed names, some events telescoped) book Tank!. 12th SS Panzer Division also got a hammering during the course of the day.

Ross/Dave-- thanks for the information. Nice topic if you guys want to post it for some discussion about WW II European camapigns.
DJ

I'm taking a break from the late War of the Rebellion and reading about WWII. "Fighting With The Screaming Eagles: With The 101st Airborne From Normandy To Bastogne" by Robert Bowen of the 401st Glider Infantry Regiment. Well written, tells an relatively unknown story about the glider troops. Highly recommended.

-Charlie

Has anyone read the latest Beevor book on the Spainish Civil War?
DJ

Right now I am reading the Rise and Fall of the Third Reich! I have been researching every aspect of this for years and this one, I have had for awhile. Just now getting around to reading it, but if you want details on how Hitler came to power and how everything came down, this is the book for you.

Steve-- Might also recommend "Berlin Diaries" and the "Devil's Disciples" to enhance what you take from that classic work.
DJ

The latest book on my desk is Ken Ford 'Battleaxe Division' A history of the British 78th Infantry Division in Tunisia and Italy. A very good read.

Ross

Bought a cheap copy over Christmas and will get around to reading it (by about Easter probably).

Have now started a book on the SAS called 'Stirling's Men' by Gavin Mortimer.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0297847120/qid=1105360914/sr=1-10/ref=sr_1_3_10/026-5703292-4768457

Though I only paid UK£10 for mine

I have just started the following:

Robin Neillands 'Eighth Army' A good book that is marred by some stupid detail mistakes.

Richard Hallion 'Strike from the Sky: The History of Battlefield Air Attack, 1911-45' This one is on the go for my uni dissertation on Tactical air power. A very intereseting read.

What about you guys?

Ross

Right now I am reading two.

Combat recon by Robert D. Parrish - He was a lieutenant in the Army and spent a year with the ARVN in Nam as an "advisor" Really, really good so far.

Also reading the Rise and Fall of the Third Reich by William Shirer. There have been a few different books with the same title but this one is from a different perspective. Shirer was there and was a journalist at the time. He doesn't write so much about the atrosities that were committed but focuses more on the military achievements and blunders, Hitler's ever changing state of mind and the internal struggles that went on during the rise of Hitler to power. Very easily could have never happened if some would have had there eyes open.

I'm currently reading "Hitler - a Study in Tyranny" by Alan Bullock, that I found lying around @ work! An old book, but one which was written using original sources & while many of the protaganists were still alive.
Also picked up "Rorkes Drift" by Adrian Greaves. Blow by blow account of the battle with coverage of Isandlwana also. Fascinating read, includes biographical notes for EVERY soldier who fought at Rorkes Drift (not just VC winners). Quite sad how some of them ended up.

Hi, Last night I finished up a rather lengthy book called "Dreadnought" by Robert Massie. Dealing with the 'arms' race of the various European nations leading up to World War I.

And I must say for such a lengthy book, over 900 pages, it is very readable. It not only discusses the development of the all-steel, all-big gun, battleship of that general era, but also has quite a bit on all of the personalities who were involved in it's development. As well as the various leaders of both England and Germany, not only in the military but also the poltical arenas as well.

Once read a person can't help come away with a much better and clearer understanding as to what went on in Europe duing this time period by all the major powers concerned. I would highly recommend this to anyone who is even just a little bit interested in this time period, both from a political and naval point of view. After all it's my opinion that a person can't really get a clear picture of the causes of World War II without a firm knowledge of the causes of World War I.

Once done I jumped into the second book of this 'series' called "Castles of Steel" by the same author, which is a continuation of the first book, dealing with the naval strategies and battles of the so-called 'War to End all Wars.' And after having read 3 or 4 chapters so far, I find this book as highly enjoyable to read and the first.

Take care, Sgirty

I'm reading "Tommy, The British Soldier on the Western Front 1914-1918", by Richard Holmes.

Excellent book, the equal of his previous "Redcoats", IMHO.

Note to sgirty -- agree with you on "Dreadnought", great book. I have "Castles of Steel" & it will probably follow "Tommy" ....

John

Lets see:

No Bugles, No Drums by Rudy Tomedi about the Korean War (just finished); Red Thunder, Tropic Lightning by Eric M. Bergerud about the 25th ID in Vietnam; Black Hawk Down by Mark Bowden about Oct. 3, 1993 battle of Mogadishu (which I have read about 3 times already); Children of the City by David Nasaw which is self-explainatory; From Front Porch to Back Seat by Beth L. Bailey about "Courtship in Twentieth-Century America"; Martin and Malcolm by James H. Cone about Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcom X.

All that is just for TWO classes and I am a FRESHMAN! This is not to mention about 5 textbooks. I am also in the process of reading for the heck of it Dragons at War: Land Battle in the Desert by Daniel P. Bolger describing NTC training at Ft. Irwin by recalling his experiences during his rotation in '82 to the "brand-new" center (the book was written in '86)

I also have three books on hold including the powerfully worded Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis, the 9/11 Commission Report (I have read about half); and Patriots: The Vietnam War Remembered from All Sides compiled and authored by Christian G. Appy.

Needless to say I am a bit busy when you add time with friends, entertainment, and contributing to Armorama and the occasional few hours to work that I can fit in.

Jeff

Good topic!
I've just finished reading 'Flamethrower' by Andrew Wilson, his account of being a commander of a churchill crocodile from Normandy to Germany. It's a book I first read as a child from the library, and lo! almost 30 years later I find it again. Different library though. Eminently readable and frequently harrowing.

I have also just finished Charles Whiting's 'BAttle of the Bulge: Britain's Untold Story'. Here we get a glimpse of Monty's influence on the battle and the role that British forces (hurrah!) played- something I have only been aware of in recent years. Trouble is, the book comes across as a personal rail against Patton and Bradley whilst bigging-up Monty; fair enough, but there is something lacking in the end. My feelings were that by the time I got to the end of the book, I could taste the author's sour grapes.
I agree that there has been precious little about us Brits in the Ardennes, but this seems a bit petulant and seems to miss the point a bit.
That's just my opinion- I usually quite like this author's books- maybe I was just expecting more...

MC