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What Are You Reading this month?
210cav
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Posted: Monday, December 09, 2002 - 08:16 AM UTC
Well, there I stood on the line at the Post Office awaiting to send packages to various parts of the world and saying to myself, "I wonder what historical books my Buddies are reading?" So, here are my two December entries: Army At Dawn and Patton. What are you reading?
thanks
Hawkeye
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Posted: Monday, December 09, 2002 - 09:05 AM UTC
Hey

I am half way through "Like a cliff in a Storm".The new english version and am about to start "Hells Gate" by Doug Nash.

Later
Hawkeye
Oberst
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Posted: Monday, December 09, 2002 - 09:26 AM UTC
"An Army at Dawn" for me. I just finished reading Stephen Ambrose's book, D-Day but it has nothing in Rick Atkinson's "An Army at Dawn". I can't wait for the second part of the trilogy.

Andrew
andy007
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Posted: Monday, December 09, 2002 - 11:36 AM UTC
Me iam reading The sharp end of war by John Ellis.

Andrew Barclay
210cav
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Posted: Tuesday, December 10, 2002 - 03:24 AM UTC
Let me encourage you to provide us a brief synopsis of the book you are reading. Some of the more popular ones could benefit from your commentary. I am interested in also finding out about the Nash and Ellis books quoted above. I'd appreciate some details
thanks
210cav
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Posted: Tuesday, December 10, 2002 - 03:25 AM UTC
Let me encourage you to provide us a brief synopsis of the book you are reading. Some of the more popular ones could benefit from your commentary. I am interested in also finding out about the Nash and Ellis books quoted above. I'd appreciate some details
thanks
PfcGreen
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Posted: Tuesday, December 10, 2002 - 04:04 AM UTC
I just started reading 'The Destruction Of The Bismark' by David J. Bercuson and Holger H. Herwing, so far its a good book. It was also used by James Cameron as a sort of "bible" during his Bismark expedition.
210cav
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Posted: Tuesday, December 10, 2002 - 04:05 AM UTC

Quoted Text

I just started reading 'The Destruction Of The Bismark' by David J. Bercuson and Holger H. Herwing, so far its a good book. It was also used by James Cameron as a sort of "bible" during his Bismark expedition.


Did you see the documentary? I taped it but have not watched it yet.
PfcGreen
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Posted: Tuesday, December 10, 2002 - 04:10 AM UTC
Yep, I saw the documentary it was very good.
210cav
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Posted: Tuesday, December 10, 2002 - 04:36 AM UTC
[quote]Yep, I saw the documentary it was very good. [/quot

Great, I am encouraged to watch it now.
Folgore
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Posted: Tuesday, December 10, 2002 - 06:52 AM UTC

Quoted Text

I just started reading 'The Destruction Of The Bismark' by David J. Bercuson and Holger H. Herwing, so far its a good book. It was also used by James Cameron as a sort of "bible" during his Bismark expedition.


David Bercuson is one of Canada's foremost military historians so this book should be good. I read his Maple Leaf Against the Axis last summer and it was excellent. For anyone interested in the Canadian war effort in WWII this is the book to get. I also have just received Pierre Burton's Marching as to War which covers the Canadian military from the Boer War to Korea. It will be interesting to compare Burton's book (written by a popular historian) to Bercuson's (written by an academic historian). I also hope to get my hands on Mark Zuehlke's Ortona this Christmas.

Nic
210cav
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Posted: Tuesday, December 10, 2002 - 07:53 AM UTC
Nic---what is "Ortona" about?
Folgore
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Posted: Tuesday, December 10, 2002 - 09:31 AM UTC
It's about the Battle of Ortona, which took place in Italy during Christmas of 1943 between Canadian infantry and tanks and German paratroopers. It was a relatively small battle and thus fairly unknown, but the type of fighting and brutality of it was reminiscent of Stalingrad (Hitler even gave one of his charicteristic orders to the fallschirmjagers defending the town not to retreat). There was a documentary on the battle on TV a while ago and the author of this book was in it. I found the book itself in the university library and it looks pretty good so I am definitely going to get it.

Nic
andy007
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Posted: Tuesday, December 10, 2002 - 09:34 AM UTC
The sharp end of war gives detailed accounts of what life was like for frontline soldiers of WWII including atillery and armour it is filled with lots of quotes. It also goes over the terrian on which the battles were fought. It is from the allied point of view.
Andrew Barclay
P.S My signture is from it
Ranger74
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Posted: Tuesday, December 10, 2002 - 09:48 AM UTC
DJ - At work I am reading "From Moscow to Stalingrad", from the Chief of Military HHistory collection - my boss is a brigadier general and a reservist, so I get to use his private latrine (I mean reading room) during the month. Unlike on the James Bond movie (Diamonds are Forever, there are no phones in there :-) ).. I recently finished reading "An Army at Dawn" so am now reduced to reading Military History magazine (good but short). I am having to wait for Christmas and see what my wife procured off my wish list.

Jeff
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Posted: Tuesday, December 10, 2002 - 02:56 PM UTC
1. Ghost Soldiers by Hampton Sides
2. General John Buford: A Military Biography by Edward Longacre
3. Mission Compromised by Oliver North

An Army at Dawn is on my Christmas gift list.
Epi
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Posted: Tuesday, December 10, 2002 - 03:20 PM UTC
Armored Cav by Tom Clancy.

So far it is very informative and has lots of good info.
210cav
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Posted: Wednesday, December 11, 2002 - 04:13 AM UTC

Quoted Text

Armored Cav by Tom Clancy.

So far it is very informative and has lots of good info.


Pete--I thought it ironical that the two guys he focuses on were subsequently relieved of command.
Hollowpoint
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Posted: Wednesday, December 11, 2002 - 07:01 AM UTC
I'm still trying to finish "An Army at Dawn." The kids scooped it up and hid it during their pre-Thanksgiving cleaning frenzy. I re-discovered it yesterday while searching for the television remote.

I have to say this book is certainly an eye-opener for me. I had never heard of most of the places and battles described until this book came along. If anything, I think it points out to me the general lack of information (unitl now) on the United States' entry into the North African conflict. There are truckloads of books on the Afrika Korps and the British 8th Army ...

These days, I read so much at work that I don't want to read much at home. I'm planning to take a few days off during the holidays -- I'm sure I'll find time and peace to finish it then.
m60a3
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Posted: Wednesday, December 11, 2002 - 07:14 AM UTC
I am currently reading S.L.A. Marshall's "West to Cambodia". Very gripping Vietnam War history concerning 4th and 25th Infantry Division fights. Also, very descriptive; great dio/vignette ideas!
bison44
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Posted: Wednesday, December 11, 2002 - 07:28 AM UTC
I was reading THE REGIMENT by Farley Mowatt, about the Hastings and Prince regiment from 1939-1945. They fought all through the Italian campaign (as part of canadian 1st division) then on to Western Europe. Its more of a unofficial regimental history with a little spice thown in. But 210cav has gotten me to go back and look over all my Normandy stuff, trying to figure out how many landing craft where available at what date, HAHA. TWO SIDES OF THE BEACH by edmund Blandford is also good. Its the overview of Normandy interspliced with common soldiers(commonwealth and german) accounts of the battles. The stories of some of the Germans trying to escape through the Falaise gap are really amazing.
210cav
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Posted: Wednesday, December 11, 2002 - 07:48 AM UTC

Quoted Text

I was reading THE REGIMENT by Farley Mowatt, about the Hastings and Prince regiment from 1939-1945. They fought all through the Italian campaign (as part of canadian 1st division) then on to Western Europe. Its more of a unofficial regimental history with a little spice thown in. But 210cav has gotten me to go back and look over all my Normandy stuff, trying to figure out how many landing craft where available at what date, HAHA. TWO SIDES OF THE BEACH by edmund Blandford is also good. Its the overview of Normandy interspliced with common soldiers(commonwealth and german) accounts of the battles. The stories of some of the Germans trying to escape through the Falaise gap are really amazing.



My Brothers to the North----where are you finding these fine works? I would like to pursue getting some of these. I am particularly interested in the Dieppe Raid and the Normandy phase of the ETO.
thanks
bison44
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Posted: Wednesday, December 11, 2002 - 10:10 AM UTC

Quoted Text

put quote text hereMy Brothers to the North----where are you finding these fine works? I would like to pursue getting some of these. I am particularly interested in the Dieppe Raid and the Normandy phase of the ETO.

Have you read Decision in Normandy 210cav? It was pretty good but a little dry for my taste. I just finished Bloody Victory (Canadians and the D-Day campaign 1944) by Morton and Granatstein. Its a good read if you are interested in the part the Canuks played in the battle, tons of pics, good for references.
210cav
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Posted: Wednesday, December 11, 2002 - 11:03 AM UTC

Quoted Text


Quoted Text

put quote text hereMy Brothers to the North----where are you finding these fine works? I would like to pursue getting some of these. I am particularly interested in the Dieppe Raid and the Normandy phase of the ETO.

Have you read Decision in Normandy 210cav? It was pretty good but a little dry for my taste. I just finished Bloody Victory (Canadians and the D-Day campaign 1944) by Morton and Granatstein. Its a good read if you are interested in the part the Canuks played in the battle, tons of pics, good for references.


I agree on "Decision In Normandy." Wow! Dry? Dehydrated. I real enjoyed "Omaha Beach." Very insightful observations on the entire operation. Where are you buying the Canadian subject books like "Bloody Victory"?
thanks
Folgore
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Posted: Wednesday, December 11, 2002 - 11:36 AM UTC
I can find these books in Chapters and Indigo stores, a big book chain in Canada. You can also order online from them here, even in the US. Shipping for you would be $5 per order plus $2 for each item, but I think that might be in $CDN. Perhaps these books would also be available from Amazon.com.......

Anyway, you can search for the title of a specifc book at the Chapters/Indigo website or look up authors. Two big names for Canadian military history are David Bercuson (from the University of Calgary) and J.L. Granatstein (this guy is kind of like a Canadian Stephen Ambrose, he has written perhaps too many books in the past few years). There are others, but I can't remember their names right now.

Hope that helps,

Nic
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