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Joined: 2/2/2008 From: England Status: offline
My reading into, over Christmas and into the new year:
- Finishing Third Axis, Fourth Ally (Axworthy) - Couldn't wait to start When Titans Clashed (Glantz) - Received Hess, Hitler and Churchill (Padfield) as a secret santa present from work
....oh yes, and Margaret Thatcher The Authorised Biography Volume II. I started this and then it took a back seat after buying DC: Barbarossa - and the need to read up on that theatre once more.
Tooooooo many books, so little time
< Message edited by warspite1 -- 12/20/2015 11:47:41 AM >
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England expects that every man will do his duty. Horatio Nelson October 1805
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quote:
ORIGINAL: warspite1
Tooooooo many books, so little time
And it is time to get back on reading up on Swedish history. You were on the 'Kalmar Union' before the extended break from the book. Do remember that the will be a New Years quiz, so now is time to do the homework.
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Have a bit more patience with newbies. Of course some of them act dumb -- they're often students, for heaven's sake. - Terry Pratchett
Dan Hampton - The Hunter Killers: The Extraordinary Story of the First Wild Weasels, the Band of Maverick Aviators Who Flew the Most Dangerous Missions of the Vietnam War
The Gestapo - The myth and reality of Hitler's secret Police.
(great Christmas holiday reading !)
That sounds like a interesting read. Although scary.
Sort of but more in the nature of the banality of evil than anything else. the book is set out with a number of case reports drawn from regional Gestapo offices (the Berlin records didn't survive the war).
The author puts forward a number of propositions -essentially despite its power the Gestapo was quite small in size and more importantly relied heavily upon the public to "denounce" people. Also despite its reputation most of the rank and file members were actually career police and almost up to the start of the war not every officer was a Nazi Party member. What was interesting was that they paid a great deal of attention to legality. Complaints or denunciations were scrupulously investigated and only those backed by evidence resulted in arrests. False complaints were punished and officers were disciplined for abuse of power. There was even a couple of documented cases of early false complaints against Jewish citizens which the Gestapo dismissed for lack of evidence.
On the other hand they Gestapo was heavily involved in deportations to concentrations camps.
Dan Hampton - The Hunter Killers: The Extraordinary Story of the First Wild Weasels, the Band of Maverick Aviators Who Flew the Most Dangerous Missions of the Vietnam War
That looks interesting. Another book to go on my wish list.
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Copy and pasted from another thread here:
Reading SPQR by Mary Beard. It is very recent and covers the history of Rome from its beginnings until 212 AD, when Caracalla gave Roman citizenship to all free inhabitants of the empire. I am about halfway through. Very good and readable.
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Whilst still trying to read the books previously mentioned I am trying to find time to read the wonderful Decisive Campaigns: Barbarossa manual. I was going to read it going to work, but its too beautiful a tome to get scuffed up on public transport and putting in and out of my bag.
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England expects that every man will do his duty. Horatio Nelson October 1805
Astrologers believe that your future is determined on the day that you are born. Warriors know that your future is determined on the day that your enemy dies.
'The Royal Navy's Revenge and Other Little-Known Encounters of the War at Sea' by Vincent P. O'Hara
warspite1
What encounters does he cover Zorch?
1 French vs Thai - Koh Chang Jan 1941 2 Italian vs German - Bastia 9 September 1943 3 British vs Japan - Penang 16 May 1945 4 Allies vs German - Channel Islands 5 Us vs German - Imperia 1 October 1944 6 British vs French - Syria June 1941 7 US vs Japan - Balikpapan 1942
These are articles previously published in magazines. A slim volume, but definitely worth reading.
Richard Overy - The Bombing War. Covers the entire war and every state that used bombing of cities/industry as part of their approach. Switches from the impact on societies to the stresses that afflicted the bomber crews. To me its that near perfect mix of the politics, economics and psychology of war.
realise this thread is for what you are reading but just finished this and its truely excellent. No doubt much that was new to me would be well known to anyone who has read the various airforce technical evaluations, but even so this is worth the read.
The final chapters on allied bombing in allied countries was very interesting (especially as my wife is Dutch and her mother is old enough to have lived through the 'hunger winter' of 1944-5), the comparative study of why Germany, Britain and the USSR coped with bombing but fascist Italy didn't is well set out.
But the highlight was reading that Malta created a special ministerial post in 1942 ... I can't think that many civil service style bureaucracies ever have had to write reports to the 'Minister for Rabbits'
Posts: 41353
Joined: 2/2/2008 From: England Status: offline
quote:
ORIGINAL: Zorch
quote:
ORIGINAL: warspite1
quote:
ORIGINAL: Zorch
'The Royal Navy's Revenge and Other Little-Known Encounters of the War at Sea' by Vincent P. O'Hara
warspite1
What encounters does he cover Zorch?
1 French vs Thai - Koh Chang Jan 1941 2 Italian vs German - Bastia 9 September 1943 3 British vs Japan - Penang 16 May 1945 4 Allies vs German - Channel Islands 5 Us vs German - Imperia 1 October 1944 6 British vs French - Syria June 1941 7 US vs Japan - Balikpapan 1942
These are articles previously published in magazines. A slim volume, but definitely worth reading.
warspite1
Thank-you - so where does HMS Revenge come in?
_____________________________
England expects that every man will do his duty. Horatio Nelson October 1805
'The Royal Navy's Revenge and Other Little-Known Encounters of the War at Sea' by Vincent P. O'Hara
warspite1
What encounters does he cover Zorch?
1 French vs Thai - Koh Chang Jan 1941 2 Italian vs German - Bastia 9 September 1943 3 British vs Japan - Penang 16 May 1945 4 Allies vs German - Channel Islands 5 Us vs German - Imperia 1 October 1944 6 British vs French - Syria June 1941 7 US vs Japan - Balikpapan 1942
These are articles previously published in magazines. A slim volume, but definitely worth reading.
warspite1
Thank-you - so where does HMS Revenge come in?
The Penang article was subtitled 'Revenge of the Royal Navy'. HMS Revenge was not involved.
Posts: 41353
Joined: 2/2/2008 From: England Status: offline
quote:
ORIGINAL: warspite1
quote:
ORIGINAL: Zorch
quote:
ORIGINAL: warspite1
quote:
ORIGINAL: Zorch
'The Royal Navy's Revenge and Other Little-Known Encounters of the War at Sea' by Vincent P. O'Hara
warspite1
What encounters does he cover Zorch?
1 French vs Thai - Koh Chang Jan 1941 2 Italian vs German - Bastia 9 September 1943 3 British vs Japan - Penang 16 May 1945 4 Allies vs German - Channel Islands 5 Us vs German - Imperia 1 October 1944 6 British vs French - Syria June 1941 7 US vs Japan - Balikpapan 1942
These are articles previously published in magazines. A slim volume, but definitely worth reading.
warspite1
Thank-you - so where does HMS Revenge come in?
warspite1
so why the capital R? How strange....
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England expects that every man will do his duty. Horatio Nelson October 1805
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RE: What Book Are You Reading at the moment? - 
RE: What Book Are You Reading at the moment? - 
so why the capital R? How strange....
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