Category: Book Reviews

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Book Reviews Military History

Open another front in support your local bookshop day

Today is another one of those event days – actually I guess there are more than 365 event days celebrated so every day is probably an event day these days. Wow that a lot of days in one sentence!

I am currently reading Desperate Venture by Norman Gelb. It is a book about the WW2 North African Invasion by allied forces in 1942. Invasion is a moot point given the Allies aimed to meet no material resistance from the Vichy French holding this colonial part of the French Empire.

Of course everyone knows what happened – or do they? The Normandy landings 18 months or so later tend to crowd out other WW2 stories: It’s not just the forgotten 14th army and everyone else fighting the Japanese in Asia who get less coverage.

Which is unfortunate because Operation Torch enabled the Normandy landings to be an outstanding success. Well that’s my untutored view. Norman Gelb is in the “Torch delayed the Normandy landings and that the war with Germany ran two years more than necessary” camp.

Yet his book is an excellent read – pacey but full of content – he makes every word count. Although I have yet to finish the book, I can recommend it. If you buy just one book from a war and politics perspective on the North African campaign then this is spot on.

I have written about other Operation Torch books in previous posts as well as books on the high street and other book event days. All grist to the mill as they say.

https://thewargamingerratic.home.blog/2021/12/06/the-politician-the-general-with-the-secret-agent-take-three-books/

https://thewargamingerratic.home.blog/2023/02/22/on-the-high-street-23b-2/

https://thewargamingerratic.home.blog/2021/03/04/tfls-sharp-practice-on-world-book-day/

Yes I did buy desperate venture from a bookshop but not my local one and it was a charity shop so I guess they might not really count. But then again if you’re reading printed material that’s good: If you’re reading printed material bought in a bricks and mortar shop then thats great!

Categories
Book Reviews wargaming

Fragment May ’25/2 – books

My latest fragment concerns books. Books figure strongly in my wargaming interests and tend to drive what I do more than say the internet in terms of projects. That’s mainly due to my pursuit of decent historical narrative.

In spite of my distracting magazine interests and recently significant book disposals, I am still book reading – it’s a key part of my hobby.

Last year I took several months to read “An Army at Dawn”. It is about the US Army written by an American exploring the impact of Operation Torch – the North Africa landings in 1942. Often overlooked because of its proximity to El Alamein, Stalingrad or Pearl Harbour this (rehearsal) campaign in my view meant that the Normandy landings went a lot smoother? And it enabled the Italian campaign which knocked Italy out of the war.

The author Rick Atkinson, is very readable and frankly for me the subject is very engaging: The ambiguity of the French, the Germans still confident, the Americans with endless resources yet lacking experience and the wily Brits trying to spin the events their way. And of course the Italians now perhaps feeling things were getting too close to home. All the while the native population were caught in the crossfire.

So the very first amphibious landings and combined operations by allied forces – s0me sailing directly across the atlantic ocean to attack the beaches: What could possibly go wrong? Pretty much everything. Fortunately the defenders were at sixes and sevens – Vichy French and later the Germans and Italians.

Mind you the Americans had been here before – about 125 years previously……

In parallel with all this my other book of interest is set in the nineteenth century and deals with the French crown between 1815 and 1850 – nothing happens I hear the cry! It was the long peace after all.

Well I suppose that’s a matter of opinion. Admittedly there are no major European wars between the Napoleonic and Crimean. And perhaps even then the Franco Prussian war is seen as the next big european event after the demise of Napoleon I, given what then followed.

What is fascinating is the continual story of French rule that throws up moments of high tension when events could have turned in different directions. Having read the book it feels like France was really permanently in revolution mode during this period as well.

Perilous Crown is an excellently written story of the events surrounding the successive reigns of Charles X last of the bourbon line then Louis Phillipe and it is his story of somehow surviving the ever volatile French realm that is the primary focus.

Author: Munro Price

Published: MacMillan

A couple of books appeared in a family clear out – not sure how they got there.

John Ahern’s railway modelling was inspiring in its day – I tried as a kid and failed to build realistic scenery for my model railway – wargaming was a much easier compromise
I bought and read this when it was published nearly twenty years ago – long enough for a reread I guessed, it didn’t take long as the text is an easy read and fairly romps along.

And the last book has proved a lucky charity shop find as well.

Great little read and 50p charity bargain, again it was quick read and the text was great – well put together yet the maps were awful.

Spring started with the leftovers of Analogue Hobbies Challenge 15

https://thepaintingchallenge.blogspot.com/2025/02/from-johnb-5th-level-of-abyss-wrath-or.html

and the drift that has followed influenced my book reading.

What’s next I wonder?

Categories
Book Reviews Military History

National book day

It’s ironic that a book about US naval activity in the Mediterranean at the end of the Napoleonic era helps you understand that US policies in its early years were most concerned about defining its own sphere of influence in the Americas.

Beyond that small matter the book is a great read and provides a superb counterpoint to the European aspects of the Napoleonic wars.

Given the US/British wars in North America at the time the story of the US naval fleet actions in the Mediterranean is studded with political and military risk.

The author takes us along at a good pace yet not without plenty of detail.

Given its trans national terrorism theme this is not a dusty old story to be consigned to a historical backwater.

Categories
Book Reviews Military History

USA book tour

I had the chance to take a much delayed trip to the states this spring and hit the “front range” first, landing in Denver Colorado.

I took a clockwise trip round the southern rockies where the Colorado (Grand Canyon bound) and Rio Grande (New Mexico and Texas bound) rivers both rise.

The trip took in Colorado Springs, Raton, Santa Fe, Moab and ended in Boulder just north of Denver.

On my trip I bought a few books but I am getting ahead of myself. Trips like this invariably start with trains and planes. For which a book is useful.

My first book therefore was Eckart Frahm’s recent “Assyria” the rise and fall of the worlds first empire.

This got some airtime both ways when I was not watching both parts 1 and 2 of Dune. Dune I enjoyed and seemed a lot better than the one Sting was in – that’s showing my age….

The book also got some train time too. However it’s got a long way still to go and is still promising to be a great read in the future now I have moved on to other things!

My first USA purchase was completely unexpected. While waiting in a Walmart till exit queue near Fort Collins I was confronted not with Hershey bars but a pile of national geographic civil war atlases. I succumbed.

Moving south I landed up in Raton – the Raton pass is the mountainess northern route of the Santa Fe trail running from Kansas in the east.

Then it was onto Santa Fe where I got two books.

The first book so to speak in Santa Fe itself, I picked up at a niche bookseller. We had a good chat about the book world and I then asked him if he had something on the military history of the region – civil war or earlier.

I picked up this Mexican War book secondhand on the owners recommendation seeing as I would never have spotted it either and it turned out to be a top buy. It proved an excellent read for someone who knew nothing about the conflict.

I also did a check on the various titles for civil war histories in the region of Colorado/New Mexico and was happy with the book I had brought with me from the UK.

I had also read it before travelling as the battlefield is not straightforward. Essentially a main road runs smack through the extended site with all the development/disruption that results.

And when I made a trip to the nature park near the battlefield there was a fantastic choice of military history books on offer. Again the reserve is another story but I only bought this one book – about the civil war in Texas.

I found that mid west bookshops generally covered the Indian wars post civil war better than the civil war itself. Understandable given the distance and geography involved and the fact that the civil war was much more an east coast affair.

Durango and Moab were great places to stay but no compelling books to be had.

So it was left maybe to Boulder to finish on a high. Boulder was renowned for its bookstores in the past and I found two excellent ones still going and very well patronised when I visited.

At Trident booksellers and cafe I bought iron empires…..and the union pacific hits the rockies nearby……….

Half read – it gives a vital ingredient of the Midwest – a thoroughly good read

At Boulder bookstore I bought of dice and men….

As I was there at the beginning a quick leaf through convinced me to give this one a go

Both stores were on Pearl Street which is the main shopping and retail street in Boulder.

Well that wraps up the book tour which was a success giving me plenty to consume during the rest of 2024 and well into 2025.

So those pesky brushes are back which means I can do some miniatures painting again!

And just maybe a few more posts will follow on what I saw on my travels…….

Categories
Book Reviews

The Restless Republic

My spread and speed of reading books has declined in recent years. I have been more selective in reading around my interests.

A good example are the various books I have discovered covering the European wars of 1848/49 and 1859/60.

Out of the blue when I was in Fowey in the local bookshop I noticed a book about the english civil wars. Or rather it was a book about the British Isles – Ireland, Scotland and England.

This is not just another book about the wars of the mid seventeenth century, that afflicted the whole archipelago.

It starts with Charles I losing his head and ends with the restoration. Thats the eleven years which military history tends to skip along with the fifteen leading up to the Monmouth rebellion in 1685 – soon followed by the Glorious Revolution.

The book in question is not the usual chronological journey. It does get you from 1649 to 1660. Time jumps about in the process.

The main structure is aimed squarely at a series of characters who have their own individual stories, contribute to the timeline and in a very neat way interweave their stories. That last achievement is the author’s. The background effort to realise this construction must be significant.

Now the important bit. This book is steeped in knowledge and detail yet the author has stripped that all down so you have an easy read.

I read this book in about five chunks over a month. Which is saying something for me – extensive reading sessions have not been my style.

I got into this book easily and it kept me page turning in a way I have not for a long time.

I read about a period that had not previously attracted me, I was thoroughly involved in the author’s chosen journey and I really enjoyed it.

Categories
Book Reviews wargaming

Supermarket Surprise

I don’t normally dwell on editorials when reading a wargames monthly – its all about the content itself for me.

Today I chanced upon a WI when looking for some other non wargaming publication in a rare trip to a supermarket magazine aisle. I guess it was the ship sampler on the cover the caught my attention.

Anyway having been hooked I was reeled in by the prospect of an article on the Perrys Franco Prussian War figures. I am not sure what all those painted Prussians have been doing for the past year waiting for the enemy?

Having bought the magazine – not one I regularly buy – I scanned the pages and found some promising material on Flags. I am always interested to read about cowboy games even though I don’t play them – don’t ask! And there was an interesting article on homespun fantasy figure creation resulting in a product launch – “imaginations gaming” in any genre normally piques my interest.

The Hammerhead painting competition results show that there are also plenty of artists at work producing tremendous pieces to inspire. On that last point it is questionable whether it really sells a print magazine though.

Actually the speedpaints article also shows the challenge for print magazines. I happened upon a blog post recently complete with video which compared all the recent companies who have piled into the “contrast” market. Having said that the article (which I read first) was well put together and had some useful ideas and perspective. I liked the mix of “newbie” and “professional” painters trialling the product.

Barry Hiltons Naval rules article has compelling models on display – Langtons – but I can resist despite the enjoyment they give. How about that sampler that caught my eye in the first place. Its just one ship so no risk of hobby drift – and it occurred to me I might just knock it up and pass it off as Danish ship. The thing about the Schlieswig Wars is the proximity of the sea and the Danish ability to use the sea as another front even if only for logistics. You never know when you might need a ship or two.

And what of Dan Faulconbridge and his editorial? It turns out my usual source of wargame magazines is charging Dan far too much and as he says markets are markets. So in this case it worked – I found WI where I did not expect it and bought it into the bargain. Also Dan is looking to broaden his customer base – I am not really sure the magazine aisle is being randomly browsed. If anything supermarkets are heading to be a glorified logistics warehouse where customers are spending the least amount of time they can, to get what they need.

Of course any leverage over WHSmith who still dominate over the counter print sales will help Dan’s cause.

That ship sprue just might land a few interested souls yet.

Will I switch from WHSmith to the Supermarket? Well no actually, I like still finding a shop on a high street thats open and sells something useful.

Categories
Book Reviews Military History

Between the Land and the Sea

Published by Chatham Publishing in association with the National Maritime Museum this hard back book of 250 plus pages takes a highly selective trip through the Royal Naval presence in land war.

13 chapters – 3 about the Napoleonic era, 4 from mid 19th Century then 3 concerning the period 1896 – 1919 . Finally two from World War Two and one from 1999.

My interest was caught by two chapters. One about the 1840 Syrian campaign and then one about the 1855 action at Sweaborg in the Baltic. The Chapter on Walcheren 1944 then popped up.

£2 paid so worth a look.

A well produced well illustrated hardback complete with relevant maps
One theme is the technology used in land actions by the Royal Navy – image National Maritime Museum

Each chapter covers a specific event so this is not a history as such.

Also there is a limited bibliography – but clear use of archive documents instead.

And the episodes provide some political context as well. Not least why the Navy did not have this or that when set a task. Also you get some perspective in government “interference”.

In a way this book has served two purposes.

  • providing insight on land oriented coastal naval actions.
  • giving ideas about potential for “counterfactual” events – something that interests me for my mid 19th century wargaming.

The book has a decent selection of images most of which are new to me.

But none quite like this one from my copy of a Times Illustrated commemoration of the coronation of King Edward VII in August 1902.

Categories
Book Reviews Military History wargaming

On High Street 23a

A recent trip to Harrogate proved fruitful in the Oxfam Charity bookshop. Before that a tour of the Harrogate museum at the old springs was very interesting.

Tucked away in Harrogate Museum was this equivalent of lego although it looks more like 3D printing should look
I bought this book to see what rule mechanisms I might pick out from a mid 19th century gaming guide by a wargames rules master.
This book almost launched me off into the Ancients period again – not just yet as the mid 19th century wars in Denmark and Italy still hold my fascination
One of the original well caps can still be seen in the Museum
A Victorian? display of spa waters from Europe. Kissingen which if I remember correctly was the location when the Federal Armies secured defeat from the jaws of victory fighting the Prussian Army of the Main………….1866.
Categories
Book Reviews Military History wargaming

High Street Hiatus IV

Along the coast from Bangor City is Conwy. Apart from its famous estuary and castle the town boasts a compact old centre of shops including a bookshop.https://www.hintonsofconwy.co.uk/

In very recent times I have become a lot more interested in Austria and its post Holy Roman Empire era.

Apart from the bookshop, good variety of eateries and some nice food shops, the town centre retains some fine buildings.

Anglo Saxons remain a fascinating subject for me.
Categories
Book Reviews Military History

On the High Street 23b

I picked up some interesting secondhand books at https://shop.keoghsbooks.com/

Keoghs opened their new shop in Skipton in 2022. It’s nicely laid out with a welcoming approach.

They have high quality selected stock.

My picks were three books, one on early steam warships another on early steam railways and the third about a head to head between Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci.

My interests in nineteenth century show no signs of fading. And naval developments in this century framed the twentieth century. A period of technology transforming just about everything to do with Naval Warfare.
Early steam railways has also been stoked! by my recent interest in post Napoleonic Europe. I have read this story quite a few times yet not this particular book or author.
This one just caught my eye, this period is always interesting……