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Close Combat Series -> The Mess

#1: What are you reading? Author: mooxe PostPosted: Fri Jan 12, 2007 4:15 am
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After Christmas I started my reading crusades again. I have always had an interest in the German side of the war so I picked up four books. The 1st one I am reading is, "It Never Snows In September." It is a Somewhat strategic, more so tactical, and primarily 1st person account from the Germans in Operation Market Garden. I am about 2/3's done and its really great. I was hooked after the preface. Graphic accounts of the horrible fighting are presented in genuine detail. The second book is, "The Forgotten Soldier" by Guy Sajer. It is an autobiography of a German soldier on the East Front. Third book is, "Sniper On The Eastern Front", by Albrecht Wacker. They are about the memiors of Sepp Allerberger. It looks interesting. Last book is one many are familair with, "Panzer Commander." I read the preface and it was very interesting. Cant wait to read this book.

Last edited by mooxe on Mon Aug 04, 2014 9:19 pm; edited 6 times in total

#2: at the moment Author: ANZAC_TackLocation: Australia PostPosted: Fri Jan 12, 2007 9:37 am
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"TOBRUK" released this year by a sydney journalist who wrote kokoda, good mix of australian soldiers diaries, general morehouse and letters from rommell and stories from italian soldiers"barbarians from the colinies"as they called the aussies.

first half of book follows soldiers training,accounts, many humarous"british soldiers would see a MP when drinking, and hoof it, aussies would say, hay we outnumber them, lets hook in to em!" just begun second half, the hasty retreat over hundrens of miles to the 'aussie alimo,with a good ending' amazing how these 'bushmans artillery('cooks,drivers and infantrymen using captured italian guns/anti tank guns)putting old 47mm ATGs on sandbags and bricks,as they had no mounts! firing and picking up the barrell to fire again! killing a german general!(a GHW (sorry to pissed to get up and check names) something attached oversear who went into scout)

next is 'the great war'.
love xmas presents these days!Burp...oh and the beer presents are sadly gone...

#3:  Author: God4SakenLocation: Melbourne, Australia PostPosted: Fri Jan 12, 2007 11:23 am
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G'day all. For Tack, I've started reading Les Carlyon's "The Great War", which I got for Xmas (Along with obligatory socks/underwear and (Thank God!) some booze. So far it is absolutely excellent and highly recommended. For those of you unaware of Aussie author Carlyon's works, this is his second major book, following on the heels of "Gallipoli". Both are non-fiction books that deal with the Australian Army in WW1, with "The Great War" focussing on the battlefields of the Western Front. It's as thick as a Chinese phonebook, and I find it hard to put down, but it is compelling reading (Even though I should be studying).

My favourite part so far is how Carlyon describes this Aussie soldier in the trenches in France who went out, got drunk but lost his way on returning to his trench. Winding up at a British trench, he told them that he couldn't return late without some sort of excuse, otherwise he'd be AWOL. So he went over to the German lines, threatened to throw a grenade into their bunker unless one of them agreed to surrender to him. One of the Germans did, but the Aussie was too tired/drunk to carry all his gear, back to his trench. So he made his German POW carry it all, even his rifle, although he remarked to the British soldiers on his return, that he'd take the rifle off the POW as the got nearer to the Aussie positions "As it might look bad".

"Gallipoli" was also just as great, both should be required reading by everybody here at CloseCombatSeries.

#4: Re: What are you reading? Author: ZAPPI4Location: Belgium Liege PostPosted: Fri Jan 12, 2007 2:40 pm
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mooxe wrote:
... The second book is, "The Forgotten Soldier" by Guy Sajer. It is an autobiography of a German soldier on the East Front. ( A very excellent book, u ll feel in the RUssian snow uncer bombing and partisant in this book... It's very very nice detailed and really nice writted ...) Third book is, "Sniper On The Eastern Front", by Albrecht Wacker. They are about the memiors of Sepp Allerberger. It looks interesting. Last book is one many are familair with, "Panzer Commander." I read the preface and it was very interesting. Cant wait to read this book.


Actually i'm reading a book named " Les bienveillantes" 1/2 read and it's a good book ... Story of a SD officier during the WW2 on many front ... It's not the better i read, i prefered " Le soldat oublié" forgotten soldier.... But it's even a good book but really if u readed the forgotten soldier u'll get nothing more by reading Les bienveillantes, except maybe the personnal feeling of this SD officer.....

#5:  Author: Pzt_Kevin_dtnLocation: USA PostPosted: Fri Jan 12, 2007 3:00 pm
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I'm just finishing up The Battle of Okinawa by George Feifer. Talk about intense and bloody battle.

For Christmas I got:
Not Ordinary Men by John Colvin - Based on the battle of Kohima (India)
Gate of Fire by Steven Pressfield - based on battle of Thermopylae (480 BC)

Not sure which one I'll start next.

I'd like to find a good book based on:
- WWII Allied Campaign on Italy. I know Rick Atkinson is writing one but its not finished yet. Atkinson won a Pulitzer Prize for penning a good book titled Army at Dawn based on the Allied North African campaign 1942-1943.
- I'm also interested in delving into the Napoleanic Wars - any suggested reading (besides Tolstoy)?
- I think I might go and get Cornelius Ryan's works as well even though I've seen the movies a ton of times (Longest Day, A Bridge Too Far)

Yes I'll admit it, I'm also looking forward to the last Harry Potter book. There I said it and am not ashamed of it. Wink

#6:  Author: Dima PostPosted: Fri Jan 12, 2007 3:46 pm
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Technics of industrial fishery lol

#7:  Author: UberdaveLocation: Kansas, USA PostPosted: Fri Jan 12, 2007 4:55 pm
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'Frontsoldaten' by Stephen G. Fritz.

#8:  Author: GS_v_WitzlebenLocation: Spessart / Germany PostPosted: Fri Jan 12, 2007 5:52 pm
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"Erinnerungen eines Soldaten" Heinz Guderian

kind of biography

#9:  Author: PolemarchosLocation: Polemarchopolis PostPosted: Fri Jan 12, 2007 6:39 pm
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Reinhard Gehlen - The Service (great Intelligence info)

Partisan Warfare L.V. Richards ( good)

Antony Beevor - Crete (am a little disappointed)

Aspects on Asymmetric Warfare - Nomos Scientific Study Group

I never stop reading those three, cause they are endlessly long:
Command Magazine - Hitler's Army Evolution and Structure of German Forces 1933-1945 ( 40 Essays about everything!) Everybody needs that

Percy E. Schramm: War Diary Wehrmacht 1940-1945 8 Books (1500 pages each)

Helmut Heiber & David M Glantz : Hitler and his Generals
All surviving stenographic record of the military conferences of OKW from 1942-1945 - Awesome book for research bought it in the US for just 18$
( i think it may be controversial possessing the last two in Germany, but i dont care since i use them for scientific inquiry)

p.s. Gates of Fire is an very good book!!!! have fun reading it pal... Afterwards
read herodot's histories to get a full picture of the battle

#10: yeh Author: AT_Stalky PostPosted: Fri Jan 12, 2007 6:44 pm
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Inside Hitler's Headquarters 1939-45, W. Warlimont - xlnt...

C.A Ehrensvärds books, and after his death his diarys is awalible.
XLNT - XLNT - XLNT..
Compare his wrighting in books "nice - but edgy" to his wrighting in his diary, his own deep inner thoughts, and train of thoughts. .. .. . ..

And yes, Helmut Heiber & David M Glantz : Hitler and his Generals its a xlnt book, i agree..

B. von Lossbergs book from 1948 is intretsing to, many plans he was into is in it. hard to get hold of though...

Stalk

#11:  Author: Pzt_MacLocation: Oregon PostPosted: Fri Jan 12, 2007 7:12 pm
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'Running with Scissors' - freaky deaky shit.

'The Principles of War' - which I am continuously reading.

#12:  Author: pvt_GruntLocation: Melbourne, Australia PostPosted: Fri Jan 12, 2007 11:37 pm
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God4Saken wrote:
G'day all. For Tack, I've started reading Les Carlyon's "The Great War", which I got for Xmas (Along with obligatory socks/underwear and (Thank God!) some booze.


I was in Borders at Chadstone with a gift certificate in my hand a few weeks ago. I nearly picked up this book - I wish I had now. I guess I'll buy it myself.

#13:  Author: BlackstumpLocation: Hunter Valley Australia PostPosted: Sat Jan 13, 2007 12:16 am
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Mark Urban's Rifle's (6 years with Wellingtons sharp shooters )

#14:  Author: maedhrosfr PostPosted: Sat Jan 13, 2007 1:50 am
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"jusqu'au bout de la resistance", its a book about concentration camp, 50 persons describe their "live" in this hell. a good book.

#15: how did i know... Author: ANZAC_TackLocation: Australia PostPosted: Sat Jan 13, 2007 3:13 am
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Polemarchos.. i knew u would post about a dozen books! but we do it for fun! lol, no i know you do also ;o)

but where are the funny quotes, brief cretiques? 1500 pages dosent sound very fun to me...

i read about 30 mins a nite, sometimes i get a marathon day, like yesterday, 1 1/2 hrs at the pool, then 1 hour last night. love holidays, i can go a book every 3/4 days, aint it grand! but my new job has gone 'pernament' and there is overtime to the end of MAY! 6 days a week, maybe some 12 hr days...oh the pain, but oh the overtime$$$

#16:  Author: yukongoldLocation: Whitehorse,Canada PostPosted: Sat Jan 13, 2007 5:17 am
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Quote:
The second book is, "The Forgotten Soldier" by Guy Sajer. It is an autobiography of a German soldier on the East Front.


Mooxe, The Forgotten Soldier is an excellent read. It has had a fair bit of criticism as to whether it is ficticious or acually based on Sajer's experiences. I have had a copy for some twenty years and have read it several times. My personal view is that there is no way Sajer could have described the events without having experienced them.........not so much in terms historic accuracy, rather, in his personal reflections. I would be interested in hearing your view after you have read it.

Read more about the debate.........

http://members.shaw.ca/grossdeutschland/sajer.htm

#17:  Author: Dima PostPosted: Sun Jan 14, 2007 12:30 am
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The Forgotten Soldier... well it was my first memoir book written by non-high officer, usually they were Chiefs of Staff, Commanders of Army Groups,etc.
It has shocked me actually...especially the part of their attack on soviet trenches and then soviet counter offence...well u prolly remember when he had returned with Mosin rifle instead of Kar in the end.

In no way to be used as historical reference tho it does content very interesting subjective vision on the events happened.

But well, i don't like memoirs since the time i've got access to some first hand/archive accounts.

Some examples:

1.Guderian writes that he met T-34 in september 1941 for the first time.
Actually in July 1941 T-34 were already in Kummersdorf for tests...I can post some photos of captured T-34 in June Wink.

2.One german tanker(who was infantryman, then tried to become FJ) had met tons of T-34-85 during Kursk offensive, he even describes how 85mm shell pen.ed frontal armour of his Stu.PzIV and killed everyone but him Wink.
Anyway don\t remember his name, had his memoirs as e-version. Gave link to kamf, maby he still has it...
In reality production of the T-34-85 has started in December 1943...

Not to tell about tons of memoirs that state that they were engaged by or were engaging IS-3, and some even write about KO 1-2 Smile.

Huh, while iam in mood i gonna post one AAR of first(documented) battle of IS tanks Smile.

#18: Re: how did i know... Author: PolemarchosLocation: Polemarchopolis PostPosted: Sun Jan 14, 2007 1:54 am
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ANZAC_Tack wrote:
Polemarchos.. i knew u would post about a dozen books! but we do it for fun! lol, no i know you do also ;o)

but where are the funny quotes, brief cretiques? 1500 pages dosent sound very fun to me...

i read about 30 mins a nite, sometimes i get a marathon day, like yesterday, 1 1/2 hrs at the pool, then 1 hour last night. love holidays, i can go a book every 3/4 days, aint it grand! but my new job has gone 'pernament' and there is overtime to the end of MAY! 6 days a week, maybe some 12 hr days...oh the pain, but oh the overtime$$$


well actually the war diary is a kind of chronologic encyclopedia for orders and aar of the german army... letters are very tiny and it is indeed not easy to read...

mainly i check up stuff for my own interest or to help some people with historic data in future mods when i find the appropriate order...sometimes even exact data about mgs or AT is given, smoetimes nothing...

dont have a scanner here now but for example the books feature order of battle of the whole german army gropus s in 6 moths intervalls, which alone is fun reading... Also oil supply rates, replacements, organisation and similar stuff is given.

I wouldnt advise anybody buying them cause they are expensive unless ypu really need them for research... Since i analyse yugoslav partisan movement it was usefull to get the german evaluation of each operation conducted against partisans to check how they transformed tactics in the course of the war. The War driary for real is nothing you read linear, you search for segmets e.g which and how many division where threre and what supply did they have by official records minus 20% friction of war and are near to the truth. It is a reading back and forth with references to other handbooks everywhere.

Ps. Anecdote especially for Anzac-Tack : In the book AT-Stalky also praised about the hitler-OKW conversations you can get the exact amout of rifles and mgs the indian legion was given by the germans, something quite interessting for friends of mod feturing exotic units.

Also over 2000 pages Hitler nearly never uses the word Russians, he refers to them as "he", so it becomes a little strage reading. Ofcourse the conversations during high crisis times are read as if they are a bestseller thriller, so get rather this one..

ps.2. damn overtime, hopefully you get repayed as desired.

#19:  Author: chocoleibniz PostPosted: Sun Jan 14, 2007 7:44 pm
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Sajer's The Forgotten Soldier really is excellent. The author has such a descriptive, passionate style that he really takes you into the trenches with him.

The three bits I remember vividly:

1. The description of the artillery barrage. He stresses, then stresses, then stresses again, the sheer terror and indescribable sensations brought about by heavy shelling. I recently lived through the Israeli attack on Beirut and the first thing I thought was: 'Sajer, hey, I now feel more about what you were saying!!!'

2. The bit when they get some supplies in the German base after trekking for a while, and one of them breaks the silence with a hearty 'Oorah Rodina!' prompting great laughter. I laughed out loud with the landser.

3. The bit when they find a billet in some bakery and the description of the top bunk which was situated above the oven!! The sheer ecstacy after trudging through the snow!

#20:  Author: mooxe PostPosted: Mon Jan 15, 2007 12:29 am
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Sajer's book sounds great. I am happy its almost 500 pages. I am almost done It Never Snows In September.... One thing I wont forget is the description a German gave from the ground of the 1st drop of Polish AB troops. He goes on to say how the Luftwaffe swarmed a Polish glilder formation. One of the fighters tore into a glider, and as it was breaking apart in mid air, he could see a jeep, some heavy weaponry and soldiers just falling out of it. Its hard to describe what I think when I read that. I guess its just pure hell and mayhem to be in that situation.

#21:  Author: Dima PostPosted: Mon Jan 15, 2007 9:53 pm
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Quote:
One of the fighters tore into a glider, and as it was breaking apart in mid air, he could see a jeep, some heavy weaponry and soldiers just falling out of it.

6th AARR had lost at least one Tetrarch same way even w/o LW. Doors have just opened in the air.

#22:  Author: RedScorpionLocation: Neverland PostPosted: Thu Jan 18, 2007 3:16 pm
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Im reading a new biography on Archimedes. Im still fascinated by him wanting to burn ships with big mirrors. Imagine if i ever worked? And he preceded Da Vinci with more than 1500 years! Those were the real masterminds of warfare Smile
It was also tried on mythbusters on discovery channel btw, but it didnt work really

#23:  Author: mooxe PostPosted: Thu Jan 18, 2007 5:00 pm
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I think they tried burning wooden ships with big mirrors on Myth Busters....

#24:  Author: PolemarchosLocation: Polemarchopolis PostPosted: Thu Jan 18, 2007 6:02 pm
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on bbc they built an arcimediean claw once...

the claw is dropped over a ship close to the stone walls of the harbour entry and
then it closed his knifes after pulling the rope attached to a crane like structure. Effectively the archeologists managed to raise a trireme 10 feet high and then just lets it roll over. Imagine a devise that flips over ships full with roman inf.

if i am not wrong he also invented also the stone catapult variation.

His palimphest ( a byzantine monch erased archimedes diary and used the paper for a bilble around 1229 AD) is now analysed with modern ultraviolet light...

here is the page. it mainly about mathematic thought...unfortunately no warfare machines blue prints have been found..
http://www.archimedespalimpsest.org/

#25:  Author: RedScorpionLocation: Neverland PostPosted: Fri Jan 19, 2007 11:58 am
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mooxe wrote:
I think they tried burning wooden ships with big mirrors on Myth Busters....


yep^^ and they failed, but idea is awesome.

#26:  Author: Badger-Bag PostPosted: Sun Jan 21, 2007 1:33 am
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I am reading, on and off

Churchill, by Roy Jenkins.
VERY very interesting, in that Jenkins both served in Parliament with Churchill, and was in high office himself, once Chancellor and Home Secretary of G.B. , so not only did he have access to lots of facts and opinion from people that knew Churchill, he knew what high office was.
His style is very revealing of the sort of pressures Churchill dealt with, and the aspects of his life that might not occur to a purely military biographer.

QUITE interesting how much of the behind the scenes dealings of the "Anti-British Empire" USA apparachiks went on during the meetings between Churchill and Rooservelt, and how Churchill thought that we HAD to have the yanks on side, so he didn't really care about the concessions that were forced. He steamrolled people that tried to hang onto places like Deigo Garcia ( I think DG was part of it, anyway, the possessions the Yanks forced us to give up before they would give us worn out destroyers to fight the common enemy of freedom with. Wink ) by saying the Germans might get the lot.

When you read of some of the cold blooded jockeying for position AFTER the war, by various "Allies", it really does make one think, that actually no country has allies, just varyingly murderous and rapacious enemies.

It is slow reading though, because the man was such a surpreme writer of English, each sentance has multiple thoughts embedded in it, you are forever casting your eyes back up the page, and re-reading something, and going Ahh, I missed that the first time. EXTREMELY enjoyable.

#27:  Author: BlackstumpLocation: Hunter Valley Australia PostPosted: Sun Jan 21, 2007 2:51 am
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good book... i like how they set up and dealt with joe kennedy

#28: The Forgotten Soldier Author: mooxe PostPosted: Sat Jan 27, 2007 3:14 am
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I am 3/4 my way through The Forgotten Soldier. The authors descriptions of his experience are breathtaking. This is a very good book, as he states in his book that he lacks the knowledge to describe certain events in words, I can say the same about how I feel about his book.

The events he describes with Paula are equally as good as the battles. He already said he wouldnt see her again, but I keep hoping he does. This book has me immersed in the Eastern front.

There is controversey about the book being fact or fiction. It seems some of the book is proven fact, and some not - but not proven fiction. I know the detail in the conversations quoted have to be made up because nobody can remember that much detail.

This is a book where I cannot wait to read the next chapter. I reccomend this book to everyone who appreciates military history.

#29: Re: The Forgotten Soldier Author: chocoleibniz PostPosted: Thu Feb 01, 2007 1:14 pm
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mooxe wrote:
I am 3/4 my way through The Forgotten Soldier. The authors descriptions of his experience are breathtaking. This is a very good book, as he states in his book that he lacks the knowledge to describe certain events in words, I can say the same about how I feel about his book.

The events he describes with Paula are equally as good as the battles. He already said he wouldnt see her again, but I keep hoping he does. This book has me immersed in the Eastern front.

There is controversey about the book being fact or fiction. It seems some of the book is proven fact, and some not - but not proven fiction. I know the detail in the conversations quoted have to be made up because nobody can remember that much detail.

This is a book where I cannot wait to read the next chapter. I reccomend this book to everyone who appreciates military history.


Ah Paula! You had to remind me of Paula....

#30:  Author: Blackhole PostPosted: Fri Feb 02, 2007 6:52 am
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Didn't read the whole list so I don't know if this was mention but The Beardless Warrior by Richard Matheson was absolutely amazing, I ended up not being able to put it down and reading it in a day. The author served in ww2 and wrote this inspired by that (methinks it could be his way of talking about what happened and use fake names etc., just a hunch) and covers about two weeks in December as the Americans are preparing to cross the Siegfried Line and advance into Germany. Worth anyone's time if you ask me.

Another good book I partially read (1000+ pgs >.<) was In Mortal Combat by John Toland covering the Korean War. Very detailed and told from a day to day firefight to firefight point of view that really made it easy to digest the abundance of data he put in it.

#31:  Author: tripwireLocation: Florida - USA PostPosted: Mon Feb 12, 2007 5:53 pm
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I'm reading "Against All Enemies" by Harold Coyle. Just finished "The Bear and the Dragon" by Clancy.

#32:  Author: dgfredLocation: N.C., USA PostPosted: Tue Feb 13, 2007 4:34 pm
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'Flags of Our Fathers'

#33:  Author: MassivattackLocation: St Priest (France) PostPosted: Thu Feb 15, 2007 12:54 pm
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I remember a book named "Le piéton de Stalingrad" (The pedestrian of Stalingrad) by Francois Suliny. This is the history of a Polish man incorporated in Red Army as captain doctor because he had some knowledge in medicine...
A great tale that show how hard it was to be in soviet army

#34:  Author: mooxe PostPosted: Sat Feb 17, 2007 12:26 am
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Ok finally finished "Sniper on the Eastern Front" by Albrecht Wacker.

This was a pretty quick book. Only 178 pages. It is the memoirs of a German sniper. I liked it, although at times I wondered how much fiction was mixed in. This book probably had the most graphic depictions of wounded and dead soldiers I have ever read in a book. Also, the scenes descibed of torture and mass rape by the Russians was detailed. So detailed that it left me wondering if it was true. I can only assume yes since the book is non-fiction.

After reading three East front books in a row, my thoughts of them all run together sometimes. The end result is all the same though. Mass confusion , flying drumhead court martials, carnage on an unimaginable scale, and finally, fear of capture by the Russians. The endings of all these books were suspenceful. All the soldiers knew they had a better chance surrendering to the Allies.

Anyways, good book. Focused alot on the Gross Deutchland (sp?) regiment.

#35:  Author: US_NIXON PostPosted: Wed Feb 28, 2007 10:46 pm
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W.E.B Griffin Brotherhood of war ( sitll on the Captains )

#36:  Author: platoon_michaelLocation: Right behind you PostPosted: Fri Mar 02, 2007 12:01 am
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I am currently reading "The Lorraine Campaign"
by Hugh M. Cole written for the Center of Military History.

#37:  Author: Badger-Bag PostPosted: Sat Mar 03, 2007 4:01 am
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mooxe wrote:
. Also, the scenes descibed of torture and mass rape by the Russians was detailed. So detailed that it left me wondering if it was true. I can only assume yes since the book is non-fiction.


That's the problem with most memoirs, isn't it. We ALL only remember part of any event we see, failable humans in the first place, we can only see so much of an event because of limits like trauma, too much happening at once, and personal prejudice INEVITABLY making us look at any event we see, in a way unique in each individual. An American soldier (in those days) seeing a German civilian raped, sees a different event to a German civilian seeing it.

And in this case, obviously the German sniper couldn't possibly have SEEN the actual rapes and tortures take place himself, or he would have either been killed, or put a stop to them. So obviously he was reporting either secondhand reports, or on having seen the resuts, most likely.
Massed rapes did in fact take place in the East of germany, and it is pretty certain it was ordered by Stalin as a kind of warfare too, from all accounts. However, particular depictions of particular events in ANY work that isn't by either a Russian that did the raping, or a woman that suffered the rape, quite literally are secondhand at the least. Probably likely to be in essence perfectly truthful, but as you thought, I think, for them to be graphic AND detailed, they are obviously embellished after the fact.

mooxe wrote:
. After reading three East front books in a row, my thoughts of them all run together sometimes. The end result is all the same though. Mass confusion , flying drumhead court martials, carnage on an unimaginable scale, and finally, fear of capture by the Russians. The endings of all these books were suspenceful. All the soldiers knew they had a better chance surrendering to the Allies.

Anyways, good book. Focused alot on the Gross Deutchland (sp?) regiment.


What was the spur to read three in a row, mooxe?. Did you chance on a hoard on ebay or something?.

#38:  Author: Pzt_RasalomLocation: Brisbane, Australia PostPosted: Fri Mar 30, 2007 9:41 am
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Currently re-reading Willi Heinrich's "Cross of Iron"
Had scored movie off eBay so wanted a written refresher
Looking for more good recommendations....

#39:  Author: squadman45 PostPosted: Sat Apr 07, 2007 4:11 pm
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I finish "The battle of Diem Bien Phu" Erwan Bergot

For the napoleonic era i suggest you Waterloo, Alessandro Barbero, very good book, "La marcha de la muerte" Christopher Sommerville cover the british retreat to A Coruña in 1809...... aaa "The russian campaign" clausewitz.

#40:  Author: I_AM_LONO PostPosted: Thu Apr 26, 2007 8:21 pm
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Forgotten Soldier - Guy Sajer

Frontsoldaten - Stephen G Fritz

Blood Red Snow - ?Cant recall Author?

All three of these are excellent reads for those of you who are into the memoir style of ww2 books. They are written from the perspective of regular soldiers day to day experiences at the front. Blood Red Snow was just recently written but is one of the best books i have read in a while. It is about a machine gunner on the eastern front from the time of just before stalingrad to the end of the war. As far as i know these three books are mostly factual.
:Cool

#41: Ya Author: AT_Stalky PostPosted: Sat Apr 28, 2007 10:33 am
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Pansarslaget vid Praga : juli-september 1944 : IV./SS-Panzer-Korps mot 1:a vitryska fronten
- Much good images,
- Good about the lend lease vehicles in RKKA, units they are in etc. Russ author, Russ angle.


And a Swede mil analyze (Printed 1922) of Gas War during WW1, statistic analysis, chemical-combat combined effectiveness, chemical descriptions, etc. VG...

Stalk

#42:  Author: pvt_GruntLocation: Melbourne, Australia PostPosted: Wed May 02, 2007 8:23 pm
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I'm reading "Kokoda" by Peter Fitzsimons. The story of the battle in New Guinea between the 39th Australian miltia and the 144 Japanese. It's a bit slow at the start, as the characters are introduced, but the battle descriptions are gripping. The author savages MacArthur and also Blamey, the Australian general but the book is mostly focused on the troops.

Also, I am landscaping my backyard so I read lots of gardening books Embarassed - A sure sign of getting old!

#43:  Author: Ivan_Zaitzev PostPosted: Thu May 03, 2007 4:14 am
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I am currently reading "Debt of Honor" by Tom Clancy
And triying to buy "A Writer at War" by Antony Beevor

#44:  Author: mooxe PostPosted: Sun Jul 01, 2007 5:43 pm
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I am now reading Belzec, Sobibor, Treblinka: The Operation Reinhard Death Camps by Yitzhak Arad. Its a very factual look at all aspects of the Jewish extermination. Coupled with tons of 1st person accounts and testimony from the Nuremburg trials. Its really really interesting.

The author describes how many Jews were taken from town, experiences of the train conductors, train guards, SS men. Just about everyone involved in the extermination process is represented here.

http://www.amazon.com/Belzec-Sobibor-Treblinka-Operation-Reinhard/dp/0253213053/ref=sr_1_1/102-3637702-8750530?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1183311626&sr=8-1

#45:  Author: squadman45 PostPosted: Mon Jul 02, 2007 7:15 pm
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"Salamanca 1812" Rori Muir.

#46:  Author: Sgt_Baker PostPosted: Sat Jul 14, 2007 9:44 am
    —
Hi to you all!

Does everybody seem to read only about war??? Lighten up, people!

OK, I'm now reading Niccolo Machivelli's "The Prince", as well as Brian Greene's excellent book "The Elegant Universe".

Good day!

#47:  Author: mooxe PostPosted: Fri Aug 24, 2007 2:36 pm
    —
Just read...

Soldat: Reflections of a German Soldier, 1936-1949 by Siegfried Knappe

This was a good book. The most interesting parts were his constant retreating battles vs the Russians, and captivity in a Russian prison camp. The part I looked forward to the most was his reunitment with his wife and two children.

The constant retreating was described as constant crisis. Like a running retreat while being attacked the entire time. Was very interesting.

Now I have just started....

Black Edelweiss: A Memoir of Combat and Conscience by a Soldier of the Waffen-SS by Johann Voss

Just finished the 1st chapter. Its about a very young honourable Waffen-SS soldier who has to come to grips with the war crimes other SS committed. He learned about all the atrocites while in an American POW camp. The book is also baout his time in Karelia, Norway and fighting Americans.

When I am done this one... My last one is...

Seven Days in January: With the 6th SS-Mountain Division in Operation NORDWIND by Wolf T. Zoepf

Looks good.

#48: Hermann Rauschnings book Author: AT_Stalky PostPosted: Tue Nov 27, 2007 10:27 am
    —
Hermann Rauschnings book “Hitler speaks” –Samtal med Hitler Swed edition 1940-
The book was written in 1937-38, by a defecting Nazi.
It tells about Hitler and his plans etc. It tells how he will make any treaty for the good of his cause, and he will break it with out hesitation for the good of his cause. Morale is not for him. He say, Hitler will make treaty even with the arch enemy the communist Soviet , but brake it when it’s in his interest and the time have come. Etc.. His wiev on diff people, and what they are "good for".. He describe the comming holocaust already in 1937-38 though it dint start untill march 1942, -20 millions is planed to be murderd-, "exterminated", slave labours etc...

I feel the book is not actually what Hitler told directly to Rauschning, rather information that has come to Rauschning from his friends or partly from meeting with Hitler.

I can really recommend this book, it’s a scary insight before the actually action begun, and its clear that no matter where Rauschning got the info from, he was well informed.

Stalk

#49:  Author: diggin.robatLocation: Land of the krauts PostPosted: Tue Nov 27, 2007 9:10 pm
    —
W. Balck, Entwicklung der Taktik im Weltkriege, Berlin 1920 (Tactical Developement during the Great War) . A german point of view of the tactical lesson learned in WWI. Today scholarly reflections about the military aspects in depth are mostly anglophone, since in Germany there are very few interested in that matter. So you have to dig out contemporary sources. This book is a first hand account of a prussian militarian, who was an observer of tactical international developements before, during and after the war. It proves the german militery machine´s art of war and it´s ability to react to the envolving demands of an early 20th battle, something which caused the allies much headdache and hundred thousands of men.

Beside this I read the Canadian Official History of WWI (ebook) and Osprey´s book about Vimy Ridge 1917 and a german wartime account on that. For what? We´ll see...

#50:  Author: HawkerHart PostPosted: Thu Dec 06, 2007 4:13 pm
    —
Hey all.

New kid here Smile

Just finished Sea Harrier over the Falklands by "Sharkey" Ward.
Things could have been so different!

About to start: Tanks on the Beaches: A Marine Tanker in the Pacific War by R.M. Neiman and K.W. Estes.

Working in a specialist bookshop has it's perks Very Happy

#51:  Author: dgfredLocation: N.C., USA PostPosted: Fri Dec 28, 2007 3:51 pm
    —
The Rise and Fall of an American Army (US Ground Forces in Vietnam, 1965-1973) by Shelby L. Stanton.

#52:  Author: bexx76 PostPosted: Fri Dec 28, 2007 11:07 pm
    —
les lions morts

SS charlemagne fight in the city of berlin, no hope of victory, only fight for honor..


http://www.ileonimorti.it/it/schifferlied.mp3

http://www.ileonimorti.it/

#53:  Author: dgfredLocation: N.C., USA PostPosted: Wed Jan 02, 2008 5:18 pm
    —
Now re-reading A.Beevor's 'Stalingrad' to get ready for pzjager's Der Kessel Very Happy . Happy, happy, joy, joy.

#54:  Author: AT_Stalky PostPosted: Wed Jan 09, 2008 1:13 pm
    —
As for international literature, I’m just finished re-reading 1) Alan’s Bullock three books on Hitler (all three: “A study in tyranny”), they still today they are so accurate, 1952. I do recomend Bullocks work.
And also 2) “The Revolution of Nihilism, Warning to the West” by the ex nazi Rausching, 1939.

Apart from international, on national literature the last relaxed month has given much time to read, the 1939-45 FM,s speeches (C Günther), a time travel as one read what exact is said when it happens.
And the book (written and printed as the winter war was in the midds dec 1939 -jan 1940) about warning of communist aims and plans for takes over in Sweden.

Stalk

#55:  Author: ronsonLocation: England PostPosted: Sun Feb 10, 2008 10:21 pm
    —
Little book I picked up just recently....'Hurricanes over Murmansk' by John Golley......first published in 1987...

Tells the facinating and almost unknown story of the RAF fighter wing which was sent to Murmansk in 1941.......dispatched there soon after the German invasion of the Soviet Union it tells in a very readable form the story of the men and the conditions in which they served, drawing on mainly the personal diaries and memories of the men involved.

What comes out very strongly in this book is the hospitality of the Russian people and the close co-operation between them and the RAF....something often blurred over or ignored during the post war period.

Recommended Smile

Cheers
Ronson

#56:  Author: jerryheed PostPosted: Tue Mar 04, 2008 10:15 pm
    —
Hans Von Lück - Panzer commander. The memoirs of Colonel Hans von Lück

#57:  Author: crowleyhammer PostPosted: Fri Mar 07, 2008 2:34 pm
    —
I can 100% recommend "iron coffins" by Herbert A Werner, its a fantastic book on the perils of U-Boat warfare during the last years of the war. also as follow up reading to expand on that you may enjoy "torpedo Junction" by Homer H Hickman, this book tells the story from all sides of the U-Boat war off the coast of America.

#58: m Author: ANZAC_TackLocation: Australia PostPosted: Sat Mar 08, 2008 11:28 am
    —
Mathew Reilley:the six sacred stones.

aussie author, its fastm furious,quite often unbeliable, but entertaining! HBO has picked up on a book he read,maybe next year.

read all his books.

kick ass!

#59:  Author: Pzt_RasalomLocation: Brisbane, Australia PostPosted: Sun Mar 09, 2008 8:42 am
    —
Two on the go at the moment
The Grey Goose of Arnhem - only just started it
The End of War - Fair way in; 3 stories in one is sort of what this book is about:- American war correspondent; Russian hero in a penal battalion and a female german celloist trapped in the crumbling fortress of berlin

Pzt_Rasalom
21st PD

#60:  Author: Tippi-SimoLocation: Helsinki PostPosted: Mon Mar 24, 2008 4:40 pm
    —
Anthony Beevor - Berlin 1945

#61:  Author: AT_Stalky PostPosted: Mon Mar 31, 2008 7:32 pm
    —
Been much books latly, much 18xx, but on the WW2 front im reread Halders diary... Its a must read for any WW2 intrested..

#62:  Author: mooxe PostPosted: Mon Apr 14, 2008 7:41 pm
    —
I am off for another month long training ex. I am brining with me....

The Reason Why
The Bear Went Over The Mountain
Frontsoldaten
Blood Red Snow

#63:  Author: mooxe PostPosted: Tue May 20, 2008 4:25 am
    —
mooxe wrote:
I am off for another month long training ex. I am brining with me....

The Reason Why
The Bear Went Over The Mountain
Frontsoldaten
Blood Red Snow



The Bear Went Over The Mountain was a very easy read. Very plain and to the point. Basically a series of AARs of battles with Mujahdeen and Taliban. For the purposes of studying mistakes and learning from them.

Frontsoldaten was an ok book. I feel it quoted the Forgotten Soldier way to much. This book conveys to you the state of mind of a German soldier through letters and books. I wouldnt recommend it.

Blood Red Snow was good. About a machine gunner on the East front. The book was made up from his notes that he took during his time on the front. Very easy read and some very suspenseful entries. I finished it in less than a week. Kept me reading.

#64:  Author: diggin.robatLocation: Land of the krauts PostPosted: Tue May 20, 2008 9:18 am
    —
Already finished: Charles Blondes, Battle of the Marne. Mainly french perspective, but accurate on the german ans french general staffs and their way of command and control in the early WWI.

#65:  Author: AT_Stalky PostPosted: Tue May 20, 2008 9:54 am
    —
Hmm, been so many books lastly, ”Skåda Sovjetunionen i vitögat” translated to English that would be something like ”Looking the Soviet union in the eyeball?”.. Book stretches from WW2 to Cold war ends. Interesting to read more about the Soviet plan during WW2 to occupy Sweden’s north parts, rather “similar” plan as the British and French had when they wanted to move troops over Narvik – Kiruna in 1940 (to occupy Sweden’s iron ore district).. And some Swedish books, like Hägglöfs book Swedish trade during WW2, “Svensk krigshandelspolitik UAVK”
Apart from that it has just been “fun” books about National Economy, World Trade, and Tax Law, Free trade, Tariffs and non tariff trade barriers, and Finances and Calculations, advanced business economics… Not really that fun in compare to WW2..

#66:  Author: Kallen PostPosted: Tue May 27, 2008 11:57 pm
    —
Books I've read lately are...

Panzer Commander, the memoirs of Colonel Hans von Luck(Written by Hans von Luck, of course.)
The Rising Tide by Jeff Shaara
First Strike by Eric Nylund

And right now I'm reading The Assassins by Oliver North

#67:  Author: Fitch PostPosted: Wed Jun 18, 2008 8:16 am
    —
Currently reading The Steel Wave by Jeff Shaara.

If you haven't read it or it's Prequel The Rising Tide, I suggest you get them. Great, Great Read.. But then I've never picked up a Jeff Shaara book I didn't like.

After this one, I dunno, I may go back and try to Finish The Forgotten Soldier, or Through Hell for Hitler, or even Steel Inferno. Then again, I may pick up O'Brian's Aubry/Mautrin series again.

#68:  Author: PopovLocation: Warsaw,Poland PostPosted: Tue Jul 08, 2008 7:09 pm
    —
"Diplomacy" by Henry Kissinger. A thorough analysis of what's been happening in diplomacy/war for the last 200 years. Interesting to see an outsider's opinion on big events in Europe. Very good read about how diplomacy can literally make an impact on how our world looks like. with a lot of maps to illustrate .

#69:  Author: RedScorpionLocation: Neverland PostPosted: Fri Jul 11, 2008 2:37 pm
    —
I got Niklas Zetterlings new book called Blitzkrieg, a dissection of this type of warfare basically and its history... Got through the first chapters and seems promising.

#70:  Author: Tippi-SimoLocation: Helsinki PostPosted: Mon Sep 01, 2008 12:59 pm
    —
Started today Adolf Hitler´s Mein Kampf.
Tried to loan it from library but there is like 50 people in the line before me. Was lucky to find that from one site (e-book) in finnish.

#71:  Author: pzjagerLocation: Paris PostPosted: Sun Sep 07, 2008 11:05 am
    —
Tippi-Simo wrote:
Started today Adolf Hitler´s Mein Kampf.
Tried to loan it from library but there is like 50 people in the line before me. Was lucky to find that from one site (e-book) in finnish.


I could send you the General de gaulle memories.... Don't know if they exist in finnish

PJ

#72:  Author: Tippi-SimoLocation: Helsinki PostPosted: Sun Sep 07, 2008 2:57 pm
    —
Quote:
I could send you the General de gaulle memories.... Don't know if they exist in finnish

Name of the original is: Mémoires d'espoir?
It is in finnish. Totally three books available atm.

#73:  Author: pzjagerLocation: Paris PostPosted: Sun Sep 07, 2008 6:07 pm
    —
Tippi-Simo wrote:
Quote:
I could send you the General de gaulle memories.... Don't know if they exist in finnish

Name of the original is: Mémoires d'espoir?
It is in finnish. Totally three books available atm.


Mmmm! Very happy to learn that CDG memories are available in Finland in finnish language!

Anyway, always happy to see that CDG behaviour is alive, and angry Very Happy when young guys Idea want to teach to
their older Razz
Anyway, throw your Mein Kampf in the next dustbin and read again "Memoires d'Espoir". You can also buy some good books related to what TRULY happened in the Balkans.

PJ

#74:  Author: Tippi-SimoLocation: Helsinki PostPosted: Sat Sep 13, 2008 10:41 pm
    —
Quote:
You can also buy some good books related to what TRULY happened in the Balkans.

Yes I know, but still we are civilized europeans right? But if you think there are some books worth reading about that just PM or post here. Going to start CdG on monday.

#75:  Author: mooxe PostPosted: Wed Oct 22, 2008 2:43 pm
    —
Just got my new pile of books to read...


One Soldier's War - The Battle for Chechnya
Combat Officer - A Memoir of the war in the South Pacific
Guadacanal Diary
Goodbye Darkness - A Memoir of the Pacific War
Requiem for Battleship Yamato
One Square Mile of Hell - The Battle for Tarwara
The Jungle is neutral - A Soldier's Two Year Jungle Escape from the Japanese Army
Cutthroats - The Adventures of a Sherman Tank Driver in the Pacific

#76:  Author: Tippi-SimoLocation: Helsinki PostPosted: Sun Oct 26, 2008 12:53 pm
    —
U-Boat Ace - The Story of Wolfgang Lüth
Mein Kriegstagenbuch - Hans-Ulrich Rudel
White Death - Simo Häyhä
Red Army Panzers (1918-1945) - Pekka Kantakoski This book is huuuge!
With Napoleon in Russia;The Memoirs of General de Caulaincourt Duke of Vicenza
That Clausewitz book about war

^ those are in finnish of course.

First 2 are from book publish company my friend´s friend own (named Koala).
Bought those 6 books from book fair today.

#77:  Author: BungarraLocation: Murchison region, West Australia PostPosted: Sat Jan 03, 2009 10:42 am
    —
Roberts Ridge

Chinook inserts a Seal team on prepared positions atop a mountain peak in Afghanistan during Operation Anaconda

www.youtube.com/watch?v=qy7ySLKaM7I

Documentary on same, or just google Roberts Ridge

#78:  Author: ronsonLocation: England PostPosted: Sat Jan 03, 2009 12:29 pm
    —
Interesting book I picked up just before Christmas:-

'The Polar Bears' by Patrick Delaforce.........ISBN 0 7509 3194 9

Covers the story of the 49th Infantry Divison from Normandy to Holland 1944-45.

Mostly drawn from Regimental histories and personal recollections, its a rare study at Battalion/company level of the Liberation, describing the weapons used and the small unit tactics employed and the evolution of these during combat.

Most of the operations of the Normandy campaign are touched upon here, Epsom, Cormorant, Goodwood, plus some of the less well know like Martlet.

Of particular interest is the description of the battle fought around Rauray during the German counter-attack by the 70th Brigade supported by the Shermans of the 24th Lancers at the start of July '44, in which 31 Panthers were destroyed in one day.

Cheers
Ronson

#79:  Author: flick PostPosted: Sat Jan 03, 2009 3:57 pm
    —
My mum found the above book in a second hand book store, made a nice suprise present.

It was interesting reading about what happens when a battalion has to be dispanded, due to casualties.

#80:  Author: Tippi-SimoLocation: Helsinki PostPosted: Sun Jan 04, 2009 9:54 pm
    —
The Terror of Morocco - A book about finnish army captain Aarne Juutilainen.

#81:  Author: AT_Stalky PostPosted: Thu Jan 08, 2009 3:25 pm
    —
Yah, been many books..
I found a good book about east front. Its written by Kurt von Tippelskirch, in 1951? (Swedish version printed in 1956).

Kurt von Tippelskirch was appointed Staff for Intelligence in the Army General Staff (OKH) and worked analyzing intelligence data connected to Germany’s campaigns of the war and Operation Barbarossa. He was later appointed to other command functions as war went on.



It may be hard to fined but it a buy recommendation if one stumble on it, and price isn’t to high.

#82:  Author: montichan PostPosted: Sun Feb 15, 2009 3:52 am
    —
I finished Sean Naylor's Not a Good Day to Die: Operation Anaconda. Smile

#83:  Author: BungarraLocation: Murchison region, West Australia PostPosted: Sun Feb 15, 2009 11:27 pm
    —
1918 The year of Victories. by Martin Marix Evans pubilished 2003

It tells of the battles that year starting in the desperate attempt by Ludendorf to use his 52 divisions rushed form the eastern front to attack and drive a wedge to the sea between the British and French armies before America could bring enough forces to bear to tip the balance in favour of the Allies. With the objective of forcing forcing them to the peace table.

It could be a classic What if scenario many times over.

The scale in terms of lives lost is hard to comprehend 238 page book 5-10,000 dead and wounded for each page.

I guess it was enevitable that the industrial might of the Allies would eventually overcome the blockade starved Germany. But 52 divisions with their Artillery is a pretty good reserve. It is interesting to note that near 2 million men were taken from the german ranks with influenza of whom 180,000 by that time under nourished men died, 400,000 German civilians also perished.

It also tells of the Americans blooding in battle and how they halted the last German offensive. They then went on the offensive themselves.

The scale of lives lost, the gas, the high explosive, it was no doubt Hell on Earth.

For What?.......is it natures way of Culling Mankind?. Hate to say it but I think so

#84:  Author: AT_Stalky PostPosted: Wed Mar 25, 2009 9:06 pm
    —
Found a gem of a book, in Swedish unfortunaty, but anyway,

Föreläsningar Öfver Krigskonsten (Lectures about the art of war)

Printed in 1839,
It cover the latest in war developement and statistic analyzis, and and and and... 407 pages of the Swedish latest military thoughts and also description and analyzes of the main European armys new tactics and how they worked in latest conflict and new untested tactics and conclusions about em.
Im drewling, and with the page glewed in back that can unfold like a big page with artilliry illustrating the latest and fastes way to handle artillery (the arthur claims they are best in Europe at this at the time"?")..
I just love it.... Another extreamly fun thing (for me) is that the book have belonged to a high military man born 1770 - dead 1843 and was in the end the commander of a army, and was in some of Swedens wars (russia), his ex libris (Bookplate) is inside the cover, and his markings/comments in the book, so I alos resershing him now....

If i have time i must make a seperate thread and scan some images and comments, this book is awsome, history of man who owned it is awsome... Im walking on clouds...

#85:  Author: schreckenLocation: Sydney, Australia PostPosted: Wed Mar 25, 2009 9:22 pm
    —
TOBRUK - Peter Fitzsimmons

Nice light easy read.... Fitzsimmons tries too hard to be a friend of the old "rats"

Picks up a few good quotes from diaries and letters home.

Hard to recommend , but not a complete waste of time.

#86:  Author: Therion PostPosted: Wed Mar 25, 2009 10:24 pm
    —
C.L. Werner - Blood for the Blood God - a Warhammer Fantasy novel.


Osprey - Moscow 1941
Polish versions of some of Osprey's books appeared on the market and (unlike some other products, for example games and music) their price was adjusted to local economy, so I bought one of them Smile .

#87:  Author: BungarraLocation: Murchison region, West Australia PostPosted: Thu Mar 26, 2009 3:14 am
    —
3 PARA : told by Patrick Bishop

3 Para in Afghanistan 2006, published 2007

A classic read of modern combat told how it is. Paratroopers are meant for mobile warfare, their mission was to win hearts & minds in Helmand province where the Taliban had reasserted their presence. The deployment started well but ended being seige warfare from static positions in 4 towns. At the request of the Afghan government the Paras had to shore up the local Police authority. (ANP). Pretty hard to win hearts and minds when the local population despised the corrupt Police as much as the Taliban. Very disturbing for the soldiers to watch the ANP whisk young boys away, molest them and watch them clean themselves up in the river. The Paras were constantly attacked in their static bases but repelled them all with the help of air support and sheer grit. The problems of resupply from the air with a limited number of Chinooks. Road resupply was always ambushed by the Taliban who though poorly trained would not let up. The Paras took casualties dead & wounded but thy gave it back 100 fold. They were so sucessful that no more young Afghany men would join the Taliban for they knew it meant death. Taliban reinforcements were Pakistani who trekked across the desert. It descibes the 1000 yard stare from being in continual combat night and day with minimal rest. Of patrolling every day, you know you are going to be ambushed you just don't know where. Seeing your mates go and wondering if you are next. The Political wrangling where the soldiers are the pawns. In the end half the towns were flattened repelling the daily attacks, the local population fleeing. So much for the good will

I recommend it as it does tell it like it is and I dips my lid to the professioalism of all the allied soldiers & airman of NATO for they are doing a tough job not made any easier by the powers that be. Its easy to say go here do that but in reality it is far from easy. They do their job more than well because they really are A band of bothers

#88: Re: What are you reading? Author: AT_Stalky PostPosted: Sun Jun 14, 2009 7:04 pm
    —
Not a book review made in 2,5 month. Hmmm, have we just forgot to post, or have we stopped reading?  Shocked

Men, I assume we all gone read a book or a pile of books this summer. Lets make a short review here in this thread and share some opinions about em books.
This thread is read 6000+ times, so your opinions and recommendations is appreciated by the community.

Happy summer reading men, and dont forget to wright a few lines about the book(s).  

S


Last edited by AT_Stalky on Sat Sep 12, 2009 8:17 pm; edited 1 time in total

#89: Re: What are you reading? Author: Wonder9 PostPosted: Sat Sep 12, 2009 4:24 pm
    —
An Army at Dawn by Rick Atkinson

Covers the US army's North African campaign in WWII from Operation Torch to the capture of Tunis. Very insightful read about some of the early difficulties experienced by American troops and commanders when they were green and untested in battle.


Almost finished with it and soon to start on The Day of Battle by the same author. Covers the Sicilian and Italian campaigns.

#90: Re: What are you reading? Author: mooxe PostPosted: Thu Oct 15, 2009 10:37 pm
    —
Cutthroats - The Adventures of a Sherman Tank Driver in the Pacific.

Robert C. Dick

non-fiction


Good book, 247 pages. Funny to. Authro describes how horrible it was to drive an M3 Stuart, awkward controls, bad intercom communications, no space to move.... When they get the Sherman is was better but still pretty awkward. havent read up to the combat portion of this book but so far its very entertaining. A story right from the veterans mouth.

#91: Re: What are you reading? Author: Tippi-SimoLocation: Helsinki PostPosted: Tue Dec 01, 2009 9:29 am
    —
End of this year I hope that I have finished all Dostojevski´s novels.

#92: Re: What are you reading? Author: tripwireLocation: Florida - USA PostPosted: Tue Dec 01, 2009 7:48 pm
    —
Re-reading all of John Le Carré's novels.

Into 'A Small Town in Germany' right now.

#93: Re: What are you reading? Author: Infidel PostPosted: Wed Dec 02, 2009 3:51 am
    —
I'm reading Black Hawk Down, the true story.  It's about 100% better than the average quality film is.  Loving it.

#94: Re: What are you reading? Author: papa_whisky PostPosted: Wed Dec 02, 2009 12:33 pm
    —
Panzer Leader. Guderian, Heinz (1952) Sets out very clearly why Nazi Germany lost the war against the Soviet Union, and an interesting insight into German military thought.



tripwire wrote (View Post):
Re-reading all of John Le Carré's novels.

Into 'A Small Town in Germany' right now.


I have read all of his books and enjoyed them all

#95: Re: What are you reading? Author: tripwireLocation: Florida - USA PostPosted: Wed Dec 02, 2009 8:20 pm
    —
Yeah, Papa W., he just keeps getting better in his writing.

Have you read his last two?  'The Mission Song' and 'A Most Wanted Man'? Extremely well-made stories and very insightful world-views woven into deeply personal character interplay.

#96: Re: What are you reading? Author: papa_whisky PostPosted: Thu Dec 03, 2009 4:50 am
    —
Yes I have read them all, and many of them more than once. I like Carre's politics, enjoy the company of his partially dysfunctional characters, and his observations on human nature. I agree he just gets better.

#97: Re: What are you reading? Author: Ivan_Zaitzev PostPosted: Thu Dec 03, 2009 11:36 pm
    —
Finished reading "Pegasus Bridge" of Ambrose, and I can´t take the bridge in TLD!  Laughing  Laughing  Laughing

#98: Re: What are you reading? Author: Infidel PostPosted: Fri Dec 04, 2009 12:53 am
    —
Haha I'm defending it in GJS, I may dig out my copy and read it next now you mention it.

#99: Re: What are you reading? Author: Therion PostPosted: Wed Jan 27, 2010 1:29 am
    —
Gerald Astor - The Bloody Forest: Battle for the Hurtgen: September 1944-January 1945
A truly grimdark book about one of the bloodiest battles of the Western Front. Lots of personal accounts make it a-must-read for a Close Combat fan.
Too bad I have to return it to the library...

Also, I have found a something very rare today - Rajmund Szuba?ski - Pancerne boje wrze?nia (Armoured combat of September) - a book about Polish armoured units during the september campaign.

#100: Re: What are you reading? Author: Therion PostPosted: Wed Jan 27, 2010 1:30 am
    —
Gerald Astor - The Bloody Forest: Battle for the Hurtgen: September 1944-January 1945
A truly grimdark book about one of the bloodiest battles of the Western Front. Lots of personal accounts make it a-must-read for a Close Combat fan.
Too bad I have to return it to the library...

Also, I have found a something very rare today - Rajmund Szubanski - Pancerne boje wrzesnia (Armoured combat of September) - a book about Polish armoured units during the september campaign.

#101: Re: What are you reading? Author: iDot PostPosted: Wed Jan 27, 2010 1:51 am
    —
i have just finished reading red pheonix. Someone should make a mod of that book for cc5 Razz

#102: Re: What are you reading? Author: schreckenLocation: Sydney, Australia PostPosted: Wed Jan 27, 2010 3:45 am
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http://www.strategypage.com/wargames/articles_news/closecombat.asp


Done a lot of research for that title... even played the dev build...not a game yet but had some interesting stuff.

#103: Re: What are you reading? Author: schreckenLocation: Sydney, Australia PostPosted: Wed Jan 27, 2010 3:46 am
    —
The next in the series, Close Combat: Red Phoenix™, is a realistic real-time strategy game set on the challenging terrains of today’s Korean peninsula. Loosely based on the New York Times best-selling novel by Larry Bond, Red Phoenix puts players in command of a reinforced rifle platoon of U.S. Marines or South Korean soldiers fighting against an invasion by North Korea in 2006. Red Phoenix is scheduled for worldwide release in early 2005.


can't edit above^

#104: Re: What are you reading? Author: Pzt_CrackwiseLocation: Switzerland PostPosted: Wed Jan 27, 2010 11:17 am
    —
As a novel related with WW2, I would recommend "Death is Called Engelchen" by Ladislav Mnacko. It is about partisan activity in the former Yugoslavia territory against the German occupation. I don't know if it is sold now though, I had read it when I was a kid. Maybe you can find it in bookstores who sell old, used books.

#105: Re: What are you reading? Author: iDot PostPosted: Fri Jan 29, 2010 1:26 am
    —
schrecken wrote (View Post):
The next in the series, Close Combat: Red Phoenix™, is a realistic real-time strategy game set on the challenging terrains of today’s Korean peninsula. Loosely based on the New York Times best-selling novel by Larry Bond, Red Phoenix puts players in command of a reinforced rifle platoon of U.S. Marines or South Korean soldiers fighting against an invasion by North Korea in 2006. Red Phoenix is scheduled for worldwide release in early 2005.


can't edit above^


ATTENTION, IF YOU HAVE NOT READ RED PHEONIX THIS NEXT PART CONTAINS SPOILERS!!!!

man just a platoon? you could do the full korean peninsula in cc5 I reakon and have the full effects of the book (I know Patton told me not to but im going to assume you have read the book as well.) If you did a mod with all available troops from the book it would be interesting to see if the Americans and the South Koreans could actually try and hold the North at Seoul rather than falling back to Taejon and outflanking the massively outstreched North Korean forces.

Oh well dreams are free, it wont get made less i make it and I have tried modding and did not succeed lmao Wink, but if anyone else is interested im more than happy to give my thoughts, read the book a few times now.

#106: Re: What are you reading? Author: bagde58 PostPosted: Sat Jan 30, 2010 6:08 pm
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Just finished "Napoleon biography" by J. Tarle  Idea

#107: Re: What are you reading? Author: vernerLocation: Danmark PostPosted: Wed Feb 24, 2010 5:23 pm
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a most read book for this forum is "lost victories" by eric von manstein ...  brilliant book..

regards verner

#108: Re: What are you reading? Author: CC_CO PostPosted: Wed Feb 24, 2010 6:54 pm
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Reading Antony Beavers "STALINGRAD". The book is probably one of the cornerstones in all litteratur related to the battle. 400 pages. A must read!

#109: Re: What are you reading? Author: vernerLocation: Danmark PostPosted: Wed Feb 24, 2010 9:03 pm
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got it  Very Happy   nice book and cornelius ryan is also a MOST READ  Smile

#110: Re: What are you reading? Author: mooxe PostPosted: Thu Mar 18, 2010 6:01 am
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I have been reading a book for months now. Usually just 15minutes in bed a few nights a week. I cant remember the name of it actually! It is non-fiction. Its about the three soldiers in WW1, all ended up being killed in action, and thier bodies were not recovered, or were buried as unknowns. Those three stories are pieced together by witnesses, friends, family and official reports. The next part of the book details how thier families tried to find thier remains through the government and actually visiting the grave sites just after WW1. The final chapters deal with how England, the USA and other Allied countried came to honour the unknown soldier. It describes how each country chose its unknown soldier from the graves and how they were honored, the same honors still payed today each Nov 11th. Its very interesting.

For England's unknown soldier they did this...

Three teams, unaware of each other, unaware of the greater meaning to thier tasks were all sent out to various battlegrounds of France. They were instructed to unearth one unknown soldier and bring that body back at a specific time. They were to inspect the body for any type of identification at all. If there was so much as a button that would tell what unit the man was from, then the body was not suitable. All three teams had thier return timings staggered so as not find out about one another. At midnight, one casket was randomly chosen by someone who did not know from which area the bodies were taken from. The secrecy was very important. The government wanted to make sure that all families of soldiers who remains could not be identified had an equal chance of the unknown soldier being thier son or father etc. The USA and France did much the same in terms of secrecy.

I did some online research about the Canadian Unknown soldier. We brought an unknown soldier back only in the year 2000!

#111: Re: What are you reading? Author: Wastemoreland PostPosted: Fri Mar 19, 2010 8:54 am
    —
When a Sparrow falls. By Wilbur Smith.

Amusing story.

#112: Re: What are you reading? Author: Infidel PostPosted: Fri Mar 19, 2010 11:30 am
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Haha Wilbur Smith is brilliant, mindless action tales that you just can't put down.  I think that may have been the first one I read too, years ago, and now I own them all!  Enjoy it mate.

#113: Re: What are you reading? Author: Dundradal PostPosted: Wed Apr 07, 2010 11:58 pm
    —
Admiral John H. Towers: The Struggle for Naval Air Supremacy - Clark Reynolds

Cosmos - Carl Sagan

Thutmose III: The Military Biography of Egypt's Greatest Warrior King - Richard A. Gabriel

#114: Re: What are you reading? Author: Infidel PostPosted: Thu Apr 08, 2010 11:48 am
    —
"How to Fit Your New Ikea Wardrobe"

This one's a God damned fucking mission to read.

#115: Re: What are you reading? Author: Tippi-SimoLocation: Helsinki PostPosted: Thu Apr 08, 2010 12:36 pm
    —
Dead Souls by Nikolai Gogol.
Have to read sometimes fiction. History is pretty heavy stuff.
Have spared 3 books for my trip so far:
- Stalingrad, Beevor
- The Mind of Stalin.. , Rancour-LaFerriere
- The Siege of Leningrad 41-44, Seppälä (published by the biggest commie butt licker in the world: Johan Bäckman http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johan_B%C3%A4ckman)

#116: Re: What are you reading? Author: 7A_WoulfLocation: Sweden PostPosted: Wed Jul 07, 2010 10:11 pm
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Have just spent a few hours reading "Hell's Highway, the true story of the 101st Airborne Division during operation Market Garden, September 17-25, 1944" by John Antal.

If you want to know the background of the division and every battalion movement of the 101st during MG it's a nice book with a few interesting facts, but it's full of flaws as well.  Mad

As an American book about American soldiers, every German gun is a 'FlaK 88', all German SP Guns are StuG III, the SS are fanatics sitting on tanks shouting "I want to die for Hitler" and except for the tactical maps, the Germans are a faceless mass. (And when they mention German units, they place Sturmgeschützbrigade 280 against the 101st, even though it fought in Arnhem and Oosterbeek...)

They can't even accept the fact that Luftwaffe had air-superiority during this battle, and when describing the German air-raid on Eindhoven on September 19 it's very important to point out that 227 Dutch civilians were killed and several hundred were wounded; -I just wonder how many civilians were killed in Allied air-raids during the liberation of Europe?!?  Rolling Eyes

Finally, the pictures in the book is a strange story! 1/3 is real pictures from 1944, as it should be.
-But 1/3 are modern reenactors of the division and the last 1/3 are screen-shots from the  'Brothers In Arms' games!!  Rolling Eyes
I know that the book is released as a part of the release of 'Brothers In Arms: Hell's Highway', but still....

#117: Re: What are you reading? Author: mooxe PostPosted: Wed Jul 07, 2010 11:55 pm
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7A_Woulf wrote (View Post):


Finally, the pictures in the book is a strange story! 1/3 is real pictures from 1944, as it should be.
-But 1/3 are modern reenactors of the division and the last 1/3 are screen-shots from the  'Brothers In Arms' games!!  Rolling Eyes
I know that the book is released as a part of the release of 'Brothers In Arms: Hell's Highway', but still....


Screenshots from a computer game are in a book like that? Funny!


I am reading Iron Coffins at the moment. Such an excellent first person account of the U-Boat war.

#118: Re: What are you reading? Author: Ignacio PostPosted: Thu Jul 08, 2010 2:35 pm
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I am reading "Hitler Moves EAst" by Paul Carell. Great Book!

#119: Re: What are you reading? Author: Therion PostPosted: Thu Jul 08, 2010 9:55 pm
    —
AMBUSH ALLEY: THE MOST EXTRAORDINARY BATTLE OF THE IRAQ WAR
Reading it makes me glad that I never went to army O_o . I've read the beginning and it already shows tons of boredom, internal conflicts, incompetence and all the stuff annoying like that.

#120: Re: What are you reading? Author: kawasakyLocation: Zagreb, Hrvatska PostPosted: Fri Jul 09, 2010 2:31 pm
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A few that I've read within past 6 months:

John Keegan: The American Civil War is a pretty good read although there are some simplifications and influence of the unionist propaganda i.e. it was fought bcs of slavery, but all in all it is a good book and I recommend it. Beware, maps are a must while reading this!!!

David S. Wyman: The Abandonment of the Jews is well written and easily read book on what the West (USA primarily) could have done, but passed the chance, in order to save at least several hundred thousands of Jews.

Viktor Suvorov: Spetsnaz, and I ve found an online edition for anyone interested:
http://militera.lib.ru/research/suvorov6/index.html
V.Suvorov: GRU is a great book about the Soviet military intel.

Max Hastings: Retribution is generally a good read on the last two years of the Pacific-Asian conflict, although there are a few errors, although nothing crucial. I really enjoyed a huge chapter about China and Burma.

Then a bit of repetition with J.S.Mill's On Liberty, and right now I am reading Quiet flows the Don (Mikhail Skholohov) after 15 years and enjoying it as much as the first time I've read it. Exclamation

#121: Re: What are you reading? Author: pagskier PostPosted: Fri Jul 09, 2010 6:11 pm
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I'm reading
Holding Juno from Mark Zuehlke
just after the read of Juno Beach from the same author
it's good. After I,ll read Terrible Victory speaking of holland still by the main author
it speaks of the Canadian troops

#122: Re: What are you reading? Author: Dundradal PostPosted: Fri Jul 09, 2010 11:32 pm
    —
Just started Dallas Isom's "Midway Inquest: Why the Japanese Lost the Battle of Midway"

It's interesting so far, but you can tell Isom is a lawyer and not a historian. The book is written like a closing argument, however so far I've been impressed with his research.

#123: Re: What are you reading? Author: Superkala PostPosted: Thu Sep 09, 2010 2:15 am
    —
It Never Snows In September, Robert J Kershaw

Actually its only my third book on the war i own, so i appear to be a ways behind here ;)

Right now im looking for a book setting down some cold hard realities about the various tanks and what their guns(and armour) could or couldnt do. Preferably one i agree with, but ya know Wink maybe ill find a reference to one in this thread.

#124: Re: What are you reading? Author: US_BrakeLocation: USA PostPosted: Thu Sep 09, 2010 1:27 pm
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Infantry Tactics of the Second World War, Steven Bull & Gordon L Rottman

Moscow 1941 Hitler's first defeat, Robert Forczyk  Opsrey

Darby's Rangers We Led The Way, William O Darby

Aug-Sep issue of World at War The Strategy & Tactics of WWII Magazine

#125: Re: What are you reading? Author: 7A_WoulfLocation: Sweden PostPosted: Thu Sep 09, 2010 7:43 pm
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Sons of the Reich II SS Panzer Corps, by Michael Reynolds.

-When I can pull myself to pick it up, one book heavy on details and facts...  Rolling Eyes

#126: Re: What are you reading? Author: schreckenLocation: Sydney, Australia PostPosted: Thu Sep 09, 2010 9:16 pm
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It Never Snows in September concurrently with Sons of The Reich II

#127: Re: What are you reading? Author: Therion PostPosted: Thu Sep 09, 2010 10:05 pm
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The Kindly Ones

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Kindly_Ones_(Littell_novel)

Awesome WWII novel. 820 pages long.

#128: Re: What are you reading? Author: mooxe PostPosted: Thu Sep 09, 2010 11:06 pm
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Therion wrote (View Post):
The Kindly Ones

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Kindly_Ones_(Littell_novel)

Awesome WWII novel. 820 pages long.


non-fiction?

#129: Re: What are you reading? Author: papa_whisky PostPosted: Fri Sep 10, 2010 1:04 am
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The Kindly Ones appears to have had mixed reviews, but some big names gave it impressive reviews. It is historical fiction, sounds controversial, and probably a must read. Thanks Therion for the heads up.

#130: Re: What are you reading? Author: Therion PostPosted: Sat Sep 11, 2010 5:30 pm
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mooxe wrote (View Post):
Therion wrote (View Post):
The Kindly Ones

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Kindly_Ones_(Littell_novel)

Awesome WWII novel. 820 pages long.


non-fiction?

Historical fiction. It's very interesting because the protagonist is an intellectual that loves philosophy, literature, etc. and a sexual deviant. And a Nazi.
It shows the horror of the holocaust from perspective whose job was killing Jews. Mental breakdowns, soldiers vomiting during executions, and stuff like that.
Also, it shows how most of people who were doing that stuff were normal people without specific predispositions for killing other people.

#131: Re: What are you reading? Author: Hesus PostPosted: Tue Oct 26, 2010 6:37 pm
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Well for now i am reading Cicero: The Life and Times of Rome's Greatest Politician. Not really WWII related but still nice to read.

#132: Re: What are you reading? Author: stienerLocation: Gibsons B.C. canada PostPosted: Tue Oct 26, 2010 9:22 pm
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me and mooxe seem to have the same taste....  Shocked  ....i also like the german versions of WW2  Cool
i have read "it never snows in sept"...this is a very very good book and now applies to LSA......if you have never read it get it.
Panzer Commander is another book i have read a few times...is about Hans Von Luck, panzer commander.....another great read......his exploits in normandy are are worth the price of the book.
i also have all the Michael Reynolds books on the SS panzer corps. these books are amazing..the detail etc...amazing. the german side of the battles .....a real eye opener. im still reading thse now.
"Steel inferno" 1SS panzer corps in normandy is a must read, by michael reynolds......very good insite into the battles at normandy.
i have, but havent read yet is the "Devils Adjutant" by michael reynolds about Jochen Peiper.
and of course as other have said here any book written by Mark Zuelke..a fellow Canuck...about the canadains, are first class books. his Juno beach books are again a real insite into the fighting at normandy and when you have read the german side to....well it puts it all into perpesctive.
"ortona"[ little stalingrad ] by Mrk Zuelke is really good too.....about the battle of Ortona italy...canadian VS German para's......Wow.....is all i can say.

i dont want to start anything here but the new material thats come out over id say the last 10 years on WW2, have confirmed an interesting fact....that prisoners were sometimes not taken on BOTH sides during WW2. the Victors write history.....but War was/is a brutal conflict.
an interesting fact tho......

#133: Re: What are you reading? Author: Dima PostPosted: Tue Oct 26, 2010 9:34 pm
    —
Quote:
Viktor Suvorov: Spetsnaz, and I ve found an online edition for anyone interested:
http://militera.lib.ru/research/suvorov6/index.html
V.Suvorov: GRU is a great book about the Soviet military intel.

how could you read that crap? Smile
well, i know he has good style but they are not any close to reality, well same could be told about Beevor books and most of the german memoirs..

#134: Re: What are you reading? Author: papa_whisky PostPosted: Wed Oct 27, 2010 6:55 am
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@ Dima and what is the problem with Beevor's books? Given that he is a historian or critical acclaim what justification do you have?

#135: Re: What are you reading? Author: kawasakyLocation: Zagreb, Hrvatska PostPosted: Wed Oct 27, 2010 7:47 am
    —
Dima wrote (View Post):
Quote:
Viktor Suvorov: Spetsnaz, and I ve found an online edition for anyone interested:
http://militera.lib.ru/research/suvorov6/index.html
V.Suvorov: GRU is a great book about the Soviet military intel.

how could you read that crap? Smile
well, i know he has good style but they are not any close to reality, well same could be told about Beevor books and most of the german memoirs..

It could be, dunno, but you surely can recommend some good read on the GRU if this is a crap...

#136: Re: What are you reading? Author: Dima PostPosted: Wed Oct 27, 2010 3:21 pm
    —
Quote:
@ Dima and what is the problem with Beevor's books?

he doesn't prove most of things he states. basically he just copile lie and cold-war myths in his books mixed with some real facts to make it look "historical". his main references are: "as one guy mentioned..." or "looks like" or "it seems that someone told", etc.

Quote:
Given that he is a historian or critical acclaim what justification do you have?

search for D.Glantz (the well acknowledged EF expert) critisism on Beevor. Basicly he says that Beevor is good example of norrative history but one should not take it as historical research.

here is one review of Beevor's "Stalingrad" http://www.mariosousa.se/ReviewBeevorStalingrad050729.html

Quote:
It could be, dunno, but you surely can recommend some good read on the GRU if this is a crap...

yes, f.e. "The GRU Empire" by A.Kolpakidi (2 parts) or "GRU during Great Patriotic War" by V.Nikolsky if you are interested in WW2 part. don't know if they were translated from Russian tho.

#137: Re: What are you reading? Author: kawasakyLocation: Zagreb, Hrvatska PostPosted: Wed Oct 27, 2010 7:00 pm
    —
OK, thanks. If those are translated in English or some southern Slavic language I shall find some.

And yes, I agree on criticism of Beevor (read Stalingrad and disliked it), although it doesn't mean that the narrative history isn't good. I find that most of the historians aren't too good writers. Yes, their job isn't to write nicely, but it would surely help if they knew how to do it. There are some good examples of good narrative history based on extensive research... Just to mention a few like Max Hastings, John Keegan, Charles Jellison, Guido Knopp, Carlo D'Este, Cornelious Ryan, Milovan Djilas and so on.
Oh yes, I almost failed to mention ole W. Churchill!

BTW, reading Col. Nikola Anich's Hitler's Wehrmacht in Croatia from April 1941 to May 1945 at the moment.
Very good book, although I am quite sure that it isn't translated from Croatian.  :(

Also, I've recently read A. Rashid's Taliban. Superb read with lots of facts AND written really nicely since the author is a pro reporter. He has been covering Afghan since 1979 and spoke to most of the head honchos over there over the time. A must read!

#138: Re: What are you reading? Author: Therion PostPosted: Wed Oct 27, 2010 7:28 pm
    —
I remember trying to read war memoirs of some German panzer officer. Good fucking God. They were so full of shit that I had to stop reading it after 30 pages to save my nerves.
These guys are Holocaust profiteers, just like Jews. They use Holocaust as a big shield to pretend that they were doing nothing wrong.
Thanks to the 6 millions of dead Jews, all that scum from Wehrmacht, Lutwaffe and Kriegsmarine can pretend that they were good guys, and sadly a lot of people buy into their bullshit. Because with the 6 millions of dead Jews one can pretend that everything else was completely okay.
It's so nice to hide behind bullshit like "honour", "duty", "patriotism", etc. and pretend that they weren't a bunch of thugs waging aggressive war, that they didn't illegally cross borders, that they didn't murder servicemen trying to protect their countries from their aggression, that they didn't murder civilians with their bombs and artillery, that they didn't destroy unimaginable amounts of private property, that they didn't destroy unimaginable amounts of private property government property and didn't disrupt normal lives of tens of millions of people.

Fuck, I don't have anything against German soldiers who were forcibly drafted or couldn't quit because it would threaten their safety or safety of their families, but the rest with their patriotism, duty, honour and other self-justifying bullshit deserves to eat shit and die. They willingly participated in one of the worst crimes against humanity - and they managed to whitewash their history so that everyone would forget that their whole retarded war was one massive crime against humanity.
Good fucking God, what a bunch of fucking shitheads, it's sometimes hard to believe that they weren't sociopaths.

Dima wrote (View Post):
here is one review of Beevor's "Stalingrad" http://www.mariosousa.se/ReviewBeevorStalingrad050729.html  

Good fucking God, what a fucking dumbfuck, he should know better than denying war crimes which are documented by written orders.
What a stupid piece of shit, couldn't he just write that it was necessary for security and socialist progress or something like that instead of just lying like a dog?
Now I don't know if this review is based on truth or is it just delusions of some butthurt Russian nationalist.

#139: Re: What are you reading? Author: schreckenLocation: Sydney, Australia PostPosted: Wed Oct 27, 2010 8:13 pm
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yes, reminds me of Iraq

#140: Re: What are you reading? Author: Therion PostPosted: Wed Oct 27, 2010 8:26 pm
    —
Partially. Iraq may be a war of aggression, which is a supreme crime against humanity. Certainly, it should be investigated.
Still, it's completely incomparable with sheer level of evil both in actions and intent of what Germans have done.
Comparing Iraq war to WWII doesn't make sense and just serves to discredit any movements demanding treating it as a war crime.

Though, I suspect that reminding people that German war crimes in WWII weren't just Holocaust but the war in its entirety should help.

#141: Re: What are you reading? Author: papa_whisky PostPosted: Tue Nov 02, 2010 12:49 am
    —
Dima wrote (View Post):


here is one review of Beevor's "Stalingrad" http://www.mariosousa.se/ReviewBeevorStalingrad050729.html



The review of Stalingrad in the above link is comprehensive in its criticism of the book and strongly defends any criticism of the Soviet Union with in it, but doesn't appear to provide any facts to support its counter claims. Seems more of a rant than anything. During the reading of the book I never felt once that the Germans were painted as 'heroes', you could however empathise with individual soldiers during their accounts irrespective of their side.

Maybe I don't see thing the way you do as I was a 'colonialist and officer in the British Empire' and I subscribe to 'the new liberal capitalism wants to deprive the workers of everything: their living conditions, their safety, and even their history. The capitalists want us to lose confidence in ourselves so as to be able to rule without restrictions. There is not much difference between liberalism and nazism in this respect.'....  or at least that is what Mário Sousa would probably class me as. I am sorry, Dima, with statements like that and the absence of any references to support the counter arguments presented Mário Sousa is hard to take seriously.

#142: Re: What are you reading? Author: Dima PostPosted: Tue Nov 02, 2010 7:44 pm
    —
Quote:
I am sorry, Dima, with statements like that and the absence of any references to support the counter arguments presented Mário Sousa is hard to take seriously.

Sousa is on the same level as Beevor in his "works" but, as commie, is on the different side of a stick Smile.
His approach is pretty same as Beevor's - no need to prove anything, just believe in it..

Albert Axell, the American military writer and historian :
Once I was invited to talk on BBC Radio 4. The second invitee was presented as "an authoritative military historian", Antony Beevor, who wrote Berlin: The Downfall, 1945, where he portrayed the Red Army as the looter and rapist. This historian says that when Soviet troops pushed into Germany, Russian soldiers raped two million German women. He quotes a source saying: "Russian soldiers were raping every German female from eight to 80." What a perfect statistic: every female - nobody needs any proof!

I don't want to prove anything to you, it's your choice whom to believe. I could just suggest you reading something serious about EF, like Glantz f.e., and then make your conclusions:
http://www.amazon.com/Gates-Stalingrad-Soviet-German-Operations-April-August/dp/0700616306/ref=pd_sim_b_1
http://www.amazon.com/Armageddon-Stalingrad-September-November-Trilogy-Studies/dp/0700616640/ref=pd_sim_b_3

#143: Re: What are you reading? Author: papa_whisky PostPosted: Sat Nov 06, 2010 2:37 pm
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@ Dima therefore your previous comments are baseless I think is what you are saying.

#144: Re: What are you reading? Author: Dima PostPosted: Sat Nov 06, 2010 9:25 pm
    —
Quote:
@ Dima therefore your previous comments are baseless I think is what you are saying.

why? Sousa crashed Beevor's Stalingrad. Could prove he did not? Wink.
what i was saying and repeating is that "Beevor's history" is far from reality and that is based on many histrocial books on same topic.
anyway, everyone chooses himself what to believe in.

#145: Re: What are you reading? Author: BlackstumpLocation: Hunter Valley Australia PostPosted: Sun Nov 07, 2010 9:31 am
    —
The Path of Infinite Sorrow.
Japanese side of the Kokada/ New Guinea campaign
Interesting eye witness and historical accounts from both sides. Highlights the inter service rivalry between navy and army from Japanese view point. Also their indecision from Guadacanal landings and the confusion caused by this time.
For me its a lesson in correct intel and reconaissance and the inherent risk of an extended supply line.

#146: Re: What are you reading? Author: Tippi-SimoLocation: Helsinki PostPosted: Tue Nov 09, 2010 11:29 am
    —
Dima wrote (View Post):
Quote:
but it is indeed documented also by russians.

any prove? Smile

Since your grandfather lied to you, you have to search your national archives.

#147: Re: What are you reading? Author: verbaLocation: New Providence (Bahama's) PostPosted: Tue Nov 09, 2010 3:58 pm
    —
Im reading this thread and

The latestbook from Emerson Vermaat: Heinrich Himmler en de cultus van de dood

#148: Re: What are you reading? Author: HoogleyLocation: Brisbane PostPosted: Wed Nov 10, 2010 11:12 am
    —
Sadly, I'm not reading anything of the paper variety currently.

I'm listening to The History of Rome podcast and reading The Walking Dead comic on iPod.

I'm also working on the mod for LSA which entails reading a lot of web articles about weapons and ammo load-outs.

And, in the background, I've been working on an RPG system for the last 20 years.  Currently, I've been doing a lot of reading about different mythologies and the like.  Ireland has an incredible mythological history attached to it.

#149: Re: What are you reading? Author: vonB PostPosted: Wed Nov 10, 2010 1:20 pm
    —
Just finished Mother Tongue by Bill Bryson.  Well worth reading for anyone interested in the evolution of the English language in particular.  It's reasonably light reading with typical Bill Bryson humour, but still very informative.  Some things will surprise both Brits and Yanks alike.  You may find some of the things you took for granted very wrong...

#150: Re: What are you reading? Author: Superkala PostPosted: Mon Nov 22, 2010 10:28 pm
    —
''A bridge too far'' by Cornelius Ryan

Hmm, its been awile since my last post and whats that burning smell?

#151: Re: What are you reading? Author: Tippi-SimoLocation: Helsinki PostPosted: Fri Dec 03, 2010 7:18 am
    —
In and out of Stalin´s GRU - Ismail Akhmedov

Really interesting story about Soviet spy during 30´s and 40´s.

#152: Re: What are you reading? Author: RD_TG_JagerLocation: New Jersey PostPosted: Fri Dec 03, 2010 5:37 pm
    —
Steel Inferno: I SS Panzer Corps in Normandy, very good book that’s cover both 12th SS and 1st SS divisions from deployment to around Caen up to Falsie aka Mortain gap counter offensive.

Currently reading

Grenadiers: The Story Of Waffen SS General Kurt 'Panzer' Meyer (Stackpole Military History)

Winston Churchil's The Second World War


Going to read,
       The 12th SS: The History of the Hitler Youth Panzer Division Volume II

#153: Re: What are you reading? Author: kawasakyLocation: Zagreb, Hrvatska PostPosted: Fri Dec 03, 2010 11:57 pm
    —
I just printed and started to read:
Saxon, Timothy D., The German Side of the Hill: Nazi Conquest and Exploitation of Italy, 1943-45, University of Virgina, 1999
http://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1053&context=fac_dis

#154: Re: What are you reading? Author: ronsonLocation: England PostPosted: Wed Dec 15, 2010 3:06 pm
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'Red Road From Stalingrad'.....recollections of a Soviet infantryman
Author .....Mansur Abdlin
Editor ......Artem Drabkin
Translator...Denis Fedosov

Unusual book that I picked up 2nd hand recently describes from 'ground level' the Soviet soldiers viewpoint of some of the epic battles on the Eastern Front, easy to read and seems to be free of any overt political bias.

Also contains some organisation details (Armaments, Strenghts, transportation etc.) of the units he served with 293 Rifle and 66 Guards Divisions

Not sure if its still in print , but worth checking with your bookstore or public library ref is:-
ISBN 1 84415 145 X

Well worth an afternoons reading at under 200 pages.

Cheers
Ronson

#155: Re: What are you reading? Author: Dima PostPosted: Wed Dec 15, 2010 3:36 pm
    —
Hi Ronson,

there is number of very good books by Artem Drabkin (editor and project author), they are mainly recollections of RA soldiers/officers memoirs and probably the best available in English about Red Army soldiers.

Check his other books published in English
http://www.allbookstores.com/ARTEM-DRABKIN/author/1

Also check his webpage where you can read alot of memoirs of RA enslisted during GPW:
http://english.iremember.ru/

#156: Re: What are you reading? Author: ronsonLocation: England PostPosted: Wed Dec 15, 2010 5:13 pm
    —
Thx Dima:),

Interesting selection of books there, Aircobra, T34, Penalty strike and the collection of interviews I'll definately keep a lookout for.

Cheers
Ronson

#157: Re: What are you reading? Author: mooxe PostPosted: Wed Dec 15, 2010 5:29 pm
    —
Dima wrote (View Post):

Also check his webpage where you can read alot of memoirs of RA enslisted during GPW:
http://english.iremember.ru/


Good reading.


About Soviet wartime books... I read one a few years ago about a T34 commander. It was packed full of propaganda and anti-nazi rhetoric that it took away from the "non-fiction-ness" of it. Like a real soldier wrote it, and then it was passed through the propaganda department for editing, really turned me off.

I am always looking for books from Japanese, Russians and any other nationality not represented well here in the West. I hate that one book has kind of soured me on Russian books... but before buying any more of them I would have to research some user reviews or something.

#158: Re: What are you reading? Author: Dima PostPosted: Wed Dec 15, 2010 6:11 pm
    —
Quote:
About Soviet wartime books... I read one a few years ago about a T34 commander. It was packed full of propaganda and anti-nazi rhetoric that it took away from the "non-fiction-ness" of it. Like a real soldier wrote it, and then it was passed through the propaganda department for editing, really turned me off.

mate, these are modern Russian books not Sovet times books, they are made to show the war as it was for low rank enlisted men and not as it was picted in USSR.

anyway, German and US memoirs i've read are not better, propaganda-wise, than Soviet memoirs..

#159: Re: What are you reading? Author: Priapus PostPosted: Thu Dec 16, 2010 2:15 pm
    —
Have you read Life & Fate by Vasily Grossman Dima? I picked it up recently and am looking forward to delving into it once I finish Molotov Remembers; a collection of interviews with Vyacheslav Molotov from the early 60s until his death in the mid 80s. It's fascinating to hear a defence of the stalinist regime from someone who was there from the very start and almost to the very end.

#160: Re: What are you reading? Author: Dima PostPosted: Thu Dec 16, 2010 5:43 pm
    —
No, didn't read Grossman.
Molotov's interviews are cool Smile.

#161: Re: What are you reading? Author: mooxe PostPosted: Sun Dec 26, 2010 8:53 pm
    —
Reading "Red Army Infantrymen Remember the Great Patriotic War" by Artem Drabkin & Isaak Kobylyanskiy. Finished the first two interviews. Good book.

#162: Re: What are you reading? Author: BlackstumpLocation: Hunter Valley Australia PostPosted: Mon Dec 27, 2010 8:25 am
    —
The Last Post. A collection of stories of the last 21 WW1 British soldiers still alive .
Their ages are from 104 to 109. These men have lived thru WW1, the great depression, WW2, and the millenium.
A common denominator is their hate of war and politicians!! The book was published in 2004.

#163: Re: What are you reading? Author: mooxe PostPosted: Mon Feb 28, 2011 3:50 pm
    —
Commanding the Red Army's Sherman Tanks: The World War II Memoirs of Hero of the Soviet Union Dmitriy Loza

This is a really nice book on how the Soviets used their lend lease Shermans. Lots of examples of stuff they did in tank warfare that we do in CC. Once example was in/around Budapest. A sherman was hiding in an alley way, poking out to shoot at a Panther then backing in. Distracting a Tiger tank from one angle and engaging it from the opposite.

One particular battle was very interesting to read. A group of Shermans spots four Tigers at night, they choose not to engage. Theres heavy snow and both the Tigers and the Shermans are getting coated in it. The Shermans move into position during the night and take up aim on the Tigers. They wait for first light. When first light comes they open up on the Tigers and knock them all out. The Tiger crews let their optics get covered in snow, they had no way of delivering return fire.

Lots of examples on how the Shermans engaged heavy tanks.

#164: Re: What are you reading? Author: Dima PostPosted: Mon Feb 28, 2011 4:30 pm
    —
Mooxe,

i believe it worth mentioning that these Shermans were M4A2 (Sherman III) with 76mm guns capable of penetrating more armor than soviet 85mm and not 75mm versions.

#165: Re: What are you reading? Author: 0202243 PostPosted: Mon Feb 28, 2011 7:35 pm
    —
'The fall of Rome' by Adrian Goldsworthy

#166: Re: What are you reading? Author: ManoiLocation: Brussels PostPosted: Mon Feb 28, 2011 9:16 pm
    —
the Angriff by Jason D. Mark. In fact there are more pictures than text!   Smile

#167: Re: What are you reading? Author: matthewhalosLocation: Davao City, Philippines PostPosted: Tue Mar 01, 2011 12:17 am
    —
Reader's Digest: Illustrated Story of World War II
       -My great grandfather (a veteran of world war II) gave this to me before he died because he knew i was a fan of world war II...... he bought this book from Reader's Digest on December 10, 1971.
Battlefield: The Skills of Modern War by David Miller
       -It is a gift from my parents in last year's Christmas.....




"For those who want to live, let them fight. For those who don't want to fight in this world does not deserve to live." -Adolf Hitler (excerpt from the Mein Kampf)

#168: Re: What are you reading? Author: dj PostPosted: Sat Mar 12, 2011 7:03 pm
    —
Dumb question...but where is a good resource to find WWII history books?  Borders and Barnes and Noble are decent...but pretty limited choices.  Amazon?

#169: Re: What are you reading? Author: mooxe PostPosted: Sat Mar 12, 2011 7:27 pm
    —
I use Amazon. Amazon has a great search function. They show you your title, related titles, what other people bought with the title your looking at. Aside from an occaisional book from the library I get all mine from Amazon.

#170: Re: What are you reading? Author: kawasakyLocation: Zagreb, Hrvatska PostPosted: Thu Mar 17, 2011 10:14 pm
    —
Norbert&Stephan Lambert, Because you wear my name: hard destiny of prominent Nazi children

Father and son, both journalists, gathered 7 stories from the children of some of the highest ranking nazi party leaders like Hess, Goering, Bormann, Himmler... Those interviews were hard t o get for obvious reasons, and are very worth reading. However, I dunno if it is translated in English, the original name is:

Denn Du trägst meinen Namen. Das schwere Erbe der prominenten Nazi-Kinder

#171: Re: What are you reading? Author: mooxe PostPosted: Tue Mar 22, 2011 12:43 pm
    —
Now reading The Damned by Nathan Greenfield.

Found this book in the local library. So far its amazing. The book covers the Canadian defence of Hong Kong, in graphic detail. The British and Indians are men mentioned as well but the focus is on Canadians. Half the book deals with the battle which I just finished, the other half the POW experience.

Veterans interviews after the war were used as well as recent interviews. These veterans spoke about the grisly details of melee fighting and bayonet charges. The descriptions are on par with The Forgotten Soldier. Reading these details, I had a clear picture in my head of what was happening. One particular story that stood uot for me was this... A section leader goes on a recce with six others. They ambush a 12 man Japanese recce and the section leader is quickly separated and fighting for his life against this recce. The section leaders first shot misses, then he throws a grenade which injures or kills most of them as they are charging him because it exploded in the air behind them. As a japanese soldier bayonet rushes him. As the section leader forgot to put his bayonet on, he clubs him his rifle by grabbing it by the barrel and swinging it. Just as he does this another Japanese soldier attacks him with a sword. He grabs the sword with his left hand, gets him in a headlock with his right hand and pins him to the ground. Struggling to keep his legs pinned since he feared the soldier would use judo, he remembers his pistol. It fell out of the holster but was still attached by a lanyard. He lets go of the sword to grab it, presses the pistol to the soldier neck but he cant fire. He can get his finger to the trigger when he grabbed the sowrd it cut his muscles in his hand. He was able to raise another finger to the trigger and shoot the man.

Much of the book covers rediculous command decisions fighting a force 100x the size of the defenders. Arguing in the chain of command, officers trying to do whats best in the situation, empire vs colonial troops... Its an excellent insight to how officers thought and how the men thought of them in these situations.

I like how this book, with passages such as those, brings me in so much that there is nothing else I can think of. I am unaware of whats going on in my house.

#172: Re: What are you reading? Author: mooxe PostPosted: Tue Mar 22, 2011 12:48 pm
    —
mooxe wrote (View Post):
Commanding the Red Army's Sherman Tanks: The World War II Memoirs of Hero of the Soviet Union Dmitriy Loza

This is a really nice book on how the Soviets used their lend lease Shermans. Lots of examples of stuff they did in tank warfare that we do in CC. Once example was in/around Budapest. A sherman was hiding in an alley way, poking out to shoot at a Panther then backing in. Distracting a Tiger tank from one angle and engaging it from the opposite.

One particular battle was very interesting to read. A group of Shermans spots four Tigers at night, they choose not to engage. Theres heavy snow and both the Tigers and the Shermans are getting coated in it. The Shermans move into position during the night and take up aim on the Tigers. They wait for first light. When first light comes they open up on the Tigers and knock them all out. The Tiger crews let their optics get covered in snow, they had no way of delivering return fire.

Lots of examples on how the Shermans engaged heavy tanks.


Finished this one. it was an expensive hardcover book, $50. Worth it.

I writer, who was one of the leaders in this tank unit had an emotional connection to his tanks. Him and his men shared that. At the end of the war the USA started taking back all thier lend-lease equipment. The Shermans were ordered back to  aport to begin loading. At the port it was reported that the lend-lease aircraft were simple being stamped in a metal compressor, shipped out to see and dumped. Once the Russian government found this out they ordered the turrets taken off all the Shermans and gave them to farmers to use as tractors.

If this was a widespread order, I suppose theres a few hundred or maybe a few thousand Shermans that were on the farms in Russia. Has anyone heard about this?

#173: Re: What are you reading? Author: 7A_WoulfLocation: Sweden PostPosted: Tue Mar 22, 2011 2:26 pm
    —
mooxe wrote (View Post):
If this was a widespread order, I suppose theres a few hundred or maybe a few thousand Shermans that were on the farms in Russia. Has anyone heard about this?


Guess that Dima is the guy to ask about this...

But I've heard that they did the same with newer tanks (was it T-60 and T-72?) in the 80's and 90's; -remove the turret, weapons and radios and sold/gave them away as tractors.

#174: Re: What are you reading? Author: dj PostPosted: Sun Mar 27, 2011 5:07 pm
    —
Just picked-up Beevor's The Fall of Berlin 1945 and a Dungeons and Dragons saga book.  Got an unbelievable deal 50% off at Borders...store is closing so they had everything marked down at least half off.  Amazon is driving Borders and Barnes & Nobles to the brink of bankruptcy.

#175: Re: What are you reading? Author: Lt_2nd PostPosted: Tue Mar 29, 2011 5:59 pm
    —
Just finished reading the "Brenner Assignment" about the OSS missions to disrupt and block axis supply routes in Northern Italy and the Brenner Pass late in the war. Got it at borders for 9$ also on amazon for about the same price. Its an easy and entertaining read.

#176: Re: What are you reading? Author: kawasakyLocation: Zagreb, Hrvatska PostPosted: Thu Apr 07, 2011 10:36 pm
    —
revisiting some classics after a number of years:
Alexis de Tocqueville, The Old Regime and the Revolution
John Locke, Letters Concerning Toleration
Jean-Jacques Rousseau, The Social Contract

#177: Re: What are you reading? Author: Luuraja PostPosted: Sat Apr 09, 2011 5:32 pm
    —
Hmm, seems like my first post in this forum.

Since I was forced to live behind Iron Curtain in my young ages, so I'm very interested of what was going on in Western front and in Pacific theater.
So last one I read was Stephen Ambrose's "D-Day, June 6, 1944"

But now I'm reading memoirs of German Panzercommander Otto Carius "Tigers in the Mud" - Amazon
There's lot of talk about battles in Estonia, my homeland, in 1944.

#178: Re: What are you reading? Author: dj PostPosted: Sat Apr 09, 2011 6:53 pm
    —
Yeah here in America...we had similar effect, where all the government and schools taught was West Front (mostly D-Day of course) and Pacific.  Almost NO mention of East Front due to Cold War propaganda here too.  Just barely a mention of Stalingrad and a little on capture of Berlin...but it was always with negative spin like the Ruskies were hordes from the Steppe and only cared about spreading Communism, etc.

#179: Re: What are you reading? Author: Luuraja PostPosted: Sat Apr 09, 2011 7:35 pm
    —
Yeah, that's the sad thing of World War II.
For our little nation was difficult to see, who was right or not. The only one my grandparents wanted to see, was independent and neutral Estonian Republic...
But I am an Soviet product, I was an October Child and Pionier and last but not least served in Soviet Army Air Forces (80th OshAP, Su-25 Frogfoot mechanik). Somehow that was very useful experience.

#180: Re: What are you reading? Author: platoon_michaelLocation: Right behind you PostPosted: Sun Apr 10, 2011 2:51 am
    —
It's hard finding a good book on the Western Front.
I would love to find a good book that covers operation Barbarossa.

There was a 3 book series years ago I got from Boarders but it read so horribly I took them back.
Had to fight like hell but they took em,never even made it through the first book.

I read Otto's book Tigers in the Mud,pretty good.

Last 2 books that I read that I really enjoyed was "RAID" by Abe Baum.
Very,very well written and just a Great story.
And
"The Longest Winter" by Alex Kershaw.
This book covers the 394th IR Platoon that eventually becomes the Most decorated Platoon in WWII


I strongly suggest both these books and that you read them in the order posted.
Assuming you don't already know the 2 stories.

I haven't read anything in a long time,I'm way over due.

#181: Re: What are you reading? Author: tigercubLocation: charters towers PostPosted: Sun Apr 10, 2011 4:04 am
    —
1.Infantry Aces by Franz Kurowski pretty good read!

2.Shatttered Sword.....new info on the battle of midway

both  online Amazon

Tigercub

#182: Re: What are you reading? Author: mooxe PostPosted: Sun Apr 10, 2011 4:29 pm
    —
Now reading A Perfect Hell, sorry of the "Devils Brigade," its pretty good. Half way in I had to go watch the movie... which ofcourse was pure Hollywood EXCEPT!!! for how the Canadian came marching in with band playing, kilts and the high arm drill. That was the best part in the movie.

The book centers on some main characters and their exploits mostly behind enemy lines. Lots of infiltration, hunting, recon and silent killing. A good read.

#183: Re: What are you reading? Author: Dima PostPosted: Thu Apr 14, 2011 8:05 pm
    —
You can call it commercial :)

The new book by the Russian historian A.Isaev and producer A.Drabkin was recently released:
Barbarossa: THrough Soviet eyes.

I've read that in Russian and I strongly suggest to read the book to anyone who is interested in EF history.

#184: Re: What are you reading? Author: Dima PostPosted: Sat Apr 23, 2011 4:55 pm
    —
The new book Soldaten, was released recently in Germany.
The myth that the Nazi-era German armed forces, the Wehrmacht, was not involved in war crimes persisted for decades after the war. Now two German researchers have destroyed it once and for all. Newly published conversations between German prisoners of war, secretly recorded by the Allies, reveal horrifying details of violence against civilians, rape and genocide.
http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/0,1518,755385,00.html

#185: Re: What are you reading? Author: dj PostPosted: Sun Apr 24, 2011 12:39 am
    —
Thanks for sharing that and providing the link.  That's saying something if Germans themselves admit to such atrocities.  It is very annoying that here in America the war on the East Front was almost totally ignored.  In that the REAL terror and horror of the EF is unknown to the younger generations.  In reality both sides committed shocking crimes against humanity of a scale impossible to imagine in today's standards.  We are too quick to forget history...doomed to repeat it.
Yeah it's good to see such honesty from the Germans themselves to dispute the myth that only the SS did these heinous war crimes.  

I think this is why Germany was so scared of the advancing Russians in the late war...because they knew they wanted revenge for rape, pillage and murder of so many Soviets.  That does not justify how many German civilians suffered similar horrific deaths...but after all they started the fight, not the Russians.

#186: Re: What are you reading? Author: BlackstumpLocation: Hunter Valley Australia PostPosted: Sun Apr 24, 2011 1:36 am
    —
mooxe wrote (View Post):
Now reading A Perfect Hell, sorry of the "Devils Brigade," its pretty good. Half way in I had to go watch the movie... which ofcourse was pure Hollywood EXCEPT!!! for how the Canadian came marching in with band playing, kilts and the high arm drill. That was the best part in the movie.

The book centers on some main characters and their exploits mostly behind enemy lines. Lots of infiltration, hunting, recon and silent killing. A good read.

just reading were they used a rare mg for these troops " the johnson smg"

#187: Re: What are you reading? Author: mooxe PostPosted: Thu Apr 28, 2011 1:09 am
    —
Dima is there an english version of that book?

#188: Re: What are you reading? Author: Dima PostPosted: Fri Apr 29, 2011 5:55 am
    —
Doubt it as it was just recently released in Germany so will take some time for localization.

#189: Re: What are you reading? Author: Therion PostPosted: Mon May 02, 2011 12:09 am
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Dima wrote (View Post):
The new book Soldaten, was released recently in Germany.
The myth that the Nazi-era German armed forces, the Wehrmacht, was not involved in war crimes persisted for decades after the war. Now two German researchers have destroyed it once and for all. Newly published conversations between German prisoners of war, secretly recorded by the Allies, reveal horrifying details of violence against civilians, rape and genocide.
http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/0,1518,755385,00.html  

Weird thing, we never got a myth of good Wehrmacht in Poland.

#190: Re: What are you reading? Author: mooxe PostPosted: Mon May 02, 2011 2:52 am
    —
Well no army is innocent. The German regular armies innocence is granted "when compared to" the massive atrocities that happened at the hands of the SS. From the link Dima posted, the stories there on soldiers/pilots killing civilians is something we still hear in the news every month. We should assume all militaries partake in murdering which is confined to very small elements like platoon or below.

#191: Re: What are you reading? Author: Dima PostPosted: Mon May 02, 2011 8:01 am
    —
Quote:
We should assume all militaries partake in murdering which is confined to very small elements like platoon or below.

That's true for most of the armies but the army of nazi Germany was taking part in such atrocities on a regular basis as it was a continuation of the state policy.

#192: Re: What are you reading? Author: Therion PostPosted: Mon May 02, 2011 10:25 am
    —
Dima wrote (View Post):
Quote:
We should assume all militaries partake in murdering which is confined to very small elements like platoon or below.

That's true for most of the armies but the army of nazi Germany was taking part in such atrocities on a regular basis as it was a continuation of the state policy.

#193: Re: What are you reading? Author: platoon_michaelLocation: Right behind you PostPosted: Mon May 02, 2011 8:36 pm
    —
Since were all high on the Navy seal thing have any of you ever read any of the books by Richard Marcinko?
The dud is without a doubt the "Ultimate Baddass"

#194: Re: What are you reading? Author: mooxe PostPosted: Mon May 09, 2011 11:42 pm
    —
Just ordered from Amazon...

"If You Survive" by George Wilson

"Penalty Strike: The Memoirs Of A Red Army Penal Company Commander" by Alexander Pyl'cyn

"Death Traps: The Survival of an American Armored Division in World War II " by Belton Y. Cooper


$37.18 with tax and shipping incl, not bad.


Last edited by mooxe on Tue May 10, 2011 10:05 am; edited 1 time in total

#195: Re: What are you reading? Author: Dima PostPosted: Tue May 10, 2011 5:13 am
    —
Quote:
"Penalty Strike: The Memoirs Of A Red Army Penal Company Commander" by Alexander Pyl'cyn
"Death Traps Survival American Division" by Belton Y. Cooper

i've read these 2 in Russian - good ones Smile.

#196: Re: What are you reading? Author: Priapus PostPosted: Tue May 10, 2011 11:38 pm
    —
Noway! I've just ordered the penal commander one too. I assume you've both read "Forgotten Soldier" too?

#197: Re: What are you reading? Author: mooxe PostPosted: Tue May 10, 2011 11:54 pm
    —
Yes. Its the one book I reccomend to everyone.

#198: Re: What are you reading? Author: Priapus PostPosted: Wed May 11, 2011 1:13 am
    —
Yeah, it was incredible. Although there appears to be some debate about the authors legitimacy. A big budget film adaptation was canceled recently because of the broken economy. Looking forward to seeing things from the other sides perspective, although I can't imagine it being much cheerier.

#199: Re: What are you reading? Author: mooxe PostPosted: Wed May 11, 2011 10:07 am
    —
Priapus wrote (View Post):
Yeah, it was incredible. Although there appears to be some debate about the authors legitimacy. A big budget film adaptation was canceled recently because of the broken economy. Looking forward to seeing things from the other sides perspective, although I can't imagine it being much cheerier.


I bet this would be one of those movies that could never measure up to the book.

#200: Re: What are you reading? Author: 7A_WoulfLocation: Sweden PostPosted: Wed May 11, 2011 6:30 pm
    —
I was only going to check one thing, but I ended up reading the book: Modern Combat Uniforms by Mark Lloyd.

It's not so 'modern' anymore, but a rather interesting document of the worlds armies in 1988 (damn, I was only 15 when this books was published and I got it.) Easy to read as well, especially if you don't look for specific information: -open a random page, read the text about the unit and look at the drawing on the opposite side with the comments to it. Then open another random page.

I just love books where 50% are pictures!  Wink

#201: Re: What are you reading? Author: Therion PostPosted: Wed May 11, 2011 6:56 pm
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Anja Snellman - Pet Shop Girls. Lovely book.

Here's a trailer:
http://vimeo.com/6980597

#202: Re: What are you reading? Author: MajorFrank PostPosted: Sun Jun 05, 2011 8:37 am
    —
A book by Donald Burgett called Seven Roads To Hell - A Screaming Eagle at Bastogne.

Recently read Currahee! - A Screaming Eagle at Normandy by Burgett. There are two other books by him about Market Garden and the end of the war in Germany.

#203: Re: What are you reading? Author: mooxe PostPosted: Sun Jun 12, 2011 4:31 pm
    —
mooxe wrote (View Post):


"Death Traps: The Survival of an American Armored Division in World War II " by Belton Y. Cooper


Ok just finished this one. I'll list off whats most memorable to me.

This is a good book detailing how weak the Sherman really was. Cooper is an Ordanance Office in charge of keeping track of his tank divisions vehicle losses. He had full knowledge of every Sherman knocked out tank from Normandy to VE day.

- His division suffered a 580% casualty rate for Shermans.
- Sherman tanks were routinely lost in the 10's per day
- Tank crews during the Bulge were so limited that some tanks went into action with only 3 crew
- During the crew shortage, infantrymen who were destined to be replacements were placed as tank crewman with some of them recieving little over 24hrs of training in a tank
- The maintanence battaltions attached to the divisions were incredible. They followed the battle fixing any Sherman tank that could be fixed and pressed them back into combat

Reading this book you will get an idea on how large a division is, and how small the fighting portion of that division is. Maint and support accounts for a massive percantage of all ranks.

Its a good book. Copper's memoirs with some added in strategic overview. You will come out of it with an understanding of how the Sherman came into existance and how pitiful it operated on the battlefield.

#204: Re: What are you reading? Author: Priapus PostPosted: Sun Jun 12, 2011 6:08 pm
    —
580% casualty rate? How is that possible? Is that compared to enemy losses?

#205: Re: What are you reading? Author: kawasakyLocation: Zagreb, Hrvatska PostPosted: Sun Jun 12, 2011 6:13 pm
    —
Priapus wrote (View Post):
580% casualty rate? How is that possible? Is that compared to enemy losses?

Easy, it would mean that the division lost 5,8 times it's formational number of tanks.

#206: Re: What are you reading? Author: Dima PostPosted: Sun Jun 12, 2011 10:55 pm
    —
Quote:
This is a good book detailing how weak the Sherman really was.

like every other tank in any country Smile.
Remember Loza memoirs about T-34 and Sherman Wink.

Quote:
You will come out of it with an understanding of how the Sherman came into existance and how pitiful it operated on the battlefield.

IMO, you should not take Cooper's explanations and descriptions as an ultimate truth, better read Hunnicut regarding appearance and operations of Sherman tanks. Especially taking into account his (Cooper) description of how M7 were fiighting Smile.

Anyway, that's the problem of the most of memoirs as authors always tend to express their experience as the only correct and same for every other personnel.

#207: Re: What are you reading? Author: matthewhalosLocation: Davao City, Philippines PostPosted: Sun Jun 12, 2011 11:12 pm
    —
I have just finished reading David Webster's memoir of his time with Easy Company of the 506th PIR, 101st Airborne Division titled "Parachute Infantry"

#208: Re: What are you reading? Author: Priapus PostPosted: Mon Jun 13, 2011 4:21 am
    —
kawasaky wrote (View Post):
Easy, it would mean that the division lost 5,8 times it's formational number of tanks.


That still doesn't mean anything. How much action did the formation see? What were the percentage losses for german and russian tank formations as a basis of comparison?

There are 3 kinds of lies; lies, damned lies and statistics.

#209: Re: What are you reading? Author: Dima PostPosted: Mon Jun 13, 2011 6:45 am
    —
Quote:
That still doesn't mean anything. How much action did the formation see?

no matter how much action did it see, for the specific period - Normand to V-day - they lost 5,8 times the amount of tanks they had initially.

Quote:
What were the percentage losses for german and russian tank formations as a basis of comparison?

pretty same for the RA, lesser percentage for the Germans.

#210: Re: What are you reading? Author: MajorFrank PostPosted: Sat Jun 18, 2011 9:32 pm
    —
matthewhalos wrote (View Post):
I have just finished reading David Webster's memoir of his time with Easy Company of the 506th PIR, 101st Airborne Division titled "Parachute Infantry"


Really? I read that very recently. Not terribly action packed but good descriptions of the real events, makes BoB the series look a bit tame.

That book Soldaten that I think Dima had read is next on my to read list. Many good recommendations in this discussion.

#211: Re: What are you reading? Author: mooxe PostPosted: Sat Jun 18, 2011 10:29 pm
    —
One book I can't reccomend is Lost Victories, memoirs of Field Marshall Erich Von Manstein. I made it about 1/3 through before I quit. It was too much strategy talk for me. Nothing really heart pumping, just a grand overview of the war. It would be a excellent read for those that like politcal/strategic side of German WW2 history.

#212: Re: What are you reading? Author: Dima PostPosted: Sun Jun 19, 2011 5:50 pm
    —
Quote:
One book I can't reccomend is Lost Victories, memoirs of Field Marshall Erich Von Manstein.

I believe that was my first memoir of the German officer - can't pretend i understood everything that time (was like 14 or so), but the amount of information in book got me start thinking criticly about the WW2 history knowledge we were getting in schools in Russia Smile.

#213: Re: What are you reading? Author: Dima PostPosted: Sun Jun 19, 2011 5:51 pm
    —
Quote:
Not terribly action packed but good descriptions of the real events, makes BoB the series look a bit tame.

they are lame, especially if you've read the BoB book, but still are very cool :)

Quote:
That book Soldaten that I think Dima had read is next on my to read list. Many good recommendations in this discussion.

no, I didn't read it - just read the article at Spigel.

#214: Re: What are you reading? Author: MajorFrank PostPosted: Sun Jun 19, 2011 11:13 pm
    —
I liked Webster's book. I haven't read Ambrose's BoB-book but I've heard some negative stuff about Ambrose himself.

A couple of books I've read some time ago that are at least interesting in some ways are:

Carell, Paul. Stalingrad: The Defeat of the German 6th Army.
Chuikov, Vasili. Battle of Stalingrad and Fall of Berlin.

The thing that's strange about Carell is that he, in the book that's written after WW2, still refers to Hitler as 'the Leader', Führer I guess in German. Makes you think that the guy is still an unrepentant nazi.

#215: Re: What are you reading? Author: Dima PostPosted: Mon Jun 20, 2011 5:27 am
    —
Quote:
The thing that's strange about Carell is that he, in the book that's written after WW2, still refers to Hitler as 'the Leader', Führer I guess in German. Makes you think that the guy is still an unrepentant nazi

well, he was die hard nazi and used to be one of the top nazi propagandist Smile.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Carell

#216: Re: What are you reading? Author: kawasakyLocation: Zagreb, Hrvatska PostPosted: Mon Jun 20, 2011 10:39 am
    —
Dima wrote (View Post):
Quote:
The thing that's strange about Carell is that he, in the book that's written after WW2, still refers to Hitler as 'the Leader', Führer I guess in German. Makes you think that the guy is still an unrepentant nazi

well, he was die hard nazi and used to be one of the top nazi propagandist Smile.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Carell

Generally, I despise those folks who, after losing the war, or later when the [so called] communism collapsed claimed that they never were in either of the parties, nor their symphatizers.
I read a couple of his books, and despite being a nazi those are fair works.

mooxe wrote (View Post):

One book I can't reccomend is Lost Victories, memoirs of Field Marshall Erich Von Manstein. I made it about 1/3 through before I quit. It was too much strategy talk for me. Nothing really heart pumping, just a grand overview of the war. It would be a excellent read for those that like politcal/strategic side of German WW2 history.

On the other hand I would recommend this book, although one has to be careful not to buy Manstein's pretty picture of himself and his moral integrity (which he lacked altogether).

#217: Re: What are you reading? Author: Dima PostPosted: Mon Jun 20, 2011 8:04 pm
    —
Quote:
I read a couple of his books, and despite being a nazi those are fair works.

definetly better than Beevors overall Wink

#218: Re: What are you reading? Author: Therion PostPosted: Tue Jun 21, 2011 8:12 pm
    —
I just finished reading a book of memoirs of the last living Russian sailor from Tsushima.
One thing that puzzled me is how the Japanese treated P.O.W.s back then - they took them to Japan, held them in comfortable condition, taught them Japanese culture and language, allowed them to move freely, go on trips, etc.
It's kinda shocking that it's the same country which later commited the rape of Nanking and many other atrocities.

#219: Re: What are you reading? Author: kawasakyLocation: Zagreb, Hrvatska PostPosted: Tue Jun 21, 2011 10:16 pm
    —
Nearing the end of Gilles Kepel's "Jihad: The Trail of Political Islam", and it is a superb read in it's category. The book deals with the expansion and decline of the Jihadist movement throughout past 50 years, and provides understanding why it is attractive to some portion of Muslim population.

#220: Re: What are you reading? Author: mooxe PostPosted: Tue Jun 21, 2011 11:27 pm
    —
If I read you correctlty, is it in decline now?

#221: Re: What are you reading? Author: kawasakyLocation: Zagreb, Hrvatska PostPosted: Wed Jun 22, 2011 8:15 pm
    —
The latest happenings in the Muslim countries only confirm that, because what the people want is just opposite to what brain-dead-islamic-militants want.
In fact, it could be a death blow for them because decadent western-copying regimes will have to go, denying the militants their primary enemy. The fact is that Islam is a non-violent religion, or if you want, no more violent than Christianity or Judaism are, and that the great majority of Muslims do not support militants, as they are victims of their crimes. With westernized regimes gone, they (the Muslims) will have a good chance to undertake modernization without westernization and to establish regimes much more in accordance with the teaching of Islam.
So yes, extremism is surely in decline, but the problem is that they could kick a lot in their mortal spasms, and some of those kicks could be heavy, although only to speed the dying process of those morons.

However, it is a very complex matter and cannot be discussed in a hurry. I have 6 more books on Islam and extremism to go through and will make a synthesis in the new topic.

#222: Re: What are you reading? Author: BungarraLocation: Murchison region, West Australia PostPosted: Sun Jul 03, 2011 4:47 am
    —
ATTACK STATE RED; Colonel Richard Kemp & Chris Hughes

A true hard hitting story of The Royal Anglian Battle Group in Helmand Province 2007

Lees Viking passed an area of open ground to the left, dropping down to the wood line in the valley. As the WMIKs in front picked their way along the heavily potholed road, two local men appeared from nowhere and pushed a rusty old black Nissan into the path of Lee’s Viking, forcing the vehicle across to the right hand side of the road.
Lee had barely enough time to wonder what’s going on when the first RPG smashed  into the top of Dean Bailys Viking

Lee turned & saw Baily engulfed in flames, he just had time catch the terrified look on his mates face before Baily threw himself down inside the Vikings cab. Baily tore off his burning helmet & body armour & seconds later was back up in the fight, firing his SA80 at Taliban swarming all over the compound roofs. “Three enemy left…” In the forward turret of Lees Viking the marine gunner swung his GPMG to engage.
Lee dropped a gunman on the wall 40 mtrs away then heard a thumping noise from open ground off to the left. A soviet designed Degtjarev DShK 12.5mm anti-aircraft machine gun started to hose down the column spitting out bullets at the rate of 125 a minute. Red tracer streamed behind his vehicle.
A GPMG gunner in one of the Vikings  silenced the DShK with a long withering burst. By now all ten B company vehicles were engaged with the enemy. There was chaos inside Bailys burning Viking Sniper Teddy Rueker thought they had hit a mine. Then he heard the order to get out!, Get Out! From the commander, He shouted get out of the vehicle and booted open the heavily armoured door He grabbed Bailys leg and shouted up, Deano, get out mate we’re going – now…
A second PG7VL 93mm high-explosive warhead spiralled from its launcher at 295 mtrs per second slammed into the top of the Viking Baily had not made it out of the turret. ………….

The book is full on and it’s a rare day that The Anglicans didn’t see action
Deano Baily died from his horrific wounds.

I reproduced the description of this article to highlight the value of these proposed anti RPG systems. If they save even one life it is worth the investment!

#223: Re: What are you reading? Author: US_BrakeLocation: USA PostPosted: Sat Jul 23, 2011 3:04 am
    —
Up Close and Personal
The Reality of Close-Quarter Fighting in World War II
by David Lee



In 1947, US General Marshall controversially wrote that out of every one hundred combat soldiers only fifteen to twenty-five actually fired their weapons at the enemy, because of the innate human reluctance to take another's life. Others maintained the opposite view - that soldiers enjoyed killing. David Lee demonstrates that the situation was far more complex than either of these positions, arguing that the crucial factor for a unit's success in battle was the type of training it received.

First-person accounts of close-quarter fighting. I got the hardback used. A good read.

#224: Re: What are you reading? Author: Dima PostPosted: Sat Jul 23, 2011 2:38 pm
    —
Have just finished "Generation Kill" by Evan Wright - helped me to understand alot of unlogical things in the series.

Now reading "The Pacific" by Hugh Ambrose, the book, that the series were based on, feutures 2 more personal stories and alot of details, which were not included in the series.

#225: Re: What are you reading? Author: kawasakyLocation: Zagreb, Hrvatska PostPosted: Mon Jul 25, 2011 5:53 pm
    —
Isaac Deutscher: Stalin: a Political Biography
Although the first copyright dates back to 1949 this book is still one of the corner stones in studying both, Stalin and soviet communism.

#226: Re: What are you reading? Author: wickedakuba PostPosted: Mon Jul 25, 2011 8:57 pm
    —
iam reading a book by Joe Abercrombie called the blade itself, part of a trilogy pretty good so far. not a war book though but just finished beyond the beachhead by Joseph Balkoski which was a good read.

#227: Re: What are you reading? Author: MajorFrank PostPosted: Fri Aug 05, 2011 3:31 pm
    —
Dima wrote (View Post):
Have just finished "Generation Kill" by Evan Wright - helped me to understand alot of unlogical things in the series.

Now reading "The Pacific" by Hugh Ambrose, the book, that the series were based on, feutures 2 more personal stories and alot of details, which were not included in the series.


Might want to read With the old breed by E.B. Sledge and Helmet for my pillow by R. Leckie. Good books both.

#228: Re: What are you reading? Author: arkturasLocation: United Kingdom PostPosted: Tue Aug 16, 2011 7:03 pm
    —
If anyone fancies a short read - something to fit on a few train or bus trips to work try - Andy Mcnab's 'Last night another soldier' it was an excellent read - all be it very short. Currently i'm reading '3 Commando Brigade' by Ewen Southby-Tailyour which i'd also reccomend - its covers some of the operations by 3 Commando in Afghanistan.

#229: Re: What are you reading? Author: mooxe PostPosted: Wed Aug 17, 2011 12:57 am
    —
arkturas wrote (View Post):
If anyone fancies a short read - something to fit on a few train or bus trips to work try - Andy Mcnab's 'Last night another soldier' it was an excellent read - all be it very short. Currently i'm reading '3 Commando Brigade' by Ewen Southby-Tailyour which i'd also reccomend - its covers some of the operations by 3 Commando in Afghanistan.


What dates does the 3 Commando book cover? When I was in Afghanistan we did some operations with the Royal Marine Commandos.... Thats the same Regiment right?

#230: Re: What are you reading? Author: MajorFrank PostPosted: Wed Aug 17, 2011 6:56 am
    —
Right now reading An Army at Dawn - The War in North Africa, 1942-1943 by Rick Atkinson. If it's any good I might get his other book The Day of Battle - The War in Sicily and Italy, 1943-1944. It's supposed to be a trilogy with the final not yet published part covering the Normandy stuff and war in Europe.

#231: Re: What are you reading? Author: Panzermayer PostPosted: Wed Aug 17, 2011 4:32 pm
    —
Currently reading the following:

War Without Garlands: Barbarossa 1941/42. http://www.amazon.com/War-Without-Garlands-Barbarossa-1941/dp/1885119712
&
The Tragedy of the Faithful: 3rd SS Panzer Korps. http://www.amazon.com/Tragedy-Faithful-3rd-Panzer-Korps/dp/0921991614

Just finished:

The Art of War.
&
The Fotgotten Soldier

#232: Re: What are you reading? Author: arkturasLocation: United Kingdom PostPosted: Wed Aug 17, 2011 6:48 pm
    —
Quote:
What dates does the 3 Commando book cover? When I was in Afghanistan we did some operations with the Royal Marine Commandos.... Thats the same Regiment right?


Some of the operations I have covered in the book run between 2006 & 2007, specifically; 'Operation Baaz Tsuka, Bauxite, Clay, Glacier 4; 5, Operation Herrick 5, Kendle & Knight.

#233: Re: What are you reading? Author: dj PostPosted: Wed Aug 31, 2011 4:06 am
    —
Stocking up on the Borders going out of business bargains.  Best deal was the Osprey Warsaw '44 book for $8.  They are almost sold-out at the stores...last days.


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#234: Re: What are you reading? Author: dj PostPosted: Wed Aug 31, 2011 4:08 am
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Osprey Warsaw '44


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#235: Re: What are you reading? Author: dj PostPosted: Sun Sep 11, 2011 5:24 pm
    —
Wow...it looks like I have plenty of books to read for a while thanks to the Borders blow-out.  Got the last few remaining Osprey's for only $2 each.  One book not shown in photo is Beacons in the Night...with recent declassified story of OSS (pre-CIA) operations in Yugoslavia to assist partisan uprisings against the German.


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#236: Re: What are you reading? Author: MajorFrank PostPosted: Mon Sep 12, 2011 7:23 am
    —
Nice haul dj.

Right now reading Easy Company Soldier by Donald Malarkey. Written after the Band of Brothers tv-series. Still good though.

#237: Re: What are you reading? Author: mooxe PostPosted: Mon Sep 12, 2011 8:05 pm
    —
mooxe wrote (View Post):
Just ordered from Amazon...

"If You Survive" by George Wilson

"Penalty Strike: The Memoirs Of A Red Army Penal Company Commander" by Alexander Pyl'cyn

"Death Traps: The Survival of an American Armored Division in World War II " by Belton Y. Cooper


$37.18 with tax and shipping incl, not bad.


Finished Penalty Strike. It was a good easy read. It was nice to read about the personalities in the chain of command. Descriptions of combat were quite well also. I would recommend to anyone here.

If You Survive. Excellent combat! I lost this book in a hotel, was very dissapointed. Was like watching a good movie and the power going out. Definetly buying this one again from Amazon.

#238: Re: What are you reading? Author: papa_whisky PostPosted: Fri Sep 16, 2011 7:51 am
    —
Reading Matterhorn, a novel about a young second Lt in the marines on his first tour in Vietnam. A compelling read written by a Vet that places you the reader very uncomfortably right in the middle of a place that nobody in their right mind would wish to be.

#239: Re: What are you reading? Author: Therion PostPosted: Sat Sep 17, 2011 11:32 pm
    —
Ernst Jünger - Storm of Steel

I'm more and more fascinated with WWI.

#240: Re: What are you reading? Author: kawasakyLocation: Zagreb, Hrvatska PostPosted: Sun Sep 18, 2011 10:10 am
    —
Simon Sebag Montefiore, Stalin: The Court of the Red Tsar

Excellent book that contains some recently declassified data, as well as an original perspective of already known stuff. In my opinion Montefiore's two books about Stalin and Deutscher's Stalin political biography make an awesome combination.

#241: Re: What are you reading? Author: papa_whisky PostPosted: Sun Sep 18, 2011 9:26 pm
    —
kawasaky wrote (View Post):
Simon Sebag Montefiore, Stalin: The Court of the Red Tsar

Excellent book that contains some recently declassified data, as well as an original perspective of already known stuff. In my opinion Montefiore's two books about Stalin and Deutscher's Stalin political biography make an awesome combination.


Yes an excellent book. Makes you feel paranoid just reading it.

#242: Re: What are you reading? Author: MajorFrank PostPosted: Sat Sep 24, 2011 5:51 pm
    —
papa_whisky wrote (View Post):
Reading Matterhorn, a novel about a young second Lt in the marines on his first tour in Vietnam. A compelling read written by a Vet that places you the reader very uncomfortably right in the middle of a place that nobody in their right mind would wish to be.


Browsed this at the bookstore, seems interesting. I just can't at least yet shell out the money for what is in reality a fictional book. Although the author was in the war etc. so much is based on reality. Might get it from a discount later on.

Waiting the arrival in mail of the last two Donald Burgett books, Road to Arnhem and Beyond the Rhine. Hopefully these will be as good as the two books by D. Burgett I've already read.

#243: Re: What are you reading? Author: papa_whisky PostPosted: Sun Sep 25, 2011 11:37 am
    —
[quote="MajorFrank";p="61428"]
papa_whisky wrote (View Post):
I just can't at least yet shell out the money for what is in reality a fictional book. Although the author was in the war etc. so much is based on reality.


The fact that its fictional is not really an issue from my point of view. It is an 'eyewitness-fictional account' that has depth and detail that anyone with an interest in that war probably makes it a must read. I think I obtained a lot of understanding from it. But sure there is time to wait for a discount or a birthday Smile

#244: Re: What are you reading? Author: Panzermayer PostPosted: Mon Sep 26, 2011 7:34 pm
    —
dj wrote (View Post):
Wow...it looks like I have plenty of books to read for a while thanks to the Borders blow-out.  Got the last few remaining Osprey's for only $2 each.  One book not shown in photo is Beacons in the Night...with recent declassified story of OSS (pre-CIA) operations in Yugoslavia to assist partisan uprisings against the German.


Nice collection you have there. I was wondering if 'For Europe' is a good read?

#245: Re: What are you reading? Author: Dima PostPosted: Tue Sep 27, 2011 2:20 pm
    —
The book of the Russian historian (he is the main expert on Kursk nowadays in Russia) about battle of Kursk. Have read three volumes in Russian, highly detailed and alot of archive material for both sides:

http://www.amazon.fr/Demolishing-Myth-Prokhorovka-Operational-Narrative/dp/1906033897/ref=sr_1_19?s=english-books&ie=UTF8&qid=1317038916&sr=1-19
 
Highly recommended for everyone!

#246: Re: What are you reading? Author: kawasakyLocation: Zagreb, Hrvatska PostPosted: Tue Sep 27, 2011 7:25 pm
    —
Dima wrote (View Post):
The book of the Russian historian (he is the main expert on Kursk nowadays in Russia) about battle of Kursk. Have read three volumes in Russian, highly detailed and alot of archive material for both sides:

http://www.amazon.fr/Demolishing-Myth-Prokhorovka-Operational-Narrative/dp/1906033897/ref=sr_1_19?s=english-books&ie=UTF8&qid=1317038916&sr=1-19
 
Highly recommended for everyone!


Does in introduce anything new in regard of Glantz's and Newton's works?

#247: Re: What are you reading? Author: Dima PostPosted: Tue Sep 27, 2011 7:33 pm
    —
Glantz Kursk is outdated.
Newton shows Kursk only from the German side.
Zamulin shows Kursk from the Russian side mainly, but using references from Newton and Zetterling regarding the German side.
Cheers Wink.

#248: Re: What are you reading? Author: kawasakyLocation: Zagreb, Hrvatska PostPosted: Tue Sep 27, 2011 7:49 pm
    —
I remember that when I read Glantz back in 2000 it was a very good read, but I'll take your word that it is outdated because I haven't read anything about that battle since 2003 or 04.

So, it's worth spending some money I guess(?).

#249: Re: What are you reading? Author: Ivan_Zaitzev PostPosted: Tue Sep 27, 2011 11:11 pm
    —
I just bought some literature.  Very Happy


#250: Re: What are you reading? Author: Dima PostPosted: Tue Sep 27, 2011 11:47 pm
    —
Quote:
So, it's worth spending some money I guess(?).

if you are interested in Kursk southern salient, than it is a must to spend some money Wink.
would not recommend it if it didn't worth spending money Smile

#251: Re: What are you reading? Author: dj PostPosted: Wed Sep 28, 2011 2:47 am
    —
Dima wrote (View Post):
The book of the Russian historian (he is the main expert on Kursk nowadays in Russia) about battle of Kursk. Have read three volumes in Russian, highly detailed and alot of archive material for both sides:

http://www.amazon.fr/Demolishing-Myth-Prokhorovka-Operational-Narrative/dp/1906033897/ref=sr_1_19?s=english-books&ie=UTF8&qid=1317038916&sr=1-19
 
Highly recommended for everyone!


I am curious about Kursk...seems like a good revisit.  Both sides account of the facts seem lost in history due to the aggressive political pressure of Boss Stalin and Josef Goebels whom scrubbed the facts to make it seem like the Germans won every battle.   It's good there are some fresh new sources without hidden agendas.

#252: Re: What are you reading? Author: dj PostPosted: Wed Sep 28, 2011 3:00 am
    —
Panzermayer wrote (View Post):
dj wrote (View Post):
Wow...it looks like I have plenty of books to read for a while thanks to the Borders blow-out.  Got the last few remaining Osprey's for only $2 each.  One book not shown in photo is Beacons in the Night...with recent declassified story of OSS (pre-CIA) operations in Yugoslavia to assist partisan uprisings against the German.


Nice collection you have there. I was wondering if 'For Europe' is a good read?


Haven't started yet, still finishing-up book about the financial meltdown of 2008 by Michael Lewis called The Big Short.  

For Europe is over 500 pages and seems very throughly researched and presented.  Robert Forbes chronicles the last days of the "Charlemagne" division of French volunteers.  Amazing that they held-out all the way to the end.

#253: Re: What are you reading? Author: MajorFrank PostPosted: Thu Sep 29, 2011 3:36 am
    —
dj wrote (View Post):
Dima wrote (View Post):
The book of the Russian historian (he is the main expert on Kursk nowadays in Russia) about battle of Kursk. Have read three volumes in Russian, highly detailed and alot of archive material for both sides:

http://www.amazon.fr/Demolishing-Myth-Prokhorovka-Operational-Narrative/dp/1906033897/ref=sr_1_19?s=english-books&ie=UTF8&qid=1317038916&sr=1-19
 
Highly recommended for everyone!


I am curious about Kursk...seems like a good revisit.  Both sides account of the facts seem lost in history due to the aggressive political pressure of Boss Stalin and Josef Goebels whom scrubbed the facts to make it seem like the Germans won every battle.   It's good there are some fresh new sources without hidden agendas.


Just to comment on this, there is so much potential stuff for serious historians to look at in the eastern front of WW2. A lot of what East German and Soviet historians studied was dismissed in the west as propaganda during the Cold War although I would say that much of the raw data collected by eastern block historians was actually either true or very close to truth.

The scale of the war was just bigger on the eastern front and there was a lot of cruelty towards the civilian population that should warrant closer neutral historical study. I'm sure there are still people alive who witnessed many horrible things during WW2 in the eastern front.

I hope that the eastern front gets a 'big historical treatment' in the future.

#254: Re: What are you reading? Author: MajorFrank PostPosted: Sun Oct 02, 2011 4:30 am
    —
MajorFrank wrote (View Post):
Right now reading An Army at Dawn - The War in North Africa, 1942-1943 by Rick Atkinson. If it's any good I might get his other book The Day of Battle - The War in Sicily and Italy, 1943-1944. It's supposed to be a trilogy with the final not yet published part covering the Normandy stuff and war in Europe.


Recently finished this, I had it as a kind of night table reading. Long book, over 700 pages but an interesting read with some good maps. Not a fast read though. Reminded me a little of Stephen Ambrose's style, anecdotes and a focus on the generals and other high echelon.

Just got the Italy-book in the mail, it's as long as the Africa one.

#255: Re: What are you reading? Author: mooxe PostPosted: Tue Oct 11, 2011 1:05 pm
    —
"Dancing with the Dushman" by LCol Ian Hope.

This was part of the base CO's "book club." Its about Canada in Afghanistan around 2006 and 2007. Its an ok book. There are some lessons learned from his tour that can be used in most any conflict. There are people in the book I used to work with so it make it interesting that way. It's kind oflike reading someone elses war story. I hear enough of those at work already though. It's still a good and fast read at 155 pages. I think maybe its a bit too early for Afghanistan books personally.

#256: Re: What are you reading? Author: MajorFrank PostPosted: Sun Oct 23, 2011 12:55 am
    —
Yesterday finished reading The Road to Arnhem by Donald Burgett, it's about the Market Garden fiasco from the perspective of a 101st paratrooper. It was a good read, just like all of Burgett's books so far. Now I'm down to his final book, Beyond the Rhine, after this one I've read all his books. Highly recommended if you want a Band of Brothers - type experience (Burgett was in A company whereas BoB is about E co.).

Edit. Well I finished the last book, I've now read all of them. Very good, recommended.

#257: Re: What are you reading? Author: MajorFrank PostPosted: Fri Nov 11, 2011 2:01 am
    —
Reading now: Killing Pablo by Mark Bowden. Seems ok.

Just ordered through mail: If You Survive by George Wilson and Soldat by Siegfried Knappe. The Wilson - book was recommended by someone here in this thread and I thought I'd get it.  Smile

#258: Re: What are you reading? Author: MF_Church PostPosted: Fri Nov 11, 2011 12:56 pm
    —
HEAVY reading there IVAN ~ Smile  Especially on CC2 side of that ledger ;)

Good Go @ Ivan.

ok.. I have just read something that just a bite.  Not a book.  Just some tidbit on the Canadian Army of today, in memory of our Vets etc.

I'll even paste it here.  It's cool and kind of sad.  Why?  Cuz i'm a Canadian.  :)

* Pic not Shown (in) here.  
A Canadian Leopard 2 tank drives through a mountain pass in Afghanistan's Panjwaii district in February 2009.

Canada maintained an armoured force of main battle tanks after the Second World War as part of its NATO contribution to forestall a Warsaw Pact attack in Europe, acquiring Leopard 1 tanks from Germany in the 1970s.

After the fall of the Soviet Union, the Canadian military planned to phase out its heavy tanks in favour of heavily-armed, rubber-tired armoured fighting vehicles such as the LAV 3, which seemed more in tune with the peacekeeping and rapid-response roles Canada expected to undertake.

Increasingly fierce fighting in southern Afghanistan forced it to reconsider. National Defence borrowed 20 Leopard 2s from the German Bundeswehr (federal defence force) and upgraded them for better protection against IEDs and rocket-propelled grenades. It is acquiring more second-hand Leopard 2s from the Netherlands. The 62-tonne Leopards sport a 120-mm main gun, two machine guns and can reach speeds of 70 km/h.

Pics / Images here @  http://www.bing.com/images?FORM=ESLAUT&mkt=en-ca&q=Leopard+2+tank#x0y0

#259: Re: What are you reading? Author: MajorFrank PostPosted: Tue Nov 29, 2011 10:06 am
    —
Reading a book called Citizen Soldiers by Stephen Ambrose. Seems pretty good, best from Ambrose that I have so far read.

#260: Re: What are you reading? Author: salhexe PostPosted: Tue Nov 29, 2011 4:47 pm
    —

#261: Re: What are you reading? Author: kawasakyLocation: Zagreb, Hrvatska PostPosted: Fri Dec 02, 2011 7:34 am
    —
Alistair Horne - The price of glory  Verdun 1916
Superbly written book. Almost as you are reading a novel...
I recommend it.

#262: Re: What are you reading? Author: MajorFrank PostPosted: Sat Dec 10, 2011 4:46 pm
    —
MajorFrank wrote (View Post):

Just ordered through mail: If You Survive by George Wilson and Soldat by Siegfried Knappe. The Wilson - book was recommended by someone here in this thread and I thought I'd get it.  Smile


Finally got these, started reading If You Survive, seems very good, action packed but also well written. Knappe's book seems good too, and long, 430 pages with good pics.

Am already looking for more to read, I'm kind of shifting my interest to the Vietnam war. I'm interested in the MACV SOG and the LRRP's and the other 'silent warriors'. Also interested in the Vietnamese perspective.

#263: Re: What are you reading? Author: mooxe PostPosted: Fri Dec 16, 2011 8:02 pm
    —
Currently reading Deep Survival. Another book thats part of the CO's book club here on base. Not very far in, but it started with a WW2 story so I pretty interested already.

http://www.deepsurvival.com/

#264: Re: What are you reading? Author: dgfredLocation: N.C., USA PostPosted: Fri Dec 16, 2011 8:19 pm
    —
Hey Mooxe, good to see you.

Homba at TH is trying to contact you too.  Wink

#265: Re: What are you reading? Author: MajorFrank PostPosted: Sat Feb 11, 2012 2:41 pm
    —
MajorFrank wrote (View Post):
MajorFrank wrote (View Post):

Just ordered through mail: If You Survive by George Wilson and Soldat by Siegfried Knappe. The Wilson - book was recommended by someone here in this thread and I thought I'd get it.  Smile


Finally got these, started reading If You Survive, seems very good, action packed but also well written. Knappe's book seems good too, and long, 430 pages with good pics.

Am already looking for more to read, I'm kind of shifting my interest to the Vietnam war. I'm interested in the MACV SOG and the LRRP's and the other 'silent warriors'. Also interested in the Vietnamese perspective.


Finished "If You Survive". Very good story from the perspective of 'stock' infantry officer in WW2. Very 'close combat' - style in the way that the terrain is described in detail before the battles.

Haven't yet started reading "Soldat" by Knappe. Ordered two more books, "SOG - The Secret Wars of America's Commandoes In Vietnam" by John Plaster and "Recondo" by Larry Chambers. Started reading SOG, seems interesting although probably not very academically reliable.

Also I've been reading a non-war related book, "In Cold Blood" by Truman Capote.

#266: Re: What are you reading? Author: Hostilian PostPosted: Tue Feb 21, 2012 10:38 pm
    —
Pleasantly surprised that these forums are still up and running. It's been a while since my last visit.  ;)

Anyway, on topic; unfortunately study books just now....  :(

Still, I've got to share my favourite WW2 book. The Guns of War (actually 2 books in one - The Guns of Normandy and The Guns of Victory) by George G Blackburn..
Bargain - Amazon link

#H


Last edited by Hostilian on Fri Mar 02, 2012 8:59 pm; edited 1 time in total

#267: Re: What are you reading? Author: kawasakyLocation: Zagreb, Hrvatska PostPosted: Tue Feb 21, 2012 11:58 pm
    —
Just finished Max Hastings' "All Hell Let Loose".
Great read. It covers the 1939-45 period, so most of it is well known to the ww2 buffs, but Hastings provides, as usual, some good arguments, some [fact based] revision, top-down analysis and bottom-up personal accounts.

#268: Re: What are you reading? Author: MajorFrank PostPosted: Thu Mar 08, 2012 5:21 pm
    —
Ok I got another one, called "Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption" by Laura Hillenbrand.

There is more to this story then just WW2 - stuff, it's about Louis Zamperini who was also a significant athlete and competed in the Berlin olympics.

#269: Re: What are you reading? Author: Panzermayer PostPosted: Thu Mar 08, 2012 6:34 pm
    —
Tragedy of the Faithful - Wilhelm Tielke
Panzer Commander - Hans von Luck
Soldat - Siegfried Knappe
The Forgotten Soldier - Guy Sajer

I find Soldat the most entertaining, great account of pre-ww2, ww2 and post-ww2.

#270: Re: What are you reading? Author: MajorFrank PostPosted: Sat Mar 10, 2012 6:16 pm
    —
Panzermayer wrote (View Post):
Tragedy of the Faithful - Wilhelm Tielke
Panzer Commander - Hans von Luck
Soldat - Siegfried Knappe
The Forgotten Soldier - Guy Sajer

I find Soldat the most entertaining, great account of pre-ww2, ww2 and post-ww2.


Good to heat that, I still have Soldat waiting to be read in the shelf.  Smile

#271: Re: What are you reading? Author: PeteLocation: Nijmegen, Netherlands PostPosted: Sat Mar 10, 2012 11:00 pm
    —
Reading "Battle of the Reichswald" by Peter Elstob. Makes sense doesn't it  Wink  Reading it in Dutch.
Other books on the reading list for the Rhineland mod:
"The Rhineland 1945" by Osprey. Finished it this week. Basically no more than an introduction to the campaign.
"Der Zweite Weltkrieg Zwischen Rhein und Maas" by Heinz Bosch.
And there will be much more I reckon.

#272: Re: What are you reading? Author: kawasakyLocation: Zagreb, Hrvatska PostPosted: Fri Mar 23, 2012 5:45 pm
    —
Two books by sir F. Kitson, very important for understanding terror tactics used lately by the NATO and their Arab puppets throughout the Maghreb countries and Syria, as well as some British criminal undertakings during the decolonization in 1960s-70s:

Frank Kitson - Low Intensity Operations http://libcom.org/library/low-intensity-operations-subversion-insurgency-peacekeeping
 
Frank Kitson - Gangs and Counter-gangs http://www.bilderberg-mirror.org.uk/countergangs.pdf

#273: Re: What are you reading? Author: AT_Stalky PostPosted: Fri Mar 23, 2012 8:31 pm
    —
Just reading Otto Skorzeny memoars.

This is really a good book.

One gets a close view of his carrier in Waffen SS. He describes the French campaign, and the Russian campaign, meeting with Hitler etc..

Recommended.

#274: Re: What are you reading? Author: kawasakyLocation: Zagreb, Hrvatska PostPosted: Sat Mar 24, 2012 12:32 pm
    —
AT_Stalky wrote (View Post):
Just reading Otto Skorzeny memoars.

This is really a good book.

One gets a close view of his carrier in Waffen SS. He describes the French campaign, and the Russian campaign, meeting with Hitler etc..

Recommended.

Just to add, you need to max up your bullshit filters while reading it.

#275: Re: What are you reading? Author: MajorFrank PostPosted: Sat Mar 24, 2012 12:49 pm
    —
AT_Stalky,

do you mean a book called "Commando Extraordinary Otto Skorzeny" by Charles Foley? I have that and I've read it, was pretty good. Wasn't much in it about Skorzeny's time in the eastern front though.

Me, I recently finished a book called The Good Soldiers by David Finkel. Pretty gruesome book about the troop surge in Iraq 2007-2008.
A review.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/11/books/review/Stanton-t.html?pagewanted=all

#276: Re: What are you reading? Author: AT_Stalky PostPosted: Sat Mar 24, 2012 4:53 pm
    —
Hi

Have read some 120 pages or so, he’s in Italy by now, just before the Mussolini event.. Haven’t seen any BS so far, maybe that part is in the next chapter?..  

MF, this is Otto’s own memoirs. In this book he takes us through his early life in a few chapter, and the detailed story’s starts when WW2 starts. He covers his experience of Barbarossa in rather good details.

/S

#277: Re: What are you reading? Author: kawasakyLocation: Zagreb, Hrvatska PostPosted: Sat Mar 24, 2012 11:22 pm
    —
Stalky, what is the book title exactly?

Is it "Secret Missions"?
As I understand in some languages it was titled "Secret Memoirs".

IF that is the book you're talking about than: the part about Yugoslavia is more-less rubbish; the part about 20 July plot, and his role in it, is wildly exaggerated.
I think I've found some odd stuff about the Ardennes offensive as well, but will have to dig out the book to verify that

#278: Re: What are you reading? Author: BungarraLocation: Murchison region, West Australia PostPosted: Sun Mar 25, 2012 10:44 am
    —
This is the book review site of Military History on the Web.

http://www.historyofwar.org/new_books.html

The whole site is worth a look

#279: Re: What are you reading? Author: AT_Stalky PostPosted: Sun Mar 25, 2012 10:50 am
    —
Its Ottos own memoirs from 1950, original title "Geheimkommando Skorzeny". In Swedish something completely different though..

You name BS in the part about Yugoslavia, (I know very lill about the fights down there).

Otto describes the three times he was in Yugoslavia, first in 1941. Its most anecdotes talking to the people and noticing the split between Bostonian and the Serbs. He’s a technical officer and is thus not a fighting man, and the only time he fined him self in "contact" with the “enemy” is when his 2 tractors are probing the roads after a Yugoslavian redraw, and they come to a village and there are some 50 or 80 men with 3 officers that lay down there weapon to them.. No drama or heroism at all, no dead no vounded nothing, some warning shots was fired though.

The second time he’s there, he just noticed the partisans was strong and controlled much.

So, what was BS here?

/S
(edit: he wasnt there a third time, as I previously wrote)


Last edited by AT_Stalky on Sat Mar 31, 2012 2:47 pm; edited 2 times in total

#280: Re: What are you reading? Author: Dima PostPosted: Sun Mar 25, 2012 11:06 am
    —
Yeah, read Skorzeny many years ago as well - nice adventure novel, but would not take it as a source Wink.
Anyway Sajer's memoirs are same crappy fact-wise but still is a good read.

#281: Re: What are you reading? Author: AT_Stalky PostPosted: Sun Mar 25, 2012 11:24 am
    —
I fined Otto to be rather humble, the commando raid to liberate Mussolini for example.

He gives much credit for its success and planning to a junior officer. He says that the men in the team was really good and they are a huge factor for the success. Otto say that the most important factor for this rescue was successful was pure luck, because it was planed so hasty and they misjudged the landing arias that easily may have turned the adventure into a failure. Otto further states in his memoirs that the German propaganda machine turned it into something it was not, and he strongly oppose the “staging” of the event with film cameras as just rubbish.  

So, about Yugoslavia and Mussolini what’s BS and bragging here?

#282: Re: What are you reading? Author: MajorFrank PostPosted: Sun Mar 25, 2012 1:07 pm
    —
About Skorzeny, I glanced through Foley's book about him that I have, he mentioned that Skorzeny wasn't a believer in the nazi ideology of, for example, that the Soviets were sub-humans. However, some time ago I saw this documentary about Skorzeny where a guy had talked to him after the war in Ireland and he remembered him calling the Soviets sub-humans.

So, who knows. Maybe some things are lost forever in the fog of history and war.

#283: Re: What are you reading? Author: kawasakyLocation: Zagreb, Hrvatska PostPosted: Thu Mar 29, 2012 8:11 pm
    —
AT_Stalky wrote (View Post):
I fined Otto to be rather humble, the commando raid to liberate Mussolini for example.

He gives much credit for its success and planning to a junior officer. He says that the men in the team was really good and they are a huge factor for the success. Otto say that the most important factor for this rescue was successful was pure luck, because it was planed so hasty and they misjudged the landing arias that easily may have turned the adventure into a failure. Otto further states in his memoirs that the German propaganda machine turned it into something it was not, and he strongly oppose the “staging” of the event with film cameras as just rubbish.  

So, about Yugoslavia and Mussolini what’s BS and bragging here?

I've siad nothing about his role in Op. Eiche.

About Roesselsprung (AB attack on Vrhovni štab in Drvar) - if HIS plan was implemented and under HIS command they would've captured "Tito". It all went south because of petty feelings of "an army general in Banja Luka" (OK, I know who he should be talking about, but please - name, exact rank). "Tito" learned about the raid and escaped a few hours earlier.

Now, NOV i PO Jugoslavije wasn't some rag-tag band. In may 1944 (and earlier for all it matters) it was fully structured army. Drvar was the Main HQ base (and there were the Soviet, the British and the USA military missions also) and well guarded. If he tried something like Mussolini stunt, his small unit would've been wiped out. Roesselsprung was a set piece operation with some 25-30 thousand troops and ground element was included from the beginning (O.S. implies that the Germans HAD to engage ground units BECAUSE the paras were surrounded). Josip Broz and the better part of the Main HQ escaped under fire. What saved them was the German belief that "Tito" is in Drvar itself, while he and his closest associates were in "The Cave" nearby town. When W-SS figured that out, it was already too late. So, it was touch-and-go gor "Tito" and he was almost eliminated.

Second, he (O.S) says that the "partisans" stashed their waepons away during daytime and pretended to be civilians, and it's a damn lie in line with nazi policy of not paying regard to the Hague Convention. It is only a cover up that serves as an apology for the executions of captured NOVJ soldiers. In fact, they, the NOVJ, fulfilled all of the requirements needed to be treated as a belligerent side - as stated in Annex to the Convention REGULATIONS RESPECTING THE LAWS AND CUSTOMS OF WAR ON LAND, CHAPTER I, The Qualifications of Belligerents, Article 1.

#284: Re: What are you reading? Author: US_BrakeLocation: USA PostPosted: Thu Mar 29, 2012 9:31 pm
    —
The Fighting First: The Untold Story of The Big Red One On D-Day
Flint Whitlock

The Big Red One
Samuel Fuller, Richard Schickel

The Last Kilometer: Marching to Victory in Europe With the Big Red One, 1944-1945
A. Preston Price

1st Infantry Division Big Red One
Ian Westwell
_________________________________

Desert Rats: The 7th Armoured Division in World War II
Major-General G L Verney Dso Mvo

Churchill's Desert Rats: From Normandy to Berlin With the 7th Armoured Division
Patrick Delaforce


Last edited by US_Brake on Tue Apr 03, 2012 12:18 am; edited 1 time in total

#285: Re: What are you reading? Author: AT_Stalky PostPosted: Fri Mar 30, 2012 9:17 am
    —
kawasaky wrote (View Post):
About Roesselsprung (AB attack on Vrhovni štab in Drvar) - if HIS plan was implemented and under HIS command they would've captured "Tito".

Otto dont say that in his memoir.

kawasaky wrote (View Post):
If he tried something like Mussolini stunt, his small unit would've been wiped out.  

1) This is purely speculations. It has nothing to do with Ottos memoirs as he dont say a word about details of his own plan to capture Tito. 2) If you allow you’re self to speculate, why can’t Otto speculate about what went wrong?

kawasaky wrote (View Post):
Roesselsprung was a set piece operation with some 25-30 thousand troops and ground element was included from the beginning  (O.S. implies that the Germans HAD to engage ground units BECAUSE the paras were surrounded).

Otto don’t say that, Otto say; “On the set date the army corps started the operation, an SS-Fj battalion who was attached to the corps jumps into the valley…. " --- Clearly saying that it’s a corps operation with an element of SS-Fj..   

Remember, Otto is in Germany in Friedenthal when this happens, and is not in Yugoslavia and he don’t take part in the operation nor did he do the plan.  He’s a pure observer from grate distance, he dont claim anything else.




kawasaky wrote (View Post):
Second, he (O.S) says that the "partisans" stashed their waepons away during daytime and pretended to be civilians, and it's a damn lie in line with nazi policy of not paying regard to the Hague Convention. It is only a cover up that serves as an apology for the executions of captured NOVJ soldiers. In fact, they, the NOVJ, fulfilled all of the requirements needed to be treated as a belligerent side - as stated in Annex to the Convention REGULATIONS RESPECTING THE LAWS AND CUSTOMS OF WAR ON LAND, CHAPTER I, The Qualifications of Belligerents, Article 1.

Hm, Otto retells what the corps commander down there tells him, and that’s how the Yugoslavian farmers are described to Otto. As he later see the farmers on the fields, he recollects what he been told, and think “where does that farmer hide his weapon.”  So he belives whats he been told..

Hm, as I said before I know lill about the fights down there.
I have Milovan Djilas memoirs though.  I suppose you know who that is, one of Titos men..
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milovan_%C4%90ilas

The Djilas memoirs starts at 1943, and at page 9 and 10, Djilas say: “it common knowledge that it was the Yugoslavian communist party who organized the partisan and the rebel movement against the German and Italian occupying forces and there domestic collaborators. “  

Djilas further states at page 11 that: “during the forth offensive in 1943, there was negotiations between our (Yougoslavian) leaders  and the Germans leaders, the reason was to exchange prisoners, but the main issue for us was in reality to get the Germans to acknowledge the partisans as combatants thus in that way end the killing of prisoners and wounded on both sides.”

At page 29 Djilas say: ”the uprising in Yugoslavia would not have materialized if it wasnt for the intimate bounds between the rebellious farmers and the communist avant-garde.”  
etc etc etc

If one of Titos close men described the situation in Yugoslavia like this… compare that to how things was described to Otto..

kawasaky wrote (View Post):
Josip Broz and the better part of the Main HQ escaped under fire. What saved them was the German belief that "Tito" is in Drvar itself, while he and his closest associates were in "The Cave" nearby town. When W-SS figured that out, it was already too late. So, it was touch-and-go gor "Tito" and he was almost eliminated.

A question: I cant fined that text or story in Ottos memoirs, is that your own comment? (or what page?)

/Stalk

#286: Re: What are you reading? Author: MajorFrank PostPosted: Sun Apr 22, 2012 6:25 am
    —
Just finished The Last Stand of The Tin Can Sailors by James Hornfisher. A pretty good depiction of the Pacific war and specifically the Battle off Samar in 1944.

The Japanese navy comes across as inadequate and just inferior in every way. Makes me wonder how they even got that far.

#287: Re: What are you reading? Author: dgfredLocation: N.C., USA PostPosted: Mon Apr 23, 2012 8:44 pm
    —
I have that exact book... good reading IMO.

#288: Re: What are you reading? Author: mooxe PostPosted: Tue Apr 24, 2012 4:43 pm
    —
Finished What Its Like To Go To War by Karl Marlantes. Good first person accounts of the Vietnam war. Karl goes into the psyche of it as well, how he dealt with it and such. Makes me want to find some more Vietnam books.

Also finished reading Helmet For My Pillow by Robert Leckie. Great book. Great action, Robert Leckie is a good descriptive writer. I ended up watching The Pacific again while reading the book.

#289: Re: What are you reading? Author: AT_Stalky PostPosted: Tue Apr 24, 2012 5:13 pm
    —
Tiger in the mud by Otto Carius.

Tiger in the mud




or in Swedish_:


V interesting book. Gives a good picture of the Tiger action and its day to day front operations. Recommended.


Last edited by AT_Stalky on Fri Jun 22, 2012 7:13 pm; edited 1 time in total

#290: Re: What are you reading? Author: Dima PostPosted: Tue Apr 24, 2012 10:33 pm
    —
Smile

#291: Re: What are you reading? Author: MajorFrank PostPosted: Fri May 04, 2012 12:17 pm
    —
Ghost Wars: The Secret History of the CIA, Afghanistan, and bin Laden, from the Soviet Invasion to September 10, 2001.

Btw, where has this thread gone, wasn't this a sticky in The Mess before?

Edit. Nevermind, seems that it's there but I just couldn't see page 21 for some reason.

#292: Re: What are you reading? Author: mooxe PostPosted: Fri May 11, 2012 1:55 am
    —
this thread is working again....

#293: Re: What are you reading? Author: MajorFrank PostPosted: Fri May 11, 2012 5:23 am
    —
MajorFrank wrote (View Post):
Ordered two more books, "SOG - The Secret Wars of America's Commandoes In Vietnam" by John Plaster and "Recondo" by Larry Chambers. Started reading SOG, seems interesting although probably not very academically reliable.


Been reading SOG, about half-way in now.

Started thinking, if someone was to make another Vietnam war - based mod for CC, the MACV-SOG would make a good subject for one. They were usually inserted into jungle by a helo and had to carry out a mission that could be anything from observing the enemy to snatching prisoners etc. Then they were extracted with helos.

The missions often degenerated into these 'chases through the jungle' with a numerically superior North Vietnamese NVA troops chasing and trying to kill the small MACV-SOG teams. Not sure if that could be replicated in a CC mission but it sure was a pretty intense type of warfare. I had no idea how effective these guys were throughout the war, and especially during the first half of the war. They were able to tie down and kill an astonishing number of the enemy. Their unit also carried out these psych ops, some of which were very succesfull.

#294: Re: What are you reading? Author: Dima PostPosted: Wed May 16, 2012 3:18 pm
    —
Some new Russian book were published in English recently:

Rzhev battle - http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1908916516/ref=ox_sc_act_image_2?ie=UTF8&m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE
Vazma battle - http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1908916508/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?ie=UTF8&m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE
 
Both have alot of details and are a must for all EF fans.

#295: Re: What are you reading? Author: thumb PostPosted: Wed Jun 06, 2012 1:52 am
    —
Panzer Gunner: From My Native Canada to the German Osfront and Back. In Action with 25th Panzer Regiment, 7th Panzer Division 1944-45

Free Kindle ebook @ Amazon. Free Kindle PC app also available.

#296: Re: What are you reading? Author: Antony_nz PostPosted: Fri Jun 08, 2012 4:27 am
    —
Clan of the cave bear.
Harry Turtle doves southern victory books. (Alternative WW1 and WW2 in America)
Metallica all that matters.

#297: Re: What are you reading? Author: MajorFrank PostPosted: Mon Jun 18, 2012 1:09 am
    —
Finished SOG, it was jam-packed with a lot of stories, most second hand but still (I think) from direct interviews with the participants and from reliable sources. I now know quite a bit more about the secret, clandestine side of the Vietnam war then I did previously. It was a grim war, fought to the bitter end. Made me think that maybe the war could have been pretty much avoided had the US not gotten involved at all, or much less then it did.

Now reading Recondo by Larry Chambers. An autobiographical book based on the writers experiences as a LRRP (long range patrol) - member in the Vietnam war. I'm a fan of these guerilla - type soldiers, they were the 'individualists' of war, at least to a certain extent.

#298: Re: What are you reading? Author: AT_Stalky PostPosted: Fri Jun 22, 2012 9:40 am
    —
Christa Schroeder’s ”I was Hitler’s Secretary”

The author was as the title gives away, Hitlers stenograph secretary from 1933 to 1945.
The book should not be confused with Zollers book, that used Schroeder’s debriefing/interrogation material from here 3 years in allied war criminal camps and made a book from that material.

There are many memoirs from the people close to Hitler, but IMO this is a really really good book that do not demonize Hitler but gives a rather balanced picture of his many sides. The author comes out strong against other memoirs and biography works that do not give a true picture about the life and the persons around Hitler.

The author has not only here own extensive material available, and here own memory, and all other memoirs. The author has also got in contact with the people around Hitler after the war to clear out what happened and what was said in situations that was unclear. In all, Schroeder has done a good job with this book. She did not participate in any interviews after the war, and wanted the book published after here death.  

Worth a read IMHO.

#299: Re: What are you reading? Author: MajorFrank PostPosted: Sat Jul 14, 2012 2:01 am
    —
Recently I finished a book called "The Operators: The Wild and Terrifying Inside Story of America's War in Afghanistan" by Michael Hastings. It was a quick read, it's based on the story in the Rolling Stone - magazine that led to the firing of Stanley McCrystal as the leader of the US troops in Afghanistan.

It's a good story, made you wonder how these big generals just kind of move around without bodyguards. If, say, a Taliban assassin would want to kill McCrystal, I see no reason why that wouldn't be possible. He and his entourage travelled in the economy class in airplanes, they eat in the most shoddiest and cheapest places they can find, etc.

Also it made me think about the war in Afghanistan, and how that war just goes on without anyone having to explain why it's still going on. Afghanistan is really a dirt poor developing nation where people have a really short life expectancy. Even when it's peace, which it basically hasn't been for the last forty years or so. Before that there was a period of relative calm and progress there.

#300: Re: What are you reading? Author: MajorFrank PostPosted: Mon Jul 16, 2012 10:41 pm
    —
Inferno - The World at War 1939 - 1945 by Max Hastings.

I just got this one, I haven't yet started reading it. I haven't previously read any of Hasting's books, he seems to be pretty highly regarded whereas people like Beevor get quite a bit of stick.

The book covers the entire war and I guess it's for people who already know a lot about the war. Hastings addresses many aspects of the war that have been either forgotten or misinterpreted by other historians or the general media. Lots of first hand accounts and solid historical research data.

I've been leafing through and eyeing some of the bits from this. A long book with quite a lot of substance. Probably a good addition to the war book collection.

#301: Re: What are you reading? Author: AT_Stalky PostPosted: Tue Jul 17, 2012 12:31 pm
    —
Hm, surely more ppl here read books..

Well, finished Iron Coffins by Herbert A. Werner. (In Swedish: Döden från djupet, Jag var Hitlers ubåtschef)



The author served on U-boats during the war, later as captain. His boats was slinked twice and still survived. This is a memoir, pretty well written as such, compact and story’s are short but descriptive. Gives anecdotes, details in combat and the horrible life onboard. ‘
Its not one of the best books I read, but if one stumble over it and the subject is of interest its worth a read.

/S


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#302: Re: What are you reading? Author: tigercubLocation: charters towers PostPosted: Tue Jul 17, 2012 12:39 pm
    —
The blond knight of germany

shatted sword..

i am into

#303: Re: What are you reading? Author: MajorFrank PostPosted: Wed Jul 25, 2012 2:25 pm
    —
AT_Stalky wrote (View Post):
Hm, surely more ppl here read books..

Well, finished Iron Coffins by Herbert A. Werner. (In Swedish: Döden från djupet, Jag var Hitlers ubåtschef)


I've been looking for some good u-boat books, especially about the WW2 Atlantic battles. I used to be really into Silent Hunter 2 & 3, strange that I haven't read that many u-boat books. I've been looking for Das Boot as a book, I see it has good reviews. The one you mentioned is also on my list.

#304: Re: What are you reading? Author: AT_Stalky PostPosted: Thu Jul 26, 2012 7:47 pm
    —
MF, its a good read when the subejct is of intrest.

I just finished another book:

OsKus fjärrpatruller by Jukka Mäkelä from 1969

This is a really good book.

OsKu’s was Finland’s long range strategic patrols who gathered information far behind the enemy lines during WW2. Osku’s was a small elite force of some 70 men, serving behind the enemy lines for month at the time.. The story’s have been gathered by the author who him self was in the Finish intelligence service.
The story’s witness of the hardships the men went through. They did not just collect information but was also blowing up railways and bridges and ambushed vehicles and often took prisoners for interrogation back at HQ.
Picked up the book this morning and read it all in a day… Interesting and well written.  

/S

#305: Re: What are you reading? Author: AT_Stalky PostPosted: Sat Jul 28, 2012 5:56 pm
    —
Rök över Aunus. By Jukka Mäkelä

This book covers a front sector of Finland during the continuation war. The author has done a grate work in getting the storys from the commanders from the front sector. The view is mostly the company commanders and the battalion commanders view and also the division commanders views. There are also some lower soldiers views but its not like Harry Järvs books of the lower commander and private soldier views.
Anyway, Jukka Mäkelä book is awesome, it’s my second book by him and also this book was read in a single day.
Want a good read of the Finish side and view of the continuation war, this is a highly recommended book.

Its awalible in scandinavian language, but also German but I dont know if they are awalible in English though. Maybe Major Frank know this??


/S

#306: Re: What are you reading? Author: MajorFrank PostPosted: Tue Jul 31, 2012 2:25 am
    —
AT_Stalky,

I haven't read any of Mäkelä's books, he seems to be highly regarded so I'm pretty sure he's pretty much spot on in his works.

I see that he has written a book about "The Terror of Marocco", Aarne Juutilainen. That might be a pretty interesting work considering what an interesting persona Juutilainen was and also because of the intensity of the fighting in the Kollaa - sector where Juutilainen commanded his forces.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aarne_Juutilainen

One of the soldiers commanded by Juutilainen was one Simo Häyhä.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simo_H%C3%A4yh%C3%A4

Although I have to say, the number of confirmed kills for Häyhä might in reality be quite a bit less then 505, it might actually be something between 250 - 300. Still quite a lot in less then 100 days.

#307: Re: What are you reading? Author: Dima PostPosted: Fri Aug 17, 2012 8:42 am
    —
The Russian book "BARBAROSSA THROUGH SOVIET EYES: The FirstTwenty-Four hours" was recently translated into English:

http://www.amazon.com/BARBAROSSA-THROUGH-SOVIET-EYES-Twenty-Four/dp/184415923X
 
Quote:
Artem Drabkin and Alexei Isaev are well known to Russian/former Soviet readers of the Great Patriotic War. Drabkin has taken on the mission of interviewing as many veterans of the war before they pass away and making their reminiscences and memoirs accessible to the public (including publishing a few as full-length books) while Isaev is a well known military historian with close to a dozen titles to his name, ranging from the opening phase of Operation Barbarossa to the battle of Berlin. This very slim volume (some 175 pages of text) makes for a compelling account of the first twenty-four hours of Operation Barbarossa that Nazi Germany unleashed on the Soviet Union. Some of the newest research is included but overall for those familiar with the Eastern Front there is nothing so compelling that one could say it is a must read (especially when weighing the price of the book against the information offered). A plus is the intermixing of the historic account with eye-witness testimony (here the cooperative efforts of Drabkin and Isaev are at their best). Unfortunately, for those unfamiliar with the war between Germany and the Soviet Union much of what's presented here will be interesting but much more will be without adequate context to situate the reader with the needed knowledge of the various personalities, events, and ideas being presented. On the one hand I cannot say this is an original work as there are no new arguments being put forward. On the other hand the authors do address some of the myths that have persisted to this day that revolve around the first day of the war and showcase Soviet mistakes and German hubris, including some of the initial disasters that befell Red Army men and the civilian population in general. So, overall, a recommended book for those with some knowledge of the Soviet Union and the Eastern Front who are interested in seeing what the newest research has to say on the opening phase of Operation Barbarossa from Russian historians and eye-witness accounts from those on the ground.

#308: Re: What are you reading? Author: MajorFrank PostPosted: Fri Sep 28, 2012 6:29 am
    —
No Easy Day by Mark Owen & Kevin Maurer

We now know Mark Owen's real identity as this book about the Bin Laden mission has been dealt in the press a lot.

As a book it is ok, not great but doesn't have any big faults in my opinion. It didn't really make me appreciate the Navy Seals any more, to me there is a good bit of hype around them with the US media keeping the hype train going. I guess this book could be seen to be a part of all that hype. The author (the actual navy seal had a guy helping him write the book) may have written this to cash in on the fame, although he has give some of the proceeds to charity to some navy seal - organisations.

I would say that at best this is an average book. Judging the mission I would say that about as much as it was a success, it also turned out to be a bit of a disaster in many ways. They got bin Laden but had a chopper go down, some of that tech probably went to the Chinese, the raid didn't go particularily smoothly, the bin Laden death photos are now more of an embarrassment to the US gov, etc.

#309: Re: What are you reading? Author: mooxe PostPosted: Fri Sep 28, 2012 6:20 pm
    —
Thanks Frank. The book looked interesting for me. I am probably going to avoid due to the hype and different versions of the story. Plus how I found the last Seal book I read which is.....

Lone Survivor, another Navy Seal book. It details a failed operation in 2005 where three out of four of a Seal team were killed, and another helicopter load of Seals/Spec Ops who came to save them.

This book was also written by a Seal and a professional writer helping. Average book, the best part about it was the training phase and him describing the battle on the mountain. There is a ton of in between stuff about how awesome Seals are. While reading it I did some research on the net and theres ofcourse a pile of controversy about this one to. Different accounts of the story, I really don't know who to believe. The accounts of enemy soldiers range from 10-20 to 300, drastic difference. That makes a huge difference in how believable the final battle is, its the difference between fantasy and non-fiction. Its hard to reccomend the book now because of that.

#310: Re: What are you reading? Author: Dima PostPosted: Sat Sep 29, 2012 10:44 am
    —
Some nice videos regarding Operation Red Wing
http://www.lonesurvivor.net/videos/

#311: Re: What are you reading? Author: acebars PostPosted: Sat Sep 29, 2012 11:48 am
    —
Finished reading "Vietnam: A History" by "Stanley Karnow".

Good book, but although it is a history not totally comprehensive and detail of certain key events is patchy whereas other points very detailed, more like "Vietnam a history by a reporter who was there" as opposed to a richly studied piece.

Jumped back about 3 centuries, now nearly finishing "The Siege of Vienna" by "John Stoye" a little dry but thorough, it really seems like the Poles have a knack of saving Europe's ass this being the first time they averted or repulsed a major European crisis!

#312: Re: What are you reading? Author: MajorFrank PostPosted: Sun Sep 30, 2012 5:26 pm
    —
mooxe,

I have to add though, it's not a bad book. I guess it's the most reliable version of the Bin Laden raid at least so far. So I understand why many would like to read it.

What was a little strange was the product placement, he mentioned all the brand names of the gear he used, guns, boots, etc. Probably got a few bucks for mentioning those.

Also there is some talk about the Navy Seals might somehow get back to him for 'breaking the code of silence'. So, lots of drama to go around. And to underline, I'm not a professional soldier or have ever been so I don't really know anything about these things. I do know what I like when I read it. :)

Edit. Oh yea the writer is also pretty anti-Obama, and possibly anti-democrats, so that may or may not be to the reader's liking.

Dima,

thanks, interesting stuff.

#313: Re: What are you reading? Author: mooxe PostPosted: Sat Dec 22, 2012 2:28 am
    —
Just finished The Jungle Is Neutral.

Good book by a British Officer in the jungles of Malaysia. He was in charge of organizing the locals into guerillas. What I liked most about the book was his descriptions of the jungle, and how it affected everything he did day to day. I did have a hard time understanding his movements. He was quite detailed in where and when he moved around the jungles. There were maps included but I did not cross reference them, so maybe my own fault. I reccomend the book to anyone who wants to get a very far different account and perspective on WW2.

#314: Re: What are you reading? Author: TTorpedoLocation: Portugal PostPosted: Mon Jan 07, 2013 12:45 pm
    —
"A History of Warfare" by John Keegan. One off the best books I´v ever read on war. And the only one who deals with war as a cultural expression how we do war and how it evolved  trough history starting in the pre-history til nowadays.

PS: Just ordered 3 books from the same author  after reading this one.

#315: Re: What are you reading? Author: bexx76 PostPosted: Fri Jan 11, 2013 9:19 pm
    —
just finished SNIPER: A NOVEL by Nicolai Lilin

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13127595-sniper

the history of a russian saboteur sniper in the cecenian war.
sometimes it remembered me the way of write of Sven Hassel, fluent narration, rich descriptions and some aspects of the "soldier life" that u can recognize in all the armies of the world...
enjoyied it.

#316: Re: What are you reading? Author: WilliamTheSilent PostPosted: Fri Jan 18, 2013 7:01 am
    —
I'm reading Annals of Rome: Tacitus.
Especially when my son is at rugby practice and it's cold outside. I'll read in the car then.
You have to kind of read every sentence twice to understand what's been said in the ancient way of history reporting.
Survival rate of being senator was not very high. Especially when the new emperor came from the opposing party.
Nero was the champion killer.
I believe the romans were the real barbarians of that time.

#317: Re: What are you reading? Author: chessmasterLocation: Antwerp and Ghent PostPosted: Tue Jan 22, 2013 2:54 am
    —
Kelile en Demne by Kader Abdolah

GOOD BOOK! not a war book but good

#318: Re: What are you reading? Author: FFL_cheesecakeLocation: Angers (france) PostPosted: Fri Jan 25, 2013 10:16 am
    —
Virus Morningstar : Plague of the dead... in french

Apocalyptic book with zombies and survivors.... great books in 3 parts, i'm waiting the third.

A virus turning to infected people, fast, aggressive.. not a zombie yet... but when they are shooted, they rise and become zombie, slow and always aggressive !
2 groups of survivors try to join scientits seaching THE cure !


#319: Re: What are you reading? Author: DieselLocation: Cleveland PostPosted: Fri Mar 08, 2013 6:59 pm
    —
I,m reading Grenadiers The Story of the Waffen SS  General  Kurt panzer Meyer.   Written by Kurt Meyer himself.  In 1957.    Steel Inferno 1SS Panzer Corp in Normandy.  By Michael Reynolds.  And I'm reading a can of Oven Cleaner.  Wink   And I just finished reading my bills for the month.   Rolling Eyes

#320: Re: What are you reading? Author: ronsonLocation: England PostPosted: Sat Mar 09, 2013 5:17 pm
    —
'Heroic Voices of the Spanish civil war'........memories from the International Brigades,
by Peter Darman

Quite an interesting book, and I would say a must for anyone interested in this period, Ebro and like mods concerned with this war.

The titles a bit misleading as this mainly deals with the 15th Brigade, mostly the British battalion and  the US battalion, all the English speakers in short.

That said its really a superb first hand account of this war, seen through the eyes of the men that fought it on the ground, who contrary to common belief were not all middle class committed 'party' members, consisting mainly of working class men with a 'leftist' viewpoint.
All the major battles the IBs were involved in are covered from Madrid to the Ebro, with chapters on the trianing and equipment too.

The final chapter 'Reflections' is very interesting as it traces the survivors in later life.

If you're interested in this period or simply have never read much on Spain before its well worth a look.

Cheers
Ronson

#321: Re: What are you reading? Author: chessmasterLocation: Antwerp and Ghent PostPosted: Sat Apr 13, 2013 3:11 pm
    —
interesting ronson, i dont know all to much about the civil would like to learn more thanks

not been able to read books out lately.. busy a lot and my attention span hasnt been that great lately, but now with the good weather coming up i ll check some out again

#322: Re: What are you reading? Author: Pzt_KanovLocation: México PostPosted: Sat May 25, 2013 5:56 pm
    —
This past week I read the personal account of a soldier named Norman Mohar from WW2, from Anzio to Germany. It is very honest and tells you about his fears, the horrors of war, his friends and experiences.

He doesn't set himself as hero, as a matter of fact he admits to being scared most of the time and how every second away from the front was precious for I guess a lot of soldiers, also talks about all the loot he got from prisoners and with great detail tells about how some of his brothers in arms were killed in the battles he experienced.

It is written as if you sat there with him and he is telling you his story as he is remembering it, so sometimes he repeats some stuff and some other times he jumps or goes back in the dates. Everything gets the same writing detail, be it a battle, a mess hall experience, traveling etc. This form of writing although not polished feels real, It made me realize he is a real person who go through all of that oh so real hell.

I saw the link on matrix, there are other stories there but I haven't read them here it is:

http://normanmohar.icwest.com/index.php

Actual chapters of the story:
http://normanmohar.icwest.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=section&id=5&Itemid=77

#323: Re: What are you reading? Author: Ivan_Zaitzev PostPosted: Sat Jul 27, 2013 4:10 pm
    —
Hi! You might be already aware of this, but Amazon usually puts good kindle books for free in their sites. For example right now "Armored Bears: Vol. 2, The German 3rd Panzer Division in World War II" and "Hitler: A Very Brief History" are free.
The first volume of Armored Bears was free a couple of months ago.
In another forum where I participate we have a thread dedicated to these free books, we could have one here or use this same topic.

#324: Re: What are you reading? Author: MajorFrank PostPosted: Sun Sep 15, 2013 2:47 am
    —
Long time since I last posted, since then I've read, among others:

The Last Stand of Fox Company: A True Story of U.S. Marines in Combat . A good depiction of a tough battle in the Korean war. From an American perspective. Focuses on the experience of the individual soldiers well.

The Forgotten 500: The Untold Story of the Men Who Risked All For the Greatest Rescue Mission of World War II . About a daring rescue of downed airmen from then Yugoslavia.  

The Black Banners: The Inside Story of 9/11 and the War Against al-Qaeda. A really good book by Ali Soufan, an FBI interrogator. Gives insight into the whole interrogation world including about the use of torture.


Last edited by MajorFrank on Sun Sep 15, 2013 10:12 pm; edited 1 time in total

#325: Re: What are you reading? Author: mooxe PostPosted: Sun Sep 15, 2013 5:40 pm
    —
The Holocaust: A History of the Jews of Europe During the Second World War

I've read lots of book on this subject. This one is a bit different though as it starts off in the 1930's with all the build up to the final solution. Also discusses how Germany's neighboring countries before 1939 started to believe the antisemitism and began treating the Jews in similar fashion. Covers the emigration to safer countries and countries like France where they believed they would be safe.

I am less than 100 pages into this 1000 pager, and I find it very interesting.

#326: Re: What are you reading? Author: Ivan_Zaitzev PostPosted: Tue Sep 17, 2013 12:41 am
    —
Have you read Hitler's Willing Executioners? It starts with antisemitism 100 years before the war. Thats not my field tough, just bought it because it was ridiculously cheap.

I'm currently reading Hitler's Pre-Emptive War: The Battle for Norway, 1940 by Henrik O. Lunde. Great book about a campaign I know nothing about.

#327: Re: What are you reading? Author: mooxe PostPosted: Thu Oct 17, 2013 7:07 pm
    —
I am on page 400 now. This book has got to be the gruesome account of butchery I have ever read. It's page after page of details on how groups and individuals were murdered. Not just murdered though but tortured in front of their families.

You can really learn empathy from this book.

#328: Re: What are you reading? Author: mooxe PostPosted: Mon Nov 25, 2013 3:07 am
    —
Finally finished Holocaust.

The most informative book I have ever read on the Holocaust. I have read many autobiographies but this one really captures the horror of it all. I was surprised, but I shouldn't of been, about how much hatred towards the Jews remained in the months after the war. Some liberated Jews who had been in hiding were murdered only mere hours or days after liberation by Polish and German civilians. There was so many examples of that. Also, 1000's died after liberation due their bodies being to weak to respond to medical treatment, or dieing from eating real food.

I have a number of Vietnam books to read now.

#329: Re: What are you reading? Author: mooxe PostPosted: Sun Jan 05, 2014 12:20 am
    —
Just finished Chickenhawk by Robert Mason, published 1983. Wow.... amazing book on his experiences as a Huey pilot in Vietnam. I found out after finishing the book that its a must read for helicopter pilots. Parts of the book are retold in the movie We Were Soldiers. This book is on par with The Forgotten Soldier. These two books are now my main recommendations for non-fiction war books.

You can visit the author's site at www.robertcmason.com. He has gained quite a bit of notoriety from Chickenhawk throughout the military and civilian helicopter aviation world as well as regular readers like us. He writes about how his introduction to Vietnam was flying for the Calvary into LZs under fire, dropping troops and ammo off, picking up dead and wounded and his off-time life in cities like Saigon and Hong Kong. The notoriety is not from the book being technical in how to pilot an helicopter, rather its his life as a pilot in war and his ability to describe whats going on around him. His descriptions put you right into the cockpit.

Best book I have read in years.

Excellent read!

#330: Re: What are you reading? Author: MajorFrank PostPosted: Sun Feb 23, 2014 8:57 pm
    —
I've read Chickenhawk. It's good, especially if you have an interest in helicopters.

From what I've read part of Robert Mason's notoriety also comes from the fact that he sought and got a release from his service due to stress related reasons. Some claim that he 'chickened' out. Not sure what the truth is about that. And also, after the war Mason was caught smuggling drugs and went to prison for it. His book was a success though.

About The Forgotten Soldier by Guy Sajer, I haven't read that one. In the field of first hand depictions of war, I've come to appreciate the ones that are very matter of fact. I don't like the ones with lots of emotional and florid subjective views by the writer. Just describe what happened. I've read some short bits of The Forgotten Soldier and didn't really like it. There's also been some doubts aimed at Sajer and his credibility, he could have made up basically the whole book since he gets many significant things wrong. It's apparently impossible to make sure if he was in the troops that he claims that he was in.

I've liked the books by David Webster (Parachute Infantry) and the books by Donald Burgett (4 books about his experiences). Very good and historically accurate descriptions.  

Recently I read Flags of ouf fathers by James Bradley. It was good, about the flag raisers on Iwo Jima.

Right now I'm reading Masters of the Air by Donald Miller. It's about the US bombers in WW 2 ETO.

#331: Re: What are you reading? Author: mooxe PostPosted: Sun Mar 30, 2014 6:02 pm
    —
I just finished the audio book, "The Road." I seen the movie a few years ago and thought it was a pretty good father and son movie. I have never tried audio books before this one, I may certainly get into them now. Seeing the movie first lets you visualize in more detail maybe. There was differences between the movie and book of course but the movie was pretty true to the book overall. Next audio book is The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien. Some sort of middle earth tale, pre-dates LOTR I think.

Currently reading Guns Up! now. A firsthand look at Vietnam from a private in the marines perspective. Its non-fiction, however there a great amount of dialogue. I was apprehensive at first reading a non-fiction book so heavy on conversations but I am enjoying it, its a good book. Almost done with it.

After Guns Up! is Snake Pilot which is another first hand look from a Cobra attack helicopter pilot in the Vietnam war.

#332: Re: What are you reading? Author: MajorFrank PostPosted: Tue Apr 01, 2014 1:28 am
    —
mooxe,

I like audiobooks, I'm listening one almost constantly when jogging or at the gym etc. "The Road" was good, I think the book is better then the movie.

#333: Re: What are you reading? Author: mooxe PostPosted: Sun May 25, 2014 4:29 am
    —
The movie followed the book pretty closely. I liked them both. The only thing I remember the movie leaving out is the fathers multiple visits to the yacht and the flare.

I am still reading Snake Pilot. I am on the second half of the book and its really picked up, I like it.

#334: Re: What are you reading? Author: AT_Stalky PostPosted: Sun May 25, 2014 8:44 pm
    —
Just read:  "Fiasco: The American Military Adventure in Iraq". By THOMAS RICKS. A very good book: “Fiasco is a masterful reckoning with the planning and execution of the American military invasion and occupation of Iraq. “ Heavy in qoutes, page after page...

Also read Heinz Linge’s memoirs. The book is a bit crude in style and language and structure. Much in contrast to: "He Was My Chief: The Memoirs of Adolf Hitler's Secretary" by Christa Schroeder.. . The later is a very very good insight to how things was run close to Hitler.


"Veil: The Secret Wars of the CIA, 1981-1987" by Bob Woodward
An excellent book, looking close at CIA under Casey and why and how’s of Contras, Iran, Lebanon, ON..

#335: Re: What are you reading? Author: dj PostPosted: Fri May 30, 2014 5:45 am
    —
AT_Stalky wrote (View Post):


"Veil: The Secret Wars of the CIA, 1981-1987" by Bob Woodward
An excellent book, looking close at CIA under Casey and why and how’s of Contras, Iran, Lebanon, ON..


Sounds like a good one.  I wonder if the rumors about selling Cocaine in the 80's in America's own inner cities to fund clandestine wars are true.  They could easily launder the money via shady "banks" like BCCI.

#336: Re: What are you reading? Author: MajorFrank PostPosted: Sat May 31, 2014 1:33 am
    —
MajorFrank wrote (View Post):

Right now I'm reading Masters of the Air by Donald Miller. It's about the US bombers in WW 2 ETO.


Finished this one. It's very good, with a lot of speculation over the wisdom behind the bombing war of the western allied. There's been discussion about turning this book into the next 'Band of Brothers' - type miniseries by Hanks and Spielberg.

#337: Re: What are you reading? Author: mooxe PostPosted: Sat May 31, 2014 1:55 am
    —
MajorFrank wrote (View Post):
MajorFrank wrote (View Post):

Right now I'm reading Masters of the Air by Donald Miller. It's about the US bombers in WW 2 ETO.


Finished this one. It's very good, with a lot of speculation over the wisdom behind the bombing war of the western allied. There's been discussion about turning this book into the next 'Band of Brothers' - type miniseries by Hanks and Spielberg.


I wonder if the action in that will be very good. You will know most of it is all computer graphics.

#338: Re: What are you reading? Author: hoop7 PostPosted: Fri Jun 27, 2014 10:09 pm
    —
Harry Turtledoves " The War that Came Early ".

An alternative WW 2 history about what could have happened if WW 2 had started a year earlier.

#339: Re: What are you reading? Author: AT_Stalky PostPosted: Mon Jun 30, 2014 4:22 pm
    —
Room 39 : naval intelligence in action 1939-1945
By McLachlan, Donald
ISBN: 0297761153
Image of cover: http://wilkmans-antikvariat.storedo.com/p/room-39--naval-intelligence-in-action-1939-1945--mclachlan-donald
 
I fined this book to be very good. Filled with facts and development of doctrines… Hard to make such book interesting, but I fined the author succeeded rather well.

I give it 4/5

#340: Re: What are you reading? Author: mooxe PostPosted: Mon Jun 30, 2014 4:33 pm
    —
I am between books at the moment. I have been shopping Amazon and found this one I think I will buy...

The Divine Wind

Both authors were part of the Kamikaze force, so I think the book will really shed some insight into that time.

#341: Re: What are you reading? Author: AT_Stalky PostPosted: Mon Jun 30, 2014 4:39 pm
    —
Ohh yes.

I also read:
Generation Kill
by Wright Evan
ISBN: 9113023837

Image of cover: http://wilkmans-antikvariat.storedo.com/p/generation-kill--devil-dogs-iceman-och-kapten-amerika---en-ny-generation-amerikanska-kri----wright-evan
 
I belive this book also was made into a HBO series.
This was a really good book....

I fined the book implicitly point of doctrine mistakes of the US military.   The idea of “Speed Kills” came into doubt here. Speed do not really kill the enemy, especially when fighting an army or enemy that can turn into guerrillas/insurgent. Perhaps speed kills advanced army’s, with advanced or heavy equipment where need of supply is essential, but speed do not kill an enemy with low tec weapons, fighting in his home environment.

I give this book 4/5

#342: Re: What are you reading? Author: AT_Stalky PostPosted: Thu Jul 03, 2014 11:10 am
    —
Another one:

Chain of Command: The Road from 9/11 to Abu Ghraib
By Seymour M. Hersh
http://www.amazon.com/Chain-Command-Road-Ghraib-P-S/dp/B000GG4IXS
I read it in Swedish:
På given order : Vägen från 11 september till Abu Ghraib
av , Seymour M
Image of cover:
http://wilkmans-antikvariat.storedo.com/p/pa-given-order--vagen-fran-11-september-till-abu-ghraib----hersh-seymour-m
 
Several good books in a row now. This one was really good.
I suppose many from US read it.

I give the book 4/5

I copy the cover text about the book from Amazon:
Since September 11, 2001, Seymour M. Hersh has riveted readers -- and outraged the Bush Administration -- with his explosive stories in The New Yorker, including his headline-making pieces on the abuse of prisoners at Abu Ghraib. Now, Hersh brings together what he has learned, along with new reporting, to answer the critical question of the last four years: How did America get from the clear morning when two planes crashed into the World Trade Center to a divisive and dirty war in Iraq?
In Chain of Command, Hersh takes an unflinching look behind the public story of the war on terror and into the lies and obsessions that led America into Iraq. Hersh draws on sources at the highest levels of the American government and intelligence community, in foreign capitals, and on the battlefield for an unparalleled view of a critical chapter in America's recent history. In a new afterword, he critiques the government's failure to adequately investigate prisoner abuse -- at Abu Ghraib and elsewhere -- and punish those responsible. With an introduction by The New Yorker's editor, David Remnick, Chain of Command is a devastating portrait of an administration blinded by ideology and of a president whose decisions have made the world a more dangerous place for America.
,,,


Okay, what next...

#343: Re: What are you reading? Author: AT_Stalky PostPosted: Thu Jul 10, 2014 10:36 am
    —
The 9/11 Wars
By Jason Burke
ISBN: ISBN: 1846142741

Image of cover: http://wilkmans-antikvariat.storedo.com/p/burke-jason--the-911-wars

I give this a 4/5 too. Easy to read and one just fly over the pages.

This was the last book about the wars following 9/11 that I probably read for now,.

I been lucky this time, all books was very good.

The wars are not finished and the fallout of the Bush actions is seen in the Middle East and beyond. Iraq & Syria is ISIS-ized, or when will they be? How many parts will it be divided into. Egypt, Lybia, Syria is de-stable. When will Saudi boil over.. Pakistan…? The ball is rolling… Bush ended nothing, but started a motion….  

Our kidz will have to deal with all this. And whatever “this” will be, I have no idea..


The book’s dust cover text: Jason Burke, a first hand witness of many of the conflict's key moments, has written the definitive account of its course. At once investigation, reportage and contemporary history, it is based on hundreds of interviews with participants including desperate refugees and senior intelligence officials, ministers and foot-soldiers, active militants and their victims. Burke reveals the true nature of contemporary Islamic militancy and the inside story of the fight against it. He cuts through the myth and propaganda of all sides to reveal the reality behind well-known - and lesser known - episodes, and brings characters, voices and a sense of place to a gripping narrative.
The 9/11 Wars is an essential book for understanding the dangerous and unstable twenty-first century. Whether reporting on the riots in France or the killing of Bin Laden, suicide bombers in Iraq or British troops fighting in Helmand, Jason Burke tells the story of a world that changed forever when the hijacked planes flew out of the brilliant blue sky above Manhattan on September 11th 2001.

#344: Re: What are you reading? Author: AT_Stalky PostPosted: Sun Jul 13, 2014 7:59 pm
    —
This thread start to look like Stalkys online book review..  
I’m sure at least someone has read a book in the last month or so.

The last book was:
Svenska förintelsevapen : utvecklingen av kemiska och nukleära stridsmedel 1928-1970
By Agrell Wilhelm


As the title suggest it was in Swedish… The translation of the title would be something like: “Swedish WMD’s : development of chemical and nuclear weapons 1928 – 1970.”

Image of the cover: http://wilkmans-antikvariat.storedo.com/p/svenska-forintelsevapen--utvecklingen-av-kemiska-och-nukleara-stridsmedel-1928-1970----agrell-wilhelm
 

The title is descriptive, the secret weapon programs is presented using declassified material as well as diary notes from the people with insight, as well as interviews..  Keeping chemical programs secret by using civilian companies, as well as universities. The close links with US-military researchers sharing information. The chemical program was felt to be immoral, making politicians as well as military doubtful about going from research to actual production and doctrine.
The nuclear program is more complicated, where there was no secret in mid 1960 that Sweden was one of the sates that had “almost” finished developed a weapon. This made it complicated to sign the nuclear non spread treaties US and Soviet was suggesting.  

Im not sure how to grade this book, but i give it a 3/5

#345: Re: What are you reading? Author: GMAKLocation: Montreal PostPosted: Mon Jul 14, 2014 5:20 am
    —
I'm reading some books, I mean I try to read, about economics. Most of these books suck but one have some good stuff on it. I found these crap in the public library  Rolling Eyes

#346: Re: What are you reading? Author: AT_Stalky PostPosted: Mon Jul 21, 2014 11:30 am
    —
Hm, Stalkys private  book bloog continues:

I just finished :
Helvetet på jorden : en SS-frivilligs historia
By Jordbruen Rolf Ivar

In English that would be something like:
“Hell on earth, a SS-volunteers history”

Cover page: http://wilkmans-antikvariat.storedo.com/p/helvetet-pa-jorden--en-ss-frivilligs-historia----jordbruen-rolf-ivar-2
 
This was a fast  read, 160 pages.
The book is written about a relative of the author “Hermod Tuft”. The author got Hemod’s unfinished memoirs, and also tape recordings about his time in SS. This combined with the stories he heard from him since he was a kid, made a rather good book.
Hermond was a Norwegian youth when he joind SS Wiking to fight the Russians. He was a “front” soldier for almost 4 years.  Wounded several times, shell shocked. HE was one of the lucky to escape Tjerkassy pocket. There are no glory, no heroes in the book. The filth, fear, psychological terror is often brought up.
What also is interesting and rather new to me is the last chapter when he was a prisoner of the Americans. The mistreatment, the lack of food, medicine, sanitation, and accommodations and the brutality in wish they treated the German POW’s. I was under the illusion that this was the Russians MO.

#347: Re: What are you reading? Author: MajorFrank PostPosted: Tue Jul 22, 2014 1:45 pm
    —
AT_Stalky,

about the treatment of POW's in WW2, yes the western allies also treated axis POW's badly. There was also plenty of crimes including rapes that the western alllied committed while occupying Western Europe. They didn't commit these crimes just against Germans but also against French, Dutch, etc. civilians. Also the bombing campaigns by the western allies have been called into question since they caused thousands and thousands of civilian deaths. So, there is that.

I haven't really read much lately, I have an audiobook called Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee by Dee Brown. I haven't really listened to it with much interest though, it covers such a huge time span from 1492 to present day in the North America so there is a lot of info in the book.

#348: Re: What are you reading? Author: mooxe PostPosted: Wed Jul 23, 2014 2:43 pm
    —
The Divine Wind

Japan's suicide squadrons in WW2. I have only made it through the introductory chapters so far. Really happy to have this book and can't wait to finish it. I chose it as it was written in 1957. I figured memories would be more clear so the facts would be more accurate. Two of the writers who are Japanese were basically staff officers in the squadrons and had an excellent view of what happened.

One interesting fact so far I have read was the pilots were instructed to hit the elevators on aircraft carriers. A damaged elevator or two made the carrier ineffective, no planes could be brought up on desk or stowed.

There is a chart in the book detailing what ship the Kamikazes hit with coordinates and dates. I was able to cross reference some of these actions with another book I read, Devil Boats. This book was about the PT boats in the Pacific, and one chapter is dedicated to how they dealt with Kamikazes. All the PT boats and PT tenders that were damaged and sunk are listed in The Divine Wind with only some discrepancies. It was kind of gratifying to be able to fact check the book.

#349: Re: What are you reading? Author: RD_TG_JagerLocation: New Jersey PostPosted: Fri Jul 25, 2014 6:21 pm
    —
My summer reading is eastern front focused

Completed
Operation Barbarossa and Germany's Defeat in the East (Cambridge Military Histories)
http://www.amazon.com/Operation-Barbarossa-Germanys-Cambridge-Histories/dp/052117015X/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_y
 

I am currently reading
BARBAROSSA DERAILED: THE BATTLE FOR SMOLENSK 10 JULY-10 SEPTEMBER 1941 VOLUME 1: The German Advance, The Encirclement Battle, and the First and Second Soviet Counteroffensives, 10 July-24 August 1941  Currently Reading
http://www.amazon.com/BARBAROSSA-DERAILED-SEPTEMBER-Encirclement-Counteroffensives/dp/1906033722/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1406312362&sr=1-1&keywords=battle+of+smolensk  

To Be read
The Drive on Moscow, 1941: Operation Taifun and Germany's First Great Crisis of World War II
http://www.amazon.com/The-Drive-Moscow-1941-Operation/dp/1612001203/ref=pd_sim_b_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=0WS91HZBR3CH9MPBEDHH
 
to be read
Operation Typhoon: Hitler's March on Moscow, October 1941
http://www.amazon.com/Men-Steel-Ardennes-Eastern-1944-45/dp/1885119666/ref=pd_ybh_1
 
Not sure if anyone is reading any of these titles

#350: Re: What are you reading? Author: AT_Stalky PostPosted: Sun Jul 27, 2014 6:58 pm
    —
Yes MajorFrank.

After reading the book by Jordbruen Rolf Ivar that I talk about in the previous post. I was curious about the stories of mistreatment of German pow’s by Americans at the end of the war. So I decided to read a bit about that.

I have read : Die Gefangenen
By Guido Knopp
At amazone: http://www.amazon.com/Die-Gefangenen-Guido-Knopp/dp/3442153239/ref=sr_1_20?ie=UTF8&qid=1406485116&sr=8-20&keywords=guido+knopp+die
 
I have only found it in German, not English… But I may well be published in English under another name or something..
ISBN-10: 3442153239
The book name in English would be “Prisoners of war”

Okay, well… The book, 400+ pages. It only deals with Germans taken prisoner under the second world war, and directly after.

About 11 mil Germans was taken as POW’s and some 800 thousand civilians too, woman child and old people.
Knopp starts by describing how the marine and airmen was treated in England in the early war. He has many sources, interviews, memoirs, letters sent from the POW camps, IRC documents of inspections, as well as the POW camps archives.
The Germans was treated with much respect in England, that surprised the POW’s. They was accommodated in rather good camps, and the food was so-so but it seems the guards eat the same. Then they stated to ship the POW’s to Canada, and there it was fine to, there were some issues at times but nothing of importance. .  A rather large number of German POW’s who came there (England/Canada) early in the war, never returned to Germany, but had found a girl or a job and stayed.

The POWs sent to USA, as they entered the war was lucky. This was the Africa veterans, and U-boot people. The food was silly good, they never feed that much in Germany. The American prison guards were treating the German privates better than the German officers had ever done… The Germans was allowed to work, at first there was 1 guard in 10 POW’s, soon it was just nominal guards, 1 in 90 POW’s. Withness of very laxed relation, where the guard passed his rife to the POW’s as he get of the truck or whatever..  POW’s worked on farms, was treated very well by the families there. They was allowed there own POW’news paper, made by the POW’s without any form of censoring. Libraries, move theatres etc. Good sanitation… 5 star hotel sort of…

Russia, that was another story. Walking on foot , ppl lagging after was shot, beaten, nothing to eat. The camps was horrible. Sanitation was lacking. About half the Germans in Russian camps was killed or died. Many spent 10 years or more as slave workers. There was also the civilian German prisoners, many taken at the end of the war. IRC estimates 800 thousand, of the many woman and young girls. There stories was extra painful.

As the war came to an end, and the Americans entered the concentration camps, there attitudes changed. There was mistreatment of the Germans taken at the end of the war. They were held without roof over there heads, thousands on mud fields with no sanitation and hardly any food. There was no systematic death camps, some good camps some really awful. Cases of sadism and shooting POW’s, beating etc, though not systematic or authorized. The Americans was unprepared for the huge numbers of POW’s and little was prepared, the numbers dead was rather tiny.
The POW’s in France had a rough time.        

Well, what did I think of the book? I suppose the interest of the subject makes me appreciate the book more. It was easy to read and well structured. So I found it good.

#351: Re: What are you reading? Author: AT_Stalky PostPosted: Mon Aug 04, 2014 1:40 pm
    —
I have read: Black Edelweiss: A Memoir of Combat and Conscience by a Soldier of the Waffen-SS
By Johann Voss
Amazone:
http://www.amazon.com/Black-Edelweiss-Conscience-Soldier-Waffen-SS/dp/0966638980
 
Though I read it in Swedish:
Soldat i Waffen-SS : ett ögonvittne berättar :
By: Voss Johann
Cover: http://wilkmans-antikvariat.storedo.com/p/soldat-i-waffen-ss--ett-ogonvittne-berattar----voss-johann  

I have some mixed feelings about this book. It’s a memoir, starting in the late 1930 th with the young Voss. The first half of the book we get to know the family, aunts, uncles, grand… and the whole family. He paints the picture rather well, why a few was Hitlerites, and some supported the idea of grate Germany but found Hitler vulgar. The once that rejected Hitler as a clown and dangerous. I found this foirst half a bit boring, not because it was poor written, absolutely not. Its well written, but because I probably was fooled by the book title… I expected more of the battle and soldier stories than a costume novel… But, after almost tossing away the book, things started happening. Voss joined the SS, the 11 th mountain regiment. He was stationed in north Finland.

So what did I think of the book, 3/5. If one would like the first half, explaining how the germans felt about things in the late 30- th and early 40 th then it is better than I lead you to think. It do explain why some joined the SS and it turns the black and white into colourful grey tones.. The second half of the book is much better, far better. The author is an excellent writer, and that’s not always so in memoirs..

I also take the liberty of posting the book cover text here:

As it joins the ranks of the books in this genre, Black Edelweiss makes a unique and very important contribution. It is a true, personal account of the author’s war years, first at school and then with the Waffen-SS, which he joined early in 1943 at the age of seventeen. For a year and a half, the author fought as a machine gunner in SS-Mountain Infantry Regiment 11 "Reinhard Heydrich," mainly in the arctic and sub-arctic reaches of Soviet Karelia and Finland, and later at the Western frontier of the Third Reich. The characters in the story are real, and the conversations and actions are recounted to the best of his ability from the short distance at which he wrote the manuscript in 1945–46.
Apart from the piercing insights into the question of why the German soldier fought as he did, what makes this book truly unique is the author’s anguished, yet resolute examination of the dialectic between the honorable and valorous comportment of his comrades and the fundamentally reprehensible conduct of about 35,000 men behind the front lines who nevertheless wore the same uniform.
During his captivity, the author was assigned for a time as a clerk to a US Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps officer, and in the performance of his administrative duties, the author had access to the mounting reams of documentation of the Holocaust. His growing recognition of the involvement of Waffen-SS personnel in the monstrous crimes of that process caused him to dig deeply into his soul, to examine his most intimate and private motivations and thoughts, and to reevaluate the most basic assumptions of his life to that point. The author captured this process and the result in the notes which became this book.

#352:  Author: mooxe PostPosted: Mon Aug 04, 2014 5:50 pm
    —
I read Black Edelweiss to. Very good book I thought. The most interesting part of the book I thought was the German retreat through Finland to get to the ships that would take them to friendly territory.

#353: Re: What are you reading? Author: mooxe PostPosted: Wed Aug 27, 2014 3:19 am
    —
Just finished A Passage To Sorrow. Army chaplain in Vietnam recounts his one year tour. Very easy and enjoyable read. Its a point of view book, as in you are reading what he is seeing. Most interesting part was how soldiers would ask why its not a sin to kill. In answering it so many times he made the conclusion that hes being a hypocrite not carrying a rifle himself. Soon afterwards he arms himself.

Just purchased Japanese Destroyer Captain: Pearl Harbor, Guadalcanal, Midway - The Great Naval Battles as Seen Through Japanese Eyes. Has very good reviews. Originally came out in the 1960's. Looking forward to reading this one through.

#354: Re: What are you reading? Author: mooxe PostPosted: Tue Sep 09, 2014 3:29 am
    —
Japanese Destroyer Captain is turning out to be a very good read. Capt Hara gives some very good first person narratives of battles he was in. Some purely ship on ship combat with no air power present. Captain vs Captain. The US had some stunning defeats, not battles the size of the Midway operation, but smaller actions of less than 25 ships total. Of course the Japanese also had many defeats, and Capt Hara was present there also and goes into full detail.

Some very simple mistakes costs the lives of many. Turning on a searchlight at night, smoking on the deck of a submarine, firing torpedoes at a target closer than the arming range of the warhead, repeating the same routes... he recounts many of these blunders which happened on all sides.

You also learn how vastly superior the American radar was over the Japanese. Barely any Japanese ships had it equipped. The Americans could fire by radar at night, in fog or any type of low visibility. Many Japanese ships had to wait until they could actually see the target.

One surprise I learned is that they used oxygen as the propellant for their torpedoes. The oxygen did not leave a wake behind the torpedo and increased thier range dramatically over using compressed air. The Americans never completely understood this until after the war.

Good read!

#355: Re: What are you reading? Author: MajorFrank PostPosted: Mon Nov 17, 2014 7:21 pm
    —
Fearless by Eric Blehm.

It's a book about a navy seal called Adam Brown. Much of the book deals with his life before he became a navy seal and all the difficulties he went through. Brown had a very significant subtance abuse problem and it's almost a miracle that he was able to pass the navy seal training and then go on many missions and became, by all accounts, a good soldier (or should I say sailor?). Then again subtance abuse is not that uncommon among military folks or special forces types.

As the name of the book suggests, Brown could be characterized as a pretty fearless individual. Not sure if that is always a good thing, fear is good as a self preservation instinct. Anyway it's a pretty good book although I think it was produced by a religious (Christian) group and throughout the book there are these religious messages that almost make the book into a kind of religious propaganda. The story itself is still pretty interesting. Also, many of the navy seal folks that the writer Blehm interviewed to make the book since died in the helicopter crash of 2011. Fearless

#356: Re: What are you reading? Author: mooxe PostPosted: Sat Nov 22, 2014 4:14 pm
    —
Just finished Ticket to Hell.

Very quick read. First hand experiences taken from a diary he kept in the POW camps he was held in. Robert was captured in Dieppe. The first part of the book deals very briefly on his experiences in the Dieppe raid. Assaulting the beachhead and then eventually ending up hiding behind a blown up LST with other survivors waiting to be captured. That part of the book was very good and very short ofcourse! I visited Dieppe years ago so it was very easy to image what it was like combined with his descriptions. The remainder of the book details his life as a POW. Escape attempts (which are funny!), daily life and eventual liberation. The different types of guards was fun to read about as well. I found the book very interesting overall. One thing I found suprising was the photos they would take of the POWs. Exactly like class photos in elementary school, all the POWs lined up in rows one behind the other posing. Somehow, Robert was able to save the ones from his camps.

#357: Re: What are you reading? Author: vobbnobb PostPosted: Mon Nov 24, 2014 6:14 am
    —
The Encyclopedia of Weapons of WWII

#358: Re: What are you reading? Author: Ivan_Zaitzev PostPosted: Thu Dec 11, 2014 12:53 am
    —
Maybe you guys could recommend some book about the Italians in WW2? An interesting battle or campaign with the POV or focus on the Italian side? Thanks.

#359: Re: What are you reading? Author: Antony_nz PostPosted: Fri Feb 06, 2015 9:43 am
    —
Any one read American Sniper?
..Thoughts?

#360: Re: What are you reading? Author: MajorFrank PostPosted: Tue May 05, 2015 9:35 pm
    —
Antony_nz wrote (View Post):
Any one read American Sniper?
..Thoughts?


Yea I've read it. Don't really think it's a great book. For a 'war book' there really isn't that much war in it, it mostly deals with Kyle's life before and after military. He refers to the Iraqis he fought against as "evil" and "savages" and thinks that all of them deserved to die. He is very religious himself and attacks people he calls "liberals" in the book. There are also all kinds of stories in the book that were most likely made up, such as striking Jesse Ventura and shooting people during the Katrina hurricane and getting into a lot of fist fights etc.

The film that was made based on the book (that turned out to be quite successful financially) further distorts the story from reality. These days I mostly try to read books that are as proven to be as factually accurate as possible and American Sniper book and/or film do not fall into that category.

#361: Re: What are you reading? Author: sod98 PostPosted: Tue May 05, 2015 10:59 pm
    —
The film that was made based on the book (that turned out to be quite successful financially) further distorts the story from reality. These days I mostly try to read books that are as proven to be as factually accurate as possible and American Sniper book and/or film do not fall into that category.[/quote]

So very true. American sniper just doesn't fall into that category.

#362: Re: What are you reading? Author: mooxe PostPosted: Sun Jul 19, 2015 8:38 pm
    —
Currently reading Bare Feet, Iron Will by  James Zumwalt.

This book gives the Vietnamese perspective on the war, its quite interesting. A large section of the book deals with how commanders and soldiers operated the Ho Chi Min Trail. The US Air force continually bombed, mined, defoliated and patrolled the trail. They described the B-52 raids, AC-130 attacks and the general hardship of using the trail. All the while developing counter tactics to stay alive, fight back against the US Air Force and keep the trail operating. Very interesting... The NVA were absolutely outclassed in technology but their ingenuity and determination was amazing.

The book also related to you stories from anti-aircraft personal, civilians, hospital staff and front line soldiers. The reoccurring aspects in all their stories is the hardship from air attack, harshness of the jungle, the will to reunify their country and having to improvise everything.

Definitely an excellent book for any war history readers.

#363: Re: What are you reading? Author: MajorFrank PostPosted: Thu Dec 03, 2015 12:41 pm
    —
House to House by David Bellavia. Just started reading it so still early but it's a pretty gritty and brutal description of the war in Iraq and the Falluja battle. Difficult to say if it's factually accurate, at least the author doesn't paint himself as some super human.

#364: Re: What are you reading? Author: pvt_GruntLocation: Melbourne, Australia PostPosted: Mon Dec 14, 2015 10:23 am
    —
Countdown to Zero Day by Kim Zetter. It's the story of the Stuxnet virus that was used against Iranian nuclear plants.

I also just finished A Brief History of Time. I've been meaning to read it for years and finally got it on my Kindle. It nearly killed me with space / time but the general physics info was really interesting.



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#365: Re: What are you reading? Author: Schmal_Turm PostPosted: Wed Dec 23, 2015 8:30 pm
    —
I've read a number of good books but the research done for the book On Killing by Lt. Col. Dave Grossman was totally beyond anything I would have imagined. For example, according to the research done after WWII the number of U.S. Army personal who actually fired their weapons in combat was only around 15-20%, while the number of fighter pilots who fired in battle was only about 5%, which could account for the small number of aces.

There is an extensive study of the different forms of combat used throughout the ages and reason that certain weapons and tactics were superior in combat. Very interesting.

#366: Re: What are you reading? Author: MajorFrank PostPosted: Fri Dec 25, 2015 6:54 pm
    —
About the guy James Zumwalt who's book Mooxe writes about, he has a pretty interesting and sad history.

Quote:
James G. Zumwalt is the younger son of Admiral Elmo R. Zumwalt, Jr., who became commander Naval Forces, Vietnam in 1968. James and brother Elmo III served in Vietnam during their father’s command. Admiral Zumwalt approved the use of Agent Orange during the war and, after his eldest son succumbed to cancer caused by dioxin in 1988, he became a leading advocate on behalf of veterans afflicted with diseases stemming from exposure to the defoliant. Deeply affected by the loss of his brother, James Zumwalt overcame his internal conflicts and anger about the war by developing extensive relationships with his former enemies during 50 visits to Vietnam from 1994 to 2004. His just-released book, Bare Feet, Iron Will: Stories from the Other Side of Vietnam’s Battlefields, stems from the hundreds of interviews he conducted and presents fascinating perspectives of the war from the other side of the battlefield. Zumwalt retired from the Marines as a lieutenant colonel and now is a consultant and frequent writer on national security issues for a variety of major newspapers.


Interview – James Zumwalt, author of Bare Feet, Iron Will

#367: Re: What are you reading? Author: vobbnobb PostPosted: Sat Dec 26, 2015 3:57 am
    —
Just to let everyone know osprey is releasing some ww2 books in the coming couple of months you can check out on the left hand side of the site
https://ospreypublishing.com/ Some you can download as digital / ebooks as well.
This one looks good
https://ospreypublishing.com/us-infantryman-vs-german-infantryman
If you are interested in a certain battle or vehicle or any war stuff osprey has good stuff.

#368: Re: What are you reading? Author: pvt_GruntLocation: Melbourne, Australia PostPosted: Tue Jan 05, 2016 11:32 am
    —
Now listening to Season 2 of "Serial" podcast. It's about the return of Bowe Bergdahl, the U.S. soldier who walked off his post in Afghanistan in 2009 and was captured and held by the Taliban for nearly five years. It's only Episode 3 but already there's so much info that the media barely touched on. It's produced by public broadcaster in Chicago.

#369: Re: What are you reading? Author: mooxe PostPosted: Wed Jan 06, 2016 4:45 pm
    —
Reading Heaven Next Stop by Gunther Bloemertz.

Nice book. Its a bit light on details of dogfights but still a good read. Gunther shares a lot of anecdotes from his time with the Abbeville Boys and details life on the front line or the air war. Some are very interesting and easily confirmed in other books of the Luftwaffe. One thing that is surpising, but in restrospec not surprising is how they took shotdown Allied airmen into thier mess prior to sending them to POW camps. Ofcourse this only happened if they were shot down relatively close to thier airfields. About half way done.

#370: Re: What are you reading? Author: mooxe PostPosted: Sun Feb 07, 2016 11:58 pm
    —
Just finished To The Limit. The author, Tom Johnson recounts his experiences in the 1st Cav in Vietnam.

Good book. I may be able to fly a Huey now just by reading his experiences. I seen the A Shau Valley mod thread and it reminded me to post my book here. Johnson goes into great detail of one of the first Cav missions in the A Shau. After the landing zones were created by bombs in the valley he and a few other huey crews had to go in and drop engineers into the clearings. The engineers would destroys the stumps and logs left over that would block a landing for a huey. As his flight of 6 hueys was coming into the valley, the 5 in front of him were all shot down by 37mm AA fire in a matter of seconds, Johnson witnessing each one. Johnson makes it to his LZ only to find another Huey dropping off men... He had to go around now and wait for that huey to leave. Doing that, he gets shot down by 37mm fire also. He goes on to describe how he and his crew and the engineers made it out of the jungle. They were alone, the Cav had not assaulted yet so there was no other friendlies in the jungle with them. That chapter alone made the entire book for me. Lots of other good parts in the book, that one stands out the most.

#371: Re: What are you reading? Author: mooxe PostPosted: Wed Jun 01, 2016 8:18 am
    —
The U-Boat Hunters by Marc Milner.

Wrote this on Amazon.ca..

"This book combines government politics and military tactics to explain how the RCN fought (not won) the war in the Atlantic. Fitting out RCN ships with new technology is where the politics came in. It seems Canada was not making any types of radar, weapons or asdic (pingers) equipment so we had to work at the government level to siphon this equipment from the British and American factories. The tactical portion of the book details how our corvettes and destroyers used the technology available to hunt down the subs. Its a pretty interesting book that will open your eyes to what was really happening behind the scenes in the RCN and how effective the RCN actually was."

I'd recommend this book to anyone who is interested in all the background activity in the Navy during this time period. The RCN was having a hell of a time fighting the u-boats and our lack of modern technology was a major factor in our allies letting us in on the hunt.

One weapon I never heard of used was the Squid. It was a forward firing anti-sub mortar. The on board equipment fed the Squid firing data such as depth, speed, direction... Some u-boats were sunk with just one Squid mortar.

Also detailed are how the Germans used the different temperature layers in the ocean to hide. Soundh from the asdic equipment would get reflected and bent around the different layers making it difficult to get a fix on the sub. In some cases the subs could hear the pings going overhead but the ship could not detect the sub at all.

For D-Day the allies expected a massive u-boat attack in the channel. There was constant air and surveillance to combat the subs but there never was a major attack. The channel also has so many wrecks on the bottom it made it difficult to differentiate subs and wrecks. They resorted to marking every wreck with buoys.

The book really shows how the technology war played out between Germany and the Allies. Squids, acoustic torpedoes, rubber coated subs, schnorkels...

#372: Re: What are you reading? Author: mooxe PostPosted: Mon Dec 28, 2020 11:41 pm
    —
Back into reading again now that my attention is off the news.

Just ordered "Island of Fire: The Battle for the Barrikady Gun Factory in Stalingrad"

&

"The Gulag Archipelago"

They both look pretty interesting.



Close Combat Series -> The Mess


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