Currently Reading

[Sean Clark]

Reading Scicily by James Holland. A really interesting read on a theatre I know little about.

[Leman (Andy)]

Reading the big Usborne book on Uniforms of WWI. Some of the German cavalry my brother haw sent are clearly cuirassiers, so will post a question about them in the Square Bashing section.

[Colonel Kilgore]

I've just finished Antony Beevor's "Ardennes 1944". I'd played in Big Mike's Ardennes game a few years back but hadn't read the history. This book covers a lot of ground and is very engaging - thoroughly recommended.

Simon

[Colonel Kilgore]

And just before that, I finally worked my way though Cornelius Ryan's "A Bridge Too Far", which I can't believe I'd never read before. At over 500 pages, it's a weighty tome packed full of detail - some of which I've seen re-appear in other books on the campaign.

Mr Ryan seems perhaps to have been the forerunner in incorporating the personal anecdotes of history that Antony Beevor and Max Hastings now do so well. It's also amazing to think that Ryan actually got to interview the majority of the leaders on both sides of the battle. Which included some "frank" thoughts from the American leadership on Monty!

Simon

[John Watson]

Not just Antony Beevor and Max Hastings, but Mark Urban, James Holland and Stephen Ambrose write in this style too.
John

[Leman (Andy)]

I very much enjoyed Antony Beevor's take on Arnhem.

[Colonel Kilgore]

I've just finished reading Frans G. Bengtsson's "The Long Ships" (in English, not the original Swedish).

This book dates (in English) from 1954, but is a wonderful and well-written/translated fictional romp through the hero's lifetime that includes his presence at the Battle of Maldon.

Recommended!

Simon

[martin goddard]

Any insights into the battle Simon?

martin

[Colonel Kilgore]

Any insights into the battle Simon?

martin

The Danes won and the English came second. That's about it, I'm afraid.

Simon

[martin goddard]

I think we can make that happen?


martin

[Leman (Andy)]

Just finished Assignment Paris by Robert Brightwell a novel based on fact set in the Franco-Prussian War, featuring a lot of characters from the war, plus a fictional protagonist who is a war correspondent for a London newspaper. Apparently he is a nephew of the Flashman family, although this novel is not particularly comedic. As fate would have it the correspondent finds himself at Sarrebrucken, Spicheren, Sedan, getting a rough time with the the republican armies and franc tireurs around Orleans, then joining the Germans for the bombardment of Paris and ending up in the Paris commune. This is the first novel featuring this character, whose journalistic career will continue through the later C19th, so I expect Zulus, Afghans, Mahdists, Chinese and Boers will probably feature at some point, not to mention Turks, Russians, Americans, Spanish and Japanese. Could be an interesting series. The book also features adverts for the author's previous series set in the Napoleonic era and featuring another member of the Flashman family. All the author's books are available through Amazon. My copy was 10.99€.

[Sean Clark]

Just finished Chastise by Max Hastings about the Dambusters raid.

Interesting take on it. It does a great job of the operation itself
bit also looks beyond the glory of the film and Guy Gibson, and considers the human element of the 1500 people who drowned, mainly women.

Recommended.

[martin goddard]

Civilian casualties in war always give folk something to think about.

martin

[Flaminpig0]

Civilian casualties in war always give folk something to think about.

martin

There was a set of modern rules  some years back where it was possible to produce  a refugee column as part of the terrain generation. Made one think about things

[Leman (Andy)]

Civilian casualties in war always give folk something to think about.

martin

There was a set of modern rules  some years back where it was possible to produce  a refugee column as part of the terrain generation. Made one think about things

The scenario book Wargame Scenarios for All Ages has a scenario where a civilian group is being sheperded off the table by one side. The player can depict them as refugees, political bigwigs, ambulances etc.