Currently Reading

[martin goddard]

I will have a little read up on lord Chelmsford John

martin

[Colonel Kilgore]

I'd forgotten that I'd pre-ordered "The Siege" by Ben MacIntyre (about the SAS at the Iranian Embassy) until it arrived today.

Looking forward to reading this one.

Simon

I've now read the book, and found it excellent. One of the critics' comments was that you can't put it down, and that was certainly my experience.

It also reminded me which John Wayne film (Rio Lobo) I was watching at the time when it was rudely interrupted by the events at the Embassy.

Simon

[Smiley Miley 66]

You must have been one of the few ? The rest of us were watching the snooker !
Miles

[Colonel Kilgore]

It seems from the book that that was indeed the case!

Simon

[Sean Clark]

I was definitely  watching snooker. Cliff Thorburn was one of the players!

I've just ordered the book on Audible. Looking forward to diving in. The author makes a great narrator too.

[martin goddard]

Did your journey home go OK Sean?

martin

[Sean Clark]

Yes, home in good time. I did a bit of shopping at Entoyment as I like to support the shop whilst I'm there and was home just before 8pm, in time for tea 

[Leman (Andy)]

Dee Brown - Grierson's Raid

This was the Civil War event that inspired the John Wayne/William Holden film, The Horse Soldiers. The book, however, tells the real story, which was just as exciting but very much a 'let's go and get this job done' affair. After all John Wayne could not play a music teacher with a wife and kids back home, or second fiddle to some of the exploits of the other officers and NCOs who appear in the book. Grierson himself split his command, sending one of his three regiments, commanded by a very able colonel Hatch, to disrupt the Mobile and Ohio Railroad, to disguise the fact that he was aiming to cause maximum damage to the Vicksburg Railroad at Newton Station. In the film the officer representing Hatch is depicted as a silly old argumentative duffer that Wayne just wants to get rid of. The film also leaves out key elements, such as the attempts to stop Grierson, the activities of Confederate Home Guard militia, and those southerners less enamoured with the Confederacy who helped Grierson. I am about halfway through, but I don't think Miss Dindong Dingdong or the military school cadets will be putting in an appearance. Nevertheless, an excellent description of how a deep raid into enemy territory was carried out by the US cavalry.

[martin goddard]

A great book Andy. Dee Brown (still alive at 94) also did "Bury my Heart at wounded Knee".


martin

[Sean Clark]

Currently reading Villa and Zapata by Frank McLyn. Very good and readable account of the Mexican Revolution.

[martin goddard]

Sounds good Sean
Zapata always seems to be the better commander. This is in relation to his tactics and what he achieved with the things/men/materiel he had.

The major considered for FM is that everyone dies.


martin

[Smiley Miley 66]

Just ordered the ospreys Modern African books (1-5) as well as the Rhodesian Light Infantry as they are doing a small website sale, direct from Osprey.
Also "Dogs of War" as recommended by Simon P.
 I would recommend "the Wild Geese" book it is quite different from the film, as is usual? As I ve just finished it.
But good luck on finding a cheap source ? The price for now has shot up stupidly!
Miles

[Leman (Andy)]

The Tide at Sunrise, a history of the Russo-Japanese War by Denis and Peggy Warner (yes, it is with only one N). This is quite an old book now but is a really full account of both the army and naval sides to this first major war of the C20th. It also deals with the rise of Japan as a world power in just 50 years (which itself is a fascinating read) and the problems and weaknesses of the Russian Empire from the 1850s on. I have supplemented this with Osprey's Armies of the Russo-Japanese War and Russian Soldier versus Japanese Soldier.

[Sean Clark]

The Tide at Sunrise, a history of the Russo-Japanese War by Denis and Peggy Warner (yes, it is with only one N). This is quite an old book now but is a really full account of both the army and naval sides to this first major war of the C20th. It also deals with the rise of Japan as a world power in just 50 years (which itself is a fascinating read) and the problems and weaknesses of the Russian Empire from the 1850s on. I have supplemented this with Osprey's Armies of the Russo-Japanese War and Russian Soldier versus Japanese Soldier.

10mm Pendraken project incoming Andy?

[martin goddard]

Those COMBAT "versus" books are a really nice read.
I often buy them, even for periods I have no immediate interest in.


martin