The General Perspective

Discussion in 'Books, Films, TV, Radio' started by Charley Fortnum, Mar 23, 2014.

  1. davidbfpo

    davidbfpo Patron Patron

    Citing Tom:
    Wiki has a notably full biography: Douglas Graham (British Army officer) - Wikipedia

    If he has any personal papers donated to an archive I would the University of Glasgow, which has a war studies programme, is the best place to start.
     
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  2. davidbfpo

    davidbfpo Patron Patron

    Working through Google now.
    His sword is in a local museum: Browse the Collection - Online Collection - Museums - South Lanarkshire Leisure and Culture

    Another place to ask would be The Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) Regimental Museum, their website has no search facility. Note this historical note:
    See: The Cameronian Museum - Low Parks - Hamilton Lanarkshire

    Unable to locate any references to his personal papers whilst waiting for dinner.
     
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  3. Chris C

    Chris C Canadian

    I hope maybe someone will look at this as an opportunity to write something about the man! Hoping he did leave his papers somewhere.
     
  4. Charley Fortnum

    Charley Fortnum Dreaming of Red Eagles

    Vincent Orange has written a number of biographies of high-ranking RAF officers. Of the top of my head, he's covered Tedder, Conningham, Slessor and Park.

    I've just picked up his biography of Dowding, shown here with the much earlier, authorised, biography.

    SmartSelect_20200225-152104_Gallery.jpg

    I'd very much like a copy of Dowding's own account of the Battle of Britain, Twelve Legions of Angels, but it's exceeding rare.

    There is one last dedicated biography, published just last year:

    Air Officer Commanding: Hugh Dowding, Architect of the Battle of Britain: Amazon.co.uk: John T. LaSaine: 9781611689372: Books
     
    Last edited: Feb 25, 2020
  5. Robert-w

    Robert-w Banned

    There are some copies of Dowding's book around if one searches but they usually start at about £30 for a copy in not good condition and quickly rise to £60 and over for an ex library copy. Only one edition seems to have been produced. Dowding may have won the BoB but he lost the Battle of the Memoirs. He previously published a number of books on spiritualism with appropriately biblical quotes as titles and it's possible that some of his zeal for this subject may have leaked into the style of this also biblicaly titled book which would not have helped.
     
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  6. Charley Fortnum

    Charley Fortnum Dreaming of Red Eagles

    His old rival, Leigh Mallory, has also been badly served by the historical record.

    Although I haven't read it personally (and I don't own a copy), a survey of the reviews available online suggests that the single biography he has received (penned by a relative) is pretty poor.

    Some here: Big Wing: Biography of Air Chief Marshal Sir Trafford Leigh-Mallory: Amazon.co.uk: Bill Newton Dunn: 9781853102400: Books

    For what it's worth (not mine):

    Big-Wing-Biography-of-Air-Chief-Marshal.jpg
     
  7. Charley Fortnum

    Charley Fortnum Dreaming of Red Eagles

    One more--the last for a while--in the post today.

    SmartSelect_20200227-161204_Gallery.jpg

    There are a few more books by/about Spears:

    The Picnic Basket, which I believe covers his memories of childhood in France.

    Liaison 1914 & Prelude to Victory, which collectively cover his service in the Great War.

    Under Two Flags, a biography by Max Egremont.
     
  8. Charley Fortnum

    Charley Fortnum Dreaming of Red Eagles

    You've got the chronology slightly wrong.

    The Biblical-sounding (spiritualistic) titles came later, and according to Orange were of a markedly different tone to Twelve Legions of Angels, but from what I've read, you're right, and the evangelical had already seeped into the earlier work.

    (Have you seen General Dobbie's A Very Present Help on his command in Malta? Military expediencies nestled beside chapter and verse as justification!)

    I'd just like to be able to check that it is a bit rubbish without paying a fortune for a shabby and worm-eaten copy.
     
  9. Robert-w

    Robert-w Banned

    Not in terms of when actually published as opposed to when written
     
  10. Charley Fortnum

    Charley Fortnum Dreaming of Red Eagles

    Ah, that's interesting.

    I wasn't aware of it.
     
  11. JimHerriot

    JimHerriot Ready for Anything

    Especially for Charley Fortnum, with apologies for the blurriness on the right hand side of the images (the spine of the book is not "cracked" and after a hundred and one years I did not want to be the one to crack it)

    Introduction from "The Tank Corps", by Major Clough Williams-Ellis M.C. and A Williams-Ellis, published 1919 (see thread "My Book Buying Problem" for the sp)

    The introduction was written by Major-General H J Elles CB DSO within eight months of the end of hostilities and, for me, is priceless.

    Kind regards, always,

    Jim.

    THE TANK CORPS Introduction 1.jpg

    THE TANK CORPS Introduction 2.jpg

    THE TANK CORPS Introduction 3.jpg

    THE TANK CORPS Introduction 4.jpg

    THE TANK CORPS Introduction 5.jpg
     
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  12. Robert-w

    Robert-w Banned

    The
    This book has been scanned and digitised and can be found on the internet and down loaded free
     
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  13. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

    Thanks Bob and the link to that is where ??? - it would help others find it more quickly, appreciate if you could supply

    TD
     
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  14. Charley Fortnum

    Charley Fortnum Dreaming of Red Eagles

    Indeed!

    Would like to take a look after JimHerriot's generous preview.
     
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  15. Robert-w

    Robert-w Banned

    I downloaded my copy ages ago and didn't keep the link
     
  16. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

  17. Robert-w

    Robert-w Banned

    I downloaded my copy a couple of years ago and didn't keep the link. BTW I'm not Bob
     
  18. CL1

    CL1 116th LAA and 92nd (Loyals) LAA,Royal Artillery

     
  19. Harry Ree

    Harry Ree Very Senior Member

    C.F

    Vincent Orange has also published a work on Dowding and on Harris. Probert has also covered Harris with "Bomber Harris.His Life and Times".

    These publications are available at a reasonable price and make good reading.
     
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  20. Charley Fortnum

    Charley Fortnum Dreaming of Red Eagles

    Wikipedia has the following from Vincent Orange:
    • Dowding of Fighter Command: Victor of the Battle of Britain, (Grub Street, September 2008)
    • Johnny Checketts: The Road to Biggin Hill, (Grub Street; New title edition, March 2007)
    • Slessor: Bomber Champion - The Life of Sir John Slessor, (Grub Street, October 2006)
    • Tedder: Quietly in Command, (Routledge, April 2004)
    • Winged Promises: History of No.14 Squadron, RAF 1915-1945, (Weidenfeld & Nicolson, November 1998)
    • Ensor's Endeavour: A Biography of Wing Commander Mick Ensor, (Grub Street, May 1994)
    • Straight and Level, (Grub Street, October 1993) with Kenneth Cross
    • Coningham: A Biography of Sir Arthur Coningham, (Methuen, February 1990)
    • The Road to Biggin Hill, (Airlife, February 1987)
    • Park: The Biography of Air Chief Marshal Sir Keith Park, (Methuen, August 1984)
    • Churchill and His Airmen: Relationships, Intrigue and Policy Making 1914-1945, (Grub Street, March 2013)
    Perhaps this last one, on Churchill, covers Harris?

    I have a couple more senior RAF biographies winging their way to me now, but the world's gone a bit mad, so delay is expected.

    Thank you for the Probert tip.
     
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