Just released (I saw it on Bill Stone's WW2 site) and I'll be getting a copy: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/151202595X...colid=XIVH9ILEJ4RE&psc=1&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it
minden1759 How do you feel about Woodfield publications after that last Cassino book? The big question is: how much DIARY and how much commentary? When I get a moment, I'll find the citation for his MC at Cassino. HAVING TRAINED AS AN OFFICER at Sandhust in the late 1930s, the author of these diaries was commissioned as a Lieutenant in the Royal Sussex Regiment in 1940. He went on to serve with distinction in North Africa, Italy and Greece, was promoted to the rank of Captain and was involved in some of the most famous military actions of World War Two, including the Battle of El Alamein and the first Battle of Monte Cassino. Attached to 7th Battalion HQ of the 4th Indian Division, the author’s activities as a liaison officer routinely placed him in the line of fire in forward positions close to enemy lines, running the gauntlet of artillery barrages, mortar bombs and machine gun bullets as he went about his daily duties. He was lucky to survive on many occasions and lost many colleagues along the way. His actions under fire at Monte Cassino would earn him a well-deserved Military Cross. His war diary offers a unique perspective from the front lines of both the desert war in North Africa from Alamein to the fall of Tunis and the gruelling Italian campaign from Taranto to Perugia, after which the author was posted to Salonika in Greece to experience a different kind of warfare in the tense political situation that existed there at the time. Once again, he found himself in the firing line and his observations offer a perceptive insight into the events of the civil war in Greece as they unfolded. Source: El Alamein to Salonika via Monte Cassino Edit: Battalion Liaison Officer at 7 Bde HQ
Canfora publishing has announced the third book in their Red Machines series, following the T-60 and SU-100 titles. If you're interested in Soviet armour of WW2 this is an excellent set of books to own. No date on this yet but I'll certainly be picking up a copy.
A biography of this man has just come out: Michael Strickland (British Army officer) - Wikipedia Major-General Eugene Vincent Michael Strickland CMG, DSO, OBE, MM, CStJ, Star of Jordan - Strick - rose from penniless hardship to great military distinction. He was a tank man, a war hero who fought in France, North Africa and Italy during World War II, and whose name is revered even today among regiments that he commanded. His is the extraordinary tale of a man who gained a Regular Commission in the Indian Army from Sandhurst, but resigned soon afterwards. After a series of intriguing adventures, he then enlisted as a private soldier in the Royal Tank Corps. In May 1940, he played a major part in the counterattack at Arras in May 1940, where two British infantry tank battalions held up the German advance for three days, enabling the success of the Dunkirk evacuation – and perhaps saving Britain from ultimate defeat in the process. Strick's outstanding success as a troop-sergeant in France saw him immediately (re-)commissioned, and his rise to high command was then swift. He led the leading Squadron of the North Irish Horse with great distinction in Tunisia 1943, and later commanded North Irish Horse in its greatest battle, the breaking of the Hitler Line in Italy in 1944. This book focuses on his experience during World War II, drawing out the unique qualities required of leaders in close-combat battle; the particular demands of armoured infantry cooperation, and how an individual can make a success of such a rapid rise through the ranks during wartime. This fine story of adventure and achievement is brought alive by Strick’s remarkable correspondence - he wrote home to his family every second or third day throughout the war, except when action was too fierce to write - supplemented by the recollections of his comrades and years of archival research. More than a portrait of a gifted and morally courageous man, this biography also offers an insight into the arts of command and tactical control, and the difficulties of a family life fragmented by war. Preview Here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Strick-Tan...swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1625499927&sr=8-1 Publisher Here: Strick
Worth noting for gmyles that this man had some time in Greece: Strickland served in Greece with the British Military Mission there from June 1945 until July 1946, holding the rank of temporary lieutenant colonel.
"The Waffenmeister" (the weapons master) "The Waffenmeister" costs £9.99 and is available from publishers Laundry Cottage For Heinrich Elfner was a German serviceman who, with his home falling within post-war Communist East Germany, chose to settle in Britain. It would be many years before he would see his family again. And with the stories of those on the losing side of the war being more rarely recorded, two Shropshire authors are trying to redress the balance with their book "The Waffenmeister" (the weapons master) telling his tale.
IIRC it was quite a good look at the set up and development British Close Air Support. Hikoki books are well produced with good balance of text and illustrations. You're not going to get an indepth academic analysis but I'd recommend it if you have an interest in the subject.
THE PRICE: £83.06! In this ground-breaking new book, Alan Ogden brings to life Lt Gen sir Adrian Carton de Wiart, soldier, statesman and an often-overlooked figure in British Military and Diplomatic History. Framed through the life of Carton de Wiart this book also offers an exploration of important topics and developments in the first half of the 20th-century, including the Boer War, World War I, World War II and Anglo-Sino relations. This biography ranges from de Wiart’s early life, his wartime experiences and role as Churchill’s personal representative to Chiang Kai-shek. Ogden draws from an extensive array of primary sources including previously unseen private family papers to examine, in exquisite detail, the life and times of a man who experienced the horrors of war to rise up the ranks and become a personal representative of Winston Churchill and then Clement Attlee. This book will be of interest to undergraduate and postgraduate students, as well as scholars studying British Military and Diplomatic history in the first half of the twentieth century. No Preview Yet: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Times-Lieutenant-General-Adrian-Carton/dp/1350233129/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords="general+sir"&qid=1625759193&sr=8-1
That's twice in the past few months that books I want to buy and read have been 'academically priced'. In the first case, the subject was appropriately niche, but Carton De Wiart is about as 'saleable' as a soldier can be; indeed, his capsule biography has become something of an Internet meme in recent years. He was awarded the VC and in addition: He was shot in the face, head, stomach, ankle, leg, hip, and ear; was blinded in his left eye; survived two plane crashes; tunnelled out of a prisoner-of-war camp; and tore off his own fingers when a doctor declined to amputate them. Describing his experiences in the First World War, he wrote, "Frankly I had enjoyed the war." I really feel that they are missing a larger audience here.
Don’t give up hope. Over the last 6 months or so I’ve come across a couple of yet to be published titles on Amazon at very high prices. Later when they appear on the publishers own website the RRPs have been lower. Then once published and other Amazon marketplace sellers start selling their stocks the price has fallen substantially. I’ve reached the stage that I never pre-order, preferring to wait until publication and seeing savings of circa 30-40% over RRP, usually not from Amazon itself. Then I check that sellers own website to see if they are selling cheaper direct than via Amazon. Some seem willing to pass on their Amazon cut to the customer. Often saves another couple of quid but sometimes generates a bit more hassle.
The use of an academic press might stem from the writer (assuming they're an academic) and type of writing. Although yes, I fully agree that a more mainstream press biography of de Wiart would do well.
I'm a little surprised to report that another book on Morgan has just been published: Publisher : Palmetto Publishing (21 Jun. 2021) Language : English Paperback : 172 pages ISBN-10 : 1638374112 ISBN-13 : 978-1638374114 Dimensions : 15.24 x 0.94 x 22.86 cm No preview available, ebook version to follow shortly: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lieutenant-General-Frederick-Morgan-Planner/dp/1638374112/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=Lieutenant+General+Sir+Frederick+Morgan,&qid=1627105671&sr=8-2 Rubbish 'self-published' quality design, but who knows? Anybody recognise the author's name?