I had three book cases and after my stroke, hated reading. From a child, reading was a passion. When I moved recently, I now have one bookcase with the things I decided to keep. They are not in any sort order, as I can pick up anything specific I need. I gave the books to a bookshop which has a great selection of military books. They have been recycled.
A study in random storage. I could fill 3 more of these with what is stored in boxes, even with a recent culling of the herd. I hope to empty those next year when we expect to be in a new house. A wall of bookcases is in the cards.
Part Deux! Not forgetting the ones on the desk -readily to hand And the stack that collects by my side of the sofa. (OK, admittedly they're not all WW2 related)
OK here we go, I selected the bookshelves containing (military) history books: the others are occupied by travel guides and cooking books (my wife's) . In general a mix of Dutch, German, French and English books (and one Italian ... who sees it!). The bookshelves in my living room: Penguin Historical Atlas of the Vikings - how England was invaded by the Vikings Robert de Bruce and the Wars of Scotland ... "Freeedom!" ... . Jonathan Sumption The Hundred Years war - how England invaded France and got beaten. Though it did take me almost a life-time, I'm proud to say that I got all the volumes of the US Army in WW2: European Theater of Operations, from the Normandy beaches and the Riviera all the way to the heart of Germany. The two volumes of Ellis and a photocopied copy of Stacey's "Victory Campaign" (not on the pictures) make it complete. The 19th Century battles also have my attention. Last year started reading about the American Civil War ... after finishing three books on the Prussian wars; Denmark 1864 ... Austria 1866 and France 1870. An interesting period with a lot of military developments. The book on Battle tanks of WW2 also is special. Its a signed copy I got from Ken Tout with whom I spent three days in the Ardennes, visiting the sites where the Northhamptonshire Yeomanry had been active during the Bulge. The German book "Die Luftlanding" also is a signed copy from the author. I visited him many years ago at Hamminkeln to interview men of the 6th Airborne Division for a study on the Brits in the Ardennes, which stands next to the left: "Les britanniques dans la Bataille des Ardennen 1944/45", 30 Corps in the Ardennes (alas never published). Stenton - how the Anglo-Saxons invaded England and won ... Hastings 1066 - how France invaded Anglo Saxon England and won My upstairs bookshelves: I'm really proud of Tom Renouf's "Black Watch", a signed gift from the author with whom I traveled to the Rhine, the Ardennes and Reichswald (together with the veterans of the Highland Division). As a result of my activities with the Highland veterans I'm also mentioned in Salmonds latest edition of the History of the 51st Highland Division, which stands next to it . The battle for the Elsenborn Ridge, Ardennes 1944 (Krinkelt - Rocherath; Battle Babies; Against the Panzers) an operation I thoroughly researched in the past. This battle in the NE-corner of the Ardennes, featuring the 1st SS and 12th SS Pz.Divs, much resembles the bitter armoured battles in Normandy, but a bit closer to home ... The small soft cover Bantam edition of Charles B. MacDonald's "Company Commander" is a cherised book, although it's almost falling apart now. I bought it in 1982. The author triggered my attention to WW2; soon afterwards his "Time for Trumpets: the untold story of the Battle of the Bulge" came out. I bought the hard cover edition, which is on the bookshelf in my living room, and I almost literally read it to pieces. Once I could afford it, I bought his "Siegfried Line Campaign" and also Hugh M. Cole's "The Ardennes: Battle of the Bulge". I was a real 'Ardennes-nut' before I started with the Rhineland battles and joined WW2Talk. Also treasured are the History of the 13/18th Hussars and 'The First and the Last'. A gift from the sister of Bill Baxendale. Her brother, a Sherman tank driver, was killed at the villlage of Megchelen together with the rest of the crew on 28 March 1945. We visited the site of his field grave two years ago. The books belonged to her father, who was devastated by the loss of his only son. A small pile on my office desk: Blumenson's 'Salerno to Cassino' is my most recent acquisition ... and I love it, though Montgomery and his Eight Army are not getting off well. For balance, I immediately ordered Brigadier C.J.C. Molony's "The mediteranean and Middle East, Vol V., The Campaign in Sicily 1943 and the Campaign in Italy 3rd September 1943 to 31st March 1944". Others that are still en route: Fisher, "Cassino to the Alps", Howe, George F, "Northwest Africa: seizing the initiative in the west" and Albert N. Garland, "Sicily and the Surrender of Italy." All from the series: "The Mediterranean Theater of Operations. United States Army in World War II". To my shock I discovered that I have 12 books on Operation Market-Garden (much more than I thought) ...
Very pleased to see so many Canadian authors represented. Particularly No Holding Back by Brian Reid and the Guns trilogy by the late George Blackburn. A dearth of Osprey Men-at-Arms type books... or are those considered a guilty pleasure and kept hidden? Cheers, Dan.
It's been a while. The 1940 shelves. I have a feeling that there are still some under the coffee table though, and in the car...and Andrew Foulkes' "Vehicle Markings of the BEF" is rarely put away.
Kind of pleasing that there's pretty much no off-track surprises there. Straight line dedication to a theme. (Is the left-hand Pallud Blitzkrieg identical to the ATB one, other than language?)
They've slowly been squeezing the others out....most of my Norton books have one or two military machines in - but rarely BEF of course and they've moved down a shelf. There are also the manuals and spare parts lists which are part of my research but better stored in binders. The Heimdal 'Blitzkreig à l'Ouest' is a completely different book. Much more from the French perspective, but including some BEF information and images which don't appear in 'After the Battle'...No 'Then & Nows' either but being Pallud, generally good on locations. I'd like to have a better understanding of the French aspects. I found myself hovering over a 'Buy it Now' on Prioux's 'Souvenir's de Guerre' this week but suspect that my French isn't good enough to really enjoy it. Horne's 'To Lose a Battle' should have been on the shelf. I wonder where that is ?
Have purged the Navy and R.A.F. elements from the main shelf, which is now conspicuously full--as are the other three. I daren't mention the need for another lest the subject spur Mrs Fortnum into another mania for downsizing and minimising our clutter. I'll simply have to start stacking the new ones up on top again, although on moving out of an old place a few years back, we found the floorboards beneath the bookshelves bowed by the weight--it could have been a bibliographic disaster.
..and in alphabetical subject order, Mr. F. ! Most impressive. It helps of course to have 'normal' sized books.
I do like that book case Charley. Love the glass fronted doors - bet it's not far off the same weight as the books in it