Book Review Micro Book Reviews

Discussion in 'Books, Films, TV, Radio' started by von Poop, Feb 24, 2019.

  1. brucenew

    brucenew Junior Member

    Title: AFV Field Pocket Book 1942

    Author: War Office

    Publisher/Year/ISBN (optional) : War Office / 1942 (facsimile edition: Tank Archives Press 2019) ISBN 9781951171018

    Quick review: The “AFV Field Pocket Book” provided the latest wartime intelligence on enemy formations, units, weapons, tactics, tank design, and recognition. This facsimile is uncensored and complete with more than 100 pages of text, 23 organizational diagrams, 4 tables of weapon specifications, and 46 drawings and photographs of German, Italian, French, US, and British tanks.

    Rating out of 5: 5
     
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  2. 2 Black Bands

    2 Black Bands Active Member

    I’m working my way through:-

    The Home Front 1939-1945 in 100 objects

    By Austin J Ruddy Frontline Books. ISBN 9 781 52674 086 1

    This does exactly what is says on the cover......and if you’re thinking about getting into Brit HF stuff, it’s THE book for you. 100 items ranging from Helmets to powdered egg - it’ll help one understand the scope of the topic and choose a path to take. It’s also an ideal book for all those people who remember something of the conflict.....Memory Lane and all that...

    AR is an accomplished writer, collector and historian and really knows his stuff.
     
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  3. HAARA

    HAARA Well-Known Member

    D Day Through German Eyes, Book Two, by Holger Echertz, published by DTZ History Publications, published 2015.

    EDIT: I suggest that you read posts below before taking any implied recommendation made here for this book!

    A book of interviews with German servicemen who were present on the Atlantic Wall on 6th June, the interviewer being a German who was originally a writer for German military propaganda publications. He had visited the Wall in early 1944 to collect propaganda interviews, but felt after the war that he should trace some of his interviewees to record their experiences, this being done in 1954.

    The interviews appear to be verbatim (plainly translated from the original German), recording the interviewees views on being in France, their military abilities, their preparedness of the coast for anticipated attack and subsequent experiences, as well as views on why they were in France, being that they were there to free Europe from the British, Americans, and Russians.

    Many of the accounts are graphic, and quite horrific in some cases, as to what they experienced, from being attacked with white phosphorus, flame throwers, being shelled, and strafed by Allied aircraft. It describes the assassination of a German Captain by the French resistance, and the presence of Russian defectors and east European troops serving on the wall, who vanished after the invasion, it being suggested that they were shipped back to Russia and executed.

    The book puts quite a different perspective on the unfolding events of June 1944 compared with that so frequently promoted by the media, and in this respect is well worth reading to put Operation Overlord into perspective. Of interest was the description of a new 'wonder weapon' that the Germans were planning on using, which from its description sounded very much like an air blast bomb. Had this been used, and indeed been more developed and readily available, it could have made the invasion considerably more difficult and longer. It was purely by chance in many respects that it was not used

    The book reads well, giving plenty of food for thought. If you are a member of Amazon Prime, it is currently available as a FREE download.
     
    Last edited: Nov 26, 2019
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  4. Robert-w

    Robert-w Banned

    It has been alleged that this book is a fake. I enclose some extracts from a damning review
    We are asked to believe that the author’s grandfather was a journalist writing for German army magazines in 1944 who interviewed soldiers along the Atlantic Wall for an article shortly before D-Day; that his article was never published because D-Day changed the situation; that ten years after the war he sought out the men he’d interviewed, or at least others from their units, and conducted a second series of interviews focussing on their experiences of the day itself; and that the notes from this second series of interviews were discovered by the grandson and collated into the two books “D-Day through German Eyes” books 1 and 2, subsequently translated into English.

    My immediate reaction was that Bergmann was a fantasist. Unfortunately, a little digging reveals that Bergmann is not a fantasist, but a fantasy. He’s a made up character and so is every one of the veterans in this fabrication. Read the one-star reviews for books 1 and 2 and the compilation volume. No-one is able to trace the author. No-one is able to trace his grandfather. Accounts can’t be matched to locations. Those accounts that can be matched contradict more reliable sources. Language is used to describe equipment that wasn’t current in the WWII or even ten years after the war. It’s supposed to be the English language version of the German original, but no-one can find the German original. Put all that together with the concerns outlined in my second paragraph and it adds up to fraud
    .

    Certainly it would seem that there is some licence with the facts. For example although Germany did experiment with thermobaric weapons (air blast) they never got near to mass production. They were intended as another coal fired wonder weapon intended to knock down USAAF bomber boxes
     
  5. Robert-w

    Robert-w Banned

    Just to add
    the review says
    The final account of book 2 was what finally tripped the alarms on the fake-ometer. The interviewee, name of Bergmann, supposedly relates a tale of how the Germans had a fully developed thermobaric (fuel-air) weapon deployed and operational and ready to be used to destroy the port of Calais if the allies took it. and goes on to debunk this. My own understanding of the actual extent of German development of such weapons is as follows
    Austrian engineer Mario Zippermayr first experimented with lobbing barrels of coal dust and liquid oxygen from mortars to create explosions at altitude that would cause huge changes in air pressure that would damage aircraft. This proved ineffective so that other chemicals were added to try and create an aerosol explosion. By 1945 this had not yet succeeded to producing a practical weapon.
     
  6. HAARA

    HAARA Well-Known Member

    In a way I'm not surprised by what you say, as it seems unlikely that such a weapon disappeared without trace. As for the 'stories' told in the book, yes, now that you point it out, they could be fictional, as the tone in some instances could well be a little removed from reality. But at least, being 'free' on Amazon Prime, if this is a work of fiction, I was not conned out of my money!

    Of course, there are a number of other books out there which are equally 'fictional', one of the worst that I have come across is 'Disaster at Bari' by Glenn Infield. Having researched the incident myself at some length at the National Archives, the book bears only scant resemblance to what actually happened. So perhaps the moral of the story is be cautious at how you interpret what you read. But thank you for putting me right on 'D Day' - I'll not bother with volume 1!
     
    Last edited: Nov 26, 2019
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  7. SteveDee

    SteveDee Well-Known Member

    Title: Citizen Clem: A Biography of Attlee

    Author: John Bew

    Publisher/Year/ISBN: Riverrun/2016/Kindle version

    Quick review:-

    I didn't have high expectations for this book, as Attlee appears at first glance to be a very dull, grey character. But I found his biography, and especially the events surrounding the war years, fascinating.

    Citizen Clem plots his life, from cradle to grave. From a child growing up in a privileged environment, through his time working in the east end of London, his struggles with the wide ranging factions of Socialism, and eventual rise to become the first Prime Minister of a majority Labour government.

    As a shy, quietly spoken, monosyllabic politician, he was unlikely to make any real impression, let alone become PM. However, he became a valuable ally to Churchill during the 1940-1945 National Government, and one of the most important Prime Ministers of the 20th century.

    Highly recommended.

    Rating out of 5: 5
     
  8. Robert-w

    Robert-w Banned

    Very much due to Churchill's adroit character assassination
    "A modest man with much to be modest about"
    "An empty taxi drew up in Downing Street and the Prime Minister got out"
     
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  9. SteveDee

    SteveDee Well-Known Member

    To which I would add;-
    "He is a sheep in sheep's clothing"

    Yes, we all remember the funny Churchill quips. This was the kind of parliamentary banter that Churchill loved (...and was very good at).

    But Churchill also praised Attlee for his support, for his integrity, and his honesty.

    To Sir John Rodgers he once said "Mr Attlee is a great patriot. Don't you dare call him 'silly old Attlee' at Chartwell or you won't be invited again."

    They also enjoyed one another's company when their time as PMs came to an end. They had a shared interest in history and literature.
     
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  10. Robert-w

    Robert-w Banned

    Can't see Boris and Jeremy striking a similar relationship.
     
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  11. Tolbooth

    Tolbooth Patron Patron

    Easy now......don't want Von P swooping in and invoking the Masonic rule. We'll all end up on the naughty step
     
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  12. Vintage Wargaming

    Vintage Wargaming Well-Known Member

    I have had the book for some time without reading it - he was a distant relative and I don’t know much about him so your review may give me the push I need - thanks.
     
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  13. Robert-w

    Robert-w Banned

    Boris Becker and Jeremy Irons so what's the problem? :whistle:
     
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  14. brucenew

    brucenew Junior Member

    Title: Tracks for Fighting Vehicles


    Author: EWW Micklethwaite


    Publisher/Year/ISBN (optional) : School of Tank Technology 1944; Tank Archives Press 2019: 978-1951171001


    Quick review: facsimile edition of the original wartime report on “Tracks for Fighting Vehicles”, as produced in July 1944 by the School of Tank Technology for tank designers, manufacturers, and technicians. Starting with the history of tank design, this rare report gives a snapshot into wartime knowledge and intelligence, including German, Italian, British, American, French, and Soviet technologies.

    Rating out of 5: 5
     
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  15. brucenew

    brucenew Junior Member

    Title: PzKw Tiger Tank: The Official British Reports


    Author: School of Tank Technology


    Publisher/Year/ISBN (optional) : 978-1951171049


    Quick review: A new, fully restored edition of all 12 official British reports on Tiger 131, together for 1st time in fully restored condition, with higher-resolution images than were available for first printing, with new introduction and commentary, in full color: PzKw Tiger Tank: The Official Wartime Reports:


    Rating out of 5: 5 stars
     

    Attached Files:

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  16. Waddell

    Waddell Well-Known Member

    War in a Stringbag.JPG

    Title:
    War in a Stringbag

    Author: Commander Charles Lamb

    Publisher: Cassell & Company, 1977.

    Quick Review: This is one of those memoirs that pulls you right in from the start and just gets better. Charles lamb had first served as an apprentice merchant seaman in 1930 and spent time with the Royal Naval Reserve (serving on the Rodney at one stage). He joined the RAF in the mid-1930s and learnt to fly then transferred to the Fleet Air Arm in 1938, flying Swordfish when the war begins, which is where the book starts.

    He survived aboard two aircraft carriers which were sunk (Courageous and Illustrious), flew in support at Dunkirk, was involved in the Taranto Raid, flew missions out of a secret base in the mountains of Greece and ended up rebuilding a squadron at Malta. Whilst at Malta he was approached to land spies in clandestine raids and this led to his capture in Algeria in September 1941. He was held by the Vichy French at Laghaout and was not released until November 1942. He was in a bad way physically and did not return to flying until late in the war and suffered an injury aboard a carrier which nearly took his legs off. Of that accident he regretted that it stopped him from being able to play ball sports with his two boys as they grew up.

    What I liked best about the book was Lamb’s approach to the men he served with and how he built strong relationships with them regardless of rank. He mentions Burns and Brown many times throughout the book, aircraft mechanics assigned to him and how they nurtured Q for Queenie, his tough Fairey Swordfish, which saw him through many trials. He also comes across as a pillar of strength in the prison camp, organising boxing and early morning drills to ensure the men had some limited exercise and food and water in the morning and wasn’t afraid to push a point with the Vichy French in charge of the POWs. He was a champion boxer but did not use his skills in a bullying way and won a lot of respect from those serving with him.

    Lamb wrote in a very easy flowing style and I enjoyed this book greatly. Thanks to Markyboy for sending me his copy.

    Rating out of 5: 5.
     
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  17. Waddell

    Waddell Well-Known Member

    Head in the Clouds.JPG

    Title: Head in the Clouds- a Young RAF Pilot’s Life in the Late ‘30’s.


    Author: Goronwy Edwards

    Publisher: Airlife Publishing, 1996.

    Quick Review: A good piece of advice I was given when I started researching soldiers was to make sure that I didn’t view their lives and the decisions they made through modern eyes. Reading memoirs is one method of avoiding that, and Goronwy Edward’s makes it unapologetically clear that he was a man of the Empire and a firm believer in all it stood for. Reading his memoir of his early flying career it is very clear that his training and experiences with the RAF as a young pilot set him up for life and certainly prepared him well for war, which broke out only two years later.

    This is the second book he wrote after writing 'Norwegian Patrol' in 1985. A later book ‘Flying to Norway, Grounded in Burma’ was also published by Pen & Sword in 2008 (which may be a compilation of the two previous books?).

    The book follows Edwards early life and decision to become a pilot whilst still at school. He was awarded a Short Service Commission and went into training in 1937 flying Harts and Audaxs and when fully competent a Fury, which he regarded as a fast and nice handling machine. Upon completion of his course he was posted to 233 Squadron of Coastal Command and was trained on Ansons. For the aircraft modellers out there he describes that when the Squadron went on a war footing they were ordered to paint their silver doped Anson’s in the brown and green camouflage. No paint was available, so they raided the local hardware shops in Scotland (they were based at Leuchars) for green and brown house paint, which was applied and duly peeled off in wet weather leaving the aircraft looking scruffy.

    The rest of the book describes daily life as a Coastal Command pilot and a few of the lurks they undertook- mainly flying home to their nearest airfield on weekends. Just prior to the war Edwards was involved in delivering Blenheims to Egypt. The Blenheims they flew were made by the Austin Motor Company and held up well. The book ends with the news that 233 Squadron were to be equipped with Hudsons, which greatly pleased Edwards.

    This is a short book of 135 pages and gives a good background to the life of a young pilot in the late pre-war era. If I were to be critical of the book it would be that it is not as exciting as most of the memoirs of the war years I have read.

    Rating out of 5: 3.5
     
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  18. Markyboy

    Markyboy Member

    Hi Waddell, quite right the later book is a compendium of the previous two.
     
  19. Robert-w

    Robert-w Banned

    Sounds very similar to The Luck of the Devil - an autobiography 1934 -1941 by "Tony" Dudgeon which runs from flying over Waziristan to the RAF versus the revolting Iragi army which gets five stars from me
     
  20. Markyboy

    Markyboy Member

    I've got that one, it's a cracker of a read. Very lucky find on the bargain second hand shelf at the Lashenden Air Museum. 5/5 from me as well.
     

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