What are you currently reading ?

[KTravlos]

Physical Copy books: Finished a collection of three parliamentary speeches of Eleferios Venizelos (from his 2nd Rpeublic premiership period) for my Salvation and Catastrophe project , the academic part (greek language).

Going through the Army History Directorate "A Concise History of the Campaign in Asia Minor 1919-1922" for the OOB project within Salvation and Catastrophe (english language)

Halfway done with number "100 Days" of the Aubrey-Maturin series.

Reading some italian articles for the 19th century Facebook Group theme work.

Kindle
Still going slowly through Radetzky's Marches. Bought Volume 4 of Legend of Galactic Heroes, but will read when done with number 19 of the Aubrey-Maturin Series

Started German Army in the Spring Offensives of 1917, but this is as dense as Radetzky's Marches. This will take a time.

It is very hot here and I have no AC. So despite the tons of work I have to do, I am going slowly.

[fsn]

"Women at war in the classical world" by Paul Chrystal.   

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1473856604/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[kipt]

Finished an absolutely fascinating book "Memoirs of an Unconventional Soldier" by MG J.F.C. Fuller, 1936.  About his life before and in the army.  He became a staff officer with the tank corps in WWI and talks about the troubles with GHQ and other generals.

This may be where the "lions led by donkeys" originated (but he doesn't say that).  He says Haig was a gentleman but stuck on cavalry and infantry.  All else, airplanes, artillery and tanks were just support weapons.  Fuller came up with many tactical ideas (with diagrams in the book) for small actions (raids) and large, saying it would save on infantry.  No avail.

Very interesting reading; enjoyed it so much I bought another for a friend of mine for his birthday.

[Terry37]

Taking a break from the Post Apocalypse waiting on a new order for Amazon to arrive, so started a sci-book titled "Red Hope" by John Dreese. It's about the first manned mission to Mars, and is in most respects very plausible. It's been an excellent read so far and in two days I'm half way through it. Cannot wait to get to the end to see what happens, but will be sad to have it end - which is my usual dilemma with a book I really enjoy.

Terry

[kipt]

Finished "Great Captains Unveiled" by Liddell Hart, reprint 1967.

Chapters on Jenghiz Khan and Sabutai, Marechal de Saxe, Gustavus Adolphus, Wallenstein and General Wolfe.  All interesting and a bit out of the norm of my readings.  Nothing stood out as spectacular but an easy read.

[Terry37]

I finished "Red Hope" and found it to be an excellent read. Thought provoking and reflective of current society in many aspects.

I have now started reading "Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome" the only book for any of the Mad Max movies I know of. Wasn't sure what to expect as it is taken basically from the screen play. But I find it a great read and much more revealing than just watching the movie, as is pretty normal with most books that movies are taken from. Once I finish it I'll go back and watch the movie again and see how many details I've previously missed I can see.

Terry

[Dr Dave]

"Not mentioned in dispatches" - Goose Green reassessed. It's a remarkable work examining the different command styles and doctrine within 2 PARA as well as the battle itself. Whilst "H's" courage isn't in doubt, his leadership style is.

Painted my British, just got the Argies to do next.

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

You know, I've heard from more than one veteran that they thought H was not in the right place, and it was a foolish move.

[fsn]

From "Pusan to Panmunjom (Memories of War)" by Gen Paik Sun Yup

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B005CWHLBM/ref=oh_aui_d_detailpage_o03_?ie=UTF8&psc=1

The memoires of Gen Paik of the Korean War.

Not the kind of book I normally read. I'm not into the high level histories, I prefer the stories from the tank turret, and so I found my interest waining as Paik became less a front line general and more a political one. Having said that, he is very engaging, and I will forgive him his constant name dropping as these are his memoires. The book did give me a flavour of the Korean War through the eyes of a South Korean. The lack of equipment at the start and how Paik pulled his 1st Division into being a credible fighting force by appealing to the US generals for US units to be attached.

In some ways it's a very emotional book. He is quite candid and unashamed about times he was taken to tears and how he almost lost it when the Chinese attacked. He also captures the desire of South Korean soldiers to unite the peninsula into one country and their frustration with Eisenhower's desire to end the war.

There will be a few things about the book that will stick in my mind. Paik's attempts to convince Americans that the Chinese were present in force by bringing them a Chinese prisoner. The prisoner admitted to being Chinese and gave his unit number quite happily.
"He's Korean" said the Americans. "Been living in China."
"He speaks Chinese and not Korean."
"Been there a long time and learned the language."
"He doesn't even look Korean."
"Yellow skin, sort of funny eyes ... no he's Korean all right".

I paraphrase, but the sentiment is there.

The other phrase that will stick in my mind is when Paik moved from the rather elite 1st ROK Division to command ROK II Corps. "I felt" he said "like a city boy been transplanted to the country." He must have felt that all the good work he had done with 1st Div would have to be repeated twofold with II Corps. 

For anyone interested in the Korean War, this is a great book. Thank you Sunray for the recommendation.

[fsn]

"Women at war in the classical world" by Paul Chrystal.   

Very disappointing.

[kipt]

Finished "Great Battles and Their Great Generals" edited by Harry Roskolenko, 1974.

Thirteen chapters, all excerpts from various books, many autobiographies.  They range from von Schlieffen's "the Battle of Cannae" to The Inchon Landing, 1950.

The chapter on Leyte has Admiral Halsey's "I Turn North", his reasons for leaving the gulf and his frustration on having to turn back to protect the jeep carriers (and he didn't get back in time anyway).

"The Postscript from the Battle for Stalingrad" by General Vasili Chuikov I found most interesting.  I had read most of the others authors but not this one.

A quick read.

[KTravlos]

Finished "Strategem", the most recent book published in Yoshiki Tanaka's Legend of Galactic Heroes Series. While the story keeps being good, the translation this time was terrible with multiple typos.

About 40% done of Sheldon's German Army of 1917, and Embree's Radzetsky's Marches (both are too dense).

Ready to read the last book on the Aubrey-Maturin series "Blue at the Mizzen".

Going through the Army History Directorate "A Concise History of the Campaign in Asia Minor, 1919-1922" for my "Salvation and Catastrophe" project. The info is great, but marred by a plethora of typos.

Also about 40% done with "H Istoria tou Dihasmou kata tin arthografia tou Elefteriou Venizelou kai Ioannou Metaxa" (The History of the Schism according to the articles written by Elefterios Venizelos and Ioannis Metaxas), again for "Salvation and Catastrophe". Man are these two guys hating each other. But I was able to get enough info for an english summary of the Metaxas 1914 Gallipoli Warplan (forthcoming in the Foreign Correspondent).

[kipt]

Finished "Reputations" by Liddell Hart, 1928.

This book discusses the generals of WWI; Joffre, von Falkenhayn, Haig, Gallieni (Hart is most sympathetic here), Foch, Ludendorff, Petain, Allenby, Hunter Liggett and Pershing.

Good chapters on each and therefore good views of WWI.

Quick read.

[paulr]

The chapter on Leyte has Admiral Halsey's "I Turn North", his reasons for leaving the gulf and his frustration on having to turn back to protect the jeep carriers (and he didn't get back in time anyway).

Does he explain why he took the battleships with him rather than form Task Force 34 to cover the San Bernardino Strait as he said he would

[Ithoriel]

Does he explain why he took the battleships with him rather than form Task Force 34 to cover the San Bernardino Strait as he said he would :-

The attack on Taffy 3 exists solely to give rise to one of my favourite military quotes.

As the IJN force of battleships (including Yamato, the largest battleship afloat at the time), heavy cruisers and destroyers closed in on Taffy 3s escort carriers (merchant ships converted to ill-armed, unarmoured baby carriers) one of the carrier officers in charge of an AA battery announced,"just wait a little longer, boys, we're suckering them into 40-mm range."