What are you currently reading ?

[kipt]

Finished "The Journal of Military History", Vol. 85, No. 2.

Articles include:
Raiding, Pillaging, and Violent Social Change in Late Sixteen-Century Livonia,
Stone Truths: American Memorial Landscapes of World War I,
German Perspectives on the U-Boat War, 1939-1941,
In Need of a Home Away from Home: The Royal Netherlands Navy in Australia, 1942-1947,
Mediterranean Marines: the Challenges of Forward Deployment, 1948-1958,
Foundation Bias: The Impact of the Air Corps Tactical School on United States Air Force Doctrine,
The Quasi-War.

Also 81 pages of short book reviews (often leads me to new books to buy).

[Techno II]

Listening to...."Typhoon Fury," by Clive Cussler and Boyd Morrison.

Plot revolves around a 'secret' drug developed during WWII by the USA, then nicked by the Japanese to turn men into almost invulnerable super soldiers.
(Sort of daft plot that I enjoy. )

One of the statements in the book was that the Japanese gave Methamphetamine to the kamikaze pilots.
Is that supposedly true ?? 

Cheers - Phil.

[Lord Kermit of Birkenhead]

Not certain on that one Phil, it's entirly possible. Both British and American servicemen were issued Benazdrine on occasion.

[Gwydion]

Philopon and Hiropin in Japan - tablet and injection.
Pervitin tablets in Germany 1938-41 unregulated availability - general availability controlled in 1941, but still used by the military.

(The allies used various amphetamines as well - Benzedrine is a brand name for amphetamine sulfate).

[steve_holmes_11]

Two on the go at present:

Historic: Zulu Rising - The Epic Story of Isandlwana and Rorke's Drift by Ian Knight

An epic volume, providing great detail of the background, personalities and movements of small parties leading to (and I presume beyond) the twin battles.
Ian Knight is a respected historian, well known in the wargaming world.
This book is incredibly detailed, and it's easy to get tangled in the different isiXulu clan and unit names.
I'd recommend finding a 15 minute guide to isiZulu pronunciation on YouTube before launching into it.

There is a subtle hint of Tolkien about the delivery.
Knight describes the terrain (so often neglected in these histories) in detail that shows a love of the country.
Likewise his word portraits of the main players are "warts and all", and he understands the politics and values of the African combatants as well as the British.
Something new to me is the way that most professional officers of either side were keen to avoid a fight, but were drawn in by impetuous younger men, and then by a sense of honour.

I'm about half way in and skirmishing around Isandlwana is underway.

The book is highly detailed, and an enjoyable insight into the cultures that clashed in the Zulu wars.
At 702 pages (plus 44 more of Glossary, references and index) it's no light read, but I've rarely found the text to drag.



Game interest: Live To Tell The Tale - Combat tactics for player characters by Keith Amman

This is a primer on D&D combat tactics and techniques.
The Author's previous work included a blog which morphed into his "The Monsters know what they're doing" - a tactical manual for Dungeon Masters who wanted more than cannon fodder fomr their goblins etc.

The book is presented in a light accessible way, explaining roleplaying, and specifically 5th edition D&D for the less initiated.
It uses examples and a structured method to illustrate means of fighting to survive.
He introduces the concept of Combat Roles, the Classes which suit them and introduces the concept of an Ability contour (High Strength and Constitution makes a oood fighter and suits a frontline combat role).
He them goes on to details of using the D&D combat model (not a particularly "realistig" one - but hey Magic spears, Elves and wizards) effectively - not missing the potential form your turn.

The last section is more advanced, group tactics - how the Combat roles combine for effect (Something familiar to WW2 players), how to retreat as a group, and some choices as the players level up.

I've watched several hours of this sort of stuff on YouTube, and usually come away disappointed.
The typical video features a munchkin or two regurgitating chunks of the player manual and some min-maxing tips -
"Always be a mountain Dwarf because they get Plusses to Strength and Constitution, then select the weapon master feat at level 3 and be a Battle master with the "sweeping attack" option".
A lot of formulaic nonsense to squeeze the last plus out of  a cardboard cut-out personality-void.

Keith Amman goes a different route, explicitly stating that "Race doesn't matter (much)", and explaining how different classes can fulfil different combat roles.
Some classes are more flexible than others: Wizards will almost always be lurking at the back lobbing fireballs, Rogues will usually be skirmishing and Clerics will usually be looking for opportunities to heal their mates, or curse their enemies.
But in a small or depleted party, it's necessary to understand and switch roles.
Rangers, Druids, Monks and Paladins can perform a couple of roles effectively.
The Bard is a veritable swiss army knife of a character - but not optimal in any role.

The book concludes with some worked and illustrated examples of "combat done smart".
There are surprisingly easy to follow; I say that as somebody who struggled with Featherstone's "Battle Notes" and struggles with most blogged after action reports.
This section succeeds, by explaining the player decisions as the parties do more than simply pile in with cold steel.

The book is an easy read, and has provided me some insights into effective tactics in the D&D framework.
Well worth getting for any D&D player who wants to get one over the tougher monsters.

[Lord Kermit of Birkenhead]

Philopon and Hiropin in Japan - tablet and injection.
Pervitin tablets in Germany 1938-41 unregulated availability - general availability controlled in 1941, but still used by the military.

(The allies used various amphetamines as well - Benzedrine is a brand name for amphetamine sulfate).

Thanks for that !

[Techno II]

Same here, Gwydion.

Cheers - Phil.

[kipt]

Finished "Sun Tzu at Gettysburg: Ancient Military Wisdom in the Modern World" by Bevin Alexander.  Printed 2011.

It's more than Gettysburg; Saratoga, Yorktown, Waterloo, 1862 ACW campaigns, Marne 1914, 1940, Stalingrad, 1944 France, Korea Inchon.

The author (who has written many books) uses sayings from Sun Tzu (who possibly did not exist, the writings maybe being a compilation of many authors - no one knows) to illustrate failings by various commanders.  General Lee is not high on the good commander list but Jackson is.  Napoleon is criticized as well as Hitler, MacArthur, Eisenhower, Montgomery, Bradley and others.

But the book seems to me to be a "popular" attempt to sell books rather than good history.  Also historians have done research that makes some of the author's views out of date (column vs line, battle range of rifled muskets).

So, I read it as it was given to me, but would not have bought it.

[Techno II]

Listening to "Blood's Revolution" by Angus Donald.

Set around and after Monmouth's rebellion. (I've heard of him.)

Now...thoroughly enjoying it..Though as usual, with historical fiction, I got terribly confused to start with !!

I wasn't concentrating properly....... and didn't realise that two of the names that kept being mentioned were the same person. ...and also that the 'Rhine' that was being talked about wasn't the one in Germany.

Cheers - Mr Numpty !!

[Heedless Horseman]

Read... novels... working my way through the set of Patrick O'Brian's Napoleonic Naval series... Got a bit tired of some characters a while back.. but got the set! Prefer Hornblower! lol.
Watch... rather enjoying BBC 'Musketeers'... again! Just ignoring 'uniform', and 21c storylines / casting... just nice 'fights' and like the soundtrack! lol!

[Ithoriel]

Tank Action: An armoured troop commander's war 1944-1945 by David Render with Stuart Tootal

A very readable, low level view of armoured warfare from D-Day (well, D+1) to the end of the war.

[kipt]

Not sure why I have so much white space in my last post.  Had to leave for a bit before posting and maybe left something on the keyboard(?) No we don't have cats...

Can the moderator fix it?

[Techno II]

Yes !!

The weird thing was, yesterday...when I put in the post following yours, K....It did the same to me.
I had to go to the end of my own post, and hold down the delete key for a few seconds.

Cheers - Phil.

[kipt]

Thanks!

[kipt]

Finished "Combat Problems for Small Units" from the Infantry Journal, 1943.

Very interesting little book.  It poses problems for platoons along with maps.  as the narrative moves along, the map is posted on the opposite page.

Problem No. 1, for example, is Oral Orders by Platoon and Squad Leaders.  It covers about 4+ pages and the maps shows up 3 times so one does not have to flip back to see the terrain.

There are 27 Problems in all, covered by 244 pages.

Would make great scenarios for platoon and squad size games.