Author Topic: What book are you reading?  (Read 5635 times)

Offline oakranger

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What book are you reading?
« on: November 07, 2019, 10:03:46 PM »
Most the books I read are history.  Currently focusing on WWII.

Case red: collapse of France.  By Robert forczyk.  Wow!  I now have a much different view on France ability to stop Germany from attacking. 

We march against England: Operation sea lion.  By Robert Forczyk.   Another great book Forczyk did.  He has a way to put the synergy together unlike most historians do.  How far Germany went on planning to invade England was beyond any country thought of.  I am currently reading.

On my list.

The Third Reich is Listening: Inside German codebreaking 1939–45.  ByChristian Jennings
I can’t wait to read this.

Case white: the invasion of Poland.  By Robert Forczyk.

Schweinfurt–Regensburg 1943: EIGHTH AIR FORCE'S COSTLY "DOUBLE STRIKE" by Marshall Michel III
This is a short book but hopefully good to read.  In will be published and available on January 21, 2020.

I did found one published company I think most will like.  They have some excellent reading materials on any military history. 

https://ospreypublishing.com/










Oaktree

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Offline guncrasher

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Re: What book are you reading?
« Reply #1 on: November 08, 2019, 12:11:48 AM »
think the last book I read was "red army" many years ago.  was a good book.  now if I am interested on something, I just go to wikipedia, or search on youtube.


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Offline Vraciu

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Re: What book are you reading?
« Reply #2 on: November 08, 2019, 06:21:10 AM »
I am reading:

- BONNIE SUE: A Marine Helicopter Squadron in Vietnam

- The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich

- Gunship Ace [Biography about a helicopter mercenary pilot in Africa]

- BOYD: The Fighter Pilot Who Changed the Art of War *
---
* Third time reading this one. 

I have James Howard's autobiography ROAR OF THE TIGER on deck. 


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Offline zack1234

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Re: What book are you reading?
« Reply #3 on: November 08, 2019, 09:10:36 AM »
The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich by Shirer was denounced by the West German Chancellor in the 1950's as being anti German.

The authors reply was to highlight how the Germans were still playing the victim.

The Germans invasion if France was due to the French being drunk.

The British had to hold them in camps until they sobered up, it was too late by then.

France still to this day has not written an official history of said time.😀 bone idle lot
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Offline Mister Fork

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Re: What book are you reading?
« Reply #4 on: November 08, 2019, 09:55:48 AM »
Back to OakTree's Case Red: - here's a summary from Chris Buckham which I'm now looking to obtain a copy of the book to read!

Quote
The author commences his work with a broad study of the Allied efforts in the years leading up to the invasion (1919-1939). This is critical for the reader to better appreciate the lack of coordination and internal dissension between the Western Countries. This was especially true of Belgium whose foreign policies served to both weaken and undermine French plans for countering the Germans.

His discussions draw attention to a number of areas that have generally not been addressed in past books on the battle of France. Following the evacuation at Dunkirk, there was an operational pause on the part of the Germans as they reformed their units and undertook the planning for the second phase of the attack on France: Fall Rot. Much of the planning and preparation has been glossed over in the major histories of this conflict. Hitler had given the OKW (Oberkommando der Wehrmacht – German High Command) only ten days between the end of Fall Gelb and the beginning of Fall Rot (25 May to 5 June). During that time in addition to planning the next stages of the advance, they also had to coordinate and deliver over 50,000 tons of supplies from Germany to their forward units (200 miles over destroyed and damaged transportation infrastructure). Support on this scale had never been attempted before; Forczyk discusses in detail the logistical efforts of this period and the challenges overcome.

Additionally, it is important to note that the French remained a potent adversary even after their initial setbacks; one that the Germans viewed very seriously. The author looks at the methodology that the Germans undertook in order to retain their advantage after the element of surprise had been lost through superior planning and execution as well as joint operations between air and ground forces.

Forcyzk is balanced in his appraisals of the adversary’s capabilities but he is particularly scathing in this analysis of the French and British High Commands. He specifically focusses upon their divergence from both political oversight and control as well as the abrogation of their responsibility towards the soldiers under their command. This appears particularly true in the case of Weygand, the French Commander as he repeatedly dismissed direction from the French Government.   

Included in this work are a number of minor incidents that have been lost or overlooked. For example, the French air force undertook 11 air raids on German cities during the Battle of France including the first air raid on Berlin when a single Farman bomber flew a round trip mission of over 3000 km, dropping 3 tonnes of bombs before returning back to base. The inclusion of these types of stories adds both depth and breadth to Forcyzk’s narrative.
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Offline oakranger

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Re: What book are you reading?
« Reply #5 on: November 08, 2019, 12:49:07 PM »
think the last book I read was "red army" many years ago.  was a good book.  now if I am interested on something, I just go to wikipedia, or search on youtube.


semp


Suggest to get Case Red by Forczky.  It’s the only book out there that’s on the whole operation and covers what most countries were doing pre battle of France. 
Oaktree

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Offline oakranger

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Re: What book are you reading?
« Reply #6 on: November 08, 2019, 12:53:09 PM »
Back to OakTree's Case Red: - here's a summary from Chris Buckham which I'm now looking to obtain a copy of the book to read!

 Ferdinand Foch was right what he said in 1919 and try to do everything to get France ready for it.
Oaktree

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Offline Puma44

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Re: What book are you reading?
« Reply #7 on: November 08, 2019, 01:21:56 PM »
Just finished “BOYD”.  Excellent read.  Great behind the scenes story of modern tactical fighter aviation.



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Offline TheBug

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Re: What book are you reading?
« Reply #8 on: November 08, 2019, 02:55:46 PM »
Currently reading the first book in Rick Atkinson's The Liberation Trilogy.  It's called "An Army At Dawn:The War in North Africa 1942-1943".  It covers Operation Torch and then the battle for Tunisia.  So far I'm liking it.  :aok
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Offline Ramesis

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Re: What book are you reading?
« Reply #9 on: November 08, 2019, 03:09:22 PM »
I'm re-reading Catch 22 by Joe Heller... its not quite
serious... its hilarious  :rofl
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Offline TheBug

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Re: What book are you reading?
« Reply #10 on: November 08, 2019, 03:32:41 PM »
I'm re-reading Catch 22 by Joe Heller... its not quite
serious... its hilarious  :rofl

Just read that two books ago, really enjoyed it.  Tried Slaughterhouse Five after that which I thought was ok, but not as good as Catch 22.
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Offline Oldman731

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Re: What book are you reading?
« Reply #11 on: November 08, 2019, 03:53:36 PM »
Currently reading the first book in Rick Atkinson's The Liberation Trilogy.  It's called "An Army At Dawn:The War in North Africa 1942-1943".  It covers Operation Torch and then the battle for Tunisia.  So far I'm liking it.


That trilogy should be must-read for any WWII student.  He won the Pulitzer Prize for that one, and each of the two following volumes is better than the last.

He then decided to take on the American Revolution.  His first volume is out, and I'm reading it now.  He hasn't lost his touch.

- oldman

Offline Vraciu

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Re: What book are you reading?
« Reply #12 on: November 08, 2019, 04:03:31 PM »
I'm re-reading Catch 22 by Joe Heller... its not quite
serious... its hilarious  :rofl

If you like that try PETTIBONE’S LAW.    It’s like Catch-22 but with Marine pilots in Vietnam.   One of my instructors was there at the same time as the author and says it’s actually non-fiction.   Really funny. 
« Last Edit: November 08, 2019, 06:41:29 PM by Vraciu »
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Offline donna43

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Re: What book are you reading?
« Reply #13 on: November 08, 2019, 06:11:36 PM »
Ordered it but, I hadn't started reading it yet.   Spearhead   By Adam Makos
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Offline perdue3

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Re: What book are you reading?
« Reply #14 on: November 08, 2019, 09:37:27 PM »
Good thread!

I am picking through various books currently on Philip II of Macedon's use of combined arms. The most interesting I have ran into on this particular journey has been Fred Eugene Ray's Greek and Macedonian Land Battles of the 4th Century BC. It is interesting because Ray goes against the grain. He takes information about facts that have long been accepted by scholars (and topographers) and challenges them. His thoughts that particularly have troubled me are those that displace Alexander from commanding cavalry at the Battle of Chaeronea, 338 BCE. A lot goes into this reconstruction and the fact that Ray all but dismisses previous findings is incredible to think of. The Sacred Band's annihilation was not brought on by an eighteen year old Alexander leading Thessalian cavalry with a few screening foot companions, but a contingent exclusively made up of Macedonian phalangites. His theory is reasonable, but he seemed to fail to realize that it would not have taken an army to destroy the Sacred Band, which only numbered 300. A small screen force of companions and his cavalry would have easily done the trick considering the Sacred Band's isolation.

Other books that are on top of the table at the moment include Cawkell's Philip II of Macedon, Hammond's Philip II of Macedon, Gabael's Cavalry Operations in Ancient Greece, and Gabriel's Great Captains of Antiquity with particular interest in the chapter of Philip II of Macedon.
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